1 post / 0 new
paulovski
paulovski's picture
Offline
Joined: 09/19/2012 - 06:13
Modsynth pitch bend templates

Caustic Song file (optional): 

I posted a similar file up in the 3.2 testing forum a while ago, but I had 3.1 up and running recently, so I thought I might as well do a 3.1 friendly version. There is a subtle difference between these and the original templates.

The first four Modsynth patches in this file are templates to use should you wish to record Modsynth pitch bend effects via MIDI into the sequencer. They all have the same components and wiring. Just a slight difference in two of the 3>1 mixer input levels. The first template will give you + or - one semitone, the second will give you two semitones etc. Any more than 4 semitones is pushing it. Things start to get a bit too unresponsive.
There's no sound in any of them. That's for you to sort out. There are twelve free slots and you can use the envelope, that's already there, for anything you like. As is, it's prewired to control main volume, which is generally fine for most things.

So. There's a DADSR envelope and two mixers. Important!!! Don't touch ANY of the back panel rotary knobs except for the 2>1 mixer output. That's the one you do need to move and that's the one to assign to a MIDI cc of your choice. In the templates and examples, I have used MIDI cc 2.

So that's that. What do you do with them? Example A is a pretty simple affair. I've started off with PB 1 Semi and added a sub oscillator. It's output goes to the main out and it's note input comes from the 3>1 mixer. Flip to the front panel and you will see that I've detuned it by one semitone. The volume envelope was already there, so that's it. Play a C note into this and that's what you'll hear. If you set the 2>1 mixer out control to full, the pitch will increase by one semitone. Set it to minimum and it'll drop by one. Double tap to centre. If you send MIDI cc 2 into it, preferably from a sprung control wheel, up and down that pitch will go by one semitone. If I wanted a two semitone pitch bend range here, I would start with PB 2 Semi and detune that sub oscillator by (yep, you've guessed it) two semitones. That's all you have to do.

Example B is just a more elaborate patch built around PB 2 Semi. There's a sub oscillator in row 2 synchronising a wave generator, so the sub is detuned by 2 semitones.

Example C. What about the FM pair then? The carrier on that module doesn't have a semitone control. You could transpose on your keyboard, which isn't ideal. Or you could add another mixer. I've done that here using PB 3 Semi to start. See the example for wiring details. The output of the new mixer is fed into input 3 of the existing 3>1 mixer and increases the overall pitch by another 9 semitones so the whole thing goes up an octave. So forget any semitone adjustment and detune everything by an octave. Or just play it an octave down on your keyboard. Either way, we're in. The 3>1 input 3 levels in the templates are already preset for this.

Example D. So. 4 units taken up before you even start. As I said earlier, you can do what you like with that envelope generator. You might just want it to control overall volume at its default settings. And if that's the case, you can replace the DADSR envelope with an AR envelope and save yourself a precious slot.

If you're not using input 3 of the 3>1 mixer for anything in particular, you can run an LFO or an EG into it. The demos were recorded live, with a pitch bend wheel.
Have fun.