[sdiy] Kick Drum schematics/ drum synthesis

[Peter Grenader]

Tip for the day:

Good percussive sound, but more tabla-ish than kick bass-like:

Filter as Osc, add a touch of FM via a sine wave (to thicken the sound - not
enough to add audible sideband)s  Preferably this will be a linear FM input.

Slight and very short decay only transcient on filter freq from an AD
envelope, not ADSR.

Shape the amplitude of with short decay only AD (not ADSR) which is longer
than the transcient AD.  There can be little to no sustain to this.

Add a little dynamics:  put output of first VCA (above) into second VCA,
control that with a gated random voltage which is slightly slewed.  Keep
manual offset open a little so the sound never dissappears, just accents.

Another nice trick for variation:  add third envelope (attack only) that is
slightly longer than the one shaping the sound as a thrid VC on filter freq.
VERY SLIGHT.  Too much = funked up Simmons drum.  Too little = does nothing
(duh).  you should just be able to hear the effect as the sound dissappears.

Develop that patch by: Add a second oscillating filter voice, with the same
voltage processing, detuned dissonantly to the first voice and let them run
simultaniously.  

Still another nice trick: add a VERY quick single echo via delay

Still yet another trick:  control the trigger generator that's driving the
sound with a sequencer.  Set it up so you have equal divisions of the
periodicity (4th, 8th, 16th note).  Sounds good....but BORING in about two
seconds. right? 

Then add a random (the same random voltage that controlling the dynamics
taken before it's slewed) to control the direction of the sequencer to get
random rythmic patterns of pre-determined phrases..

(sound of screetching brakes) HUH?

Yeah...see, you can't do that unless you have a Wiard, Serge TBK, Doepher or
Buchla sequencer...can you?????

But why not? it's great!! (<----- all synth designers read this one twice)

Synth designer good karma redeption section:

Any making sequencers that don't have a means of VCing the direction via
discrete voltage steps (call me for details) - DROP AND GIVE ME 20!!!!

and there's your tip for the day.

from the mother of all percussive, tabla-ish sounds...



above that's shaping the sound through the


on 4/1/02 3:18 PM, Glen at mclilith at ezwv.com wrote:

> At 04:35 PM 4/1/02 , Sebastian Kuehnl wrote:
> 
>> I always read about feeding filters with sharp transients to create
>> percussive sounds, but never about doing so with a phaser?
> 
> What about using a delay line, or perhaps even several of them? The delay time
> can be modulated if you like, and you could add either inverting or
> non-inverting regeneration as well.
> 
> 
> One last comment, I believe someone suggested trying to make an elaborate
> all-purpose percussion synth. If something like this gets off the ground,
> might
> it have the capability to synthesize things such as cymbals, gongs,  steel
> drums, or maybe even a vibraslap?
> 
> I am just wondering if anyone is even thinking of these instruments, within
> the
> context of a universal percussion-synth at the moment. If an elaborate
> instrument is attempted, it would be a shame to think primarily in terms of
> toms and snares.
> 
> 
> Later,
> Glen