[sdiy]

[phillip m gallo]

Posts regarding polyphony so far have only dealt with multiple "like"
voice channels.   There is more to polyphony than implementing this way.
Polyphonically driving multiple "different" voices  is a very potent
technique.  It does require a more sophisticated "Note control".

As an example, in my pre-MIDI days, i built a controller which drove 9
Yamaha DXy DCO's with my SDIY modular tracing the highest key (descant)
, and my MG-1 tracing the lowest key(basso).  The DXy's where given all
notes but even here i did not program the DCO's to have the same voice.
This was a digital implementation of what i had done in an analog way
with a Lancaster Poly and the two synths.

This technique provides a really interesting ensemble effect that
resulted in two "performance" characteristics:

1)
You playing stop's being pianistic or organ-tuan but becomes very
precise as notes allocate to "voicings" and repeatability requires
precise technique,
2)
Alternatively, pianistic playing resulting in very cool ad hoc voice
assignment which provided a "uncertainty" to the "orchestration" which
had the dangerous side effect of keeping you playing the synth way past
bed time and bending your orchestrational "ear".  Reminded me of the
insite gained from playing a "prepared piano".

Now MIDI make all this very easy.  Your M2CV needs to have rules in it
for not to voice assignment, an example being how to detect new voice
activations vs. "overlap" between key activations.  Since MIDI provide
velocity information as well as channel info it's pretty easy to make
decisions as to voice allocation.  You do need to provide a buffer for
key's pressed but not presently assigned to help govern these rules.  

I have always disliked the rotary note assignment that poly synths often
do and am sure this is a major contributor to polysynths sounding like
really neat but non-the-less organ-like instruments.

regards,
p

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
[mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl] On Behalf Of Grant Richter
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 10:37 AM
To: Rainer Buchty; Andalong Dudigual
Cc: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
Subject: Re: [sdiy] poly?


> Now for the fake solutions:
> 
> The cheapest way to turn a monophonic synth into some sort of
> polyphonic machine is the arpeggiator. Works nicely with chords, but 
> is rather unusable for true polyphonic play.

My electronic music teacher (Dr. August Wagner) pointed out that echo
devices like the Echoplex allow you to achieve polyphony with a
mono-synth by layering in real time. It was one reason they were so
popular to use with early synths.

He also pointed out that electronic instruments are the only ones
without inherent acoustic ambience, which all acoustic instruments have.
Hence electronic reverb is practically an essential for imitative
synthesis.

This was in response to my comment that using effects units with
synthesizers was "cheating". His response was that, not only was it not
"cheating", but imperative for the above reasons.

I know that is not what the original poster intended. But I thought they
were rather keen insights on his part (and for 1976). He died very
young, and I try to keep his memory alive in some small way.


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