[sdiy] Additive VCO

[M.A. Koot]

Well you are totally right that static waveforms aren't very interesting,
but of coarse the eventual summed signal would then be send through additional
filters/vca's/ring mod or whatever you like to do, to give the signal
dynamics, just like with conventional VCO's. The point I try to clearify is that a
saw VCO has a pretty static output too, I mean, a saw VCO doesn't have
controllable harmonic content does it? So a static Additive VCO wouldn't be more
static than a saw-VCO. Actually with VCA's after every harmonic it will makes
the output extra dynamic.. At least that's how I see it.
Overall I think a digital source and afterwards transforming to sine and
control with VCA's seems to be best. Although it seems that after each deviation
a square to tri, tri to sine seems to be a lot of work....

Cheers,
Michiel

> Just a side comment, I don't know what experience you have with modular
> synthesis, but static waveforms are not sonically interesting.  There are
> many ways to make dynamic ones through waveshaping and filtering.  While
> additive synthesis can have merit, I don't think it's the end-all be-all. 
> Waveshaping is a great way to add harmonic content and most waveshapers
> I've
> seen are easily voltage controlled.  Many members here have waveshaper
> designs posted on the web.  And many waveshaper circuits are incredibly
> simple.  The effort you would put into building 16 VCOs might actually
> give
> you more of a return building say 2 or 3 VCOs and some waveshaping
> circuits.
>  Add to that some modulation circuits, and you can have some nice sounds
> that
> change over time.  In a world of tonal music, IMHO, *that* is what sounds
> interesting.
> 
> "M.A. Koot" <makoot at gmx.net> wrote:
> >Well the initial idea was to just have the amplitudes controllable by
> hand
> >(using the mixer-pots). But automated control would be a lot nicer I
> think..
> >
> >cheers,
> >Michiel
> >
> >> > Another feature I might like to add is single VCA's for every
> hamonic.
> >> > That'd be a lot of work, but it would be very nice I think if you
> would
> >> be
> >> able to
> >> > change every single harmonic amplitude over time using envelopes
> etc...
> >> 
> >> You absolutely *need* such a feature in order to do true additive
> >> synthesis.
> >> You must be able to control the amplitude of each partial.
> >> 
> >> I wanted to mess with additive, too, so I just bought a Kawai K5000S --
> >> too
> >> bad that UPS shattered part of it, but it was still a decent price.
> >> (Anybody
> >> know where to get Kawai parts? I have yet to look...)
> >> --
> >> john
> >> 
> >
> >-- 
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