[sdiy] Thoughts on a Polyphonic Synth

[Rykhaard D.A.M.I.A.N.]

On 3/24/06, Mike Both <mikeb at prophecysound.com> wrote:
> The 're-inventing the wheel' line could well be directed at most of the
> modular stuff people build also, and it's a theme that comes up often.
> For me, I'd be interested in building a polysynth 'just because' - and
> it'd be neat to learn about, design and implement such a beast. Then it
> would be 'my' wheel, and I'd make it just the way I wanted! :^)
>
> Mike

Back in my final days with my monster 'Bert & Ernie', I finally tried
a polyphonic patch, using 3 each of the (basically) same, VCO, VCF,
VCA and ADSR, all controlled from my 8 voice Encore MIDI to CV
controller.
It ...... just, wasn't ...... right, for me.  :P
In a normal commercial polysynth (hardware and software) when I build
a patch, it's usually monstrous, harmonically, in it's movement - the
amount of modules that I'd require for that in a polyphonic modular
patch, is almost scary. 8-O
In Bert & Ernie, I'd never really intended to do things polyphonically
with it - so when I set up that patch, with none of the modules REALLY
matching well - it was an odd sound.  The barest of differences in
each of the modules, almost came screaming at your ear in tonal /
harmonic differences, depending on what velocity was hitting what VCFs
and VCAs.  :(

I'm keeping that in mind, building the machine that I am now - but in
a different way.  From the start - I'm going to be keeping my
'polyphonic use' to external keyboards (emulated or eventually real) -
Wurlitzer; String Machine; Mellotron - but in time I WILL be setting
up SOMEthing polyphonic in it.  I just wont be aiming to have every
single voice sound 'the same'.  Rather - letting EACH of them have
their own individual characters, and expanding upon that. :)

As far as 2 LFOs for an entire polyphonic go - that brings back
gawd-awful HORRIBLE memories of the 'ancient' Yamaha TX11Z ...... ? 
(Damn.  The 8 voice rackmount, that gave 8 waveforms for FM.  Been so
long since I owned it (20 years), I've forgotten it's part #. :O 
Haha.)  Having only the 2 LFOs (assignable, and a 3rd, global) drove
me batty, when I was trying to setup multiple patches on it. :O  Soon
after I realized that, I got rid of it, for something better. :O :)

--
Take care,
Warmth and Peace,
Ryk

My NEW webpage home:
http://www.sdiy.org/damian/index.html - still transferring all from
the old site - Mar 2506

http://deathlehem.bravehost.com/damian.html - my modular synthesizer,
D.A.M.I.A.N.;s webpage