[sdiy] Experiment with bandlimited ramps

[Seb Francis]

Ian Fritz wrote:
> At 03:58 PM 1/6/2009, Seb Francis wrote:
>> Tom Wiltshire wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Chuckle chuckle! Be very careful here, young jedi!
>
> Be especially careful in matching the levels.  They have to be within 
> better than .5 dB or you will hear a difference.
>

I matched the peak level to 0.1dB which I guess is valid even though the 
sampled MOTM waveform doesn't always hit the peak on every cycle (I 
assume because of the sampling process rather than any actual variation 
in the analog peak level).

I think the difference I could hear was that the software waveform 
remained completely the same throughout the 2 seconds or so, whereas I 
could perceive slight 'movement' for the analog waveform.

This is consistent with my experience when making music that a repeated 
analog pattern generally has more movement and life to it than a 
repeated soft-synth pattern which is always, to the sample, exactly the 
same every time it plays.  The former is more pleasant  and interesting 
to listen to (IMO :)  It's the same with using analog drum machines vs 
samples of analog drum machines.

Digital synthesis has its place for sure, but my experience when I tried 
to go 100% digital (soft-synths) for a while was that the music ended up 
somehow a bit lifeless.  Using at least some analog gear gives, for me, 
much more satisfying results.  Having said that though, some of the 
newer soft-synths are getting very good, with the developers finding new 
tricks to make them sound better...

Seb