The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Thanks, Bruce. Good advice as always. Cyclical swirling WAS one of my 
problems, Not appropriately defining the vibrato is still a problem. 
It's just not sweet enough, somehow.  (I have lfo speed and pitch and 
a little VCA modulation on the mod wheel.) I know I need a sine lfo 
of some sort. Do you have a reccomendaton (zero offset, +ve offset 
etc.) 

That ribbon controller is sweet for pitch bends. (Especially those 
old Jean Luc Ponty style "attack" bends) It starts getting "steppy" 
if do an octave so I am doing 3 semitones up and 2 semitones down. I 
am keeping the pitch wheel at octaves for the big swoops. Interesting 
discovery, I am modulating pulse width with the ribbon (X) too. So 
the tones change as I bend into the note. Makes a big difference.

Comments welcome. Thx.

Jerry


--- In AN1x-list@y..., Bruce Wahler <bruce@a...> wrote:
> Jerry,
> 
> >Can anyone offer me any tips for a violin sound (especially 
envelope
> >settings). I am thinking of a solo fiddle, not a string pad. I 
don't
> >expect it to be realistic, just playable in a fun way.
> 
> I've never done a fiddle on the AN1x, but I have programmed the 
sound on 
> various synths over the years, and here are some thoughts:
>     * If you're starting with a string-patch sort of sound, remove 
most, if 
> not all, of the chorus and detune from the sound.  A real violin 
has some 
> interesting phase relationships going on, but cyclical swirling 
isn't one 
> of them.
>     * Violinists/fiddlers use widely varying styles of bowing the 
> strings.  I usually start with a very long attack on the notes, 
with 
> velocity modulation added to shorten the attack of both the VCF and 
> VCA.  This way, if notes are played softly, they are lightly/slowly 
bowed, 
> while harder notes are quickly bowed.  The amount of modulation 
varies, 
> depending on the player's technique, so you'll need to experiment 
> here.  Legato mode may help, too, as the first note of a fast 
passage often 
> has a much longer attack than following notes.
>     * Pitch bending is a very important part of solo violining.  
Portamento 
> may provide the amount you need, but I rely on the pitch and ribbon 
> controllers.  I usually set the pitch wheel for +/-12 steps, so 
that I can 
> make those head-for-the-clouds bends at the end of a lick.
>     * Solo violin playing relies heavily on vibrato, added in after 
the 
> initial attack.  Some players use delayed vibrato only; others use 
the 
> wheel or ribbon (Z-axis) to add it.
> I hope this helps.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> -BW
> 
> --
> Bruce Wahler
> Design Consultant
> Ashby Solutions"
> www.ashbysolutions.com
> CloneWheel Support Group moderator
> 978.386.7389  voice
> 978.964.0547 fax
> bruce@a...