The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "vick_timson" 
<vick_timson@y...> wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Is there a subtractive synth VSTi that pretty much has the same 
> parameters as the AN1x?  I looked at the pro52 control map file 
and 
> it seems that it's missing some parameters I consider 
essential to 
> the AN1x like Pmod depth and PWsrc. 

Sorry, but I'm a little confused by your statement  "looked at the 
pro52 control map file and ..." Do you mean the MIDI Controller 
Templates supplied by Native Instruments? IF you haven't 
already, I strongly recommend you donwload a demo copy of 
Pro-52 (now Pro-53) from the NI web site. The Pmod equivalent 
on the Pro-52 is the FREQ A parm and the PWsrc equivalent is 
the PW A (and PW B.) The parms can be modulated from both 
the Poly-Mod and Wheel-Mod sections of the Pro-52.

IMHO, the Pro-52 (and Pro-53) both offer remarkably similar 
sound quality to the AN1x.  It's not lacking much of anything from 
the AN1x. I'd easily choose the Pro-5x series as an AN1x 
substitute. There's a shareware knock off called Exciton (I think) 
that appears to be a 'poor mans' version (for $75 if you call that 
shareware!) but I found it neither aesthetically pleasing nor 
comparable sound wise to either the Pro-52 or AN1x. Besides, it 
behaved like crap in a couple of VST hosts on the Mac platform.

 And if you could recommend one, 
> how would I go about transferring the parameters on the AN1x 
to the 
> VSTi like I can with AN1xedit?

I think you'll find a number of presets in Pro-52 are remarkably 
similar to the AN1x - and others can be tweaked with a minimum 
of effort. I know of no conversion utility for AN1x Voices so I would 
hazazrd a guess any effort to transfer patches would be a 
manual effort on your part.

  I'm also wondering if something like 
> this can be achieved with the environment files for Logic.  If so, 
> how would I go about doing it?

I don't see how the Environment would lend itself to this. The 
Environment is a tremendous resource for providing tailored 
automation and control facitilies but any conversion of 
parameters would be best suited to real time applications, i.e., 
rerout MIDI CC #00x to CC #0xx for example.

There are many Environment layers available today for the 
AN1x/PLG150-AN. Check the Files section here at Yahoo! 
Groups and also http://www.swiftkick.com/ Jetronic made the 
superb layers for the AN1x Step Seq and Vari Effects, another 
fellow made a PLG150-AN specific layer entirely of SysEx strings 
and I fleshed out the missing parameters from the env supplied 
by Yamaha for Mode1 and Mode2 on the AN1x.


  I know I might be asking for too 
> much, but I'd appreciate whatever aid I can get in case my 
AN1x isn't 
> around and I need to use a surrogate midi controller for 
gigging with 
> those same sounds.

No problem, but I think you might want to spend some time 
thinking through what attainable goal you're after. 

 
> I know that I'm not going to get exactly the same sounds since 
even 
> among the subtractive synths, they all have different engines 
and 
> different parameters, as is apparent with the pro52 vs. the 
An1x.  I 
> hope that there's just enough overlap and I'm pretty sure there 
is 
> between the AN1x and a VSTi so I can "emulate" the AN1x 
when I'm on 
> the go(an1x = too heavy to carry to gigs nowadays esp since I 
usu 
> walk w/my laptop).  Thanks.

The one shortcoming of the Pro-52 vs. the AN1x is the lack of a 
Control Matrix. The Mod section on the Pro-52 is terrific (but a 
little confusing.) The lack of a Control Matrix is understandable 
as this feature is really more a knock off of the Oberheim design 
then the Sequential Circuits design. Still...if you *really* need a 
Control Matrix you might check out the FreeAlpha from LinPlug. 
Which, again, sounds neither as good as the Pro-52 or AN1x to 
my ears but offers an easy to use Control Matrix.

I'd also like to point out that NI assumed distribution of the 
Pro-53 from Steinberg upon its release earlier this year. 
Consequently, many online shops were offering Pro-52 at a 
discounted price and the upgrade to Pro-53 was offered directly 
from NI for free. I took advantage of this blowout and scored a 
Pro-52 for $70 from AudioMIDI.com and the Pro-53 (with 500+ 
extra patches) was FREE! Way cool. That was a few months ago 
so it may be hard to find anybody still offering this price but you 
might search around - try Sam Ash, Nova Musik, and maybe 8th 
Street Music too. I don't see any reason not to jump on it if you 
come across this deal.

Hope this helps,

Jon