Yahoo Groups archive

Elektron Musical Instruments

Index last updated: 2026-04-28 23:22 UTC

Thread

computer controlled

computer controlled

2000-06-26 by andrew sargeant

> the same people who buy nord modulars, rebirth, protools, etc... who
> would like everything "computer controlled," I would imagine.

hey! :)

the SIDstation has "computer controlled" written on it :)

and nord modulars have nothing to do with rebirth and protools :)

(it's an awesome synth, and software programming is fantastic! -- great for
use with the SID! the full sized edition is amazing)

> very true.  the real SID chip has a very peculiar "shredding" to its
> filter(s) which does not sound like anything else.

ooh yes! :) .. it's great. However, if you want nice 24db filtering then
it's nice to have something else..

andrew

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-26 by Andrew Barthle

>> the same people who buy nord modulars, rebirth, protools, etc... who
>> would like everything "computer controlled," I would imagine.
> 
> hey! :)
> 
> the SIDstation has "computer controlled" written on it :)
> 
> and nord modulars have nothing to do with rebirth and protools :)

well, the nord modulars (especially, the micro modular, the one that i know
anything about) have only a small few knobs, which is definitely not enough
to program any synth.  so you use a computer to make the patch in a virtual
world.  with rebirth you tweak imaginary knobs on a screen, too.

-- 
Andrew Barthle
bartha2@...
apbarthle@...
apbarthle@...

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-26 by Matt Russell

On Mon, 26 Jun 2000, andrew sargeant wrote:

> (it's an awesome synth, and software programming is fantastic! -- great for
> use with the SID! the full sized edition is amazing)

are you referring to a full sized nord modular?

  ____________________________________ ___ __ _  _   _
 /___  http://www.amphibious.net  /
___/     ____         ___________/    ____//
    ____/   /_______    /______________/
   //            /______________/

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-26 by andrew sargeant

> well, the nord modulars (especially, the micro modular, the one that i
know
> anything about) have only a small few knobs, which is definitely not
enough

but the sidstation only has four :) .. i can program that fine.
Software would make it even better imho!

> to program any synth.  so you use a computer to make the patch in a
virtual
> world.  with rebirth you tweak imaginary knobs on a screen, too.

well yes, i attach modules up to eachother (oscillators, filters) with
virtual patch leads. It's not possible to program the thing from the front
panel, but i don't mind. This is much neater than using real patch leads!. I
can then assign the parameters to the knobs up front, as well as controller
numbers. And i think this visual approach is surely the only way to handle
real modular programming with something so small. The real great thing is
this tiny size. You save 99 patches on there, then use it live as a synth or
a sound processor.

the sidstation can be programmed very comfortably from the front, as the
architecture doesn't become as complex. The oscillators are either routed
through the filter or not, and then modulated with LFOs. I love the
sidsound! .. but if it was a modularsid, (wow now that'd be cool!) i'd want
an editor :)

andrew

sidstation rack?

2000-06-26 by Matt Russell

at work today i talked to a guy who is planning on putting his sid into a
rack module.  i had thought of this when i had originally seen the
pictures, but since had put it out of my mind...

has anyone else done this?  are there schematics available on the web?


  ____________________________________ ___ __ _  _   _
 /___  http://www.amphibious.net  /
___/     ____         ___________/    ____//
    ____/   /_______    /______________/
   //            /______________/

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-26 by andrew sargeant

> are you referring to a full sized nord modular?

oh yes, now what a machine :)

still, the software editor is useful!

andrew

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-26 by Matt Russell

On Mon, 26 Jun 2000, andrew sargeant wrote:

> > are you referring to a full sized nord modular?
> 
> oh yes, now what a machine :)

is there actually a full sized one?  or are you just talking about the 2
octave keyboard?

  ____________________________________ ___ __ _  _   _
 /___  http://www.amphibious.net  /
___/     ____         ___________/    ____//
    ____/   /_______    /______________/
   //            /______________/

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-26 by shifty@gweep.net

> > well, the nord modulars (especially, the micro modular, the one that i
> know
> > anything about) have only a small few knobs, which is definitely not
> enough
> 
> but the sidstation only has four :) .. i can program that fine.

Only has four built-in.  It takes 2^7 "virtual knobs."


> Software would make it even better imho!

Actually, I shy away from a workstation-based GUI.  And what I'd prefer is
this: a "test sequence" menu button.  So that you can start sequences from the
front panel without using any piece of external midi equipment.

So you could just sit there and play whole songs with ONLY the SIDstation.
with 100 different sequences to the song.  With separate knob settings for
every single sequence.  

> well yes, i attach modules up to eachother (oscillators, filters) with
> virtual patch leads. It's not possible to program the thing from the front
> panel, but i don't mind. This is much neater than using real patch leads!. I
> can then assign the parameters to the knobs up front, as well as controller
> numbers. And i think this visual approach is surely the only way to handle
> real modular programming with something so small. The real great thing is
> this tiny size. You save 99 patches on there, then use it live as a synth or
> a sound processor.

but the small is non-multi-timbral :(  Nor is the SIDstation, completely,
but those wave tables rock.  I mean, they're a sequencer.

> the sidstation can be programmed very comfortably from the front, as the
> architecture doesn't become as complex. The oscillators are either routed
> through the filter or not, and then modulated with LFOs. I love the
> sidsound! .. but if it was a modularsid, (wow now that'd be cool!) i'd want
> an editor :)

does those nord thingies have sync'd oscillators?  do you have any idea
how they work on the SID?  does anyone?  if I ring mod three triangle
waves, does the last one ring mod the first?  or does the ring-mod'd 
output of the previous oscillator mod the first?  What about sync, I have
the same question.  

Has anyone sat down and generated a transfer function of the SID filter
using a pulse waveform as an impulse?  How about a 2-dimensional sampling of
all 8 filter combinations at 2^4*2^4 filter cutoff and resonance settings?
Has anyone characterized that?  Where can I see it posted, I'd like to know
what the transfer functions look like....because until you do that, you'll
never get the SID filter sound from any emulation.  Your "Chimera" will be
screeching loud because you didn't have the right deadspots in your filter.
Or would it be the other way around?  

Once you've got the filter figured out, then you can go on and try and
solve the Megahertz-bandwidth-output problem.  I'll give you a hint,
it takes more than an entire Intel PII350 worth of computation power to
even get close to the SID sound.  (I should know, I pegged reSID at 16X
in order to hear some AMJ tracks.  Damn if that isn't the one of the
most beautiful sounds in the world in the Assembly 96 song.)

-N

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-26 by Benski

shifty@... wrote:
> Has anyone sat down and generated a transfer function of the SID filter
> using a pulse waveform as an impulse?  How about a 2-dimensional sampling of
> all 8 filter combinations at 2^4*2^4 filter cutoff and resonance settings?
> Has anyone characterized that?  Where can I see it posted, I'd like to know
> what the transfer functions look like....because until you do that, you'll
> never get the SID filter sound from any emulation.  Your "Chimera" will be
> screeching loud because you didn't have the right deadspots in your filter.
> Or would it be the other way around?

Someone on the K5000 did this a while back, using the data found in the
K5000's formant-filter.  It had good results, except that the K5K's
formant-filter steps noticably - and the filter wasn't accurate too far
away from the tested cut-off freq.

benski

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-26 by R. Cliff Young

On Mon, 26 Jun 2000 shifty@... wrote:

[Nord Modulars, knobs, and programming]
> > but the sidstation only has four :) .. i can program that fine.
> 
> Only has four built-in.  It takes 2^7 "virtual knobs."

The Nord Modular Rack (and Nord Modular Keyboard, which is just a Rack
with a two octave keyboard, really) has 18 assignable knobs, and can of
course act on any MIDI control change as well.

All you need a computer for with the Modular Rack (and Key) is laying out
and wiring up modules (and assigning CCs/knobs as well).  You can do all
parameter changing, loading, saving, etc. from the Modular Rack/Key's
front panel.

[...small below refers to MicroModular...]
> but the small is non-multi-timbral :(  Nor is the SIDstation, completely,
> but those wave tables rock.  I mean, they're a sequencer.

Even the Nord MicroModular, under careful programming, can duplicate the
functionality of the SIDstation's wave tables with the sequence modules.  
All "non-multi-timbral" means with the Nord Micromodular is you can't
drive more than one patch at a time.  There's nothing that says that patch
can't be a bassline or three and drums (except for the DSP consumption,
that is), and if you've got a patch that doesn't take up much DSP, you can
still get polyphony--some of the simpler patches I've seen can get up to
eight-note polyphony on the Micromodular.

> does those nord thingies have sync'd oscillators?  do you have any idea
[...]

Those Nord thingies have oscillators that behave and interact however you
want them to behave and interact.  They sync if you tell them to sync, and
don't if you decide otherwise.

I love my Nord Rack and Micromodular, and they fit in quite well and get
along quite nicely with their fellow country-synth, the SidStation.

-- 
R. Cliff Young <nukenin@...> /\/ Chaos Never Died
	http://www.roguebard.com/

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-26 by shifty@gweep.net

> Those Nord thingies have oscillators that behave and interact however you
> want them to behave and interact.  They sync if you tell them to sync, and
> don't if you decide otherwise.

cool.  let's say I'd like to bitwise NAND two of the output waveforms. ;)


thanks for the info about the micromod.  it does seem pretty nifty.


> I love my Nord Rack and Micromodular, and they fit in quite well and get
> along quite nicely with their fellow country-synth, the SidStation.

You didn't mention your asr-x in there!?

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-26 by R. Cliff Young

On Mon, 26 Jun 2000 shifty@... wrote:

> > Those Nord thingies have oscillators that behave and interact however you
> > want them to behave and interact.  They sync if you tell them to sync, and
> > don't if you decide otherwise.
> 
> cool.  let's say I'd like to bitwise NAND two of the output waveforms. ;)

This would be tricky, since you don't have bitwise access to signals.  I
won't say it's impossible, though.  I'm sure a crafty person can come up
with a patch to do it.

> thanks for the info about the micromod.  it does seem pretty nifty.

The only problem is that the Micromodular is so much a teaser for the full
Rack (or Key) version.  But it's a nice compact little synth in its own
right, and a good adjunct to my gear.

> > I love my Nord Rack and Micromodular, and they fit in quite well and get
> > along quite nicely with their fellow country-synth, the SidStation.
> 
> You didn't mention your asr-x in there!?  

Ah, but the ASR-X ain't Swedish!  (Well, okay, the Stomper-portion is,
but not the rest of it. ;)

-- 
R. Cliff Young <nukenin@...> /\/ Chaos Never Died
	http://www.roguebard.com/

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-06-29 by Andrew Barthle

> Actually, I shy away from a workstation-based GUI.  And what I'd prefer
is
> this: a "test sequence" menu button.  So that you can start sequences from the
> front panel without using any piece of external midi equipment.
> 
> So you could just sit there and play whole songs with ONLY the SIDstation.
> with 100 different sequences to the song.  With separate knob settings for
> every single sequence.

Me too.  I wish that the SidStation had a button that would play the patch -
middle C or something.  That way I could program it while sitting in my bed
(I don't have a studio, I just set up my stuff wherever there's space).
That would be especially useful for programming wavetables, at least for me
(since it takes a while and is more rhythmic than melodic much of the time).

-- 
Andrew Barthle
apbarthle@...
apbarthle@...
bartha2@...

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-07-02 by andrew sargeant

> Me too.  I wish that the SidStation had a button that would play the
patch -
> middle C or something.  That way I could program it while sitting in my
bed
> (I don't have a studio, I just set up my stuff wherever there's space).
> That would be especially useful for programming wavetables, at least for
me
> (since it takes a while and is more rhythmic than melodic much of the
time).

could this be implemented? i mean, there's a lot of keys on there ..(are
they all used?)
the nord has a handy feature like that, but it's more so to see what a patch
is because you have no indication otherwise ;)

andrew

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-07-03 by Daniel Hansson

On Sun, 2 Jul 2000, andrew sargeant wrote:

> could this be implemented? i mean, there's a lot of keys on there ..(are
> they all used?)
> the nord has a handy feature like that, but it's more so to see what a patch
> is because you have no indication otherwise ;)

Hmmm... The problem is that I can't think of any button that would be free
for using.

...thinking about the SidStation for Reaktor... Would it be possible to
get it uploaded to the common filespace? It would be interesting to check
it out! Or send it attached directly to me and I'll do it. I assume it is
a free module.

 //Daniel

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-07-03 by R. Cliff Young

On Sun, 2 Jul 2000, andrew sargeant wrote:

[button to play the patch]
> could this be implemented? i mean, there's a lot of keys on there ..(are
> they all used?)
> the nord has a handy feature like that, but it's more so to see what a patch
> is because you have no indication otherwise ;)

Well, on the Micromodular--the "regular" Modulars (rack and key) have a
large enough display that they can indicate the currently selected patch's
name.

Also, while the Micromodular does indeed have a Note Trigger button, the
Modular Rack does not.  (The Modular Key on the other hand has a bunch of
odd note trigger "slabs" in two shapes/colors, each playing a different
pitch by default.  Quite a weird arrangement, but I think I've seen it
before somewhere... :)

As for my SidStation, I just let my little El Cheapo controller keyboard
serve as a note trigger for patch testing. :)

-- 
R. Cliff Young <nukenin@...> /\/ Chaos Never Died
	http://www.roguebard.com/

Re: [elektron] computer controlled

2000-07-04 by andrew sargeant

> Hmmm... The problem is that I can't think of any button that would be free
> for using.

on the nord, to trigger a note you hold the -Shift- key,  then you press the
patch select button. You can use shift with knobs also to cycle through
patches & midi channels faster..

> ...thinking about the SidStation for Reaktor... Would it be possible to
> get it uploaded to the common filespace? It would be interesting to check
> it out! Or send it attached directly to me and I'll do it. I assume it is
> a free module.

i'll hunt it down for you .. in the meantime, i should put those samples
up..

andrew

Move to quarantaine

This moves the raw source file on disk only. The archive index is not changed automatically, so you still need to run a manual refresh afterward.