Tag Archives: synthesizers
Adding Zak to the Mix
“It has been too long since the last Csound Blog. This is why I’m personally excited to announce this newest edition, ‘Adding Zak to the Mix.’Today’s topic is how to model a studio mixer in Csound using Robin Whittle’s zak opcodes.[1] I will actually be stretching this subject over an unspecified number of blog entries, as I couldn’t possibly cover every significant nuance in one write-up. What I’m presenting here today is merely an overview, while in the following issues I will break down everything into its respective modular components. Not only will I cover the design of this zak mixer, I will present new ways in which you can organize your orchestras, along with how to unlock the potential of your patches using control instruments.”
Topics covered:
- Zak
- Model of a Studio Mixer
- Macros
- Signal Routing
- Organization
More at The Csound Blog. For more information about Csound, please visit cSounds.com.
Blue-9
flickr photo be me
Synth DIY by fonik
My electronics workstation in the garage has been closed for the winter due to extreme cold. Not that I’ve had the time, anyways. However, the temperature is on the rise, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there. The big goal I’ve set for myself is to make some of my very own eurorack modular synth units.
And perhaps by cosmic coincidence, a modular synth enthusiast, who goes by the name of fonik, commented on one of my flickr photos a couple of days ago. This led me to his photos, which led me to www.modular.fonik.de. On his site, he shares in detail his custom modules and schematics. Having a DIY guide to follow is exactly what I need.
“Rather a musician than an electronics engineer I was always looking for new sounds. This finally(?) let me to modular synth. Once I purchased some Dopefer modules for a modular guitar effect the plan rose to build my own modular synth… this was about 2 years ago and I never held an soldering iron in my hands before.” – fonik
This is the position I’m in today. The fact that he has been able to accomplish so much with in such a short period of time gives me hope that I, too, will be able to succeed in my modular synth building endeavors.
The Zeroscillator
Cyndustries Promotional video used at the NAMM Show Anaheim California 2007. This oscillator is amazing!
Video by Cyndustries.
I agree with the video description. The Zeroscillator, by Cyndustries, is amazing! And I really, really want one. I never knew FM synthesis could sound so great. Since the whole process takes place in the analog domain, the Zeroscillator doesn’t have the same issues as digital FM does with aliasing, which allows for timbres not possible with digital FM synthesis.
This unit is my highest priority for when I upgrade my Doepfer sometime in the future.
Music: a Mathematical Offering
A good friend of mine recently sent me a link to “Music: a Mathematical Offering” by Dave Benson. I’ve only briefly skimmed the text. However, I can already assure you this free online book is full of useful information. It does veer into the technical, as it is packed with equations that may seem a bit alien to some. Don’t let this dissuade you, as there is plenty of knowledge for people of all backgrounds.
The PDF is 524 pages long, making printing a not-so-viable option. For those who wish to read a hard copy, you can purchase the book from Amazon.
Here is a list of chapters in the online version:
1. Waves and harmonics
2. Fourier theory
3. A mathematician’s guide to the orchestra
4. Consonance and dissonance
5. Scales and temperaments: the fivefold way
6. More scales and temperaments
7. Digital music
8. Synthesis
9. Symmetry in music
I would also like to point out that my synthesizer of choice, Csound, is covered.
Patch Cables
flickr photo be me
I’ve recently started to experiment with High Dynamic Range photography. Some of the works I’ve seen on flickr are absolutely amazing. However, there are times when I think the technique becomes too hyper-real, even for my tastes. Either way, I’m having fun with it, which I guess is the only thing that truly matters.
Home Brewed Convolution
The fifth Csound Blog entry is up.
“According to wikipedia, convolution is ‘a mathematical operator which takes two functions f and g and produces a third function that in a sense represents the amount of overlap between f and a reversed and translated version of g.’ However, this explanation tells us little about convolution as applied to audio…”
Topics covered:
- Convolution
- Impulse Response
- Reverb
- Filter
More at The Csound Blog. For more information about Csound, please visit cSounds.com.
Robot Voices and Android Grooves
The fourth Csound Blog entry is up.
“One of my earliest synthesizer fascinations was the robotic voice produced by band vocoders. While in college, I stumbled across the vocoder schematics in The Computer Music Tutorial by Curtis Roads. Equipped with only Csound and my new-found knowledge, I created my first vocoder instrument. I have since designed many variations, and will likely to continue doing so for many years to come. Because robots rule…”
Topics covered:
- Band Vocoder
- Envelope Follower
- Speech Synthesis
Visit:
The Csound Blog
Oscillator Arrays and Multi-Band Spatializers
I have just posted my third Csound Blog entry.
Topics covered:
- Layered Voices
- Synchronized Phase-Offset Oscillator Array
- Multi-Band Spatializer
- Oscillator Array Modulated Multi-Band Panner
Visit:
The Csound Blog