NoisyLittleBugger Bjorklund lives!

Published on Oct 16, 2014 NoisyLittleBugger

And so it begins. This is how it all starts folks.  I created a new NoisyLittleBugger manufacturer/maker channel label for these moving forward. There have been previous posts featuring NoisyLittleBugger but they have been on DIY with the Mutable Instruments Shruthi-1 & Anushri, the Surge VSTi, and the Yamaha FS1R.  I believe this is the first NoisyLittleBugger design post.

Video description:
"Just another meaningless 20 second video. Sorry.

It shows my breadboarded Euclidean Sequencer working for the first time.

https://stimresp.wordpress.com/"

"I’m usually the one to grumble when I come across all those meaningless, grubby 20-second videos on Youtube. But today I’m adding my own. What the hell.

Here is Bjorklund just come to life.

At this moment I have a tight MIDI clock running on the ATMega328 at 24ppqn, with the option to go to a higher resolution if and when I trade-up to a better processor(Teensy 3.1 here I come!).

The 4 encoders and buttons are multiplexed using a single MCP2317, and the LED matrices are driven by 2 MAX7219s (both apparently counterfeit but working perfectly).

What you see are the available tempo divisions from slowest (each quarter note) to fastest (each MIDI tick) flashing across the screen.

I’ve come-up with an elegant way to deal with the note queues, rotation and sending MIDI. I can send notes on 8 tracks, remaining stable to master BPM of >300. All Looking good so far!

All that’s left to do is implement Bjorklund’s algorithm and feed it’s output to the note queue.

Then finally the controls/menu system and that’s it! It’s all optimization from there. It seems the most challenging part is documenting the process, but I’m gathering my notes…"

Shruthi-1 Modded SMR4 MkII - NoisyLittleBugger Edition

Published on Aug 18, 2014 NoisyLittleBugger

"Shruth-1 NLB edition (Modded SMr4 mkII)

A quick walk-through of the mods:

- 2 x Joysticks taken from broken PS3 controller and mapped to CV ins 1-4)
- 2/4-pole and Bandpass Filter Switches
- Filter FM, switchable between audio input and Feedback
- Overdrive mod
- OLED
- Styroflex capacitors
- Blacklight LED UFO Mod!

Sequenced from the Elektron Monomachine, only a small amount of delay added."

Anushri Build Timeplapse

Published on Mar 13, 2013 NoisyLittleBugger·1 video

"Timelapse of my Anushri build over 3 sessions.
Audio is recording of the first-noodle. All sounds from Anushri, one pass, only light reverb used.
Great fun to build and play. Listen to that filter!

Kit from, and big thanks to, Mutable Instruments
http://mutable-instruments.net/anushri

http://stimresp.wordpress.com/"

Happy New Year From MATRIXSYNTH! - A Look Back at 2014

Happy New Year everyone!

I want to start by thanking everyone that comes to MATRIXSYNTH and helps make it what it is - the readers, the supporters, and of course all the sponsors on the right.

THANK YOU and have a GREAT 2015!!!

This site is a labor of love and a ton of work. This site is ultimately meant to be an testament to everything synth in the making. We have over nine years of daily synth history captured here, 119,983 published posts. I can't wait to see what the future brings us in 2015!

That said, here are a few interesting bits from 2014 in the longest post of the year. ;)

CLICK FOR MORE »

Synthesizing a Kick Drum with Surge VSTi

YouTube Uploaded by NoisyLittleBugger on Jun 26, 2011

"Synthesizing a kick drum with Surge VSTi, using the FM2 module. The principles are applicable to any decent synthesizer.

The Kick is basically a sine wave pith through a short, steep pitch envelope. Some frequency modulation (FM) is added to emphasise the attack. An LFO is applied to pitch to give a little wobble.

Using these parameters it's possible to get a wide variety of tight, punchy electronic kicks. Why waste time browsing samples? Make your own!

Sampled using FL Studio's Edison and dropped into Nerve."

Grokking the FS1R: Part 5 - Formant Choir Dissection

YouTube Uploaded by NoisyLittleBugger on Mar 30, 2011

"WARNING - This video contains loud audio. Even though a limiter was placed on the output, the nature of FM means that noise peaks are inevitable when experimenting. You have been warned!

If you don't know what FS1R or FM synthesis are then there's no point in watching. Really.

Part 5: Formant Choir Dissection

The FS1R was primarily marketed for it's formant synthesis and Formant-sequencing (FS) abilities.

In this video I dissect a non-sequenced formant patch. Performance B008 - Choir uses formants and noise generators to mimmick the human vocal tract. Formants provide the vowel sounds, whilst the Unvoiced (noise) operators provide the consonants and/or breath.

I am collecting articles that explain the theory behind formant synthesis, with Frequency charts for common formants - see http://stimresp.wordpress.com/tag/formant/.

Essentially, the formant operators on the FS1R can be thought of as band-passed oscillators. The frequency and bandwidth of these formants can be changed to approximate the resonant qualities of real-world acoustic sounds, instruments, speech, etc.

The human voice can be approximated by at least three formants in parallel set at different frequencies. Research has produced charts that map the frequencies for common vowels and consonants - so in theory these can be used to make the FS1R say whole words. However the temporal aspects of such a patch would be too complex to program, as even 64 operators may not be enough. Changing the frequency and bandwidth is possible using MIDI knobs/automation, but the results are still far from convincing.

Yamaha's answer to this is/was formant sequencing. I will look at the formant sequences in a later video.

Software used:
Sakura FS1R editor - http://synth-voice.sakura.ne.jp/fs1r_editor_english.html (thank you K_Take!)
Reaper - http://www.reaper.fm/
S(m)exiscope vst - http://bram.smartelectronix.com/plugins.php?id=4
Voxengo SPAN - http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/
Camstudio - http://camstudio.org/

Grok: 'to understand intuitively or by empathy; to establish rapport with' and 'to empathise or communicate sympathetically (with); also, to experience enjoyment.'"

Grokking the FS1R: Part 1- The FS1R Spectral waveforms

YouTube Uploaded by NoisyLittleBugger on Mar 16, 2011

"WARNING - This video contains loud audio . Even though a limiter was placed on the output, the nature of FM means that noise peaks are inevitable when experimenting. You have been warned!

If you don't know what FS1R or FM synthesis are then there's no point in watching. Really.

Part 1: A quick look at the FS1R waveforms and their basic shaping parameters .

Apologies for the background hiss - attempting to eliminate. In any case, Youtube audio cannot do justice to the output of this fabulous device.

Software used:

FS1R editor - http://synth-voice.sakura.ne.jp/fs1r_editor_english.html
Reaper - http://www.reaper.fm/
S(m)exiscope vst - http://bram.smartelectronix.com/plugins.php?id=4

Grok: "to understand intuitively or by empathy; to establish rapport with" and "to empathise or communicate sympathetically (with); also, to experience enjoyment.""

Grokking the FS1R: Part 2- A First FM Patch


Update:

Grokking the FS1R: Part 3 - Simple 2-Operator FM with variable modulator waveforms.

Grokking the FS1R: Part 4 - A Solid attempt at Lately

YouTube Uploaded by NoisyLittleBugger on Mar 24, 2011

"WARNING - This video contains loud audio. Even though a limiter was placed on the output, the nature of FM means that noise peaks are inevitable when experimenting. You have been warned!

If you don't know what FS1R or FM synthesis are then there's no point in watching. Really.

Part 4 : A Solid attempt at Lately - Part A

Using the FS1R to emulate one of the most ubiquitous bass sounds in 90's pop. Heaven or Hell, depending on your perspective.
Some examples of it's use:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9uizdKZAGE - The Janet Jackson song that (apparently) gave it's name to the TX81Z patch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjJwqDa1QVI - Ace of Bass
etc...

It's a good synthesis target to for learning FM, and a very useable patch too. This is by no means a perfect copy, but it is the basis of so much more. I will expand this patch in the next video.

Solid Bass is a preset on the Yamaha DX-100. Lately Bass is a preset on the Yamaha TZ81Z. Both are 4-operator FM synths. The only apparent difference between these patches is that, whereas the DX-100 uses only Sine waveforms, the TX81Z used on of it's additive forms (number 5 FWIW). This apprently adds more bite to the attack, but probably not necessary on the FS1R as the feedback is plenty enough to impart that familiar snap in the attack.

Solid Bass is a 4-operator Patch, using algorithm 2 on the DX-100. This is one carrier with stacked modulators - a configuration that is doubled in one FS1R voice 0 algorithm 70. The feedback operator provides most of the snappy attack. A slow, fre--running pitch LFO is also applied. No Filters! Velocity sensitivity only applied to the feedback operator - but this can be expanded to other operators for more expressiveness. Next time.....


Software used:
Sakura FS1R editor - http://synth-voice.sakura.ne.jp/fs1r_editor_english.html (thank you K_Take!)
Reaper - http://www.reaper.fm/
S(m)exiscope vst - http://bram.smartelectronix.com/plugins.php?id=4
Voxengo SPAN - http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/

Grok: "to understand intuitively or by empathy; to establish rapport with" and "to empathise or communicate sympathetically (with); also, to experience enjoyment.""