{"id":351,"date":"2021-08-14T03:37:43","date_gmt":"2021-08-14T03:37:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nilamox.com\/mancave21\/?page_id=351"},"modified":"2022-09-02T08:04:42","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T08:04:42","slug":"seven-free-synthesisers-a-peace-pipe","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nilamox.com\/mancave21\/seven-free-synthesisers-a-peace-pipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Free Synthesisers & a Peace Pipe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Vital<\/em> has been moved to its own page.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’re blessed that software instruments are available, rarely the cost of hardware and often their equal. We’re especially blessed by free, or donation based instruments. Some recent free titles excel in their interface, design and sound. They should be reviewed respectfully, which I hope to do here. Some are from Bedroom Producers Blog<\/a>, excluding vintage recreations which I don\u2019t find interesting in 2021. I\u2019ve added some that I think have more relevance to the current century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exakt<\/em> Lite https:\/\/www.sonicbits.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This 4 operator FM synthesiser is very close to the old Yamaha TX81z<\/a>, except for the wheezing of the latter\u2019s cheap D to A output. You’ll recall that Yamaha expanded the available FM waveforms so that 4 operators could reach much of the DX7\u2019s 6 operator sounds with much less user effort. Exact<\/em> further expands the wave set to include basic analogue waveforms and a resonant filter. You can work this like a standard subtractive synthesiser, bringing in FM only where it\u2019s needed \u2013 extremely versatile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FM has never been an easy path for the beginner. I took ages to learn my DX7, constantly battling that moment the sound tipped over into sizzle. Deep respect goes to Brian Eno for making quite gentle pools of sound from his machine \u2013 but even better to have this simpler means to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A waveform scope up the top right illustrates the waveform at its start \u2013 it\u2019s not animated so you can\u2019t see the effect of modulation. But it\u2019s enough to make Exakt<\/em> a tool for teaching additive, subtractive and FM synthesis all in one instrument. The students can see what\u2019s going on, which helps them feel the sound as it develops. Besides that it makes a firm useful range of sounds. 3.5\/5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odin 2<\/em> https:\/\/www.thewavewarden.com\/odin2<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No attempt to hide the \u2018homage\u2019 to Reason Lab\u2019s Thor<\/a>. If you know that, you\u2019ll get this. But Odin has some tricks of his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Three oscillators feed into two filters, an amp and out. The choice of oscillators and the filters are many and varied. Oscillators are: analogue, wavetable, multi (wavetable), vector, chiptune, FM, PM, noise, waveform draw, chiptune draw, spectral draw. Filters: LP, BP, HP, SEM-12, ladder, KORG MS20, comb, format, ring mod. So a lot of mix and match is on offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me just address a few of the odd ones. \u2018Chiptune\u2019 means extremely aliased 4 bit waveforms of the sort found in ancient game consoles. Some people are hell bent on reproducing this noise because it was the only time in their life they were truly happy. The rest of us will use the rough edges of these square waveforms to spice up some of the smoother oscillators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FM and PM are extremely simple 2 operator versions of the Yamaha sound. The \u2018draw\u2019 waves are single rendered waveforms \u2013 not modulated. So e.g. you cannot use spectral draw to create a spectral morph. Wavetables here only means 35 presets of four fixed waveforms each. You can however cross mix between four of your drawn waves with the vector oscillator, which sounds quite fancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practice Odin 2<\/em> is a luxurious subtractive synthesiser with a capable range. It can do all that a small modular rig can do, it can range from warm to cool \u2013 and hot at that. If you don\u2019t often need the specific features of some others listed, it will take good care of you. 4\/5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surge<\/em> https:\/\/surge-synthesizer.github.io\/<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most popular free synthesiser of the moment. The interface is cluttered, true, but at least some kind soul has donated some virtual wood so it doesn\u2019t look as harsh. It took me a while to \u2018get\u2019 Surge<\/em>. But bear with it and you\u2019ll see why it gets lots of kisses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are two \u2018scenes\u2019 or layers, each of which has three oscillators through two filters, amp and an effects rack. There are a gaggle of oscillators available \u2013 classic and modern analogue, wavetable, window, sine, FM2 and FM3, string, twist, alias, noise and audio through. Wavetables are compatible with Serum<\/a><\/em>, but are played without smoothing as if \u201c1980\u2019s era\u201d \u2013 something which the manual hopefully sells as a benefit. \u2018Window\u2019 mysteriously multiplies two waves causing timbral effects. \u2018Twist\u2019 emulates a particular Eurorack module with a variety of algorithms. The oscillators are an odd bunch, without a master plan and seem to represent the interests of various open-source authors. You will find good sounds but often by wandering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The filters are less haphazard \u2013 the usual HP, LP, BP suspects. Some filters are taken from Odin 2<\/em>. Some of the effects, for example \u2018Neuron\u2019 (a \u2018Gated Recurrent Unit\u2019) and \u2018Treemonster\u2019 are further evidence of individual zest, or perhaps \u2018whatever we can get free\u2019. It\u2019s fun and experimental, true. But I prefer a systematic design for an instrument to someone\u2019s organically assembled modular rack. 3\/5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cobalt http:\/\/www.lesliesanford.com\/vst\/plugins\/<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is a \u2018two digital oscillators through analogue filter\u2019 machine. It refers back to the time when 8-bit sampled waveforms first took the place of the analogue oscillators in traditional subtractive synthesisers. My example would be the Ensoniq ESQ and SQ80 keyboards. For the first time you could go \u2018ding\u2019 or \u2018kong\u2019 or make a kind of string sound, filtering these very rich harmonic sources for a hybrid sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can do this on other programs \u2013 e.g. Odin<\/em>, but as the presets demonstrate Cobalt <\/em>is spot on for this kind of sound. It\u2019s not hard to design your own patches and it\u2019s useful in a mix. Unfortunately PC only. 3\/5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viking https:\/\/blamsoft.com\/vst\/vk-1-viking-synthesizer\/<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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It\u2019s a Moog Voyager. Maybe it doesn\u2019t sound exactly like a Moog Voyager but as somebody that owned that hardware, fought with it and eventually sold it, I feel justified in saying that if you like that sort of thing you will like this a lot, and vice versa. Actually I prefer this to the \u2018real\u2019 thing. For a start it stays in tune. It costs 100% less. And it seems a little less eager to dominate and smother every other instrument in your mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are going to be subtractive then you may as well go right back to the source. 3.5\/5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OSS Polyphenom https:\/\/oceanswift.net<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is an odd one (which is my way of saying \u2013 I am unclear of how to drive this let\u2019s blame it on them). Several instruments listed here allow you to draw harmonics to create a waveform. With Polyphenom that process is put loud and proud in the main part of a skeuomorphic interface. Not only are there 16 additive partial oscillators which don\u2019t necessarily go in harmonic series, but two \u2018subtractive oscillators\u2019 which mix with all the additive ones. The use of \u2018subtractive\u2019 and \u2018additive\u2019 is confusing \u2013 they sound as if in opposition but that\u2019s not really the case. Think \u2018very powerful sub oscillators\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modulation of the individual harmonics brings complex changes. The example sounds prove that you can achieve some very cinematic sounds this way \u2013 but when I try I\u2019m not rewarded very quickly. Seems like it\u2019s a synthesis technique that requires some dedication, and I\u2019m not sure I could climb that DX7 mountain all over again. PC only 3\/5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and the peace pipe\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Element https:\/\/kushview.net\/<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a $2 tool that pipes MIDI and sound through a flowchart of nodes. You can make and save your own maps of effects and instruments. This is good. Better still it plugs VSTs into Pro Tools\u2019s<\/em> AAX slots. AVID has tried to lock you into their ecosystem, which is rarely free and mostly gouging. Running Element opens an entire world of possibility for Pro Tools<\/em> users and might just get them to rethink the walled garden. There are paid tools that do this \u2013 but Element<\/em> is particularly punk about it. 4.5\/5<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vital has been moved to its own page. We’re blessed that software instruments are available, rarely the cost of hardware and often their equal. We’re especially blessed by free, or donation based instruments. Some recent free titles excel in their interface, design and sound. They should be reviewed respectfully, which I hope to do here. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[11,4,6],"class_list":["post-351","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-fm","tag-virtual-analogue","tag-wavetable"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nilamox.com\/mancave21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nilamox.com\/mancave21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nilamox.com\/mancave21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nilamox.com\/mancave21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nilamox.com\/mancave21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=351"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nilamox.com\/mancave21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/351\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nilamox.com\/mancave21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nilamox.com\/mancave21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}