Muff's Modules & More

os · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 5:49 am Post subject: LFO wish-list

I'm putting together an LFO module plug-in for Silent Way. Would be interested to hear any suggestions as to what would make it your dream LFO.

cheers,
os.

DrOctave · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 8:54 am Post subject:

check out the bubblesound lfo that has enough function for me.

os · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:00 am Post subject:

There's no info other than 'coming soon' on http://www.bubblesound-instruments.com/

Can you point me at the specs?

a100user · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:14 am Post subject:

Have a look here

http://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5380&start=0

Worth following the thread all the way through as the spec changed a bit based on feedback.

Good luck and nice to see ongoing dev of Silent Way

os · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:19 am Post subject:

Gotcha, thanks.

Seems to have everything other than a built-in S/H+noise circuit (a la RS380).

Soy Sos · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:46 am Post subject:

I would guess the syncing to beats is the big deal.
Have sub-divisions as large as 8 measures and as small as 1/16 notes maybe?
Also re-trigger so it's free running and re-triggers on the desired sub division.
Did I write that correctly?

os · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:57 am Post subject:

OK here's what I've implemented so far:

* outputs: sine, tri, saw, square (with pulse width)
* S/H random output about to be added
* free tempo, 3 ranges: 0.05-20Hz, 0.5-200Hz, 5-2000Hz
* host tempo sync: basic division switchable from 1/1 to 1/32, then LFO period set in multiples (which can be non-integer) of that division
* 'quadrature mode' so you can have 2 LFOs with an exact phase relationship.

So the thing I'm missing it seems is a re-trigger/osc sync/whatever you want to call it.

Good job I posted smile

Kent · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 10:22 am Post subject:

One thing that I like on the Analogue Solutions LFO was that it had something like a VCA (easiest way to understand it) that would go from -infinity to a user-determined level of amplitude for the LFO when a trigger was applied to a dedicated input. It was called something like LFO delay.

It was cool for having a step on a sequencer fire off an LFO that would rise in amplitude.

os · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 10:29 am Post subject:

Yup, that's a common feature on LFOs on non-modular synths - useful for vibrato that fades in after the start of the note.

Of course with a modular you can add that to any LFO with an envelope module and a VCA - if you have modules to spare, anyway!

ShanBeng · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:51 pm Post subject:

Would it make sense for the LFO to condition/map its output depending on what the destination would expect or like to see?

For example, an LFO that is used to introduce vibrato modulates an oscillator as log frequency while an LFO from which one extracts a trigger would swing from 0 to HI, with HI being the level of a peak.

wetterberg · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:03 pm Post subject:

Hi Os,

I would take a look at the quite remarkable lfos in the new DCAM synth Squad from:
http://www.fxpansion.com/

- it has a cool feature where you can skew the waveform to swing it... I've never seen that before, it sounds REALLY funky!

os · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:38 am Post subject:

os · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:57 am Post subject:

sandyb · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:47 pm Post subject:

a question for you all. i'm thinking maybe discussion about features for silent way should really go in the music software part of the forum? but, if the desire is to keep it here i'll keep my grubby paws off smile

sandy

dkcg · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:58 pm Post subject:

Since we're talking digital LFO in a computer, why keep it with traditional waveforms? Just make all the standard waveforms presets, and make it so the user can define their own with a little wavetable window with a pencil tool, a curve tool, or standard AR/ADSR types of envelopes. More versatile that way.

Perhaps this should be in the software forum since a dream digital LFO is a bit different than a hardware form one.

os · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 2:44 am Post subject:

Fair comment about the software forum. To be honest, I hadn't noticed that there was a software forum. I'll post there in future.

Good suggestion about the user-definable waveforms. Something for v2.0 though I think smile

sandyb · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 3:11 pm Post subject:

os · Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 5:21 am Post subject:

Here's a thorny topic then - how about moving all the threads out of the Volta forum that don't relate to Volta? For example, the most recent one about using Reason to generate CVs.

I'd like to be able to reply to that along the lines of "why wait for Volta on PC when Silent Way exists now" but writing that in the Volta forum would just make me feel a bit wrong.

Alternatively, maybe the Volta forum needs to be rebranded as the forum for all software methods of CV generation.

Analog>Plugins · Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 6:57 pm Post subject:

Hi Os, saw this thread and thought I'd better chime inwith some ideas Soapbox

Lfo fade in delay like on Kontakt 3.5 is something I personaly use a lot when sound designing.

Lfo to adsr is a really cool effect that I use a lot on the Yamaha CS-30, not many synths do this. But a dedicated simple adsre that is triggered by a note on midi message from the host would work really well controlling the Lfo so you could have the Lfo start slow then gradually speed up.

Sure you could program it in with controller data but a hard wired lfo to adsr would be awesome and simple.

Top job on the constant upgrades. Some nicer GUI knobs would be nice, but it works just fine as it is Mr. Green

os · Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:58 pm Post subject:

So we're talking about an envelope to control the LFO frequency? I understood the previous request to be for an envelope to control the LFO depth - so that's two distinct feature requests.

I'm going to have to think about how complex I make the LFO. My philosophy so far with Silent Way has been to make the plug-ins a bit like hardware modules - they do one thing, but do it well. I'm reluctant to turn each plug-in into a monster softsynth-alike in its own right.

There's clearly a balance to be drawn between what's much more convenient to have in software and what's possible by hardware patching.

So in the case of an LFO it's clearly tremendously convenient to have accurate host tempo sync. Scaling the LFO depth with an envelope, however, can be done in hardware pretty easily. On the other hand, if the LFO is in software, then anything that affects its frequency also really needs to be in software too.

Summary: hmmm. Thinks. Expect to see a 1.0 release without some of these extra features and we'll see where we go from there.