Elektron Digitone

[k brown]

The LFOs can modulate the Algorithm . . . WTF?

Unless I'm missing it, there doesn't appear to be a way to modulate the Mix with an EG; I would think that would be very useful. I may add it as an alternate destination for the Filter EG.

[Spogg]

Ok I’ll treat the stuff you want as a background project. Sometimes I need to take a break from a project and do something else (in FS obviously) and return with fresh ears and ideas. So now I have some toys to make as a side-line.

I couldn’t see the logic for the end level in the envs. This is my thinking: Just set sustain as the “end” level and a fast release so it’s ready for the next note. Maybe you can see an advantage and if so I’m all ears. But I don’t get it.

The “watch-like” thing also has me puzzled a bit. It should be do-able like tulamide said, but why not just have two ratio settings? One thought I had is that it’s a limitation of the amount of encoder knobs on the front panel, so one knob needs to do two things. Maybe the zipper stepping produced was seen as a desirable feature, but I feel a bit suspicious that it was a restriction, especially based on what the reviewer said about it.

I was thinking about the harmonic morphing in the shower this morning (as you would surely expect) and I intend to have a go, even if you don’t use it in the end. I’m thinking 9 partials with 9 morphing levels each. It’s an idea I never had before and that interests me.

Anyway, I hope your recording session goes well. Maybe you could record on two different systems so if the computer messes up you’ve still got the takes. In the meantime anything I come up with I’ll post here.

Good luck sir!

[k brown]

The Operator EGs have both 'Trigged' and 'Gated' modes. In the Trig mode it's as you describe, but in Gated mode (as I understand it) it's really an ASR envelope because what they call the 'Decay' segment doesn't start until Note off, so it's actually Release, except the envelope returns to a preset level, not always 0. This way a timbre can drop to a less bright sound fairly quickly upon Note off, but then remain there for as long as the final Amp envelope is Releasing. This was something the DX7 EGs could do, but not the simpler ones in the 4-Op Yammys.

Yes, I'm recording to two different laptops and two different interfaces, so pretty unlikely both will have a problem. I still may chicken out and instead do a live mix to two 2-track recorders; what they're paying doesn't really cover a post-mix session anyway, and for as long as I've been doing this, I should be able to live-mix two voices and piano, for crying out loud! I used to do oratorios with large orchestra, large choir and four soloists, live to 2-track - no one ever complained about the balances.

[Spogg]

Ahhh! I think I can see it now thanks.
I’d actually forgotten about the final overall amplitude envelope. When the final env decays to zero and finishes, the channel would close and you wouldn’t hear the other envs reset to zero. Clever!

I’ll have a think about that, but I suspect it may need a dedicated solution.

[k brown]

As I continue to ponder actual use of this thing, I'm thinking there's one 'creative limitation' I'm unlikely to stick with, and that's the Harmonics control only affecting Op C when turned one direction, and only Ops A and B1 together when turned the other - I feel that would start to drive me crazy after a while. Sorely tempted to give each Op it's own Harmonics control.

Martin's Spread Partials Osc would perfect for this if it only could be phase modulated. The Digitone's Harmonics chart shows shapes that are created by an FM Mod/Carr pair at ratios 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3; with just a knob outputting 1 to 3, the Spread Partials Osc seamlessly morphs through similar-sounding shapes. One would have to have a separate Timbre control. But, it has no phase input.

[Spogg]

One approach we could take would be for you to make the basic system and include placeholders for new envs, additive oscillators etc then I/we could develop from that starting point.

This is my idea of fun, sad git that I am.

[k brown]

Tally Ho !!

(Just watching 'Cromwell' w/Richard Harris)

[Spogg]

And they’re off!!

Here’s my first offering towards this project. This one handles the two transfer functions as per the graphs in the manual.

[Spogg]

And here’s another contribution...

This one is a take on the ratio stepper. I started making one in stream and was making progress but then realised that it would need to have preset recall and it was getting complicated too.
I tried using a green counter but the prim isn’t pre-loadable so that would add complications. So I abandoned the up/down stepper counter/encoder idea and came up with the attached system using binary maths and a knob (0-1) set to slow, and with SHIFT pressed you can set it precisely.

Now I strongly sense that tulamide will come up with something slick in Ruby, because Ruby would be ideal and be less trigger-happy. But in the meantime this does work at least, and aligns with the original synth spec.

Now I have to say that I’m not a fan of the idea of one-knob setting of 2 ratios. I think it was done to fit the hardware interface, rather than offering something sonically useful. BUT I haven’t heard it in action so it might be really nice when programming the synth.

[k brown]

Already! I hope this hasn't pulled you away from your current project.

I'm going to put these into a folder for now - I dare not even open FS until I get this recording behind me. Building some new mics and trying to get my head around the non-intuitive software for this 4-channel interface. My FS computer is literally buried under a mess of mic parts and construction materials.

For now, just digesting the Digitone manual; spitballing some things in my head, and pondering what the GUI might look like.

I too wonder how useful/interesting/annoying the 'simplifications' in this design will be in actual use. I can imagine, maybe two versions of the final design (or toggled control panels in the same plugin), one with limitations and another with full flexibility - may be the only way find out which is more fun/productive to use. Do you know if Tom uses FM much?

Thanks again for your interest in/assistance with this. I get the feeling you and I are the only ones around these parts interested in FM/PM synths.