Your best bet would be to create a Piano using the Sampler module. It supports free key mapping, root note adjustment for each sample and up to 4 velocity layers.
It can also import a whole folder and the files will be mapped according to their file names.
@giku How was that file name syntax again for mapping to key and velocity?
I guess I was hoping for something built up from a sound engine so that I can mess with it more easily. Plus I don't have any samples or a real piano to use.
the first thing I want to try is changing the decay based on the note off data
I will research more but still interested in ideas besides sampling.
also i I am very much a newbie to synthesis so forgive if I ramble or ask stupid questions. Maybe I should just do samples....
@wws You asked for piano-ish sounds. I think our colleagues are going a little bit overboard. Here is a Dixie patch that might meet your need, and that might be do-able in Drambo. At least it's a start.
The 8 sysex files from the TX816 can be loaded into KQ Dixie in 8-part multitimbral mode and the 8-layer piano sounds a bit like a una corda honky tonk piano 😉
perhaps overboard, perhaps perfect. I will play with these patches tonight, but keep on brainstorming if you are inclined! I will enjoy reading and trying whatever you come up with!
Yes. That's normal in DX7. There can be one feedback loop, usually around one operator, sometimes around a serial pair. But the feedback might not be important in this patch. We'd need to test it to see. A nice feature of Dixie is that you can turn off each op by tapping its name, e.g. Op 1, on the screen. This lets you assess what each op adds to the sound.
In Dixie, you're limited to the 32 "algorithms" (connection diagrams) defined for the DX7, but those choices are pretty comprehensive, so it's not a significant limitation.
The 8 sysex files are banks, not presets. You're free to choose any preset of any bank for one of the 8 slots.
Please don't ask me how to store such a MT setup.
Re-building this 8 timbral 6-OP FM synth would mean to add 48 FM operators inside Drambo and then you can only have FM from one OP forward. It should be possible to get close but tbh I prefer @uncleDave's approach to rather find a single patch that sounds good enough.
@uncleDave Would you mind sharing the KQ Dixie preset as a zip file here? Thanks!
gravitas, if one use 6 fm op and multiple them , would’nt drambo eat up all voices ??.
Example, if i modulate , lets say 6 or 8 fm operator, in one layer, then drambo would use 6 or 8 voices ??.
That’s why i am hoping , one day, drambo could be updated to 32 or 64 voices, 16 voices is good, 8 voices is just not enough, i often hitting the wall of voice limits.
The 'voice count' is set at track level so you can cram as many oscillators and operators and other stuff as you need on one track and it will still be counted as 'one voice'. The voice count just multiplies the objects on a track 😎
You properly know swift, i know this not the right question to ask here, but i am really eager to know, if anyone has some playground 4 knowledge, i see some people using playground 4 on ipad , did create synthesizer apps.
Unfortunly, i dont have any experince in swift programming, only other language.
I hope the swift playground 4 app is worth it, i dont
Comments
Your best bet would be to create a Piano using the Sampler module. It supports free key mapping, root note adjustment for each sample and up to 4 velocity layers.
It can also import a whole folder and the files will be mapped according to their file names.
@giku How was that file name syntax again for mapping to key and velocity?
I guess I was hoping for something built up from a sound engine so that I can mess with it more easily. Plus I don't have any samples or a real piano to use.
the first thing I want to try is changing the decay based on the note off data
I will research more but still interested in ideas besides sampling.
also i I am very much a newbie to synthesis so forgive if I ramble or ask stupid questions. Maybe I should just do samples....
Try using sine oscs for the overtones, to keep it clean. Or maybe a little FM; there are some passable DX7 (or KQ Dixie) piano patches.
Anyone dare to 're-create' this TX816 Piano composed of 8 stacked DX7 patches in Drambo?
(Starting at 3:50).
Plus points for creating the 'VHS Tape' degrader effect 😎
That's a cool combination of patches @samu!
Any chance to get these 8 sysex patch files?
I've done a few EP emulations using FM modules more like an additive synth to approximate the spectrum of a given sample.
Very time consuming.
Edit: Just found this
@samu
I think it could actually be done.
Creating the routing for the 6 operator bit is going to be the actual challenge.
I did manage to create a 4 op FM synth last which I need to revisit at some point soonish.
You don’t have the flow chart for the 6 op by any chance?
It would assist others in the challenge for sure. 😎🥷🏾
I think it'll be a lot easier to use KQ Dixie for this and layer 8 presets.
My favorite FM algorithm for 4OP FM synths tend to be those that have 2 parallel 2OP FM sounds.
This since I'm quite comfortable tweaking 2OP FM.
I think Yamaha calls these 'Flowcharts' Algorithms which are a pita to re-create with Drambo.
@wws You asked for piano-ish sounds. I think our colleagues are going a little bit overboard. Here is a Dixie patch that might meet your need, and that might be do-able in Drambo. At least it's a start.
@samu
Yeah, it took me ages to get the “flowchart” serial, parallel thing happening.
I’m going to redesign my 4 op FM synth using Layers instead as I didn’t know
at the time that I was putting together that we could send signals from Layer to Layer.
One moment,…
This screenshot was from one of my earlier attempts and then I got into Switches.
I just did exactly that. It works!
The 8 sysex files from the TX816 can be loaded into KQ Dixie in 8-part multitimbral mode and the 8-layer piano sounds a bit like a una corda honky tonk piano 😉
Is op 6 feeding back upon itself?
and here's a screenshot for the 4 op FM synth using switches.
How did you get it to auto-load the patches to all 8 layers?
I've set it up as 8 part multi-timbral and when I go to load a preset it only replaces on the selected part.
Ooh, this is cool!
perhaps overboard, perhaps perfect. I will play with these patches tonight, but keep on brainstorming if you are inclined! I will enjoy reading and trying whatever you come up with!
@samu and @rs2000
Ohhh that’s very interesting in regards to KQ Dixie.
I may actually get it.
Yes. That's normal in DX7. There can be one feedback loop, usually around one operator, sometimes around a serial pair. But the feedback might not be important in this patch. We'd need to test it to see. A nice feature of Dixie is that you can turn off each op by tapping its name, e.g. Op 1, on the screen. This lets you assess what each op adds to the sound.
In Dixie, you're limited to the 32 "algorithms" (connection diagrams) defined for the DX7, but those choices are pretty comprehensive, so it's not a significant limitation.
The 8 sysex files are banks, not presets. You're free to choose any preset of any bank for one of the 8 slots.
Please don't ask me how to store such a MT setup.
Re-building this 8 timbral 6-OP FM synth would mean to add 48 FM operators inside Drambo and then you can only have FM from one OP forward. It should be possible to get close but tbh I prefer @uncleDave's approach to rather find a single patch that sounds good enough.
@uncleDave Would you mind sharing the KQ Dixie preset as a zip file here? Thanks!
@uncleDave just checking to see if I was reading the flowchart properly.
@rs2000 It will only require putting together one 6 op FM synth and multiplying it by 8.
The feedback loop would be the only issue as it has a 10ms delay.
@rs2000 Thanks, I should have been able to figure it out...
Multi-Timbre setups are relatively easy to save in KQ Dixie so 'problem solved' 😎
wws, look around you might find something you can use.
in this forum.
gravitas, if one use 6 fm op and multiple them , would’nt drambo eat up all voices ??.
Example, if i modulate , lets say 6 or 8 fm operator, in one layer, then drambo would use 6 or 8 voices ??.
That’s why i am hoping , one day, drambo could be updated to 32 or 64 voices, 16 voices is good, 8 voices is just not enough, i often hitting the wall of voice limits.
The 'voice count' is set at track level so you can cram as many oscillators and operators and other stuff as you need on one track and it will still be counted as 'one voice'. The voice count just multiplies the objects on a track 😎
@henrikh2021
I do believe that the polyphony is per instance rather than global.
Yes , it would take up quite a bit of CPU even though drambo is lightning efficient.
Wait a sec.
I’ve just tried eight instances of my 4 op synth using drambo modules.
The CPU went through the roof so….
I’ll put together one 6 op FM synth first and get that happening and then see if I can get up to 8 instances.
I know there’s KQ Dixie etc but ,’”it’s the challenge”. 🤩
Here 'tis. I did not create this, just found it "somewhere".
gravitas, is your 4 op fm drambo synth free ?.
I would’nt try to replicate a acoustic piano, i tried, it did sound crappy, i mean, fm synthesis is super, when its comes to epiano’s bass, bell, etc.
Pianoteq has physic modelled piano vst plugin, sound fantastic, but only for pc/mac.
The ravenscroft 275 piano app (audio unit) from UVI for iphone / ipad, is absolut the best of the best, allmost desktop pro quality, but quite
quite expensive.
@henrikh2021
It was done in the beta version and the beta version is way ahead of the curve at the moment.
As soon as the app store version is released I’ll see about translating it across.
I’m currently figuring out the 6 op version so with a little bit of patience
I should be able to have that one ready along side the 4 op version quite soonish.
I’m figuring out the routing combinations so that it can have both serial and parallel configurations.
You properly know swift, i know this not the right question to ask here, but i am really eager to know, if anyone has some playground 4 knowledge, i see some people using playground 4 on ipad , did create synthesizer apps.
Unfortunly, i dont have any experince in swift programming, only other language.
I hope the swift playground 4 app is worth it, i dont
have money right now to shell out for a new mac.
@henrikh2021
I actually don’t know Swift, in actual fact I’m not a programmer at all.
I’m just a musician who’s thinking about permanently retiring.
I do know that Giku writes in assembly.