Archive for category Info: M-Class
Serge WAD Basics
Posted by hexenduction in Info: M-Class, Patch Tutorials on January 19th, 2010
The Wilson Analog Delay is a swamp monster disguised as a VC Delay. This video covers some of the basic functions and features of the WAD. No outboard effects were used for this video; all audio is direct to camera from the WAD m-odule.
To cut down on complicated patches and confusion, I tried to keep this demo simple and therefore the WAD is being used mainly for audio/cv processing. More advanced applications, traditional delays, ping-pongs, karplus strong effects and more will be covered in a future video.
Cheers!
Serge WAD Basics from HexEnduction on Vimeo.
The Smooth / Stepped Generator
Posted by hexenduction in Info: M-Class, Patch Tutorials on November 24th, 2009
Here is a brief overview of the SSG module using some of the patching techniques from the SSG Hi Jinx section on EGRES. Keep in mind this is just a handful of patches and this module is extremely robust. As always, experimentation yields the best results.
Serge SSG: Patch Programing from HexEnduction on Vimeo.
MOTU Volta + Serge
Posted by JargMarbin in Info: M-Class, Info: Peripherals, The Daily Serge on August 5th, 2009
There is a Mac-only Audio Unit (AU) plugin called Volta that’s been out since early 2009 which allows a person to send CV from an audio interface box equipped with DC-coupled outputs. There is a lot of information on the web about this plugin, many people are using it to control the more common analog modulars like EuroRack formats, but the only information up to this point I’ve read about controlling the Serge is a quick mention regarding the NTO and PCO. Volta calibrates well with other Serge sections, allowing effective control over a much wider range then the MIDI to CV converter i’ve used.
In MIDI to CV conversion, tuning the oscillators is an intensive process and requires a separate tuner. Using the scaling and fine tuning adjustments on the converter box I have, I got 3 Variable Q filters to track over 3 octaves and create polyphony. Overall, it’s a lot of work to create a simple polyphonic setup. If the temperature in your studio drops or if you change anything in the signal flow, it requires repeating the intensive tuning process, which can take one hour.
With Volta tuning is very easy. The user just turns up the volume, and clicks Calibrate; Volta detects the pitch of the oscillator and adjusts the voltage accordingly to bring the oscillator in tune. Some Serge sections can be patched to oscillate but have only “VC IN” (not “1v/oct”). That’s OK, just turn the knob to the 2 o’clock position and calibrate, volta figures it out; this works for all the sections I’ve tested.
The sections I’ve tested with Volta, and their calibrated range according to Volta are:
VC TimeGen OSC: both right and left side calibrated 5 octaves, however Volta doesn’t detect pitch on the left side easily; I had to either patch the left side’s red output into it’s gate input and take the blue output, or send through the LO of a Variable Q patched to take the same 1v/oct
VC TimeGen Clock: left side calibrated 6 octaves, right side calibrated 5 octaves
Two DSGs: both calibrated 5 octaves
3 Variable Q filters: one calibrates 6 octaves, the other two calibrate 5 octaves
So that’s 9 oscillators that will all track across a much wider range then anything I’ve seen reported anywhere for these same oscillators, and much wider then my observations with MIDI to CV. I have not verified Volta’s reported calibrated range with a tuner, but they did sound in-tune to me.
Also with Volta I can get new timbres that I haven’t achieved before. Tuning a variable Q filter then setting it up to receive the same midi notes, but transposed (a midi effect in ableton live can do this) while piping in an oscillator can precisely emphasize a specific harmonic regardless of the note played. Harmonic distortion can even be added to this concept to have a Variable Q filter emphasize odd harmonics in the same way.
Volta also offers other interfaces to the control voltage like trigger and pitch sequencers, MIDI CC, automation ramps, clock, and lfo.
Here’s a couple noisy demonstrations of Volta being used with a controller and then as a sequencer.
Polyphonic Serge + Monome + Polygome Max/MSP + Volta in Ableton Live 8 + 100W all tube guitar amp
Serge + Volta + Kaossilator
Dual Osc M-odule
Posted by b3nsf in Info: M-Class on July 30th, 2009
Dual Osc M-odule
The Dual Osc m-odule is very powerful, you can use it straight up as a bank of oscillators and sub-osc, or as a ticking and counting timing device! The function blocks are: NTO, PCO, ÷N COMP, and MIX PRO. Please listen to a demo I put together using only the Dual Osc M-odule and nothing else. Enjoy, and please go buy a Dual Osc M-odule from Rex Probe!
Hi Quality —-> http://www.b3nsf.com/Serge/Serge_dual_osc.aif
Lo Quality mp3 —-> http://virb.com/b3nsf
New Timbral Oscillator
The NTO (New Timbral Oscillator) was born in and got its name from the TONTO (The Original New Timbral Orchestra) mega-synth, owned by Malcolm Cecil used by many great synthesists including Stevie Wonder. The NTO’s were originally a replacement for the Moog oscillators in the TONTO synth because they were more stable, so the first Serge NTO’s had Moog faceplates!
The NTO’s most notable features are the variable wave shape, the voltage controllable FM amount, and the voltage controllable portamento amount. Variable wave shape is one of those features that just shines. You can get the most beautiful and complex patches by modulating the VC wave and routing the variable wave output as you would a normal oscillator. This way the character changes at the root level of your patch and everything after it becomes more interesting. The VC FM is another extremely interesting way to add complexity and timbral changes, input an oscillator signal into the IN FM and an LFO into the VC FM to get a nice tone that gets more vibrant and evolving as the LFO rolls through the frequency modulation! The VC PORT controls how much portamento is used from the IN PORTAMENTO jack, the portamento feature is not subtle, but it glides nicely back down to normal so a trigger will do nice fluttery effects!
Precision VCO
The PCO, while lacking the some voltage control features found on the NTO, is great at supporting it and because they both track perfectly together, these two are the perfect pair! Together they form an amazing team and the NTO would be weak without its little brother to supply sync, linear, exponential and variable frequency modulation. The PCO’s SINE output sounds incredibly fat by itself, but with two sine waves mixed together you have some real grade A beefiness! One “old-school” trick is to plug the two sine outputs into each other’s FM inputs, and sweep the frequency of the oscillators at the same time for a classic Doctor Who sound effect. The SYNC input requires a SAW wave and will grab and reset the oscillator based on that saw, resulting in a “soft sync” that staircases as it tracks, and sounds pretty neat! Rex says a cool thing to do with your sync signal (saw) is to run it through a vca with some volume modulation for a neat sounding on/off syncing feeling. The RANGE switch can make the PCO very slow indeed, essentially making it an LFO/bass module. The PCO also has two inputs for 1 volt/octave exponential tracking and one variable tracking input.
Divide by N Comparator
Ah, the ÷N COMP, easily one of my favorite function blocks. This thing should be called the “Sub-Oscillation, Pulse Width Modulation and Snare Trigger Generator”. It can be used in lots of ways! The IN + and IN – compare the voltages and output a squared version of the difference. For example if you patch a sine wave oscillator signal into the IN + and an LFO into the IN – you get a PWM square wave with the LFO sweeping its width, a real barn burner of a sound sure to blow away what you had thought PWM sounds like, this ain’t no Roland, kids! If you plug a second oscillator into the IN – instead of an LFO you get a real chewy version of them together, not unlike a Harley Davidson with a jack-hammer in the side car, and a helicopter flying overhead all at the same time!! Needless to say you can damage every part of your ear with this patch, even at low volumes… For really fun sub-osc sound use the divided output at the top and dial your octaves down with the ÷by knob, its adds girth and bass, and it has its own stair-casing effect when you sweep it.
The real fun is when you use the ÷by section for trigger pulses, this is perfect for drum machine patches because if you divide by 8 or 4 you have a logical snare trigger, with this it is entirely possible to make a “beat” with no sequencer, just function blocks doing their thing, holding down that rhythm!
The ÷N COMP is also a crude and bizarre feedback oscillator with one cable from the lower OUT jack back into its IN -. You have to turn the bottom knob towards the plus side till you hear the shreiking sound and then it’s anybody’s guess what you want to do with its shrill, stair-stepping sound madness! Try it once and never do it again! Your cats will hate you, forever.
Just a quick mention, the STEP OUT sends an upward staircase of voltage corresponding with what current step the divider is on. And the VC IN controls how much to divide by, scaled by the knob. So if you scaled your LFO voltage before going into the VC IN, you could theoretically get a funky trigger that hits on beat and off beat– something to try once you get the funk machine revv’ed up!
Mixer Pro
The MIX PRO does a bunch more than just “mix”. Channels 1 and 2 do standard additive mixing, but the third has the ability to subtract from the other two with its invertible, positive through negative volume knob. This is a great feature and can be used to sculpt a new waveform from two otherwise tame waves. In fact if two oscillators with the same waveform and the same exact frequency are both added and subtracted (example: chan 1 and 3 set to fully negative) in this way, you hear nothing at all! They cancel each other out. This is really great if they are slightly out of tune, then you get a lovely tremolo effect.
Mix pro also has a positive through negative offset at the top, this is really essential for getting just the right amount of modulation once you’ve subtracted out with channel 3’s voltage. You can create the most interesting modulation sources by mixing 3 LFO’s and sending the result to … well the variable wave-shape of the NTO or just about anything, for that matter! Before I got my Dual Osc M-odule, I thought my Serge would always bubble and cycle, but the Mix Pro has opened my eyes to the “landscape” of rolling hills and modulation valleys that are possible!
That’s not all, folks! The invertible channel 3 can open the door to feedback within your Serge, and this is an endless source of unexpected sounds as you mix the original signal with the feedback signal and they add instead of canceling, incorporating your favorite Serge function block in between (wilson delay, Q filter, wave multiply ) and you have instant certified madness! It’s no wonder that people with 3 channel mixers in their Serge have the most fun, they are all using ridiculous amounts of feedback!!
SQP Sequencer
Posted by hexenduction in Info: M-Class on July 17th, 2009
Review: SQP Sequencer
Invisible Hands
The SQP Sequencer is a great M-odule. Once you’ve covered your sound generation needs with a Creature and additional M-Class panel, you might want to consider picking up an SQP Sequencer. I would argue that after a filter, a sequencer is the most important part of any synthesis set-up. It can create rhythmic patterns and melodies, act as a modulation source, change amplitude, produce unique waveforms and control parameters like panning, triggering and clocking. Sequencers are like the invisible hands that perform all the utility operations we don’t want to.
Bacon Bits
Invisible hands are great, but what if those hands also had a brain with ulterior motives and possible hemorrhaging? This is where the “P” comes into the equation: programmer. The SQP can be patch programmed to create very radical and sometimes erratic sequences. So instead of getting Kevin Bacon in a bad remake of The Invisible Man controlling your synthesizer, you get Francis Bacon manhandling your controls and taking your sound into twisted new realms.
Footloose
The true power of the SQP Sequencer comes from the litany of inputs you’re provided that allow your sequencer to become self aware. The STAGE SELECT inputs are the bread and butter of the panel. Simply patch a pulse into the stage you want triggered and as the sequence progresses this stage will become the priority. With a variety of pulses selecting the different stages you can come up with some very abstract and odd sequencing. The UP/DOWN input makes the sequence ping pong back and forth, creating even more variation. The HOLD input will pause the cat and mouse game when the input voltage goes high. RESET will bring you back to start and PRESET will jump to the stage you select via push button. If you’re interested in creating shorter sequences, just take the GATE OUT from the stage after your final step and patch it to RESET.
Serge SQP from HexEnduction on Vimeo.
Triptych
The outputs on the SQP are also worth mentioning. Each stage has a dedicated GATE OUT and there is even an ALL GATE out for sending a pulse for every step. This is handy when coupled with an additional sequencer or pulse divider(PDIV). There are also the A, B, C and D outputs that are 0 – 3.5v outputs controlled by the rotary pots. This is obviously where you would patch from to control the pitch of your oscillators/filter frequency or the range of your VCA and XFAD panning. The AB output is the voltage difference between the A and B rows. The SQP gives you 1 to 6 stages or steps to work with per each row.*
SQP Sequencer in the flesh
*There is the possibility of combining 2 rows to make a 12 stage sequence but it involves the use of an Active Processor and a Pulse Divider. I haven’t had the chance to try this out yet because my system is lacking an Active Processor, but in theory here is the patch:
Row A to Active Proc IN 1 and Row B to IN 2.
SQP ALL GATE to PDIV IN
PDIV /8 OUT to Active Proc VC IN
Active Proc OUT to final destination.
(Thanks to Cebec for this patch explanation!)
UPDATE: From Cebec in the Comments-
“A note on that patch for creating a longer sequence out of two rows: the PDIV /8 output will only work when using a 4-Stage SQP. If you want to combine two rows of a 6-Stage SQP you’ll probably have to use two PDIVs to get the right divisor.”
