MATRIXSYNTH: The legend of BRENSO’s pulse-width modulation


Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The legend of BRENSO’s pulse-width modulation


video upload by Frap Tools

"PWM is a huge part of everyday electronics, but it is also a classic synth sound, to the point it reached a cult (if not meme) status.

A Eurorack oscillator like BRENSO wouldn't have been completed without a PWM section, and today we're exploring it in detail. It might not be the most obvious feature, since it is nestled into the timbre modulation section, but it is capable of wild timbers.

Check also this PWM patch: [video below]

Timbre and Amplitude modulation:
BRENSO Waveforms: [posted here]
Overtones: [video below]

00:00 Overview
02:36 What is a comparator and why it's important for pulse-width modulation?
03:36 The difference between BRENSO's square waves.
04:37 Modulating the comparator threshold to change the pulse width.
05:04 What are the harmonics of a pulse wave?
06:09 How to fake more oscillators through PWM.
07:15 Pulse wave symmetry and phase.
09:51 Feeding BRENSO's comparator with the triangle shaper

Pulse-Width Modulation and Sync with BRENSO | East Coast Sounds 1 | Frap Ideas

video upload by Frap Tools

"A recent article on @PerfectCircuit’s blog inspired this exploration beyond the label of "West Coast" synthesis. We thus focused on two techniques for the BRENSO oscillator that go beyond the classic complex oscillator's palette: PWM and sync."

Ryan Gaston’s articles:
Pt.1 https://www.perfectcircuit.com/signal...
Pt.2 https://www.perfectcircuit.com/signal...

00:00 Introduction: East Coast and West Coast?
02:20 Pulse-width modulation (PWM) on the BRENSO
13:29 The "AAAAAH" moment
14:05 Flip Sync


What are overtones and why they might be more important than you imagine

video upload by Frap Tools

"Today's topic ties together notes, harmony, tuning, timbre, and even more. It's the overtones, and this is our introduction!"

00:00 Introduction
00:22 What is a note?
02:11 What are overtones?
04:06 Harmonic and inharmonic overtones
06:24 Electronic waveforms and overtones: triangle, square, sawtooth
09:42 Isolate waveform partials through CUNSA bandpass filters
12:56 Create a complex wave through harmonics in analog
15:04 From the harmonic series to the dominant chord: closing remarks

1 comment:

  1. If you search for PWM meme you will be presented with pages of Nick Batt immortalized in pixels.

    ReplyDelete

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