Spectravox and DFAM | Advanced Physical Modeling

video upload by Moog Music

"In this video we explore the principles of physical modeling synthesis using DFAM and Spectravox.

We begin with a summary of physical modeling synthesis. Physical modeling models an excitation signal (the isolated sound of a finger hitting a drum head, a pick plucking a guitar sting, a bow bowing a cello string) and a resonating body (a drum, a wooden block, a string coupled with a wooden body, etc.). Excitation signals are usually very short sounds full of harmonics and noise – we use DFAM to sculpt a broadband signal with lots of internal dynamics using DFAM’s three envelopes. Spectravox’s ten resonant filters with individual level control are then used to model a resonating body. DFAM’s velocity sequencer further allows us to create a sequence with harder or softer drum hits, while its pitch sequencer can move Spectravox’s filters via the SHIFT input for fascinating tonal changes."

Labyrinth and Subharmonicon | Tangled Transpositions

video upload by Moog Music

"In this video we tie Labyrinth and Subharmonicon’s sequencers together for tangled transpositional movement.

We begin by mixing the VCA outputs of each instrument using Labyrinth’s utility mixer. We then show how to quantize Subharmonicon’s two sequencers to generate sequences of octaves and then add those sequences to Labyrinth’s two sequencers to generate polyrhythmic octave transpositions. Labyrinth’s voice is sequenced by Labyrinth SEQ 1 and transposed by Subharmonicon SEQ 2 while Subharmonicon’s voice is sequenced by Labyrinth SEQ 2 and transposed by Subharmoncon SEQ 1. With Labyrinth’s quantizer set to Hirajoshi pentatonic scaling octave transpositions from Subharmonicon work well regardless of western tonality. Using more traditional western scales from Labyrinth we can set the steps of Subharmonicon to values other than octaves (e.g. perfect fourths/fifths) provided we stay in key."