Show & Tell – Opal 1.2

video upload by Fors

"Here we take a look at the new features in Opal 1.2, our drum synthesizer and rhythm machine.

Find out more about Opal at https://opal.fors.fm

00:00 Pre-show
09:30 Intro
11:17 New features rundown
12:26 Sequencer pages
17:18 Modulation locking
19:46 Output routing
22:23 Step preview
24:02 Randomization
40:17 Opal-Ctl intro
42:14 Mapping controls
44:24 Changing the look of controls
48:08 Chords
49:20 Modulation in Opal-Ctl
50:37 Note lengths
51:33 Opal-Ctl randomizer
53:37 Sequencing VSTs
56:36 Stacking devices
59:05 Questions & outro

Fors Opal - Ambika - Prophet 12 Improv Afternoon

video upload by BoBSwanS

"Using Max for live devices along with my Ambika and Prophet 12. All drums are from Opal by Fors
Also using Bouncy Notes by Dillon Bastan and Potee by S8JFOU and Deviate by Novel Devices."

Opal Fruits, Making beats from scratch with Fors Opal Max For Live Drum/Synth

video upload by BoBSwanS

"Live stream from Twitch January 8th 2023. Just a test of Opal https://opal.fors.fm/

This was my first test of Opal, I plan on doing another stream soon with it and will include my other Fors Devices. I managed 50 mins without any audio or video issues so I decided to save it for posterity :) (One awful noise at 49.14 when I select a corrupted sample, Sorry)"

Show & Tell – Opal

video upload by Fors

See this post for additional details.

"Deep dive and walkthrough of Opal, its features and sound engines, lead by Opal developer Ess."

00:00 Pre-show
12:49 Intro
16:40 How to install
22:10 Overview of Opal
45:23 Gem FM synth
1:02:54 Making a pattern with Gem
1:14:00 Mass modal synth
1:30:50 Making a pattern with Mass
1:42:18 Dust pulsar noise synth
1:55:41 Making a pattern with Dust
2:05:20 Slate granular sampler
2:20:30 Making a pattern with Slate
2:27:02 Void & Flux effects
2:45:44 Finishing up the pattern
2:49:38 Config page & copying
2:52:41 Automating pattern changing
2:54:05 Using automation to structuring a track
2:58:28 Individual devices
2:59:34 Individual outputs from Opal
3:00:25 Preset handling
3:02:27 Setting a custom color
3:04:08 Just playing some patterns for outro

Opal - rhythm machine & drum synthesizer

video upload by Fors

"Opal is an instrument made for intricate pattern creation. With parameter locks, probability, conditionals, ratcheting, independent track length, time division and traversal, it’s a breeze to program exciting patterns.
Opal comes with four distinct, highly malleable, synthesizers and two sequenceable effects. While the synths are tailored for creating drum sounds, it’s up to you to choose where, or if, the line between percussion and melody is drawn.

As always, every single sound and effect in this video is made with Opal."



via Opal

To sum it up

Step-sequencer with:

Parameter locks
Probability
Step logic
Ratcheting
Per-track length
Per-track direction
Per-track time division
Five tracks with:

Gem FM Synthesizer
Mass Modal Synthesizer
Dust Pulsar Noise Synthesizer
Slate Granular Sample Player
Void Reverb & Flux Sampler

+ Modulation

Gem
Gem is an FM synthesizer capable of a wide variety of sounds, from deep and heavy bassdrums to glistening lead melodies. At its core, Gem consists of 2- Operator sinewave-based phase modulation (commonly referred to as FM) that has been fine-tuned to sound rich and punchy.

With bipolar modulation and feedback, it's possible make a vast range of different waveshapes- including common analog shapes such as square, triangle or sawtooth. It's a highly malleable form of synthesis that has been boiled down to its essentials, with an emphasis on the sheer quality of execution.

Mass
Mass is a modal synthesizer, which is a type of physical modeling synthesis that employs a bank of bandpass filter to generate its sound. Typically, physical modeling is used to mimic real-world sounds, but with Mass the essence of the synthesis method is used to make all sorts of wildly synthetic sounds, often with an otherworldly quality due to its physically-inspired origins.

The sounds possible with Mass ranges from semi-realistic percussion, bells, textures, noises, strange phase-y melodic sounds to clean and precise timbres reminiscent of additive synthesis.

Dust
Dust is a noise generator that is based around the concept of Pulsar synthesis, which is a method adjacent to Granular synthesis. The sound is composed of very short particles of sounds that creates a texture when played fast and/or dense.

Dust combines concepts from all kinds of different types of synthesis methods to create anything from pure white noise to perfectly soft spectral washes. By layering multiple oscillators Dust can also generate classic electronic metal sounds which is very useful for making hi-hats and cymbals.

Slate
Slate is a sample playback engine equipped with a granular mode that can wildly transform any sample. At its core is a high quality sample playback engine with edge smoothing (click-less playback and looping), single cycle waveform support and a flexible loop mode.

The granular mode let’s you go deeper in sound design by playing back small particles in a pattern that essentially reconstructs the original sound, but with the possibility to dramatically change the speed and pitch independently

Void & Flux
The FX (effects) track hosts two different effect engines: Void and Flux.

Void is a reverb that has been fine-tuned to sound great with a wide variety of input sounds, with an emphasis on delivering good transient response. With in-depth EQ:ing of the input and reverb signal, it’s possible to greatly shape the overall tone of the effect.

Flux is an automatic sampler that continuously records the output of all the other tracks and divides it into 16 slices that can be played back by the FX track. Think of it like an always-recording tape loop that you can use to repeat or transform sections of your pattern by playing different snippets as single shot samples.

Modulation
Each engine has a dedicated modulation page with four different modulation sources that can be routed to any parameter via a modulation matrix. The different sources are Vel - velocity received from the sequencer steps (or a MIDI note), A dedicated LFO and Envelope per track, and a random value (Rand) that is received on each trigger of a step or MIDI note.

DisMLosphere

YouTube Uploaded by iranief on Dec 1, 2011

"This video shows an experiment using my Opal Chameleon sending MIDI data, through Disarray, to M and, from there, to Spectrasonics Omnisphere, through Logic Pro. The tuning system is Carlos Alpha.
Read my blog for details: http://www.seraph.it/blog_files/def789d378b3b72969210e2755e29369-118.html"

Arpeggio Madness

YouTube Uploaded by notepool2 on Jun 25, 2011

"Testing a newly completed Opal Chameleon by S.O.M. (Shape Of Music). As the title says, the theme is arpeggios and playing around with them."

UGDoLA

YouTube Uploaded by iranief on Jun 19, 2011

Opal Chameleon controller.

"This song is the Carlos Beta version of Un Giorno Dopo L'Altro (1966) by Luigi Tenco.
Read my blog for details: http://www.seraph.it/blog_files/6d6dcd64d5d817366c5608edfbed16b6-102.html"

Beta Easter(n)

YouTube Uploaded by iranief on Apr 23, 2011

Opal Chameleon & Spectrasonics Omnisphere.

"This is the first video recording of myself playing in Carlos Beta. The title refers to the fact that this piece was composed/improvised during Easter week and that it, somehow, sounds "Eastern" to me.
Read my blog for details: http://www.seraph.it/blog_files/9d774615381a06e228b7de11a9394562-97.html"

Jingle Gamma Bells (Happy New Ear)

YouTube via iranief | December 19, 2010 |

"Jingle Bells retuned to Carlos Gamma and played with an Opal Chameleon just in time for the holidays. Read my blog for details: http://www.seraph.it/blog_files/93d15..."

KYMI Exercise #1

YouTube via iranief | November 14, 2010

Opal Chameleon

"KNOWING YOUR MUSICAL INTERFACE (KYMI) EXERCISE #1
This is intended as an example of technical exercise to familiarize with a new musical interface and/or tuning system. Read my blog for details: http://www.seraph.it/blog_files/9487b..."

Invocation

YouTube via iranief | November 07, 2010

"An electronic folk piece played on an Opal Chameleon tuned to Carlos Gamma.
Read my blog for more details"

Autumnal Modulations 1

YouTube via iranief | October 25, 2010

"I perform the "lead guitar" part of a portion of my tune while listening to the pre-recorded "bass" and drums parts and reading my transnotated score.
Read my blog for more explanations: http://www.seraph.it/blog_files/15eb9..."

Autumnal Modulations 2

Gamma modulations

YouTube via iranief | October 11, 2010

"This new note coloring layout for the Opal Chameleon offers many advantages compared to previous ones.
Read my blog: http://www.seraph.it/blog_files/7b960..."

TransNotation3

YouTube via iranief | September 30, 2010

"myself playing the 2 phrases of the video examples TransNotation1 and 2 with the Opal Chameleon so you can see how I play them.
Read my blog http://www.seraph.it/blog_files/959d3..."

Ursa Minor.wmv

YouTube via notepool2 | September 25, 2010

"A fast scan rate, hand-built velocity switches and advanced key-mechanics enables a level of velocity sensing unheard of on a multi-button MIDI controller until now. Choices of wieght and velocity setting extend to instant loudest and quietest notes, tracking the way you play.

Sorry about the speaker hum. By 4.00am it's easy to forget things and mess up levels while recording from a speaker with a mic in front, covered with a tea towel, plugged into a camcorder - it is for me, anyway!"

Hidden Animals.wmv

notepool2 | September 25, 2010

"Why 'Hidden Animals'? When I played back the footage, I noticed that the cat on the T-shirt I was wearing was leaping forwards as I leaned forward to start to play - purely acciddental!

This is an Opal Chameleon connected to a Roland VK-8M mondule, for my experiments with rhythm patterns and riffs in preparation for playing rock keyboard parts in my next band (when I get to build an Opal I can keep!)

I also took the opportunity to address forum writers who, new to the note layout, noticed that the 4th interval is not one of the keys adjacent to the tonic (of whichever key you're playing in). As with a conventional keyboard, you would normally play inversions while switching chords anyway, so it helps that on the sonome, the 4th minus an octave IS one of the keys adjacent to the tonic. Its location right under the tonic makes an inverted 4th with some bottom end eady and intuitive. Of you can invert the tonic and alternate fast with a root-position 4th.

I've tried to show all of this in the video, using my version of Spencer Davis 'Gimmie Some Lovin' as an example. I hope it helps new sonome users find ways to navigate fluently."

Double Trouble 1

YouTube via iranief | September 21, 2010

"Playing an Opal Chameleon and a Nord Stage 88 both tuned to Carlos Gamma but using different note layouts.
Read my blog http://www.seraph.it/blog_files/c7e38..."

Double Trouble 2

Micro Vocoder 1

YouTube via iranief.

Opal Chameleon controller.
"Live microtonal vocoding performance featuring Opal Chameleon, Nord G2, LMSO and Logic Pro See http://www.seraph.it/blog_f...'

Improvising With Harmonic Math with the Opal Chameleon

YouTube via notepool2 "Just noodling around with a new tuning."

Which Hand, Where, When?


"These edits are rough 2 handed demos of how bass and melody can either remain with each hand, which suits some pieces, or alternate between right and left hands for more chordal movement with minimum hand movement and easier reach."

Don't Get Fooled

YouTube via notepool2

"This one might disappear and come back with a guitar track. OK, I know its wobbly!"