The M8 Tracker Continues To Blow His Mind // OS 6.6 Release

video upload by EZBOT

"Today I wanted to take a bit of time to explain my deep love for the Dirtywave M8 Tracker while going over the patch notes for the new OS that was released last week. The new OS brings a slew of upgrades to the device in both sound and presentation. Let's check it out and make some tunes."

EZBOT resources: https://www.patreon.com/ezbot, https://ko-fi.com/ezbot/, https://www.modbang.com

M8 Changelog on github

Makes for an intersting look back on the development history of the M8:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Creating whalesong using an e-theremin

video upload by MIDI IN

"I've mostly posted my 'falling asleep' music without any commentary but here I'd like to give demonstration of how I played the music and the sounds I used. Instruments used:

e-ther:
https://peacockmedia.software/e-ther/
MIDIPan:
https://peacockmedia.software/drum/

0:00 teaser
0:09 intro
0:42 lower pad
2:17 upper pad
2:34 bells
2:48 the whalesong
4:05 editing
4:18 the music

Europa image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill"

Ear Candy: The Best EP Sounds of the 80s (Full Walkthrough with Intro)

video upload by JimDaneker

"Ear Candy is the ultimate collection of iconic EP (electric piano) sounds from the 80s & early 90s, meticulously deep-sampled for MainStage/Logic and Kontakt. These are the most "expensive" sounding EPs you heard on the biggest hits of the decade, by countless artists.

This is a walkthrough of all patches, with background info on the instruments captured.

Get Ear Candy at:

https://backstagepass.store/earcandy

Table of contents:

00:00:00 - *** Intro Teaser
00:00:32 - *** DX DREAMS: History & FX options
00:02:45 - Clique & reverb options
00:04:01 - Dreaming of the 80s
00:04:25 - Multi-Layer EP: DX Dreams vs. plugin options

CLICK FOR MORE »

This Eurorack filter has AUTO DYNAMICS! // Flow 3 from Joranalogue *MEGA DEMO*

video upload by DivKid and Joranalogue Audio Design

"As we'd expect from Joranalogue, they take inspiration from classic, seemingly simple functions and turn them into musical and technically impressive devices. Flow 3 is a compact filter that builds upon on the idea of an auto wah, it's a filter with 'auto dynamics'. There's on board modulation, that can modulate itself or your modular system, stave variable filter outputs, CV over everything and an easy to play with layout in 6HP."

Update: Press release follows:

Joranalogue Audio Design announces availability of Flow 3 auto-dynamic filter module for Eurorack that sounds bigger than it looks

STEKENE, BELGIUM: having made its impressive-sounding debut during a showcase at SUPERBOOTH26, May 7-9, FEZ-Berlin, Germany, high-quality Eurorack music synthesiser modules-maker Joranalogue Audio Design is proud to announce availability of Flow 3 — an auto-dynamic filter that sounds bigger than it looks, thanks to the novel variation on the classic state variable filter topology that lies behind its compact 6 HP panel — as of August 25…

Firstly, Flow 3’s core integrator saturation of its simultaneous — low-pass (LP2), attenuates frequencies above the filter frequency (or cutoff) at -12 dB/octave and self-oscillates at a phase of 180°; bandpass (BP2), selects a band of frequencies around the filter frequency (but below and above that the attenuation slope is -6 dB) and self-oscillates at a phase of 90°; and high-pass (HP2), attenuates frequencies below the filter frequency at -12 dB/octave and self-oscillates at a phase of 0° — outputs provide for a sound that is clean yet distinctive.

RESONANCE response is exceptionally smooth — it, too, can easily reach self-oscillation (at higher feedback levels), the temperature compensation and exact calibration effectively transforming Flow 3 into a reliable quadrature sine/cosine VCO (Voltage-Controlled Oscillator) with tight pitch tracking.

The ace up Flow 3’s sleeve, however, lies in its auto-dynamic nature — helpfully highlighted by the non-erasable AUTO DYNAMIC FILTER graphic positioned across that compact, clean-cut 6 HP panel. After all, it is a filter that can modulate itself, achieved by a combined DECAY generator/envelope follower circuit controlling the filter frequency over an adjustable range; either fire decay envelopes from external triggers, or flip it to AUTO mode to follow along with the incoming signal’s amplitude envelope (or both, simultaneously).

Saying all that, then, creating heavy-hitting analogue kick drum sounds becomes a breeze, but, with a bit of patching, Flow 3 can even be used as a spectrum splitter (or crossover), cleanly separating the full audio range into low and high portions, for dual-band signal processing — perfectly possible thanks to the Linkwitz-Riley filter response at minimum resonance.

Ultimately, users of Flow 3 can clearly get carried away as the Eurorack module concerned creatively takes the old auto-filter concept to new voltage-controlled heights, hearing for themselves exactly what the fuss was all about at that impressive-sounding SUPERBOOTH26 showcase!

Coming complete with a 16-to-10-pin Eurorack power cable, two black M3 x 6 mm hex screws, two black nylon washers, and a hex key, Flow 3 is available as a 6 HP module — measuring 128.5 mm (H) x 30 mm (W) x 52 mm (D) with a +12 V: 45 mA/-12 V: 45 mA maximum current draw, reverse polarity (MOSFET) power protection, 100 kΩ impedance inputs and 0 Ω (compensated) impedance outputs — through Joranalogue Audio Design’s growing global network of authorised dealers at a MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) of €215.00 EUR or $225.00 USD.

Check with dealers on the right.

CLICK FOR MORE »

The LOST Bad Gear Episode

video upload by AudioPilz

"Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world’s most-hated audio tools. In a time like ours when material needs no longer exist in music production the accumulation of things seems to have become more important than ever.

Today we are going to talk about Novation Drumstation. While today’s synth clones are mostly used for home studio decoration this 1996 drum machine and shameless Roland TR-808 and 909 ripoff was more or less the only affordable way to actually tweak the iconic drum sounds. Simpler times."

Chapters:
00:00 I found the Lost Episode on an old Hard Disk
00:13 Intro tune
01:06 Overview Novation Drum Station V1
01:47 Limitations
02:02 Midi Control
02:24 Analog or Digital???
03:05 Workflow
03:32 Features
04:00 NoIsE iSsUeS
04:29 Audition/Auto-trigger
04:40 What else??? (More Features, Pricing, V2, D-Station ,...)
05:06 H*te Screen
05:35 Jam 1 ( Old School Techhouse )
06:25 Jam 2 ( Old School Trance )
07:28 Finale ( Old School Footwork/Juke )
08:02 VERDICT

The Gritty 80s Digital Synth Nobody Talks About | Kawai K1m

video upload by Ian Dixon

"The Kawai K1m is a 1988 digital synth module with no resonant filters and no built-in effects, but it still has a distinctive late-80s character that makes it much more interesting than the spec sheet suggests.

In this video I take a first look at my Kawai K1m, explore the four-source sound architecture, PCM samples, additive-style wave building, joystick control, factory presets, multi mode and external effects, then try building a new patch from scratch.

Chapters:
00:00 Why the Kawai K1m is interesting
00:24 K1m overview and why I bought it
01:38 Dry sound and synth architecture
02:28 Four-source patches and muting parts
03:20 Waves, PCM samples and additive-style synthesis
05:10 Drum samples and looped waveforms
06:55 Programming controls, envelopes and joystick
07:59 Polyphony and the gritty K1m character
08:56 Factory sounds and D-50-style bells
09:59 Vocal sounds, effects and Miami Vice references
12:56 Editing patches with the software editor
14:10 Multi mode and layered performances
15:02 Building a new K1m patch
17:57 Is the Kawai K1m worth buying today?
19:08 What should I do next with the K1m?"

8/5/26 Metasonix D-2000 & R-57 + Zerosum Inertia Horripilation & TVM23 + MFB SEQ-1 & LFO & ADSR (…)

video upload by Cfpp0

"This rancid beat is starring Zerosum Inertia’s Horripilation module and the S&H from the MFB dual LFO module. The Metasonix D-2000 is being triggered by the MFB SEQ-1, clocked by ALM Pamela’s New Workout. The D-2000 1/4” output is converted to 3.5mm and multiplied by the Doepfer A181 with one copy going to the Metasonix R-57 and the other copy going to the Zerosum Inertia Horripilation into the TVM23 VCA. Both the TVM23 and the R-57 are being modulated by the MFB dual ADSR. The Horripilation filter CV is modulated by the MFB dual LFO triangle output, while the S&H output is modulating the CV on the D-2000 Drum 2, and the left CV input on Horripilation. There are two Alesis MIDIVERB II units. One is set to preset 05 and the other is set to preset 40."

Ladytron - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)

video upload by KEXP

Some synth spotting with Ladytron. Cool to see a Kawai K1 and not one, but two Roland D-10s. Also a Korg Delta in there. Spot the rest...

And of course, enjoy the performance.

"http://KEXP.ORG presents Ladytron performing live in the KEXP studio. Recorded June 6, 2026.

Songs:
Metaphysica 00:40
A Death In London 05:34
Secret Dreams Of Thieves 10:31
Destroy Everything You Touch 14:59

Helen Marnie - Vocals, Keys
Mira Aroyo - Vocals, Keys
Daniel Hunt - Keys, Guitar, Vocals
Peter Kelly - Drums
Andrew Hunt - Keys, Percussion, Sax

Host: Cheryl Waters
Audio Engineer: Julian Martlew
Guest Audio Engineer & Mixer: Daniel Woodward
Mastering Engineer: Matt Ogaz

Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Carlos Cruz, Leah Franks, Luke Knecht & Ettie Wahl
Editor: Leah Franks

https://www.ladytron.com
http://kexp.org"

60 New D-50 Inspired Performances for Your Korg Wavestate

video upload by Ian Dixon

"In this video, I'm demonstrating my new 'D-50 Collection' sound pack designed for the Korg Wavestate, Wavestate Native, and Wavestate Module. Inspired by the late 80s LA synthesis of the Roland D-50, these 60 performances and 170+ programs use the Wavestate's native samples and 4-layer architecture to recreate that distinctive, bright hybrid sound.

I’ll be walking through some of the classic recreations like Fantasia, Staccato Heaven, and Soundtrack, as well as original sounds built using the same D-50 concepts.

Pack Details:

60 Performances & 170+ Programs
No external samples required (uses built-in Wavestate samples)
Compatible with hardware and native versions

[Link to Full Pack] – https://shopify.thedigitallifestyle.c...

[Link to Free Version] – https://thedigitallifestyle.com/w/dow..."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Korg Opsix: Beyond FM with Wave Shaping

video upload by Ian Dixon

"In this Korg Opsix tutorial, I dive deep into the Wave Shaper effect—a feature inspired by the classic Korg 01/W. Discover how to move beyond standard FM synthesis to create complex, harmonically rich textures, including PPG-style vocal pads and D-50-inspired bell tones.

I explore how to use parallel routing and internal filters to tame these aggressive waveforms, turning digital noise into playable, lush patches. Whether you're looking for gritty bass or shimmering pads, the wave-folding capabilities of the Opsix open up a whole new world of sound design."

Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction: Creating PPG-style vocal sounds
00:57 – Setting up a Stacked Algorithm for parallel routing
01:20 – What is Wave Shaping? (Origins from the Korg 01/W)
02:05 – Analyzing different Wave Shaper types and harmonics
03:45 – Designing D-50 style bell pads with high harmonics
05:30 – Using Operator Filters to shape complex waves
07:30 – Starting with Sawtooth waves for digital overtones
09:55 – Creating a vocal wavetable sound with Band Pass filters
10:45 – Detuning operators for a thicker, layered sound
12:00 – Adding high-pitched bell overtones with additional operators
14:35 – Final thoughts and experimentation tips

Previously:

Can the Korg Opsix Recreate the Roland D-50?

video upload by Ian Dixon

"Can the Korg Opsix recreate the sound of the legendary Roland D-50 without using samples? In this video I build a D-50-inspired patch from scratch, using nothing but FM synthesis, wave shaping, layering and effects to see just how close the Opsix can get to Roland's classic LA synthesis sound.

Along the way I break down the patch step by step, recreating the D-50's signature combination of organ, bell tones and bright "spectrum" textures. Rather than copying a preset, this is a practical sound design walkthrough that explains why these layers work and how you can apply the same techniques to your own patches."

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro — Can the Opsix recreate a Roland D-50?
0:18 – What makes the D-50 sound? LA synthesis explained
0:33 – Breaking down the layers: organ, bells and spectrum fizz
0:50 – Choosing the algorithm: why Algorithm 24 gives flexibility
1:33 – Building the organ layer with additive waves
2:26 – Detuning for classic D-50-style width
3:12 – Shaping the organ envelope
4:35 – Creating the bell layer with FM ring modulation
5:18 – Bell envelope programming
6:07 – Listening to the original Roland D-50 bell
6:59 – Building the spectrum-style layer
7:42 – Wave shaping and filtering
8:51 – High-pass filtering to recreate the D-50 texture
9:33 – Balancing the layers
10:12 – Master filtering
11:10 – Experimenting with a noise-based layer
12:37 – Refining the bell envelopes
13:07 – Adding chorus, delay and reverb 14:00 – Soloing each layer
15:01 – Final thoughts — Did we get close?

Roland D-05, Make Noise Strega & Ableton Mode | Ambient Drone

video upload by Akihiko Matsumoto

"Sequencer: Ableton Mode https://akihikomatsumoto.sellfy.store...
Discover the Sacred Sounds of the Past: A Generative Sequencer Inspired by Medieval Chant
Immerse yourself in a groundbreaking tool designed for creators of ambient, experimental, contemporary music, IDM, and electronica. This Max for Live generative sequencer fuses historical depth with cutting-edge technology, offering a unique journey through time and sound.
Historical Roots, Modern Expression
Developed over a year of intensive research, this device draws from a rich tapestry of medieval chant manuscripts and the intricate patterns of neume notation. Delve into the essence of the eight church modes, enriched with the proto-characteristics of Ionian and Aeolian modes foretelling the rise of major and minor tonalities.
Infinite Melodic Possibilities
Let the sequencer generate melodies imbued with the organic flow and spiritual resonance of early music, now reimagined for contemporary creativity. Whether sculpting ethereal soundscapes or exploring experimental forms, this device breathes new life into your compositions.

Recording: Ambient Drone (Sample Pack) https://akihikomatsumoto.sellfy.store..."

Roland Botique D-05 Linear Synthesizer

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

Additional Perfect Circuit listings

CLICK FOR MORE »

Roland Boutique D-05 Linear Synthesizer Module

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

Additional Perfect Circuit listings

CLICK FOR MORE »

Is there something it can't do? Get more out of your rack with the DPW SW3 Splice

video upload by The Sound Convergence

"The SW3 Splice is a cleverly designed dual audio and CV router and selector in 6 HP.
The SW3 interacts interestingly with a whole range of CV and audio inputs. It can be used as sub-octave maker, distortion unit, pattern selector, CV combiner, stereorizer, jitter/humanizer and much more.
This is my longest video to date, as I tried to show you as many use cases as possible. Enjoy!

00:00 Intro
01:24 Module Overview
02:29 OSC: Creating Suboctaves
03:35 Musical Example: Suboctave processing
04:11 OSC: Making new wave shapes
04:53 OSC: Wave shaping wave shapers
05:17 OSC: Slope switching
05:31 OSC: D and R inputs for further shaping
06:03 OSC: Jitter/PWd squarewave
06:31 OSC: Timbre switcher
07:37 As stereorizer
08:07 Widening a lead
08:35 Stereo-widening mono fx
09:34 Distortion: Hard-switch mode
09:52 Glitch: Slow switching glitches
10:48 Distortion: via D-input
11:14 Distortion: Bit reduction mimicking via D-input
11:48 CV: Introducing swing
12:36 CV: Mixing gate patterns
13:04 CV: Mixing 2 AR envelopes
14:27 Final thoughts"

Introducing the Official Sequential Prophet~5 by GForce Software

video uploads by GForce Software

"Meet GForce Prophet~5 - the first-ever official software recreation of the legendary Sequential Prophet~5.

On sale now: https://www.gforcesoftware.com/produc..."

Playlist:

1. GForce Prophet~5 | Available Now
2. Introducing the Official Sequential Prophet~5 by GForce Software
3. GForce Prophet~5 | A Walkthrough of the Sounds
4. Sequential Prophet~5 by GForce Walkthrough

User videos:



Playlist:

1. GForce / Sequential Prophet-5 Plug-in - My Factory Patches - Polydata

00:00 Intro 02:14 Aquarium Visit 1983 02:30 Auto Buchla 02:41 Central Texas Disc Golf Semi-Finals 02:51 Clouds Over Ocean 03:08 Concrete Engineering 03:22 CV Input 03:38 Heat Index 03:49 Horizons 04:00 Luggage Carousel 04:15 Natural Science Center 04:27 Network Protocol 04:44 North American Walnut 05:04 Observatory 05:17 Peach Flower 05:32 Plant Irrigation 05:47 Prairie Dawn 05:58 Rainbow Vision 06:13 ROM Upgrade 06:25 Sea Foam 06:44 Silicon Manufacturing 06:55 SSM Bass 07:06 Striking the Circuit 07:17 Television Relay Circuit 07:27 UCSD Research Grouping 07:42 Woodland Hills

2. GForce Prophet 5 vs the Hardware - Starsky Carr

I put the GForce Prophet 5 VST head-to-head against my real Sequential Prophet 5 hardware — testing filters, oscillators, envelopes, LFOs, vintage mode, FM, sync, unison, and more — to find out just how close it really gets.

The GForce Prophet 5 is the ONLY Prophet 5 software officially endorsed by Sequential, making it the only plugin that can legally call itself the Prophet 5. But does the endorsement mean anything sonically? After hours of clinical testing with spectrum analysis, oscilloscopes, and direct A/B comparisons, the results genuinely surprised me.

In this video:
Rev 1 vs Rev 2 vs Rev 3 filter comparison (SSI vs CEM — hear the -difference)
Oscillator shapes: sawtooth, square, triangle side-by-side
Pulse width modulation & LFO speed accuracy
FM / oscillator sync behaviour (I did find a minor difference here)
Polymod and audio-rate filter modulation
Unison & Vintage mode — does the voice-to-voice character match?
Low frequency oscillator mode
X-Mod section: LFOs and envelopes on everything
Built-in effects: chorus, phaser, distortion, multi-mode filter, delay, reverb
CPU load test: 10 simultaneous instances vs Ozone on the master bus

The verdict? The differences I found are no greater than you'd hear between two hardware Prophet 5s. If you don't own the hardware and aren't doing a clinical A/B, you will not notice them.

The GForce Prophet 5 is also remarkably CPU efficient — 10 instances use less CPU than a single Ozone instance. It adds two layers, up to 10-voice polyphony, full CC modulation, and an X-Mod section that turns a classic polysynth into something far more powerful."

Phil Hartnoll of Long Range shows us his synths, including his TB-303 that he has had since forever.

video upload by Tomás Mulcahy

Phil Hartnoll (Orbital) studio tour.

"I had uploaded this years ago, and as someone said at the time 'It looks like it was shot on a potato' which was true :) I used Adobe Dialogue enhance to clean up the sound, and a free online video enhance for the picture all of which brought it out nicely. The bit about the TB-303 at 7:05 is my favourite part :) Can't believe it's been almost 20 years!

Original blurb
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Future Music Magazine, June 2007
Exclusive video of the gear in the Long Range studio

Phil runs through his synth collection detailing his best (and worst!), not forgetting the classic TB-303 on which some techno classics were written, complete with stickers for the tunes! We put him on the spot and ask which three pieces of gear he'd take to a desert island and then Nick runs through the band's bank of outboard gear. Fast!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
7:05 He finds the TB-303 on the floor :)
8:52 Nick runs through the band's bank of outboard gear"

Backrooms Inspired Sound Design with Omnisphere 3 and Vulture Culture’s Legendary Synths

video upload by Keith Crosley

"We’re noclipping into liminal sonic realms, doing some Omnisphere 3 patches inspired by the Backrooms… and using Vulture Culture’s “Legendary Synths” sample library that I’ve converted to O3 multisampled soundsources! We’ll talky talky talky about liminal ambient inspirations, some of my favorite sound design tricks, and a few of the more unusual effects in Omnisphere. So grab your low-proximity magnetic distortion system and get ready for an ANALOG-HORROR-A-GO-GO episode of your favorite talky synthesizer content show!

-- MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO --
🎹 Vulture Culture Legendary Synths Collections: https://vultureculture.live/collectio..."

You can find wavetables and additional resources by Keith Crosley available at https://www.wavetables.lol.

─── CHAPTERS ───
00:00 Why Sound Design for the Backrooms (A24 Film + Kane Parsons)
01:02 What This Video Uses: Omnisphere 3 + Vulture Culture's Legendary Synths Vol. 1 & 2
02:14 Why Omnisphere 3's New Effects Are Perfect for Analog Horror
03:07 Pre-Built Patch Walkthrough: Noisemaker, Film Projector & Spring Reverb
03:48 The JX-10 "Mays Pad" + Wavestation Tape Splice Sound

CLICK FOR MORE »

Seventies Synth Songs on the Novation Peak (with free soundbank)

video upload by TheGuacamoleXplosion

"Partial covers of synth-focused tracks from each year of the 1970s on the Novation Peak. No talking.

All synth sounds (including most electronic drum sounds) in this video are pure Novation Peak: Presets created from scratch, recorded directly through RME audio interfaces into Cubase, with no track effects added to any of the Peak tracks, not even EQ or panning (only exceptions: on Autobahn, the cluster Vocoder is two tracks hard-panned in the DAW; and the bass on the final part has a bit of treble shelved off with the Cubase stock EQ).

The soundbank for the Novation Peak (should also be compatible with the Novation Summit) as well as the individual sounds and the 1 User Wavetable I used in the “AnimAutobahn” faux vocoder patches can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folder...

00:00 - Intro: Autobahn, Part C
02:57 - 1970: Emerson, Lake & Palmer — Lucky Man
04:22 - 1971: The Who — Won’t Get Fooled Again
05:17 - 1972: Hot Butter — Popcorn
06:52 - 1973: Pink Floyd — Any Colour You Like
08:13 - 1973: Pink Floyd — On The Run
09:58 - 1974: Kraftwerk — Autobahn (Parts A & B)
13:47 - 1975: Pink Floyd — Welcome To The Machine
17:46 - 1976: Jean Michel Jarre — Oxygène (Part IV)
19:34 - 1977: Weather Report — Birdland
20:15 - 1978: Parliament — Flash Light
22:21 - 1979: Supertramp — Child Of Vision
24:40 - Outro: Autobahn, Part D"

The Crow Hill Company Introduces the THE SH*T SYNTH

The Sh*t Synth - Walkthrough video upload by CROW HILL XTRAS

Press release follows:


The Crow Hill Company turns to extensive and rare collection to turn out THE SH*T SYNTH as compendium of 48 circuit-, wave- and sample-bent instruments

EDINBURGH, UK: The Crow Hill Company is proud to turn to its own extensive and rare collection of hardware to turn out THE SH*T SYNTH — available as a compendium of 48 circuit-, wave- and sample-bent instruments inspired by some of the Edinburgh-based enterprise’s eclectic musical favourites (spanning the likes of Aphex Twin, Boards Of Canada, Joe Maus, Jon Brion, Laurie Spiegel, Radiohead, Throbbing Gristle, and Yazoo) to create something that they collectively ask: is it just shit or ‘the shit’? — as of April 7…

Whatever way anyone chooses to read into the titling of THE SH*T SYNTH as the latest entry into The Crow Hill’s ongoing ORIGINS series of sample-based virtual instrument plug-ins, one thing is for sure: it readily represents a broad selection of three categories of 16 workhorse instruments each, effectively wrapped up into a single plug-in designed to bring a cohesive approach to making music more edgy, lo-fi, retro, and — swimming against the technological tide of so-called progress — decidedly AI (Artificial Intelligence) slop-free. From pianos to strings, plucks, beeps, bass, and pads, the compendium that is THE SH*T SYNTH has been lovingly sculpted by the Edinburgh-based enterprise’s media composer and ‘samplist-in-residence’ Christian Henson to take the hassle out of making existing sounds less refined, catering to those looking for an entirely new bank of Mellotron-style sounds as well as synths that have been long forgotten — for good reason, too!

CLICK FOR MORE »

What the fork is Waveshaping? | Modular Classroom | Lesson 05

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"I've been doing modular since 2018 and now I finally think I may have figured out what waveshaping could be. So by all means this is not some 'masterclass' where I teach you, it's learning as I go and recording it on video. The main takeaway from all this, is that waveshaping is not a module or something you'd do, it's something that happens when certain circumstances align. By definition, waveshaping is 'a non-linear transfer producing new harmonics' which kind of sums up nicely why it's so hard to put your head around it. It becomes much easier once you realize you need to listen for it, it's the result. Not the tech, process or recipe.

And how about 'folding'? As far as I know, wavefolding belongs to the waveshaping family, but instead of clipping the tops off, you'd mirror them back into the waveform. In waveshaping, 'transfer functions' are called 'shaper functions' because a 'transfer' is hijacked by systems theory and we're doing music and synthesis while leaving science in its own domain.

I'll mostly be using Serge gear in the classroom series, but you can already start shaping with a pre-amp with plenty of gain. Just push a sound to a loudness your case or ADC can't handle. Then you can figure out if it's cool to get dedicated tech for it. Hopefully you'll learn that waveshaping is not just distortion :)."