Filter to increase the brightness/crispness of the general Virus sound

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by bluesmoose

I assume you mean the shape of the attack and decay portion of the filter envelope.

You can recursively modulate the filter envelope attack and decay.
There are routings in the modulation matrix for
Filter Env-> Filter Env Attack
Filter Env-> Filter Env Decay

You can apply positive or negative amount to make it more convex or concave.

I haven't had my Virus for long, so I'm no expert on this stuff yet.

I seem to recall reading that somewhere else here. Seems like kind of a cumbersome way to get non-linear settings, although I can see how it might have needed to be implemented that way on a hardware synth (especially pre-TI models where the display on the board itself is all you have). A visual of the line goes a long way (not sure if Virus Control for the TI offers that or not -- they should be able to add it easily enough if not).

[bluesmoose]

Originally Posted by MBTC

I seem to regard reading that somewhere else here. Seems like kind of a cumbersome way to get non-linear settings, although I can see how it might have needed to be implemented that way on a hardware synth (especially pre-TI models where the display on the board itself is all you have). A visual of the line goes a long way (not sure if Virus Control for the TI offers that or not -- they should be able to add it easily enough if not).

Yes, cumbersome.
Why tie up a mod slot, etc. when you can just have a contour parameter ?
An Attack Contour and Decay Contour for each envelope would be great.
On the hardware (at least for filter and amp envelopes) you could use Shift+Attack to adjust the Attack contour, and Shift+Decay...

Virus Control doesn't show these contours. It only draws the envelope with the original contour.

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by bluesmoose

Virus Control doesn't show these contours. It only draws the envelope with the original contour.

Here's a partial screenshot of how that editing works on the Ultranova editor:

http://i.imgur.com/WCIoVHJ.jpg

They should do something like that in Virus Control.

[bluesmoose]

Originally Posted by MBTC

Here's a partial screenshot of how that editing works on the Ultranova editor:

http://i.imgur.com/WCIoVHJ.jpg

They should do something like that in Virus Control.

That is nice.

I have seen screenshots of the Blofeld with linear and non-linear filter envelope attacks.
I looked in the manual and it has envelope attack, decay, sustain and release as mod destinations for filter env, amp env, env3 and env4.
So, if they can draw the modified envelopes, maybe Virus Control will someday.

[namnibor]

Originally Posted by bluesmoose

That is nice.

I have seen screenshots of the Blofeld with linear and non-linear filter envelope attacks.
I looked in the manual and it has envelope attack, decay, sustain and release as mod destinations for filter env, amp env, env3 and env4.
So, if they can draw the modified envelopes, maybe Virus Control will someday.

...Or, just buy a Blofeld! I have both Virus KC and Blofeld Kybd and they are both individual beasts with their own personalities and deeply programmable.

Why be so defensive and as well as dismissive when you can actually learn a lot on this forum's past posts via searches and studying the whole user manual as well as Access's "Programming Analog Synthesizers", which is a free download and has exercises that are specific to the Virus architecture?

Lastly, what's up with people with a new to them synth, that they immediately bemoan "what it could-a/should-a be" and complain it's not as bright as a Nord, in this case?

Sarcasm and sardonic humor should be taken in-stride if you see where what stance you immediately came from before actually getting to know your instrument in and out.

Tweakhead, among others on this forum, have incredible insight, experience, and programming advice that is shared here and being dismissive actually says much more about your composure than anything else.

I was being kind and as always, please read aforementioned manual and guide for the Virus and of course, experiment by dismantling programs to see how they are composed because every synth is different.

[bluesmoose]

Originally Posted by namnibor

...Or, just buy a Blofeld! I have both Virus KC and Blofeld Kybd and they are both individual beasts with their own personalities and deeply programmable.

Why be so defensive and as well as dismissive when you can actually learn a lot on this forum's past posts via searches and studying the whole user manual as well as Access's "Programming Analog Synthesizers", which is a free download and has exercises that are specific to the Virus architecture?

Lastly, what's up with people with a new to them synth, that they immediately bemoan "what it could-a/should-a be" and complain it's not as bright as a Nord, in this case?

Sarcasm and sardonic humor should be taken in-stride if you see where what stance you immediately came from before actually getting to know your instrument in and out.

Tweakhead, among others on this forum, have incredible insight, experience, and programming advice that is shared here and being dismissive actually says much more about your composure than anything else.

I was being kind and as always, please read aforementioned manual and guide for the Virus and of course, experiment by dismantling programs to see how they are composed because every synth is different.

Re Blofeld...
MBTC questioned whether something like that could be implemented in Virus Control.
He said ultranova could do it.
Perhaps I wasn't clear, but I was trying to say that since the Blofled (and Ultranova) could do it, maybe there wasn't a technical reason that it would not be possible to implement in Virus Control.


re Tweakhead, among others on this forum, have incredible insight, experience, and programming advice that is shared here and being dismissive actually says much more about your composure than anything else.

Perhaps, but his first post in this thread did have any of that.



It really is amazing... How a simple discussion turns into a religious "attack the new guys" thread.

.

[bluesmoose]

Originally Posted by namnibor

.
Lastly, what's up with people with a new to them synth, that they immediately bemoan "what it could-a/should-a be" and complain it's not as bright as a Nord, in this case?

That was not me. That was Rusty. Complain to him.

[TweakHead]

Originally Posted by MBTC

I seem to recall reading that somewhere else here. Seems like kind of a cumbersome way to get non-linear settings, although I can see how it might have needed to be implemented that way on a hardware synth (especially pre-TI models where the display on the board itself is all you have). A visual of the line goes a long way (not sure if Virus Control for the TI offers that or not -- they should be able to add it easily enough if not).

I think that hey didn't already because it's possible to do it with recursive modulation and because of patch compatibility with older models - the features that were present in earlier models are left intact on the TI.

but the thing is: why would anyone buy a synthesizer whose sound one doesn't like? there are plenty of second hand nord leads out there for a bit over half the price of a Virus C, so...

because I totally get why anyone looking for the Nord sound would feel frustrated with the Virus - and the other way around. even though they're both VA, they're totally different beasts and the main difference is in the character: the virus sounds warm and grittier while the Nord sounds clean and crisp - there's no way around that fact!

funny enough, the Novation's synths sound somewhat similar do the Nord: it's got a very liquid and smooth sound on the highs, less crisp and harsh but still a lot of presence that easily cuts through the mix. I think Novation's sound sits somewhere between the Nord and Roland - it's got some roundness to the sound. While, for example, the Waldorf's sound much more edgier and with tons of ear piercing highs on them.

I don't think any of these is better. it's just different: many people have one of each and find a place for them on their mixes.

someone said here: nord and virus do complement each other quite nicely! that's exactly how I see it!

plus, I'm inclined to say: spend a little more time programming the Virus and you'll see it can get you very crisp sounds. the recipe above is about that: when you want to get close to Nord sound (without considering actually buying one, of course), turn off everything that isn't present on the Lead. It's got no effects, it only has one filter whose envelope can't be inverted, so forth and so on... but then... the FM on the Lead sounds a lot different to the Virus, for some "classic" sounds, it's the Nord that provides them. for others, the Virus is much more capable! also, if you modulate pitch with a sine wave LFO on the Lead or on the Virus, the results are different in sound even with very similar settings. they don't even have similar maximum frequencies on them...

so what can I say? grab a Lead. take more time programming your Virus to! if you boost the highs and do the opposite in the lows and low mids, you get much more presence (the gain structure across the spectrum changes)... once you move the filters, though, it might not sound as you want. so make the EQ follow the filter movement instead: assign a soft knob (or mod wheel or whatever) to make the EQ band's frequency move with the filter cuttoff (sort like EQ key tracking, made with modulation! handy uh?) if it doesn't sound pleasant enough yet, then keep on fine tunning it: the boost in the EQ could decrease or increase as filter cutoff gets higher, or the other way around. pretty easy to set up on the Matrix.

thinking like this you can overcome many of the apparent limitations a given synthesizer (not just the Virus!) seems to have when it comes down to "the way it sounds". with plenty of modulation options (that are not exactly "standard", I give you that) there's not much to complain about. be relentless. experiment experiment experiment