Post by jiffy on Sept 27, 2009 9:32:28 GMT
Page 3:- www.promusicproducts.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=4970&start=30
Just Intonation
emusician.com/mag/emusic_microtuning/
Main thing to get out of this is that Just Intonation on the Fusion means that each note is tuned perfectly to the root of the key. Pure intervals, like exact (natural) minor and major 3rds or 6ths, and perfect 2nds, 4ths, and 5ths. No approximations like in equal temperament.
However, having each note perfectly in tune as an isolated interval to the root comes at a price -- the intervals sound nice in isolation, but not all natural diatonic chords sound equally good. In fact, there is one important chord that actually sounds worse in just intonation than it does in equal temperament. Listen for yourself:
Select a PROGRAM to Edit
Program/Pitch/Tuning Type.... (Equal Tempered or Just Major/Minor)
Say you choose Just Major, with the Tuning Root as "C".
Now this patch will sound out so that the tonic chord C major sounds perfectly in tune.... perfect, like no beating at all... almost too sterile, esp for harmonically purer sounds like soft soprano recorders and square waves.
Notice also that F major and G major, the dominant and subdominant (IV and V), are pure compared to the conventional ET IV and V (... hit the EDIT button repeatedly to toggle between and COMPARE your new voice and the original voice).
The major 3rd and 6th are somewhat strange but perfectly in tune, as are the chords built upon them -- Em/Em7/Em9 and Am/Am7/Am9.
What is the important missing chord?! ==> D minor (the ii chord)
It just sounds bad... elementary school bad. Its inversions sound bad also, ruling out Dm7 or any A-C-D clusters. It's the interval from D to A that sounds bad... it should be a perfect fifth, but it can't come near that while its parts are busy being perfect relative to the root note C.
For practical use, it's probably more of a hindrance than a help... how many songs are written that only use (in the key of C) the chords Cmaj, Em, F, G7, and Am...? Those rare songs with chord progressions that would benefit from just intonation would be best served, but for any other chord progression that uses this awful sounding ii chord -- or any other chord beyond The First Five, for that matter -- would be best served by equal temperament.
The major exception is that certain emulations of Classical and Baroque period pieces may be more pleasurable in just intonation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
How many cents off?
The sacrifice Equal Temperament makes compared to pure Just intervals.
unison.......... equal to Just
half-step...... 12 cents b, compared to Just
major 2nd.... 4 cents b
minor 3rd..... 16 cents b
major 3rd..... 14 cents #
.......... perfect 4th.... 7 cents #
.................... tritone.......... 10 cents #
.......... perfect 5th.... 2 cents b
minor 6th...... 14 cents b
major 6th...... 16 cents #
dom 7th........ 4 cents #
major 7th...... 12 cents #
octave.......... equal to Just
Another way to see this --
Use the middle of the octave (the perfect 5th) as the Center.
The perfect 5th is just a couple cents low, close enough for government work.
The mirror pair of the major 2nd and the minor 7th, better known as 9ths and 7ths, are also close enough for governemnt work -- they only want to come 4 cents closer to the middle.
The other mirror pairs exhibit equal tendencies --
1) minor 3rd/major 6th want to go 16 cents closer to the middle,
2) the minor 2nd/major 7th want to go 12 cents closer to the middle
3) the major 3rd/minor 6th actually want to go 14 cents the other way -- flatter maj 3rd, sharper minor 6th
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adding FX Mod Routes
Sources:
Mod Wheel, Pitch Wheel
Knob 1-4
Trigger 1-4
Switch 1-2
Sustain, Foot Pedal (Exp), Foot Switch
Aftertouch.
Destinations:
each and every FX parameter listed (Amp Drive, Delay Time, Mod Depth)
BONUS: Aftertouch can control FX parameters
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fusion error: "cannot find/load xxx multi-sample"
After installing the Florestan Piano patch, all worked fine with loading the new multisample instrument. (The piano sounds pretty decent, a nice singing clarity from the Yamaha grand, but of course the overall instrument hasn't much sustain).
However, upon loading another new piano multisample via USB, and finishing the "Safely Remove Hardware" process, the Fusion suddenly popped up an error box stating it couldn't find one of the Florestan samples anymore...
What happened? I think the reference was moved because of the funky way the Fusion will sometimes re-arrange the banks on its own. What happened here was that the newer piano sample bank took up a spot near one of the earlier banks, which pushed all other banks after it up another number... hence the referencing issue
The solution? ==> re-Verify
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another outstanding not documented shortcut: into CATEGORY mode, the LOCATE+KEY will call the sound directly....every 5 sounds...
Test it:
Go Category. Select... Chromatic
LOCATE+C1: PRESET 1 Fusion Punch Clav
LOCATE+C#1: PRESET 1 Handy Bell
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
One-shot samples and loops
Is it possible to map out loops and samples to the keyboard? Can these be triggered to sound out locked to tempo?
I'm thinking that samples can be assigned to keys using the Fusion's Drum synth engine. They can be easily grouped so that one sample will cut off another, by assigning them to the same Mute Group (pg 55). You could hit another key to add another beat/loop/sample to the ones already being played. Additional controls:
-- have note/sample latch, repeating indefinitely
-- use velocity to make it so that -- hit key hard = play, hit key soft = stop
-- use T1-4 triggers as additional/alternate Ranges to have a sample played via an Arp
---- simple drone-type Arp simply makes sure sample is triggered in-tempo
---- drum machine Arps allow a sample to played in-rhythm (groove within a groove)
--- pre-specified pitch changes to samples could make a 120bpm groove play at 130 or 110, etc, triggerable or controllable via knobs/pedals/wheels
-- single trigger for on-the-fly reverse sample
-- in MIX/SONG mode, can individually fade keys
-- also possible to individually filter or sweep FX over time (and record!)
The manipulation of samples has spawned several musical industries, both hardware & software, styles & genres. It's almost the dominant form of 'music' creation nowadays, and could really open up the Fusion to new markets and modes of creation:
-- different drum loops mapped to keys, playable (recordable) real-time, simulating pattern-type music construction (rap, electronica, industrial)
-- smaller zones within a MIX for triggering non-musical sounds (ambient soundscapes, environmental/nature sounds, spoken word clips)
-- quick access to live comic effect sounds (punchline zingers and drumrolls (ba-doom-toom-tschhh), applause and laughter, gongs and buzzers)
There are potential libraries of sample grooves, FX, and clips waiting to be tapped. All we need are a few templates, and then populating the Fusion with loads of these samples. After the preliminary work is done, it should be a snap to customize new Programs, Mixes, and Songs to incorporate whichever sound is needed for the project. This way you could construct the major skeleton of a song, and just switch out the internals, like what's already done by composing with MIDI patches, then swapping out and fine-tuning the original sounds with newer patches, but preserving the song structure.
Sketch out a groove, arrange the parts, record. Later, switch out some of the sample grooves for others, re-arrange a bit, record, and boom, another quickie done. Sounds good in theory...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIDI events found in the Editor
The main thing to note here is that Poly Aftertouch is a separate editable event; it's not a MIDI CC. Ditto for Pitch Bend, and the pitch parameters found in RPN. Not that anyone would hand-edit full-blown MIDI performances event-by-event, but at least it suggests what could be done with some of the MIDI mergers out there that can convert one type of event into another (Behringer FCB 1010, Kurzweil Expressionmate, various software approaches).
Fusion manual, pg 141 wrote:Event Type
... sub category
Note
... note value
... velocity
... gate
Mono Aftertouch
... aftertouch value
Poly Aftertouch
... note
... velocity
Pitch
... pitch value
Patch
... bank (0-127)
... number (0-127)
Controller
... CC# (0-119) <== like CC#64 for sustain pedal
... CC value (0-127)
I'm still wondering, given the mention of all kinds of pitch parameters here, if it's possible to use custom microtuning or Scala files to play back songs in the Fusion. Sure would be nice to hear phat sounds singing together in pure just intonation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fusion Filter stacking
How many serial filters can a sound be routed thru?
1) Each OSC sample has its own 1-pole non-resonant lowpass filter. Up to 4 samples per Program. (1 pole = 6dB rolloff per octave)
2) Next, choose one variant from one of several types (26 total) in the Filter section. Available for sample, VA, FM, PM, drum synth engines:
Low Pass @ 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-pole
High Pass @ 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-pole
Band Pass, Stop, Boost @ 2, 4, 6, 8-pole
RP Lowpass @ 4-pole, fixed, resonant
Vocal Formant 1, 2, 3 @ no pole, resonant
3) Next, there's the FX filters. The Contrary/Quadrature/S&H variants are all similar in sound shaping quality, differing mainly in the stereo field. The LFO filters are simply low and high pass filters with a pre-assigned mod to them -- sine/triangle LFOs. They sound like 2 or 4 pole filters to me. Sensitivity or Center is almost = filter amount.
LFO LP (4-pole?)
LFO HP (4-pole?)
Envelope LP
Envelope HP
Of course, the envelope filters are unique FX in themselves, with all kinds of fun variations. With sufficient tweaking of Sensitivity and Attack, they can be made to emulate a static LP filter.
4) A hidden gem is the routability of a sound thru the AUX OUT then back in again to a VA patch setup with its OSC as an EXT IN.
=====================================
This gives us the following serial filter freakishnesses --
1-pole LP ==> (1 of 26) main filters ==> (up to 4) FX filters ==> (up to 2) re-routed EXT IN access to (1 of 26) main filters.
In other words, for the truly whacked, you could route a sound source thru 8 different filter types, one after the other...
=====================================
The main thing missing is the Comb Filter. I believe, however, you can simulate some comb filter effects by using Delay FX where the time is less than 10 ms or so, high feedback. Makes things sound like their in a small tunnel or tube (like a wind instrument bore, perhaps?)...
Additional reading:
from Synth Secrets, @ SoundOnSound.com --
Part 4: Of Filters & Phase Relationships
Part 5: Further With Filters
Part 6: Of Responses And Resonance
from Kurzweil, mastering VAST, @ sonikmatter.com forums
4 Pole Lopass & Hipass Filters
Excellent tutorial again! Thanks!
Ah, and for sake of completeness: don't forget the EQ which is also a kind of filter
Just Intonation
emusician.com/mag/emusic_microtuning/
Main thing to get out of this is that Just Intonation on the Fusion means that each note is tuned perfectly to the root of the key. Pure intervals, like exact (natural) minor and major 3rds or 6ths, and perfect 2nds, 4ths, and 5ths. No approximations like in equal temperament.
However, having each note perfectly in tune as an isolated interval to the root comes at a price -- the intervals sound nice in isolation, but not all natural diatonic chords sound equally good. In fact, there is one important chord that actually sounds worse in just intonation than it does in equal temperament. Listen for yourself:
Select a PROGRAM to Edit
Program/Pitch/Tuning Type.... (Equal Tempered or Just Major/Minor)
Say you choose Just Major, with the Tuning Root as "C".
Now this patch will sound out so that the tonic chord C major sounds perfectly in tune.... perfect, like no beating at all... almost too sterile, esp for harmonically purer sounds like soft soprano recorders and square waves.
Notice also that F major and G major, the dominant and subdominant (IV and V), are pure compared to the conventional ET IV and V (... hit the EDIT button repeatedly to toggle between and COMPARE your new voice and the original voice).
The major 3rd and 6th are somewhat strange but perfectly in tune, as are the chords built upon them -- Em/Em7/Em9 and Am/Am7/Am9.
What is the important missing chord?! ==> D minor (the ii chord)
It just sounds bad... elementary school bad. Its inversions sound bad also, ruling out Dm7 or any A-C-D clusters. It's the interval from D to A that sounds bad... it should be a perfect fifth, but it can't come near that while its parts are busy being perfect relative to the root note C.
For practical use, it's probably more of a hindrance than a help... how many songs are written that only use (in the key of C) the chords Cmaj, Em, F, G7, and Am...? Those rare songs with chord progressions that would benefit from just intonation would be best served, but for any other chord progression that uses this awful sounding ii chord -- or any other chord beyond The First Five, for that matter -- would be best served by equal temperament.
The major exception is that certain emulations of Classical and Baroque period pieces may be more pleasurable in just intonation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
How many cents off?
The sacrifice Equal Temperament makes compared to pure Just intervals.
unison.......... equal to Just
half-step...... 12 cents b, compared to Just
major 2nd.... 4 cents b
minor 3rd..... 16 cents b
major 3rd..... 14 cents #
.......... perfect 4th.... 7 cents #
.................... tritone.......... 10 cents #
.......... perfect 5th.... 2 cents b
minor 6th...... 14 cents b
major 6th...... 16 cents #
dom 7th........ 4 cents #
major 7th...... 12 cents #
octave.......... equal to Just
Another way to see this --
Use the middle of the octave (the perfect 5th) as the Center.
The perfect 5th is just a couple cents low, close enough for government work.
The mirror pair of the major 2nd and the minor 7th, better known as 9ths and 7ths, are also close enough for governemnt work -- they only want to come 4 cents closer to the middle.
The other mirror pairs exhibit equal tendencies --
1) minor 3rd/major 6th want to go 16 cents closer to the middle,
2) the minor 2nd/major 7th want to go 12 cents closer to the middle
3) the major 3rd/minor 6th actually want to go 14 cents the other way -- flatter maj 3rd, sharper minor 6th
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adding FX Mod Routes
Sources:
Mod Wheel, Pitch Wheel
Knob 1-4
Trigger 1-4
Switch 1-2
Sustain, Foot Pedal (Exp), Foot Switch
Aftertouch.
Destinations:
each and every FX parameter listed (Amp Drive, Delay Time, Mod Depth)
BONUS: Aftertouch can control FX parameters
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fusion error: "cannot find/load xxx multi-sample"
After installing the Florestan Piano patch, all worked fine with loading the new multisample instrument. (The piano sounds pretty decent, a nice singing clarity from the Yamaha grand, but of course the overall instrument hasn't much sustain).
However, upon loading another new piano multisample via USB, and finishing the "Safely Remove Hardware" process, the Fusion suddenly popped up an error box stating it couldn't find one of the Florestan samples anymore...
What happened? I think the reference was moved because of the funky way the Fusion will sometimes re-arrange the banks on its own. What happened here was that the newer piano sample bank took up a spot near one of the earlier banks, which pushed all other banks after it up another number... hence the referencing issue
The solution? ==> re-Verify
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another outstanding not documented shortcut: into CATEGORY mode, the LOCATE+KEY will call the sound directly....every 5 sounds...
Test it:
Go Category. Select... Chromatic
LOCATE+C1: PRESET 1 Fusion Punch Clav
LOCATE+C#1: PRESET 1 Handy Bell
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
One-shot samples and loops
Is it possible to map out loops and samples to the keyboard? Can these be triggered to sound out locked to tempo?
I'm thinking that samples can be assigned to keys using the Fusion's Drum synth engine. They can be easily grouped so that one sample will cut off another, by assigning them to the same Mute Group (pg 55). You could hit another key to add another beat/loop/sample to the ones already being played. Additional controls:
-- have note/sample latch, repeating indefinitely
-- use velocity to make it so that -- hit key hard = play, hit key soft = stop
-- use T1-4 triggers as additional/alternate Ranges to have a sample played via an Arp
---- simple drone-type Arp simply makes sure sample is triggered in-tempo
---- drum machine Arps allow a sample to played in-rhythm (groove within a groove)
--- pre-specified pitch changes to samples could make a 120bpm groove play at 130 or 110, etc, triggerable or controllable via knobs/pedals/wheels
-- single trigger for on-the-fly reverse sample
-- in MIX/SONG mode, can individually fade keys
-- also possible to individually filter or sweep FX over time (and record!)
The manipulation of samples has spawned several musical industries, both hardware & software, styles & genres. It's almost the dominant form of 'music' creation nowadays, and could really open up the Fusion to new markets and modes of creation:
-- different drum loops mapped to keys, playable (recordable) real-time, simulating pattern-type music construction (rap, electronica, industrial)
-- smaller zones within a MIX for triggering non-musical sounds (ambient soundscapes, environmental/nature sounds, spoken word clips)
-- quick access to live comic effect sounds (punchline zingers and drumrolls (ba-doom-toom-tschhh), applause and laughter, gongs and buzzers)
There are potential libraries of sample grooves, FX, and clips waiting to be tapped. All we need are a few templates, and then populating the Fusion with loads of these samples. After the preliminary work is done, it should be a snap to customize new Programs, Mixes, and Songs to incorporate whichever sound is needed for the project. This way you could construct the major skeleton of a song, and just switch out the internals, like what's already done by composing with MIDI patches, then swapping out and fine-tuning the original sounds with newer patches, but preserving the song structure.
Sketch out a groove, arrange the parts, record. Later, switch out some of the sample grooves for others, re-arrange a bit, record, and boom, another quickie done. Sounds good in theory...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIDI events found in the Editor
The main thing to note here is that Poly Aftertouch is a separate editable event; it's not a MIDI CC. Ditto for Pitch Bend, and the pitch parameters found in RPN. Not that anyone would hand-edit full-blown MIDI performances event-by-event, but at least it suggests what could be done with some of the MIDI mergers out there that can convert one type of event into another (Behringer FCB 1010, Kurzweil Expressionmate, various software approaches).
Fusion manual, pg 141 wrote:Event Type
... sub category
Note
... note value
... velocity
... gate
Mono Aftertouch
... aftertouch value
Poly Aftertouch
... note
... velocity
Pitch
... pitch value
Patch
... bank (0-127)
... number (0-127)
Controller
... CC# (0-119) <== like CC#64 for sustain pedal
... CC value (0-127)
I'm still wondering, given the mention of all kinds of pitch parameters here, if it's possible to use custom microtuning or Scala files to play back songs in the Fusion. Sure would be nice to hear phat sounds singing together in pure just intonation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fusion Filter stacking
How many serial filters can a sound be routed thru?
1) Each OSC sample has its own 1-pole non-resonant lowpass filter. Up to 4 samples per Program. (1 pole = 6dB rolloff per octave)
2) Next, choose one variant from one of several types (26 total) in the Filter section. Available for sample, VA, FM, PM, drum synth engines:
Low Pass @ 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-pole
High Pass @ 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-pole
Band Pass, Stop, Boost @ 2, 4, 6, 8-pole
RP Lowpass @ 4-pole, fixed, resonant
Vocal Formant 1, 2, 3 @ no pole, resonant
3) Next, there's the FX filters. The Contrary/Quadrature/S&H variants are all similar in sound shaping quality, differing mainly in the stereo field. The LFO filters are simply low and high pass filters with a pre-assigned mod to them -- sine/triangle LFOs. They sound like 2 or 4 pole filters to me. Sensitivity or Center is almost = filter amount.
LFO LP (4-pole?)
LFO HP (4-pole?)
Envelope LP
Envelope HP
Of course, the envelope filters are unique FX in themselves, with all kinds of fun variations. With sufficient tweaking of Sensitivity and Attack, they can be made to emulate a static LP filter.
4) A hidden gem is the routability of a sound thru the AUX OUT then back in again to a VA patch setup with its OSC as an EXT IN.
=====================================
This gives us the following serial filter freakishnesses --
1-pole LP ==> (1 of 26) main filters ==> (up to 4) FX filters ==> (up to 2) re-routed EXT IN access to (1 of 26) main filters.
In other words, for the truly whacked, you could route a sound source thru 8 different filter types, one after the other...
=====================================
The main thing missing is the Comb Filter. I believe, however, you can simulate some comb filter effects by using Delay FX where the time is less than 10 ms or so, high feedback. Makes things sound like their in a small tunnel or tube (like a wind instrument bore, perhaps?)...
Additional reading:
from Synth Secrets, @ SoundOnSound.com --
Part 4: Of Filters & Phase Relationships
Part 5: Further With Filters
Part 6: Of Responses And Resonance
from Kurzweil, mastering VAST, @ sonikmatter.com forums
4 Pole Lopass & Hipass Filters
Excellent tutorial again! Thanks!
Ah, and for sake of completeness: don't forget the EQ which is also a kind of filter