Using hardware monosynths - whats your workflow?

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yur2die4
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Re: Using hardware monosynths - whats your workflow?

Post by yur2die4 » Thu Mar 05, 2015 6:12 pm

Does that synth allow you to record cc automation of its parameters?

If so, you could maybe record yourself changing every single parameter just a tiny bit in a session view clip, and then leaving it at a specific spot. Then when you play back that part, all the automation would change the parameters

Of course this would require both, the device sending and receiving cc, and all the time of jiggling every single parameter haha. The vst mentioned is probably a much better method. Still, you could probably make a bunch of these 'clips'.

Timbeaux
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Re: Using hardware monosynths - whats your workflow?

Post by Timbeaux » Fri Mar 06, 2015 6:27 am

I saw some midi event m4l devices. may there is also a midi event recorder ? so it should be possible to save the states (if u r able to change value from external on your synth)

timday
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Re: Using hardware monosynths - whats your workflow?

Post by timday » Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:25 am

On my Volcas I use J74 Volca Control which can remember presets and controls them via MIDI CCs. Also use Henke's control change 8. This kind of approach works pretty well if your synth is controllable via MIDI cc like Volcas are.
For my MS-20, which has no cc control, it's a case of get the sound, note it down on a template (Korg provide one you can photocopy), print to audio (on a separate track). The template will get you very close to the original sound and you can tweak the reat by ear. Analogue synths sounds can be affected by temperature and humidity anyway so I kind of accept not being able to achieve the *exact* sound twice as part of what it means to work with analogue. Also, in trying to replicate the original sound, I quite often find I've come up with something close but a bit better, so the whole thing is part of the process.

Also if your synth takes CV (Minibrutes etc) there are some M4L MIDI to CV plugs (so you could set up limited presets, at least for the CV controllable parameters) and again on the MS-20 you can do the same kind of thing converting volume or pitch of an audio track to CV via the ESP.

Daniel_S
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Re: Using hardware monosynths - whats your workflow?

Post by Daniel_S » Fri Mar 06, 2015 2:33 pm

yur2die4 wrote:Does that synth allow you to record cc automation of its parameters?

If so, you could maybe record yourself changing every single parameter just a tiny bit in a session view clip, and then leaving it at a specific spot. Then when you play back that part, all the automation would change the parameters

Of course this would require both, the device sending and receiving cc, and all the time of jiggling every single parameter haha. The vst mentioned is probably a much better method. Still, you could probably make a bunch of these 'clips'.
This method does work, just a faff :)

I've decided I'm going to go down the "play live and record various takes/states" route and see where it takes me.

The more messing about I have to do to keep a particular sound, the more it starts to put me off the whole idea of having hardware tbh.

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