Those squirming synths

I

imikeyi

New member
Listening to a lot of french 'filtered' house tunes (eg. etienne de crecy - am i wrong), there is that very common bass track, which sounds like its being changed some how, to sound like its squirming like a worm. What I am wondering, is which synth parameter is being changed? I've experimented but get nothing similar. I've also tried a phase machine to no effect. Any ideas?
 
imikeyi said:
Hi
Can you be a bit more specific please, LFO-Filter means nothing to me. Thanks :)
Click to expand...

LFO - Low Frequency Oscillator, vestigial name from when synthesizers were constructed with patch cords connecting the various modules. LFOs are "low frequencies" compared to the frequencies of the generated notes themselves, and are typically in the 0.1 to 10 Hz range.

In the old days, you could patch the output of an LFO to a VCF (voltage controlled filter). In modern times, LFOs can be configured to modulate any parameter of a sound or passage. Want a sound to wander from left to right and back? Configure the LFO to drive a panning control.

If you tried to sing the synth part, and find yourself shifting from "ee ee" to "ow ow" to "oh oh" (see my track, Artemis, for an example), the LFO is probably driving a filter of some sort. It might be a lowpass or highpass filter, or perhaps an "envelope" filter. Heck, it could just be tweaking the Q of your filter (a high Q value boosts frequencies near the cutoff point of the filter). Each of these potential LFO targets will have a slightly different effect on the synth, which will also depend on the signal makeup of the signal being filtered (square, sine, triangle, etc.).

Have fun, and don't be afraid to experiment. You never know what you'll come up with.
 
Hi again

I'm afraid that info didn't help me. I am more interested in how to use different synth sounds, rather than how to synthesise my own sounds.

Anyone else have an idea how etienne does this?
 
Imikeyi, with all due respect, if you do not know what an LFO is and say the tutorials did not help you, then how the hell are we meant to explain to you how a sound is created/programmed? If you don't even understand the component parts or terminology, then how will you understand a statement like this: 'route the LFO1 to a low pass 2 pole filter with Q settings between 60-80 and a freq of 10k,vEnv+<LFO1+, LFO1 being a sine with a rate setting of 8, vEnvatt<60%.Draw the graph or numerical equivalent for the filter envelope to be, 0,-127,0,127,0.
You need to understand how a synth is wired and how the hierarchy is established, you then need to understand the terminology so we can explain things to you easily, you need to understand what the components do and how they interact with each other.
Or am I pissing in the wind here?
 
Hehe I suppose I do look like I have the knowledge of a pea. Truth is, I have always known what an LFO is and what a filter is. What I didnt know is how to use them together to create the particular sound I am trying to achieve.

The reason I say the info you presented didnt help me (but was by no means unappreciated, thx again) was because I don't believe the problem is with synthesis.. now I could be wrong, but after reading all that, combined with the knowledge I already have, it seems to do more with how the different synths are layered, rather than dealing with one synthesis.

I will attach a link to the synth sound I am trying to achieve, maybe you will see why I think it is more than just synthesis. I'd appreciate any advice you can give and I don't mind you telling me I am completely wrong, as long as you explain why so I can improve :)



Thanks!
 
Nice 1, thumbs up pal. :)
An audio file makes life easier. I will listen to it a bit later and try to offer some constrcutive feedback.
Take care.
 
yea id say using a portamento control will allow the bends in the pitch and an lfo will adjust the duration of the modulation.

its a very simple sound to replicate but also one of my favorites. :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
and mess with the attack and decay on the filter envelope, to get that acidyness. wack some distortion on it . sounds like its over a couple of octaves too. oh yeah use a saw or square wave .
 
Samplecraze said:
You assign the LFO to a filter, set the Q of the filter to about halfway, set the filter as low pass and the value at 10k, select LFO + to trigger the filter and open it.
Have a read of these tutorials,Synthesis, they will help a lot.
http://www.samplecraze.com/audio-tutorials/audio-tutorials.htm
Click to expand...
Hot f*cking damn those tutorials look so good!!! That's exactly the kind of info that would be so helpful for me right now to go alongside what I'm gonna be learning at uni. Thanks in advance mate. I'm gonna be dissecting all those synthesis tutorials!!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top