What do you think? Could the Xero (standard or deluxe) get me in that ballpark?
Yes and no. That certainly sounds (to my ears) to be a low pass filter being swept with a low to moderate amount of resonance.
So a Xerograph with an expression pedal would be PART of copping that sound.
But you'd still need something to generate the harmonic content being swept.
I'd use a fuzz (with or without an octaver) into the Xerograph with something like a Catalinbread Heliotrope or Bug Crusher afterward. Possibly even a phaser for the pulsing quality.
The Xero sweeping a fuzzed out signal would help with getting the filter opening and closing sound, but the vocal quality would have to come from some sort of bit crusher or sample rate reducer after the filter. I use the IE Frantabit and it does a great job.
if possible Jared, could you a clip of fuzz into xerograph, without anything else after, then with a bit decimator or a phaser, so that I can understand the difference? I don't really understand what you guys mean with vocal quality, but that's more of an english problem than anything else. This would be awesome if you can do it. Thanks!
Vocal quality=they way that the sound sounds like a someone saying bowwww or wow or oh etc. I love These Arms Are Snakes. Too bad they broke up. I'm going to try this sound out later and see if I can get close.
I'll post what I recorded today when I get a chance. I wasn't A/B ing it with the recording so its just in the ballpark but I have no doubt that I could tweak things to get really close.
Don't know if this helps - here's a clip of Brian playing a controller into a ??? about 1:55ish....Live from Yakima! (City slogan: "The Palm Springs of Washington State" ) Edited to add: Just read OP again. I guess this would be the MicroKorg in action. But I am interested in all the answers in the thread - I'm just not contributing too much me thinks.
Playing around this morning I got a lot closer (a more deft foot on the expression pedal for one thing) but here are two quick attempts. The only real difference is the amount of sample rate reduction & bit crushing.
If you wanted to stone cold nail the tone I think you'd run a phaser before the Xerograph and time the opening and closing of the low pass filter to coincide with the phaser sweeps. But if I were doing this live I'd skip the phaser and the complications it introduces.
sounds awesome, thanks a lot for the time you took to do this! what was your setup exactly? fuzz into xero into frantabit, with an sweep on the xero? deluxe xerograph or standard? thanks again!!
sounds awesome, thanks a lot for the time you took to do this! what was your setup exactly? fuzz into xero into frantabit, with an sweep on the xero? deluxe xerograph or standard? thanks again!!
OC-2 --> Brown Dog --> Xero Dlx --> Mobius (set to Destroyer mode)
Any bit crusher pedal can be used at the end: Malekko Bit, FrantaBit, Heliotrope, Bug Crusher and you'll get similar results.
After I recorded the clips I got better results with the bit crushing in bewteen the two samples I posted, the expression sweeps slower and smoother and with the cutoff on the Xerograph dialed back a bit more.
Jared- I'm curious about putting the bit crusher after the xero vs. putting it before (after gain/fuzz). Any thoughts?
Since my Malekko bit is in front of the Xero and the Mobius (courtesy of it's Pre/Post feature) is both in front AND behind the Xero I've tried out quite a few different combinations.
First off, you're definitely right about putting a bit crusher after the dirt. Trying it out before my OD/Fuzz etc the effect disappears for the most part. That said, it isn't super prominent after the fuzz either. For the most part if I'm using a bit crusher after fuzz and before the Xero generally I'm not using the fuzz simultaneously, while when it's after the Xero I do run both the fuzz and the bit crusher at times.
As for before or after the Xerograph/Moog LPF etc it really depends on what you want to do.
I like the sound of it before, as it gives similar results to a fuzz into LPF but with a more "metallic" edge to it. But you won't get the formant filter like sounds using it in front of the filter. It's that resonant peak slamming the bit crusher that gives the vowel like sound.
The bit crushing can also be a lot more prominent when it is after the LPF. One potential downside to putting it after the Xero is that if you have your cutoff set in the audible range but very low (say 100 hz or so) you'll still add harmonic content from the bit crusher. It also means you need one that runs pretty full range (like the Bug Crusher) or else you'll need judicious use of the blend to not cut the massive lows you want.
I probably won't have time today but I could record some more clips to show the difference if people want.
Since my Malekko bit is in front of the Xero and the Mobius (courtesy of it's Pre/Post feature) is both in front AND behind the Xero I've tried out quite a few different combinations.
First off, you're definitely right about putting a bit crusher after the dirt. Trying it out before my OD/Fuzz etc the effect disappears for the most part. That said, it isn't super prominent after the fuzz either. For the most part if I'm using a bit crusher after fuzz and before the Xero generally I'm not using the fuzz simultaneously, while when it's after the Xero I do run both the fuzz and the bit crusher at times.
As for before or after the Xerograph/Moog LPF etc it really depends on what you want to do.
I like the sound of it before, as it gives similar results to a fuzz into LPF but with a more "metallic" edge to it. But you won't get the formant filter like sounds using it in front of the filter. It's that resonant peak slamming the bit crusher that gives the vowel like sound.
The bit crushing can also be a lot more prominent when it is after the LPF. One potential downside to putting it after the Xero is that if you have your cutoff set in the audible range but very low (say 100 hz or so) you'll still add harmonic content from the bit crusher. It also means you need one that runs pretty full range (like the Bug Crusher) or else you'll need judicious use of the blend to not cut the massive lows you want.
I probably won't have time today but I could record some more clips to show the difference if people want.
Nice! I had feeling you'd be a good resource for this info. Thanks for the details, very interesting stuff and I feel like it's well tested with your setup. If you have some time and want to post some clips, I'd definitely be interested but I know it can be a chore. For me, this was already a big help. Thanks!
PS- Lebowsky: sorry if I jacked your thread, man. Not my intention... hoping this is somewhat helpful for you too. Cheers!
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Last edited by bludog : 02-20-2013 at 02:22 PM.
Reason: Postscript
To me the filter has an almost vocal quality going for it. I feel like I got a somewhat similar sound running fuzz into a BEF pro at one point. I'll mess around tonight and see if I can recreate it.
I did this clip like two years ago using the BEF Pro. I might be able to tailor it to get closer to the sound in that Youtube video. I think I was using one of the Peak & Notch settings IIRC. https://soundcloud.com/smalleq/a-bef-jam
bludog: no problem man, please do hijack I'm definitely interested in all this!
Smallequestrian: really cool stuff! thanks for posting. this sounds relatively close indeed, at least to that sound "in my head" I'm trying to get close to!
Getting close to this synth sound? Xerograph? 
) Edited to add: Just read OP again. I guess this would be the MicroKorg in action. But I am interested in all the answers in the thread - I'm just not contributing too much me thinks. 
