Source Audio Synth Pedal

[enjoi1018]

NEED SA SYNTHESIS. NEED.

[shroomt]

To be honest I'm more for a wave generator with octave up/down that can track really fast; something like the MOOG Freqbox but with way better tracking. Forget the filters and LFO's... I personally find it more amusing and way more rewarding, not to mention better sounding, to assemble my own personal modular synth.

Every synth-in-a-box effect I've tried so far has been disappointing mainly because of the tracking.

Would there be a way to make build a wave generator with sick tracking keeping the price tag around 200 bucks???

[DeltaPhoenix]

I am in the wave generator with excellent tracking camp as well.

[sprag]

Originally Posted by shroomt

I personally find it more amusing and way more rewarding, not to mention better sounding, to assemble my own personal modular synth.

Plus one is more likely to find their own sound.

[Phagor]

I personally find it more amusing and way more rewarding, not to mention better sounding, to assemble my own personal modular synth.

I understand this argument totally. Most of us have at least one envelope filter pedal already. At home or in the studio, having separate pedals is the most flexible arrangement.

However for gigs, I want presets! I don't have time to fiddle with knobs inbetween numbers. For that reason, I think a filter is an important part of a synth pedal, so its settings can be saved with the preset.

Another reason is that a synth filter can behave differently from an envelope filter. It might have more stages (ADS instead of AD). The filter envelope trigger often works better coming from the dry bass signal, instead of after the oscillators (you can do this with the effect loop on a 3 Leaf Audio GR2 or Wonderlove).

For some synth sounds, I don't want my playing dynamic to alter the filter at all - many monosynths weren't velocity sensitive, so the notes would all be equally loud and have the filter equally open. For other sounds, the playing dynamic should change both oscillator amplitude and filter cutoff.

So I think a synth filter is different from an envelope filter. Both are useful. One solution might be to have a separate stand-alone synth-style filter with effect loop.

But to sound good on its own, any synth pedal should probably have a built-in filter. You can always turn it off and use other pedals after it...

[marijn van gils]

I would certainly buy an SA synth pedal!

Some things that would set it apart from the competition:
- selection of different waveforms (I want sine wave!!!)
- octave that sounds good on its own

I would buy a waveform generator too, but I would find find a synth with integrated filter and presets much more usefull live.

[shroomt]

Originally Posted by Phagor

Another reason is that a synth filter can behave differently from an envelope filter. It might have more stages (ADS instead of AD). The filter envelope trigger often works better coming from the dry bass signal, instead of after the oscillators (you can do this with the effect loop on a 3 Leaf Audio GR2 or Wonderlove).

That's very true! I agree with you sir.

Interface is everything. If they achieve depth of control with an easy to use interface it will be a very popular pedal.

[enjoi1018]

Originally Posted by shroomt

That's very true! I agree with you sir.

Interface is everything. If they achieve depth of control with an easy to use interface it will be a very popular pedal.

Depth is the key here. If this much effort and planning is going into a pedal that will hopefully trump the synth market, it's gotta have crazy ranges. Like Iron Ether stuff. My Nimbus can throw out a very well balanced verb to add definition but it can also go HUGELY loud and INSANELY crazy. Most of the critical features on a digital synth need that huge adjustable range as well to feed the wants of lots of ears.

Especially in a synth pedal, diversity is super important. Crazy ranges, crazy sounds, crazy options. We wouldn't be discussing this if we all weren't searching for an end-all be-all!

The cool thing is, that shouldn't be hard in a digital pedal. Cheers!

[OhulahanBass]

Since it is gonna be a digital synth some wavetables would make it very unique. Also, at least 2 oscillators with separate waveform for each is a must IMHO.

[shroomt]

Polyphonic maybe?

[OhulahanBass]

Originally Posted by shroomt

Polyphonic maybe?

Not easy with a mono input. Detuning oscillators at intervals to get paraphonic chords like with the Markbass Supersynth would be though!

[willbassyeah]

Hmm I just hope it is in the pro firmat

[Toy Elephant]

very interesting ... although I would have arranged Markbass Super Synth smaller size and without Octaver

[enjoi1018]

any new conversation?

[rsmith601]

Bob Chidlaw is working on our pitch detection algorithm. It it the most difficult aspect and dictates the tracking and glitch performance. Still a ways to go!

Poly-Mod filter (BEF Pro for guitar/keys) is now selling. (SB Pro)
Orbital Modulator is REALLY close. (SB 2)
BEF (SB 2) is getting there.
Drive & Fuzz for Bass (SB 2) is also getting there.

[DeltaPhoenix]

Cool, glad to hear some work is being done on the pedal. I am definitely still really into this pedal coming out, I just think this thread already has a lot of info for SA and I am still of the same opinion as I was a few months ago. A wave shaper mainly with a fw other parameters to get a basic synth sound that way it can be hooked up to a BEF (SB2) and Orbital Modulator for everything else that it needs.

[OhulahanBass]

Originally Posted by rsmith601

Bob Chidlaw is working on our pitch detection algorithm. It it the most difficult aspect and dictates the tracking and glitch performance. Still a ways to go!

That is the most important part. So far I think the MB does it the best but even the SS has much room for improvement. I'd like an all in one pedal but if there could be an interesting amount of routing options so that you could choose to put another BEF in parallel or series with the Source Synth's filter section that would be Boss! Or modulate different synth parameters with other source pedals...No matter what a Source Synth will sound like nothing else, I can't wait!

[Gadgetjunky]

Originally Posted by rsmith601

Drive & Fuzz for Bass (SB 2) is also getting there.

Cool, sounds like a Classic Pro for bass. Please put an 'Octave Fuzz' like on Classic Pro so it can play nice with BEF SB2.

edit: oh, and I had an ideafor dual expression pedal. Have an input or receiver built in for Hot Hand. Then put a toe switch like a wah to switch between Exp and HH

[gastric]

Awesome, I wasn't even aware SA was actually going to do the synth pedal at all. I thought the conversation was purely theoretical still.

[willsellout]

Awesome. If anyone can do a synth pedal right, its SA.