Humble beginnings

Well, let’s just say that I’m stumbling through the basics, but there is some resemblance there.
Not sure if I want to continue and mimic accuracy or start exploring, extending knowledge and return to this a a months, a years and a decades time…
probably a little of both.

ctr = (ring 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)

bars = [
  [[69,69,68,64,66],
   [1,1,0.25,0.5,1.25]],
  [[62,62,64,64,62,59,57],
   [0.5,1,0.5,0.25,0.25,0.25,1]],
  [[57,57,67,64,62,62],
   [0.25,0.5,0.25,0.75,0.5,1.75]],
  [[62,62,61,62],
   [0.25,0.25,0.25,3.25]],
  [[69,69,68,64,66],
   [1,1,0.25,0.5,1.25]],
  [[62,64,62,64,62,59,57,57],
   [0.75,0.25,0.75,0.25,0.25,0.25,0.25,1.25]],
  [[57,67,64,62,62,62],
   [0.25,0.5,0.25,0.75,0.5,1.75]],
  [[62,61,62,64],
   [0.25,0.25,0.25,1.75]],
  [[62,62,62,64,62,59,57,57],
   [0.5,0.5,1,0.25,0.25,0.25,0.25,1.25]],
  [[57,67,64,62,62,62],
   [0.25,0.5,0.25,0.75,0.5,1.75]],
  [[62,61,62,64],
   [0.25,0.25,0.25,1.75]]
]

use_bpm 77

live_loop :teardrop do
  tick
  if ctr.look != 5
    sample :drum_cymbal_closed, amp: 0.5
  else
    sample :drum_cymbal_closed, amp: 0.125
  end
  sample :bd_tek, amp: 1.5 if ctr.look == 5
  sample :elec_hollow_kick, amp: 2 if ctr.look == 1 or ctr.look == 4
  sample :elec_hollow_kick , amp: 1 if ctr.look == 2
  sleep 0.25
end



live_loop :shaker do
  sync :teardrop
  with_fx :hpf do
    with_swing [0.1,0.3].choose do
      use_synth :pnoise
      play 80, attack: 0, release: 0.2, decay: 0.1, sustain: 0,amp: [0.05,0.1].tick
    end
  end
  sleep 0.25
end

live_loop :rim do
  sync :teardrop
  sample :elec_hollow_kick if ctr.look == 5
  sleep 0.25
end

live_loop :mel do
  sync :teardrop
  with_fx :flanger, mix: 0.5 do
    with_fx :hpf, cutoff: 80 do
      use_synth :hollow
      use_synth_defaults attack: 0.3, release: 0.2, sustain: 0.5
      for x in bars do
        play_pattern_timed x[0],x[1]
      end
    end
    sleep 8
  end
end
1 Like

Hi @catsquotl
What kind of music are you into? I always find new inspiration in several places: listening to ambient electronica, IDM, pop etc; re-reading the tutorials and; this forum.

PD-Pi

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Lots of things.
Zappa comes to mind, although lately I listened to a lot of indigenous music and wardruna.
I’d like to explore medieval lyre sounds and poly rhythms with sonic pi

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Hi @catsquotl sounds interesting, Wardruna gigs must be epic. I listen to runic music and play recorders, if you ever want samples to play with on Sonic Pi, let’s know! Only one I don’t have is bass, one day…

Saw Wardruna last month. Yes it was epic.
Not looking for samples as much, but if you have an idea to make a synth sound like a lyre played with a bow I’d welcome some pointers .

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Do you have an example to share? I’d be interested too, lots of reverb, harmonics, microtones and a rosiny-attack at the start. And do you want drone to sound with each melody note? Someone on here will know!

What kind of attack?
A google search yielded only general adsr information or war related info.
I’ll see if I can find isolated viking lyre or a tagelharpa sounds. There’s a few commercial sample packs, but so far I could only find isolated sounds on World Series: Iceland. Which is a start.

I think I would enjoy a choice when it comes to the drone. Some with and some without.

Like this tagelharpa? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo55QrMeIkY Interesting challenge as he has a kind of scrapey pulse within the bowing, as well as at least 2 drones and a slide onto notes. He is bowing underhand, like viol da gamba, some players seem to bow overhand, sounds a bit more percussive.
Hiiu kannel, love these guys: Hiiu Kannel Innovators Puuluup | World Music Central you can hear the scrapes amplified with fx.
It seems Ableton lets you do sample>synth conversion with Simpler feature. Do you have Ableton?

Hi @catsquotl
By rosin-ey I think @rebelcello means a bowing impulse. For string (or any other, for that matter) synthesis you’ll have several options:

1 use a native Sonic Pi synth, such as :pluck
2 use a sample pack, again natively
3 send MIDI out to another synthesis engine (like Logic, or Pure Data)
4 the ‘external’ synth engine can generate sounds with its own synth, or sample player.

It sounds like you are leaning towards the sample pack solution, which will give more immediate results, and some tweakability - which is why, as a control freak, I prefer the physical modeling string synth approach. It allows detailed dynamic control of the 3 key elements of a physical model: the shape of the impulse (bow, pluck, strike, blow); the length and colour of the delay line (pitch and filter); and the characteristics of the resonant body/soundboard.

If you would like to hear/see a simple physical model of a string, I’m going to build one in PD this weekend.

Have fun

PD-Pi

1 Like

Oh, I just saw your reply @rebelcello - that Tagelharpa example is very interesting, I’ll aim for that in my PD experiments. The thicker strings, small body and continuous bowing create a very unique timbre.

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Interested to hear this @brendanmac ! I wondered too about :pluck synth, as it has a parameter especially for the start of the note. Attack, yes, the start of the note, also literally more physical attack, as it has a bit more intensity/friction to start off the note. The string is then singing and doesn’t need as much intensity (drawing on cello here, not a good player :slight_smile: have had a go at viol and underhand bowing, feels much more natural. This instrument has a beautiful sound! Look forward to seeing how you do this.

I’m just exploring options really. I was looking for a sample to draw inspiration from. Anyway I was thinking string as well.
I found this

Blockquote
So I figured out how to synthesize a pretty realistic violin / cello
Example: Stream Auri WIP by ATEM | Listen online for free on SoundCloud My process (Done in T-force Alpha + ): 1.) I used 3 oscillators, one pulse (similar to square), one triangle, one sine 2.) the basics of this sound is a less saw based reese, so I used a couple detuned voices for each oscillator (around 2 and placed the Sine down one octave. 3.) I detuned the triangle oscillator about 17 cents (?) up 4.)the next part I created in patcher (fl) by routing two signal chains to the out put. 5.) On one chain i placed a wave shaper with very heavy distortion, making the diagonal curve into a ‘r’ shaped curve 6.) following the distortion was a reverb to taste, with the dry off, I placed an EQ on each chain, but didn’t end up using it, you can EQ the chains seperately to taste I hope this goes to good use :slight_smile:

on reddit.
which seems to be somewhere to start.
I’m still very new at this, so I might be in a little over my head.
But it’ll make some fun experimentation’s…

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