Modification de Mutable Instruments Rings

[[Mutable_Instruments|Mutable Instruments]] Rings

=cordes sympathiques=

http://www.synthe-modulaire.com/t3363-mi-rings-cordes-sympathiques

Comment sont organisées les combinaisons de cordes sympathiques ?
Peut-on imaginer un mode 'teleharmonic' sur Rings ?

Ce sont différentes combinaisons de quintes justes et d'octaves (donc rapports de fréquence 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6...), avec un portamento entre pour avoir des résultats dissonants.

Pour avoir une table d'accords plus "occidentaux", laisser le doigt appuyé longtemps sur le bouton de droite (il clignotte lorsque la deuxième table d'accords est active). On a alors le "power chord" au milieu, les accords majeurs à droite, mineurs à gauche.

=Alternate modes=

'''Threesome''' 

Hold the polyphony button for a few seconds. This enables a 3 voice polyphonic mode in which the notes bounce between the ODD / EVEN outputs according to an 8-step rhythmic pattern (O E E O E E O E). 

'''2-op FM aka "It's still Bessel functions!"''' 

Long press on the model selection button while modal synthesis is active (green). 

STRUCTURE = frequency ratio. 
BRIGHTNESS = FM index. 
DAMPING = FM index and amplitude decay. 
POSITION = Feedback path (no feedback at 12 o'clock). 
IN goes into an envelope follower changing FM index and output amplitude. 

'''"Western chords"''' 

Long press on the model selection button when sympathetic strings model is active (orange). 

The sympathetic strings are no longer tuned to perfect fifths or octaves, but instead, to chords. 

STRUCTURE = chord. 

'''"Karplusverb"''' 

Long press on the model selection button when non-linear string model is active (red). 

Adds a reverb, the absorption and decay of which follow those of the string.

source : https://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2162610#2162610

=Easter Egg=

'''"Disastrous peace"''' 

The actual Easter egg. Adjust the knobs: 

[[Fichier:Rings-1.jpg|none|400px|thumb|Rings Easter egg]]

First, set the knobs as follows:<br />
Frequency: fully ccw<br />
Structure: fully cw<br />
Brightness: fully ccw<br />
Damping: centre<br />
Position: fully cw<br />

Attenuator knobs as per the image:<br />
Brightness: fully ccw<br />
Frequency: fully cw<br />
Damping: fully ccw<br />
Structure: fully cw<br />
Position: fully ccw<br />

Once knobs are positioned, a long press on the polyphony button (the mode button seemingly works as well?) initiates an orange/red flashing pattern on both the polyphony and mode leds.

This is an Organ/String machine synth, loosely based on the Roland RS-09. Up to 12 notes and 6 oscillators per note tuned one octave apart ("organ" = filtered square or "string" = sawtooth). 

Polyphony button = chord size. From 10-note fat chords which cannot overlap because they eat all the polyphony voices... to 3-note chords which can overlap with the previous ones when they are retriggered. In other words, that's the maximum number of successive chords which can overlap - 1, 2 or 4. 

Model selection button = FX. Long press to get a variation on the FX. Green = formant filter (less abrasive variant). Yellow = Rolandish chorus (Solinaish ensemble). Red = Caveman reverb (shinier variant). 

FREQUENCY = root note. <br />
STRUCTURE = chord type. <br />
BRIGHTNESS = scans through various registrations (combinations of gains for the 6 oscillators) sorted by brightness. <br />
DAMPING = decay time, then attack time. Drones continuously when turned fully clockwise. <br />
POSITION = FX amount. <br />

The STRUM input triggers the envelope and allocates a new group of voices for the chord - and the previously played chord can still be heard if the "polyphony" setting is set to 2 or 4. 

The V/OCT input controls the root note. If nothing is patched in the STRUM input, sudden changes on this input will also trigger the envelope / voice allocation. 

IN : It goes into the FX (formant filter, chorus or reverb) - the amount of which is controlled by POSITION.

=Olivier's notes =

Also, it seems to me that because the modules can be used on their own (you can plug something in Clouds and get a signal on the out without any other module, and you can plug a trigger or V/O signal into Rings and get something on the outs), people tend to treat them as black boxes and don't experiment much with them.

Here's 10 things you can do with Rings that no video has shown so far:

* Create your own excitation signals with "long" signal chains like sample player -> VCA -> filter ; or envelope -> VCF -> delay.
* Feed back Rings' output into its FM input.
* Use simple noise as the excitation signal, and then shape the sound with an ADSR and VCA after Rings' output.
* Stack the sound of Rings on top of a more classic FM or subtractive tone.
* Use Rings' output to FM an analog sine or triangle VCO, then apply an envelope on this VCO coming from an envelope follower receiving Rings' output.
* Post-process Rings' output with a wavefolder.
* Use a crossfader to crossfade an external excitation signal (noise for example) with Rings' own output (feedback patch).
* Use a random source on all of its CV inputs to get drastic changes of timbre at each note.
* In non-linear string mode, send a negative CV to the V/O input and set frequency to the minimum to get a very low fundamental frequency - you get rhythmic-rate delay, and can use the module as a weird low-fi delay/reverb.
* Send a sawtooth or narrow pulse VCO into Rings' input, and use the same V/O sequence for both Rings and the VCO.

=unsorted=

polyphony :

1 = fat chord (8 notes), but when a new chord starts (trigger on STRUM or a change on V/Oct), it cuts the previous chord.

2 = slimmer chord (6 notes), but when a new chord starts, the old chord can still be heard.

4 = even slimmer chord (3 notes), allowing several consecutive chords to overlap (very obvious with DAMPING near 3 o’clock).

Brightness scans through various arrangement of the drawbars, sorted by brightness. The available registers are 8’ “dark square”, 4’ “bright square”, 2’ “bright square”, 8’ saw, 4’ saw, 2’ saw. “dark square” and “bright square” are the round (low-passed square) and reedy (high-passed square) waveforms found in divider organs. Big big influence was the Roland RS-09. And disasterpeace. So yes, that’s 72 oscillators smile

=videos=

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdzcxgmOk3Q&list=PL54NASqAHmsTmsNZswDrWZKZ3GbDv7iOu

= Tago Mago Notes =

-- a sound source that delivers
harmonically rich signals and/or
noise is optional but VERY HIGHLY
recommended. Braids is probably a
great choice. A DIY uBraids is half
the HP and the same functionality
so that’s worth a look.
-- modulation. Brightness sometimes
wants an envelope, slow
modulation, a per-note velocity or
random value. Frequency wants a
subtle LFO sometimes or all-out FM
once in a while. Damping can be
gated for mute/sustain purposes and
doesn’t really need an envelope as
such. Structure can be sequenced, or
modulated for crazy stuff. Position
is lovely to modulate with an LFO or
envelope.
-- a feedback partner. A resonant
filter, delay or reverb should all work
well here. (For me, this is Three
Sisters, but Clouds is probably great
at it.) Feed Rings output to this, and
feed its output back to Rings input.
-- VCA is optional; you can just let
the resonator ring out fully according
to the algorithm and damping.
But putting a VCA after Rings gives
you a different sound (especially
with polyphony modes) than gating
damping, and you may want a VCA
for input (especially feedback).
-- if you’re into it, an external (contact)
mic and mci pre -- something
like Mikrophonie/Ears perhaps -- is
recommended by a lot of people. I
once made a very convincing, dynamic
snare drum by feeding Rings’
V/OCT input with a quickly moving
VCA, and its input with a piezo contact
mic in a wooden box through a
cheap Behringer mixer preamp.
---------------
So I found out a few days ago that
if you run the sympathetic strings
through a band pass filter, and then
sweep the filter frequency with a
synced AR envelope (a synced LFO
would work too), you can drastically
alter the character of this mode of
rings.
This does two things: one, it highlights
select frequency bands, and
softens the others, which helps wrangle
in some of the unruly overtones
in synpathetic strings mode; and
two, depending on what the filter
frequency is, it will create dynamics
in note attacks beyond that that can
be attained with the brightness knob
(I think, there was a lot going on in
this patch, I think that notes that
were struck within the frequency of
the filter sounded more clear and
sharp, while those struck outside the
frequency range were more subtle
and muted, but this could have been
more a result of the cv of the brightness
knob, but I don’t think so.)
After recording, I realized I had
Maths channel 4 cycling instead of
58/73 being triggered by my note gate, so
the filter sweeping is working more
like a phaser/wah pedal and it’s not
perfectly in time. Still sounds nice,
but it’s not “perfect” which makes me
a little sad.
It doesn’t work as well with modal
mode or inharmonic string mode. I
think this is because this effect really
needs a wide range of complimentary
overtones in the sound to have a nice
range to sweep through; I didn’t find
dissonant tones from the inharmonic
strings to be that pleasing, nor did
the modal mode have enough sonic
spread to really be effective.
----------------
Rings has a huge range on its own,
just feeding it varying CV into its v/
oct input. But by using an envelope
generator into it’s input, you can get
interesting results too. It pairs very
well with Tides, in that regard, which
has a very wide range of envelope
shapes. By carefully tweaking the
shape of the envelope going in Rings
input, I was able to get some kind of
“muffled drum mallet hitting toms”
sounds. Also, VCA’d or filtered noise
into Rings input is great. Shaping the
noise with a LPG or VCA/Filter, you
can get some fluty sounds (a bit of
work setting this right).
----------
I’ve been sending a CV out of either
the SQ 1 or Brains/PP ino Rings 1v/
oct and another CV out into Telharmonic
then into the input of Rings.
Tune em up for lots of nice resonant
feedback. Modulate the Tel timbre
section to draw out diffent “rings”.
Modulate Structure to drag the resonance
across a few scale degrees.
Another thing I am working on is
send Brains/PP tuned voltage out
into the 1v/oct on Rings with a /8
clock and a Rene sequence Q Out
to a VCO and into Rings in witha /4
clock. Pluk Rings with a /2 clock.
----------
Q
Would it, for example, work well with
a pinged filter as a source and if so is
the signal level critical, and how does
it respond to different pitches?
R
8-10Vpp is ideal, you can go up to
16Vpp. The higher the signal, the
higher the output. There’s a built-in
brickwall limiter to prevent very nasty
clipping.
It works better with unpitched
sounds (noise, bursts, clicks...)
I would recommend:
* Clicks from short AD envelopes.
Modifying the A and D time is akin
to softening/sharpening the strike.
* Noise through a VCF through a
VCA, with envelopes.
* Digital noise (Zorlon Cannon, Noisering)
- maybe through a LPG to
make it clicky.
* Anything percussive processed by
Clouds.
* Music Thing Mikrophonie
* Sample players!!
--------------------
Regarding polyphony, set the module
in 4-voice mode, turn damping fully
CW to get super long releases, and
just play your notes on the V/OCT
input - they will overlap without cutting
each other, that’s the point of the
polyphony mode. New trigger or new
CV will cut the least recently played
note and will start a new note - like
voice-stealing on polys.
Rings does bells, tubes, plates, membranes
etc - just don’t use the “string”
model, use the standard modal resonator
model (like Elements). BTW
Chromaphone uses modal synthesis
too, so you will get the same kind of
results with Rings - but with CV control
and “morphing” on the structure,
rather than selecting them from
a list.
Sympathetic string mode uses stacks
of octaves and fifths, within -1 to +2
octaves of the root, but there’s interpolation
between notes so you get
dissonant results inbetween.
------------------
Q
The manual says that new strings will
be strummed with changes to V/Oct
or sharp transients to the IN parameter
ONLY if there is nothing patched
to the STRUM input. Does this
mean, with a dummy cable patched
to strum, this won’t take place? Honestly,
this doesn’t really matter to me
either way, I’m just curious about
how the module works overall.
R
Yes, if you put a dummy cable in this
input, the module will be stuck on
the same string. The module won’t
be able to know if it’s a dummy cable
or if you’re just using a slowwwww
clock.
The general design philosophy for
this module is that whenever you
don’t patch an input, the module
tries to infer it from the other inputs.
For example, the STRUM trigger input
indicates string changes. If you
don’t provide it, the module will look
at sudden changes in the V/OCT
input to decide that a new string is
touched. If there’s nothing in V/OCT,
it’ll detect transients on the IN input.
Similarly, if nothing is provided in
the IN audio input, the module will
makes its own excitation signal by
waiting for triggers in the STRUM
input, or, if there’s nothing in this input,
by detecting sudden changes in
the V/OCT input.
----------------
Jtalton wrote:
what exactly happens when putting a
audio signal into the in?
No it doesn’t provide dynamics. The
audio input provides the excitation
signal for the resonator. This is what
you’ll hear “processed” by the resonator.
---------------
Q
With a long press on the right button
(orange led blinking), I’m hearing
some chordal stuff controlled by
structure... interesting sounds with
each of the different voice modes.
RL
ong press on the right button when
using the sympathetic string model
= STRUCTURE will select different
combinations of intervals between
the strings, this time recreating various
chord structures (the usual suspects:
major, minor, major7 etc...).
That’s actually what I have used for
the Elements firmware update!
59/73
me
about
this
won’t
slowwwww
for
you
look
input.
in
will
by
in
a
excitation
resonator.
button
hearing
by
with
when
model
various
for
---------------
Elements’ bow and blow exciters
are nothing more than enveloped,
filtered feedback or noise sent to the
resonator. So if you want to make
a blowing sound with a slow attack
with Rings, you feed enveloped, filtered
noise into the IN signal input,
and you get exactly the same results.
You have to stop consider Rings as
a voice or oscillator which needs to
be enveloped or post-processor. All
the work regarding time dynamics,
expressivity and gestures has
to be done on the excitation signal.
To make a flute sound softer and a
slower attack... you blow inside with
a slower attack.
Rings has a built-in exciter (with no
knob/CV) that generates bursts of
noise/filtered clicks, and which is activated
when you’re too lazy to send
something interesting in the IN audio
input. That’s what 90% of the videos/
audio clips of the module are using
because it’s convenient - it makes
Rings behave like a single voice. But
relying on that is missing the point of
the module - you really have to learn
how to synthesize excitation signals
with the rest of your system to create
sounds with Rings. The sounds you
get with the internal excitation tone
are of course very immediate and rewarding,
but you’d be really missing
the point of the module just to use
that (and I fear that people will get
tired of the module just because they
haven’t understood this point). All
the patching, learning and experimentation
is upstream of the module...
In case I haven’t been clear, let’s take
a silly subtractive synthesis metaphor...
Let’s say I have released last
year a VCO + VCF synth voice. Then
I release a VCF, but to make it useful
in small systems, I put a sawtooth oscillator
inside it, that is active whenever
nothing is patched into the VCF
input - so you can always get sound
sounds out of it. Would you conclude
that the VCF is more geared towards
“sawtoothey” sounds because of that?
Or maybe another image... Rings is a
gong with a little mallet attached to
it. The fact that the mallet is attached
to it and comes for free does not prevent
you from scratching it, bowing
it, rubbing it with all kind of tools or
throwing gravel at it...
----------------
I‘m repeating myself, but I had really
good results with little bursts of
either noise or rich waves, repeated
at sub- or audio-rate (going from one
to the other continuously is really interesting).
It’s a common technique
popularized by C. Roads (Pulsar synthesis).
You can achieve this with e.g.
Clouds, by freezing a buffer with rich
harmonic contents and having Density
around 11:00. You can also do it
manually with a short triangular envelope,
triggered by a square VCO
and VCA’ing another VCO or some
filtered noise. I also implemented
this in the standard VCO mode of
Tides Parasite, when you have Slope
anywhere before 12:00.
-----------------
EASTER EGG
- Miniature “Ominous voice” (Elements’
2x2 operator FM Easter egg,
but here just 2-operator FM) – accessed
by a long-press on the Resonator
Type button while in the “Modal
resonator” mode. I’ll embarrass myself
by trying to guess out loud what
exactly the knobs do from my rushed
session, but Frequency and Structure
appear to control the carrier
and modulator frequencies, Brightness
behaves like an FM modulation
index, Damping still controls decay,
and Position maybe does some kind
of phase feedback like on Elements.
- Chord mode – accessed by a longpress
on the Resonator Type button
while in the “Sympathetic strings”
mode. Explained in the MW thread
@BennelongBicyclist just linked.
- Simple reverb – accessed by a longpress
on the Resonator Type button
while in the “Modulated/inharmonic
string” mode. As far as I can tell, the
only knob that behaved differently
was Damping, which now controls
not only the resonator’s decay but
also reverb time. The other knobs behave
as they do in standard “Modulated/
inharmonic string” mode.
Finally, a long-press on the Polyphony
setting button causes its LED to
flash rapidly between yellow orange
and red, and seems to make different
notes alternate between the Odd and
Even outs (for, eg, stereo panning effects),
which in this setting sounded
the same to me in terms of partials
etc. I didn’t count the total polyphony
possible in this setting but it’s definitely
>1. This is “meta” in the sense
that the polyphony modes are — it
applies to all of the Resonator Type
states (including the 3 Easter egg
modes). Dunno if this is the actual
“meta” egg, though.
I didn’t check whether the CV inputs
take on different roles in these extra
modes, and I didn’t explore how the
additional modes interact otherwise
with the Odd and Even outputs or
with the audio input. All the extra
modes sound great, and the best part
to me is that the different polyphony
modes still work.
------------------------
Olivier posted these notes about the 3
modes for the draw-bar organ Rings
Easter egg on MW:
1 = fat chord (8 notes), but when a
new chord starts (trigger on STRUM
or a change on V/Oct), it cuts the
previous chord.
2 = slimmer chord (6 notes), but
when a new chord starts, the old
chord can still be heard.
4 = even slimmer chord (3 notes), allowing
several consecutive chords to
overlap (very obvious with DAMPING
near 3 o’clock).
Brightness scans through various arrangement
of the drawbars, sorted by
brightness. The available registers are
8’ “dark square”, 4’ “bright square”, 2’
“bright square”, 8’ saw, 4’ saw, 2’ saw.
“dark square” and “bright square” are
the round (low-passed square) and
reedy (high-passed square) waveforms
found in divider organs. Big
big influence was the Roland RS-09.
And disasterpeace. So yes, that’s 72
oscillators
--------------
60/73 Q
anyone know what exactly the position
knob is doing in the dual osc fm
mode?
R
FREQUENCY = carrier frequency
STRUCTURE = modulator frequency
ratio
BRIGHTNESS = FM amount
DAMPING = decay time for output
amplitude and FM amount
POSITION = You get classic 2-op FM
at 12 o’clock (FM on Braids). Turn
clockwise to add phase feedback
from carrier to modulator (FBFM
on Braids). Turn counter-clockwise
to add frequency feedback from carrier
to modulator (WTFM on Braids
- this one is chaotic!).
-----------
Polyphony :
= fat chord (8 notes), but when a new
chord starts (trigger on STRUM or a
change on V/Oct), it cuts the previous
chord.
2 = slimmer chord (6 notes), but
when a new chord starts, the old
chord can still be heard.
4 = even slimmer chord (3 notes), allowing
several consecutive chords to
overlap (very obvious with DAMPING
near 3 o’clock).
Brightness scans through various arrangement
of the drawbars, sorted by
brightness. The available registers are
8’ “dark square”, 4’ “bright square”, 2’
“bright square”, 8’ saw, 4’ saw, 2’ saw.
“dark square” and “bright square” are
the round (low-passed square) and
reedy (high-passed square) waveforms
found in divider organs. Big
big influence was the Roland RS-09.
And disasterpeace. So yes, that’s 72
oscillators
-----------------
QD
oes the IN affect anything or just
get mixed with the signal and routed
to whatever the position knob is doing?
Either way putting noise into it
is pretty nice.
R It goes into the FX (
formant filter,
chorus or reverb) - the amount of
which is controlled by POSITION.
----------------
ALTERNATE MODES
Threesome
Hold the polyphony button for a
few seconds. This enables a 3 voice
polyphonic mode in which the notes
bounce between the ODD / EVEN
outputs according to an 8-step rhythmic
pattern (O E E O E E O E).
2-op FM aka “It’s still Bessel functions!”
Long press on the model selection
button when modal synthesis is active
(green).
STRUCTURE = frequency ratio.
BRIGHTNESS = FM index.
DAMPING = FM index and amplitude
decay.
POSITION = Feedback path (no
feedback at 12 o’clock).
IN goes into an envelope follower
changing FM index and output amplitude.
“Western chords”
Long press on the model selection
button when sympathetic strings
model is active (orange).
The sympathetic strings are no longer
tuned to perfect fifths or octaves,
but instead, to chords.
STRUCTURE = chord.
“Karplusverb”
Long press on the model selection
button when non-linear string model
is active (red).
Adds a reverb, the absorption and
decay of which follow those of the
string.
In the “karplusverb” mode, the reverb
is tied to the parameters of the
Karplus strong model and cannot
be controlled independently (if the
string has a long decay and a lot of
absorption, the reverb will also have
a long tail and lots of high frequency
damping... you get the idea).
In the easter egg, the reverb is applied
to the string/organ synth.
So you cannot get the modal resonator
+ reverb combo of Elements.
-----------------
EASTER EGG
“Disastrous peace”
Adjust the knobs:
First, set the knobs as follows:
Frequency: fully ccw
Structure: fully cw
Brightness: fully ccw
Damping: centre
Position: fully cw
Attenuator knobs as per the image:
Brightness: fully ccw
Frequency: fully cw
Damping: fully ccw
Structure: fully cw
Position: fully ccw
Once knobs are positioned, a long
press on the polyphony button (the
mode button seemingly works as
well?) initiates an orange/red flashing
pattern on both the polyphony
and mode leds.
This is an Organ/String machine
synth, loosely based on the Roland
RS-09. Up to 12 notes and 6 oscillators
per note tuned one octave apart
(“organ” = filtered square or “string”
= sawtooth).
Polyphony button = chord size.
From 10-note fat chords which cannot
overlap because they eat all the
polyphony voices... to 3-note chords
which can overlap with the previous
ones when they are retriggered.
In other words, that’s the maximum
number of successive chords which
can overlap - 1, 2 or 4.
Model selection button = FX. Long
press to get a variation on the FX.
Green = formant filter (less abrasive
variant). Yellow = Rolandish chorus
(Solinaish ensemble). Red = Caveman
reverb (shinier variant).
FREQUENCY = root note.
STRUCTURE = chord type.
BRIGHTNESS = scans through various
registrations (combinations of
gains for the 6 oscillators) sorted by
brightness.
DAMPING = decay time, then attack
time. Drones continuously when
61/73
flashing
polyphony
oscillators
string”
cannot
which
abrasive
chorus
Caveman
various
of
turned fully clockwise.
POSITION = FX amount.
The STRUM input triggers the envelope
and allocates a new group of
voices for the chord - and the previously
played chord can still be heard
if the “polyphony” setting is set to 2
or 4.
The V/OCT input controls the root
note. If nothing is patched in the
STRUM input, sudden changes on
this input will also trigger the envelope
/ voice allocation.
IN is simply routed to the FX processor.
-------------------
Cordes sympathiques
Pour avoir une table d’accords plus
“occidentaux”, laisser le doigt appuyé
longtemps sur le bouton de droite (il
clignotte lorsque la deuxième table
d’accords est active). On a alors le
“power chord” au milieu, les accords
majeurs à droite, mineurs à gauche.
-------------------
* Create your own excitation signals
with “long” signal chains like sample
player -> VCA -> filter ; or envelope
-> VCF -> delay.
* Feed back Rings’ output into its
FM input.
* Use simple noise as the excitation
signal, and then shape the sound
with an ADSR and VCA after Rings’
output.
* Stack the sound of Rings on top of a
more classic FM or subtractive tone.
* Use Rings’ output to FM an analog
sine or triangle VCO, then apply an
envelope on this VCO coming from
an envelope follower receiving Rings’
output.
* Post-process Rings’ output with a
wavefolder.
* Use a crossfader to crossfade an external
excitation signal (noise for example)
with Rings’ own output (feedback
patch).
* Use a random source on all of its
CV inputs to get drastic changes of
timbre at each note.
* In non-linear string mode, send a
negative CV to the V/O input and set
frequency to the minimum to get a
very low fundamental frequency -
you get rhythmic-rate delay, and can
use the module as a weird low-fi delay/
reverb.
* Send a sawtooth or narrow pulse
VCO into Rings’ input, and use the
same V/O sequence for both Rings
and the VCO.
----------------------
) Braids output is into Rings input
2) Braids is set to “Bells” algorithm
3) Rings L and R outputs goes into 2
mixer channels
4) Ring’s is set to both Led’s yellow
(String algorithm) with the 2nd led
flashing (which when you hold it
down for a few seconds puts it into a
chord mode)
5) Turing Machine MK2 (smaller
version) is set to 3 bits, big knob set
to about 12:00 O Clock, while the 5
knobs to the left are set slightly randomly
6) Turing Machine’s main seq out is
double stacked with 2 cables going
out into 1) Braids trigger input and
2) Braids Timbre input with the Timbre
knob set to about 9:00 and the
Timbre Modulation knob set all the
way to the right for maximum CV.
7) Turing Machine’s V Output goes
into V Oct input to Braids.
8) Turing Machine’s #6 Pulse out
goes to Rings “brightness” input with
the CV knob at about all the way to
the right.
9) Peaks is my clock and is set to dual
LFO settings. LFO goes into Turing
Machine’s clock input, while LFO 2
goes into “Strum” input of Braids.
------------
Q I know the Damping affects decay
but is there anything in the module
that’ll sort out the attack, seems a
shame to run it through an envelope
and vca...?
R just excite it with something slower
than the internal trigger, maybe some
nice filtered noise or a jupiter storm
processed with a slow envelope, no
need for post-resonator vca unless
you want tremolo or gating thumbs
up
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Even the simplest group of modules
can create an exciter, spiked LFOs
and envelopes, filtered noise, glitchy
Oscs, resonant filters are all great
fodder for these modules
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Q Position really shouldn’t affect pitch
in any of the settings, but Structure
definitely will. Consider it the same
as the Geometry setting on Elements,
they both function the same way
R Position: when modulated, this parameter
creates the same kind of
dancing notches in the spectrum as a
flanger/phaser, so it can give a feeling
of wobbly pitch or chorus. There’s not
much I can do here. You can’t make
something move rapidly in space
without getting these kinds of doppler
effects.
Structure: just like with Elements...
The module does not necessarily
generate harmonic timbres in which
the partials are regularly spaced (harmonics
at f0, 2 x f0, 3 x f0, 4 x f0).
Instead, we get bell-like or cymballike
timbres which are just clusters of
unrelated harmonics, for which there
is no clear-cut answer to the question
“which note is it?”.
When STRUCTURE (on Rings) or
GEOMETRY (on Elements) are set
to the position marked in orange in
the following picture, the partials are
regularly spaced (f0, 2xf0, 3xf0, 4xf0)
and the pitch is unambiguous. below
this point, the partial cluster together,
above this point they start spreading
(for example the second harmonic is
at 2.5 times the fundamental).
------------------
I’ve been having a lot of fun feeding
Rings’ input with noise from Dinky’s
Taiko. Voltage control over spectrum
and release gives a lot of control over
the sound. No control over attack
though, you’d need another envelope
for bowed sounds. But strikes
sound awesome. Hitting the Taiko
trigger and the strum with the same
trigger or different triggers are both
nice. And of course you can add the
digital oscillator section too, which
is cool, but I’ve had better luck with
pure noise.
62/73 I really love the way Rings can respond
just like a real stringed instrument.
Using a trigger that doesn’t hit
as often as your v/oct changes makes
fantastic hammer-on/ pull-off guitar
type sounds. And modulating position
is just like playing guitar at the
neck or the bridge. I was a guitarist
before I ever touched a synthesizer,
this feels like getting that acoustic instrument
back but with superhuman
control options
------------------
I find a VCA is essential with rings
for enveloping the audio into rings to
really get the most out of the unique
tone shaping abilities of rings. Maybe
its just me, i get very bored with the
internally triggered sound of rings...
if i want sounds that resemble “notes”
i send many things to a VCA Matrix,
and trigger envelope to the outputs
to rings using the same trigger signal
thats strumming rings... Works really
nice with a Radio Music module as
you can re-trigger the audio with that
same signal and get infinite flavors of
notes based on the audio in your radio
music module. Mult the envelope
to a filter for the audio too, so much
tone shaping ability.
So if you have a seuqncer like Rene..
QCV to Rings V/Oct. Mult the X
Gate to maths ch1 and Radio Music
reset, and Rings strum. Mult the
positive output of Maths ch1 to the
control input of the VCA, as well as
the fm of your filter, and the brightness
control on Rings. Send the Radio
Music audio output through the
filter and into the audio in of Rings.
Position the start point of radio music,
attenuverters of brightness and
filter fm, and obviously the envelope
A/D and VCA attenuation to shape
your note sound.
-----------
Some things to try with Rings:
- Instead of just letting it decay naturally,
pretend it’s a normal VCO and
send its output through a VCA controlled
by an envelope. It can lead to
interesting overlaps in polyphonic
modes, and slow attacks or abrupt
decays aren’t something we’re used to
hearing out of Rings. And of course
this also gives more control in FM or
Disastrous Peace modes.
- Set Damping low, and modulate it
with a gate or envelope. It’s a bit different
than using a VCA.
- With a continuous input from a
noise generator or VCO, set Damping
fairly low, Brightness to minimum,
and modulate Brightness with
an envelope.
-----------------
-- you can use the VCO to produce
signals for Rings input. Either use a
wave with a lot of harmonic content
(like a square), or sweep the frequency
of the incoming VCO, or both.
-- you can connect it to Rings’ V/
OCT input for some weirder stuff,
generally very noisy at high rates.
-- you can use it to FM Rings. Or for
a weirder variation, use it with Structure.
-- you can use it with a VCA to AM
Rings, or in a ring modulator, or a
comparator / analog logic to do similar
things.
-- you can use a square/pulse wave
into Rings’ strum input, but I believe
there’s a maximum rate.
-- you can use Rings to FM the VCO,
then feed that FM’d signal back into
Rings input.
-- you can slow the VCO down and
use it as an LFO, and then use it to
modulate position, frequency, structure
etc., or if it’s kind of steppy (like a
saw, square, or just fast enough) feed
it into V/OCT. I find Tides is pretty
great at that since there’s so much
control over its shape.
-- you can use Rings to sort of “support”
the VCO as an effect: have
it track the same frequency as the
VCO, mult the VCO output to Rings
input and a mixer, and Rings output
into the mixer but turned down so it’s
fairly subtle.
----------------
You can get many interesting excitation
sources by sampling a “hit” or a
“hit and scratch” (from Ears or Mikrophonie)
into Clouds buffer, then
pitching it up down, repeating it at
different rates with DENSITY, dissolving
it with TEXTURE..
-----------
I really really like putting a sequenced
oscillator into the in and another sequence
into the 1v/oct, and tuning
them up all nice. After reading this
thread I got the idea of running the
Oscillator into a VCA/clocked EG
and a delay or maybe phaser then
into the IN. THANKS fellow posters.
I have all my bases covered in my
system and wanted something fun so
I got Clouds. So much can be done
with it it’s no wonder it’s so popular.
I had some success turning the position
CW so it skips a few steps on a
sequence, creates some nice variety
and space. Add to that a little of that
lfo thingy for some percussion and
freeze it every 12-16 beats..
----------
One of my favorite new things to do
with rings/clouds recently is to send
them both into Warps. Use Rings to
process white noise/or a nice shifting
buzzy oscillator, put some sounds
into clouds buffer, vocals are a nice
example and hey presto. Some incredible
timbres when you use the
crossfolder and ring modulators.
Send lfo’s/pulsating envelopes to the
VCA’s to create some rhythmic variation
too. I’ve only had warps since
Christmas, but its changed the way
I think about patching immensely,
forced me to eek out every kink and
jagged edge in my waves looking for
interesting cross modulations, even
when not using warps itself. The little
clicks from clouds when the grains
have a harder edge is a cool thing to
run into rings as an exciter.
Warps opens up how I think about
sound sources and has forced me
into a refreshing place when I am
now thinking about seemingly “complete
voice” modules as just a piece
of a bigger puzzle; Rings and Clouds
being obvious and relevant examples
here.
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