Korg Forums

[johanjsm]

Hello - I really want to program some lush orchestrial synth string sounds into the microkorg. The factory setting sounds suck ass and I can't seem to tweak then to make then sound good. Sounds very weak and tinny. Any advice on programming string sounds? How do you do it? Thanks in advance.

[tomthurs]

You might want to try http://www.soundonsound.com/search?url=%2Fsearch&Section=8&Subject=12
It's a bit in depth but it's got a section on how to make string sounds.
If you set the attack to say 60 or so that helps as a starting point so you get a smooth flow into the note also having decay so the note holds after you release helps.
You could try looking for some micro korg patches made by others or even Ms2000 patches as they work with the micro.
The website below has some patches for the micro I don't know if there are any string but theres loads so I imagine there will be
http://www.techno-id.com/microkorg/microkorg.htm

[johanjsm]

great! thanks a lot for the reply!

[tomthurs]

No probs I'm no synth expert so I need help from time to time and so I don't mind sharing what little knowledge I have

[johanjsm]

yeah same here - the synth experts apparently are too busy to give some advice. anyways, I used the editor to edit pad b68 (I think) in the retro bank - turned out pretty good. that link is dense and a bit over my head but will try to understand it...

[xmlguy]

Tips for building a thick, layered pad:

Always start from a DWGS waveform instead of basic waves. With a DWGS you get a more rich natural wave to start, so you don't have to depend only on the synth structure to add natural harmonics.

Use both timbres, set to different octaves. There is also a very special endless DWGS wave that you can use for the second timbre to simulate an endless scale, giving you multi-octave root chords. Just keep the endless timbre at a background level that's 12dB below the first timbre so that you can still hear the primary chord you play on the keyboard.

Use Unison on the first timbre, and add a small detune amount. These eat up poly, but you don't always need the poly as much if you use the techniques above to get the wide chord. This works for simple chords, but you'll need to turn unison off to get complex chords because of the poly limitations.

Add a small amount of portamento.

Use the LFOs to give motion to the pitch and volume/amp, but keep it subtle.

Use the Ensemble FX and the L/R Delay. Again, keep it subtle. You want the sound to shimmer, not ping-pong.

[johanjsm]

wow that is amazing advice - I know exactly what you're talking about. Easy to understand - will try that after work!

[xmlguy]

Glad to help. By the way, I have used these techniques on my R3 to create my own string pad that I prefer to any of the presets. The MK/MS2K have nearly all the same features, but the lower poly makes the unison more costly, so I would avoid unison.

The DWGS waveform I used was the E.Bass2. I mixed it with a Saw on OSC2, without sync or ringmod, on the first timbre.

When using the endless DWGS wave, it's helpful to use the filters to narrow the lower and upper bounds of the range to keep it within the natural range of an orchestral string section. The endless wave is like a free polyphonic chord that doesn't actually use up any poly, unlike unison modes. Therefore, the endless DWGS can be extremely useful with pads of all kinds.

Also, be very careful with the vibrato and LFOs. String pads will sound very unnatural if these are allowed to become too obvious. Real string section musicians don't sync up their vibrato/pitch/volume modulations very well, so it's a dead giveway for a synth pad to do so. Pitch modulations are more apparent in high frequencies than low ones. When playing a pad, use the mod wheel very carefully for higher notes, usually keeping it it off.

You'll know you've got a good string pad when you can hit a chord for a long time and it continues to sound interesting and lush with subtle but constant motion.

[johanjsm]

great! thanks again. I take it you've been doing this a long time. Any advice
or links to some good analog modeling synthesis???

[xmlguy]

I first became a fan of synthesis after hearing several classic albums by Isao Tomita in the mid 70s, as well as enjoying the music of the Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade in the early 70s. I first learned the basics of synthesis through books until I could get my hands on a real synthesizer years later, owned by a friend, since I couldn't afford one. It helped that I took quite a few classes in electronics and worked as a professional soundman for many years to learn about analog sound from a different perspective.

These days, google is your friend. You'll be able to find more information in a couple hours than I was able to find for months when I was learning synthesis.

[X-Trade]

[xmlguy]

[X-Trade]

that is actually true. i missed that bit.
the voices are allocated bepending on the status of the timbre. but typically with two timbres you only have two note poly.
with one timbre monophonic, it is divided 3:1. is actually quite clever.
allthough it is the really tiny polyphony that reminds me why i sold it when i miss my microkorg.

by the way, i tried this on my radias, but left both timbres polyphonic (and used a really slow flange on the endless timbre, and both ensemble and chorus on the other). it sounded amazing!
some really inspirational sound design tips.
only thing was that the DWGS is a bit too bright - more like an organ, even when filtered to the max, but that did give it a really good synthy vibe to it.

a few other tips:
- set oscillator 2 to play an octave below (i used a pulse wave this time), as well as being detuned with the fine control.
- pan one of the timbres about a thirdway to the left, the other a thirdway to the right.
- use a bit of bass cut/trebble boost on the EQ to taste

[xmlguy]

You need to use the mix to put the endless wave below the main timbre, from 6 to 12dB below it.

On the Radias you can use both filters in serial to get a -24db bandpass to get a very clean cutoff of the frequency range of the DWGS endless wave. On the MK with only one filter per timbre, the low pass has a -24dB cutoff, then the main EQ can be used to cut the low/sub frequencies.

Those are useful tips you mentioned. You can also use a patch to assign a free LFO to do a subtle pan of a timbre.

Here's another trick: print out the synth structure from the manual when you create a patch so that you can map out what you're using. Then you can see what is left unused that you might be able to use to improve the program. Sometimes you can also figure out how to get rid of one timbre of an existing patch to maximize poly without changing the sound. Look for patches that are using only one OSC per timbre to see if you can convert them to use both OSCs on one timbre.