Paraphonic Envelopes & String Synths

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:32 am

So I'm trying to synthesize a great solina/omni/etc string sound. Because I can't afford a real Omni (my favourite).

IMO the two things that give these vintage string machines their character is the unique dual-LFO chorus ensemble, and their paraphonic amp/filter envelopes. Neither of these characteristics come across well in sampling.

The chorus is easy to do in IFX with biphase mod effect or with two flangers, but the envelopes are a bit different.

On the Radias I used a modulation sequencer in timbre(monophonic) mode, or routed the poly sound through a mono audio-in timbre to achieve this.

Are there any similar facilities I can employ in the Kronos arsenal of features?

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:52 am

I'm very interested in this topic and would be grateful to you to explain what paraphonic envelopes are and why they are important in this instance. An explanation on what you did on your Radias would also be very appreciated.

Also - it'd be great for you to share you particular chorus / flange settings to achieve a vintage chorus sound. You clearly know what you're doing in an area surely of interest to a number of us.

Not sure if this helps, but I posted 107 AL-1 programs fo the OASYS some time back (free for use) and they are available on the Kronos download page (and my web site). I provide an explanation to the programs here:

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... highlight=

Note in particular the programs with the word "Vintage" in their name. They use Double-waves, where the AL-1 allows for the phase between the two waves to be altered by a modulation source and if modulated by an LFO can sound very vintage-synth / string-machine like. I'm not sure I achieved the desirted effect (due to limited time available on these programs) but I believe it gets you partly there and surely there are more possibilities?

These programs were motivated by a guy on Youtube (also Irish) whom I do nto know but who is gathering quite a reputation for his very atmospheric cover versions of Vangelis pieces. Apparently he achieves the Roland VP330 Strings on a Korg Microkorg, using the very same LFO modulated Doublewave feature available in AL-1. He provides poitners to his Microkorg patches somewhere on his channel (perhaps in the comments of one of his Bladerunner pieces (you need to check out his channel):

http://www.youtube.com/user/mik300z

Check out his Bladerunner cover versions. They are not exacting - but they are _very_ atmospheric and may provide poitners to the sort of string sounds you are after.

As said above - any pointers you could provide on this would be very appreciated; and though time is tight now, I intend returning to this eventually to try to improve my AL-1 programs and will be delighted to share them (though I've no time frame on this just now).

Kevin.

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:27 pm

Paraphonic envelopes don't do anything specific for the sound, but just like the apparent 'voice compression' or 'power drain' effect in the Hammond, this slightly counter-intuitive behaviour improves at least the authenticity in the player's mind, and often introduces unique playing styles.
It's mainly about the overall polish and 'feel' in the behaviour of a sound.

I think I'm starting to lean towards the idea that either base sounds are too specific to recreate easily, or it isn't actually that important and they can be created easily.
The best way to reproduce a classic synth sound is to mimic it's architecture and behaviour.

Paraphonic envelopes were effectively a cost-saving measure when electronics like this were still too expensive. String synths are basically just electric organs with a sharper waveform and a chorus-ensemble unit. They use divide-down architecture. It's a shame we couldn't for example swap out waveforms in CX3 because it would be an ideal starting point for this kind of synth.

Anyway, sorry. Basically paraphonic isn't true polyphony - the voices are generated by divide-down so they are effectively fully polyphonic but have NO envelopes, then you have ONE envelope for the whole keyboard.

On the Omni this could be set to retriggering for each new note, or just carry on for the whole chord. So the attack phase would start from the first note you press, additional notes would be added to the sound under the effect of that one envelope, or they would restart the attack phase.
I can't remember how Release phase comes in to the picture though.

It's a bit like the percussion on a Hammond organ, except for Attack rather than Decay.

As for the chorus-ensemble, I'm never quite happy with it but I'll scour my various programs in the Radias for settings..

On the Radias for envelopes I would just set 0 attack, 0 decay, and then assign a one-shot modulation sequencer to amp level, starting at -63 on the first step and then going up to +63. I'm not sure if I even bothered about Release.
With the mod sequencer set to Timbre mode it would only take effect for each group of notes, until you take your hand off the keyboard completely, making it monophonic or paraphonic.

More accurately to the vintage synth architecture, I would route the output of timbre 1 with the 0a,0r envelope, to Timbre 2 which was using the Audio In oscillator set to the internal bus. That timbre would be monophonic with legato (I don't like the 'retrigger' behaviour, but you can turn Legato off). There you have your paraphonic envelope - you can set the attack/decay/sustain of the filter and amp for that timbre and it will affect that individual phrase/passage as long as you have a note down.

I also used the first method (mod seq) on the Radias to emulate paraphonic percussion in organ sounds.

MarPabl · Post by **MarPabl** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 2:46 pm

Some additional information about paraphonic synthesizers on the Synth Secrets Article about polyphony

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:08 pm

Paraphonic envelope - you have one envelope for all played voices. NOT one envelope per voice. So when you retrigger a chord, you restart the attack portion from the current release level (or, in some cases, from zero), which is a distinct effect.

shawnhar · Post by **shawnhar** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:05 pm

Set up a program with your desired polyphonic source as the first EXi (PolySix would be the obvious choice for this), and program your desired oscillator settings but without open filter and EG. Put an MS20 instance in the second EXi. Route the PolySix audio output to the MS20 input, and through the MS20 filter. Set the MS20 to monophonic mode, route audio input through its filter in place of its regular oscillator, and adjust filter + EG to taste.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:37 pm

Can't be done within a single program due to audio routing restrictions, but seems a good work around in combi mode.

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:40 pm

Ah - I see what you mean. Actually - I own a few beautiful condition VP330s and of course the strings on the VP330 are the ones used by Vangelis in Bladerunner and also very similar to other roland string machines of the time such as the RS202 and Paraphonic 505.

So now I see what Paraphonic means - basically one envelope on all voices (because there is actually one voice in any case, just divided down).

Hence, on the VP330, it feels like its 48 note polyphonic because every note can sound simultaneously, but as you point out, as soon as a new note is played it resets the the envelope.

To be hones, I don't see this as a requirement to producing the vintage string sounds we all know. In fact having one envelope is annoying. Rather, I believe the sound being sought comes form a combination of several divided down oscillators being allocated to each note; and since out of phase (as in the AL-1 double wave) then each note sounds rich and string ensemble like. So its the analogue out of phase tones, rather than a paraphonic envelope, that delivers the desired sound.

Actually, even the VP330 still needs the Roland chorus unit to deliver the final desired sound - event he classic 70's string machines sounded pretty thin without chorus. So it's the combination of divide down technology and rich chorus that delivers the well know string machine sounds.

The VP330 also delivers a stunning Human Chorus sound, and this is achieved with analogue filters with a cutoff of somewhere in the region of 56 dB/Oct and are hence unachievable on any of the Kronos synth engines which only go as far as 24 dB/Octave.

A suggestion to Korg for a new EXi might include an emulation of a String Machine and Human Chorus ala the VP330, by producing a model surely not a million miles away from the CX3 where multiple divide down oscillators per note and a 56 dB/Octave filter deliver all the goodies.

Indeed - how about emulating the Hammond Novachord polyphonic Synth - now that would be a winner.

Kevin.

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:04 pm

shawnhar wrote:Set up a program with your desired polyphonic source as the first EXi (PolySix would be the obvious choice for this), and program your desired oscillator settings but without open filter and EG. Put an MS20 instance in the second EXi. Route the PolySix audio output to the MS20 input, and through the MS20 filter. Set the MS20 to monophonic mode, route audio input through its filter in place of its regular oscillator, and adjust filter + EG to taste.

You can't set one EXi to poly and one to mono within the same program.

Kevin,
I absolutely agree that the chorus is the essential part. Most sample libraries try to sample the chorus but then of course you have two problems:
1. The chorus is not phase-locked across all voices
2. The audio oscillators are not phase locked across all voices.
The result is slightly thicker sounding and less defined. Not really characteristic of any vintage string synth, it just becomes some detuned/chorused simple synth waves..

I personally really enjoy the paraphonic envelope. As I said I'd does not directly affect the sound, but it brings something interesting to the experience as a player. So my original discussion was on how to emulate this.

The other points are certainly worthy of discussion though.

Unfortunately we can't get phase locked oscillators anywhere but in CX3, which lacks envelopes entirely. In some ways I wish the CX3 were a little more flexible and experimental in this way. An entirely new engine might not be necessary. Actually it would probably be overkill.

Sampling the vocal wave with the chorus turned off may be effective. I know on some units you can't turn the chorus off though. I believe the string instrument waveforms are simpler but they are not straight saws or pulses.

I've worked before in Reaktor and also on a project at university that was a more flexible (sampling) additive engine which used electric organ ideas as a starting point.. I seem to recall that had a good chorus algorithm. Again, I will try to find some sample settings to post here for the chorus effect.

MarPabl · Post by **MarPabl** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:38 pm

shawnhar wrote:Set up a program with your desired polyphonic source as the first EXi (PolySix would be the obvious choice for this), and program your desired oscillator settings but without open filter and EG. Put an MS20 instance in the second EXi. Route the PolySix audio output to the MS20 input, and through the MS20 filter. Set the MS20 to monophonic mode, route audio input through its filter in place of its regular oscillator, and adjust filter + EG to taste.

You don't need to set the MS20Ex to Monophonic (and it's not useable on your proposed solution)

The important fact of the MS20Ex is that the patch panel indeed has two ways to manually control the EG1/EG2 trigger. You just have to plug to the Trig (launches EG1 & EG2) or EG1 Trig (launches just EG1) jacks and the EG will start when receiving a low signal.

Kronos Parameter Guide wrote:TRIG IN jack

This lets you use an external trigger sources (such as the MG rectangle output, the trigger output of the ESP, or a switch controller via AMS) to trigger both EG 1 and EG 2.

The EGs trigger when the TRIG IN moves from high to low, such as when the MG Rectangle wave switches to the bottom portion of the waveform. When the TRIG IN signal goes high again, the EGs enter their release phase.

So you can use the MS20Ex to get the paraphonic effect

Phabius · Post by **Phabius** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 1:10 am

In some ways I wish the CX3 were a little more flexible and experimental in this way. An entirely new engine might not be necessary. Actually it would probably be overkill.

It immediately made me think of a new Additive Synthesis EXi, more than an improved "experimental" CX-3. Something with lots of individual harmonics and lots of individual multi-stage envelopes. I don't know how Korg could be into Additive Synthesis, but I really miss a flexible additive synth these days, that's why the K5000 is still here, its absolutely amazing!

On the paraphonic subject, it would be nice to have it for real somehow, like implemented on the early days. All voices passing through the same filter and envelope, it sure implies some new playing styles. Nice to simulate Poly-800 sounds too!
But if I would ask for something in that department (odd synth architectures) it would be the Mono-Poly.
Please Korg, its so easy now!

jeremykeys · Post by **jeremykeys** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:02 pm

In the strings prog section there is a sound called "dream weaver" believe. I might be a good starting point.

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:18 pm

Phabius wrote:
In some ways I wish the CX3 were a little more flexible and experimental in this way. An entirely new engine might not be necessary. Actually it would probably be overkill.
It immediately made me think of a new Additive Synthesis EXi, more than an improved "experimental" CX-3. Something with lots of individual harmonics and lots of individual multi-stage envelopes. I don't know how Korg could be into Additive Synthesis, but I really miss a flexible additive synth these days, that's why the K5000 is still here, its absolutely amazing!

Have you looked at using two Mod7 EXis in a program? They have an EG per partial.
I've done a few additive sounds like that.

And yes, I've used those paraphonic tricks on the Radias to emulate some of my favourite old poly800 sounds.

Morten'J · Post by **Morten'J** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 5:12 pm

Kevin Nolan wrote:Ah - I see what you mean. Actually - I own a few beautiful condition VP330s and of course the strings on the VP330 are the ones used by Vangelis in Bladerunner and also very similar to other roland string machines of the time such as the RS202 and Paraphonic 505.

So now I see what Paraphonic means - basically one envelope on all voices (because there is actually one voice in any case, just divided down).

Hence, on the VP330, it feels like its 48 note polyphonic because every note can sound simultaneously, but as you point out, as soon as a new note is played it resets the the envelope.

To be hones, I don't see this as a requirement to producing the vintage string sounds we all know. In fact having one envelope is annoying. Rather, I believe the sound being sought comes form a combination of several divided down oscillators being allocated to each note; and since out of phase (as in the AL-1 double wave) then each note sounds rich and string ensemble like. So its the analogue out of phase tones, rather than a paraphonic envelope, that delivers the desired sound.

Actually, even the VP330 still needs the Roland chorus unit to deliver the final desired sound - event he classic 70's string machines sounded pretty thin without chorus. So it's the combination of divide down technology and rich chorus that delivers the well know string machine sounds.

The VP330 also delivers a stunning Human Chorus sound, and this is achieved with analogue filters with a cutoff of somewhere in the region of 56 dB/Oct and are hence unachievable on any of the Kronos synth engines which only go as far as 24 dB/Octave.

A suggestion to Korg for a new EXi might include an emulation of a String Machine and Human Chorus ala the VP330, by producing a model surely not a million miles away from the CX3 where multiple divide down oscillators per note and a 56 dB/Octave filter deliver all the goodies.

Indeed - how about emulating the Hammond Novachord polyphonic Synth - now that would be a winner.

Kevin.

Maybe I should try to run my kronos too Roland SonicCell it has HexaChorus,SPACE-D.... not sure how great the are