Interesting Sounds - Drums, Vocoder, Decimator

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Sat May 08, 2010 11:34 am

Last night I decided I would play around with the vocoder. One feature I absolutely love in the KORG VAs but hadn't really done much with. I don't ever feel confident 'talking to myself' in my studio with the mic, and it always sounds cheesy.

However, there are other uses for a vocoder!
I programmed a complex but possibly rather unmusical step sequencer beat using the House Drums Kit. I think most of it is electronic like an 808 maybe. I usually stick all my drums on timbre 4.

Then I added a bit of detune with the second oscillator on timbre 1 (both sawtooths) and a bit of drive. Effectively a mild powersaw.

Then I stuck the vocoder on! route the drums to the internal bus and set the modulator source for the vocoder to the internal bus.

This in itself is cool, the beat was good and if you play a bass note you get some interesting modulated bass rhythm.

I took this further and added a decimator IFX after the vocoder, 36kHz sample rate, 12 or even 8 bit I think. No filtering and only a little HF damping (10-20%).
Then I added tube saturation (I think) and a limiter on the MFX.

The result was a 2 hour jam recording session. I'm thinking I should play with the vocoder and the drum section more often!
You can hear it here:
http://www.bradleygray.co.uk/hostedfile ... c_Demo.mp3
The drums you hear aren't what are being vocoded - that is a simple four-to-the-floor drum beat from the ES1 which I sidechained with the compression on the DeciVoc patch to make it really pump.

I'm not really looking for feedback but I wouldd appreciate it. What I'm really interested in is hearing about any of your similar experiences with creating crazy or unusual sounds that end up being really musical or at least usable.
I might include the patch in my Digital Pack. (before recording this patch I was working on the final touches on my Analog Pack)

axxim · Post by **axxim** » Sat May 08, 2010 5:22 pm

Hi X-trade,

that's a nice one. You should really try to use your voice too, I know it may be strange to talk some nonsense (we all do it) alone in the studio or wherever you are, more if someone is watching you, but its really worth trying. You allready know I love vocoders which was the cause I bought first the R3 and then the Radias. Still I'm thinking to get a DVP-1 or similar if I find one at an affordable price.

If you use the vocoder for shaping the sounds you can get very dynamic filterings, using beats or voice and playing with the EF Sense control to make them rhythmic or very slow (i.e. for pads)

I found this one on YT which except for the first first 30 sec. is really a good example why you (and every one) should try with your voice, then our voice can be used as a very complex modulation source.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swt6zwOO1Zk