Can anyone explain this pitch programming technique?

[timg11]

I consider the Osc Basic settings of Octave, Transpose, and Tune as three different "granularities" of setting the same parameter. The increments are by octaves, by semitones, and by cents.

Sometimes I notice a program with Transpose set at -5 and Tune at +503, or Transpose set at -12 and tune set at 1200.

I understand that the 03 part of 503 causes a detune to thicken the sound, but why use the Transpose of -5 which is cancelled out by the 500 part of the Tune parameter?

Does anybody know why this would be done?

[SanderXpander]

It affects which sample is played, so there is a possible mild difference in sound. When you use transpose, the note information from the keyboard is transposed, so you play a different sample than you normally would. When you use tune, the actually triggered sample is tuned up or down.

[billbaker]

In theory this changes the sound by moving the harmonic series of a multisample away from the pitch where it was first mapped.

A series based on a C sample transposed by a Rompler (Triton) will have a different set of harmonics than one sampled at G and transposed.

Lowering (pitch transpose) and raising (using tuning function) is supposed to effect the change and preserve the subtle difference in waves. Check the parameter guide (or search a pdf version) under "pitch stretch" for an explanation of how this works at program level.

Danatkorg (the voice o' Korg corp here at the forum) has indicated that - at least on recent synths - this may not make as much difference as it has in the past on some other models. But the "pitch stretch" method is in the Triton's manual and so there is the possibility that it does have an audible impact on the sounds.

Personally I think the thickening has more to do with that extra 3 cents of detune tacked on to the return transposition.

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If you're looking for ways to thicken up some sounds you might also want to look at:

Detune (IFX) - adds in detune to thicken.

Random (Program) - adds degree of random pitch change to emulate unstable osc (synth) or individualized tuning or player inaccuracy (acoustic instruments).

Layering timbres using selected "un-tempered" scales and program scales to add a degree of detune.

"Talking modulator" (IFX) - can add random (non rhythmic) filter changes to layered instruments, can be velocity based change.

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Some of these techniques work better for synthesized sounds and some better for acoustic instruments - they are particularly effective with string/ensemble sounds (and pads) where a certain level of randomness is inevitable because 20 violinists have their own idea of what "in tune" means. The homogenized sound of synth-played strings can get very obvious without a humanizing amount of sloppiness.



BB