Need help with specific sounds for the RADIAS

Electric Morning · Post by **Electric Morning** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 4:32 am

Hello all. I'm brand new to the forum, and also a brand new owner of my very own RADIAS. I've been intently studying the manual, and I'm experimenting around a bit, just playing with the synth. I have a small problem, however, that maybe a few of you can help me out on. I've just been asked to perform on a new record that my friend is recording next week, and he specifically wants me to be the force behind all of the electronics. Do any of you have any pointers on getting a good Arp Omni sound or Arp Selina string sounds? Those were his specific words. He went on to say that the sound he is looking for is very much the same synth tones that are on Pink Floyd's Animals, specifically the tracks "Dogs" and "Sheep". Usually when I buy a new synth, I have plenty of time to explore and play around with it, finding out all of its features. This time, however, I seem to be in for a fun little crash course. Any help getting those "Pink Floyd" sounds up and running would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all!

P.S. Very excited to be a new forum member, and a new RADIAS owner!

xmlguy · Post by **xmlguy** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:03 am

You can start by hooking it up to a computer/laptop to use the software editor, which is a much easier way to learn what it can do and how it's organized. It isn't much different than other synths in that it flows from OSC to filters to amp to effects to out. The difference is merely in the details, which you'll need to learn through experience playing with them to figure out what all the parameters really do.

Program design is a completely different topic because it depend more on your ability to analyze the sound you're trying to reproduce than on what synth you're trying to use. There's no shortcuts to learning how to do this.

You've got a week, that's 7*24 hours, plenty of time to do two patches with a little sleep inbetween. My only suggestions: unison=2, detune the oscillators, start with a DWGS/PCM wave on OSC1 that is closest to the sound you're trying to reproduce, then be very careful to choose just one or two effects that have the most impact.

Electric Morning · Post by **Electric Morning** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:11 am

Thanks a bunch for the reply. I haven't yet set the editor up, but I plan on doing that first thing tomorrow. Yeah, he's looking for some really interesting 70's style sounds which should be a really fun challenge. I'll let you know what I come up with. Thank goodness for the software editor!

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 10:29 am

I have patches for these that i've been working on recently for release in the near future.

Specifically i've got a few variations on the Solina sound, plus a really nice overdriven EP that I modeled directly from listening to Animals.

If you like, I could send them to you in advance of the planned release - i.e. Now

For the Sonila and other stringsynth sounds I tend to find that a sawtooth wave using the LFO1 waveform mod (Osc 1 control 2 in waveform mod mode), which is a bi-saw phase modulation, which creates the really phased effect that you hear normally from the Arp's ensemble. Then add a bit of filter, a cabinet simulator, and an ensemble effect. I tend to use a master limiter on the Master FX.

No unison or detune. But Osc2 is good set to another saw or possibly a square, an octave down. Sometimes with Ring modulation and a slight amount of fine detune.