Complex from Propellerhead

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Catblack
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31 Dec 2018

I wanted to try some Complex presets as poly instruments, so I threw together a quick combi. It uses SPEM, but if you don't have that you can just route the mixer out. The effects routed through SPEM are just temporary stock ones, and are bypassed! You'll need Distributor of course.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=16B7PF ... Fq5MnRjhvR
If you ain't hip to the rare Housequake, shut up already.

Damn.

avasopht
Competition Winner
Posts: 3932
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

31 Dec 2018

Seems NoteQuant cannot output to CV!

A simple test:

Mix 1 -> Quant 2 in
Note Quant -> Ext CV Out 1
(from the back) CV Out 1 -> CV In 1

Nothing is coming in from CV 1 In.

avasopht
Competition Winner
Posts: 3932
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

31 Dec 2018

Here's a little utility patch that outputs a steady CV note (to CV 1 out) from the sequencer with an open Gate (to CV 2 out), but momentarily closes the gate during CV note changes. I'm currently taking the CV note from the sequencer, but it works just as well if you take it from the mod wheel, pitch, or CV input

Really what the device does is creates a spike on any detected change.

To make it work you have to send CV 1 Out back into CV 1 In. You'll probably want to capture CV 1 out with a spider.

The reason for it was that I wanted to output an open gate with a held note as a CV to CV Player Tap (CVPT). I think all I wanted was just to see the actual note. But because the gate was open CV PT would instead continue to output the last (and all previously held) notes as if a sustain pedal was held.

How it works
The signal being observed is sent through CV 1 out and received through CV 1 in. This creates a 64 frame delay. So if your CV value was 127, and you made a change to 125, your currently held value would be 125, but CV 1 in would hold 127.

I then use the Mixer to subtract one value from the other (diff). I take the diff and multiply it with itself using the Scale Amp to make it positive. So basically if there is any difference between the current and last value, Scale Amp will output a positive value. I then feed that into the X > Y ? function, creating the desired spike. I then use the mixer to invert that so that instead of a spike, it's a momentary dip.
Attachments
Gate on change.zip
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Reasonable man
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03 Jan 2019

Downloaded it for trial today . Sounds wonderfull but I'm trying to create a polypatch with 3 complex using distributor. The chords are horrendously out of tune . Few octaves too high and a few semitones and cents too high . Some notes move up a semitone instead of a tone.
Is this intentional? Is there a scaler/ compenstation amount. It dosn't matter if there isn't its a great standalone mono synth . Just wondering . Thanks.

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Loque
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03 Jan 2019

Reasonable man wrote:
03 Jan 2019
Downloaded it for trial today . Sounds wonderfull but I'm trying to create a polypatch with 3 complex using distributor. The chords are horrendously out of tune . Few octaves too high and a few semitones and cents too high . Some notes move up a semitone instead of a tone.
Is this intentional? Is there a scaler/ compenstation amount. It dosn't matter if there isn't its a great standalone mono synth . Just wondering . Thanks.
I think you made the connections wrong. Check the CV/Note and the Gate connections.
Reason12, Win10

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firejan82
Posts: 27
Joined: 21 Mar 2015

03 Jan 2019

Finally upgraded from 9 to 10 mainly to try this out and I'm liking it a lot and liking the Quad Note Generator too. Well done Propellerheads! VST/AU and iOS version of this would be very much welcome and I wouldn't mind a Grain VST/AU either...

avasopht
Competition Winner
Posts: 3932
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

03 Jan 2019

Here's an interesting string combinator patch (in a project file as it features 6 combinators wired through CV tap).

It's just your every day multi-osc with a twist. It feeds the synth's output back via an effects chain to produce balanced characteristics to control FM and other parameters such as the type of wave. The note CV controls some EQs and filters too.

The combinator has controls for attack, release, grit and aggression and really has a nice dynamic to it that can be built on.
Attachments
20190103 - Complex String.7z
(514.48 KiB) Downloaded 127 times

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theshoemaker
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03 Jan 2019

I'd like to have something like VCVRACK in Reason without the 64 Sample Buffer Window when using CV Audio on the back of the device. With custom modules like in Complex-1 with differen filters and lfos like the ones from Europa, with different OSCs ... maybe some prerouted patches, but a full modular system, without the self implied security sandboxing of Reason .... hmmm
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Reasonable man
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03 Jan 2019

Loque wrote:
03 Jan 2019
Reasonable man wrote:
03 Jan 2019
Downloaded it for trial today . Sounds wonderfull but I'm trying to create a polypatch with 3 complex using distributor. The chords are horrendously out of tune . Few octaves too high and a few semitones and cents too high . Some notes move up a semitone instead of a tone.
Is this intentional? Is there a scaler/ compenstation amount. It dosn't matter if there isn't its a great standalone mono synth . Just wondering . Thanks.
I think you made the connections wrong. Check the CV/Note and the Gate connections.
Ahh.. i'm stupid . I had the cv gate/note from distributor attached to external routing cv in at the back of the complex's . I never even saw that the top left has a seperate cv/ gate inserts in Red and Blue . Thanks.

The result of what i was hearing was using the external cv's in's at the back and then using the external cv's on the front panal to attach out to the pitch and amp repectivley. When you do this everything is way off pitch wise .. i dont know why. Anyway ...my bad!

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Loque
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03 Jan 2019

Reasonable man wrote:
03 Jan 2019
Loque wrote:
03 Jan 2019

I think you made the connections wrong. Check the CV/Note and the Gate connections.
Ahh.. i'm stupid . I had the cv gate/note from distributor attached to external routing cv in at the back of the complex's . I never even saw that the top left has a seperate cv/ gate inserts in Red and Blue . Thanks.

The result of what i was hearing was using the external cv's in's at the back and then using the external cv's on the front panal to attach out to the pitch and amp repectivley. When you do this everything is way off pitch wise .. i dont know why. Anyway ...my bad!
I am not sure, but i think the (Note-)Pitch from Complex-1 behaves differently to normal Note CV, so that will not work. Maybe i should check what exact values the Pitch from Complex-1 is? I just need to route it to a CV out and have a look.
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selig
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03 Jan 2019

Loque wrote:I am not sure, but i think the (Note-)Pitch from Complex-1 behaves differently to normal Note CV, so that will not work. Maybe i should check what exact values the Pitch from Complex-1 is? I just need to route it to a CV out and have a look.
Note CV in Complex-1 is totally different than External Note CV in Reason.

For example, Middle C is “60” in CV land (same as MIDI) But it’s “0” in Complex-1. Not only that, but an octave is “18” in Complex-1, not “12” as you would expect. So the two are definitely not comparable without some transformation.

If you scale the internal Note CV by 0.875 in a Scale & Amp slot you’ll get useable Note CV out of Complex-1.

If for some reason you don’t want to use the basic CV/Gate jacks on the back, you can bring in Note CV and convert it but it’s tricky and takes two Mix slots just for the conversion.

I never did get perfect tracking over even six octaves. Plus, the pitch won’t hold after you release the note, requiring a sample/hold function to work, which further eats up precious resources IMO.

So best to use the standard Note CV input and let Complex-1 do the conversion internally!


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O1B
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04 Jan 2019

I Spy the WMD Performance Mixer @1:12, Mattias! Congrats!

m.arthur
Posts: 115
Joined: 21 Oct 2017

04 Jan 2019

Hi,

I have a question about the Amp & Scale module that I'm hoping somebody more experienced with modular than myself could answer.

In the complex-1 manual, section on Amp & Scale, it says:

"If the Level signal is positive unipolar and static you could use it to amplify the In signal like a regular amplifier."

I'm trying to grasp exactly what this means. My main question is: What are good examples of "positive unipolar and static" signals, inside Complex-1 ?

It sounds like, from that manual sentence, if I connect a signal to "in" and then a "positive unipolar static" signal to "Level" and start cranking up the Level knob, I will be amplifying the signal that is going into "in" -- great, I'd like to do that! Problem is, I'm not sure what to actually plug into "level" because, well, my earlier question :)

complex-1 is my first meaningful experience with Modular thinking / programming, so I'm guessing the answer will be pretty obvious to modular folks.

thanks!
-M

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selig
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04 Jan 2019

m.arthur wrote:Hi,

I have a question about the Amp & Scale module that I'm hoping somebody more experienced with modular than myself could answer.

In the complex-1 manual, section on Amp & Scale, it says:

"If the Level signal is positive unipolar and static you could use it to amplify the In signal like a regular amplifier."

I'm trying to grasp exactly what this means. My main question is: What are good examples of "positive unipolar and static" signals, inside Complex-1 ?

It sounds like, from that manual sentence, if I connect a signal to "in" and then a "positive unipolar static" signal to "Level" and start cranking up the Level knob, I will be amplifying the signal that is going into "in" -- great, I'd like to do that! Problem is, I'm not sure what to actually plug into "level" because, well, my earlier question :)
I’m not sure I understand this definition either. This section does simple multiplication, and as such no actual “amplification” takes place unless you multiply by a value greater than one. Problem is, there are no constants that exceed a value of 1, so you would have to add two signals together in the Mix section to achieve this.

The fourth line in that section of the manual makes sense: If you connect In only, the Amount control will scale that signal. This works like Thor’s modulation matrix in that sense, where the Amount ranges from 0-100%. When the knob is maxed i is equal to multiplying by 1, giving you unity gain (but no amplification). And this is no different than connecting a constant, so I’m not sure why they even mention that in this context (maybe I’m missing something obvious?).

Bottom line - #1 and #4 contradict because you don’t need a static value coming into the Level input to “amplify” the signal like a “regular amplifier” since the Amount knob already does this with no input in the Level jack. Plugging a constant signal (from another Scale & Amp or Mix slot, for example) has no advantage I can see, unless you are able to use a value that exceeds “1” (full scale signal).

These modules are quite versatile, btw. With nothing connected to either module you can produce a static CV value (bi-polar with the Mix module, unipolar with the S&A module).

With one input connected to the S&A module, you can scale it (attenuate it) to create a “depth control” for modulation sources. With a second input you can scale that depth amount with a second CV source, like scaling an LFO with an envelope to create a delay vibrato effect. With the same signal in both inputs you can rectify the signal gradually, with a setting of around 0.8 giving you two octaves out of one oscillator!

With one input in the Mix module input 2, you can “bias” the signal, turning a bipolar signal into a unipolar, for example. With the same signal in both inputs you can double the signal strength to “overdrive” the shaper or filter even further than normal, or to create stronger modulation signals.

Lots of power with these modules!


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m.arthur
Posts: 115
Joined: 21 Oct 2017

04 Jan 2019

Many thanks for the reply, Selig! Lots of useful information in there (especially about both modules outputting a static CV value when nothing is plugged in, I had no idea!). Strange about the 'amplification' confusion re: the manual, I don't think you are missing anything though. At least my confusion seems to have been warranted :)


"With one input in the Mix module input 2, you can “bias” the signal, turning a bipolar signal into a unipolar, for example."

Interesting, I hadn't realized this! I've been converting bipolar signals to unipolar by feeding the signal into the Function module and using the Absolute value function, but it's great to have another method (and one that doesn't use up the function module, awesome!).

EDIT: wait, did you mean input 1 in the quote above, not input 2? Checking the manual, it looks like putting a signal into input 1 only will allow you to shift the signal positive or negative, thereby allowing conversion of bipolar to unipolar. Input 2 seems to act only as an inverter, and silences the signal when at 12-o-clock on the knob...

cheers,
-M

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selig
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04 Jan 2019

m.arthur wrote:EDIT: wait, did you mean input 1 in the quote above, not input 2? Checking the manual, it looks like putting a signal into input 1 only will allow you to shift the signal positive or negative, thereby allowing conversion of bipolar to unipolar. Input 2 seems to act only as an inverter, and silences the signal when at 12-o-clock on the knob...

cheers,
-M
Oh crap, you’re absolutely right, good catch!


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antic604

07 Jan 2019

theshoemaker wrote:
03 Jan 2019
I'd like to have something like VCVRACK in Reason without the 64 Sample Buffer Window when using CV Audio on the back of the device. With custom modules like in Complex-1 with differen filters and lfos like the ones from Europa, with different OSCs ... maybe some prerouted patches, but a full modular system, without the self implied security sandboxing of Reason .... hmmm
We all do :)

Frankly, when Complex-1 was released I was out and only saw the announcement on my phone & couldn't watch the video. I was CERTAIN it was exactly what you describe - a new RE API that allows for smaller Rack devices from Props and 3rd parties + is allowing for patching cables upfront. Like a VCV in the Rack.

Then I felt disappointed when I found out it isn't it...

And then I fell in LOVE after I tried it and played with it! :D

So yeah, it's been an emotional rollercoaster for me :lol: :oops:

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FGL
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16 Jan 2019

The Filter ist also a Sound Generator. Is that common?

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AttenuationHz
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16 Jan 2019

FGL wrote:
16 Jan 2019
The Filter ist also a Sound Generator. Is that common?
Yes when it/they is self resonating.
It is not too much of an ask for people or things to be the best version of itself!

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FGL
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16 Jan 2019

Thanks

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selig
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16 Jan 2019

FGL wrote:The Filter is also a Sound Generator.
So is the Comb Delay, the Noise module can produce some nice pitched waveforms as well, and of course the LFO can be pitched up and played in the audio range, for a total of 7 potential pitched sound sources.



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Faastwalker
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20 Jan 2019

My TRY expired the weekend. So I went the 'Rento-to-Own' route. Very impressed with this one. Been a while since I've been tempted by a new, full price synth in Reason. But had to have this one. Rent-to-Own seems like the go. Don't want to for an inevitable sale for this one. It's definitely a must have now RE for me. Fantastic ;)

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SoundObjects
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24 Jan 2019

The Universe Is Vibrating

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bxbrkrz
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24 Jan 2019

757365206C6F67696320746F207365656B20616E73776572732075736520726561736F6E20746F2066696E6420776973646F6D20676574206F7574206F6620796F757220636F6D666F7274207A6F6E65206F7220796F757220696E737069726174696F6E2077696C6C206372797374616C6C697A6520666F7265766572

dhruan
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25 Jan 2019

Rent-To-Own is a pretty sweet way to get a hold of this puppy... Flexibility = <3
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