Free RE: Murf Modrack VCO

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MrFigg
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15 Jun 2019

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Yonatan
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15 Jun 2019

Nice! Only gripe is that strange "click"-sound in the beginning of every note.

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Loque
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15 Jun 2019

Interesting... And free... Nice... Thanks Murf!

Gonna try it today.
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manisnotabird
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15 Jun 2019

Yonatan wrote:
15 Jun 2019
Nice! Only gripe is that strange "click"-sound in the beginning of every note.
I'd assume the click would go away if it was routed through an amplifier controlled by an envelope with even a very short attack time. Real VCO/DCOs will "click" too if there is an instantaneous attack, so I would count this as "expected" behavior.

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Loque
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15 Jun 2019

I just tried it and i really like the idea. It was a bit confusing to have different inputs (CV or audio) for the different modulations.

I think i found a few bugs/odd things or maybe i am too stupid
* the modulations seem to be a bit buggy. I tried a PWM and it instantly has full modulation, even if i set it on back to 0 and on front to 0.
* I think as soon as i connect something to the modulation CV inputs, it has a full range set and also the range goes too far, because i can hear the sound drop and overflow. Sometimes i think, the values are just not properly reset when disconnected/reconnected and still be added to the previous value
* another very confusing thing: The modulation scale-knobs on back and front are connected. This should be removed, you can have both, but please do not connect them - just combine them!
* I couldnt figure out, for what i can use the audio input???
* I couldnt hear much difference with oversampling on, and i guess it is internal only. Maybe there is something wrong or it can be used to upsample the modulation (FM) input - on higher sampling rates the sound is much smoother and better. Maybe some anti-aliasing can help too - dunno...

Just a few suggestion:
* Make all modulation inputs as audio and CV inputs. Think about adding play-modes like mono legato/retrigger and if you like with a glide parameter.
* Retrigger/Sync option
* different fm options

Would have send it directly to the dev, but the contact form on his page does not work...


All in all Murf is on an interesting approach and i am very interested in what he/she is doing. Currently it needs a bit improvement for good usage.
Last edited by Loque on 16 Jun 2019, edited 1 time in total.
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Stygian Abyss
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17 Jun 2019

Thank you Murf ! I will try it.

About your forthcoming VCV inspired realisations, I would be very interested in RE versions of Mutable Instruments modules, especially Clouds (Texture Synthesizer in VCV).

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Murf
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21 Jun 2019

Thanks all very much for the feedback, I will take a look at the bugs and fix them asap.
Next thing due for release will be a LFO.
I have fixed the Contact Form on the website.
Murf.


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Murf
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21 Jun 2019

Yes I had inspiration from that as well, Ochen K did great work there but it was long ago and I felt we needed more modules.
Lots to come, here is a taste of what I am testing at the moment.
MODRACK ADSR
MODRACK LFO
MODRACK MIDI
MODRACK NOISE
MODRACK VCA
MODRACK VCF

Plus also a Scope with time and frequency domains.

Anyone interested in beta testing please contact me via the Website re.murf.net

Thanks,
Murf

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Murf
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28 Jun 2019

Yonatan wrote:
15 Jun 2019
Nice! Only gripe is that strange "click"-sound in the beginning of every note.
Hi Yonatan and all contributors.
This is the first issue I want to address with MODRACK VCO
What would you think should be the expected behaviour?
I know in a real world VCO the signal voltage would ramp up from zero to the desired level as quickly as the analogue or digital circuitry could allow, but in the DSP realm it is pretty much instantaneous.
If I model some sort of ramp up this will get rid of the click but is this what should be expected?
I think it is definitely acceptable for the analog waveform setting, but what about the digital?

Thanks in advance,
Murf.

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Loque
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28 Jun 2019

All synths provide a ADSR for that, where you can increase the Attack a little bit, which solves the problem.

No need to change the VCO IMO.
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Murf
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28 Jun 2019

Loque wrote:
15 Jun 2019
I just tried it and i really like the idea. It was a bit confusing to have different inputs (CV or audio) for the different modulations.

I think i found a few bugs/odd things or maybe i am too stupid
* the modulations seem to be a bit buggy. I tried a PWM and it instantly has full modulation, even if i set it on back to 0 and on front to 0.
* I think as soon as i connect something to the modulation CV inputs, it has a full range set and also the range goes too far, because i can hear the sound drop and overflow. Sometimes i think, the values are just not properly reset when disconnected/reconnected and still be added to the previous value
* another very confusing thing: The modulation scale-knobs on back and front are connected. This should be removed, you can have both, but please do not connect them - just combine them!
* I couldnt figure out, for what i can use the audio input???
* I couldnt hear much difference with oversampling on, and i guess it is internal only. Maybe there is something wrong or it can be used to upsample the modulation (FM) input - on higher sampling rates the sound is much smoother and better. Maybe some anti-aliasing can help too - dunno...

Just a few suggestion:
* Make all modulation inputs as audio and CV inputs. Think about adding play-modes like mono legato/retrigger and if you like with a glide parameter.
* Retrigger/Sync option
* different fm options

Would have send it directly to the dev, but the contact form on his page does not work...


All in all Murf is on an interesting approach and i am very interested in what he/she is doing. Currently it needs a bit improvement for good usage.

Hey Loque!

I PM'd you about the PWM issues, and for everyone else interested, this was a bug and I will issue a bug fix for it.
I will also rename "Decimate" switch to "Oversample" which is a more practical name for the function.

For the other questions you asked:

For the front and back trim knobs, I put one on front and back because when you are looking at the front view and want to trim the CV it saves switching between front and back. This is because I cant put cables on the front for obvious reasons, so I wanted the best functionality of a modular synth without having to keep flipping front and back to trim cv inputs.
I asked PH before release if this was OK and they said yes.


For the audio inputs, they are just FM in (same as a CV pitch in but if you want to do FM modulation from an AU source)
The other is sync input from another osc so you can do osc sync (80's yeah!)

Murf

Yonatan
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29 Jun 2019

I am not an modular synth expert so the click issue is purely from me trying it and finding myself wanting to get rid of that clicking in every note. I managed not to solve it with envelopers inside Reason 10. But if you are coming out with other modules that in combination solves this, I beg you pardon for lack of knowing. If it does not solve it, someone else might know how to best solve it in the code. I love initiatives like yours, all the best!

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Loque
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29 Jun 2019

Yonatan wrote:
29 Jun 2019
I am not an modular synth expert so the click issue is purely from me trying it and finding myself wanting to get rid of that clicking in every note. I managed not to solve it with envelopers inside Reason 10. But if you are coming out with other modules that in combination solves this, I beg you pardon for lack of knowing. If it does not solve it, someone else might know how to best solve it in the code. I love initiatives like yours, all the best!
While playing around with it, it might be usefull to have a switch , which resets the output=0 and this could be done in the Digital and/or Fol MIDI setting, because only real analog oscillators would continously produce a sound.

Nevertheless, here is a workaround. I used Thor as a Envelope Generator because PH completely failed to produce correct ending envelopes in all other synths including Europa.
envback.jpg
envback.jpg (141.76 KiB) Viewed 3316 times
envfront.jpg
envfront.jpg (282.34 KiB) Viewed 3316 times
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Murf
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29 Jun 2019

Yonatan wrote:
29 Jun 2019
I am not an modular synth expert so the click issue is purely from me trying it and finding myself wanting to get rid of that clicking in every note. I managed not to solve it with envelopers inside Reason 10. But if you are coming out with other modules that in combination solves this, I beg you pardon for lack of knowing. If it does not solve it, someone else might know how to best solve it in the code. I love initiatives like yours, all the best!
Hi Yonatan,
Yes there is a VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier) that takes envelopes, you put this module after the VCO.
Would you like to beta test MODRACK VCA ?
I also have a MIDI module to feed it with if you don't have something like Ochen K.s REs or you could use a player or sequencer to trigger the VCA as an alternative.

MODRACK is aimed squarely at people who want to learn Modular Synthesis without having to resort to COMPLEX-1 or an expensive VST. For beginners in Modular I recommend a great stand alone program called VCV Rack, it is free, and is a huge inspiration for MODRACK.

https://vcvrack.com/

Murf

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Loque
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11 Jul 2019

Guess you guys noticed, that there is an update fixing some audio issues. Its really fun to experiment with the modulation stuff. I just miss some AM, but at least linear and log FM, plus PWM. While i played around with it, here is a random clicked patch which sounds quite nice. Have fun with it.
RandomVCOPatch.zip
(4.12 KiB) Downloaded 99 times

And here is a quite nice sequence with a plucky sound i made while testing around.
softfun.zip
(4.42 KiB) Downloaded 102 times
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moneykube
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11 Jul 2019

just grabbed the update whoop
https://soundcloud.com/moneykube-qube/s ... d-playlist
Proud Member Of The Awesome League Of Perpetuals

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Re8et
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12 Jul 2019

That's great that someone is continuing the Ochen K legacy!
Tnx for the hard work!

Lfo is out:
https://www.propellerheads.com/shop/rac ... drack-lfo/

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Jackjackdaw
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12 Jul 2019

Good work Murf, I love your idea of bringing vcv style modules to Reason.

DrGOA®
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15 Jul 2019

Just an advice: make it polyphonic.
Now if MIDI track contains chords - it plays only one note of them.

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Ahornberg
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15 Jul 2019

DrGOA® wrote:
15 Jul 2019
Just an advice: make it polyphonic.
Now if MIDI track contains chords - it plays only one note of them.
yes, please, make it polyphonic. Even VCV and VoltageModular went polyphonic too.

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MrFigg
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15 May 2020

Did anybody come to a solution for the click on VCO? I'd really like to use it as a sub bass but I don't know what to wire it to or how to do it. Would appreciate any help. Thanks.

Edit: Routed the audio through VCF and turned down the frequency which removed the click pretty much. Any better way?
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Loque
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15 May 2020

MrFigg wrote:
15 May 2020
Did anybody come to a solution for the click on VCO? I'd really like to use it as a sub bass but I don't know what to wire it to or how to do it. Would appreciate any help. Thanks.

Edit: Routed the audio through VCF and turned down the frequency which removed the click pretty much. Any better way?
Use ADSR for smooth attack.
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MrFigg
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15 May 2020

Loque wrote:
15 May 2020
MrFigg wrote:
15 May 2020
Did anybody come to a solution for the click on VCO? I'd really like to use it as a sub bass but I don't know what to wire it to or how to do it. Would appreciate any help. Thanks.

Edit: Routed the audio through VCF and turned down the frequency which removed the click pretty much. Any better way?
Use ADSR for smooth attack.
I was trying to do that but I don't know how to connect the ADSR to the VCO. Modular is beyond me.
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Loque
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16 May 2020

MrFigg wrote:
15 May 2020
Loque wrote:
15 May 2020

Use ADSR for smooth attack.
I was trying to do that but I don't know how to connect the ADSR to the VCO. Modular is beyond me.
Here is a simple patch. But...i need to use the Matrix again, since ADSR does not react well to other Gate signals. Looks like its not yet fixed. I hope Murf will get those things sorted out. Until than, i wont touch them.
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simpleadsr.zip
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