PKMKII

Interesting sound design trick for ethereal chord pads with a wavetable synth: modulate wave scan speed with key/pitch tracking such that higher pitch means faster scan speed. Makes it such that each note’s timbre is always in a slightly different spot/rate than the other notes in the chord. Got the idea from a video on old school 90’s IDM techniques, where they would load one shot, single note samples from a monosynth into a sampler and then use looping/ping-ponging of the sample to play chords. Because it was the days before readily available time stretching each note would run through the sample at a different speed, and I figured pitch modulating wave scan speed would do something similar.

One up-front thing about sound design on it: while it is possible to make patches directly on the box, it’s something that really ought to be done on the software editor (the polyphonic version coming out later this year is going to have a much bigger screen). However, the patch structure itself is pretty straightforward, it’s got a lot of options but conceptually it’s much like any other synth. The only part that gets a little engineering-ish is the modulation options that require other modulators feeding into it, e.g. to make a wavefolded LFO you need to have a wavefolder modulator using an LFO as its source, but the wavefolder by itself doesn’t produce anything. Both the box and the software editor will let you see the current oscilloscope output of any modulator so you can see what it is, or is not, doing.

Syntakt - drum machine, idea generator. The DAW is essential for finished products but I find the Syntakt indispensable for getting things started.

Aodyo Anima Phi - My monosynth workhorse. The flexibility in oscillator types, routing, and modulation gives it a huge variety of sound design potential.

Dreadbox Typhon - Lately more a sound processor for other equipment, but that’s because the effects and filters sound so nice on it.

Microkorg - not the most user friendly instrument but the fundamental sound is great and it’s a bit sentimental to me.

Bastl Microgranny - to be honest, this was a bit of an impulse buy when Bastl had it on sale. Still trying to figure out how best to utilize it. A bit too fiddly to use as a traditional sampler, going to try using it more as an experimental drone box.

GSM E7 - Great sounding poly synth for the bread and butter sounds. Unique stereo modulation.

Volca Nubass - It’s an acid box with a tube, pretty self-evident why it’s cool.

Yeah this seems to be a larger fediverse issue. Mastodon is constantly telling me the number of related posts for a hashtag is way smaller than the actual number.