Dual VCO / DVCO

Noisebuddy · July 21, 2018, 6:38am

yesterday i installed the new OS for the AR and i was very satisfied, it will take some time to get my mind around it but it sounds very nice and organic … the oscillators are very beefy to my ears

although it might crazy to think about it that way but the whole machine reminds me a bit on the Waldorf RackAttack drum-synthesizer I’ve had many years ago … people who know this Waldorf may have similar thoughts

a drum-synthesizer with similar architecture but on DSP with extreme beefy oscillators and a multimode-filter

but back on topic: i found, that the whole machine has reached a new level, also Elektron may have improved the compressor … I don’t know how to say but it works slightly different now

Eleks · July 21, 2018, 8:46am

Hello,

I don’t understand this new DVCO feature. It’s like a new oscillator? How it’s possible?

avantronica · July 21, 2018, 9:48am

It’s (they’re) not new, the oscillators are part of the existing voice circuit building blocks, they’re just being used(configured) in a different way now, creating a new ‘machine’ type - the bottom row of 3 voices / 4 tracks contains the most flexible/sophisticated voice circuits - that’s why the DVCO appears here and why it can’t appear elsewhere

Whether other voices can eventually be given new (simpler) general synthesis machines is another matter, seems unlikely imho, but time will tell

Eleks · July 21, 2018, 12:15pm

Alright but what I don’t understand is how many oscillators (physical?) are in the AR. The manual say 1 sound generator.

natrixgli · July 21, 2018, 5:30pm

I’m currently quite struck by the Dual VCO engine’s percussive potential. I’ve been enjoying resampling the “body” of snare drums from Dual VCO in (FM?) mode onto a pad and layering it with the noise engine, getting almost physical modelling type sounds similar to my Nord Drum 2.

This new engine plus the ability to sample has really opened it up for me and made it a much more complete sound design platform.

EDIT: Oooh sample the noise, add it to a DVCO sine/tri FM track, and turn the volume of the sample down, then apply velocity mod to it’s volume. Add synth machine decay to taste depending on how much ring you like with your toms!

Very expressive toms! Sysex & sample attached. (same sample for both sounds)

DVCO_NZ_TOM_HI.syx (207 Bytes)
DVCO_NZ_TOM_MED.syx (207 Bytes)
NOISE BURST.wav (57 KBytes)

PeterHanes · July 21, 2018, 12:43pm

The “sound generators” differ between the tracks. They have different numbers of oscillators that can be configured in different ways to make the various “machines”.

You can read more in section 8.2 of the manual “Machines”.

The various configurations are described in Appendix D.

This system is derived from how old analog drum machine sounds were made: for example, look on the internet to see how different numbers of oscillators were used for the different drum sounds in the old Roland TR-808.

Eleks · July 21, 2018, 12:36pm

I understand! Thank you very much!

avantronica · July 22, 2018, 5:44pm

6 posts were merged into an existing topic: Prepping samples by cutting bass?

AdamJay · July 25, 2018, 8:01pm

Can anyone with both Rytm and Monologue comment on how the DVCO compares to Monologue?

On the face of it, there are a lot of similarities.
Single LFO, motion record (p-locks), two osc, snappy/percussive envelope.

DVCO as a synth gains extra filter envelope, multi-mode filter, some FX, sample layer as 3rd osc/noise, and a deeper sequencer with all the trimmings.
Monologue gains wave shaping, keys, and a great knobby interface.

Thinking I could maybe let Monologue go if I have a Rytm again.

JuanSOLO · July 25, 2018, 8:33pm

I don’t have a monologue, but a lot of my friends do, and I’ve played with a few of them.
If I had a monologue, it would be for sale now just because of this update.

The_N_Y · July 25, 2018, 9:35pm

what am i missing? i cannot get a pleasing sound out of this dvco. tips? tricks? can’t wait to get the digitione for BASS

JuanSOLO · July 25, 2018, 9:37pm

I dont know, I found about 80 pleasing sounds just leaving everything at default and scrolling through the configs ¯_(ツ)_/¯

massornament · July 25, 2018, 10:21pm

go slow, my guy.
experiment.
start with a blank DVCO synthesis page.
vary the oscillator configurations and note the basic sound characteristics that each configuration makes.

find one that is pleasing to you and dive in.

change the decay time of each oscillator, as well as their respective tune/detune parameters.
consider the levels of the two oscillators and attenuate or boost using balance. in combination with the decay of each oscillator you can get some nice over articulated or soft transients from one of the oscillators.

the filter is extremely important to coax a good sound out of it imo. slap a pk filter on it with some resonance.

edit:the BEND parameter i believe is what you’re looking for; +values for a more stabby attack. this in conjunction with a pk filter with a low freq cutoff value and a generous amount resonance and overdrive should get you an m-80 in a tub.

try some overdrive.

note/save any sort of settings you have.
repeat the process detailed above.
come back to your saved patches and tweak them some more.

Christopher · July 25, 2018, 10:04pm

Some things I found when playing with them.

Some waves only sound good when the osc are unison pitch.
Some waves sound better when osc one is higher / lower.
Some waves sound better when osc two is higher / lower.
The decay parameters are often crucial to a good sound. Try treating one as the attack portion by setting it very short and letting the other ring out. If it doesn’t sound good swap them.

AdamJay · July 25, 2018, 9:58pm

#protips!

xidnpnlss · July 25, 2018, 10:10pm

All great tips.

I found this machine to take to overdrive the most of the others.

I found myself more often using slight detune. The default is at some crazy number. My favorite parameter is BAL. Assign it to any of the ARs modulation sources to get nice movement. A slight BND is nice too.

I never use Peak filter. I should try that out.

xidnpnlss · July 25, 2018, 10:12pm

3 (or 4) voices!

Christopher · July 25, 2018, 10:28pm

While the VCO’s are nothing short of amazing I would still always want at least one dedicated synth lying around. As you said, keys + knobby goes a long way.

Maybe it’s because they are enclosed in an elektron box but I find them best for tight sequenced bass lines. Higher pitch material I don’t think is their strong point but some wave shapes are ok. Not to mention they physically can not do pads.

Overall the VCO’s are very limited, but in a really pleasing and creative way. However if you like to get down into knitty gritty patch creation you are gonna miss a dedicated synth.

Zheygro · July 26, 2018, 1:01pm

I’ve been doing a lot with pads 3 & 4 using say a deep, growly patch on pad 3 and a more resonant/squelchy patch on pad 4, and then taking advantage of how those two voices cut each other off. Long notes with the deep patch, then have it cut off by short stabs of the squelchy one. Throw some reverb on the deep one & some ping-pong delay on the squelchy one… plock the hell out of any sequence I make (bend is fun for that)… then sit back and marvel at how the ensuing madness was all created with one voice on a drum machine.

sovietpop · July 26, 2018, 1:08pm

I really like the DVCO machine. Lots of possibilities.
The balance param and the envs are very important when using FM config.
Ring mod is very nice too, you can get a nice square wave OSC using ring mod.

Its really a bass machine though , i cant get “in tune” high pitched sounds specially when using SAW wave. I’ve tried to calibrate it a few time but i’Ve always got tuning problem.