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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 12:03 pm Post subject: Programming analog synths
When time allows (rarely) I've been poking around trying to get a handle on the basics of programming analog synths. Watched a lot of videos on old school 70s / 80s instruments and was beginning to get comfortable with the concepts.
A while back I asked here about the best analog engine on the Kronos for these baby steps and everyone pointed me to the AL-1 engine. Time passes, life happens, and I eventually get back around to it.
I'd looked at it before watching synth basic tutorials and it was just pages of geekness. Now that I've seen what a lot of the old (and newer) synths do and can tell an OSC from an envelope, I fired it up again. After watching videos of a lot of dedicated modern synth keyboards / VSTs, I wasn't sure how this compared to them feature-wise since it's just one engine in a much larger creature.
Holy cow.
Even before you get into two EXi layers, one alone is everything I've familiarized myself with thus far and more.
My background is guitar, so most of my time on the K has been playing piano just trying to build some chops. I'd intentionally avoided synth stuff because it's easy to fool myself into thinking I can play when it's the synth sounds doing all the heavy lifting.
I'm still not a keyboard player (or Jedi) yet, but I'm finally moving along to the point where I can take some time away from piano to play with the synth engines. This is some seriously cool stuff.
It was very considerate of Korg to place a bright red sticker on the screen saying, "Caution: Deep Rabbit Hole Ahead. Bring Snacks." _________________ Studio: Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Yamaha TF5 | Mackie MCU | CMC AI, QC
Keyboard Station: Kronos 2 88 | Fantom 7 | JV 2080 | Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Focusrite 18i20 | CMC TP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Duncan
Atlanta, GA, USA, Earth
AL-1 is a complex synthesizer with a more complex user interface.
The basic principles of virtual-analog synthesis are almost the same in all synthesizers. You have oscillators, envelopes, filters and LFOs.
For beginners I recommend using Polysix, this synth is much easier than AL-1 and it has a more intuitive user interface.
Thanks, man. I'll look at the Polysix as well.
I bought the Kronos as my beginner keyboard because I figured I wouldn't outgrow it anytime soon. There's always going to be the next cool new toy on the market but I can't imagine this thing not serving my needs for many years to come.
Plus, you know, really great sounding pianos. _________________ Studio: Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Yamaha TF5 | Mackie MCU | CMC AI, QC
Keyboard Station: Kronos 2 88 | Fantom 7 | JV 2080 | Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Focusrite 18i20 | CMC TP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Duncan
Atlanta, GA, USA, Earth
I see the complexity of the Kronos dedicated synth engines in this order :
- Polysix
- MS-20
- AL-1
- STR-1
- MOD-7
For the other engines :
- SGX-2
- EP-1
- CX-3
- HD-1
I consider HD-1 to be almost as complex as AL-1, but of course in different ways. As mentioned, always work one EXi at a time in any program. Of course, you can explore all the engines in any order, but for less advanced users, it's good to feel you can progress more quickly in a simpler engine. Then confidence will help in the next one.
It's true that it's easier to master the most complex engines when you have experience in hardware analog/digital synth programming. I consider myself advanced in that stuff, except for FM synthesis which always gave me headaches , so for me the MOD-7 remains the most difficult to digest.
For subtractive synthesis, even with a monster machine like AL-1, the basics stay the same, so always : oscillator, filter, amplifier, envelopes, modulation. Then the other things available, etc. The AL-1 is my very favorite for the synth sound possibilities and second best for me is the MS-20 with its interface + patch panel and for certain particular sounds which complement the AL-1.
So to me, I actually see the AL-1 as an enormous modular system. Our friend Chrutil created his free AL-1 editor exactly in this fashion, so if you have a PC I strongly recommend it. Imagine owning a gigantic hardware modular with this interface (click this link : https://i.postimg.cc/kXpNRkZP/AL-1.jpg). And remember a Kronos combi can multiply this by 16.
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 8:00 pm Post subject: Re: Programming analog synths
ChrisDuncan wrote:
A while back I asked here about the best analog engine on the Kronos for these baby steps and everyone pointed me to the AL-1 engine. Time passes, life happens, and I eventually get back around to it.
That maybe wasn't the best adivise you were given, AL1 is pretty complex and not particularly direct, as in twist a knob and see what happens.
As KK says look at the PolySix and the MS20, once mastered AL1 will be waiting.
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 8:27 pm Post subject: Re: Programming analog synths
BobTheDog wrote:
ChrisDuncan wrote:
A while back I asked here about the best analog engine on the Kronos for these baby steps and everyone pointed me to the AL-1 engine. Time passes, life happens, and I eventually get back around to it.
That maybe wasn't the best adivise you were given, AL1 is pretty complex and not particularly direct, as in twist a knob and see what happens.
As KK says look at the PolySix and the MS20, once mastered AL1 will be waiting.
Hey, Bob.
Somehow missed this reply. Thanks very much for the help. So much to learn, but it's a really nice group of folks here. _________________ Studio: Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Yamaha TF5 | Mackie MCU | CMC AI, QC
Keyboard Station: Kronos 2 88 | Fantom 7 | JV 2080 | Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Focusrite 18i20 | CMC TP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Duncan
Atlanta, GA, USA, Earth
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, so for me the MOD-7 remains the most difficult to digest.
