Sequencer Controlling Synth Pitch

H

HippyGrant

New Member
I'm clearly typing the wong search criteria in - as I'm sure this must be a standard "thing".

I'm trying to use the sequencer to control the pitch (frequency) of the synth block. Now I can get all the control linking to work - ie the the frequency is being controlled by the sequncer - but its completely un musical as at just uses percentages. There must be a way to see the pitch instead of percentage? and The range is so odd that 0% is 40 Hz, 50 % is 400 Hz, and 100% is 4000 Hz.

Do I just need to set up a little spreadsheet with pitch vs percentage?

Huge thanks,

Grant
(New to fractal - but been using studio tech for bloody years)
 
just create one note with the synth and use the arpeggiator in the pitch block instead. it'll stop you going mad, much easier.
 
Hmmm thanks . Thats a shame if that’s the only solution.

Okay. I’ll go and experiment with the arpeggiator more then; but in my head that’s something quite different. A sequencer to me if a far more powerful modulator.

Thanks though.
 
HippyGrant said:
Hmmm thanks . Thats a shame if that’s the only solution.

Okay. I’ll go and experiment with the arpeggiator more then; but in my head that’s something quite different. A sequencer to me if a far more powerful modulator.

Thanks though.
Click to expand...
I mean, an Arpeggiator creates a sequence of intervals in a pattern. Applying the Sequencer to a pitch generator does the same thing, right?

The Sequencer is a generic modifier - that's why it doesn't know the specific notes.

As far as 40Hz-4000Hz I suspect that maybe you've got a Min/Max set to those values in the modifier? Almost every frequency related control in the Fractal world is 20Hz-20KHz.
 
unix-guy said:
As far as 40Hz-4000Hz I suspect that maybe you've got a Min/Max set to those values in the modifier? Almost every frequency related control in the Fractal world is 20Hz-20KHz.
Click to expand...
Synth voices 1 & 2 have freq. control ranges of 40-4000 Hz while voice 3 uses 20-20,000 Hz.

If (for Voice 1 or 2 freq.) you set the modifier scale to 1.2544 and offset to 6.65%, the source % will correspond to piano note number (A440 = note #49) almost exactly. Use the editor to type those values; this allows more precision than the hardware. (A rounded value will be shown afterward but it does save a value closer to what you entered than that implies.) The control will hit min/max just beyond notes 8 and 87 (E1, B7) but you can use the Shift parameter to transpose ±2 octaves. You can also set offset to 24.21% so the usable range begins at 0%, reaching max just above 79%.

Or if you don't need portamento via damping, more than 4 octaves range, any pitches outside of equal temperament, or do want stepped semitone glissando: a Shift modifier with scale at 1.042 or 2.083 will make a semitone correspond to either 2% or 1% source increments. With offset you can adjust the range of usable values (start at 0%, end at 100%, center/0 shift at 50%, something else...) and the frequency control (which shouldn't have a modifier then) becomes the master transpose knob, setting the note you get for shift = 0.
 
unix-guy said:
I mean, an Arpeggiator creates a sequence of intervals in a pattern. Applying the Sequencer to a pitch generator does the same thing, right?

The Sequencer is a generic modifier - that's why it doesn't know the specific notes.

As far as 40Hz-4000Hz I suspect that maybe you've got a Min/Max set to those values in the modifier? Almost every frequency related control in the Fractal world is 20Hz-20KHz.
Click to expand...
Thanks Again,

I think this is my internal programming - I go to a sequencer to do one things and I go to an arperggiator to do another. I've only dipped into the arp function so far; and I suspect from what you've said is that the functionality of the arp is far greater than what I'm expecting.

I'll investigate.

No the Synth freq's were definitly 40-4000 on osc 1 and 2.

Best,

G
 
Bakerman said:
Synth voices 1 & 2 have freq. control ranges of 40-4000 Hz while voice 3 uses 20-20,000 Hz.

If (for Voice 1 or 2 freq.) you set the modifier scale to 1.2544 and offset to 6.65%, the source % will correspond to piano note number (A440 = note #49) almost exactly. Use the editor to type those values; this allows more precision than the hardware. (A rounded value will be shown afterward but it does save a value closer to what you entered than that implies.) The control will hit min/max just beyond notes 8 and 87 (E1, B7) but you can use the Shift parameter to transpose ±2 octaves. You can also set offset to 24.21% so the usable range begins at 0%, reaching max just above 79%.

Or if you don't need portamento via damping, more than 4 octaves range, any pitches outside of equal temperament, or do want stepped semitone glissando: a Shift modifier with scale at 1.042 or 2.083 will make a semitone correspond to either 2% or 1% source increments. With offset you can adjust the range of usable values (start at 0%, end at 100%, center/0 shift at 50%, something else...) and the frequency control (which shouldn't have a modifier then) becomes the master transpose knob, setting the note you get for shift = 0.
Click to expand...
You are a legend!!

I'd come into the stusio early this morning to start on my exel spreadsheet of note pitches and frequencies.

Huge thanks and I'll start playing.

G
 
Evening guys,

Just finished a portion of CC's FM9 MasterClass regards Synth-Bass (20.9?) and happened to spot this thread. Like @HippyGrant, my hope is to utilize the Sequencer and Arpeggiator with a low frequency bass synth. The focus is to target bass notes in sequence, and create several bars of bass synth pads, or, with more functionality, slowly arpeggiated walking bass lines. The bass pad might last for several seconds until changing note, or a walking bass line a 12 bar blues...

Any helpful suggestions would be welcome...
 
that's three different things that require three different approaches. there are presets floating around that do all of those things. i think even a couple of the factory presets. isn't there one that does the pink floyd sequenced synth bit from on the run?
for pads turn tracking off. control pitch with the frequency parameter controlled by the scene controller (fremen has a bunch of these)
use the arpeggiator for fast sequences of notes and probably for the walking lines. if you want the synth to play by itself, then turn tracking off, set the note to your root note and find another way to control the volume
 
Also consider whether it would work for you to use the pitch block to do the pitch change rather than the synth block itself, since the ‘harmony’ setting in the pitch block increments in whole numbers (which is what I did on one synth block where I wanted to use controllers to change the pitch but always have it be chromatic or diatonic).
 
Rumbletone said:
Also consider whether it would work for you to use the pitch block to do the pitch change rather than the synth block itself, since the ‘harmony’ setting in the pitch block increments in whole numbers (which is what I did on one synth block where I wanted to use controllers to change the pitch but always have it be chromatic or diatonic).
Click to expand...
The synth 'shift' parameter also works if someone just needs semitone quantization.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom