Synth : how to get accurate trills with LFO or Sequencer?

fractalz

Power User
I'm trying to create a patch for the Cranberries "Dreams" which has a crazy oscillating drone under the bridge...

It sounds like it is harmonized trills (two voices) so I think I can achieve it with a synth block. My challenge is that when I set the "shift" modifier to the LFO and set my min / max values, I'm getting fractional pitch shifts.

The min / max knobs display integer values, but it appears that under the covers it is running through fractional values.

I've always had a love/hate relationship with the "Edit Modifier" window in that you can't type in exact values (or, at least, I've never figured out how to do it on MacOS). The up/down arrows on the keyboard jump from full counter-clockwise to full-clockwise. If I hold down Command and use up/down, it advances by 5. Wonderful :(

I thought maybe I could use the sequencer but I'd have to translate 0-100% into where my pitch values lie... Painful...

Thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
 
Adjusting min/max on the AX8 (not editor) should snap to semitones.

FYI ctrl+arrow adjusts in semitones with Axe-Edit & Axe-FX II. Sometimes it can go into a state where the usual sysex commands give larger jumps. I'm not sure what causes that but it's always after a bit of editor use. This just happened and ctrl + arrow was moving shift in 5-semitone steps. Switching presets seems to be the fix, so maybe try the editor again with that in mind.

Min/max values can also be typed with FracPad with 1-cent precision, which could be useful for justly-tuned intervals. (It might be finer than 1 cent; I'm not sure if extra digits get rounded to the nearest cent.)
 
I would use the sequencer and just have it at 0 and 100%. Then you can set the notes as min and Max in the synth modifier window (I think, I have not tried it). It is also easy to set the tempo like this
 
Adjusting min/max on the AX8 (not editor) should snap to semitones.

FYI ctrl+arrow adjusts in semitones with Axe-Edit & Axe-FX II. Sometimes it can go into a state where the usual sysex commands give larger jumps. I'm not sure what causes that but it's always after a bit of editor use. This just happened and ctrl + arrow was moving shift in 5-semitone steps. Switching presets seems to be the fix, so maybe try the editor again with that in mind.

Min/max values can also be typed with FracPad with 1-cent precision, which could be useful for justly-tuned intervals. (It might be finer than 1 cent; I'm not sure if extra digits get rounded to the nearest cent.)

I'll give it a try on the AX8 and switching patches in the editor. Thanks!
 
just had a listen. i don't hear two voices, only one. and i also don't hear it oscillating between two fixed intervals. all i hear is one voice with a fast lfo attached to frequency...?
 
just had a listen. i don't hear two voices, only one. and i also don't hear it oscillating between two fixed intervals. all i hear is one voice with a fast lfo attached to frequency...?

I hear that LFO as approximately a half-step. If I play a trill between D5 and D#5, I get a close match, so I started there. I might be hearing harmonics or a resonance against something else going on.

The chords are G and Cadd9 so the D makes sense...

If you want to nerd out, here's an analyzer with a section of the bridge isolating just that trill:
 

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D is more like the pitch center. Try setting a voice to that D (587 Hz) with sine/triangle LFO on detune for ±50 cent or narrower vibrato.

To match album you could have a shift modifier quickly glide from around C up to D when this is activated, and delay the vibrato start with damped LFO depth modifier.

This sounds like a "hoo" vocal to me, with hold/vibrato possibly done via sampler or delay.
 
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