PolysixEX Tutorial 3 Programming a Lead Sound

Material: ! Level: ! ! Time:! ! Goals: ! ! PolysixEX Reference Cards and a KORG Kronos. Beginner. 10-15 min. Program a lead sound using the PolysixEX and add Kronos effects.

The

Lea

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This tutorial describes step by step how to program a lead sound with the KORG Kronos PolysixEX. Further, the MG is discussed. This tutorial consists of four parts: 1. Setting up the Basic Sound. 2. Shape the Sound. 3. The Beauty Pass - Kronosication. 4. Summary Schema of all settings.
By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

1. Setting up the Basic Sound

1. Select a free USER Program and set in the Common tab the EXi 1 Instrument Type to PolysixEX. 2. Select the EXi 1 tab. 3. First reset the PolysixEX by setting:
VCO! ! ! ! ! PW/PWM = 0! ! PWM SPEED = 0! ! SUB OSC = OFF! VCA! ! ! ! ! MODE = gate! EG ! ! DECAY = 0 SUSTAIN = 0 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! VCF ! CUTOFF = 5 ! RESONANCE = 0 ! EG INTENSITY = 0 EFFECTS ! MODE = OFF

Reset
Were going for a lead type sound this time. During experimentation a Formant Synth type sound passed by. For those who are born after 1980, heres some background: the Formant Synthesizer, a synth DIY project was published in Elektor magazine between 1977-1979. It was the rst mini analogue synthesizer around with modular construction that could be built at home at an affordable price. I remember looking at it as a kid, but could not afford it. So, I started to build computers instead. This is a completely different story which will not be covered here.

Leave the other values at their default settings.

By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

1. Setting up the Basic Sound

We start with the basic sound source - the VCO - Voltage Controlled Oscillator. 4. Set WAVEFORM = PWM to create a synthy lead sound.

Pulse W idth Modula tion

5. Next, set the Pulse Width by setting PW/PWM = 7. You can hear already a thin lead coming. You can try some settings for the PWM SPEED - the speed of modulation - to create a more wobbly type sound. But for now we leave it on 0. 6. To give the sound a little more body set SUB OSC = 1 OCT.

By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

2. Shaping the Sound

Next you have to shape the sound, by determining which frequencies we want to cut off. For this we look at the VCF - Voltage Controlled Filter.

Resona

nce

7. To make the sound more edgy some resonance has to added to the scene. Resonance emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff frequency. To do that, set RESONANCE = 5 in this case. You can try other values if you like.

Time to shape the sound further with the EG ADSR. See Tutorial 2 Programming a Bass Sound for more information about the ADSR. The sound should have a slight soft start, then decay in medium time to a sustain level. When the key is released create a soft afterglow of some sort. 8. Set of the EG: ATTACK = 1, DECAY = 5, SUSTAIN = 3, and RELEASE = 1. Play some notes ...
By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

Attack Decay

ADSR
Release Sustain

Key down

Key up

2. Shaping the Sound

What?! No difference. Thats because the VCF is not yet shaped by the ADSR. To do this, you have to set the EG INTENSITY of the VCF, i.e. how intensive the EG will inuence the VCF.

Intensit y

9. To do that, select EG INTENSITY and change the value with the value slider slowly from 0 to 3. Notice a soft spot between 1 and 2. For this tutorial set EG INTENSITY = 1.5. Time to shape the sound further with the Modulation Generator MG. Lets add a little wah-wah to our lead sound. As you could read in the Reference Cards, this can be achieved with selecting the VCF as the component that will be modulated by the MG. 10. First, of the MG set MODE = VCF. 11. Then, set LEVEL = 0.5. Remember that level is very sensitive. Just try some higher values to get some wild uctuations. Maybe something for special effects?
By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

Driving

the MG

2. Shaping the Sound

You dont want the wah-wah to start as soon as you touched a key. You want a wah-wah after a short delay (while pressing a key).

wah-w

ah

12. To do that, of the MG set DELAY = 4. Play some notes and hold the keys ... The wah-wah shows after a short while. Nice!

The speed of the wah-wah is controlled by FREQUENCY/TIMES of the MG. Note that when both SYNC are off, this knob controls the frequency of the MG. 13. Select FREQUENCY/TIMES on the screen and change the values using the value slider while playing. Leave FREQUENCY/TIMES = 6. This should give a nice wah-wah. 14. As you remember from Tutorial 2, to set the synth to monophonic: Select the Common tab, then the Basic/Vector tab, and then the Program Basic tab. Look under Voice Assign Mode for Mono. Select it and the white circle gets a red dot inside. Done.
By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

Monop

honic

3. The Beauty Pass - Kronosication

Lets add some nice effects to this basic lead sound and make it Kronos worthy. 15. Select the Common tab. 16. Then the IFX tab, and then the Insert FX subtab. 17. Set IFX1 = On, and select for the effect: 040: Stereo Chorus. 18. Select the IFX 1-12 subtab and then IFX1 (if not selected). 19. Enter the following settings for the Stereo Chorus effect:
OUTPUT ! Wet/Dry: 10:90! We want a chorus type effect. But not the width of it, yet. You could also try Dry (0). ! Amount: +50

Stereo

Chorus

Leave the other values at their default settings.

By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

3. The Beauty Pass - Kronosication

20. Select the Routing subtab. 21. In the Bus Select (IFX/Indiv.Out Assign) section set EXi 1&2 to: IFX1. The Stereo Chorus effect adds thickness and warmth to the sound by modulating the delay time of the input signal. Play some notes. We have a more punchy lead now. More information on the Stereo Chorus can be found on page 927 of the Kronos Parameter Guide. Lets add another effect.

Punch y Lead

By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

3. The Beauty Pass - Kronosication

Left over from tutorial 2 we have a Bass Amp Model + Cabinet standing in the corner. Lets put it to good use. 22. Select the Insert FX subtab. 23. Set IFX2 = On, and select for the effect: 034: Bass Amp Model + Cabinet. 24. Also select the little square under Chain of IFX1. The sound now travels through IFX1 to IFX2 and out. 25. Select subtab IFX 1-12 and side tab (left) IFX2 (if not selected). 26. Enter the following settings for the Bass Amp Model + Cabinet: More information on the Bass Amp Model + Cabinet can be found on page 923 of the Kronos Parameter Guide.

Bass A m p Model + Cabin et

BASS AMP MODEL ! Type: Valve2! CABINET SIMULATION ! Type: UK - 4x15 OUTPUT ! Wet/Dry: 75:25 Leave the other values at their default settings.

Same settings as Tutorial 2. Some effect reuse this is.

By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

3. The Beauty Pass - Kronosication

Hmm, almost there ... lets see what we have in the Effects Library ... The lead should not loose its presence. Nope, O-Verb doesnt sound right. 27. Back to the Insert FX subtab.
Arbitrary selection. You can select another effect.

28. Set IFX3 = On, and select for the effect: 051: Stereo Phaser. This effect creates a swell by shifting the phase. 29. Also select the little square under Chain of IFX2. The sound now travels through IFX2 to IFX3 and out. 30. Select subtab IFX 1-12 and side tab (left) IFX3 (if not selected). 31. Enter the following settings for the Stereo Phaser: More information on the Stereo Phaser can be found on page 936 of the Kronos Parameter Guide.

Stereo

Phaser

OUTPUT ! Wet/Dry: 30:70 (use value slider or knobs) Leave the other values at their default settings.

By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

3. The Beauty Pass - Kronosication

Now its time to play some notes...

Play tim

e...

Experiment with the sound? Try VCF CUTOFF = 4, or RESONANCE = 2, or both. Try VCO SUB OSC = 2 OCT. Try EFFECTS MODE = PHASE or ENSEMBLE.

By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012

KBD

4. Summary Schema
Settings for the Lead Sound in this tutorial. In case you want to quickly program the sound again.

ATTACK DECAY SUSTAIN RELEASE

=1 =5 =3 =1
VCO create raw sound

EG (Envelope Generator) VCF shape the sound MG (Modulation Generator) (wah-wah) VCA amplify the sound

VIBRATO INT = 0 OVTAVE = 8 WAVEFORM = PWM PW/PWM = 7 PWM SPEED = 0 SUB OSC = 1 OCT

CUTOFF = 2 RESONANCE = 5 EG INTENSITY = 1.5 KBD TRACK = 75

MODE = gate ATTENUATOR = 0

MODE FREQ DELAY LEVEL

= VCF =6 =4 = 0.5

EFFECTS apply effects

MODE = OFF SPREAD = 0 SPEED/INTENSITY = 0

KRONOS

IFX1 034: Bass Amp Model + Cabinet BASS AMP MODEL Type: Valve2 CABINET SIMULATION Type: UK - 4x15 OUTPUT Wet/Dry: 75:25

040: Stereo Chorus OUTPUT Wet/Dry: Dry ( = 0)

Amount: +50

IFX2 051: Stereo Phaser OUTPUT Wet/Dry: 30:70

IFX3

By dongfang (Kris Oosting) - November 2012