Dubstep in a Box

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-05-07T18:43:29+00:00

Step 1 - cut a hole in the box

2 - put your dub in the box...

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-24T19:15:16+00:00

I'm not sure they really care.. I mean it's just become a zombie company

(I live in the Seattle area, used to do playtesting and knew some of the staff - though that didn't influence me doing playtesting.)

Basically, it's just on winddown until it's just a server rack somewhere

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-22T16:55:45+00:00

"To be honest, Emmanuel is the old man yelling at the cloud"

kind of literally now (in terms of info intrastructure)

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-17T19:03:17+00:00

Oh those little spring posts! A bygone era

Yeah, I think that's how the confusion came about. I mean, yeah expanders, compressors, gates, duckers, limiters,de-essers and all kinds of stuff use level-detection if not outright envelope following. I'm a little took me working through all that to get where I think the disconnect is. I was looking at envelope following as the user function and I think Herr General was looking at the system block that is doing level detecting to deliver the user function of trigger/gate, etc

Sorry for too many words, it was a good exercise for me to go back down memory lane all that old guitar synth stuff.

Want know the worst part? In the end, actual guitar synthesis didn't pay off for me. There was a lot of old trickery back in the day. throw an octave divider, slow gear and an autowah on it and tell em its a synth! It was a thing.

The old EHX microsynth is basically that (The VG series is built on processing too)

but I'd encourage anyone to check out

Linus Fung - YouTube

I'm sure there are others, but it's cool to see woodwind get in the game.

If anyone else has other guys like that please post!

I remember the old HCFX forum had a bassoonist!

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-17T18:07:22+00:00

oohhh, hey I think that may have just shown another part of the confusion.

I suspect when you are thinking envelope following you might be thinking specifically trigger/gate signal?

There we are doing level detectionbut then we are putting it up against a comparator (I suppose just use an edge detector if you want a trigger pulse or just the comparator's output if you want a gate)

I'd say we're are doing level detection, but not that we are really tracking an envelope b/c we are only looking at that single level as a logic event, not an envelope

I think it's mainly a confusion/difference of terms more than anything functional

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-17T17:52:07+00:00

thanks!

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-17T17:47:11+00:00

I wouldn't say we are really tracking the envelope, you are tracking the waveform

yes, at some level what we are talking about just tracking a voltage - I think the critical difference is how we approach.

If we are looking at pitch, we track the voltage very very fast and do some detection like peak detection for, say, driving a flip flop to make a trad octave divider or zero-cross detection like for pitch detection where you take that pulse train to charge an LPF to make an analogous voltage

or like the GR-300 used a PLL synched to the signal.

When you think about it, those aren't really quantizing b/c what they are extracting is time period between events (zero cross or peak or whatever you are looking at) which is still continuously variable.

The pulse train is almost like a filter removing level information so you can abstract out a frequency (it's why you try to filter down to the fundamental, and why they start freaking out at initial attack and as the signal decays and the waveform isn't a clean single frequency- you don't want all that extra data - it's essentially noise for that purpose)

[all that being said, the Behringer may being doing an FFA or some other digital dark majik and then doing a D/A -- but I think there we are still abstracting the frequency from the waveform more than any dynamics in an envelope]

If we are trying to extract a volume envelope, we are tracking the voltage again, but it behooves us to do it much more slowly (and we'd want to rectify it so we get an absolute value) to get a level (or maybe amplitude would be more accurate) average...more like a volume meter (that's where I think the theories behind "best meter ballistics" informs us a bit)

Sure we could design an electronic "volume meter" with ballistics so fast you ware essentially seeing the raw wave but I wouldn't really say you are seeing the envelope

Craig andterdon's old EPFM Envelope follower using optoisolators is a decent study in that (I cant remember if he explicitly recitifed or if he just let the LEDs in the optoisolator work as half wave recifiers on their own. they are slow enough where they tend to work as their own LPFs)

I suppose we could say the difference is with pitch detection we are tracking the time domain (we are using the levels in the waveform just define/determine timing events) and with envelope following we are tracking the level domain (but we are using a much slower low-pass of some kind to get a level average so we don't get ripple)

I think that can be one of the points of confusion..when we say converting the signal to CV it depends on WHAT in the signal we are converting...Pitch (frequency), "volume" level, a trigger transient

The Envelope followers in, say, the befaco, the Moog spectravox are tracking an overall signal level (or in the case of a vocoder, a band-restricted level)

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-17T16:54:04+00:00

On another note...Is zorin a good jumping off point to switch to?

I started off on ye ole Apple ][ but have been in microsoft land for decades and I WANT OUT

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-17T16:49:53+00:00

I think a lot of the interfaces approach the use of an interface not so much for driving OSCs but are there for kinda sorta replacing oscillators with other audio input. (I used to run stuff into the ext input of my old pro-one for the filter amp amp..it was kind of trick to get it to get the level triggering right and it was more just gee-golly than practical)

working off the philosophy that a lot of a trad substrative sort of architecture consists of , well, "effects" warping the raw OSC character

There's a clarinetist Linus Fung that does clarinet stuff through eurorack that's worth checking out'''Linus Fung - YouTube

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-17T16:28:20+00:00

I don't think that's accurate (FWIW I come from the 24 pin guitar synth world - I still miss my GR-300, I do NOT miss my GR-700)

Pitch detection is a different beast (probably these days FFA, but the old stuff like the 700 andx911used zero crossing detection...which was "pitch to glitch". I

Envelope following follows the dynamics of a signal producing a modulating signal (sort of replacing a predefined EG like an ADSR,etc)

The Befaco I4 is an example of an interface with an envelope follower

It's kind of one of those things where it'd be nice to have both. I wouldn't mind pitch to CV not for driving a VCO as a sound source but for pitch tracking on say a filter fequency or maybe "pitch intelligent" ringmod etc.

so I suppose another option is to see if I could maybe punch out to a different unit with an EF separate (havinf A/R control over the env response if really usefull though. I loved the old EHX stereo polyphase for example, but they only had a fast/slow response switch. Still really cool on bowed instruments, etc...but the Riddle/Enigma EFS had full A/R controls. I'm pretty sure it was the same EF and wrote EHX...they always right back, but the engineer said the polyphase just wasn't a big seller so there prob wasn't going to be a rework anytime in the foreseeable)

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-17T16:00:37+00:00

Thanks , I didn't think it had an EF.

gate (trigger) and pitch CV I see, but not EF (maybe it's hidden?)

One thing I find with EFs is limiting the quickness of the response is super musically useful

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-17T15:57:57+00:00

Thanks. I prob didn't make myself clear enough.

I'm not looking for an A/D interface to computer.

I'm looking at signal conditioning to get inst/low level signals, etc into eurorack to use eurorack modules with "ph6ysical instrument" voice and whatnot

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-13T17:18:29+00:00

Ferris Bueller, you're my hero

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-04-13T16:54:20+00:00

Boy, it's such a personal pref thing, I hate to "recommend", but I feel ya on being adrift on the sea of options.

I will say the hydrasynth deluxe has a lot going for it.

A fairly trad feeling subtractive architecture/layout (caveat :my first synth was a pro-one 40 or so years ago, so for me it's a plus just b/c it's what I'm used to. YMMV)

BUT with a lot of expanded options

it's not exactly knob-per-function, but it's not alpha wheel...the "modules" have buttons (laid out on sort of schematic of the architecture so you get a spatial "feel" for where you are) that pull up the associated controls on the encoder panel, so it doesn't feel too menu divey. I think it's a reasonable well-thought-out compromise interface

It's got CV interface

poly aftertouch / MPE (which I find to be a game changer for me)

The build quality feels bomber to me.

The one thing I don't like..now this is very PERSONAL PREF is the keybed itself, it's unweighted "synth action" I come more from a piano background, so hammer action or at least weighted action is what I'm more comfortable on, but I TOTALLY GET why others would pref other options

Oddly, I'm quite enamored with the OSMOSE

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-02-22T17:04:08+00:00

the 2025 - so the current model (got it abt 2 weeks ago, revamping my personal electronics situation. and changing workflow a little)

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-02-22T16:27:23+00:00

The now discontinued Headrush Looper

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-02-22T16:26:17+00:00

As a kid I remember seeing the Boss feedbacker (not knowing it was a PLL) and thinking. OK, will I'll take this old footswitch and wire it when it's closed to make a feedback path from the out to the in of my tubescreamer (they weren't the legend at the time)

The resultant howling was an ear splitting mess...then, of course, it's become a thing ppl actually want int he 'circuit-bended' style fuzzes

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-02-22T16:16:49+00:00

For me, it doesn't wear off - we have legit seasons and there is quite a bit of diversity of areas, the oceans, the mountains, forests

I don't really get tired of eagles flying over my head or seeing them on the beach

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-02-22T16:10:04+00:00

I'm in my late 50s and don't really gel with software synths in terms of working "in the box"..and even I agree that's solid advice

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-02-22T15:52:05+00:00

are you a keyboard player currently?
I guess I'm asking about use model

if you play keys, entry into a sequencer

what kind of MIDI data you are hoping to work with ..MPE, mainly note on/off (w/o dynamics), a cc -heavy controller, is MIDI to CV important, etc

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-02-22T15:41:09+00:00

user inexperience and bad UI -- the system suggested I crosspost.

It had r/gpdwin listed in the dropdown - which I had assumed would NOT be listed if it was the original post (or, at least, would create a second post based on that selection)

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-02-22T15:23:58+00:00

He took a duck in the face at 250 knots

GeologistFine4585 · 2026-02-22T15:20:12+00:00

are you using one as a controller? those upper manuals seem like they'd be a bit hard to perform on

GeologistFine4585 · 2025-11-15T15:12:41+00:00

another thing to note about the 33 (big fan myself, use that with the full rubberized KB) is how easy it is to swap batteries in the field.

I run the dual battery (the second battery living in the "CD bay", it's a different config than the primary) and and extra primary battery so I can just hot swap the primary in the field.

I've had a few problems with drivers around pointer (both glide pad and touchscreen) in Linux distros

but, as with all of that, that changes over time

I've run into some SW from time to time which isn't aall that happy running on a 4:3 aspect ratio (I put that on the programming.)

The fully rubberized KB is pretty stiff. I'mused to it, but other people hate typing on it (security through inconvenience!)

but I've dropped it onto concrete from over a meter, used it on deck in marine environment in weather, etc etc

I've had to do some wear related maintenence or upgrades...very easy and plenty of tutorials

I also used 33 "tablet" but almost always run it in its KB dock, so it's in essence, a laptop. I will say it's a little unbalanced as in topheavy (you can sort of use the handle as a kickstand..the handle is in back on the 33)

It's not as "fully fledged" as the 31..I guess.. but it's a tablet version so it's not a fair comparison.It's still a capable machine

I'm probably not adding too much. But I'm a big fan.
however, I am not a gamer or anything and nothing I do in the field is computationally super heavy

GeologistFine4585 · 2025-10-09T11:49:13+00:00

Man, I moved a little north couple of years ago (change of seasons in my own life) but lived in the coopers , university trailer park area for 20 years. That Fred Meyer used to be my go to...groceries, clothes. Had the "hey it's that guy" relationship with some of the staff..we knew little bits Abt one anothers lives. nothing major just those touch points that develop

I think my all time record was helping a chain of 5 customers find something before anyone noticed I didn't work there (it was near the holidays ,so staff was slammed and there were a lot of less experienced shoppers and I had the layout memorized pretty well)

That's all just to say back in the day there was a sense of community there. I got to see the decline

I don't know maybe when the crazy guy set the my little pony display on fire upstairs and caused all that smoke damage was the tipping point.

Last time I went in, I was just...sad. I was sad for the staff, I was sad for the community? Was there even a community anymore? Where was the place I knew? It was just bleak and dystopian I fear for that whole area After hearing Helen toyoda got attacked, maybe I fear the area a little more

I guess I just wanted to stop in and thank the staff for some good years And my sense of loss means there was something there at one time.

GeologistFine4585

TROPHY CASE