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Manny’s Modulation Manifesto: Ensemble Brass Voices

Written by Manny Fernandez on May 16, 2018. Posted in Synth Programming.

To get the sound of more than one ‘instrument’ playing when we play a single note, we need to hear two or more sound sources with slight detuning when we play a single key. For this example, we’re going to recreate the classic bright, analog style synth brass. Reference the Voice “Synth Brass Tutorial Voice” on Soundmondo along with its linked video (you can also click this ‘Reface DX synth brass example‘ on YouTube).

The components for this type of sound are fairly simple, and break down as follows: Two detuned sawtooth waveforms with a moderately quick attack, a fully loud and bright sustain, with velocity dynamic for loudness brightness set to your taste. Thus, I’m going to start with Algorithm 8, which has two Carriers — Operators 1 & 3, each with their own single Modulators — Ops 2 & 4. Another quick detour on some more terminology I’ll be using going forward in these articles and the accompanying videos: I refer to Operators that connect vertically as ‘stacked.’ So Algorithm 8 has Ops 1 & 2 creating the first stack, and then Ops 3 & 4 make up a second stack of Operators.

I will refer to Algorithm 8 as having two 2-Op stacks. I refer to Operators that connect horizontally as ‘branched’. Thus in our first brass example Voice using Algorithm 5, we had 3 horizontally arranged ‘branched’ operators — Ops 2, 3 & 4. This created a 3 Modulator branch combining into Op 1.

In Yamaha FM synths, there’s no such thing as ‘branched’ Carriers as they don’t connect with other Carrier — with the exception of the SY/TG77 and SY99. Their AFM synthesis engine allows for re-patching of up to three operator connections and a Carrier operator can be patched to also be a Modulator to another Carrier operator. In later articles we’ll go into depth with the differences you get when you use stacked Modulators versus branched Modulators. The fundamental difference is that branches allow for independent control of the harmonic contribution that particular Operator has on the sound, as I showed in both the first brass example Voice, as well as the “Wave Example” Voice from the first article. Reface DX also has algorithms with shared Modulators where an Operator simultaneous modulates two or three different Carriers at the same time, which I’ll talk about in a future article.

So back to our synth brass example. Ops 1 & 2 make up one stack, and Ops 3 & 4 comprise another stack. Because Algorithm 8 has these two independent stacks, to use analog synth terminology we have now created a “two oscillator Voice.” To get an ensemble type synth sound we will be detuning the OP 1 & 2 stack from the Op 3 & 4 stack. In this tutorial Voice I’ve set the detune to +4 on the Op 1 & 2 stack and set the detune to -4 on the Op 3 & 4 stack to create our ensemble style detuned ‘multi oscillator’ analog type sound. All the Frequency Ratios are set to 1.00 to create all the overtone series of a sawtooth type wave. Note I’ve set the Modulator’s Levels and Feedback to similar values, but not exactly the same as having slightly different timbres between the two stacks will better emulate the effect of two different instruments playing at once.

You’ll see I set the first stack Modulator Op 2 with higher a Level and lower Feedback compared to the second stack Modulator Op 4 which less Level and greater Feedback. To get some more ear experience, turn off Op 3 to just hear the sound of Op’s 1 & 2 and play a few notes. Then turn Op 3 back on and turnoff Op 1 to hear just Ops 3 & 4 and play some more notes, and toggle back and forth turning Ops 1 & 3 off and on to hear the difference. You can see and hear me doing this in the video link at ‘Reface DX synth brass example‘. Again, play around with the Level and Feedback values of Op’s 2 & 4 to tweak to your taste. Also as in our first solo brass example Voice, both Carrier Ops 1 & 3 have a little bit of Feedback.

For the attack bite we don’t have any Operators left to create any ‘stuff’ like the lip flutter or inharmonic components that we created in our solo brass example. So for this Voice I’ve used the Pitch Envelope to rapidly bend the pitch up and down during the attack:

But you’ll also see the PEG section; I’ve only turned on the Pitch Envelopes for Ops 3 & 4. This creates a momentary exaggerated detune between the Operator stacks to create the attack bite. Toggle the Pitch EG off and on for both Ops 3 & 4 to hear the difference in the attack when the Pitch EG is active. This is also demonstrated in the video link. I’m going to finish with another Effect trick that helps ‘brassify’ a sound. This time I’m going to use the Delay Effect set to a moderate Depth but use a very short delay Time setting, a value short enough that I can’t hear it as an actual echo. In the synth brass tutorial Voice, set Effect 1 to Delay, and you’ll see it comes up with a depth of 30 and a Time of 6. The very short delay Time creates a phase cancellation effect in the sound, which makes it more harsh or metallic in tone. Try various Depths from 10-40 with Times from 0 to about 10 or 12. Remember, you want to set them so the delayed signal is set short enough and not too loud so your ear will not hear it as an actual ‘echo’ in the sound.

I’ve uploaded some additional brass Voices to Soundmondo to study what I’ve discussed in this article. To hear a fully tweaked-out sound using the approach discussed in the first brass tutorial Voice example, check out “Flugel Spit.” For a different approach to attack “stuff” check out “Mellow Trumpet 2” and “Trumpet Fanfare 2.” For some fully tweaked out sounds using the approach discussed in the synth brass tutorial Voice example, check out “Detune Saws” as well as at “Horn Swells” and “CS80-ish.”

Until next time, play around and have fun!

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A little bit about the Author:

Manny Fernandez has been involved with sound programming and synthesizer development for over 30 years. Initially self taught on an ARP Odyssey and Sequential Pro-One, he also studied academically on Buchla modular systems in the early 80’s. With a solid background in analog synthesis, he then dove into digital systems with release of the original DX7. Along with his aftermarket programming for Sound Source Unlimited, Manny is well known for his factory FM programming work on Yamaha’s DX7II, SY77, SY99, FS1R and DX200 as well as the VL1 and VL70 physical modeling synthesizers.

Halsey’s Greg Spero talks music and MONTAGE

Written by Blake Angelos on May 16, 2018. Posted in MONTAGE.

Yamahasynth.com (YS): Tell us about your musical background (school, influences, etc.).

Greg Spero (GS): My musical background is a kaleidoscope of many different styles. Growing up, my dad was a keyboardist/producer for rock bands while my mom was a classical piano teacher. I remember lying in bed at night listening to Kevin Lee and the Lonesome City Kings. I loved the music so much because it represented my father to me. My dad was on the road for the very early part of my childhood, but his music always kept him close to me.

As I was growing up, I would hear my mom playing romantic era repertoire like Debussy, Rachmaninoff, and Chopin and her students playing baroque and classical pieces from Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. We had a small house, and the piano was central, so wherever I was I heard what was being played. I also heard the piano exercises repeated over and over. I heard all this throughout my childhood right when I was developing speech, learning to read, write, etc. It all became part of my brain’s vocabulary! Naturally, I would sit down and try to sound out what I remembered from all the music I was growing up with. At the age of three, I started plunking out melodies, figuring things out and playing some basic coherent music on the piano.

In middle school and grade school, I would write songs that I’d sing and play on the piano. Then in high school, I discovered jazz through my band director – Dr. Brame. That sparked my life-long obsession with the genre and my constant need to challenge myself musically, always seeking what was next. I majored in Jazz Piano Performance and Music Composition at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. At the same time, I was being mentored by Robert Irving III, the music director and keyboardist for Miles Davis during the ’80s comeback era.

After graduating college, I sought out Herbie Hancock, and he became my mentor on both a musical and spiritual level. He taught me that music is more than the technicality that goes into it, and that if your music is going to be a true expression of greatness, your life and existence as a human being will have to be that same thing.

YS: What is your current keyboard setup with Halsey?

GS: The centerpiece of my setup with Halsey is the MONTAGE 8. That is my favorite keyboard released thus far, and has the best user interface and functionality for stage that I’ve found from any of the keyboard companies. Then to the right above that is an MX49, and to the left of that a Moog Little Phatty for some analog synth sounds. Everything is attached to MainStage on an Apple laptop, which I used to layer and affect sounds from the keyboards.

I use an FC4 foot pedal for sustain, an FC5 for switching Performances mid-song, and an FC7 for expression control.

YS: How are you using MONTAGE with Halsey? Is the MONTAGE purely setup as a standalone keyboard or is it more integrated into the rest of your setup?

GS: I’ve integrated the MONTAGE entirely with the rest of the setup. The auxiliary outputs go through a Motu 828 MkII and into MainStage where I affect the sounds. It’s also plugged into the laptop via MIDI, and I trigger samples and software synths using the MONTAGE, which I layer on top of the native MONTAGE sounds.

YS: Are you using the MONTAGE built-in arpeggiator and/or motion sequencing on stage?

GS: I am not. I haven’t had the chance to dive that deep into the MONTAGE yet. That’s one of the great things about the keyboard; you can start using it on a basic and intermediate level right out of the gate, but there is also a world of possibilities to dive into when you want to get even more out of the synth.

YS: What are some of your favorite go-to Performances in MONTAGE?

GS: Honestly, I prefer to create my own. I have a very particular taste in sounds, so I tend to layer and tweak to my own tastes and then go back to those and expand upon them.

YS: How are you using the MONTAGE Live Sets on stage?

GS: I take advantage of the easy user interface. I’ll program the sounds into the grid on the Live Set interface, so I can have all the sounds I need at my fingertips during a performance. I’ll use the piano patch when we play the new hit song “Closer” that Halsey recorded with the Chainsmokers, and then switch to the strings for “Castle” with the touch of one button. It’s put a new level of efficiency for live performances at my fingertips, literally.

YS: Are you working on any other musical projects?

GS: Yes, very much so. I’ve been working on and refining the Halsey set for so long that not much needs to be done day-to-day now except perform. In the time when I’m not performing, I’m working on a project that I currently call “Polyrhythmic“.

On tour with Halsey, we play relatively simple music. It has great depth, but like much music in the pop realm, it stays very straight-forward in terms of harmony, melody and rhythm. As the tour progressed over the last year and a half, I became a little antsy. I started writing music that pushed the rhythmic envelope to a point where it would twist my brain into a knot just listening to the demo I created in Ableton Live. I would write in 13/16 and 17/16, and layer that over a slow 4/4 backbeat (which I’ve learned to love from our touring with The Weeknd). I would write winding melodies that twisted chord changes in unexpected ways over unexpected roots, not knowing if I’d ever actually be able to play the music.

However, I eventually decided I wanted to learn the music I was writing and began practicing it daily while on the road. Eventually I realized we needed to perform this music, so I found the only players in the world who I thought could execute it: Hadrien Feraud and Mike Mitchell. We started working together and quickly became an inseparable musical entity. We just recorded the first record, which is being mixed and which I can’t wait to show you. In the mean time, we have a live recording up at www.polyrhythmic.com.

YS: What kinds of music (genre, band, singer, etc.) are you listening to right now?

GS: I am always trying to find music that pushes the musical envelope. Unfortunately, musical adventurousness is mostly found in the electronic and urban worlds right now because the demand is highest in those genres. It is ironic, because instrumental music, by its very nature, requires the most musical depth to exist because you don’t have vocals as the path-of-least-resistance to emotional connectivity. I’m looking every day for artists releasing recordings that incorporate modern vocabulary with the musical depth of our instrumental heroes.

I’ve found some that are getting there, and I’m working on it myself every day. Some of my peers are walking down that path and have released very solid voices in this direction like Makaya McCraven, Eric Lewis, and Gerald Clayton to name a few. But I often go back to the classic innovators, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter for daily inspiration.

Want to comment/discuss this interview? Join the conversation on the Forum here.

Check out some other comments Greg made about the MONTAGE and hear him demonstrate some aspects here.