You get an error message that says that there is not enough free space on the server when you try to copy your project files to my drop box on the musictech server.

Solution:

You need to clear out space on YOUR server folder.

Server allocation limits (disk quotas) are tied to the user, not the folder. While I have unlimited storage space on the server, you have 2 GB limits. If you’re at or near the limit and you try to copy something into my drop box, you may end up over your disk quota.

Since the server hard drives are erased over the summer, you need to back up your files to personal storage anyway.

Everything you need for the listening quiz is in this post.

The quiz on Thursday will be a take-home quiz. I’ll give it to you Thursday, and it will be do Monday.

Keep an eye on the blog for more updates.

Vocoding in Reason is accomplished with the BV512 Vocoder. Since vocoders require two audio devices to work, you will need to create a two different synthesizers and /or samplers to connect to the unit. Generally speaking, your carrier signal is harmonic, frequency rich, and rather consistent in spectral content over time. A sawtooth or pulse wave (with short duty cycle) are classic examples of good carrier signals. Your modulation signal should have a changing spectrum, which will provide dynamic (changing) filter parameters over time. Using speech as a modulator with a pulse or saw wave as carriers creates the classic talking robot sound.

Modulating signals must be monophonic for the BV512. You can accomplish with either a line mixer or the Spider Audio Merger and Splitter. If you use the merger, plug both outputs from your mod device into the left inputs of the merger (not left and right, because that doesn’t result in a merged signal). Follow the flow chart on the back of the device. If you use a line mixer, you can control individual levels, and can even use multiple synths combined with level control as a single mod signal.

Since you will most likely need to trigger the carrier and the modulator for every note, you should use a Combinator device. If you already have your carrier, mod, merger, and vocoder devices in the rack, you can select all of them (shift-click on each) and choose “combine” from the edit window (or right-click and choose from the contextual menu). If you have nothing, start with the combinator, and create your devices inside it. All the devices will respond to the same MIDI gate if you assign a MIDI channel to Combinator – MIDI in the Advanced Control section of the interface. The output of the vocoder should connect to the input of the combinator, and the output of the combinator should go to the hardware interface. Save your patches for your indivdual audio devices within those devices, but save a patch for the combinator. This will save your vocoder settings, and all your internal routing within the combinator.

The vocoder controls are relatively simple. You choose the number of frequency bands you want to use (for filters). 512 bands was not common on original vocoders. This band setting is more of a spectral cross synthesis, and gives you the most mapping of one sound to another. 32 bands is the more common setting. At 16, 8, and 4 bands you lose some of the individuality of the modulator, but this doesn’t mean it’s wrong to use these settings. In fact, changing between low and high band values can create some interesting variations with the same signals. In the filter band display you will see how the filters are being set according the modulation signal. Below those constantly changing leds are sliders that let adjust the individual frequency bands. Adjustments can help with distortion when modulator and carrier have a lot of energy in the same frequency bands. The bottom right of the unit has a wet/dry control. Wet means the output signal is the result of the processing. Dry in this unit’s case means you hear the modulator signal only.

The envelope settings can be very useful for creating musical variation. The envelope applies to how long the frequency gain settings hold their places. Short attack and decay times mean that the filter settings will fairly closely track the input modulator signal characteristics. Using longer decay times means that the filter settings will hold longer, skipping over some of the input mod signal. The filter settings don’t update until the envelope has finished its cycle. A longer decay setting creates a slower, sliding amplitude changes. Again, this effect allows for variation using the same mod and carrier signals.

Your carrier and/or modulator can be sequenced using the Matrix or the step sequencer in the Thor synth. You can use a Redrum for either source as well. I’ll try to set up some examples for next class.

CC #92 will enable the pattern sequencer. A value of 1 play-enables the sequencer (the sequencer will run/play); a value of 0 disables playback (stops the sequencer).

CC #3 selects the pattern for playback, and can be sent while the sequencer is running to change patterns. Bank A, 1 – 8 corresponds to values 1 – 8. Bank B, 1 – 8 corresponds to values 9 – 16. Banks C and D continue this pattern.

I’ll follow up with a post about programming consoles in DP, or you can look it up in the documentation.

Blackboard

There is a music technology program group on Blackboard. You should be automatically enrolled as a music tech major, but if not, contact Michael Pounds to get added. Many alumni are also members of this group, and you should check out the disucssions from time to time.

Facebook

Pounds, Allison, and I have Facebook accounts, which all have a mix of social and professional contacts. Most of the GA’s are on as well. There is also a BSU Music Technology group on Facebook. The group and individual composers both publicize their events through the site, so connecting here can help you stay abreast of current and upcoming events.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has more of a reputation as a professional networking site, and most of the contacts here are alumni and faculty, although a few students join. Pounds and I are on, and there is a BSU Music Technology group here as well.

MET-L Listserv

The ever present program listerv, which all of you should subscribe to for announcements and information. Instructions for signing up are in this post.

Remember, as listed in the syllabus, that you are expected to attend EM concerts.

MIDI tracks in Digital Performer default to having only one MIDI output port/channel. If you want to use one track to control multiple synths, you will need to create a Device Group. Device Groups are combinations of MIDI outputs. You create Device Groups from the MIDI output section of a MIDI track in DP.

First, make sure that you are properly set up in Reason. Each synth should have its own MIDI channel assignment in the Adv MIDI Control section of the Hardware Interface. It is assumed that you already have setup DP for interapplication MIDI.

Create a device group by choosing the output of a MIDI track and selecting New Device Group.

In the Device Group edit window you can assign as many outputs to your device group as are defined in your Core MIDI setup. Click on the triangle below Device Group 1 and you get the MIDI output assignment popup menu. You can rename the device group by option-clicking on the name. When you’re done assigning outputs, close the edit window.

Note that if you want to edit a device group (add or subtract outputs), you need to navigate to the window via the Studio | MIDI Device Groups menu command. You can also create device groups from scratch through this command. From a track, you only have the option of creating new device groups. You can still edit old ones through the track popup, but a new device group will be created and selected for your track.

Once you’ve created a device group to control multiple synths in Reason, you’ll encounter an interesting problem. If your track with the device group is record-enabled in DP, moving any slider or knob in Reason for any of the grouped synths will change the same parameter on all the other grouped synths. For example, say you have three Subractor synths grouped in DP. Moving the Attack time of the Amplitude Envelope on any of the synths will move all the Attack time sliders of all the Amplitude envelopes on the other synths. This happens because moving one of the sliders in Reason causes a MIDI message to be sent from Reason to any application or device that is listening to MIDI messages. In DP, any record enabled track is listening to all MIDI input from any device/app on any channel.

To correct this problem, you need to enable Multi Record in DP (Studio | Multi Record). This allows you to record more than one MIDI track at a time. More importantly, it allows you to set the MIDI input for each record enabled track. We probably won’t be recording to more than MIDI track at a time, but being able to set the MIDI input to a record enabled track with a device group allows us to specify what device the track will listen to (and echo to its output device group). Choose the Korg Kontrol49 Port 2 (or Port A) device, any MIDI channel for your input. Now DP will ignore the changes you make to the front panels in Reason.

Reason has a device called the Combinator that can combine multiple synths, effects, and control units, but you give up a lot of control over individual parameters with this type of setup. For our projects, we will use Device Groups in Digital Performer to output one MIDI track to multiple MIDI channel outputs. I’ll cover device groups in a subsequent post.

Some things to keep in mind when combining multiple synths in Reason.

• Envelopes are triggered by noteon commands, or gate messages from a step sequencer. If you’re using noteon commands, you will need to use device groups in DP.
• Make sure each synth is assigned a MIDI channel in the Adv MIDI control interface.
• If you are combining synths for more oscillator outputs, then you will probably want to mix the output of the synths. You can use a Line Mixer 6:2 instead of a full Mixer 14:2. The Line Mixer has gain, pan, and aux send controls for each input pair.
• If you are using a synth for CV purposes (Env, LFO, etc.), you will make CV connections on the back panels of the synths.
• Back panel CV outputs are not scaled by the front panel “amount” controls. Back panel outputs are always at full level. You control how much effect the CV has by adjusting the input gain control of the target parameter.
• Synth patches store only front panel controls. Back panel controls and connections are only saved with the rack (Reason song).
• It is a good idea to save synth patches even if you are only using a synth for one its envelopes. Recalling a patch is still quicker than setting four sliders, and you can save variations of envelopes that can be recalled for multiple uses.
• If you want one back panel CV output to control multiple parameters, you need to use the splitter section of a Spider CV Merger & Splitter. The Spider has two splitter sections, with one CV input being multiplied to four outputs. You can even combine the two splitters if you connect one split output (from A) to the B input. This will give you seven outputs for one input. You could even combine CV outputs into one using the merge section. You could combine an envelope and an LFO to provide a pitch envelope with vibrato.