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Free-running oscillators in analog emulation? (oops)
I recently recorded some tests with the Mood Model 15 and noticed that every time you press a key, the oscillators start from the same place. I.e., if you run a single lowly unfiltered sine wave out of the synth every time you press a key, the cycle starts from 0.
If I remember correctly, the Moogs that I cut my teeth on back in the mid-70s were basically free running and didn't restart when triggered.
The reason why I ask is this. If you just have a single oscillator, it won't matter whether the oscillator restarts every time that you press a key because a single oscillator's phase doesn't influence what it sounds like. But, if you have a couple of oscillators changes in the phase relationship do impact the sound. With those old synths, you had a certain amount of dynamism because the oscillators would drift slightly (and independently) creating slightly different phase-relationships (when the oscillators were in "unison").
Anyway, I am just wondering if any of the analog-emulations have oscillators that don't reset with each keypress.
I hope that made sense.
NOTE: apparently the post above was the result of a botched experiment.
Comments
Zeeon uses free-running oscillators.
A side effect of such free-running oscillators is that you might get clicks with lower notes and very fast attack. If the osc does not start at 0 phase, you get at short rise to the current level at the beginning of the note which is audible as click.
Of course this only happens when the waveform does not contain higher harmonics, ie it is low pass-filtered or just sines. If the frequency is higher and therefore the wave length shorter than the attack time, one does not get such a click
In Model 15 the 921 VCO (the one below the main LPF) is free-running. It has a clamp control input which you can connect (to one of those sockets above the ‘polyphonic’ switch) when you want it to retrigger with each key press, but otherwise it just carries on.
I guess they must have hardwired the other 2 VCOs (921B).
You could stack them up? Multiple instances of Model 15 could get crazy.
As for other synths, I’m not too sure. iVCS3 might be one to look at but I don’t know it so well.
Good catch.
I did a quick re-check and wonder if I goofed the first time around. I hadn't thought to compare the 921 and 921B. I'm not seeing the waves restarting from 0 this time around. I wonder if I accidentally synched them when I did that first test.
Will double-check my test later.
Apparently I made some (probably boneheaded) mistake when I set up my initial test. I just set up a better method of generating the waveforms an comparing them. And all three Model 15 oscillators were free running. Now, I am trying to figure out how I botched my first comparisons so badly.
Sorry for the noise.
On the CONTROLLER OUTPUT section are some plugs named TRIGGER.. If you plug from one of these into the CLAMPING POINT then the LFO will trigger from zero each time a key is pressed - so long as the dial is set to zero.
If the dial is set to 50 then the LFO will trigger from half way thru a cycle, each time you press a key.
i believe the “eco mode” setting might yield non free running oscillators