Audiofiles as Controllers

[massusen]

Hi,

has anyone used audiofiles for controller/ modinputs in the Modular? I use this regularly in other machines, but haven´t done so in the CW Modular. Any tricks? I guess you can´t do this by patching a SampleOscillator to a Mod. Input... or? CW Modular isn´t that forgiving.. or?

Can´t be that easy. Have to try...

M

[djmicron]

there is more than one way to do this.
For example, you can use the external frequency input of an lfo module, or an oscillator output connected to the mod input, or every audio source.....

[at0m]

This can be done with the CW modules, but one cannot simply connect fast modulation sources (oscillators for example) to most CW modulation inputs. As you noticed there's different signal types. A blue LFO output doesn't always connect straight away to the same modulation inputs as a red oscillator output. Some inputs accept both, but you may have experienced you sometimes for example cannot connect an osc to a mod input that had an ADSR connected to it previously.

There's 2 tricks to bypass this problem: First trick is to insert an on/off switch or Volume Attenuator in the chain. Their inputs always accept sync and async signals, and in any order of connections that have existed making the patch. A second way is, instead of clicking on the modulation cable and pressing delete, right-clicking the module with the mod input, and select 'disconnect'. This second way resets the input convertors and makes them available to sync and async modulation sources. Sometimes a modulation input does not want to accept any modulation from red coloured outputs, and then the first way (switch or attennuator) will do the trick.
I hope that helps...

That was it for the CW modules and AFAIK that also goes for Spacef's, I don't know about Bowen's RD modules. Flexor, being purely maths based, is fully sync (except for preset selection in sequencers etc, which uses the standard SFP preset list). This gives Flexor the advantage that all its inputs accept audio rate signals: you could connect an osc to Flexor's envelope as a gate, you can connect a suboscillator to LP4 with high resonance for a talking filter. You can crossfade BPM of a ramp that drives sequencers with a ConstVal and take the ramp to lightspeed once in a while This is one of the things that's all new with Flexor, and isn't possible with the other modules. That's also what makes KickMe: sample accurate envelopes and osc retrigger. Flexor's way isn't always as light on DSP as CW's, but it sure brings some more options.

Have fun

[at0m]

Oops, I just discussed the problem using audio connections, but how about audio sources? There's loads of different options. The tricks above work when outputting signals from one patch and routing them to another patch, cos the audio inputs have sync outputs, or when using a synth's output as modulation source. Same for any audio source in the project, sequencer ASIO or guitar or voice from ADAT. For these last ones, it's often nicer to use them as insert (see External Effect or External Source) inside the patch. The same way works for oscillators, maths or sample based. You could have a freaky LFO sweep recorded to ASIO and use it in as modulation track, further sequencing the LFO on the audio track.
For Flexor this kind of modulation is normal, for other modules you can use the work-arounds from my previous reply.

[massusen]

Atom, thanks - the Attenuator did the trick.

[spacef]

for my modular hosts, they work just as cws, so you must use usual converters to use audio as a modulator (exemple: env.followers, etc for basic exemples).

it is different in my synths and effect devices, where you can feed either audio or modulations from external sources and use them as modulators in another device or modular patch.

best regards

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: spacef on 2005-10-27 15:05 ]</font>