a storm of synthesis: Modular Nature

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Thu Nov 06, 2003 12:38 pm

This file has expired and is no longer available here. The owner of the topic can re-upload the file, or post a link to an off-site file. <a name="planetz-tag"></a>Genre: Ambient <a name="planetz-tag"></a>Uses: Pulsar Effects,Pulsar Mixers,Pulsar Synths kensuguro _____________________________________ You've heard my older thunderstorm. Well, I decided to go back to it and improve on it so I can write up a paper. I'm still in the process of documenting the methods, but I did a preliminary recording nonetheless.

This is a thunderstorm emulated on ModIII, based on statistic analysis. The storm is generated (automatically) by 2 patches, the thunder patch and the rain patch. The 2 phenomona don't interact with each other. Most all sounds are based on a sin wave being modulated by a noise source. I've found this is the best way to create extremely controlable "noise". Heck, it seems alot of natural sounds are built this way.

Problem right now is that the AD&Mod modules I'm using for the thunder amp envelope aren't reacting as fast as I want them to. The ideal would be for the attack to range from 0 to 250ms or so, but it won't allow me to modulate it that much. So right now, I'm settling for a compromise. If anyone knows how to get this done, please let me know. The attack needs to be much stronger for it to sound like a nearby thunder strike. Right now, everything seems to be a couple of kilometers away.

I'll post the patch if anyone wants it. In the meanwhile, I'll keep working on it.

[ This Message was edited by: kensuguro on 2003-11-06 12:46 ]

spacef · Post by **spacef** » Thu Nov 06, 2003 3:20 pm

brilliant ! It seems like it sounds better than many samples i've tried. Looking forward to test the patch.

[ This Message was edited by: spacef on 2003-11-06 16:41 ]

gedas · Post by **gedas** » Thu Nov 06, 2003 6:47 pm

Amazing! Can't believe it's done with the Modular. Makes me want to learn how to make my own patches. Well, someday...

petal · Post by **petal** » Thu Nov 06, 2003 8:23 pm

Yes! I'm really impressed with the sound. The frequence of the thunders seem to high though, meaning there are too many blasts in too litle time, it doesn't quite simulate that felling of not-knowing-when-the-next-blast-will-come. I think more and longer pauses would do the trick - Still the sound is really close though. Maybe the thunder could do with a little more reverb at least in the end of it. The rain is really good too! Yup truely impressed!

I would love to check out the patch!

Thomas

[ This Message was edited by: petal on 2003-11-06 20:25 ]

Post by **hubird** » Thu Nov 06, 2003 11:28 pm

top programming
top playing (edit: velocity).
!

_________________
Let There Be Music!

[ This Message was edited by: hubird on 2003-11-07 10:38 ]

Post by **Neil B** » Fri Nov 07, 2003 3:16 am

Makes me want to upgrade to Mod III
Well put together Ken - I had my umbrella up throughout

AudioIrony · Post by **AudioIrony** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 5:49 pm

Amazing. I can't believe it's not butter!!!!

I'm not going to go searching for my cap with a propellor on it and pretend I understand even one detail as to how you made this with Mod III.

Sounded like a sample of a storm to me.

Post by **hubird** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 12:38 pm

Counterparts · Post by **Counterparts** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 7:24 am

kensuguro wrote:

The attack needs to be much stronger for it to sound like a nearby thunder strike.

Is that to get a harder initial 'crack' of the lightening strike (i.e. greater dynamics at the beginning of the sound)? (I wonder if opening the c/o filter a little more at the beginning of the sound would help too?) Another thought I had was to perhaps combine the initial crack and tail-off with the softer, rumbling sounds that one often gets with a lightening strike (i.e. the reflections of the sound wave off nearby hills/terrain). e.g. use the first lightening sound in the mp3 as the 'distant rumbling' part of one of the stronger cracks (e.g. the third)?

Very impressive, though! I wish I'd brought me brolly

Royston

Eon · Post by **Eon** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 7:29 am

This is very dynamicly and opened sound so I am in a really big braining mission...Did you sample this from the nature or you r just make it on your own????

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 8:28 am

counterpart, I've been looking into it but alas I decided to call it quits so I could go on documenting it. The thing with the attack is that the frequency content seems to be too focused around the high frequency area, whereas a real thunder strike is a combination of sound coming from the bolt itself (snapps and fizzles), and also the sound of the bolt striking the ground (BOOOM!). So basically, the easiest would probably be to add another generator that specifically does ground impacts and add that on top of what I have right now. I'm looking into rebuilding it after I document it tho. There are probably more approaches to this.

And to all who are wondering, yes everything in the sound scene is generated using ModIII. You can check out the patch for yourself in the modular forum. Only ModIII tho. I'll see if I can do anything for mod2.

Counterparts · Post by **Counterparts** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 9:43 am

...whereas a real thunder strike is a combination of sound coming from the bolt itself (snapps and fizzles), and also the sound of the bolt striking the ground (BOOOM!)

I'll put my meteorological hat on!

Just prior to the strike coming down, a 'feeler' is actually sent up from the gound towards the clouds, and then the strike comes down and connects electrically with this.

The initial crack is the atmosphere getting obliterated, whereas the BOOM! is actually the planet's atmosphere rushing back in to fill the resultant vaccuum.

Even weirder, strange electrical pulses and streams are simultaneously sent 10's or 100's of miles out of the atmosphere into space!

Hence, one still gets the crack & BOOM! even with sheet lightening (cloud to cloud) as well as with fork lightening.

Royston

[ This Message was edited by: Counterparts on 2003-11-10 09:44 ]

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 11:26 am

wow, didn't know you were into this stuff. Hey by the way, do you know of other experiments in trying to mimick thunder sound using generative methods? I'm having trouble with documenting the experiment because I only have 1 reference. Ya know, a research paper looks good with more references. lol.

Counterparts · Post by **Counterparts** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 12:14 pm

wow, didn't know you were into this stuff.

I've always been interested in 'physical geography' (volcanoes, tectonic movement, thunderstorms etc.) but didn't take it further, as you have to do 'human geography' as well at school, more's the pity. I read Astronomy & Physics at Uni (long time ago now, though!)

Hey by the way, do you know of other experiments in trying to mimick thunder sound using generative methods? I'm having trouble with documenting the experiment because I only have 1 reference. Ya know, a research paper looks good with more references. lol.

I'm afraid you're far more advanced than I in this respect!

I know a bit about the physics of the phenomena, but as for modelling it..?

Good luck with your paper.

Royston