Easy Formants for Renoise 2.8

Tips & Tricks
5

Nice work!

6

Great Job! The sound is really cool, but to me the biggest effort is the really clever idea to use multitap as a multi-filter. This enables you to use (at least the first variation) as a single DSP-chain on a single track. There’s actually no need for a send channel. A huge benefit imo. :) I’d stay with the multitap as filter and just drop the 5th frquency table (always the highest freq) from your second version. The sound difference should be quite small, but therefore you’D still be able to keep everything on a single track.

As a second hint: you can use multiple key-trackers on a single track, spliting up the ranges by setting the ranges to “soft”. “soft” means, it only sends data when keys within the defined range are pressed. so you could for example define a small key-range to select the vowels and simply exclude that key-range from the instrument itself in the sampler settings then. Enables you to select vowels by notes from within the pattern with the same instrument, which imo is way more comfortable than selecting them by automation.

Also the Exciter makes more sense (and better sound) on the master track between compressor and maximizer. Maybe you want to try this yourself.

In anyway, again: really great job! :)

7

Thank you! This is very cool and it sounds great. It will be fun using this!

8

Hey thank you all !

… yes, Bit_Arts, interesting, I’m going to test it.

OMFG I even didn’t realized that the “soft” option could help me to “split” the keyboard and create a “virtual keyboard controler”. I need to test it. Il could simplify a lot the vowels’ selection.

Indeed, pushing any sound into just 3 BP filters with such a small bandwidth, turns it into a poor sound, that needs to be re-excited IN THE END (and not at the beginning). I’ll fix it.

Thanx for your tips !

And this chain could probably be improved even more (and become longer), with a “Filter Band Amp Control” and with an “Automatic Bandwidth Control” mechanism.

I’ll be back
with another optimized version.

See you soon !

…

9

Regarding the frequencies to drop for a single-track-chain it might make more sense, to drop the frequency in each vowel, that is set to lowest amplitude(?). Haven’t tested this, but seems more logical to me, since you’re offering multiple vocal ranges. Simply cutting the top freq might not really be the optimum then. My bad.

Edit: And btw… it totally makes me grin to see you on fire like that. Just because I know what it feels like. Keep it up! ;)

10

Hey folks !

HERE IS THE V2 !!

Even more easy than easy.

What’s new ?

  • 4 Formants Filter Bands instead of 3, and everything is still packed a just 1 chain
  • Virtual Keyboard Based Formants Control (thanx Bit_Arts for the tip)
  • Formants Feedback control
  • Auto Q
  • Auto Bot Voice
  • fixed RExciter ™ position :wink:
  • replaced the detuned wobble sample by a more typical chipsound

DOWNLOAD HERE.

FAQ

How to install it in my own song ?

  • Right-click somewhere on the Track DSP chain. - Select Device Chain => Save As… - Select your target directory and give a name to the chain. - It must have the .XRNT file extention. - Then when you edit your song, right click somewhere on your Track DSP tab. - Select Device Chain => Load… - Find your .XRNT file, load it. - That’s all.
    How to modify Formants ?

  • Formants here are “Keyboard Controled”. - Use the C-0 to C-2 Keys to modify formants. - Go into the Sample Keyzones. - Modify your Sample Layer so that it doesn’t use notes from C-0 to C-2. - By this way you’ll be able to both play your sample & control the filter in the same track.
    How exactly did you placed formants on the low notes ?

  • Formants are composed of 5 cycles of 5 ‘aeiou’ vowels.

  • Inertial Sliders(Secret *Formula Device Powered) Trick
    Still featured in the www.refra.frfrench portal.

have fun with Renoise !
kurtz/lapiNIC

11

You ARE def on fire. :lol: Haven’t looked at the config and functionality yet, but this sounds outstanding. :yeah:

12

This V2 breaks the limits. It’s pretty easy to insert LIVE formants with it.

But… WTF ?

Oops

I’ve uploaded the wrong version on my blog, this version has NOT the famous RExciter ™ in the chain.
If you’ve previously loaded the new V2 last hour please drop it and re-download it from here.

Thanx for your patience and comprehension.

13

Must agree with Bit_Arts, better than daft punk on dope, major credits is due.

14

As additional tip:

Set the Exciter frequency split to 160Hz and ~4.2kHz. Sound becomes way cleaner then. :)

Edit: Also set the side amount of the lows to 0%!

15

True.

Perfectly clean.

Fixed.

16

The feedback on each formant and the feedback controlling Hydra to me seem to be redundant. The delay times are set to 0 anyway. So you’re only double layering the input signal with the feedback. That’s what’s producing those nasty peaks on the formant track. Delaying 4 separate formants with the same amount is redundant anyway, since a single and independent delay on the summary could do this too (and already does so on the master channel :) ).

Fix: I guess it would save some CPU load to set the routing for all taps from “input & feedback” to “input” only and completely delete / drop the feedback control Hydra. Sound should be exactly the same, but with a stable amplitude. Just don’t forget to set all L+R feedback amounts to 0 then.

17

I’ve made lots of tests this afternoon and while I was removing the delays, I realised that increasing the feedback / drive still does something strange (metallic and glassy) to the sound when used with higher parameters. It’s probably a bit CPU consuming, but when used in conjunction with the Robot Voice, it adds some strange personnality to the overall result, So the Feedback thing has been kept. But of course, it’s probable that users that need more CPU cycles will delete this and the associated Hydras.

18

-deleted- (No, there was nothing nasty here. I just tend to get lost in details :D ) :) Your setup and fine and outstanding the way it is. Sorry, if I dived a bit too deep into this. :ph34r:

19

… no problem.

it’s true that I’m a bit worried about the CPU% usage of this chain. In a dubstep music production, 140BPM, it’s won’t be a problem. But in a breakcore / dnb 280BPM track…

There should be a method to reduce the chain size, and to reduce also the CPU.

When I check for example the Wikipedia reference for Formants, they say that [b]most often the two first formants, f[sub]1[/sub] and f[sub]2[/sub], are enough to disambiguate the vowels.

[/b]Vowel (IPA)
Formant f[sub]1[/sub] Formant f[sub]2[/sub]
i 240 Hz 2400 Hz
y 235 Hz 2100 Hz
e 390 Hz 2300 Hz
ø 370 Hz 1900 Hz
ɛ 610 Hz 1900 Hz
œ 585 Hz 1710 Hz
a 850 Hz 1610 Hz
ɶ 820 Hz 1530 Hz
ɑ 750 Hz 940 Hz
ɒ 700 Hz 760 Hz
ʌ 600 Hz 1170 Hz
ɔ 500 Hz 700 Hz
ɤ 460 Hz 1310 Hz
o 360 Hz 640 Hz
ɯ 300 Hz 1390 Hz
u 250 Hz 595 Hz

What about testing those filters ? And by the way, you can see that there are more formants than AEIOU there. Reducing the 4 filters to 2 filters will logically allow me to remove 2 LFOs, 2 Inertial Sliders. It would also allow me to reduce the size of the left “keyboard control part” (25 keys, that’s maybe a bit large and the notion of “cycles” looks redundant in the end)…

20

Amazing work, respect :)

I had that ‘IOU’ pattern from the older Bit_Arts xrns stuck in my head for months

21

Hey dwarde thanx !! …and now that I’ve spent more than 2 days on it, I’ve got my own YAWEIEOH pattern stuck in my own mind, lol…

22

Hey renoisers !

After a few more hours on it, I’ve improved the precision of the « aeiou » vowels and reduced a bit the required ressources.

Here’s the Easy Formants v2.5 FINAL

it’s a 100% native, fast, and easy to re-use trick

Features

  • optimized formants filters system
  • high precision vowels (x2)
  • a bit more CPU friendly (5% Faster)
  • simplified keyboard based formants control
  • improved file size (2K lighter)
  • formants feedback control
  • auto Q
  • auto bot voice mode (robotizer)
  • RExciter ™ powered

DOWNLOAD HERE.

FAQ

How to install it in my own song ?

  • Right-click somewhere on the Track DSP chain. - Select Device Chain => Save As… - Select your target directory and give a name to the chain. - It must have the .XRNT file extention. - Then when you edit your song, right click somewhere on your Track DSP tab. - Select Device Chain => Load… - Find your .XRNT file, load it. - That’s all. Yep.

What input sounds / samples does it require to work well ?

  • SAW based samples (oblique waveform) with notes/tones within a range of 300 to 3400 Hz in the Renoise spectrum.

How to modify Formants ?

  • Formants are « Keyboard Controled ». Both the Qwerty and the MIDI keyboard can be used. - Use the C-0 to D#1 Keys to modify formants while the music is played. - You can modify them while you record notes, or play LIVE, with your QWERTY or MIDI keyboard. - Go into the Sample Keyzones. - Modify your Sample Layer so that it doesn’t use notes from C-0 to D#1. - By this way you’ll be able to both play your sample & control the filter in the same track.

How exactly did you placed formants on the low notes ?

  • Formants are composed of 1 cycle of ‘ieawyuw’ vowels fragmented in 16 different notes and subtle differences.
    [indent]C-0 ==================================> D#1
    i – y – e – ø – ɛ – œ – a – ɶ – ɑ – ɒ – ʌ – ɔ – ɤ – o – ɯ – u

[/indent]

  • you’ve got to use your ears to know these vowels !

How to sound lika robot ?

  • Completely drag the Humanize slider to the left.

I don’t like the robot sound. How do I delete it ?

  • Drag a bit the Humanize slider to the right. - Or uncheck « Bot Voice »

What is the Feedback parameter ?

  • This is something that adds some personnality to the sound. - Warning, too high parameters will produce a glassy/metallic effect, that is stange, but however interesting.

What is the Auto Q parameter ?

  • The Auto Q parameter slightly increases the Q factor of bandpass filters when formants deal with higher frequencies. You can switch it off if you want to use the Bandwidth slider like a Wet/Dry signal slider.

My filtered sound is poor compared to yours.

  • It’s logical. Some harmonics have been removed by the chain. Put the *Exciter DSP and the end of the road, and raise the DSP sliders to revive the original sound. - Try to use a SAW based bass samples, because it’s the closest from the male human vocal typical base waveform.

Credits

have fun with Renoise !
kurtz/lapiNIC

23

this is top quality, fantastic work!

24

Hey thanx midi_error

You can get a new example of how using the device chain in a song [here] (the .xrns module can also be downloaded).