Analogue systems

Hey all,

I haven't been around analog synths for very long, so maybe I just don't
know the traditions...

But it seems like the rs95 oscillator is unduly biased towards the low
notes.  When the frequency is set to the middle zero mark, and one switches
it into "-2 oct" mode, the tone is in the subsonic range, about the speed of
an open roll on a snare drum.  I appreciate that the oscillator can go into
LFO mode, but those low frequencies are accessible on the "wide" setting, so
you'd think that "-2 oct" would still be for the tonal range.

Under the "standard" setting, using a 4 octave keyboard gets you middle C at
the middle of the keyboard.  Sounds appropriate, but if the default of the
oscillator were tuned one octave higher, then the high range on a 4 octave
keyboard would still be within the normal range for a piano or orchestra.
Switching it to -2oct would then put the low C near the bottom of the
audible range.  Overall, we would get almost all of the standard 88-key
piano tones on a 4 octave CV keyboard with the flip of that switch.

Would it be ill-advised to detune the rs95 to add one octave to its
defaults, using the internal trimmer?   Would that mess up the "wide"
setting?

Thanks,
Monroe


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In case anyone is interested, I went ahead and tried this modification.  It
takes a good number of turns on the trimmer, but you can detune the whole
thing one octave up.  It didn't affect the tracking.  I was afraid the range
of the wide setting would be offset, but apparently not-- you will still get
down to 0.3 Hz by turning the dial.  The -2OCT trimmer had to be readjusted
a bit.

I like this adjustment.  Now switching between STD and -2OCT is like a
treble/bass or female/male switch.  Overall, It's more centered around
standard pitches.  With a 49 note keyboard, it puts 8 octaves within reach
of the switch and dial (not counting the WIDE setting), with middle C right
in the middle.


On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 10:49 AM, Monroe Eskew <monroe.eskew@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hey all,
>
> I haven't been around analog synths for very long, so maybe I just don't
> know the traditions...
>
> But it seems like the rs95 oscillator is unduly biased towards the low
> notes.  When the frequency is set to the middle zero mark, and one switches
> it into "-2 oct" mode, the tone is in the subsonic range, about the speed of
> an open roll on a snare drum.  I appreciate that the oscillator can go into
> LFO mode, but those low frequencies are accessible on the "wide" setting, so
> you'd think that "-2 oct" would still be for the tonal range.
>
> Under the "standard" setting, using a 4 octave keyboard gets you middle C
> at the middle of the keyboard.  Sounds appropriate, but if the default of
> the oscillator were tuned one octave higher, then the high range on a 4
> octave keyboard would still be within the normal range for a piano or
> orchestra.  Switching it to -2oct would then put the low C near the bottom
> of the audible range.  Overall, we would get almost all of the standard
> 88-key piano tones on a 4 octave CV keyboard with the flip of that switch.
>
> Would it be ill-advised to detune the rs95 to add one octave to its
> defaults, using the internal trimmer?   Would that mess up the "wide"
> setting?
>
> Thanks,
> Monroe
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]