Yoshimi extras

[Folderol]

Actually I forgot a bit
SubSynth harmonic 1 bandwidth multiplier needs to be set to maximum - sorry!

A personal preference is also to have reverb on

[Folderol]

Some fun with the AddSynth Waveform.

Work your way up the AddSynth window stack to the Waveform one, then select 'Gauss' as the base Function.

Next, MIDI-learn the base function Par. control to your keyboard pitch bend control.
That's it

As this is a real-time control, you get an interesting tonal change along with the bend. It sounds even better if you add one of the reverb effects.

If you set 'Block' on the learned line, then you just have the tone change with no pitch bend.

[Martin Walker]

Thanks again for all this info Will

Martin

[The Elf]

and based on what Elf has said about noise in the 2500 (see! I do read other stuff)...

And I remain Yoshimi-Pi-curious too, and read all your stuff!

[Folderol]

and based on what Elf has said about noise in the 2500 (see! I do read other stuff)...

And I remain Yoshimi-Pi-curious too, and read all your stuff!

[Folderol]

Something I completely forgot about

In January, one of Yoshimi's Little Band of Helpers produced this youtube vid of the then brand new LFO sync feature. One thing I particularly like about this is that he is clearly experimenting and finding out what happens when just twiddling knobs (in the time-honoured way). Also right at the end he proves that the lock is very responsive to changes in real-time.

[Martin Walker]

You didn't forget Will - I remember watching this video some time ago, but it's just as fascinating this time round

Martin

[Folderol]

Aaand another thing

A most under-used feature of Linux window managers is the ability to switch between up to 4 different screen views. This is especially useful where screen real estate is limited - such as with the 7 inch screens used with Yoshimi Pi, so here is a scenario where this is especially useful.

You want to run Yoshimi on a new project using Rosegarden as a sequencer and eventually recording with Audacity. You only have a single keyboard controller outputting on channel 1

Start up QjackCtl, then Yoshimi. Select an instrument from a bank, but leave the bank window open. In one corner of QjackCtl you'll see a small 'pin' icon. Set it.

Over a clear area of the desktop background scroll just one 'notch' (most wind managers accept this for screen change), and you'll now only see QjackCtl.

Start Rosegarden, and make sure it is connected to Yoshimi. Also open the 'Transport' window if it isn't already, and pin that as well.

Set Rosegarden track 1 for recording. Hit record and play. Once you have enough done, you can stop and then dodge backwards and forwards between the screens editing the track, and changing instruments, master volume, key shifts etc. for best results.

With Yoshimi showing, change part 1 to MIDI CH2, enable part 2 and set its channel to 1. Flick to Rosegarden and uncheck record for track 1 and set it's channel to 2. Set track 2 for recording and channel 1.

Record your next track to part 2.

Rinse and repeat.

Once you have a substantial amount there you might want to flick to Yoshimi and start tweaking parts effects etc. which you can do while Rosegarden is playing the piece. With it's Transport window being visible you can stop, start, rewind at any time.

With Yoshimi and Rosegarden project files saved, it's now time to record your masterpiece, so flick to an empty window (just the Jack and Transport windows visible) and start up Audacity.

Check it is set up to receive audio from Yoshimi. Click record, then Play on Transport. While it's recording you can flick between this window and the others to monitor their status.

You'll immediately see any Xruns in the Jack window even if they are inaudible, so can stop and take appropriate actions.

At one time with the kit I had at the time, this was the only way I was able to work.

[Folderol]

I've just listened to a track on soundcloud. I would never have guessed this was done with Yoshimi

https://soundcloud.com/diegosimak/2022a

[blinddrew]

It certainly demonstrates quite a range. Secret submission for the next one-synth challenge!

[Folderol]

I've just been reminded of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifdOGFZkeT0

It's the work of one of Yoshimi's little band of helpers. See how he's using Pure Data to control Yoshimi in real-time. As well as switching various parts on and off and playing with internal settings while sending MIDI data, he's applying that low pass EQ to the entire output, and has MIDI-learned the cutoff point

[Folderol]

Layering sounds the Yoshimi way

Mostly people seem to go with using multiple instruments set to the same channel. Well you can do this if you want to, either by redirecting the normal 16 parts, and/or by switching to 64 parts, when you get 4 parts for every existing channel already set to the respective numbers.

However Yoshimi has several more efficient methods.

The first and most obvious is to use all three engine types, which immediately gives you quite different behaviors. As well as pitched sound these can all produce noise, but do so in completely different ways resulting in different spectrum.

Next , you can dive into AddSynth->voice where you then have 8 semi independent voices. Each can have a completely different waveform (or noise pattern) and set of envelopes filters etc. The start of a voice can also be delayed. They can have their own modulation types and waveforms, can be octave shifted and detuned from the group. There is also the unison feature which can give some nice chorus effects. Higher numbered voices and modulators can share the lower numbered waveform oscillators or indeed the entire voice/modulator.

If you find that too limiting, you can set the complete part to kit mode as well. This means you can have up to 16 of these three engine kit items. these can all sound together across the entire key range, or set such that they sound one at a time across the keys, or finally in pairs fade from one to the other for a given key overlap. In kit mode you can change where each kit item links to the chain of the three available part effects.