How to make free synths sound crisp as Spire?

[stillshaded]

I really like this free synth for clear crisp sounds..

http://xhip.net/synth/

[arseniy2]

I really like this free synth for clear crisp sounds..
http://xhip.net/synth/

Thanks, I'll try it. But that can't help me with my older projects. I m not going to replace instruments there, and I want to rework some of them after learn enough about mixing and such.
Also I'm still wondering of the ways to make some sounds crisp.

[Anti-Logic]

This video can probably help you out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRJdmT8zM4w#t=495


Here's my attempt at making a crisp(ish) beat using freeware drumsynths and (mostly) freeware effects:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cbdkcgn2fqu30 ... y.mp3?dl=0

[yiNXs]

it opposites to sharp/blurred.

It sounds like we're talking about the same thing after all. Your example isn't that useful though, because it doesn't contain your targeted sound, just the free synth with and without some distortion/saturation. If that was the sound you wanted then you wouldn't have to be here, so it's something else. Anyway, I hope you'll find the answer. Take care!

[arseniy2]

This video can probably help you out:
Here's my attempt at making a crisp(ish) beat using freeware drumsynths and (mostly) freeware effects:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cbdkcgn2fqu30 ... y.mp3?dl=0

Yeah, that sounds crisp enough. But distorted kick is bad thing. So what was the plugin chain?

Here another example. When sound goes through bitcrusher it sounds crisp. But usually bitcrusher sounds terrible, but definatelly it makes sound crisp.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/670 ... bwub_1.mp3
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/670 ... rusher.mp3

As I thinked about sharp/blurred, I thought, that probbly I would like something that makes sound from smooth wave to sharp? EQ is not something that can do that.
Any plugin that makes wave distortion something like that?

sharp-the-wave.png

And also the question still open - any tricks/tips to make some distortion to the free synths sound to make the sound nicely crisp like Spire does ?

[fluffy_little_something]

Was just playing around and stumbled upon this sound when tweaking, does that sound crisp to you?
https://app.box.com/s/ptkeh157gmtpf2dnyf5d


Anyway, another idea might be to send your synth tracks through an external lp filter like this one:
http://music.service-1.de/html/moogofilter.html
It's not free, but I suppose there is freeware like that as well...

[arseniy2]

It seems like a good saw wave but has no that crisp/shiny effect at it.

Thanks, really intresting plugin. I split sound to 2 channels for dry and MoogoFilter.

Here GTG NR 2010 sound goes as is(has some EQ over), then I turn on additional layer produced by MoogoFilter on extreme drive settings(ADSR controlled by midi so every note has cut-off down. Lows reduced by EQ). Then I turn on bitcrusher(it goes before MoogoFilter), and it adds extra crispness but also it adds some annoying high pitch tunes when sound goes with that sync pitch up.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/670 ... -test2.mp3

That's a great idea about midi controlled filter or volume. Can be set a separate layer(channel) with some drive or waveshaper or other way to add high frequences. So it's like parallel compression but with ADSR sync for the notes.

[Anti-Logic]

This video can probably help you out:
Here's my attempt at making a crisp(ish) beat using freeware drumsynths and (mostly) freeware effects:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cbdkcgn2fqu30 ... y.mp3?dl=0

Yeah, that sounds crisp enough. But distorted kick is bad thing. So what was the plugin chain?

Kick: Bigroomkixsynth -> EasyQ -> EasyQ -> Fruity free filter -> Fruity free filter
Hats: Dream drums -> EasyQ -> Fruity free filter -> EasyQ -> Fruity free filter -> EasyQ
Clap: Freqatic -> EasyQ -> EasyQ
Perc: EXD-80 -> EasyQ -> Mfreqshifter -> EasyQ
Master Channel: Limiter no6 -> Span

[aciddose]

As I thinked about sharp/blurred, I thought, that probbly I would like something that makes sound from smooth wave to sharp? EQ is not something that can do that.
Any plugin that makes wave distortion something like that?

sharp-the-wave.png

And also the question still open - any tricks/tips to make some distortion to the free synths sound to make the sound nicely crisp like Spire does ?

What you're describing is the derivative. A highpass filter or differentiator does this. A differentiator is approximated by a highpass filter with a low cutoff. You need 1/linearity * range. Say you want a linearity of "10" for anything above 20hz. Cutoff = 20 / 10, so 2hz.

1.5hz is a typical range for a highpass filter on an output.

fc = 1 / (2*pi*R*C)
~1.59154943hz = 1 / (2*pi*10000*0.000010)
10k, 10u

Although in the case of a highpass of course this is inverted. You want (nyquist - f / linearity) I guess. For any signal below cutoff to be differentiated at that linearity.

Simple example, take a square wave and pass it through a lowpass filter. Normalize the amplitude. Highpass filter. Normalize. The result is the original square wave +/- some phase shifts and slight error due to finite linearity.

This is done with the 6db low/high filters in Xhip.
Original square:
http://xhip.net/temp/wav/original.wav

Low-pass gives a triangle:
http://xhip.net/temp/wav/low-pass_integrator.wav

Back to square again, with funny peaks due to imperfect linearity:
http://xhip.net/temp/wav/high-pass_differentiator.wav

[arseniy2]

Kick: Bigroomkixsynth -> EasyQ -> EasyQ -> Fruity free filter -> Fruity free filter
Hats: Dream drums -> EasyQ -> Fruity free filter -> EasyQ -> Fruity free filter -> EasyQ
Clap: Freqatic -> EasyQ -> EasyQ
Perc: EXD-80 -> EasyQ -> Mfreqshifter -> EasyQ
Master Channel: Limiter no6 -> Span

I thought you passed all through one channel. I'll try to play with this. Thanks.

aciddose - I can't understand this.

[arseniy2]

Here is some result I like. ADSR control idea was critical to that.
I send sound to additional channel and make lot of distortion to it(Some LP>Waveshaper almost square angle>boost high frq bell type>pretty extreme distortion>ADSR volume control>Xciter>GSpace for some space) result very rustle sound. Controlling the ADSR of the obtained sound makes it with attack/sustain/release. It only adds for high frequences range.
First plays "GTG 44 S" sound as is, then with additional channel.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/670 ... -test4.mp3

here how rustle sounds
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/670 ... rustle.mp3

So it's probably one of the ways I can add some crispness to the synth.

P.S.
Example maybe a bit extreme.

[fluffy_little_something]

It seems like a good saw wave but has no that crisp/shiny effect at it.

Thanks, really intresting plugin. I split sound to 2 channels for dry and MoogoFilter.

Here GTG NR 2010 sound goes as is(has some EQ over), then I turn on additional layer produced by MoogoFilter on extreme drive settings(ADSR controlled by midi so every note has cut-off down. Lows reduced by EQ). Then I turn on bitcrusher(it goes before MoogoFilter), and it adds extra crispness but also it adds some annoying high pitch tunes when sound goes with that sync pitch up.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/670 ... -test2.mp3

That's a great idea about midi controlled filter or volume. Can be set a separate layer(channel) with some drive or waveshaper or other way to add high frequences. So it's like parallel compression but with ADSR sync for the notes.

Yes of course there was no shiny effect on it (personally I don't even think shiny and crisp are the same), except for the echo the sound was completely dry. I just wanted to show that - at least my idea of - crispness depends largely on the raw synth sound as such, also on patch programming.

But really, I don't think you will find a solution using effect plugins. If you want the sound quality of a $xxx synth, get a $xxx synth You can use the best effects on GTG stuff and it still won't sound that way. At least that is my view...

[fluffy_little_something]

Here is some result I like. ADSR control idea was critical to that.
I send sound to additional channel and make lot of distortion to it(Some LP>Waveshaper almost square angle>boost high frq bell type>pretty extreme distortion>ADSR volume control>Xciter>GSpace for some space) result very rustle sound. Controlling the ADSR of the obtained sound makes it with attack/sustain/release. It only adds for high frequences range.
First plays "GTG 44 S" sound as is, then with additional channel.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/670 ... -test4.mp3

here how rustle sounds
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/670 ... rustle.mp3

So it's probably one of the ways I can add some crispness to the synth.

P.S.
Example maybe a bit extreme.

The volume jump in the second audio sucks. Also, the more of those superficial high frequencies you put in there, the more your sound might disappear in the mix.

[arseniy2]

The volume jump in the second audio sucks. Also, the more of those superficial high frequencies you put in there, the more your sound might disappear in the mix.

Of course the tuning will depend on the mix and the synth's preset. Additional channel can be set any different way. Might be just low shelf and compressor, so it's like parallel compression but with additional ADSR control.

[Anti-Logic]

But when they are missing to begin with you can't really create them out of nothing with an EQ.

Actually you can, but it's a bit of a process, depending on how much is cut away in the first place.

It won't sound the same as it did before the filter cut, but you can fully re-introduce the high frequencies with the EQ if you spend some time on it.