Xhun Audio RawPrime : an original synthesis concept, established on... Aliasing (on purpose) !

[Tj Shredder]

Below, a RawPrime preview : "Shark Attack" synth bass preset from the factory library. All you hear is produced from solely 2 sine waveforms.

May I ask for the sound shaping principles how aliasing is utilized? An aliased sine is still a sine, just mirrored @ Nyquist… How do you tune it and what is the relation to old chips? There are more question marks than answers at the moment…

[xhunaudio]

It depends what you mean for Nyquist... Half of which samplerate exactly?

(I already anticipated it is not related to the DAW samplerate)

Also, not all sines are the same. A vintage 7-bit sine with jitter etc is not a pure sine.

(This is why I mentioned "it produces sound thanks to the imperfection of its components")

[xhunaudio]

RawPrime features two (identical) generators / oscillators at its sound source : they are established on a very original concept / technology and this key aspect makes RawPrime quite unique.

Despite being an unconventional synthesis system, RawPrime generators are very easy to program for sound designers / end users : each generator features a set of 4 macro-controls.

(Next post, an in-depth description of the engine)

[xhunaudio]

As mentioned before, RawPrime is meant to be a real-world replicable device, so no shortcuts or strange abstractions are adopted here : everything is built from (modeled) vintage electronic components.

This is the key aspect : if that components (DDS, DACs) had no lo-fi imperfections/inaccuracies, no sound was produced.

This imperfections ("aliasing" is the resulting effect) are "amplified" by the inner architecture of the device itself : aliasing (itself a "disordered" phenomenon) is - in this case - produced in an "ordered" way.

Below, a diagram of a single generator (two available per voice) :

[Uncle E]

Is it wrong for us to be drawing comparisons between this and Casio CZ’s? That’s what these sounds remind me of. It would be a good idea to add chorus and delay in that case.

[xhunaudio]

Well, it is wrong from a sound engineering / synthesis method viewpoint.

RawPrime do not involve phase modulation or phase distortion. (I'll explain the diagram above in several further posts).

If you talk about the perceived sound instead, there is something in common between such early digital synthesis systems you mentioned and RawPrime. All they "benefit" from typical "early digital" aliasing distortions and this makes them to sound similar under certain conditions..

Aliasing was "part of the experience" on both CZ101 and DX7 as a side effect since they were "early" digital devices. Aliasing in this case has to be considered as an unwanted collateral distortion, separated from the synthesis method itself.

Instead, RawPrime generates aliasing on purpose. In this case, aliasing is the synthesis method itself.

[Uncle E]

Sounds good. Very innovative. This will be your most successful synth.

[xhunaudio]

I really hope you have divination powers.

Yes, it's a different take on synthesis. As a consequence, an alternative approach to sound design too.

[Atlatnesiti]

While LittleOne and ZeroBox still have MIDI sync problem

Not to mention lack off VST 3 native support on M based Macs

[Tj Shredder]

Below, a diagram of a single generator (two available per voice)

Thanks for that, that gives an idea. I guess you create the pitches traditionally and the timbre by varying the sample rate?
I think there is more to it, but I love your idea.
Finally something really new. Will you publish a paper about that in Computer Music Journal?

[xhunaudio]

Thanks, I will explain more of that diagram later, in my following posts.

[cptgone]

I've added RawPrime to my wish list.

I've only recently got to know Xhun Audio, when I picked up a 2nd hand copy of WindChant (I'll probably get WaterStream too, one day).

[xhunaudio]

Hi, about 2nd hand copies :

Really, I have no doubt on your good faith and honesty (probably you were not aware if this matter), but license transfer is not allowed for XA products, as stated in the End User Agreement. If yours truly is a 2nd hand license, it is still associated to the email address of the previous customer and this can't be changed (you are not the real owner of that license, it's still the person who sold it to you).

NOTE :
This is not related to COUPONS/SERIALS. They can be resold, if not registered yet. But once a serial/coupon has been registered and converted into an "end user personal license", it can't be resold anymore.

If anyone finds my products interesting and useful, I would ask not to buy "not-allowed" 3rd party licenses from unknown people. I keep prices low (with also frequent special offers) in order to keep products accessible, I adopt a very unobtrusive authorization systems and a Gentlemen Agreement in order to put legit customers at ease.

Please find a way to support small developers and not other people who may profit by the situation.

[cptgone]

license transfer is not allowed for XA products

Your policy breaks EU law
(FTR I bought a serial; I posted here to "support small developers" but respect is a 2 way street)

[cptgone]

You ask people to respect (even "support") your (intellectual) property, yet you do not recognize your customers' ownership of the produts they paid for.