Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gringo Starr
β‘οΈ
Have any of you guys spent a good amount of time sampling sounds from your modulars for the purpose of playing polyphonically? If so have you gotten good results? I've been planning to start doing this. Any tips you wanna share?
This is my exact workflow. Started doing it because I get sick of retuning oscillators every twelve seconds. I goof off and record the modular 'live' every once in a while, but its primary purpose for me is as a sample generating machine.
For me, the biggest tip I have is that there's a tendency when you're sampling to avoid heavy modulation, but if you just go with the crazy LFO modulations anyway, yeah you'll have a static sample, but played polyphonically, the results can be pretty cool.
Also, using your sampler's filters to introduce additional modulation works like a charm. I like to sample a sound with the filter on the modular slightly closed/modulated that way it introduces some character to the sample from the filter, and then use the filters on the sampler to bring it to life.
The sampler you use can have a huge effect on your workflow i.e. using an MPC5000 for creating and playing drum samples works a charm, but creating animated synth parts on it kinda bites. The Fantom G has become my go-to sampler for polyphonic modular because it's fast, it's easy, and the effects are phenomenal and flexible.
Multisampling I do on a case-by-case basis. Most of the time with the analog simulation on the Fantom (alters the pitch just a little bit) I can make a single sample work across the keyboard and only do multisampling if I want the original filter from the modular to sound like it's being modulated (velocity-assigned LFO speeds or cutoff/resonance depths etc.)
Also, don't be afraid to try doing something that deep in your heart you know is a bad idea. You may surprise yourself.