Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some tips

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Pioneer
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:00 pm

Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some tips

Post by Pioneer »

I have been reading the manual and watching all the many nice youtube demo videos. So I got a lot of good info there. I bought the ipad version and also have the WIN version.

After spending a lot of time I have compiled some questions:

Really loving all the synth design options. My main questions are based on editing. I want to make transitions such as pitch downs, and just have really nice detail. I watched the tuts on how to make a drop and that helped show me a nice transition. But I was wondering if anyone had more tips or tricks they use when programming.

Also, when I edit notes, even in reading the manual I am still very slow. For example, if put an E note in and want to push it up to trigger a few notes earlier, what is the fastest way to do this? currently I am deleting the note and then hitting the unlock and then punching the note in somewhere else. I am sure there must be a faster way to move the note from one spot to another.

In that vein, if I wanted to switch the note from an E to an F for example, how do you do that w/out deleting and starting again?

I am not bad with the shortcuts. ~ to stop the note works perfectly, but I am obviously still missing some stuff.

Finally (for now) - hi hats. I want to have more detail in my hi hats. Maybe add some triplets..etc. I programmed a track at 82BPM, and it seems as if the fastest I can get the notes to go is 16ths. Did I screw up and should have made the song at 164BPM instead? Or is there another way to add some in between notes?

There is a lot to learn here for me, but I am doing my best. Really love how you can export each track dry and the FX are on their own channel, like I'd have a console. Just awesome!!


**** Wanted to add, I am reading the Tracker's Handbook as well*********
jcage
Posts: 45
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 1:25 am

Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by jcage »

check out the speed setting (000F 00XX, XX = 00 ... 1F) for your hihats. Try eg. XX=04.
squidmissile
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Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
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Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by squidmissile »

Hi everyone. This my first post here (although I've been lurking around for a long time). I mainly use sunvox on my ipod so I thought I could answer a qestion or two here.
Pioneer wrote:Also, when I edit notes, even in reading the manual I am still very slow. For example, if put an E note in and want to push it up to trigger a few notes earlier, what is the fastest way to do this? currently I am deleting the note and then hitting the unlock and then punching the note in somewhere else. I am sure there must be a faster way to move the note from one spot to another.
You can use the insert empty note and back buttons to move notes around a bit more quickly. They show up on the bar next the main menu button when you are in edit mode.
Pioneer wrote:In that vein, if I wanted to switch the note from an E to an F for example, how do you do that w/out deleting and starting again?
For this you can use the transpose function which you can find in the edit section of the main menu (main menu > edit > transpose). There are keyboard shortcuts for this as well.

Speaking of keyboard shortcuts... I haven't been able to find a shortcut of any kind for inserting empty notes (there only seems to be one for inserting a note OFF). I don't use my pc too often for much since I'm always out so it's not a big deal to me but this always irks me whenever I do open up sunvox while at my desk. I haven't overlooked any of the keyboard shortcuts have I? Or is there simply no shortcut for inserting empty notes at the time?
Pioneer
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Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:00 pm

Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by Pioneer »

Much appreciated! I am moving along pretty quickly in getting how it all works, but these posts really help.

When mixing right now, I am setting up straight chains something like Synth - HP filter- LP filter-echo - distortion-filter - amplifier (I use as a bus)- main out.

I was wondering with distortion or even compression if there is a way to insert it in parallel. I dont see a wet/dry on some of the effects and that is why I ask. Or is it just the volume control?

Different tutorial makers have different routing, so it confuses me a little there.

..............................................................Distortion
............................................................/ \
For example, I have also seen it like this : Synth --------------Echo -------- OUT

It wont let me draw it right, but basically the synth is feeding the echo and then also the DIST, but not in a direct line...or does the DIST have to also go to the OUT as well, or does it even matter?

I can post screen shots if that helps.
gilzad
Posts: 92
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2012 6:46 am

Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by gilzad »

You're welcome.
It's true that some DSPs don't offer a wet/dry control. But that's just a matter of comfort. You can easily overcome this by adding an additional Amplifier to your chain. In your case this would mean that you put an Amplifier in between the Synth and the Echo module while you keep the routing to your Distortion as it is.
By controlling the Amplifier's volume and the Distortion's output volume, you can now decide how much of the Synth's signal shall remain dry and how much shall be distorted, before it reaches the Echo module.
Pioneer
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Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:00 pm

Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by Pioneer »

gilzad wrote:You're welcome.
It's true that some DSPs don't offer a wet/dry control. But that's just a matter of comfort. You can easily overcome this by adding an additional Amplifier to your chain. In your case this would mean that you put an Amplifier in between the Synth and the Echo module while you keep the routing to your Distortion as it is.
By controlling the Amplifier's volume and the Distortion's output volume, you can now decide how much of the Synth's signal shall remain dry and how much shall be distorted, before it reaches the Echo module.
Ok, I will try this out. It makes total sense. To be able to parallel in the distortion is optimal for me. I also have gotten better at note editing and am slowly getting proficient there too.

My biggest issue now is figuring out BPM and ticks. Default is 6 ticks. My question is this:

If I want to make say a dubstep song staring from scratch and want to add fast arpeggations, should I start the project at 140 BPM, or should I double it to 280?

Example..I have a beat I am making now that is more hip hop. I made the project at 82 BPM, but due to this, I can not tweak my hi hats to do anything faster than 16th notes.

Is it possible to speed up the song w/out affecting all the other parts? I know if I change the ticks that is universal so this is why I ask.

Still wrapping my head around this, but I'm spending 3-4 hours a day on this program so I am hoping my questions will be less and less.
Oliv
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Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:30 am

Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by Oliv »

Ah, the ticks and BPM... One of the most alienating thing to me when I started using trackers... :-D

The BPM parameter in a tracker means the speed at which one tick will be played and the speed parameter the number of ticks per line. It means (and maybe you already know it, but I remember having a hard freaking time figuring it out) that if you lower the speed of the song, the song will actually play faster ! :o

For example, regarding your question, if I have a song playing at six ticks per line and want to be able to throw 32th notes, I would have to change the speed parameter to three (halving the speed = doubling the apparent tempo). I'd also have to put twice the space between notes (my second beat would have to be on the 8th line instead of the 4th, for example).

If you just want to put quick hits on a hihat, I would try using the retrigger effect (19).

Hope that helps.
Pioneer
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Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:00 pm

Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by Pioneer »

Thats awesome..ok thank you! Now what you are saying basically will effect the entire song correct?

So it seems like the retrigger effect is very powerful then!

So maybe the proper workflow is to set the BPM normally (140 for example for a dubstep tempo) and then use retrigger for the fast stuff.

I will experiment with this more. Maybe I just need to make drum beats for a while and not try and make full tracks. get too distracted trying to filter and pitch everything..lol.
Oliv
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Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:30 am

Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by Oliv »

A word of advice : load some Sunvox demo songs and try to analyse the way Nightradio does his sound by isolating instruments and looking at the notes and effects in the pattern editor. He's a very competent composer and knows how to use his own software to serve his vision. Also, the folder "Simple examples" is full of little tricks you should try and understand.
On the internet, you will also find loads and loads of modules in .xm format or whatever, that you can load with Sunvox (though to be fair, Sunvox sometimes have trouble with effect values) and learn from.

You got a loooooooong way to go to get to a point of being able to write the music you want to hear with Sunvox, especially if you've never used a tracker (which seems to be the case). But if you got the patience and the determination, the sky's the limit... :-)
Pioneer
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Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:00 pm

Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by Pioneer »

Are the demo songs in the software? That is a great idea and one I should have thought of. I am going to pull those up and study.

The good news for me is I have been producing music for 16 years. So while I am new to trackers, I am not new to production/composing..etc.

Im definitely dedicated. Every day I spend 2-3 hours on this software. I really enjoy it and MUCH prefer it to traditional DAWs with too many options. This is why I did not even mess with Renoise. I don't want to have all those VSTis as options. I feel like the synths in sunvox can make about any sound out there...maybe I am wrong, but it seems very versatile.
El Niño
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Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 4:09 pm

Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by El Niño »

if you want more "detail", you were saaying you can only easily get sixteenths without using the delay commands...use a higher BPM. double your BPM from 82 to 164 or if you want reaqlly fine detail use 328 (quadruple), then you will have more resolution.

"if put an E note in and want to push it up to trigger a few notes earlier, what is the fastest way to do this?"

use the back button, place the cursor above the note you want to pull back.

change a note to a higher note without deleting - edit -transpose

move a note or sequence of notes - file menu, show toolbar - highlight - cut - paste
Pioneer
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Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:00 pm

Re: Sunvox is amazing. Spent all weekend on it. Need some ti

Post by Pioneer »

I appreciate the detailed answers. Feeling a little silly for just discovering the demo songs. I spent a few hours last night slowly going over them all. I plan to keep going over them because a lot of the stuff I want to do he has done in his demos.

Wanted to add that I was extremely impressed with the routing. It is really basic and involves no filters or EQ, yet still sounds very well balanced while basically being unmixed.

So not only am I learning sonvox, I am also learning a few things about my own style that needed improvement. For example, NightRadios kicks are not very loud in the mix, but he designed them so well that they sound great. My drums tend to dominate the mix too much so I learned a lot from these demo songs.

It is a huge learning tool to be able to sit there and be able to take apart a track that uses the same sounds and effects that you have at your fingertips.
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