psytrance FX

This sound is based on a single sawtooth wave oscillator, only that it is high-pass filtered so that the basic harmonics that make up the sound go away and you are left with a buzz. I used filter 2 for this, unlinked the filters (SER4 routing) from each other, set filter 2 to HP, and the cutoff to ~55. I saved Filter 1 for a different purpose - if you listen to the link, the first note is low-pass filtered, so I used filter 1 to control this, using the key velocity: set the filter envelope all the way up to look like a ramp. Only leave the attack on 0. reduce filter 1 cutoff to ~30, velocity to maximum positive effect on envelope amount, which is set to an initial value of 60%. If you find the key velocity too tricky for this, you can always use the filter 1 cutoff knob. While we are on the filter page let's take the opportunity to give the notes a maximum length similar to what can be heard in the link: set decay to 121 (change this value if you want to shorten or lengthen the notes), sustain to 96.9% and sustain slope to minimum (-64).
The first of the other properties of the sound are its descending pitch, for which I used the pre-routed control of LFO1 to oscillator 1 pitch, at ~+80%. LFO1 is set to be sawtooth in ENV mode, rate 75-80 and trigger phase can be left as off. The second property is what sounds like an opening, almost talking, filter. I decided to use the vowel filter for this, if you have OS5 beta working for you, you can try some of the new filters as well - note that the LFO routing names might be different. So using the exact same LFO1 with its assignable routing option set to FreqShifter Freq, and the amount to -14.1% which will be translated to "open filter" on the left side of the vowel filter. So on the FX1 page, set Freq Shifter type to Vowel Filter, mix to ~75% to let some of the buzz through, resonance to a little above 50%, and now to create the opening effect that would sound like "wa-eh", set the frequency to be the destination "eh"=32%, because LFO1 will push it down then bring it up it slowly.
Further tweaking: Extra buzz with digital (or any other) distortion, you can use even at full mix but set the drive below 50%. Use the pad opener character to lose more bass and get some stereo presence. Use the low EQ at negative gain to loose even more bass, and add some mids with the mid EQ. The final addition to this sound is the delay effect. For this sound I suggest using the tape delay because I noticed that the echoes loose some high end, and the tape delay has a filter: center frequency ~60 and bandwidth ~40 should do. The echoes are subtle so -8db with a feedback of 70% should suffice.
Good luck!

Are you sure you did the following things:

• Set oscillator balance so that only OSC1 is heard
• Completely unlinked the filters (no cutoff link, no "filter" link)
• Made sure that filter 2 is highpass and not influenced by the filter envelope / key velocity
• Made sure LFO1 does not affect the main filters, just the vowel filter

Also I think you got the filters mixed up. The two main filters do not have an option to be set as vowel filters. The vowel filter is a channel (a.k.a part) effect. I did not upgrade to OS5 yet (waiting for the release) so I don't know if the vowel filter is still considered "freq shifter" or "filter bank", but in any case it is still an effect in the FX page, not a filter in the filter page.
If after following this you are still having trouble, I'll try to upload some screenshots.

My explanation in pictures:
[Blockierte Grafik: http://i1240.photobucket.com/a…flabberbob/AvalonFX01.png]

[Blockierte Grafik: http://i1240.photobucket.com/a…flabberbob/AvalonFX02.png]

[Blockierte Grafik: http://i1240.photobucket.com/a…flabberbob/AvalonFX03.png]

[Blockierte Grafik: http://i1240.photobucket.com/a…flabberbob/AvalonFX04.png]

[Blockierte Grafik: http://i1240.photobucket.com/a…flabberbob/AvalonFX05.png]

And this is what it sounds like!
The fun thing about trying to imitate sounds is that along the way you come up with some unintended cool ones!

I've achieved similar sounds by simply using a saw based osc going through a band pass filter.

Using LFOs have the pitch of the osc and cutoff of the band pass filter modulated, but going in opposite directions, I'll have to look into linking some sounds I achieved some months ago when i had a crack at this.

Lidge: I would have probably done the same if I hadn't already used filter 1 for velocity sensitive lowpass and filter 2 for a real highpass (not low shelf like the EQ FX). Had I used OS5 I would have probably use one of the new filters for the highpass and sweep a bandpass like you said.

hi flabberbob,

it´s a cool description.
I´m new on virus and made your tutorial yesterday.
Only one thing I didn´t get:

“and now to create the opening effect that would sound like "wa-eh", set the frequency to be the destination "eh"=32%“

What do you exactly mean ? I could´t anywhere find the "eh". How to set the frequency as destination from vowel filter?
Maybe I don´t need on OS5 ?

Thank U and please keep up the good work

Zitat von Shogun

“and now to create the opening effect that would sound like "wa-eh", set the frequency to be the destination "eh"=32%“

What I meant by this was that the initial position of the vowel control of the vowel filter should be 32% (vowel=32%) which is equivalent to an "eh" sound. The negative influence of the sawtooth LFO will cause it to start lower than that (at an "ooh" sound), but it will rise and finish with "eh".