SpaceFX (Stereo)

Description

Please be careful when using high resonance-levels of the filter.
As typical for a diode-ladder filter the sound can become quite nasty, so be sure to try with low volumes first! Please note: SpaceFX offers real stereo processing for the reverb only.
Here is a little demo-track done with SpaceFX with quite a bit of reverb added in the DAW:
https://soundcloud.com/taitekatto/spacefx-for-tbd

The idea of SpaceFX is to have a simple yet flexible to control white noise and modulated filter self oscillation generator. SpaceFX among other things tries to pay tribute to early space-rock bands like Gong, Hawkwind, Far East Family Band and others. But also the Radiophonic Workshop and electronic works by Ligeti or modern glitchy or soundscape-oriented stuff comes to mind. A major inspiration being Tim Blake’s usage of the VCS 3 for such “space noises”.

The plugin uses a diode-ladder filter and a sawwaves oscillator by Carlos Laguna Ruiz implemented in his VULT language, for more details on the topic please look here: https://github.com/modlfo/vult VCV-Rack prototype for SpaceFX using a similar VULT-filter:

../_images/spacefx.png

Parameters

Section 1: Global

  • Trigger/Gate Envelopes

  • Master Pitch (map CV to Cutoff here if desired)

  • Master Tune +- 1200 Cent

  • Filter key tracking (Pitch-CV to Cutoff)

  • Volume before Effects

Section 2: Voice / Noise

  • Enable Noise n/y

  • Noise Colour (Pink to White)

  • Noise Level

  • Modulate Noise n/y

  • Noise Colour Mod Speed

  • Noise Colour Mod Amount

  • Noise Level Mod Speed

  • Noise Level Mod Amount

Section 3: Voice / Filer

  • Enable Pitch to Cutoff n/y

  • Cutoff Frequency

  • Resonance

  • Use vintage resonance tuning n/y

  • Cutoff Modulation Level (EGs+SOU+LFOs)

  • Resonance Modulation Level (EGs+SOU+LFOs)

  • Amplitude Modulation Level (EGs+SOU+LFOs)

Section 3: AD Envelope

  • AD envelope active n/y

  • AD envelope modifies VCA level n/y

  • AD Attack

  • AD Decay

  • AD envelope loop n/y

  • AD volume envelope invert n/y

  • AD envelope cutoff amount

  • AD envelope resonance amount

  • AD to Saw LFO speed n/y

  • AD to Saw LFO speed amount

Section 4: ADSR Envelope

  • ADSR envelope active n/y

  • ADSR envelope modifies VCA level n/y

  • ADSR Attack

  • ADSR Decay

  • ADSR Sustain

  • ADSR Release

  • ADSR volume envelope invert n/y

  • ADSR envelope cutoff amount

  • ADSR envelope resonance amount

  • ADSR to Sine LFO speed n/y

  • ADSR to Sine LFO speed amount

Section 5: SOU - Source of Uncertainty (SnH1: Whitenoise-Based, SnH2: Pinknoise-based)

  • SAMPLE AND HOLD LFO 1 active n/y

  • Sample n’ Hold 1 frequency

  • Sample n’ Hold 1 cutoff level

  • Sample n’ Hold 1 resonance level

  • Sample n’ Hold 1 AM level

  • Sample n’ Hold 1 to Frequ. of SnH-1

  • Sample n’ Hold 1 to Frequ. of Square LFO

  • Sample n’ Hold 1 to AD Attack

  • SAMPLE AND HOLD LFO 2 active n/y

  • Sample n’ Hold 2 frequency

  • Sample n’ Hold 2 cutoff level

  • Sample n’ Hold 2 resonance level

  • Sample n’ Hold 2 AM level

  • Sample n’ Hold 2 to Frequ. of SnH-1

  • Sample n’ Hold 2 to Frequ. of Pulse/Tri LFO

  • Sample n’ Hold 2 to AD Decay

Section 6: LFO Modulation Mixer (Cutoff, Resonance and Amplitude Modulation)

  • SINE LFO active n/y

  • Sine frequency

  • Sine LFO cutoff level

  • Sine LFO resonance level

  • Sine LFO AM level

  • Pulse LFO active n/y

  • Pulse frequency

  • Pulse Width

  • PWM speed

  • PWM Oddness factor

  • Pulse/Tri LFO cutoff level

  • Pulse/Tri LFO resonance level

  • Pulse/Tri LFO AM level

  • SAW LFO active n/y

  • Sawtooth frequency

  • Sawtooth LFO cutoff level

  • Sawtooth LFO resonance level

  • Sawtooth LFO AM level

  • SQUARE LFO active n/y

  • Square frequency

  • Squarewave LFO cutoff level

  • Squarewave LFO resonance level

  • Squarewave LFO AM level

Section 7: Delay

  • Delay active n/y

  • Shorten Delay Times to 0.5 seconds n/y

  • Delay Time (max. 0.5 or 2 Sec.)

  • Delay Feedback

  • Delay Dry/Wet

Section 8: Reverb (Set to Mono if you want to use only one output of the TBD)

  • Reverb active n/y

  • Mono Reverb n/y

  • Reverb Input Gain

  • Reverb Diffusion

  • Reverb Time

  • Reverb Lowpass

  • Reverb LFO 1

  • Reverb LFO 2

  • Reverb Dry/Wet

Usage / Patch Ideas

There are various main modes of operation:

  1. “Space Noises” using modulated self-oscillating filter tones

    only

  2. Like (a) but also involving noise, filter tones can be

    self-oscillating but don’t have to

  3. Using AM for Ring Modulator kind of tones

  4. Like (a) and/or (b/c) but with an volume envelope applied

  5. Using vast Echo and/or reverb for soundscapes

  6. Making use of the cross-modulation options of the EGs and SnH

    LFOs to generate self-playing patches. A typical Todd Barton inspired Krell patch like explained here by himself is possible: https://vimeo.com/48466272

The general idea here is, then to find some “sweet spots” where the “Space Noises”sound interesting and then play around with some parameters in a way that makes sense in the (musical) context you want to use it. The filter also may be played via CV/Gate by a keyboard, thus becoming an oscillator on its own. VCV Rack was used for prototyping, as you can see in the screenshot above, the module Plateau got used, whereas SpaceFX uses a Mutable Instruments Reverb plus a simple yet (literally) effective feedback-delay line.