Korg multi/poly: Waveshaper Oscillator Deep Dive

[@jonparkinson8008]

Really appreciate you posting this. Got the multi/poly before Christmas and I really fancy getting into the waveshaping so this was a fantastic intro, thank you.

[@kcrosley]

@@jonparkinson8008 thanks for watching and I’m glad you found this helpful!

[@cooksoni.a]

I'm working on a video where I talk about waveshaping along with some other stuff, and you're right to point out that using sin(x) as a transfer function sounds like wavefolding and FM. It relates to wavefolding because those kinds of transfer functions have points where the function reverses direction and goes downward, often multiple times, like a sine wave. When the function reverses direction, you get that thing where the wave folds back down past the threshold. It relates to FM because when you modulate the phase of a sine with another sine, then that's exactly equivalent to inputting a sine wave into a sine function, except you're adding the phase signal alongside it. But in some FM synths you can set the carrier to a ratio of 0, so when you modulate it, you're essentially just inputting a sine wave into a sine function. That's because phase modulation is basically sin(phase + modulator), so when phase = 0, then it's just sin(modulator), so taking the sin of another sine wave. My mind was blown when I figured that out

[@kcrosley]

@cooksoni.a thanks for watching and thanks for chiming in! I’ll be looking forward to your video!

[@Pictus_Invictus]

God speed recovery for your sister!

[@kcrosley]

@@Pictus_Invictus thanks, friend! And thanks for watching! Be well.

[@malcolmgregoire1019]

I just got my Multi/Poly on January 3rd and am trying to wrap my head around the capabilities of this amazing synth.

[@kcrosley]

@@malcolmgregoire1019 thanks for watching! If you haven’t had exposure to the other Korg R&D synths, note that Korg modwave is similar architecturally and a lot of modwave tips and tricks can be applied to multi/poly (e.g., Ian Dixon’s modwave videos and many of my own videos in my KRC Mathwaves playlist). Congrats on getting a multi/poly! 🎉

[@SouthShoreSonics]

Loving it!

[@HarmonicSonics.]

Thanks for diving into all the various multi poly waveshapers . I heard that oceanswift synthesis has the wavetable creator software which has waveshaping as well although I'm not sure how many can be made with it but I'm interested in that, as well. But I always hope to hear waveshaping with chords. The only synth I have now that doesn't make wave shapes sound muddy with more than one note at a time, is my opsix. The wavestate/ modwave have the waveshapers from the 01/w which can be cool for monophonic bass lines that sound a bit buzzy. And I thought about taiga or the tip top buchla modules but I need polyphony so. I've tried making waveshapers when using serum to create wavetables with the formula parser, with entering equations. However usually I just end up with very fmy stuff and less wave shape y ones. Hopefully I'll understand how to make my own upon learning what math is involved. I love how wave shaping can sound and I'm optimistic in how the korg r and d method will be in the sounds of the west coast sounds (with multi poly). I have a korg R3 which has a nice xmod that if used carefully can yield interesting results however more buzzy than smooth I got sick a few days after Christmas but bounced back quick.

[@kcrosley]

@@HarmonicSonics. yeah, so I didn’t go into the waveshaper *effect* here, which is in all of the Korg R&D synths, but has a strange, small set of rather extreme shaping curves. Running a waveshaper on polyphonic material (or even complex mono material like sample-based ROMpler sources) will mostly sound like distortion. At the single-cycle waveform level, however, it’s simply timbral change/waveform design. It’s a somewhat wild idea to apply it to “program material” and I’ve not found much use for it as a layer-level effect (though it could be used as, for example, an alternative to guitar amp distortions or whatnot… as I like to say, “a little of that can go a long way.”)

[@kcrosley]

Also: I know that folks want my take on the Ocean Swift wavetable designer software. But I just haven’t gotten round to that as yet. There’s a dearth of easy-to-use wavetable creation software, and I should really check that out. (Of course I’m a bit biased as I create my own wavetables using Python+math.) However I will get there!

[@HarmonicSonics.]

​Yeah i like how the multi poly waveshaper oscs sound ​@@kcrosley . I'm running out of room on modwave for more wavetables, and I use native to swap hardware patches so a multi poly makes sense for me to get not only because of the waveshaper osc, but also because of the xmod routing and the layer rotate, the audio rate filter mod, and the polyphony. For some reason though the timbral shifts/ wave folding of the multi poly waveshaper fascinate me. I can kind of get some of that from my opsix but yeah I've actually is funny I've not really used wave folder a lot on that synth. I would imagine it's buzzier though. I'm really about making pads and lead sounds so I've a feeling the multi poly won't let me down there

[@kcrosley]

Yeah, the native versions of modwave and wavestate add a lot of value to the hardware versions! I actually like using those as patching environments over the editor/librarian software. But then of course you can easily transfer your creations to the hardware. (And depending on the number of frames in your wavetables, you can have around 256,000 before modwave native says “no more, please!” Of course, I wish the number was higher! 😜

[@VitaEx]

What setting makes the wave shape change over time in the window like that when I select a normal wave form it just shows a static wave form is the just the wave shaper? For example a sine into the triangle etc. or is this a byproduct of you modulating through offset with velocity? Can this be done to basic wave forms?

[@kcrosley]

Hey @VitaEx. Most of the patches shown in this video are using the waveshaper, of course, but in most of the Classic (the VA modeled waveforms) there are either one or two controls for morphing the waveforms. See pages 19 and 20 of the manual. The Saw and Shark Fin waveforms are the only two classic waveforms that do not have waveblend and/or PW/morph controls, but all of the other classic waveform types respond in some way to either "Control 1" and/or "PW/Morph".

[@VitaEx]

@@kcrosleylet me clarify in just trying to understand how wave shaped works I see you load up each wave shape and as you hit a key the wave form on your screen modulates slightly. It doesn’t look like all your patch’s have lfo it isn’t the filter so I figured if I loaded up a wave shape it would do that and it isn’t are they modulating a specific parameter like pw or velocity or something

[@VitaEx]

So far the closest I can get is changing the turning on lfo on pw morph and adding a velocity to the with the lfo as source Is that what you’re doing ?

[@kcrosley]

With the waveshaper osc there are multiple dimensions of modulation: Gain, offset, pulse width, and the LPF-prefilter. Take your pick. I'm modulating all of those things. I don't understand your confusion, TBH.

[@VitaEx]

@@kcrosleysorry I appreciate the reply I’m not very knowledgeable yet. Around 21:00 for example You appear to have your filters off Yet each key press shows the waveform change shape and length overtime I’m just assuming that’s modulation but haven’t come close to replicating the effect I’ll keep fiddling I haven’t tried setting up multiple modulations yet I’ll give that a shot thanks

[@SteveMayzak]

Starting jam is great

[@kcrosley]

@@SteveMayzak thanks for your kind words! “No talking” version of that with disturbing meat-plant imagery is here: Transmission 03: Korg multi/poly Waveshaper Oscillator Demo Track kzbin.info/www/bejne/noipnoKqqqZ_oa8

[@johnseniuk2875]

Hi.i cant import any of your stuff into the multi poly.what am i missing? Thanks.

[@kcrosley]

@@johnseniuk2875 hey there! Well, what are you trying? (And are you referring to the free version of KRC Mathwaves,the full collection or both?) The free collection is available as a single Korg multi poly bundle file (it’s at the very bottom of the free product page). Just download that, fire up multi/poly editor librarian, select Library view, and select import from the menu. The bundle will be imported and transfer to your multi/poly. In the full collection there is a growing collection of .korgwavetable (individual wavetable files) as well as mpbundle files that can be imported in a similar way. (I will eventually get around to converting everything, but it’s a bit of a slow process.) For anything that hasn’t been converted yet, you could import any of the Serum/Vital .wav versions of my wavetables using the editor librarian and selecting “Important wav as wavetable” to select the desired file(s)! Hope this helps!

[@johnseniuk2875]

@kcrosley thanks I'll try that!

[@johnseniuk2875]

That's working! I'll be back.thanks very much.

[@kcrosley]

@johnseniuk2875 I'm glad we got it sorted! Happy wavetabling and stuff! :)

[@cathalhex7948]

Sad to hear about your sister. Americans deserve a better healthcare system considering the wealth of the country.

[@kcrosley]

@@cathalhex7948 yeah, late hypercapitalism is like that. She’s not being denied care of course, but everything has a price tag here.