My New Favorite Modulation Type // Noise as a Mod Source and how to fake it.

[@VIRALBEATS360]

"Not a scientist, just a regular nerd." - That needs to be on a shirt, for sure, haha! What a perfect ending...great work!

[@doverbeachxyz]

What an elegant synth the Novation Peak.

[@noisetheorem]

In an analog synthesizer, noise is ALWAYS a component of every signal. Anytime you’re modulating anything in an analog domain, a small amount of noise will be part of that modulation. This is a way of bringing that animation and instability to the extremely precise signal path of a digital synthesizer.

[@JTMS]

I used to do stuff like this on my Microfreak all the time when I had one! The way you can route stuff on that machine is bonkers.

[@kaydot6889]

"noise as a modulation source adds the thoughts and feelings of noise without adding the distractions of it [approx.]" Nice, that's a pretty slick explanation right there

[@Slurkz]

Man, that last patch 💜. Stellar video! Thanks Ricky.

[@noisemodule]

just to clarify, for anyone using Ricky's LFO workaround, or looking to use noise as a *modulated* modulator: a stepped random LFO is commonly created from a (white) noise source feeding into a sample and hold circuit, clocked by a trigger or modulation source which switches instantaneously from positive to zero voltage (DC/unipolar) or positive to negative voltage (AC/bipolar), usually a square or saw wave LFO. to create a smoothed random LFO, route the output of the sample and hold circuit through a lag processor a.k.a. slew generator. if you do not have noise as a directly available or patchable modulation source, but want to achieve a similar grainy character (like modulating Filter Cutoff/OSC Freq. or pulse width directly with noise) with a built-in stepped/smoothed random LFO, crank the speed to >20Hz where possible. on a related note, filtering white noise does not exactly "fine tune" the frequency - white noise in this sense being all audible frequencies randomized and perceived simultaneously - but rather limits the bandwidth of possible random frequencies to be output at any given moment.

[@jaydee6321]

If I remember it right, applying a filter to a Signal also changes the phase. The amount of Phaseshift depends on the number of poles. Thats why filters usually have 2 or 4 poles and not 1 or 3, since there are some phase issues. Don´t take this for shure, but i ment to read this somewhere while digging for circuit schematics and stuff for filters. Amplitude modulation with noise is always a favorite of mine! Edit: Try modulating a resonant bandpass ;) Cheers!

[@JackPribis]

If it is a FIR filter, it will be "linear phase", so no net effect on the phase, just an overall delay in the signal. FIRs are very common in digital synths because of this property and the fact they are very easy to implement. IIR/ pole-zero filters can cause phase distortion. The extent depends on pole placement (resonance and dropoff rate). Higher Q=more phase distortion. Steeper dropoff=more phase distortion.

[@SlightlyNasty]

You can absolutely have a 1 or a 3-pole filter (TB-303 uses a 18db/Oct 3-pole filter for example), it's just that second order (2-pole) filter topologies are fairly efficient to implement, so you end up with a lot of designs cascading them to create 4-pole filters. To make a three-pole filter worthwhile you have to be using one of the few topologies where it's easy to add single poles, for example the Moog ladder filter where you just add another "rung" for each pole.

[@bahutu802]

Man, that sounds awesome. I just have a Microfreak, with it I can imitate noise using the random LFO (which of course doesn't sound super authentic, but it'll do the trick). Well at least I know what to look out for in case I ever buy another synth in the future. Given this video, the ability to use analog noise as mod source will be my No 1 must have feature to look out for, cause I instantly and absolutely fell in love with the sound scapes you produced

[@JamesRamboPearce]

I sometimes put a random lfo on the delay time but when it's locked into a tempo which leads to glitchy delay blips! Great vid bro! This is the good stuff 🔥

[@RickyTinez]

oh damn that sounds like a good idea! i'll have to try that out to have some cool rhythmic texture in the background

[@josephs2791]

Nice video! I don't have a peak but I really love watching these types of videos because it can pertain to more than just the peak, it's more of a talk about the approach to creating an architecture of sound and that's what I'm most interested in. I love using noise to create atmosphere or using the sample and hold lfo to mix things up or add grit.

[@qlyde]

Such a cool trick, I shared this in my Prophet-6 video with a brass patch! Using the mod wheel during the attack makes it sound like a real brass instrument being blown, and as a static mod source it makes any patch have a cool lofi vibe, definitely some secret sauce here!

[@nivenofficial]

Ah man, was literally thinking about making a (way less good) version of this video... Love using noise as a modulation source a subtle amount is a real game changer especially when you're using digital oscillators that sounds a bit cold.

[@robtav63]

Great vid - I’m always using noise as a mod source. I love sending noise and and slow moving LFO as separate modulations to freq cutoff on my ES Black Polivoks VCF - swish for days

[@boldaar1529]

Thanks for the video, it's the first time noise as a mod source really made sense to me, love the sounds of it messing with the oscillator pitch! Can't wait to try it out later today. And love your clear and patient explanations, big fan of your channel

[@charlyreed7474]

Fuck yea! Not many people talk about it, and it's a modulation source that's often missing in synths and samplers. Great sound design tool. Putting noise into the time of a really short delay gives great lo-fi sounds

[@savedbyasong4627]

My favorite synth channel right now. Always inspiring, always contagious. Thanks!

[@chipsngravy321]

the last patch sound is so atmospheric, quite moving.

[@user-ph2yo9zc9d]

that sound at 2:05 is so reminiscent of "the captain" by the knife. crazy cause i just found that album "silent shout" on vinyl at amoeba like 2 hrs ago. congrats on tapping into olof dreijer territory; that's next level. excellent vid!

[@TheMountainHowl]

LOVE that album!

[@_DRMR_]

Noise as mod-source is definitely one of the top new features on peak/summit that I'm very much appreciating! The mind just loves these little bits of randomness that keep tickling its interest. Nobody will ever be able to claim that peak/summit sounds clean and sterile throwing this stuff around the mod matrix ;) And thank you for sharing those patches, these remind me of some of the FM patches in my Yamaha FB01s. Gritty and always moving.

[@Paintopia_VR]

Cool video, one of the coolest things you can do with noise is the "Tomita Whistle Patch". Noise through a VCA using envelope with release and into resonant high pass filter. Its scrumptious!

[@badaegis]

Had to revisit this video to see if I could do it on Syntakt. Love the grit. Thanks much.

[@mikastapes]

Oh maaaan! I love randomness. Up to now I always used a random LFO setting on LFO 1 to modulate e.g. the filter cutoff or wave shape and then LFO 2 to modulate the frequency of LFO 1. That also gives that "gritty grainy" sound (If anyone's interested, I also made a quick video about it). I love this for ambient :) Thanks for pointing all the stuff about the internal noise mod source Ricky !!!! 🙏

[@tgiencke]

I think I have seen it on your desk… But Fairfield Circuitry’s “Shallow Water” is by far one of my favorite subtle modulations to bring “ghost in the machine” Soul to a sound etc. Check it out, most of the demos use the effect to bluntly, it is best used just beyond where you can hear it turning on IMO.

[@earlsfield]

Yeahh modulating cuttow with noise is very cool especially on poly synth patches. however it can easilly turn into gnarly mess, you have to controll it well. it is also cool to give it some kind of rytmical dynamics, so you can assign envelope in loop mode to modulate that noise level.

[@RichCochrane]

Magic. Every one of your Peak videos makes me scurry off to play with it some more. Seriously thinking about a second one at this point.

[@shuasaladbar]

Oscillator 3 is phase shifted in a way where it's valleys are aligned with osc 1 and 2's peak, thus the cancellation of sound.

[@RocketElectronicBeats]

Amazing -> no hesitation to get this sound pack. Thank you so much!

[@jam_in_a_box]

Hey Ricky! Just wanted to say I watch all your videos and love them all. I usually never comment, but this one was something else! Now I need to test this on my eurorack case ( thinking of modulating Mimeophon rate with some red noise 👀 ) Thanks a bunch for sharing the knowledge and giving chill vibes every time 👍

[@inkfingers]

Thanks for sharing the noisy knowledge and the dope patches. They sound amazing!

[@ChristopherOrth]

Yeah yeah! Noise as a mod source is so great! I love to use it to add a little bit of wobble to filters.

[@JamesonNathanJones]

One of my faves too for sure! Been modulating everything I can with noise on the Matriarch recently

[@robertmyers6518]

Inspiring! I can't wait to give this a try. The early part - applying noise from Osc. 3, sounds to me like a way to get the grit/warmth quality of reduced bit depth, yet doing it this way you can still get the dynamic range of fuller bit depths. And then that sound for the outro jam? Totally CS-80 time!

[@andersingram]

noise as a mod source is lit .... pink noise as a clock source for randomness is also a great trick for many systems

[@thefrozensea9314]

Some great content here! I'm not new at all to modulating various parametres with noise but I still learned some and got some new ideas :)

[@modmodell8897]

Thank you Ricky, that is a really good video. Super inspiration for my next session with my Summit. Love it!

[@NickMariette]

At 15:38 - what you're saying about digital synths that can't keep up with LFO modulation - sounds like you mean zipper noise. There's a nice quick explanation at sweetwater if you search for zipper noise

[@RobertSaxy]

The sine wave idea sounds like my old noisy lowery organ with the noise-ish and crackle

[@bencliffs6268]

You always make everything you do sound interesting man, thanks for always serving that heat 🔥

[@spooky_zoo]

Nice uses of the new Mod source! Gonna check out those patches, cheers!

[@obscuresoundz]

wow u got that synth sounding amazing at the end

[@suitandtieguy]

Something I really want in a mod matrix is a static random value that resets with every note-on, and I want each voice to have its own value generated, and I want every instance of this modulation source to have its own independent value. This would allow you to generate very specific and directed "slop" points in the sound.

[@RickyTinez]

oh that could be cool and waaayy more controlled than my usual S&H LFO at a low rate with keysync on, haha. Has a synth done this before?

[@suitandtieguy]

@@RickyTinez Amos is sitting right in front of me and he says the Moog One does it now after I made noise about it for a year lol

[@Aqua_1014]

sine wave modulated by noise & a nice reverb is one of my favorite synth sounds :)

[@Mrs_Heyman]

So....beautiful.... stereo modulation on these patches would make my eyes start to water

[@valdir7426]

That's one of my favorite techniques to use it on filter. I also got interesting results when patching noise to the delay time on modular. edit: oh I shoud have watched the video until the end

[@valdir7426]

ok the peak sounds more and more appealing, really deep possibilites

[@strangersun7721]

Inspiring as usual, Enrique. Love your Peak/Summit videos.

[@jolieuke]

Wow, that's a beautiful patch !

[@alexandermalakhov7108]

I think I can watch Ricky playing with peak all day long

[@nabooka316]

The filter FM is a classic Prophet thing - it makes the sound fuzzy and brittle and makes the beat frequency more pronounced

[@HardyNahtal]

“Snap,crackle,pop; don’t sue me!” Priceless and the noise suggestion was dope too🤙🏾

[@samanderson806]

Dope video Enrique. Got some patch inspiration for sure.

[@MrMarcLaflamme]

Love the casually placed NE screwdriver in this video about....noise 🙂

[@unclemick-synths]

Great video 👍. Some cool things to try; even (or especially) on my humble Neutron.

[@DrMuse-on2dx]

Noise makes a great mod source. Thanks.

[@jimlampshady]

Watch out Vangelis, here comes Ricky! Nice patchwork, fella.

[@DvKb]

This was one of my favorites

[@rjbush7955]

Nice. Would be interesting to hear examples with pink noise. As pink noise is all frequencies per octave, what impact would it make when it tracks the keyboard?

[@ERRREC]

Nice and wooly Boardsofcanadesque tones! 👏🙌

[@traitortotheliving]

Hah I just watched a Tefty and Meems video this morning with the Peak where he was doing this saying it’s his favorite modulation source using noise. Then see your video this afternoon. Funny

[@PSILOCYBINISTHEWAY]

the blanket shirt is so dope. nice video homie

[@lidopigeon257]

The noise mod patches are great and sound very R Beny. He must use a similar technique

[@Goodnessgraciousplea]

That patch is awesome !!

[@romainriviere7521]

Hi there, I'm wondering if peak has osc 1 and 2 as source modulation?

[@badaegis]

Damn, that sounds so good!

[@1mnoddity811]

If you recorded the live input with a tube preamp/channel splitter/guitar amp, does that affect the quality of sound from a synth?

[@DrMuse-on2dx]

The last patch belongs on a movie soundtrack...... Very dark and haunting.

[@petedako]

Here's hot tip for you, Ricky _ try using any radio (tuned between stations) as a noise source

[@jonathonkiner7415]

Good sounding synth!!!

[@christopherjanzen]

So uh… when’s the Ricky Tinez patch collection coming to Components? 🤞

[@simonkeenangomez]

Key and peele: “Nois!”

[@alancarmody8848]

You should do a preset bank for novation

[@davidspiers6638]

so, Habit Video coming soon??? I can see it on the desk :)

[@Bronkosauras]

Ain't that purrrrty! ❤

[@gregbeaudry]

Holy sh*t it’s digital amulets!!!

[@timvw01]

3h live jams sessions plz!

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I need to sort My Peak out Im so busy all the time that I have hardy used it. I'm getting it set up tomorrow, I want to use it.

[@jamesorr4061]

I was the same, but it's actually super quick and easy to set it up and get going with patch design.

[@projektpetr]

Deru~ish, luv it

[@dillipphunbar7924]

neutron at the ready....patch time.....ty

[@bartjanc]

Video idea: noise as modulation source in your modular rig 😇

[@IK_1980]

How would you describe a synth? Not a scientist, just a regular nerd…. Haha. Glad you’re not a biologist. Great instructional video as always

[@lmp832]

damn, ricky

[@RickyTinez]

haha thanks for the support LMP!

[@thealmightycommenter]

is that a lil habit I spy

[@kurisuchiinathecrocodile333]

noise rules! 8)

[@0FAS1]

NOICE VID M8

[@Promethalus]

Is it just me, or did Ricky sound a bit spaced out by the end there?

[@coltranius]

As a breath controller player I’m particularly excited about noise modulation finally coming to Peak. Now we just need a dedicated filter just for noise - which is probably a pipe dream, bc that’s a pretty breath-specific desire 😂

[@coltranius]

I should add: one I can modulate with breath or key tracking

[@danielmulholland5869]

I just thought "wtf is breath control?" Searched it up and ended up spending like an hour watching dope videos of this dude on KZbin, came back to this video and realized that dude was you 😂😂

[@coltranius]

@@danielmulholland5869 😂

[@the8bitdeity]

The noise has a HPF and LPF for it on the Peak

[@coltranius]

@@the8bitdeity but not midi controlled, to my knowledge

[@T.H.W.O.T.H]

Was that delicious or what?