Take that fandroids. Stop throwing rocks at the throne
This it what it sounds like after messing with it for a few minutes. I’m sure I can take it much much farther.

So whats next? Korg MonoPoly?

The imminent  os 4 upgrade will offer a mod matrix feature on all Virus TIs. The feature allows you to use an arpeggiator pattern as a source in the modulation matrix. To those of you not familiar with a mod matrix, I would describe it as a non random, tempo synced, sample and hold LFO. In other words, its a sample and hold LFO that allows you to set the wave level at each individual step(up to 32 steps in the viruses case). A few enhancements have been made to the arp editor in Virus control to facilitate this feature. Firstly, The arp has gained an “Arp matrix mode”. In this new mode, the arpeggiator does not trigger new notes after the first step of the pattern while keys are held down. This allows you to play a sustained sound and have for instance, filter cutoff modulated cyclically by the matrix.

This new addition to the Virus Os has made it a bit easier to put of getting a Korg Radias. Now I can wait till I find a truly crack head deal. The virus’ implementation has a long way to go to match the Radias’ 3 independent sequencers and 16 physical knobs but it is a decent start.

In a future point upgrade, it would be cool to be able to set the modulation destination as an attribute on the arp itself, in addition to setting them in the mod matrix. The TI’s LFOs currently work like this so I don’t believe this will be difficult to implement. The reason this would be cool is that, it would make it possible to switch the range of modulation levels to one that makes sense for the destination being modulated. Take a scenario where you want to modulate the index of a wavetable oscillator with the matrix. If the selected wavetable only has 24 waves, does it really make sense to be able to set the modulation level to 127? All together class “NO”. The EXB-Radias expansion available for the Korg m3 workstations, work this way. The modulation step level settings are also presented in a bipolar fashion so it is clear to the user that they are modulating an attribute either up or down relative to the the attributes current value.

Other goodies slated for the release include comb and vowel filters which are available in the effects block rather than the filter block. 6 spice(curry, saffron, chilli, onion, pepper & mint) themed stomp box overdrive effects are also on the menu. I suspect that the colors of the spices they have chosen to name the overdrives after, is a clue to the identities of the stomp boxes the access engineers based their models on.

I’m still happy I chose the Virus Polar even though I still have an outstanding mortgage on it . The new comb filter will fill a void left by by recently departed waldorf blofeld and the vowel filters will bring back to life, the one feature I missed dearly on my E-mu 6400 Ultra sampler.

Not a bad upgrade at all. Bravo chaps!!! The released demos sound good to these ears but have a listen for yourself at Virus OS4.

As a performance synth, the m3 wins. It has karma, drum pads, drum track, xy pad, chord memory.
Motif has an arp.

As a sequencer, Motif wins. Motif has pattern based sequencing as well as a linear song mode. Each pattern has 16 different sections. Recorded phrases have independent lengths, and phrases can be reused on different tracks effortlessly. The first 8 tracks, sound exactly as they sound in program mode because all the efx are retained. Easy to solo and mute tracks. Seamless switching between patterns. The killer feature is being able to drop in and out of record and change active track as your pattern loops. Recording arps to the sequencer is also much simpler than on the m3. Only cool thing m3 has over motif is the ease with which you can bounce a sequence to an audio file and save it to a USB device.

As a sampler, M3 slaughters the motif xs. You have single click access to sampling from any mode so resampling a program, combi or sequence is a easy as pi 3.14. Creating a sample based program is easy on the m3 as well. Switching zones and making edits is pretty straight forward. Sampler has a bit of a tacked on feel on the XS and the interface suggests it can be only accessed from sequencer mode but you can actually get to it from program mode. Sampler nomenclature on the XS is confusing if you have ever used another sampler. Waveform maps to instrument, keybank is a sample with zone attributes as well. The M3 screen is brighter and has better contrast so sample waveform editing is easier on the eyes.

As a synth, m3 gives you a lot more options and wins in the fantasy sound creation arena. The motif has better samples in my opinion and excels in recreating acoustic instruments and layered sounds. The m3 can create great layers in combi mode but the main handicap of that mode is that you cannot create your layers in context. You have to create individual programs and them layer them in combi mode. If the source programs change, so do the combis. A standard motif xs program has 8 elements and each of these elements can be triggered in a variety of ways: key on, key up, delayed, cycled etc. Modulation routes tend to be fixed on the motif so for example you get dedicated envelopes and LFOs for pitch, filter and amp. There are only 6 realtime control routes on the motif. The realtime controllers available for use in the routes are mod wheel, pitch wheel, breath controller, 2 assignable knobs, 2 assignable switches, ribbon, footswitch and foot control.

The m3 has an xy touch screen, value slider, ribbon, 4 axis joystick, expression pedal, 8 pads, 2 switches, multiple banks of 8 sliders.
An M3 program has access to 5 insert effects with presets, 2 master effects and a master effect. This is great in program mode but the same 5+2+1 effects have to be shared in combi and sequencer mode. Sucks big time. XS programs have 2 inserts, a chorus and a reverb. Not much compared to the m3 but in sequencer mode, the first 8 tracks retain their insert effects. Thats sweeeet!
The m3 also has the radias expansion but the motif has logic control. A lot more on that later.
Sorry i have to ran now. 2 B continued.

I have 32 hours of flying coming up so i guess thats a perfect opportunity to catch on my posts. Write in the air, post on the ground or the Hudson.

Gear Slutz 808s post

I love most of 808s.
Kanye may not have a great vocal technique or the best lyrics but then music has never been about just that. It’s a classic case of the sum being way bigger than the parts. (mediocre arrangement + ok lyrics) * X factor = great music sometimes. I’d go as far as saying any random throwaway R & B act that has been on the radio in last decade can out sing John, Paul, George and Ringo yet the Beatles will outlast them all. 

Despite his very obvious handicaps, Kanye manages to connect on an emotional level. I reckon what grabs people is the seeming “honesty” in his music. If you are judging him from the perspective of a musician/lyricist, you’d probably be utterly disappointed but he sure sounds amazing to an accountant or a dentist.
Contrary to what a lot of people are saying on here, it is obvious that the guy is aware of his shortcomings as a singer. He has acknowledged so verbally in interviews and even said he kept his lyrics simple because he didn’t think he could manage to sing any complex melodies. 

I may be stretching this a bit but i see parallels between Kanye & Obama. Must be something in the Chicago water. Both guys want to do it NOW!!!. Why should Kanye wait till he has the vocal prowess of a Marvin Gaye and why should Barack wait till he has 20 years in the senate? This is what they have to offer now and they have the audacity to go for it. I think it may irk a few musicians who have been waiting to be virtuosos before they are confident enough to release any of their material to see an artist like Kanye who is confident enough to grow in the public eye with warts, auto-tune, heartbreak and all.
It’s a lot like Chris Rock’s bit about Janet Jackson, Jermaine Dupree & $4 Bentleys.

I guess he also has a valid point with his art argument if you juxtapose his work to that of say Pablo Picasso. My point being that my 4 year old daughter can give Pablo a run for his money if you hand her some brushes and paint.

This solution will only work for keyboard players. The basis for my method is the assumption that all the notes in the key that the song is in, will sound fine when played alongside the piece.

All I do is transpose my keyboard a semitone at a time and then run my finger across the white keys on the keyboard. If the gliss sounds good, then chances are that you are in the right key if it doesn’t sit very well then transpose and gliss again. Once I find a transpose setting that works, I can then determine whether the piece is major/minor based on its mood or just by noodling on the major/minor scales to see which fits better.

If you have an EXB radias expansion or any synth with a mod sequencer, then there is an even easier approach. What you can do is create a radias patch and then create a mod sequence that steps thru the 8 notes of a scale. In my case, I really only care about major and minor scales. Instead of transposing and glissing, you just need to hold done a single key to loop through the notes of a scale rooted in the held key.

It is amazing what you discover once you play along to a song and you are aware which key you are playing in. So much gets demystified because it becomes so much clearer what progression is being used. What you once thought were ingenious melodies get unravelled as mere scalar runs etc.

I think this will perhaps make up for my lack of ear training and will also get me more milage out of the practice I’ve done in C maj/A minor.