Added a new Tutorial based on my notes and experiences while using synthMaker to create vst plugins.  It is more informational than an actual tutorial to using the CM version of SynthMaker.

I have added a new tutorial in the VST, Tools, and Tutorials section of my website.  This tutorial describes the steps to create a simple background to use in SynthMaker.

I have added my lastest SynthMaker vsti plugin creation, Harmonizer, a simple two oscillator synth with a Moog filter/stereo harmonizer capable of making very distorted and spacey Moog-style sounds.  Go to my VSTs, Tools, and Tutorials page of my website.

 

Creating my own software vsti plugin synths has increased my knowledge of creating sounds/music, how other software synths can be programmed to create your own unique sounds for music production, and how digital signal processing works.

 

I have recently become interested in Convolution Reverb and generating my own audio impulse response files to use in convolution reverb effects plugins.  The one thing I have noticed in my music production/creation, whether using loops or programming my own midi, is that the music can sound sort of flat.  A variety of effects and be added, but it seems to me the one that makes it sound more real-life is reverb.  Convolution reverb is  method of recording the "impulse response" of an environment, space, room, or location, and then applying that sound quality to the music.  Thus you can mimic  everything from a large cathedral recording to canyon echo sounds.  Thus, when mixed, the music will sound as though it was actually recorded at that location.  I have just started learning and experimenting with generating my own impulse response files.  My first simple experiment was to create an impulse.  I did this in Audacity by creating a 15 ms noise burst.  I then configured my set up of a small empty peanut can as the "location".  My thoughts were that the springy echo you hear when tapping the bottom, might make an interesting impulse response.  I situated the peanut can in front of my PC speakers, then placed my microphone inside the can.  While recording the effect, I played the noise burst impulse sound through Windows Media Player.  I then used Voxengo's Deconvoluter software program to deconvolute the mixed impulse from reverb/echo impulse response of the peanut can.  A simple impulse response wave file was created.  However, due to the quality of the PC speakers and microphone, the resulting file made very little change to a test music file mixed with the convolution reverb plugin SIR in my DAW.  I will continue experiments and optimization of my set up.  Ultimately, I would like to have a laptop with a good monitor speaker and microphone to make the system portable to take to various locations to capture the impulse response.  I will add info to this blog in the future as to my efforts and results. 

The thing I like about my adventures in music creation is that it allows using many creative avenues.  For example, there is the actual music creation, be it from scratch or midi programming, using audio loops, using vsti etc.  There is also the use of software programs such as your DAW (I use Sony's Music Studio 7), audio editors (Audacity), vst and vsti creation software (SynthMaker).  Then there is the graphics aspect (creation of this website graphics, creation of my vsti plugin instructional pdf documents, designing album covers, and creation of the actual vst plugin graphics using Paint.NET and others such as Knobman).  If you like to code or program, you can do this when making vst plugins or scripts in your DAW (I've yet to actually do these).  In summary, creating music allows me to use many of the skills (not necessarily am I an expert by any stretch of the imagination) and things that interest me, not only the music aspect.