Synth as an effects unit

[Commander15]

Does anyone have experiences in using synths as an signal processing and effecrs unit for different sound sources? By that i mean feeding external signals into synth and processing them as opposed to using it as an stand-alone instrument.

I aware that this might be a "thing" among modular crowds but there must people here that use synths with external ins in this manner. What are your views and experiences on this topic?

[BTR]

I think the most popular instance is using the MS-20's external input, because a) the filter really does make just about everything sound good, and b) the signal can be processed and used to trigger the envelopes to modulate the sound (in addition to the LFO and all that). Depending on what you're running into it, it can also add some really nice soft clipping/distortion as well.

I have an Arturia Microbrute that I have kept around for years simply because I love using it as an effect. In addition to it adding a lot of nice clipping and having a multimode filter, the oscillators can be mixed to modulate an incoming signal for some pretty bizarre sounds.

Most of my recent use of synths as an effect has been for processing vocals. It allows me to get a lot of distortion without creating a ton of feedback and without having to have a bunch of pedals on the table.

Linking below to a couple releases where I processed the vocals by running the mic into a small preamp and then into one of my synths.

[Atrophist]

Does anyone have experiences in using synths as an signal processing and effecrs unit for different sound sources? By that i mean feeding external signals into synth and processing them as opposed to using it as an stand-alone instrument.

I aware that this might be a "thing" among modular crowds but there must people here that use synths with external ins in this manner. What are your views and experiences on this topic?

Pretty mixed experiences, mostly. With most synths the gate/envelope/whatever will only open up if there's a signal coming from the synth itself. There are almost always workarounds, however. Another issue will be that you'll almost certainly want to boost/amplify the effected signal again after it's been through the synth.

As far as semi-modulars go, well there are obviously many more possibilities. Like the above poster pointed out, the MS-20/Behringer K-2 external signal input is designed for this very purpose.

If your synth has an audio input, then put audio into it and see what happens. That would be my suggestion. If it's not what you were hoping for, then forget it and move on. If it's promising, then continue experimenting.

[Phenol]

I do it frequently. I use a Sequential Pro One and a Korg MS 10. On the first I use audio in and on the second the external in. I have sent hand played metal percussion, synth parts, samples of mining, steelworks etc. as well as of classical music through both with great succes (in my own opinion). For vocals it's been a more mixed experience, but in some instances it has worked well. In short - a technique that works pretty well for many purposes.

[A-Z]

Chris Carter's Gristeleizer is basically VCA+VCF+LFO,
so if you have a synth with an audio input, you can gristleize

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Most things I do with ms20 is processing external sounds. Almost never I use it for playing itself. External sounds are very good for giving both - rhythmic and random component to synth sound. Depending how you patch it, external sounds csn be either processed or they can work as triggers how the synth makes sounds.. or both.

[Commander15]

Does anyone have experiences in using synths as an signal processing and effecrs unit for different sound sources? By that i mean feeding external signals into synth and processing them as opposed to using it as an stand-alone instrument.

I aware that this might be a "thing" among modular crowds but there must people here that use synths with external ins in this manner. What are your views and experiences on this topic?

Pretty mixed experiences, mostly. With most synths the gate/envelope/whatever will only open up if there's a signal coming from the synth itself. There are almost always workarounds, however. Another issue will be that you'll almost certainly want to boost/amplify the effected signal again after it's been through the synth.

As far as semi-modulars go, well there are obviously many more possibilities. Like the above poster pointed out, the MS-20/Behringer K-2 external signal input is designed for this very purpose.

If your synth has an audio input, then put audio into it and see what happens. That would be my suggestion. If it's not what you were hoping for, then forget it and move on. If it's promising, then continue experimenting.

Yeah i think that especially microphone level signals often need some kind of an push from the preamp or boost to really deliver the goods, but it also applies to four-trackers and amps etc. when using dynamic mics.

Most things I do with ms20 is processing external sounds. Almost never I use it for playing itself. External sounds are very good for giving both - rhythmic and random component to synth sound. Depending how you patch it, external sounds csn be either processed or they can work as triggers how the synth makes sounds.. or both.

Interesting. I've been toying with the idea of pushing feedback and other sources thru MS-10 / MS-20 / Wasp Deluxe. It might be that Korg semimodular could be a bit more interesting as an processing unit due to semimodular architecture.

[tiny_tove]

Most things I do with ms20 is processing external sounds. Almost never I use it for playing itself. External sounds are very good for giving both - rhythmic and random component to synth sound. Depending how you patch it, external sounds csn be either processed or they can work as triggers how the synth makes sounds.. or both.

same and confirm. I use ms20 in the middle of the chain, before entering in any reverb/delay

[HateSermon]

Great thread

I have an Arturia Microbrute that I have kept around for years simply because I love using it as an effect. In addition to it adding a lot of nice clipping and having a multimode filter, the oscillators can be mixed to modulate an incoming signal for some pretty bizarre sounds.

I've had some really satisfying results feeding the Rucci Maximal Drone into the Microbrute

[MS Paint]

yes! i love doing this, in fact i am building my eurorack partially around this concept. some synths have a built in gain stage for processing audio and bringing it up to synth level but many do not so there are a couple of ways of going about this:

1. some kind of pedal such as a boredbrain interfx, the interfx has 3 send return loops intended to be used to process modular signal with guitar pedals and then return it to the synth. basically it brings synth signal levels down to instrument level and then brings them back up to synth level to be placed back inside your system. it also has a switch to bring instrument level devices (guitar pedals contact mics the usual) into synths to be processed by the synthesizer. you have up to 3 different inputs available for this, which means 3 different pedal chains to be used as sources. it has a switch to switch back and forth between the two modes so you could have two inputs dedicated to contact mics or a vocal mic and one send return loop for running a synth through pedals etc. also, if you flip the switch the wrong way it drops it into a feedback loop. and if nothing is plugged in it also works as a VCA. so this would be the way to go if you dont have a eurorack system and just have desktop modular synths or if you want to save space in your rack. i have one of these and love it.

the second way is some kind of eurorack module, boredbrain also makes some of these but you will need several to replicate the interfx if that is your goal. instead of those i have a ears by mutable instruments and a byxa by slyph modular which is a clone of ears but with the addition of switches on the front for controlling how fast the gate envelope etc is. they have one 3.5mm input for instrument level (or line level! whatever.) devices, so if you had a mic or contact mic you'd plug that in there probably by using a 1/4 mono ts to 3.5mm mono ts adapter cable. the ears/byxa generates envelope and gate signals as well as a louder synth level version of the original signal to be used with your synthesizer. so you could, for example, run a contact mic or pedal feedback loop into the module and then feed that into whatever eurorack modules you want as well as use the envelope or gate to control a synth parameter such as a VCA or oscillator 1v octave input.. really whatever you can think of.

heres a link to my eurorack setup so you can see what modules i use.

i'd been lurking this forum for quite a while but i saw this subject and thought to myself "hey! i know about that!" and signed up. i hope this post is informative :)

[Decrepitude]

As far as semimodulars go, there's a workaround in Behringer Neutron where you can mix incoming signal as a part of the synth patch that I've sometimes used. Mixing AM radio signal into the synth patch etc.

[Commander15]

I've been experimenting with Behringer WASP synth for few weeks now and the results are pretty interesting. Processing contact mic signal produced pretty wild howls as the WASP filter is really powerful.

[Mass Graven Image]

The Arturia Matrixbrute is my daily driver for mono synth, and it has audio in / envelope follower as one of its functions, and as the mod matrix works you can almost modulate anything with itself or other function.
It also has a triggering envelope that is cycled with the input amplitude. I have had some very good and unexpected tones come out of the dual filters and a driving guitar or bass guitar with dist pedal for extra drive on filters.