The GT 10 as synthesizer: a practical guide. Introduction.
Hi all,
due to public demand (2 users!) I try to present the GT 10 in a way you may not have looked at it before: as a fully functional synthesizer you can actually work with. And when I say "work" I mean it: When I wrote the "bell simulation" patch I was able to administer the theoretical basics 1:1 to the GT 10, and it worked almost perfectly. The GT 10 offers more features than many cheap synths, and the sounds can get quite amazing.
So this goes to the more "adventurous" guitar player, who just WANTS or NEEDS sounds which transcend the normal guitar spectrum - usually the realm of keyboard players. But you can do much with the GT 10, and you can even do it live. CAVEAT: It won't really work well with a guitar amp, IMO. You need to go direct/use a FRFR. You can try it with a normal amp, but you will most likely be disappointed.
For those who wonder what this blabbing is all about, I have a soundpage on my website with some examples and also with my contributions to the "Gather Thy GT And Play For Me" series (kudos to Ricig for this great idea):
http://www.neoklast.de/die-musiker/a...usik_alex.html
You can also hear these kind of sounds on my band NEOKLAST's two CDs, which are completely online:
http://www.neoklast.de/neoklast-cd/s...ite-vol-1.html (listen to "Uranus" for a tour de force of GT 10 lead synth sounds)
http://www.neoklast.de/neoklast-cd/s...ite-vol-2.html
I think it is better to split the topic into individual threads, because
a) a search will bring up all threads like a table of contents
b) we can discuss parts without interrupting the series
c) we can easily cross-reference
d) you don't spend much time with searching, since the basic information is in the very first post of each thread
So I am going to start with an
INTRODUCTION
In the very first sentence I wrote "I try to present the GT 10 in a way you may not have looked at it before". WTF?? And why would I do this? Why would anyone be interested in a different view? Because I (and others as well) think that the GT 10 is deeply underrated. It has mainly been marketed as a tool for rock guitarists - see for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...ch_query=gt+10
You won't find much outside the rock mainstream - despite the fact that the GT 10 has much more to offer. And while the majority of players stay in the rock vein, there are quite a few who like to experiment, who like to come up with something different. Now, as anyone will agree, the GT 10 *is* a complex machine, and if you want to go experimental with it on a trial-and-error base, you will get some ugly sci-fi sounds, and that's it. Nothing against ugly sci-fi sounds - I love them. But you can't use them all the time, and if you *need* a certain sound like a "bell" or a "church organ" you are lost if you want to construct it by trial and error. So you need to know two things:
1) how to construct sounds
2) how to translate that for the GT 10
And this is what this series will be about.
It will take a while, because I want to make it fun to read, and I want to provide practical, real-world examples. So far, the (planned)
Table of Contents
EDIT: Added "Useful links" as article number XI - already available!
- I: A short introduction to sound synthesis, concentrating on what can be done with the GT 10
- II: Modulators: The ASSIGN section, the evil brain of the GT 10
- IIIa: Generators: The internal synth section explained
- IIIb: Other Generators: noise(!), "sub-oscillators", guitar, external signals (voice!) ...
- IV: Controlling Filters: Thank god we have so many EQs and other stories
- V: Envelopes and Envelope Generators (ADSR etc.): Probably the most important section
- VI: Arpeggiators/Sequencers: Strange stuff lurking in the depths.
- VII: Sound Processors: The good, the bad, and the ugly. The usual lot and some quite unusual ones.
- VIII: Wrapping it up: Some practical examples to scare your bandmates.
- IX: Tips & Tricks: going multitimbral and other tales of terror.
- X: MIDI: synchronizing & controlling the GT 10
- XI: Useful links
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Q: I don't get it. Why all this hullaballoo? Why don't you simply buy a guitar synth?
A: I have a guitar synth. Nevertheless, it is fun to work with the GT 10, and you actually can do things you can't do on most guitar synths. And: It is damn easy to transport and set up, and it is almost idiot-proof. So, if you want it all in one easy-to-handle box, the GT 10 is your choice.
Q: Why don't you just leave that stuff to your keyboard player?
A: I am a sound addict. I just *want* to play that by myself. And I like to scare keybord players
Q: What about all those crazy acronyms like ADSR/VCO/VCF ... do I really need to know what that means?
A: If you want to play synthesizer, talk synthesizer. Once you understand what it means and what it does, you can transfer this knowledge to whatever you have at hand. E.g. you can use the GT 10's EQ like a VCF ("controlled filter") etc.. This enables you to use the full potential of all modules, not just the obvious ones, and effectively gives you much more possibilities.
Q: But I am not interested in that friggin technical stuff!
A: Don't read this thread. Click the BACK button in your browser.
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Questions? Suggestions? Any wishes?
Cheers,
Alex
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Originally Posted by MJ Slaughter
Roger
