[LAD] Selectable limit for polyphony of virtual synth

[Ralf Mardorf]

Jens M Andreasen wrote:
> On Mon, 2009-08-24 at 21:10 +0200, Ralf Mardorf wrote:
>   
>>  Virtual synth often tend to make the mix muddy, when 
>> playing pad sounds, because the polyphony isn't limited, every released 
>> note is able to end the complete release decay. For the Oberheim some 
>> notes are cut, while the wanted notes still can play the release decay.
>>
>>     
> Where do the newly assigned voices start their envelopes from when they
> are stolen from decaying voices? Say "the glass is half empty", will
> they then:
>
> a) "Empty the glass" and start over with a fresh attack from scratch.
> Synced so to say.
> b) Contnue from the level they were at when re-assigned, only that now
> "the glass is half full" instead, and the attack will reach max almost
> immediately.

For the pad sound I played yesterday the Oberheim restarted the 
envelope. I guess this behaviour should be controllable by the way of 
playing, for monophonic synth legato sometimes continues the envelope, 
while for staccato the envelop will be restarted.

> I think the latter could be more expressive when there are no more
> voices than you can easily direct with a single two-handed chord, to get
> in control of the stage again. Six voices would pretty good for that,
> but I remember five like the Prophet had was annoying. Or that at least
> I got lost fighting my own clumpsyness.
>
> Hmmm ... Split 2+4 comes to mind as well.
>   

For this issue I often remember Peter Gabriel, left hand octave bass + 
right hand 3-voice-chords, but yes, sometimes a 4-voice-chord is needed. 
Listen to old Weather Report recordings, when Zawinul played the Prophet 
5. Today Zawinul often plays new synth, with the same sounds, but anyway 
it sounds disgusting today and he's a good keyboarder, able to 
compensate it a little bit, by the kind of playing. I'm a guitarist and 
glad if I get what I wish to have, when playing the keyboard, I'm not 
able to compensate anything by changing my playing technique. I'm 
babbling ;), it's because I'm a fan of some Prophet 5 revisions, 
unfortunately I don't have any Prophet 5.

>> A selectable limit for polyphony might be a feature, that should become 
>> more common again, not only for virtual analog synthesizers.
>>     
>
> ++
>