Stuck with a SynthEdit project?

Month: January 2025

Multimode clipper

This small structure uses a third party distortion module, but is otherwise quite simple. It uses three TD_Driver modules set into different modes. I found the best ones were:
1) Analogue (a softer distortion, more akin to an overdriven valve pre-amp)
2) Digital (a harsher distortion, like a transistor “fuzz box”)
3) Tanh (a softer sound, that can be used as a saturator)

The “Drive” control is set with its Min/Max range set to Minimum 8 V and a Maximum of 40 V this give a nice useful range of effect from almost no distortion, to full blown clipping in the Analog and Digital modes.
The divide and inverter modules are used to control the output level when the Tanh mode is selected, otherwise the output can quickly exceed the default SE audio range causing unwanted (and very unpleasant) clipping. The divider is set with the Input2 plug set to 8. The divider/inverter circuit converts the +8 to +40 range to the correct voltage when applied to the +10V applied to the Input 2 plug of the Level Adj module to keep the audio signal level from the Tanh TD_Driver fairly constant in line with the other two modules.
Symmetry:
The symmetry control is set with a Minimum of -2.5 volts, and a Maximum of 2.5 volts, and fed to the input of each control. This allows us to control whether positive , negative or both polarity peaks are clipped. This allows us more control over the type of harmonics (odd/even) that are produced. The TD_Driver module does have asymmetric modes, but I found this method more effective and controllable than these built in modes.
HP Filter:
The 1 Pole HP filter in the output is in kHz/Volt mode, and set to a pitch of 0.001 to prevent any DC offset appearing in the output. we are really just using it as a DC blocker.

Note: Although I have used Sasha’s SVG controls for the design, you can use the controls supplied with SE just as well.

Barberpole Flanger effect.

A Barberpole Flanger produces an flanging effect that like a Barberpole sign appears to have a continuously rising or falling “pitch”.

This can be achieved in SynthEdit but needs a little attention to LFO phases and some offset voltages. You could use the stock Oscillators from SynthEdit but using the TD_LFO_B_ST cuts down on the number of modules, and makes setup a little easier. I have used Sasha’s SVG knobs for the Knobs, but you could just as easily use the standard knobs.

Looping Envelope generator in SynthEdit

I have seen this question a few times in various places, how to reproduce a looping Attack Decay envelope. I have not yet thought of a way to incorporate the Sustain and release sections yet… I have a feeling this would require some complex workings, or delving into C+ programming.

This is something that’s fairly simple even with stock modules. The trick is to re-trigger the ADSR2 when the output falls to 0 volts. We can do this with a combination of a Comparator and a Feedback – Volts module. Because the Feedback-Volts module introduces a small but unavoidable delay in the re-triggering signal we have to make sure that the Attack time is not too fast, otherwise we will only get two or three repeats before the timing goes astray and the re-trigger circuit stops working. For this reason I have placed a +1V offset on the Attack plug to ensure that the value never falls below the minimum Attack time for the structure to work correctly.
The loop timing is controlled by both the Attack and Decay times. The structure is designed so that as long as a gate voltage is present on the Gate input plug the envelope will continue looping.

If you wanted to allow a continuous operation them just add a switchable 10 V gate signal to the Gate input connection.

More complex, even drawable envelopes are possible, by using the structure below, but this is quite complex, and uses 3rd party modules from Elena Novaretti to reverse (flip) the shape along its x axis either manually or automatically.