The WCO is a complex oscillator that started off as my riff on West Coast Synthesis for @biminiroad’s live stream. Afterwards I tweaked and refined the knob values and wave shaping to create something unique.
There is a modulating oscillator which can modulate the amplitude, phase, and frequency of the carrier oscillator. The Carrier oscillator has some wave shaping options over the symmetry and smoothness of the wave but also had a special “squelch” wave shaper instead of a wave folder. The squelch can completely silence the signal or add progressive harmonics that become erratic and unstable creating a distinctive squelchy character.
Squelch behaves almost like unstable resonance even at low frequencies when turned up all the way and can be used almost like a Rungler for making generative atonal melodies.
I/O
Input
Signal Range
Notes
-10 to 4
Because of the squelch waveshaper, the WCO still makes audible sounds at LFO rates.
Output
Signal Range
Notes
-1 to 1
Modulator oscillator output
-.5 to .5
Responds to phase and frequency modulation, handy for syncing oscilloscopes
-1 to 1
Final waveform output
Controls
Knob, Button
Function
Notes
Symmetry
Controls the slope of the waveform rom ramp to triangle to saw
Modulating Oscillator Frequency
Sweeps a set of fixed ratios that the modulator oscillator can be set to.
Amplitude Modulation index
Phase Modulation Index
Frequency Modulation Index
Does not pass below 0 Hz
Hard Sync Mode
Carrier is synced to Modulator
Sync Type
Carrier Frequency
Sets an unquantized ratio of the carrier oscillator with incoming 1/oct signals.
Smoothness
Shapes the wave from a triangle to a distorted sine.
Ok, I’ll see what I can do. I am really hoping that the windows version sees an update soon (I own it also, but haven’t been using it) but I can retrofit this to run on windows.
Sweet! Works like charm. Thank you! Also I noticed that your The Garbler PLL module doesnt have knobs, any chance you could take look at it as well? Thank you!
Yeah I really like this one. I didn’t realize it was inspired by the Make Noise DPO. I do notice that there is no “strike” jack, which I think adds some interesting possibilities to the HBO/DPO.
I have been watching some of Todd Barton’s excellent Buchla Easel tutorials demonstrations in trying to understand the components of some of the sounds that he and Alessandro Cortini use and figure out how I might re-create them in Audulus. I appreciate the fine work that has gone into West Cat Oscillator and Rasmus but am having trouble getting some of the sounds that I seek to create.
I am hoping to figure out (but I am a total newb and DSP idiot) how to re-purpose some of the pieces you have all built (and will share back if I manage to come up with anything),
I was wondering if anyone here has a precise understanding of the Music Easel’s signal flow.
Does the modulating oscillator modulate the Complex oscillator after the wavefolding or before it.
I.e. if the modulator is set to do AM and the complex oscillator is set to a sine wave, is the modulator amplitude modulating the CO’s sine wave with the result going through the wavefolder. Or is the wavefolding applied to the CO’s sine wave with the resulting waveform being amplitude-modulate.
Looks like to me that waveshaping comes after. Would make sense because if you had one on the mod oscillator and pnly jad a little bit of modulation coming in, it would’t do much. So it’s mod->osc->waveshaper. Usually if something is laid out on a front panel, that hints at the underlying signal flow left to right.
Yes, Todd’s videos are great. (I guess you missed my remark up-thread about my studying his videos is what is leading me to figure this out – as there are some great timbres that he demonstrates that I haven’t succeeded in coaxing out of WestCat or Rasmus. So, I am trying to figure out how to do that.
I agree about the panel being a place to look, but I think we are looking at it and drawing different conclusions. On the easel, the mod oscillator is color-coded blue. The complex oscillator is coded red. Timbre (wavefolding) is part of that red grouping. To me, that implies (not definitively, though) that timbre is integral to the CO and that it is the CO’s output stage.
I infer from the front panel that the signal flow is something like below.
(MODULATING OSCILLATOR) modulates
(COMPLEX OSCILLATOR–wavefolding integrated internally and applied to the complex oscillator output)
By the way, the sounds that I am trying to coax out of Audulus include the type of timbres heard here:
As I have been playing with some waveshaping/folding software, I am getting the sense (I could be wrong) that what can sound like subtle differences in waveshaping algos can have a big impact on the final sound when it is combined with AM or FM. It seems like Buchla spent a lot of time experimenting with designs.
The complex oscillator is the combination of the modulating oscillator and the oscillator you actually hear.
Also, what you’re describing here is actually the same thing, just talked about in two different ways.
There is a signal flow but not an order of operations - it all happens simultaneously.
Think of of it this way - would it sound different if you wired a modulator into an oscillator then into a wavefolder vs wiring an oscillator into a wavefolder, then modulating that oscillator with another?
Or another way - if you plugged your guitar into your delay pedal first, then into your amp, would it sound different if you first plugged the delay into your amp, then plugged your guitar into your delay pedal?
As to how to get these timbres - the reverb is also a big part of the sound you linked to there. It helps smear the thing together and at right settings adds a lot of magic.
