The Eat at Joe's Kawai K5000 Message Board Digest
How to Get Started Programming the K5K


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Whats a good way to program if you stink at math?
 Friday, 23-Oct-98 11:02:26 

      162.117.162.75 writes:

      I stink at math. So I either import WAV's or go buy ear. Doe's any one have any
      programming tips for those of us who are bad at math. I already have a good
      understanding of additive synthisis it's just a matter of applying it without
      having to drown in equations. 

      Reprobus 

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Re: Whats a good way to program if you stink at math?
 Friday, 23-Oct-98 12:05:04 

      192.28.2.16 writes:

      >I stink at math. So I either import WAV's or go buy ear. Does any one have
      >any programming tips for those of us who are bad at math. I already have a good
      >understanding of additive synthisis it's just a matter of applying it without
      >having to drown in equations.

      Anything that will reduce 64 choices to fewer choices will help. The higher
      harmonics are not so important to real and analog sounds, so concentrate on
      the first 16. Some ideas: 

      +Start with a full template like the saw and eliminate different sets of
         harmonics. ("Additive Subtractive"?)
      +Start with a thin template like the triangle and add different sets of harmonics.
      +Pick individual harmonics. (Results in a lot of bells and drawbar organ sounds,
         though. Some kinds of chimes use the series of squares:
         1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, 121. Some use just the odd members of
         that set.)
      +Find harmonic spectra of real instruments (like the Sharc database) and copy
         what you see by hand.
      +Max all the harmonics, or a group of them, or use a template, and then use the
         envelopes, FF, filter and effects to shape the sound. You can get a nice
         "sting" by maxing some higher (>8) harmonics, sweeping the FF across, and
         adding heavy distortion or overdrive.

      Hope that helps.


      leiter 

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Re: Whats a good way to program if you stink at math?
 Friday, 23-Oct-98 15:07:55 

      209.160.126.156 writes:

      You could use a spread sheet like Excel to do the math for you. Or if you have
      a PC you could download PaCifiST and use my Wavemaker program (shameless plug)
      which implements some of the formulas that have been posted here. 

      If you want to dig into the math, I would suggest reading Trigonometry The Easy
      Way by Douglas Downing, Ph. D. Chapter nine even shows some formulas for adding
      sine waves together just like additive synthesis. 

      Believe me, if I can learn this stuff, anyone can.


      Leslie 


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