Some time ago, I tried to write my own software synthesizer using sin/cos/exp and other functions. At the moment I believe it may be best to use a "filter-approach-calculation".
Have you checked out "Generator"? You can build your own synth with building blocks like:

Sin generator

Lots of filters

Midi support

...

Even a decent 303 emulator can be build



Edited by - baskuenen on June 23, 2000 6:55:01 PM

I haven''t used that one before, but for creating music, I got this
tracking program called Buzz. It was absolutely hard as hell to learn,
because it has terrible docs and a terrible GUI, but it makes some pretty
unique sounds when you understand how to use it. You can dynamically
string together a bunch of generator and effect machines like building
blocks (input-to-output) and see what it sounds like.


Wayfarer

Generator: www.nativeinstruments.com

This generator is almost the same as Buzz, only you need a midi sequencer like CuBase orso.
With generator you can build your machines YOURSELF You might find this very interresting considering your previous posts...

Hmmm, they must have renamed Generator to Reaktor because I can''t find
it on their website.

I used to like doing MIDI sequencing, but I never really created anything
that sounded good by myself. But then I recently got into tracking, and
that just blew everything else away. I downloaded a whole library of
808 and 909 wav samples and just went crazy with it ever since.

If you can convince me that MIDI sequencing is better than tracking,
then I might take another look.


Wayfarer

I do believe that Native Instruments have all but abandoned Generator now in favour of Reaktor. Reaktor is basically Generator ''with extras'' such as granular synthesis. You won''t make a realistic 303, the filters are IMHO awful. If you want 303, get Rebirth. Reaktor is also a CPU hog - if you want more than a few notes of polyphony than you are going to struggle to sync it to Cubase in real time. The coolest thing about Reaktor is that you can use it to model your own DirectX plugins. Nice ...

Someone has made a freeware ( at least it was free last time I looked ) version of Generator called SynC Modular. It does more or less everything Generator can do, and seems to be slightly less crash prone. http://www.mtu-net.ru/syncmodular/

MIDI is better than tracking if you can afford the equipment - a decent sound card at the minimum but preferably some decent sound modules ( the Roland JV-1080 has excellent sounds, is fully programmable, has great upgrade options and is cheap.) MIDI gives you a LOT more control and is a better abstraction for written music than MOD''s. However, if all you have is a cheapy soundblaster with its plinky FM instruments than stick with tracking and a decent sample lib.

I tried Rebirth out for a while, and liked some of its features, but a
couple of things just turned me off. The GUI is so cramped together with
tiny controls, I felt like I needed a zoom-in feature to isolate the machine
I wanted to work on. And with my monitor at 800x600, the program window was
too huge for my screen. I really don''t like using a screen resolution larger
than that. And you can''t display your song in some kind of spreadsheet form.
This I really don''t like because you can''t see all the patterns you are using
at once, i.e. the big picture.


Wayfarer

Besides which you end up breaking your wrist trying to rotate the controllers in real-time with the mouse. *ugh* Shame they saw fit to emulate the look of a 303 instead of doing a nice computer friendly GUI. Song editing is such a swine too - let''s hope they rectify all these mistakes when Reason comes out.

And, as we all know that great music for Unreal, Unreal Tournament and Deus Ex was all MODs.