windsounds

Patches to be played from a MIDI Wind Controller like the Yamaha WX-7. The wind controller takes synthesizer sounds into an entirely new realm of expressiveness. Even very primitive analog patches can be made to SING if they are played from a wind controller. Here are some wind instrument sounds I came up with that use only analog-style components. Of course, better sounds than these can be obtained with more complex physical models.

Saxophones

Suprisingly realistic sax sounds can be obtained using only analog-style components in the following architecture:

                                           +----------+
+-----------------+    +-------------+     | LPF:     |
| Pulse           +--->| LPF: Opens  +---->| Imitates |
| Wave Oscillator |    | with breath |     | Body     |
+-----------------+    +-------------+     +---+------+
                                               |
+----------------------------------------------+
|
|   +------------+    +---------------+
+-->| BPF:       +--->| Gain control: +---> Output
    | Imitates   |    | Opens with    |
    | Mouthpiece |    | breath        |
    +------------+    +---------------+

I use fixed pulse waves for all the saxes. I obtained cutoff frequencies for the bodies of different saxophones from a scientific paper: The Saxophone Spectrum, A. H. Benade (with S. J. Lutgen), J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 83(5):1900-1907 (1988). [8 pp.]

Nord Modular Sax

Here's what my Nord Modular Alto Sax patch sounds like: (731K mp3)

Brass

Good sounds can be obtained with an architecture like this:

                                 +--------+  +---+
                              +->| Mute   +->| M |
                              |  | Filt 1 |  |   |  +--------+
                              |  +--------+  | I |  | Gain   |
+----------+  +-------------+ |              |   |  | cntrl  |
| Sawtooth +->| LPF: Opens  +-+              | X +->| Opens  +-> Out
| Wave Osc |  | with breath | |              |   |  | with   |
+----------+  +-------------+ |              | E |  | breath |
                              |  +--------+  |   |  +--------+
                              +->| Mute   +->| R |
                                 | Filt 2 |  |   |
                                 +--------+  +---+

I tuned the filters for the cup and harmon mutes using data from the book "The Physics of Musical Instruments". On page 455 there is a chart showing the spectrum of a cornet played open and with various mutes.

Nord Modular Trumpet

Here's my Nord Modular trumpet patch with a Harmon mute: (471K mp3)

Reaktor Trumpet

This is the Reaktor Big Band synth with only one trumpet activated: (288K mp3)

Reaktor Big Band

An entire jazz big band can be synthesized by combining the above synthesis structures with an auto-harmonizer and automatic chord detection. See my Reaktor Big Band page.