EML Poly-Box emulation


#1

I was wondering if it would be possible to recreate a EML Poly-Box using Axoloti?
About Poly-Box from VSE: "Poly-Box is a pitch following variable chord generator controlled by your synthesizer and Poly-Box's own keyboard with built-in memory. Poly-Box takes a single pitch from your synthesizer and creates two banks of pitch sources. Each pitch bank contains 13 simultaneously available pitch sources at precise semitone intervals - covering an entire chromatic octave. The pitch banks may be in the same or different octaves, and can cover the range from one above to three octaves below the synthesizer oscillator."
Video demo
So basically a sampler writing sound from the input continuously to table, a then a polyphonic wavetable synth engine reading from that table instantly.


#2

So I finally came back do this project :smiley:
I've created a harmonizer that is capable of pitch shifting the incoming audio according to the midi note input. Long story short it can transform your monophonic synth into a polyphonic synth :fireworks:
Designed to work with Axoctrl knob/button layout
It is designed to work in a similar fashion to how the Poly-Box worked:

  • input continues tone (drone) in to the axoloti left audio in
  • press tune button (button 7) to switch to tune mode
  • set the audio in pitch (knob 8) and gain (knob 16) - you will hear pilot tone and the note number will be visible on display, scope will present audio in signal
  • press tune button to switch back to play mode
  • set envelope parameters (knobs 10-13)
  • play on your keyboard

There is also an additional delayed pitch LFO (per voice, with retrigger on note on):

  • LFO rate (knob 14)
  • LFO amount (knob 15)

Voice count: 4 (77% DSP used)
Patch is available on my github: harmonizer.axp


Sidenote: This pitch shifter is delay based, possibly a less DSP heavy approach can be taken using SSB modulation, i.e. using bode frequency shifter. I've made na attempt but did not figure out the correct math do use note number for frequency shifting yet.
I'm planing on adding additional mode with harmonizer behaviour (feed a single tone in the audio in and get chords on audio out). Or maybe I will do it as a separate instrument? :thinking:
Also, stereo voice spread could be a nice addition.
BTW Anyone know about an object to display adsr envelope times in string format?


Chord-Box harmonizer
#3

what I didn't even know this existed and now you made a patch for it :star_struck: I want to try this out right away.

For the CV outs of the axoloti, did you need to add any additional components or is it safe to use pin PA4 and PA5 hooked directly to a jack?


#4

It’s a HoHum Lab Axoctrl. Looks like there is no additional circuitry on the I/O.

I don’t have one, but it is a more complete system than the Music Thing Axocontrol.


#5

Updated the patch on repository: added new option for stereo voice spread (another delayed LFO (per voice)), led 1 lights up on voice activity and I've manged to optimize it a bit by moving the delay write from inside the poly object to the main patch.

Also, made a short demo:


Pisound is feeding Axoloti with continues tone and a MIDI sequence.

#6

Another video demo. This time increasing polyphony of Bass Station II: