Modeled Compressor and EQ etc

#1

I was wondering, have any of the axo object makers here ever thought about making modeled objects?

In the VST world, we have various companies who make plugins that are based on, say, the SSL buss compressor and the various famous EQ's out there. Would you need the actual real thing to develop from or are there resources you coder and math wizards could use as reference to build such things?

I suppose what I'm getting at is the axo equivalent of a VST object. A prefabricated axo SSL compressor object for example, could be dropped in and connected to a specific model of EQ, or reverb, or chorus unit etc. I'm aware there are prefabricated objects, but I mean full modeled objects that would be the axo equivalent of a modeled VST.

#2

Hey @axoman

Funny enough I just bough a GSSL bus compressor a few days ago, you know a DIY version of the SSL 4000 bus compressor, made from schematics from here

http://www.gyraf.dk/gy_pd/gyraf_diy.html

Jakob Erland from Gyraf.dk is one of the most well respected guys in the DIY world and made so much available for users, like schematics and so on.

:slight_smile: It has got a hum issue that I am working on fixing ATM. No ground, so I need to fix this... So still waiting a little while before I can REALLY test it. But the small snippets I heard now, ignoring the hum.. It sounded REALLY good :slight_smile: So I wait for the hum to be removed for it to sound really kick ass good :slight_smile:

Well to model the exact sound that is IMO impossible.... I know Universal Audio wants people to believe otherwise(so they can charge people rediculous amounts of money for their plug ins 349$ for a plug in???).

I think what one could do is mimic the behaviour. how the envelope follower is "calibrated" fast/slow, whatever. As well as attack/release time range.

But to be honest, I dont think Axoloti is powerfull enough to model much. For example modeling saturation and preamps and so on is cpu heavy stuff... And Axolotis only has limited cpu/dsp as well as memory.... SO I dont think that is where Axoloti shines and will not be before it is seriously updated on all sides, menory as well as dsp.

BUT..... If you want to get an idea of how an SSL compressor can sound, you can check Holger Lagerfeldts "SSL" presets for Logic Pro's compressor. He is known guy in the audio business.. So maybe you can listen to those presets and look at the settings and make your own settings that matches the SSL sound.

#3

Maybe @SmashedTransistors has something to say about modeling in Axoloti?

#4

Sorry @jaffasplaffa,
but i have little experience with implementing EQ and compression...
I haven't done this kind of stuff since the archaic times when i worked with Canam computers on the Quartz audio master software some 18 years ago.
It is a very specific area of sound processing.

#5

No worries @SmashedTransistors :slight_smile:

Thought that you might had some knowledge about it. I personally dont know much about it.

#6

Anyway if anyone knows how to model stuff here is the schematic for a SSL bus compressor clone, with the courtesy of Jakob Erland from Gyraf Audio(My name is also Jakob, this is NOT me... unfortunately....) :wink:

http://www.gyraf.dk/gy_pd/ssl/ssl.htm

#7

I remember someone alread tackled the problem in this topic: https://sebiik.github.io/community.axoloti.com.backup/t/converting-a-fuzz-model-from-spice/2164/3

From what i understand, though, he just ported someone else's code to axoloti, scaling values etcetera, hard to say what's the correct path from electronic model to software code.

#8

About modeling, there is http://www.acustica-audio.com/ who has got their own method of modeling. Which is some kind of sampling voodoo, which anyone can do, if they got the instruments to do it. They sound SUPER good. Dunno about universal audio and waves and so on, they are more secretive about it.

#9

@jaffasplaffa
Very cool, so did you get the hum sorted?

Love that site of projects, and I'm not kidding, when I get things sorted and have time to relax, I'm gonna build an SSL bus compressor. Love the sound of that thing. It's one of those pieces of hardware that is truly iconic for a very good reason, it really does work magic on recordings!

Regards making a modeled version in Axoloti, it's a shame it would take too much processing power.

I could be wrong (and probably am) but i get the feeling Johannes and Mark might be secretly analyzing the shortcomings of the current Axo and planning a newer model that eliminates or lessens them. Personally, I wish the physical aspect of Axo was just a board with no sockets attached to it, or at least give us the option to buy one unpopulated.

For example, I don't like the stereo out being on a single jack. It's no doubt done for space reasons, but if there was no need to attach anything directly to the board, we'd be free to attach our own choice of jacks etc. Same with power, same with input, same with card type, we'd be able to attach our own much like you can do with an Arduino or a Raspberry Pi Compute or Zero module.

I think it also needs to cater for multitrack recording and playback and sampling in a much more elegant way than it does right now. I think demand for sampling and multitrack recording is one aspect of the Axo that was maybe underestimated in the current design.

#10

@jaffasplaffa
Ignore what I asked about the hum, I just read in Remco's thread that you returned it!
Man, you gave up too easily :wink:

#11

@axoman

I took it to a friend who know how to fix these things. And he added ground to it.... But there was still some humming going on. Slapping a compressor on the master bus that will add hum and noise to a totally pristine signal, just didnt make sense to me. So I got my money back. And I am not that experienced in this kind of DIY, so I gave it back and got my money back.

And actually to be honest, I wasnt that impressed. I mean I did get to play with it for a while but, imo I'd rather spend my money elsewhere and not worry about other people bad DIY jobs... This was actually my SECOND try go get one of these in working condition...... Both of them was no good.................. So I got my money back and started a PI3 build instead, which i am almost done with now and really happy about, and I have build everything myself can say everything works as supposed. So I am happy I put the money into something else.

On the compressor side, I do have other compressors in other shapes and forms so I got that covered in another way :slight_smile:

#12

Sounds like maybe you got a kit rated for the wrong mains voltage or something :thinking:

Where does the Pi3 come into it, do you mean you have some sort of modeled compressor running on it?
Using it as outboard gear?

#13

Maybe, but as I am still new to DIY, I bought this one from a friend, and he said it was 100%. ANd it wasn't. It had the hum issue, so I contaced the actual guy who build it and he build ground into it..... But there was STILL humming coming from it. I only foresaw problems and kind of didnt want anything of that so I gave it back to the guy I bought it from.

I kind of had a "list" with a few things I'd like to get. One was a SSL compressor clone and another one was to build a Raspberry Pi3 synth running Pure Data.

And after realising that I think the compressor in the Nord G2 is more than enough for my needs, I dropped the compressor project and ventured into my next project, which was the PI3/PD build....

And the PI3 I build myself and it works 100%. Lesson learned > build your own stuff and dont take over other projects... If they are selling them, probably because there is something wrong with it! And most people are not even cool enough to say that there is something wrong with it!

And that is why I always MAKE SURE to ask them in writing if the device is fully functioning. If they write yes and it is not... They have to take it back, legally. Always good to have that in writing and unfortunately I actually had to play that card several times, cause some people has no respect for other people.

#14

I hear you, and I know what you mean, seems you can barely trust anyone these days.
Looked at PD on the Pi3 a few days ago, way too alien for me to understand though.

I much prefer Axoloti, but the Pi3 is a great little device to use as a computer etc :sunglasses: