I am wondering why 8-voice binaural is not possible on this synth. Maybe it could be in a firmware update. Analog components are, of course, finite. We can not have more than 8 analog filters. However, the filters are already binaural. There are 8 full stereo filters. So when we switch to binaural mode, all that really happens is that the number of OSCs, LFOs, and ENVs is halved and set for left and right. But as these are digital, that number is not finite. It is surely only limited by the computing power under the hood. If that is powerful enough to run twice as many digital parts, then in theory we could have 8 voices of full binaural. The only thing I can think that would stop this is if there are only 8 mono analog VCAs.
Perhaps this is about the design philosophy behind this synth and where it sits in the UDO line up. From the pre-release demos I saw I got the impression that it was being positioned more as a powerful mono synth, that has some polyphonic capabilities, but that doesn’t directly compete with the Supers.
I think you’re mistaken - I think there are eight filters, which can be configured as four stereo pairs.
This is correct. You will have 4L+4R filters for binaural. Single filter is mono. Correct me if I am wrong.
Try this…
INIT, then turn off binaural mode. Now there should be 8 voices of polyphony. Now move the filter cutoff delta. You should be able to hear the frequency change in opposite directions in the left and right channels.
This could only be possible if there are 8 stereo filters.
I don’t unless the filters are in stereo configuration, which turns binaural back on (maybe you missed this? put the filters in parallel or series, flip to voice, turn binaural off, then turn the filters to stereo, and you’ll see binaural has been toggled on).
@neuromod is correct. Setting your filter mode to stereo automatically re-engages binaural mode. In eight-voice mode you’re limited to series or parallel for your filter topology.
The number of voices the FPGA can produce isn’t the limiting factor, but the number of channels of audio that can be routed in the ‘analogue’ part of the hardware. The filters aren’t stereo as they each take a single audio input, so you need two of them per voice for binaural mode to work.
I have a question that I feel relates to this discussion around total voices available based upon the synth’s configuration:
As much as I love Binaural mode and the options afforded by the stereo filter configuration, I’ve been really enjoying specifically working without Binaural mode and seeing where I can sculpt the sound in a bit more ‘conventional’ subtractive synthesis means while being able to maximize the voices of polyphony.
The problem I have been running into is that I still feel like there is some sort of voice stealing or envelope retriggering happening where I can actively hear notes get cut off, even if I’m only playing 5 note chords, for example. At first, I got the impression that a single DMNO only has 4 voices available, so I began starting with my sound design in single mode on the first DMNO, then copying it to the second and selecting “cycle” mode, figuring that cycling between both DMNOs at 4 voices each with identical sound settings would be the most logical way of netting me 8 voices, but I still seem to hear this effect.
Am I missing something obvious here? Is it more around envelope design and triggering than the DMNO strategy? Does single mode give you all 8 voices across 1 DMNO if that’s all you’re using?
Yes, I was wrong about 8 stereo filters. However, it is not true that 8 voice is limieted to serial or parallel modes. You can also have just a single mono filter using the options from the stereo filters menu.
Sorry for the late reply, I have been away from the studio for a week. I checked again this morning. I was wrong in what I said, thank you for the correction.
Hey, if you use single mode and then turn off binaural mode, you already get 8 voices of polyphony. No need to use the other domino (unless you want to create some voice variations).
When set as described here, I hear no voice stealing at all (until the 8 voice limit is reached, of course)
Prior to seeing any responses, I was curious about this and tried it myself. I think what I may have been hearing was more akin to the envelopes across the two DMNOs, even if set for the same settings, triggering at different rates and thus coming across not unlike voice stealing, as there was inconsistencies across 5+ note chords.
It did seem a little better when using a single DMNO, but I wish this were more clearly explained in the manual, IE that single mode still utilizes the hardware of all filters in the box for the full up-to-8 voice potential, just with only a single set of parameters.
As for your earlier response about single mono filter options, is that just scrolling further through the stereo filter option list?
Yeah, you can select any of the stereo filter modes, for example, 2PLP Type 2, and still use it even when not in binaural mode. So, technically, it is NOT a stereo filter; therefore, it is incorrectly labeled, but whatever. It is nice to be able to use those filter types when using 8 voices. Just remember that if you change to serial or parallel and then back to stereo, it will enable binaural again, and you need to switch it off to get all 8 voices back.