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Exercises 6 BX

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8 views7 pages

Exercises 6 BX

Uploaded by

dan
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Max/MSP exercises 6a

Ex.1
Some slightly more complex synthesis, now: AM (Amplitude Modulation) and FM
(Frequency Modulation). These work by changing the volume of pitch of an
oscillator over time. In both cases you can get interesting results at both low
modulation frequencies (which yield tremolo and vibrato respectively) and high
modulation frequencies (which yield more complex timbres).

We’ll start with Amplitude Modulation

1. Start by copying the following, which will now be familiar to you:

WARNING: remember to keep the level of this [gain~] slider low


so that [cycle~]’s output, which will be loud, doesn’t damage your
ears.

We could say that simply moving the [gain~] fader up and down will
result in amplitude modulation since we are changing the amplitude
over time. However...,
Ex.1(cont)
We need to make the amplitude rise and fall in a consistent way to give us true
AM synthesis. For this we can use another oscillator.

2. Modify your patch as follows:


CARRIER MODULATING
OSCILLATOR OSCILLATOR

Here we have identical inputs to a [*~] object which controls the amplitude for
us (the [gain~] object is just to control output levels). And this will indeed
modulate the amplitude, as you will see if you...

3. ...set the left-hand [number] box to 1000, and increase the right-hand [number]
box to 2. The amplitude will change over time. Do you notice anything odd about
the frequency of modulation? Is it at 2Hz?
Ex.1(cont)
4. Increase the right-hand [number] box to 100Hz gradually. What happens?

You should notice that you get two pitches which diverge. This is a characteristic
of Ring Modulation, which in fact is what we have created. The modulating
oscillator is in fact increasing the amplitude to 1., then decreasing to 0., then to
-1. (i.e. inverting the phase). This is both why
• we hear a 4Hz amplitude modulation when the input to [cycle~] is 2Hz
• we hear two diverging sidebands but not the original frequency, which is
cancelled out.

5. In order to ensure that the amplitude does not go to


negative values (thus inverting the phase), we need to do a
little mathematical jiggery-pokery. Modify the patch as
shown. What’s happening here?
Ex.1(cont)
MODULATING OSCILLATOR (yields numbers
Answer: between -1. and 1.)

Yields numbers between 0. and 2.


CARRIER
OSCILLATOR Yields numbers between 0. and 1.

6. Try this out. How are the results different (at both low and high modulation
frequencies)?

7. Based on what we know from Exercise6a, attempt the following:


• Control the frequency of the carrier oscillator using a [kslider] object or MIDI
keyboard
• Control the overall level of output using the right-hand outlet of the [kslider]
(you will of course need a further [*~] object to do this.
Ex.1(cont)
Solution:

If you try this out you’ll notice that the timbre is not consistent over the entire
keyboard because the modulating frequency remains the same even though the
carrier frequency changes.

8. Referring to Exercise6a p5-7, do something similiar to:


• ensure a consistent relationship between carrier and modulating frequencies;
• permit an evolving timbre by using [line] or [line~]/[function] objects, triggered
by the [kslider].
Ex.1(cont)
Solutions:

Remember that you will need to change the Lo and Hi Display Range for the
[function] object.You might also want to change the Hi Domain Display Value if
you want to slow the evolution of the sound.

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