is the saw waveform without a filter usable or its too harsh

Discussion in 'Working with Sound' started by petrrr, Aug 15, 2022.

  1. petrrr

    petrrr Kapellmeister

    Joined:
    May 15, 2022
    Messages:
    385
    Likes Received:
    43
    hi

    i was wondering if the saw waveform without a filter or effects is usable or its too harsh for mainstream music for people consumption

    is it considered a too harsh sound to listen to unfiltered? is it considered damaging to hear for long times for example
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2022
    • Interesting Interesting x 1
    • List
  2.  
  3. No Avenger

    No Avenger Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2017
    Messages:
    9,020
    Likes Received:
    6,250
    Location:
    Europe
    Without?
    Turn off?

    Err, ...
     
  4. phumb-reh

    phumb-reh Guest

    8-bit computer/game console music is chock full of these.

    Of course those chips wouldn't produce a full audible range ones (and they had one LP filter per chip normally), but for instance the famed SID chip in the Commodore 64 produced raw square and saw waves (+ triangle and noise) and they still sound good.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • List
  5. BEAT16

    BEAT16 Audiosexual

    Joined:
    May 24, 2012
    Messages:
    9,081
    Likes Received:
    6,995
    I have attached 2 pictures once with filter and one without. See also volume rash.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. No Avenger

    No Avenger Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2017
    Messages:
    9,020
    Likes Received:
    6,250
    Location:
    Europe
    Yeah, the right side is louder without, the left remains the same. Interstingly despite the fact that Filter 2 has quite some resonance which usually raises the volume.
     
  7. Magic Max

    Magic Max Platinum Record

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2022
    Messages:
    157
    Likes Received:
    198
    Location:
    Australia
    It is damaging and harsh in its pure form. Under The Articles Of War of 1949 it is considered a weapon. All synths must have a filter by law. What other reason could there be?
     
  8. No Avenger

    No Avenger Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2017
    Messages:
    9,020
    Likes Received:
    6,250
    Location:
    Europe
    Never heard that before, never experienced that and it's not logical at all because without the filter all harmonics are passed through.
    OTOH, there might be hardware where you need to switch a filter on, otherwise the harmonics are blocked...
     
  9. Magic Max

    Magic Max Platinum Record

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2022
    Messages:
    157
    Likes Received:
    198
    Location:
    Australia
    I gather you didn't learn subtractive synthesis on a hardware synth or you would never call any oscillator a "brass oscillator" this would also explain your descriptions above.
     
  10. BEAT16

    BEAT16 Audiosexual

    Joined:
    May 24, 2012
    Messages:
    9,081
    Likes Received:
    6,995
    I started out with a wavetable - Waldorf - Largo VSTi.
    Also have Korg - R3, Roland - Gaia etc for 11 years 200 soundbanks.

    In my head it actually always goes like this : Sound Generator - Amp - Filter - Env - FX
    (Sorry if that sounds a bit unprofessional)

    I also have a website, not that people still doubt me:
    Sonic Sirius - Synthesizer Soundsets
    Freeware Soundsets for Software and Hardware Synthesizer
    http://ohlenbostelhelge.magix.net/public/
    www.kvraudio.com/developer/sonic-sirius
     
  11. Baxter

    Baxter Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2011
    Messages:
    3,884
    Likes Received:
    2,716
    Location:
    Sweden
    I see saw as raw planks of wood. Sure you can use them as they are. But it's a lot more fun to saw (pun that actually started this train of thought) och cut them up, sand them, build something out of them and then stain/paint/laquer it. Maybe the end result was the most beautiful furniture you ever saw.
     
  12. Magic Max

    Magic Max Platinum Record

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2022
    Messages:
    157
    Likes Received:
    198
    Location:
    Australia
    I started with the Minimoog I still own for almost 40 years now. Signal path is as follows.
    Oscillators - Mixer - Filter - Envelope Generators - Amp
    It is generally assumed that the default zero position (ie. not affecting the oscillator) of the filter is 100% fully open. This is a pure sawtooth wave. Turning it to the left cuts (flattens) the top of the saw and softens the sound until it becomes inaudible.
     
  13. petrrr

    petrrr Kapellmeister

    Joined:
    May 15, 2022
    Messages:
    385
    Likes Received:
    43
    how can i soften the upper high frequencies of the saw waveform instead of cutting them off because cutting it off its obvious the highs are missing, i tried band filter but the frequencies escaping around it are still a problem
     
  14. Trurl

    Trurl Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2019
    Messages:
    2,480
    Likes Received:
    1,459
    Why does a bird when it squeezes. Is the density a carnal sequesterIng of your fate??

    I think you know.
     
  15. lxfsn

    lxfsn Platinum Record

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2021
    Messages:
    344
    Likes Received:
    255
    Friendly advice - leave this forum for a couple of years (and any other music production communities). Just listen music and make music. It will be shitty at first. Make sounds. They will be shitty. But you need to go through this phase otherwise you'll end like like our buddy samsome (10 years later still asking beginner questions and making no music). After a while you'll start to hear things differently, you'll start to be able to build nice sound pallettes (instruments selection, drum kit + percussion elements selection). Tutorials and forum advice won't help with this phase. You just need to put in the work. You need to suck hard before being great. Then in a couple of years come back, ask for feedback, round up your tricks with new ones from here. But for now, your priority should be actually trying to make music. Do a rough sketch every day. By the 100th you'd be amazed how good your sketches sound. By the 300th you'll have a mature sound and deep knowledge of arrangement songwriting. And the year is not even ended at 300. Good luck!

    @ everyone re: samsome - I think he's retired from the forum lately. I really hope he started making music and in a year or two will come back with a bunch of songs. Fingers crossed!
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Useful Useful x 1
    • List
  16. Magic Max

    Magic Max Platinum Record

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2022
    Messages:
    157
    Likes Received:
    198
    Location:
    Australia
    What? You want to keep the highs but remove them? Can you operate an equaliser? Cut the high frequencies. But you'll still lose the high frequencies. I don't know what you're tryng to achieve. I don't think you know either.
     
  17. clone

    clone Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2021
    Messages:
    6,789
    Likes Received:
    2,966
    I think you are wrong and you are posting in another one of the "beginner questions threads". I get the impression it is passive aggressive trolling, by asking a commonly misunderstood question, and then sitting back and watching the hijinks which ensue. The correct answer will be somewhere on page 1, and 5 pages later the OP is still laughing about it. Not really breaking any rules.

    just sayin. This one time he managed to get someone on here to show him how to use a ruler to fix his desk. If that is not creative....
     
  18. BEAT16

    BEAT16 Audiosexual

    Joined:
    May 24, 2012
    Messages:
    9,081
    Likes Received:
    6,995
    Hello, what synthesizer are you using? Can you take a screenshot of your settings? I took an example photo for the Sylenth1.
    Set Filter Resonance to 0 and turn the cutoff filter a bit to the left, in Filter Control do the same.
    I recommend to set the Octave to - 1 and increase Voice number to 2 or 3.
    In Amp Env move the Release control up and down. In the Oscillator turn the phase to 180 / center position.
     

    Attached Files:

  19. clone

    clone Audiosexual

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2021
    Messages:
    6,789
    Likes Received:
    2,966
    it's not going to end up dry in the mix no matter what you do (hopefully). you are going to add saturation, eq, compression, probably reverb and delay. wether you want to add a filter, distortion, or modulator, etc. for some more movement/character would depend on your track.

    Shade even has a bypass button.
     
  20. petrrr

    petrrr Kapellmeister

    Joined:
    May 15, 2022
    Messages:
    385
    Likes Received:
    43
    its me, i actually closed the account and did that for a bit, at least i tried lol
     
  21. petrrr

    petrrr Kapellmeister

    Joined:
    May 15, 2022
    Messages:
    385
    Likes Received:
    43
    i understand most but i still don't know the phase thing well

    whats the point of the phase knob turn?

    thanks!
     
Loading...
Loading...