Yes, this dry DI metal palm mute "twang" is very strange
Attack characteristics are the key (once again).

I remember synthesis trick using real instruments attacks and synthesis tails.
Nice hybrid idea

As far as synth/physical modeling (away from guitar modeling itself), Try Dune 3 and Zebra may be.
Reaktor ensembles too (but it is a rabbit hole)

 

Why sine? A string doesn't produce a sine wave, neither do the pickups. I'd use a sawtooth and maybe add a square...

I'd say this is impossible to emulate.

Absolutely. I was like 'Wot? This is how an unamplified e-guitar sounds???'

 

I'll give you a better one : while wearing a long sleeved shirt, preferably from a thin fabric like linen or cashmere (but anything will do really), then bring your picking hand closer to the strings so that a tiny bit of fabric comes in contact with them for a brief moment. If done right (trial and error is key) you can make a guitar sound like a sitar, much more convincingly than sitar effects.

 

yep , for my taste the attack/decay is often overemphasized when using samples . probably it is a good idea to control the envelope with a pedal or velocity. A real clavinet can be cool , if you turn it up you can get feedback. With samples it is not quite the same even without the feedback .

 

Given my academic background, I just had the intuition to start with the fundamental and add the necessary overtones afterwards in some way, somewhat selectively. I'm inexperienced at this, so my thought process is different (and probably wrong).

I interpreted that a plucked acoustic string is closer to a finite sum of some sines than to a square wave because:
1. It has even harmonics (the square does not and hence the sound has a very different characteristic)
2. The harmonics are finite (the theoretical square has infinite harmonics, of course not the one we get on our systems)

The pickups do induce hysteresis, if I remember correctly, but I tried to compensate for that by shaping the wave (I'm using omnisphere) with that button aptly named "Shape" to move it between sine and triangle-sh.

Anyways, I am definitely going to try your suggestions to see what I get, so thanks.

EDIT: I just read a little and realized I was trying to do additive synthesis on a subtractive synth... What a new world of which I know nothing about!

I personally adore the huge transient because I love how it reacts with the clipping inside the amplifier. My guitar has a Bareknuckle Painkiller installed in the bridge exactly because of this.

 

Last edited: Nov 2, 2024

Additive synthesis is a great concept but almost impossible zu master. The problem is every harmonic has a different level, phase, pitch and decay. Meaning, even if you want to reproduce a simple sound, it could take you ages and I suppose you want to achieve this within this decade?

That's why I said add. And BTW, if you add distortion you'll get all kinds of 'weird' harmonics.

Filter?

You don't need an exact replica, but a sufficient approximation.

 

I realized after writing my post (and had the time to find out that additive synthesis is a concept on wikipedia) about what you're saying (hence the edit).
I was seriously considering taking a snapshot of my guitar DI for a given note and check the frequency graph to determine the relative levels of the harmonics, but I think I'm going to play around with this subtractive way instead. And you are right, I am indeed just trying to get something that fulfills the same role in the arrangement, not a replica.

 

FL Slayer!

 

After some of the new advice here, I've now been playing more with sawtooth waves and filtering them.
I have made a patch with three layers of different saws:
Layer A - Main Sustain layer with high and low pass filters that follow the transient envelope, the attack onset is slightly delayed to give room for the Layer C
Layer B - Secondary Stain layer, which is an octave up from Layer A and has shorter sustain, trying to the bright rattling of the strings which dies down quicker, the attack onset is even more delayed than Layer A
Layer C - Pick Attack layer, with around 230ms total sustain and filtered less aggressively to let a bit more high trough

Here's a sample using a riff from a track of a project of mine I am working on called "Lustratio". I compare the same riff as I played it on the album's track with my guitar and this synth sound. This sample is: Real Guitar DI -> Synth -> Real Guitar DI though amp sim -> Synth through amp sim -> both hard panned

Both are using the same amp sim which is the old freeware Lecto from Lepou and the same cab IR, all with the same settings. No EQ processing after the amp sim whatsoever.

https://on.soundcloud.com/iYfLySB3nrU18fmp9

My own conclusion is that it's not a guitar but it's definitely a usable sound and I could see myself possibly using it as a second layer behind the guitars.

 

Last edited: Nov 3, 2024

Nice try

When you pluck a guitar string, it is going from a little "sharper" (higher tuned) to real note.
Try to add a pitch drop on attack, like 1/4 tone dropping to final note.

The famous "djent" sound

 

22:30 of tutorial for a nice guitary synth lead sound.

 

I'm already doing that on that sound, I just made it VERY subtle because I thought it sounded cartoonish when it was noticeable. But it's actually a pitch "jump"!

Definitely a cool sound, sounds like a metallic bowed string instrument. Thanks for sharing this.