@foster911 Well, what's a "true sound designer?" For example, I looked at Reaktor, (and Bidule) and said, fk this, why work so hard when there are synths of almost every combination it can make already. Kontakt, I use cause it just sounds good. FM8 I played with for a while, but when I went under the hood, I couldn't really find good tuts about wtf it was doing...Additive synthesis is almost the same, the tuts I've seen so far is more about this button does that, not really the use of the controls in combination which has to be where the power is. As if god forbid they showed examples of pro sounds, it would give away the bank. (maybe it would, idk) Then again I'm 2 days in, and I walked around the neighborhood with my 30lbs weight vest to calm down from life...

Wavetable other than Massive, I've not even started yet, but have Serum installed today.

I'm also coming from the Fourier Transform math side. There was a theorem I saw years and years ago, that said any arbitrary waveform could be approximated by a fourier series of sine waves. There are other series as well, that can do the same thing, but for some reason, my unconscious wants me to do something with that, but has yet given me the honor of explaining it to me.

Maybe I'm on the verge of a "jeffglobal" sound not yet created, or it's just I've been sick for almost a week and haven't slept good the whole time...and need to search my floor to pick up my marbles again.

 

I think it's the kitten. Ppl think because I'm always preemptively polite and respectful it's a sign of weakness. Then they realize, I just like being polite and respectful because being a hostile prig all the time takes way more effort.

 

There are 2 persons named @kouros and @duskwings (my loves forever). Please follow their dispute here. That thread is the best thread of the whole internet imo. You can also augment your etiquette there.

 

That's probably another reason why.
Look at the top 10 artists on the pop charts...
None of those "artists" know how to do sound engineering. In fact, most of the songs were made mostly with Nexus2, and thus have all the same exact sound - it sounds like all the same song.
If I had a nickel for every big name (MODERN day) musician I've seen who had this kind of skill, and is still making hit songs today, I'd have a penny.
Then, think about it - it's Image Line. Many people look at Image line as fisher price because of FL studio.
3rd, look at the music magazines - how many "Harmors" do you see there. Now tell me how many "Pro Tools" & "Xfers" & "Native Instruments" you see. Better yet, let me turn it into a drinking game: For ever musician on "Sonic Academy" who jacks off in excitement to IL Harmor, take one shot. If that don't cure your alcohol addiction (if one is present), well then you cheated.
4th, So many musicians use Pro Tools. I know, you're gonna all demand my head on a plate for this, but let's face it - Too many musicians like being raped by Avid's nazi dick. I'd personally rather be raped by Apple's nazi dick. And because there's no AAX (or as I call it - ASS) or AU (as I call it - AUUUSHIT!!) format for Harmor, this turns certain people off.
5th, Most people are happy with Massive, Spire, & a DAW. Those who are starving for the newest synth are probably not passionate producers... sorry to say.
6th, not a whole lotta preset banks for it.
Lastly, because DEEZ NUTS!!!

 

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@Impressive
You're always a winner like the pregnancy testing kits devised by Unipath Ltd.

 

Well, first, I've started to play with Serum today, between keeping my nieces separated so their predatory nature stays in check (they're 9 and 12 so it's like watching kittens sharpen their claws and testing them on each other and seeing what happens), and I have to say, I take back the thinking I may add something new to sound design, I plead lack of sleep, too much cough syrup and I still haven't found my marbles.

For now, I think Serum is more dense than Harmor even though it's 256 to 512 harmonics/waves which I may be conflating...but it may be just my idiot savant inability to not count edges (fk'ing wavetable pics) may be making me make a false inference...I'll start learning Serum and Harmor in parallel and see what kind of confusing brew that makes. The idea of an evolving sound over time is exactly what I'm looking for though.

@foster911 Too bad I missed that thread before I asked about htf to deal with the vocabulary of music. Now I know, duh, learn the language or stfu. I can't read thru such a long thing today. I'm still sick, even though I'm tired of being sick.
With reference to pregnancy tests, who cares, (I'm pretty sure I missed your reference...) the cuckolding of men ended with DNA tests. You have no idea how women used to play men in the past, shamelessly and without mercy. Then, snap, game over. I think that's why western women don't get pregnant anymore, they can't scam the money/dupe guy while getting impregnated by the guy they want. Freakin bonobos! (which is where feminist scissoring comes from, chimps. So impressed ladies, you act like chimps, gratz, scissor away.) As my mommy told me, women need three men in there lives: The man for conversation, the man for fun, and the man that pays for it all...ok, no my mom didn't tell me, she still never gave up the goods on her gender...I know conclude, the man a woman marries is the stooge/dupe. Gratz, if a woman wants to marry you...remember what you just read...

@Impressive Did you notice PT every time you run it, saves a complete record of wtf you did in a deep dark place on you hdd (ssd). I used ccleaner to delete all that bloat and it was 7 gbs of garbage data. wtf PT gets the DHS runner up award for tracking. I was wondering wtf ccleaner was taking so long, and then I saw hundreds of roaming or whatever hidden file place it had all the data. So I use Reaper and Cubase for now, mostly Reaper, cause idc, I'm mostly making sounds and just playing piano. Idt I ever used Nexus2. I forgot why...it sounds vaguely familiar. I have noticed though, the big "stars" from Rihanna to everone really, maybe not Sia, have a group of songwriters for hire, where they pay them to come over and write a song or more during a paid session. So for all we know, 5-20 songwriters are responsible for everything we hear. Which reminds me, I have to reverse Adele's Hello track, I think it has back masking...brb.

 

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harmor is very interesting,technically, but, for me at least, ultimate it's 'sound' produced is not so inspiring. it sounds "plasticky" or just thin or 'fake' somehow, at the ultimate output.. it seems redundant to learn all the bells and whistles only to end up with a synth you do not like the sound of very much.. there is also an issue for people who do not know it's available as an independent plugin, i happen to think Sawer is superb and use it a lot... most of the imageline stuff is of an equal to most third party plugs on the market...

 

Hmmm, ok filtersweep. I'm not gonna start on Sawer though, but put it on my list.

 

Not sure of Harmor has this function native but Sample & Hold works well for evolving sounds over time. Articulate use of LFOs accomplish basically the same.

 

Harmor is an exceptional synth. It caused quite a fuss when it first came out but that seems to be forgotten now. Yes, it is incredibly complex, but its re-synthesis algorithm is second to none. Basically it is a SAMPLER! With an additive synthesis 'engine' that will be familiar to those that know subtractive synthesis. It's a damn weird implementation alright. And requires time. I would advise you to re-skin it with some of the available skins out there - it makes it much easier to compartmentalize the various sections when you learn.

You need to check out Gol's original youtube vidz to see the magic this thing can weave. It is truly mind-blowing.

I also bought Harmless as well, because that covers a lot of ground. Check out the presets by Julian Ray - a master sound designer. This thing does Space Ice Rain Candy Floating like nothing else (well how do YOU describe sound?).

I doubt that more than 1 percent of the people that have Harmor actually use it towards more than 50 percent of its capability. The image synthesis is a nice touch as well, if not a bit random in results. Pretty soon you can come up with some very interesting and unique stuff, that is wildly changeable.

Time to dig out those Gol vidz I think...

Some amazing stuff there that shows that Harmor is the one and only synth you need to do a whole production from basses to pads to samples to vocals to FX. Anothergol (the real Gol's youtube channel) has some other videos there explaining image manipulation for sound in an image editor and vocoding.

These videos are absolutely essential to see what Harmor is capable of. It's blows Alchemy's re-synthesis out of the water. Also you can import wavetables made up in Audio Term II or those already done by Adventure Kid. They're all over the net.

In a way, Harmor is the ultimate Sampler and sample manipulation tool. See the 'Content-aware stretching' vid above. I haven't used it to even 5 percent of its capacity, but there are rich rewards for those who dig deep with this one. Without a doubt, a 'Top 10' Vst plugin. For PC at least. GOL is a genius.

Watch the above vidz to start off with, and I'll bet it will change your whole mindset about what this amazing synth is capable of. Any electronic music act of the 90's would have killed for an instrument like this. It does it all. Under-rated only because most people don't know what it can do. This is one of a handful of 'synths' that I would be more than happy to use as the one and only instrument, to do a full blown commercial production. It really is that versatile. I can't recommend this masterpiece highly enough.

 

From Harmor's help:
In Harmor no audio-stream exists, instead a table of frequency and amplitude data is manipulated efficiently, accurately and in ways not possible with traditional methods, that process an audio stream. Draw filter shapes and gain precise control over every aspect of the sound generation process.

By me:
In it you can have more precise control on the harmonics while other synths do not allow the individual harmonics to be manipulated by the user. When you play with Harmor, the judge is your brain and eyes rather than your ears. By cloning it you can also simulate the timbre of the actual instruments as well but you need to have full knowledge about the waveforms of any specific instrument.

 

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I did notice that. I also noticed that if you turn all the lights off, light a candle, stand in front of the bathroom mirror & spin around 3 times & say "Pro Tools", a big purple thing will come out from behind you & make you pay money for customer service.
Another thing, I once left my pro tools & my iLok at work before my day off & I spent my day off without them. I got to work the next day & found out that my pro tools software & iLok came to life & impregnated everyone including the men & they all gave birth to little demonic creatures. I had to call over every priest within a 500 mile radius & the pope to perform an exorcism on the whole workplace. I had to get a fire truck with holy water in the tank instead of regular water so we could drench the whole building in the holy water to make sure Satan would never come here again. All the men now have anuses that approximate the size of chevy hubcaps & all the women have vaginas large enough to house all the homeless. I have burned my pro tools license & my iLok in the fire to make sure it never comes to life again.
Holy shit this sounds like an awesome horror movie. I'm gonna log off & make some music to stop me from making this a real horror movie.

Back on topic: Harmor is quite interesting. That, & Harmless, are very interesting synths. Good to test your skills on.
Good tip for ambient-style producers: Go get the WeatherM "Astro Nature" pack for Harmless. It's super cool!!!!

 

@Impressive you joke, but check out this thread, and you too can pray to Horus.
https://audiosex.pro/threads/here-i-am-horus-back-masking-in-adeles-hello.25936/
I thought Harmless was a baby version of Harmor, no?

@ArticStorm Agreed, I should have said without using spit and tape, and "easy." I more use PT for final mixing and faux mastering. And Reaper for dreaming and thinking...Cubase when I get pissed off at both. Right now, I'm just using Kontakt with 3 piano patches at the same time, cause I can't find a piano sound I like. Then I try to make sounds in Harmor/Serum/FM8 and I mess with a preset like what I hear, mess with it more, fk it up, then can't recover the good sound...

It sucks, but as you get more and more ear sensitive to sound, so much more sounds like crap. A person singing a little off tune now is like kicking me in the nuts...I don't necessarily like this new found sensitivity and I blame learning compression and eq cuts looking for resonances that shouldn't be there. I don't even like the way my D string goes wobble wobble after I can now track my pick off center wave going up and down the neck (I heard 'pick,' then like beats between two instruments being just out of phase/tune split secs after, I thought wtf is that? I never heard that before!)...I loved my $1k knockoff version of a really expensive guitar before!!!

Everyone else, I appreciate the feedback, but I think I've become anti scientific watching my nieces today. Do guys know how girls normally spend their time and what they concentrate on and find important? How can men and women even communicate without an interpreter...the 12 year old watches iCarly, which is about 20-30 something y/o actors playing JHS/HS kids, and their lives revolve around dating...yeah, that's important. I showed her the symbols being used and the contradictions, and lucky for her, it mattered not (It's funny, but iCarly is racist, idk y that's ok). Do do do dodo...weeee. I taught the 12 year old all the math she didn't learn when vacationing with her mom growing up, so she's not stupid (It was funny, but all I had to say was, girls may be "bad" a math, but your father isn't as an engineer, and you're his daughter, so no excuses for you)...she went from failing 55s to 85s in 8 months (her teacher was pissed, she didn't want to give her better grades, her teacher thought she was cheating). Now she has 90s like my boys (and my boys haven't seen me for 4 years until a month or so ago, how that happened, idk...maybe early childhood critical periods are more important than at other times in life...)

 

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It is a baby version of Harmor. But it's still pretty intriguing, IMHO.

 

Indeed. It comes with a host of great presets. Bass is particularly strong. Lead too, and pads, bells..

If you are going to buy Harmor, then don't waste your money on Harmless as well, unless, like me, you use Harmless to learn how to use Harmor.

Very often, a preset from Harmless will do the trick. I actually have a few bass presets that I know how to change that can make almost any bass noise known to man. I don't even know what the knobs are when I turn them. I just know where they are and what they do. It covers a massive range.

The patch management is slightly different when you run the VSTs outside of their (usually) native FL. But it's easy enough to work out. Just keep in mind if you use EnergyXT there is a bug where the gui blacks out - but it does this for all image-line plugins. Reloading your song project solves this. Also stopping using image-line plugins in XT solves this as well. Ymmv.

If you were a bit short of cash, and could only afford Harmless, go for it. You will still use it. I use it almost as much as Harmor. It's smaller size and subset just make it a lot easier to deal with. Either way, no man should be without Harm(or||less) in their audio toolkit.