Human Voices Redux for Omnisphere 2.6
Human Voices Redux is a soundset for Spectrasonics’ software synth Omnisphere. There are 120 patches, and all exclusively about voices: Big choirs, little choirs, lead vocal keys, human beatbox drums, wistful calls and effects, all made with human vocal samples and vox waveforms. Of course there are many beautiful pads, but many phrases have been retuned and granularized, and others turned into rich and unusual drum and percussion patches.
Latest videos:
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LXR-02 tutorial - Part 4: Patterns
Part four of a getting started guide for the Erica Synths LXR-02 drum machine. This is with a beta version of firmware 1.2. This tutorial covers the fundamentals of patterns with a focus on the pattern generator. The generator is a Euclidean pattern generator but is so fast and versatile it's useful as a starter in just about any situation. The tutorial also looks at pattern and track lengths and clearing tracks.
This was also going to cover song mode but (and please test this for yourself) I believe there's a bug in song mode where the song plays backs patterns one-higher than the saved pattern number. So if your song says play back patterns 1, 2 and 3 it will actually play patterns 2, 3 and 4. As soon as this is fixed I'll do a video on song mode!
Note also in the pattern generator page that "mrp" is a morph control and will also be covered in a separate video.
0:00 The pattern generator
3:00 Saving and copying patterns
3:30 Clearing tracks
4:50 Copying tracks
6:42 Generator example 2
7:50 Track length - various methods
My site: https://richarddehove.com/
Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove -
Hors d'Oeuvre serves up the dirtiest DB-01 (no talking)
The Fairfield Circuitry Hors d'Oeuvre pedal is a feedback device. It will act as a sort of distortion by itself but where it shines is with another pedal in its send and return loop. Here I have an MXR Phase-95 followed by a Vahlbruch delay in the loop. The DB-01 is initially running through the Boss GEB-7 EQ pedal, then into the Hors d'Oeuvre.
There are no other effects or processing other than a limiter on the output and a little volume balancing to avoid anyone having to ride the volume knob. The Hors d'Oeuvre is quite sensitive and small adjustments in feedback or phase position can make a big difference to the sound.
I teamed the Hors d'Oeuvre with a couple of other pedals but it definitely seemed to work better with analog devices. For example, a cheap digital reverb I tried gave nothing but painful squeals.
0:00 Dry
0:05 Engaged
0:37 Noodlings
2:00 Squeals
2:18 Delay
4:00 Drone
4:32 Pattern 2
4:55 Keyboard mode
All the devices shown were bought by me at full price.
My site: https://richarddehove.com/
Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove -
LXR-02 tutorial - Part 3: Snare, clap and hats
Part three of a getting started guide for the Erica Synths LXR-02 drum machine. This is with firmware version 1.1. This tutorial covers the Snare, Cymbal/Clap and Hats voices. We look at all the parameters and some basic programming techniques - especially in order to create continuous variation.
0:00 Intro
0:20 Snare, Clap & hats overview
1:46 The two hat tracks
4:00 Initialize kit
4:28 Hats in detail
6:30 Chromatic playing
6:47 Step edit notes
7:27 LFO modulation
10:30 Assigning LFOs
12:33 Example hat sounds
14:35 Continuous variation
15:26 Cym/Clap voice
16:00 Flam controls
22:08 Clap example sounds
23:00 LFO as an envelope
24:28 LFO retrigger fun
27:02 Snare voice in detail
31:08 Example snare sounds
33:28 All together & next time
34:03 Outro sounds
My site: https://richarddehove.com/
Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove -
LXR-02 tutorial - Part 2: Basic voice editing
Part two of a getting started guide for the Erica Synths LXR-02 drum machine. This is with firmware version 1.1. This tutorial covers initializing a new project, adjusting basic configuration settings, using an external MIDI controller, and a run through of the voice editing parameters. Here we look at just the main drum synth voice that is used in the first three voices. Toward the end we create some basic drum sounds from scratch including some clean kicks, a few awful FM things and various flavors of snare. The remaining three voices: snare, clap and hats (and some better FM) - will be in the next tutorial.
If you want to skip all the config stuff start at 8:15 minutes in.
0:00 Intro
0:30 Initializing a project
1:32 Config options
4:08 MIDI note assign
5:00 Default content **
5:42 Tuned chromatic playing
7:09 Edit project name
8:00 Voice editing begins! (finally)
8:15 MIX section
8:32 OSC section
10:04 FILTER section
11:38 CLICK section
15:23 LFO section
21:32 AEG section
24:07 MOD section
25:46 Making some kick drums
29:53 MOD veocity controls
33:54 FM section
37:53 Making some snare drums
My site: https://richarddehove.com/
Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove
** A couple of minor points: At 5:00 minutes I delete some content on Pattern 1. On very rare ocassions when initializing a project I get random (but coherant!) content on Pattern 1. Of course it happened while videoing. Also, a few people would have seen an earlier "tutorial 2". This was based on the operation of the LXR-02 with an earlier SD card image which didn't allow for simple project initialization. The improved software made that video largely irrelevant so I deleted it. That's the danger with early version tutorials! -
LXR-02 tutorial - Part 1: Essentials
Part one of a getting started guide for the Erica Synths LXR-02 drum machine. This is with firmware version 1.1 and everything as you'll find it fresh from the box. The machine itself is tiny, sturdy, beautiful and absolutely packed full of features. With part one here I could only cover the absolute essentials. The guide is designed to make your first few hours and days with this machine as smooth as possible.
0:00 Introduction and all-round view
0:53 Firmware version
1:03 The micro-SD card
1:41 Everything's on the card
1:56 Data structure
2:25 What is a Project?
3:10 On boot
3:40 The two modes
4:15 Performance Mode
4:30 Global shuffle amount
4:45 Global sample rate
5:06 Roll rate
5:48 Setting the BPM
6:14 External sync
7:10 Loading kits
8:05 Triggering sounds
9:41 External trigger
10:27 Mute and select
10:53 "Escape" buttons
11:30 Editing buttons
11:48 Menu navigation
12:14 The Data knob
13:37 Adding steps
14:05 The voices
15:12 Voice editing overview
16:30 Mix menu
17:30 Selecting the outputs
19:51 An output trap!
21:15 Consider your outs
21:45 Track length and polymeters
22:28 MIDI note assign ****NB!
23:10 Config menu
24:00 Screensaver on/off
24:45 MIDI options
25:17 Bar follow
25:42 Pattern-kit link
26:54 Clock PPQ settings
27:22 Saving the configuration
27:50 Creating a pattern
28:15 Saving a project
31:45 Copying patterns
32:38 Next time!
**** NB: The MIDI note assign is set per Project !
My site: https://richarddehove.com/
Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove -
Two DB-01s and a pod-load of CV
The Erica Synths DB-01 sends and receives CV and includes a handy attenuator, so a little experimentation with CV can really extend the sound design possibilities. Here both DB-01s and a pod of Euro clocks and modulators (two Erica Synths Drum Modulators) are synced together. One DB-01 is the master feeding pitch CV into a mult and then into the second DB-01. Both units are getting filter CV inputs from the Drum Modulators. The main machine is sometimes going through a Microtubes B3K for extra overdrive goodness, and the second DB-01 get washy with an Earthquaker Devices Afterneath V3 - which also accepts CV. Hopefully this little demo gives you some ideas. A little CV goes a long way.
My site: https://richarddehove.com/
Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove -
Norand Mono and a DB-01 - noodlings (no talking)
Both the Norand Mono and the Erica Synths DB-01 are best known for furiously zipping along through 16-step patterns, although both can easily move into very different realms. While fiddling with the filter and resonance on the Norand (and applying envelopes separately to both) I came across an interesting effect where they sometimes seem to split off into two voices. I couldn't quite decide whether it was spooky, or had a sort of Arabian flavor. The DB-01 seemed a natural fit so I added a very simple drone-mode pattern. Both machines have an added touch of Valhalla delay in Reaper but are otherwise as you see them here.
My site: https://richarddehove.com/
Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove -
Afterneath V3 on synth with CV control (no talking)
There's plenty of videos which show Earthquaker Devices' Afterneath V3 doing all the usual reverb things, so here I thought I'd just show what happens when you apply CV. The expression jack accept 1v/Oct CV, although it doesn't track pitch. Because of that I mostly ignore the Major, Minor, Pentatonic scale modes because they don't really work anyway in terms of tracking pitch. Despite that there's lots of interesting weirdness to explore.
Here I'm running a DB-01 through the pedal. the DB-01 CV out is being mixed with the CV from a synced LFO. I experiment with different LFO shapes, rates, and blends of the LFO and DB-01 pitch CV.
In my first edit of this video I chopped everything up into highlights, but I abandoned all that and went with the unedited noodling instead. I think it's more interesting to see the process of getting from one effect to the next even if that means a few interludes of mush. Hope you find it useful.
ps: This is not a sponsored video, I bought it at full price with my own money.
0:00 Dry sound
0:20 Mode 2 (unquantized with slew)
1:05 Squeaky gate!
1:20 Very slow LFO CV
2:40 Reacting to dynamics
3:30 Faster LFO
4:08 Ramp up LFO
5:30 Slow sine LFO
6:00 Whooshy zing
7:30 Chopping LFO
8:45 Slow ramp
9:18 Dry sound
9:42 New pattern (at last!)
10:14 Ramp up LFO CV
11:40 Octaves mode
12:10 Octaves and fifths
12:30 Chopping LFO CV
13:05 Dry sound
13:12 Fast choppy LFO CV
13:50 Slow sine again
14:40 Extreme LFO CV
15:00 Extreme LFO CV with slew
16:20 Square wave LFO CV
My site: https://richarddehove.com/
Lots of downloads for supporters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/richarddehove
Altair-4 soundset for ArcSyn
“Altair-4” is a soundset for SPC ArcSyn. It contains 100 patches widely varied between synchronized bass, leads and percussion; characterful drones; long self-generating textures and ambiences; special effects; stingers; drums and sci-fi leads. Every patch has a variation on the modwheel – be sure to try it! Celebrating five years of ArcSyn.
Metal clunks from the song "Fear"
In my dark-ambient song “Fear Has Brought You Here” I use a lot of hard metal clanks and clunks. They were recorded by me hitting a big empty metal skip with other bits of metal and a hammer. In this sample set you’ll find 60 metal hits and scrapes, including all the sounds used in the song. You can download the first 16 samples as a free taster.
Drum samples from the DB-01
Erica Synths DB-01 is primarily a bass synth but can also double as a heavy hitting drum machine. In this sample set you’ll find 78 kicks, zaps, thumps, noise hits and distorted growls suitable for heavy electronica or further mangling into deeper weirdness. You can download the first 16 samples as a free taster.
Dystopia soundset for ArcSyn
“Dystopia” is a soundset for SPC ArcSyn. It contains 101 patches of horror, tension, torment and sci-fi textures designed for cinematic, space music, ambient, gaming, sampling and horror. Rich intersection modulations are heavily randomized for constantly shifting texture. You’ll also find related keys, pads and special effects. It’s the deepest dive yet into the complex beauty of ArcSyn.
Sputnik soundset for ArcSyn
ArcSyn by SPC software is an incredibly deep VST synthesizer. Its combination of unusual oscillators, filters, noise sources and LFO sequencer makes it capable of some unique sounds. “Sputnik” is a collectioon of 100 sounds from subtle keys and pads to complex textures and syncronized basses.
Get both albums on CD
There's nothing like real-world physical media. Sure you can listen to the tracks on Youtube (or Bitchute), and download high-quality MP3s from any of the major music stores, or from this site direct, but if you're a collector then you'll want actual CDs.
I still have a small number of CDs of my first and second albums available. Click the button below to get both CDs for US$20. The price includes both albums and delivery anywhere on the planet. When ordering don't forget to include your preferred name and address! After ordering you'll receive an email confirmation. The CDs will be sent within 48 hours.
Both albums (including delivery) for $20: