Is it possible to write up a simple conversion table that we can follow to convert over our own patches? Granted, I don't own or have access to an AN1X, but I do have the editor. Is that sufficient alone to be able to convert over patches?Just thought I would post back my initial impressions of working with AN-X, and thus the possibility of an AN to AN-X converter.
I am quite impressed with AN-X, but there are some major differences with AN1x/EX5/PLGO-150 AN.
To test this out I tried programming three of my favourite AN patches, a pad and a lead from the AN1x and a sync lead from the EX5 AN engine.
I totally gave up on the EX5 sync lead (for now anyway) as the way the oscillator sync is programmed is very different and I couldn't quite get my head around the differences - but note that I am very busy getting a new show ready for March, so only have had limited time.
I had more success with the chosen AN1x patches and got them sounding 80-90% of the way there and certainly usable, and you would be none the wiser about the differences if you did not have an AN1x sitting alongside.
Key observations (so far):So, similar but different is the summary.
- AN has an oscillator edge parameter, which is essentially a low pass filter on each oscillator (before they hot the mixer into the filter), which is a surprising omission, and AN had this because in old analog synths the waveforms were rarely a perfect shape. AN-X has a "shaper" but that appears to be wave folding and that is not available on the square wave.
- There is no Mixed saw waveform in AN-X, but maybe you could make use of the fact that you have more oscillators and set up an approximation
- Filter scaling is different.
- The LFO architecture is quite different and there are less LFO waveform choices
- In AN-X there is no feedback from the VCA output back to the mixer (an old Minimoog trick of feeding the output back into the external input to thicken the sound) and this can have quite a profound difference. But AN-X does have saturation on both the VCF and VCA inputs, so maybe that could approximate the effect?
- As mentioned above, oscillator sync is very different - something I will revisit when I get time
- Effects architecture is different, but I think I can approximate the AN1x architecture in the Montage
It is a shame that Yamaha did not make AN-X closer to the AN1x and some of the omissions are surprising, but to offset that, the additions are interesting. Auditioning the AN-X factory presets. and having programmed it a little, I think AN-X is capable of some fantastic sounds.
In the same way that I wrote a relatively successful converter to go from the DX7 to the SY range (where there are also some key differences), the key thing is to not expect 100% facsimiles, but something that would give you the essence of the original sounds, and depending on the original sound, you will get varied results ranging from: absolutely bang on, close, nothing like it!
So, I probably will have a go at writing a converter, once I have my current music priorities out of the way.
Statistics: Posted by DarylWise — Fri Jan 12, 2024 10:53 pm