Persona Digital Studio Music

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Stephen Gislason
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Topics from the Sound of Music
MIDI
Electronic Keyboards
Brief History Synthesizers
Synthesizers 2011
Audio Processing
AD Conversion
Mixing Sound
Compressors
Sound Samples
Music Software & DAWs

Music Business
Everyone Copies
Collecting Royalties - Good or Bad?
Exploiting Musicians
True Value of Music

All About Sound
Acoustic Design
Noise
Musical Brain

Persona Digital Studio

Recording studios are moving toward computers and software mixers. Computers with fast multi core processors, large amounts of RAM and SATA hard drives are now common and inexpensive. With the right software, they can do multitrack audio mixing and editing as well as professional equipment. Old obstacles to computer-based recording have disappeared. Digital audio workstation (DAW) refers to a variety of hardware and software combinations that create a virtual studio, including an audio multitrack mixer and recorder, MIDI recording and playback, usually incorporated in a host computer with audio/midi interface hardware. A professional DAW must have high quality ADC-DAC hardware, professional audio software and a fully empowered midi sequencers. Home studio versions of DAWs are increasingly common and affordable but have limited capabilities.

Persona Studio History

In 1983, Persona began adding computers and state of keyboards to the studio. For example, a Yahama DX7 Synthesizer arrived with a new mixing board, an analogue tape recorder and a PC that ran a DOS based sequencer, Textures. (See Synthesizers) At the time the ability to record and pa

The temptation for most studio musicians is to keep adding to a collection of aging synthesizers, mixers and sound processors until the studio begins to look like a museum of electronica. Sometimes the bond between a musician and an an old keyboard or mixing consol is so strong that no natural force can part the two. This is good. The opposing tendency is to seek novelty and buy the latest gear hoping for an advantage over the competition. Both tendencies have been at work in my mind but I found that simplicity is best. Most hardware can now be retired in favor of computer based music composition and recording. The exception is keep or seek hardware music workstations that can create the best sounds and offer abundant opportunities to create instruments, explore psychoacoustics and develop and understanding of sound physics. The only software sound modules I use routinely is the EMU X2 and X3. All composing, editing and mixing are done with software in two computers with multicore CPUs, 8 GB RAM and fast SATA hard drives; > 500 GB. At least 2 drives are required: the boot drive should contain the operating system, programs and data; the second drive is committed to audio recording.

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Studio Sound Modules, Workstations

Korg Trinity

The Korg Trinity is a synthesizer, music station, first available in 1996. The Trinity became a highly regarded professional instrument. The Trinity workstation features sound samples combined with filters and a versatile set of sound processing effects to create diversified orchestration. Programming is done through a graphic touchscreen. Song composition is available with a built-in 16-track sequencer. The Trinity synthesizer was a descendant of the original Korg OASYS synthesizer, an acronym for Open Architecture Synthesis System that Korg previewed in 1994 but did not market until it released the Trinity.

EMU Proteus 2500

The EMU Proteus 2500 music synthesizer, workstation without keyboard. The P2500 represents a highly evolved, excellent example of electronic engineering, sound sampling and musical sophistication. Our current configuration has 2200 instrument samples, 512 programmable user presents ( programs) and and additional 1024 presets in ROM. Its high speed processor handles dense MIDI data without dropouts or distortion. The module is highly programmable with an amazing array of 4 layered sounds 50 filters and 2 sets of effects. The synthesis architecture is the same in Emulator X2 so that familiarity with either allows you to program both. Often an instrument requires modification to fit into the mix. The 16 knobs on the left are programmable and provide quick access to 64 programming parameters. I have always enjoyed turning knobs to adjust sound... one of the sensual pleasures of early analog synthesizers that EMU resurrected in this synth. This is a module for sophisticated professionals; beginners should avoid.

EMU X3 Emulator & Sampling Software

The EMU X2- X3 Software is the latest and best. Over 30 years of sampler development at EMU has been packaged into a program that turns a PC into an orchestra or any other sound source you can imagine. Best results are achieved having a fast computer with an EMU professional sound card and then you can produce exquisite sound quality, using powerful sampling, synthesis and filters. We dedicate one computer for the X3 to run without competition from other programs and use the EMU Audio/Midi interface 1820M. We have accumulated a planet-wide sound-sample collection. The X3 enables a composer to select and program sounds to fit special and often the unique needs of a composition.

EMU Digital Audio & MIDI Interface

Over the years, we have used a number of sound cards, digital audio converters, amplifiers, mixing boards and sound processors. At the moment we are very happy to have two EMU interfaces hard at work. Each module is controlled by software mixing boards in two computers. The sound of the 1820M is excellent. Each unit receives a total of 8 analogue inputs and the digital to audio converters are hi grade with a dynamic range of 120dBA.

The EMU X3 resides on its own computer and shares one 1820m docker with the Trinity. A second 1820 inputs to a 64x dual core computer that handles the Proteus 2500 and other optional modules we might use. Both 1820s together provide an additional 4 microphone inputs. Most of the mixing is done in computer. Each 1820 has two sets of MIDI in and outs. The net effect is that we have up to 64 MIDI channels to work with. The Proteus 2500 will send and receive on 32 channels.

Below is a 4 channel version of the EMU software mixer. Any number of channels can be added as needed. On the right you can see an input and output patch bay above the output controls. There are a host of effects that can be inserted in the channel strips or as side chain auxiliary effects. The mixer is displayed on its own LCD monitor; a 1440x900 19" display is perfect for a 16 channel setup. The complexity and versatility of the mixer can confuse and deter inexperienced users, but makes perfect sense to experienced sound engineers,

Korg M3

In 2009, the Korg M3 sound module was added to the Persona Digital Studio. This is a descendent of the Korg Trinity and Triton series of workstations that evolved in the past 15 years. Some familiar features of the Trinity/Triton series persist -- banks of programs and combinations, a touch screen with progressive menus, and a 16 track sequencer. All the features appear in layered collections of menus; the overall complexity of the M3 compared with the Trinity has been multiplied 100 times. The M3 looks promising but the learning curve is steep, even for old pros. I have concerns that a new, inexperienced user will face a series of obstacles. The problem with the Korg M3 and Karma is that the setup is complex and not intuitive.

One interesting feature is a new version of Stephen Kay's Karma, an algorithmic composition/performance program that advanced students of music can study and enjoy. The M3 comes with a computer based editor that would be very useful if the program had advanced beyond the stage of a programmer's prototype. It lacks all the user friendly finesse that we expect from 2009 software. Another problem with the Korg design that began with the first Trinity has to do with mixing a composition. The programs (patches) are designed to be played alone and some, at least, are wonderful creations by experienced programmer-musicians --- each program utilizes several effects to achieve the final result; however, when you mix these magnificent voices your tend to get music mush. The first rule of mixing is to admit only the highest quality voices, free of effects.

Here is an edited description from the M3 manual of this complex and potentially expressive instrument: "Rich and vivid sound produced by a new Enhanced Definition Synthesis sound generator based on PCM sources. Each voice has two oscillators allowing four-stage velocity switching ,cross fading, layering, using up to eight (stereo) multisamples, four filters, two amps, five LFOs, and five EGs, all available simultaneously. The oscillator selection is 1,032 multisamples sampled at 48 kHz, as well as 1,606 drum samples. The amp section includes a driver circuit that adds edge and character to the sound. The key tracking generator allows the filtering to vary according to the keyboard range; you can apply subtle filtering for convincing simulation sounds, or aggressive filtering that produces drastic changes in filtering as you play up or down the keyboard. Envelope generators allow you to specify how the sound develops over time. The each EG stage (attack, decay, slope, and release) allows you to create accurately simulated acoustic sounds. 50 different modulation sources provides complex expression control over the performance. AMS Mixers let you create even more detailed modulation designs, such as mixing two modulation sources together, multiplying one modulation source by another, or modifying the shape of the modulation source in various ways."

DAW Software We Use

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Topics presented at Persona Digital Studio are from the book, The Sound of Music by Stephen Gislason. Click the Download button to download the eBook from Persona Digital Online.

Persona Digital Studio is located on the Sunshine Coast, Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada. Our Music catalogue includes recorded performances by the P2500 Band, Em4U, and the Persona Classical Consort.
Music downloads are available from companion website: Persona Digital Online.

www.personadigitalstudio.com email music@personadigitalstudio.com.