FabFilter

Hi fabfilter crew

From time to time i pick up a synth and try to see whats inside and how well it performs overall. In this case i tried Twin and found that it really could benefit from some kind of EQ and Delay.

Like almost all synths without EQ Twin will sound muddy if you try to make an entire arrangement using Twin only. This is what holds me back from creating patches for this synth because i usually create patches which are confirmed thru mix situations to make them as clear as possible.

The main point is, you cant offer a commercial patch library and tell people, hey you have to EQ this way on this patch and etc...

Dont get me wrong, TWIN is a great synth but it could be a much more finished workhorse with EQ and Delay.

K, i made a tiny 80's like demo using 12 instances of TWIN and only added EQ to the overall output. I know the music is very naive and by no means represent the music of today but thats not the point, the point is what the EQ do:

EQ goes in and out every 4th bar.

www.synthtronic.com/demos/fab_80jam_eq.mp3

and a pic of the overall EQ setting:

www.synthtronic.com/demos/fab_80jam_eq.gif

Thats about it :o)

Cheers and thx for your continued work with proff products.

/Michael Kastrup
www.synthtronic.com

Hi Michael,

Thanks, we'll certainly improve Twin in the future -- and perhaps with EQ and delay!

Cheers,

Hi there,

I just wanted to make another, really really small request, that a mix knob for the filters be added when the filters are in parallel mode, that allows me to adjust the relative volume of each filter ( or, from a coding perspective, the volume of signal that goes into each filter at the split point ).

At the moment when they are in parallel mode, there is no way to adjust the mix between the two filters since both signals are combined before entry to the parallel filter section. This means it is not possible to balance the settings of the two filters for effects like having a quiet distorted filter mixed with a more mellow one, as the only existing control is for the oscillator volumes, but they oscillator signals are permanently mixed upon entry to the filter section ( except in dual mono mode ).

cheers,

Hi Luke,

... good point! We'll keep this in mind for the future update.

Thanks,

In response to Michael Kastrup's comment on the EQ, I would emplore you not to add an output EQ to your Twin plug-in, or, indeed, even an effects section.

There are SOOO many other plug-ins out there ( not mentioning names.... ) that tack on sub-par effects to satisfy the ever-increasing thirst of consumers.

I am a software developer by trade and therefore understand the trade offs present in creating software. The first trade-off is time vs money, the second is features vs CPU useage. The simple reality is, that adding an EQ is simple enough if you add a crappy one ( which then, in essence, would destroy the pristine tone of the original plug-in ), but if you add a good one ( which would be necessary to complement an instrument of Twin's exceptional quality ), it takes a lot of time to get it right, and for RnD, will add to the CPU drain of the plug-in, and take away from the further development of what Twin REALLY is - a synth. I would rather your time be put into making Twin 100% stable for everyone and flawless within all hosts ( which it may be already.... ), then add all of the synth related features that are pending, and THEN, MAYBE, some effects.

Michael, how about trying out the EQ's that come with your software first - I personally generally EQ every hit of every instrument individually after balancing everything with volume first.

You will find a number of companies that ONLY make EQ plug-ins, and I think you should check out some because they do what they do better than any tacked on EQ could.

Fabfilter make excellent instruments and effects, because they are specific, not over-bloated, and then can spend time fine tuning them to do one specific task and do it WELL.

Michael, I can hear what you are saying about the muddiness, but that is definitely a side effect of the way you are mixing your music, than a side-effect of EQ'ing. My suggestion would be to use volume on all of the parts FIRST. The quickest example is, listen to the way the hihats begin to come "out" of the mix with your EQ applied. You could simply do this by turning them up in volume in the mix individually.

The muddiness in the rest of it could be largely fixed with volume again, remember that EQ is effectively a frequency-aware volume control.

Just some stuff to think about....

I agree with Luke. i usually turn off the FX in all my synths and subsitute higher quality ones from UAD-1, FabFilter, PSP, PoCo, Audio Damage, Metric Halo, Ohm Force, Wave Arts, etc.

The ONLY exception to this is Stylus RMX where the built-in FX are really superb.

Kind regards.

That is probably because the filter, at least, in Stylus RMX is from the impOSCar synth.... They have outsourced the creation of their effects to companies that make FX. Very smart decision imo.

I agree with those that don't really care for adding effects. I'll be buying Twin soon and would rather it had a future without adding effects. Just another vote here.

I think fabfilter twin should remain effect-free.

What WOULD be useful would be FM and Ring Mod... And more filter models are ALWAYS welcome.

Hi I love all of your products and I use Twin as my go to synth....

how about a ring modulator?

also, is it possible to do a hard sync like on an arp odyssey and other synths? I am having a hard time getting my head around the sync knobs....can these be used for the same effect?

Please don't add FX either... I plan on buying this too. I already have your total fX pack and am disapointed with many of the synths out there that drain there sound in delay, reverb and other FX. I've spent plenty of money 3rd party FX, which allows more flexibility than the when they're already built in. Even turning off FX can be pain, because you usually have to do it on each preset (if using presets). ...well just my 2cents. Love your products! Still waiting for EQ (but not on a synth)!!

IMO both FF One and FF Twin produce an excellent quality sound without built in effects. I am using Ableton and if I want an effect on a track I can easily add one of the built ins or a third party plug. I assume that other DAWs will allow the same.

As other contributers to this thread have said, I too often switch off built in effects on synths that have them.

One of the other great strengths of the FF synths is the clarity and lack of clutter in thet interface...

Sorry, had to add my two pence worth here, I feel really strongly on this subject.