Here is a PDF i created about a resonant Saurus waveform which shows screenshots of a Signal analyzer with different settings of the Formant knob:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/53230726/Rayblaster%20-%20Saurus%20Resonant%20waveform%201_different%20Formant%20values%201.pdf
At values above 0 (= middle position) the filter response of most waveforms slowly morphs into a Bandpass filter. The "usual" range is from -200 to 0.
Some useful informations from the manual (could be found in Help menu or as PDF in the install folder):
quote from the manual:Where's my filter?IMS works in a way that does not need a separate filter section, its oscillators can authentically mimic the filter sound of other synthesizers, using one of the factory impulse presets or by simply importing one of your own impulses.
Not only is RayBlaster capable of modeling the sound of existing filters - it's also possible to create completely new artificial 'fantasy' filters exclusive to Rayblaster, making its filter capabilities virtually unlimited. Your own custom Rayblaster filter impulse responses can be created very easily, you'll find a step-by-step description in "Chapter 7 - Create your own custom Rayblaster filter impulse response' of this manual."
7. Creating your own custom Rayblaster filter impulse response1) Open any synth
2) Play a low pitch sawtooth (around 50 Hz) with any filter (cutoff around 1kHz, you can add some resonance if you want)
3) Record and save this static sound to a wav.
4) Cut edit this wav into a single-cycle waveform.
5) Load it into one of Rayblaster's oscillator.
When you edit the sample it is important to have a zero-crossing at the beginning and end of the wave. You can also adjust this in Rayblaster with Osc. Start Offset, but it is more easy if you do it in the source file before importing it into Rayblaster.
Lowpass type is with formant lower than 0 and bandpass type with values above 0. There are some example Impulse responses included in the Wave library (OSC>Load Wave menu) like the LpSaurusReso. As window function use OFF, Soft Saw or Exponential.
An example patch can be found in the Tutorial category > FakeAnalogFilter.
8. How to extract & use waveforms in RayblasterA lot of instruments can be emulated by extracting a waveform from the original source, e.g., brass, woodwind and string instruments. Rayblaster is very good in modeling these instruments especially if the original waveform is used as its building block.
The following step-by-step describes how to do this:
1. Play a very low note on the instrument you want to extract a sample of
2. Sample the instruments
3. Extract/edit a single-cycle waveform from your sample, note that there should be a zero-crossing at the start & end of the single-cycle.
The maximum amount of energy (largest amplitude) should be as far to the start of as possible.
4. Save your single-cycle wav and import it into one of Rayblaster's oscillators.
Note that the File menu in Rayblaster offers two Quick import options, these will guide you through importing your sample/drumloop and configure Rayblaster to use the imported file.
Osc Window: There are several window types available, each with its own preferred use or way to influence the sound.
The cosine window is the softest sounding one, it is a general purpose window and will be preferred especially on granulartypes of sounds.
Soft Saw, Exponential, Saw Down and Off are suitable for modeling the behavior of filters or beat slicing drum-loops.
For synced sounds use Off/Square or Saw Down together with
the SYNC button.
Example Patches in Patch manager >Tutorial category:
HardSync, BpmSyncOsc, BpmSyncPad, BeatSlice.
Harmonic:Harmonic controls the harmonic content of the oscillator. When it is set to a value above 1 the waveform within the window is repeated for several times so it will sound more bright and harsh.
When negative values are used it will result mostly in a darker sound, since only a smaller part of the waveform will be part of the window.
The Start value defines the start offset of the waveform or the waveform's phase within the window function.
The Start value is for example used when you want to play granular or beat sliced sounds, where only a part of the sample is played back. If harmonic is set to a negative value the Start parameter can be used to scan forward or backward through a sample.
With these types of sounds usually a sawtooth LFO is routed to Osc Start Phase, this will allow the synth to scan-play though the sample in real time.
Example Patches in Patch manager >Tutorial category: Granular, Drumline,
BPMSyncOsc, BPMSyncPad, WavetableSynthesis