October 2024: Fractal Audio's VP4 Virtual Pedalboard has been added to the wiki.
Synth block
Contents
Available on which Fractal Audio products
- Axe-Fx III: 2 blocks
- Axe-Fx II: 2 blocks
- AX8: 1 block
- FX8: 1 block
X/Y and channels
- Axe-Fx III: 2 channels
- Axe-Fx II: no
- AX8: no
- FX8: no
What can the Synth do
"The Synth block is a very simple monophonic synth. It doesn't compare to the polyphonic capabilities of something like the FTP and it can't control outboard MIDI synths." source
How to play the Synth-
The Synth block requires monophonic input. This means that you have play REALLY clean. Always hit single notes and avoid overlapping notes.
Turning off voices saves CPU
The Synth has 3 voices. Turn off voices that you don't use to save some CPU.
Parameters table
| Parameter | Axe-Fx III | Axe-Fx II | AX8, FX8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | yes | ||
| Track | yes | ||
| Frequency | yes | ||
| Shift | yes | ||
| Tune | yes | ||
| Duty Cycle | yes | ||
| Pan | yes | ||
| Filter Frequency | yes | ||
| Filter Q | yes | ||
| Attack | yes | ||
| Level | yes |
Tips
Create a simple Sine tone
Set a single voice to Sine and turn off Tracking.
Warming up the Synth sound
To warm up the Synth, add a Drive block after it, such as a RAT model.
Fattening the Synth tone
To fatten the Synth, use at least two voices and detune them slightly. source
Creating a drone note
Set Tracking to OFF, adjust pitch with the Frequency parameter.
You can change the pitch of sustained synth notes per scene by using Scene Controllers.
Generate pink or white noise
The Synth block can generate white or pink noise.
Emit a calibration tone
"Set the synth block to a 1K sine wave at -12 dB. Turn OUTPUT 1 to the maximum level position." source
"There's actually a hidden calibration tone that is used during functional test. The Synth block is reference quality. I use it all the time to generate test tones. The output is spectrally purer than my $2000 Stanford Research Systems Synthesized Function Generator." source
More information
- Forum members Simeon and Swedish Chef have provided great synth presets. Search the forum and visit Axe-Change.
- Introduction video.
- Wikipedia.
