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sebber
Joined: Aug 27, 2004
Posts: 502
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 Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:17 am Post subject:
Add along mixing
Subject description: Very boring question inside |
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I'm refering to Kid Rock's... 
Sorry.
Again.
I'm refering to King Rob's workshop and his add along mixing example (http://www.xs4all.nl/~rhordijk/G2Pages/Mixing.htm#Mixing_3215_999217).
I just wonder what's the advantage of chaining a reference signal through three Mix1-1A modules when I can just use a Mix4-1C with the first input activated and fully open.
Let it put me more blatantly: why chaining?
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mosc
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| Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:02 am Post subject:
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I think in the tutorial he is trying to explain it, not necessarilly advocate it as superior to using one mixer.
Possible advantages:
No knob on unity input to the chain, so you won't accidentally adjust it.
You can use different types of mixers for each stage if you need to.
Keeps the signal flow obvious and easy to modify (maybe).
I use chaining mainly when I need more inputs.
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davep
Joined: Jul 05, 2004
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| Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:34 pm Post subject:
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There is another advantage of using the single-input mixers and adding signals via the unity inputs - it allows you to label the various controls more descriptively for more complete information appearing in the synths LCDs.
Like so:
If you use a 4 input mixer, you can name each input with a single seven-character name that will appear in the lower line of the LCD, and you can name the mixer with one name that will appear in the left-most location in the upper line of the LCD. This is fine for things like an "osc mixer" where you want the phrase OSC MIX to appear once in the upper line and the four different inputs to appear in the lower line.
BUT - sometimes you want to use more than seven characters to describe each input, and using single channel mixers allows you to do this since you can name EACH MIXER separately. This gives you seven characters for each of the four inputs in the lower line, just like the 4-input mixer, but now you also have seven more characters above each of these, not just once in the left-most location.
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mosc
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| Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 3:47 pm Post subject:
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Great observation, Dave. That's very useful. 
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sebber
Joined: Aug 27, 2004
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| Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 6:59 am Post subject:
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Aha! So it's basically a cosmetic thing (I like cosmetics. It can turn an  into an  ).
Thanks for your answers! I wanted to make sure I'm not missing something important.
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Rob
Joined: Mar 29, 2004
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| Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 6:14 am Post subject:
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| sebber wrote: | Aha! So it's basically a cosmetic thing (I like cosmetics. It can turn an into an ).
Thanks for your answers! I wanted to make sure I'm not missing something important. |
The main point is that add along mixing assumes a certain external reference with a variable state/value (or a secundary reference in some complex cases). Then all other signals are added or subtracted in reference to that state/value.
Basically all mixing is always the same 'formula': a*x plus b*y plus c*z, etc. But in practice it might be interesting to look at it from a different angle, as what is mixed might actually have some meaning in the real world that calls for another viewpoint. E.g. if you modulate the frequency of an oscillator. In this case there is a reference with a variable value: the initial frequency value set by the frequency knob on the osc. In the case of an osc there is often a frequency knob available on the module itself to set the reference value. Now imagine an osc without that knob and with only one single CV/modulation input. You would now probably want to patch a reference knob for the initial frequency yourself with a constant module or a CV module. The point is now that if the reference value is bipolar in nature it is not possible to create such a reference with a static positive value and a mixer input attenuation knob, because how would you set a value of negative polarity? You now need a bipolar control voltage module connected to a mixer input, which often makes the attenuation knob for that input on the mixer module redundant.
With single modules there is often no need to patch an external reference, but when patching sort of a building block with several modules it might be needed to explicitly create a reference knob, and the add along mixing sort of suggests a technique how to do so in a straightforward way. (As this reference value might in the building block be connected to several module inputs.)
In a modular system it is really about redundancy and cheapness, if there is a reference set somewhere else, and you don't want that reference to be influenced by the mixer module, one can use a mixer input without an associated attenuation knob, to make sure the reference is always passed on through the mixer with unity gain. This saves one mixer knob, meaning a little bit of money or DSP resources. It now appears like all other signals are added along to that reference value passed with unity gain.
Cosmetics if you will..., though it can help the thinking process to get more grip on what you actually want to accomplish in the real world with a chosen mixing technique.
It is a bit like the the idea that one can take the earth as the centre (=reference or origin) of the solar system and then calculate the trajectories of all other planets, ór one can take the sun as the centre. The advantage of taking the sun as the centre is that everything looks sóó much simpler. The same is with e.g. the frequency of an osc, one can take a LFO triangle wave as the reference and then calculate on how to attenuate that triangle waveform plus add a certain steady frequency control value to create a certain effect for a certain wanted pitch, or one takes that steady frequency control value as reference and add along a certain amount of the LFO signal. Which approach you choose is just a matter of taste or what is easiest to understand for you (or perhaps a matter of belief, like in the case of the solar system  ).
/Rob |
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sebber
Joined: Aug 27, 2004
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| Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:14 am Post subject:
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So it's not cosmetic but conceptual. Apart from the pratical example you gave it's a more modular-oriented way of thinking. Thanks a lot for further explaining this matter, I think I get it now.
Rob, it would be great if you'd ring a bell when you add something to your tutorials. Did anyone demand a book on the G2? Here it is.  Aren't we glad you didn't choose MAX as your reference synth. 
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