## Phase distortion synthesizer

Device/Module Wishlist

Original topic on PlanetZ: https://forums.scopeusers.com/viewtopic.php?t=18706

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Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 2:38 pm
by HUROLURA
Is there any way to build up a phase distortion synthesizer in the spirit of the casio CZ series using scope platform or building it up using a modular patch?
I know there is something like this running on soundart chameleon platform but this one is monophonic:
http://chameleon.synth.net/english/skins/faze1/
As the original CZ-101 from casio from the mid-eighties was 8 note polyphonic, this seems to me a bit short.
Here is a link to a web site giving much information about this type of synthesizer:
http://www.cosmosynthesizer.de//
The main principle is to modulate the phase of the oscillator waveform just like what you do made making pulse width modulation (PWM) on a square oscillator but with other wave forms.
Any ideas anyone ?

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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 12:26 am
by alfonso
Flexor has oscillators with phase mod. input.

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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 1:02 am
by astroman
Stephen Hummel (Wavelength) once made a synth featuring PD oscillators, the Gemini PD.
it's in the package mentioned in this thread, but I don't think it's related to the cosm synth's architecture.
imho it doesn't make much sense to (try to) emulate things like a CZ or a SID as their sound is heavily influenced by parts that cannot be emulated (with reasonable effort), as they are outside the synth architecture.
but Stephen's synths are great to produce sounds in this direction of the spectrum - in particular the OP8.
cheers, Tom

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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 5:16 am
by Shroomz~>
If you check out the CZ-101 specs @SonicState you'll see that typically the original 8 note poly would not all be used due to it also being 4 part multitimbral. That would mean that your poly would only be 2 per voice in some cases. The CZ-101 also has less midi control, sporting AT but no velocity etc than came on the later CZ-1.
Faze-1 on the Chameleon is a really excellent synth with authentic cosm PD algos, much more modulation & midi conrol than the CZ-101 & it's source has been opened up under a GPL license to allow other synth programmers to develope it further, in other ways & learn from it too. One of the makers of Faze-1 mentioned on a Chameleon list that 4 note poly would be relatively easy to obtain from it's current state. It also has an interesting UI, as it's been designed to display 4 parameters at a time on the chameleon's 16x2 character LCD. For chameleon owners, Faze-1 is one of the jewels in the crown.
It would be great to see it ported to a Scope device. Not sure if it could be done, but anything is possible, right?

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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 8:52 am
by astroman

> On 2006-04-15 06:16, Shroomz wrote:
> ...Faze-1 on the Chameleon is a really excellent synth with authentic cosm PD algos,...

the algorithm may be authentic, but no the sound - it's much too beautiful, it lacks the Casio grunge.
This kind of 'crap' is REALLY hard to emulate, but imho it's exactly what makes a Casio outstanding (I have 14 of them, but a CZ still misses due to insane prices...)
cheers, Tom

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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:07 pm
by scary808
I love me some CZ101 organ. That's my favorite old school synth sound.

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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 8:53 pm
by Shroomz~>
A CZ doesn't even compare to the sound of Faze-1, as they are a different entity so to speak.

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Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:08 pm
by HUROLURA
Much of my interest about th CZ101 was because of the original type of oscillator spectrum modulation due to the Phase distortion principle (as already mentionned: same principle as PWM modulation but with waveforms different from only the square waveform).
The other good thing about this synth is its 8 segment enveloppe generator available for Phase distortion modulation, pitch modulation and amplitude modulation...
With such ressource you can get some interesting moving sounds.

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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:32 am
by Shroomz~>
Yes, it's all about the concept of pushing or pulling a wave's leading and trailing edges into the desired new shape. Start with a sine end up with a weird saw, bell or whatever. The idea of providing different distortion curves was pretty useful & also quite unique at the time too. Casio did themselves proud with those old goats

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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:41 am
by astroman
so, so, pretty unique... ?
here's some clues about the CZ series - more than a hype