VG-99 - Polymoog Vox Humana

Started by arkieboy, August 30, 2017, 03:38:14 PM

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arkieboy

The Vox Humana Polymoog preset is one of those sounds no self-respecting analogue synth should be without, and is dead easy to programme: two oscillators, one saw, one square, add specific and slightly differing rates of LFO to each, open the filter to about 60% and that's pretty much it.


In my DAW and my E5000 I have the late Hollowsun's meticulously sampled and looped recording of the original beast, but I want to be able to use this with my band without carting around all that kit, hence programming it into the VG.



Mod1 (vibrato) in both COSM channels stands in for the LFO - you should leave the rates alone for authenticity, but feel free to increase the depth slightly if you want a bit more of that slightly seasick end-of-the-world effect.  You can emphasise the choral nature of the sound by bringing up the resonance and dropping the cutoff.  Obviously this is a Moog emulation so the filter should be set to -24db/octave but you might flip it to -12 if you want it to be a bit more buzzy.


I like to use this as a pad (see chords demo), so I've set CTL3 (remember to change to CTL1 if you don't have a CTL3 plugged into your FC300) to hold with a decent release - if you're careful to pick just before the beat, and release the control pedal on the beat, you can get a completely seamless performance with no gaps between the notes.  CTL1 is set currently to switch on-and-off the chorus, CTL2 changes the tuning from strings 5/6 dropped an octave to +1 octave on all strings.  I think EXP1 opens the filter a little and EXP2 is definitely patch volume.  The nice thing in this patch is all of the movement is in mod1 and mod2 which are not affected by the hold, so you don't get that frozen effect when you use it.


Absolutely impossible to talk about this Polymoog patch without mentioning the man who seems to have made his career from it!  For demo 2 (Cars) all the synth sounds are VG99.  I used Logic's phaser on the out-tro because I have ran out of modulators ;D .  As ever the drums (and the bass here) were from the first decent MIDI I could find with Google, the kit is Mat Sorums' with a healthy dose of FET compression, and the stock 'Electric Snare D13' stood in for what was probably a Simmons pad on the original.


This is my last patch for a while, the day job is ramping back up, and I have all the presets I needed on the VG transferred.  That is unless I manage to socialise my Equinoxe-era Eminent 310 patch before Destiny 2 drops next week - for some reason the output is really hot, and I want to try an add in some of the tricks I've learned from Bladerunner Blues and Nylon Escapism amongst others to give it a bit more movement.


Steve
Main rig: Barden Hexacaster and Brian Moore i2.13 controllers
Boss SY1000/Boss GKC-AD/Boss GM-800/Laney LFR112

Other relevant gear: Line 6 Helix LT, Roland GR-33, Axon AX100 MkII
Oberheim Matrix 6R, Supernova IIR, EMu E5000, Apple Mainstage, Apple Logic, MOTU M4

aliensporebomb

Sitting here grinning like an idiot listening to the demos.  Really cool!
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

Breno

Arkieboy, thank you for not letting the VG99 forum die !!!!
Fender Stratocaster, Ibanez AS200, VG-99, GR-55, FC-300 e US-20.

Smash

Holy cow!!! Some of the thickness most believable synth sounds I've heard from the VG99 - and yes - you are keeping this side alive. I might have to do something lol  ;D

whippinpost91850


vanceg

Well done.  And so straight ahead.  I'm beefing up with more 12 string and detune.

Love it.

arkieboy

I think the real secret might be the harmoniser in mod2.  If that's the case, then it should be moved forward in the signal chain.
Main rig: Barden Hexacaster and Brian Moore i2.13 controllers
Boss SY1000/Boss GKC-AD/Boss GM-800/Laney LFR112

Other relevant gear: Line 6 Helix LT, Roland GR-33, Axon AX100 MkII
Oberheim Matrix 6R, Supernova IIR, EMu E5000, Apple Mainstage, Apple Logic, MOTU M4