Pluck Synth

Falcon’s pluck oscillator – based on the physical modeling technology – is great for anything in the harp-ish domain, also for achromatic gamelan-like percussive sounds, barrel-like trash sound, ballad like guitar sounds, phantasy instruments with obscure resonances, edgy pluck sounds and more. It is less suited for creating mallet like timbres which can be achieved with instruments like e.g. Chromaphone (AAS).

You can either use the internal noise and pick oscillators to excite the resonators and/or use audio samples in any length, the excitation signals can be mixed/blended in the mixer section. The oscillator can be used in single or dual string mode, with the latter engaged, the user has a variety of options to tune/detune the second string.

  • Samples can use key follow so they become chromatically (or microtonally) playable or they can have a static pitch (which was the original idea of the developers before Beta-testing started).
  • Sample start can be set with a control and/or you can modulate sample start with a modulator, I often use small amounts of velocity and or a random/unipolar random modulator to modulate sample start which will create sound variations in the initial excitation of the resonators so due to these variations the sound will become more organic, less static.
  • To loop a sample, select the region you want to loop with the mouse (or select the entire sample length), then right click and create a forward loop (the only option available).

As the resonators can quite easily overload when things like pitch modulation are applied, the engine has been smoothened so that e.g. fast pitch modulations are not possible.