Thanks and Comments

Thanks:

I just wanted to say thanks to every who has helped with this in some way. Be it for ideas, patches, nagging or help with some of the hard stuff.

In no particular order:

Comments:

I came across another true gem in the MonoWave II Soundskin, a fat and dirty monosynth based upon creator Paul Maddox's respected Modulus Electronics MonoWave hardware synth.

The history on this funky little beast is scattered all over the Web, but in a nutshell, MonoWave II is a digital-analog hybrid model using a three-oscillator structure pulling from 256 waveforms; an LFO; three ADSRs; and a 4-pole 24dB resonating filter with the unique option to seamlessly "sweep" between 4-pole Moog ladder-style, bandpass and 1-pole modes for those "fizzy" sounds. A detailed mod matrix and a contrastingly simple delay-effects section really make this synth dance and sing.

The mere 20 presets set you on due course with absolute winners, such as the enormous Big Sweep and authentic Bob's Sweep. You could clean out your ears with the crystalline presence of PPG Bell.

Jason Scott Alexander
Remix, April 2004

The original hardware Monowave is a monophonic, digital waveform synthesizer with two oscillators plus twin sub-oscillators piped through a Moog filter, and recreating this in DSP was Paul's first major Chameleon exercise. All I'll say is that the Chameleon version the Monowave 2 sounds rather better than the hardware equivalent. It has more going for it too, three envelopes and three oscillators (instead of two) with a special filter addition, slope, that varies the filter output starting at four-pole, through band-pass to a fizzy one-pole mode. This slope can be swept under envelope control, with novel, unusual results.

Each oscillator has variable 'de-res' a means of lowering the resolution of the waveforms and thus increasing aliasing and digital artifacts. These things are usually regarded as undesirable, and minimising them is one of the challenges DSP programmers face, but for people like Paul who love the 'old digital' sound of the PPG, they are precious, 'retro' and integral to the character of the instrument. Lastly, the Monowave 2 has a built-in delay plus plenty of MIDI control. It's currently available as a free download!

Paul Nagle
Sound On Sound, October 2003

I got MonoWaveII running on my Chameleon over the weekend and it is great! The Chameleon has shone in its spot in my rack yet again. I can't tell you how cool it is to have such a versatile device in the midst of all my other gear! Especially when guys like Paul come along with something to run on it.

Paul took the monosynth code which comes with the Chameleon and added all the waveforms from his adventures in PPG land to give us a 3-Osc synth, with 255 possible waveforms per Osc. Not only that, but he's tweaked the filter, made serious LFO additions and changes, and given the free bundled Chameleon monosynth source his own complete signature!

MonoWaveII is an excellent example of what the Chameleon has to offer the hacker musician. Paul has steadily pushed his modifications of the bundled code through a sequence of significant improvements, and the sound results are really to be heard! I'm using MW2 in a track, don't worry!

If you've got a Chameleon, and haven't checked this out yet, then I say do so right away...

Jay Vaughan
R&D, music:technology:synthesizers - www.access-music.de

Comments were for MonowaveII V1.16 (29/07/03)

I bought the Chameleon a couple of weeks ago and the fist thing I did was loading Paul's MonoWave II into this machine. I heard his demos and was very astonished about its filter sound.

It was so analogue and with its own character. Character is one thing I often miss in digital filters. Now the MonoWave II sits close to my 2 original MonoWaves. Of cause you can hear the difference, but its not the digital vs. analogue differnce that is the main difference in the bread and butter sounds. Its more the differnet scalling and the new added features of the MonoWave II. I just love the modulable filter slope parameter.

Paul is keeping track of every issue (UI, bug, wish) I send him. And solutions (read: new versions) will come very often while this Chameleon application is growing more and more. And the list of still missing main features is getting shorter and shorter week per week.

Paul, you did it again!!!

Till Kopper

Comments were for MonowaveII V1.17b (30/07/03)

Just want to say to Paul Maddox and co that I've just been trying out the new Monowave v1.19 and I have to say it sounds wicked. I finally found a moment to have a go and i'm really impressed with how it sounds now!

Its got a nice individual character. The velocity -> osc is a neat little trick that really adds a *hell* of a lot of life to the sound. Its really possible to get quite distinctive sounds with it.

nice wan :)

Simon Smith
R&D, Music and Technology
Soundart

Comments were for MonowaveII V1.19 (08/12/03)

To non-Chameleon owners out there, here's a hint: MonowaveII is great!!

Personally, I'd say it's more than enough reason to buy a Chameleon on it's own, regardless of all the other stuff that's already available. I don't know how Paul did it, but it's a very inspirational synth - really fat sounding but also with really diverse sonic possibilites and a lot of character. It's instant patch creator heaven and I love it!

Dave Silvester

Comments were for MonowaveII V1.19 (08/12/03)

Man, that thing is brutal! It's horrible! I love it! That thing has character. The filter is cool, I wouldn't want it as the only filter on my Triton for example, but for a monosynth it's great. It makes a lovely nasty sound with the resonance cranked!

Joost Schuttelaar

Comments were for MonowaveII V1.19 (08/12/03)