Chiquilín de Bachín – Digital Accordion (Korg FISA Suprema | Cello & Synth Voices)

[breezybellows]

Trying to make a digital accordion sound like a cello is harder than it looks! Here's the opening of “Chiquilín de Bachín” with all the sensitivity I could squeeze out of the bellows.
Still learning how not to overdo it—
but I like where it’s heading.

 

[Tom]

Tough mission for you Breezy, but sounding good!

 

[dak]

Trying to make a digital accordion sound like a cello is harder than it looks! Here's the opening of “Chiquilín de Bachín” with all the sensitivity I could squeeze out of the bellows.
Still learning how not to overdo it—
but I like where it’s heading.

Huh. I think that patch is overdone, and you probably should record without the amp in between to take that out of the equation (I suspect the amp/room/mic stage might be involved with some of what throws me off).

Here is someone trying to make an acoustic accordion sound like a cello:


Obviously missing the excessive (or any) vibrato. Somehow that doesn't seem to cause as much of a problem for the believability for me as the excessive overconsistent vibrato of the Korg patches.

 

[breezybellows]

Huh. I think that patch is overdone, and you probably should record without the amp in between to take that out of the equation (I suspect the amp/room/mic stage might be involved with some of what throws me off).

Here is someone trying to make an acoustic accordion sound like a cello:


Obviously missing the excessive (or any) vibrato. Somehow that doesn't seem to cause as much of a problem for the believability for me as the excessive overconsistent vibrato of the Korg patches.

I recorded this directly to the USB stick. So no amp/mic staging here. I need to figure out where the patch itself has persistent vibrato added. If the vibrato can be removed from the patch, then the Korg provides multiple options to add the vibrato.

1) a modulation effect can be added to the bellows. This will allow controlling the level of vibrato based on the pressure applied to bellows. But that will tie dynamics and vibrato together.
2) accelerometer - I tested this out briefly. The modulation effect can also be assigned to the "lean forward" motion. This will let me do the selectively as vibrato while making it independent of dynamics. Other ways to do this is to assign it to the chin switch. But I believe that will become a on/off setting instead of the continuous levels of vibrato that can be achieved with the leaning forward motion.

 

[dak]

I recorded this directly to the USB stick.

Ok, bad guess of mine.

So no amp/mic staging here. I need to figure out where the patch itself has persistent vibrato added. If the vibrato can be removed from the patch, then the Korg provides multiple options to add the vibrato.

1) a modulation effect can be added to the bellows. This will allow controlling the level of vibrato based on the pressure applied to bellows. But that will tie dynamics and vibrato together.
2) accelerometer - I tested this out briefly. The modulation effect can also be assigned to the "lean forward" motion. This will let me do the selectively as vibrato while making it independent of dynamics. Other ways to do this is to assign it to the chin switch. But I believe that will become a on/off setting instead of the continuous levels of vibrato that can be achieved with the leaning forward motion.

Interestingly on my old Solton MS80, you have "modulation" (on by default) and you can switch that off. But beyond some pitch, the cello patches themselves have vibrato built in. A more tolerable level, but you cannot get rid of it completely. It doesn't start the note (nor does the Korg I think I heard), but it does come in eventually.

If you want a sample from that oldtimer (must be early aughties), I can try wiring it up. No direct recording to USB stick I am afraid: I need to go via analog. But at least I can avoid speaker/microphone.

It's a bit sobering to figure out that the old tech wasn't all that bad. I am not quite sure: could be that the sample frequency was something like 32kHz at that time. Enough for a typical PA, not really great for "airy" cymbal sounds on a HiFi set.

 

[breezybellows]

Ok, bad guess of mine.

Interestingly on my old Solton MS80, you have "modulation" (on by default) and you can switch that off. But beyond some pitch, the cello patches themselves have vibrato built in. A more tolerable level, but you cannot get rid of it completely. It doesn't start the note (nor does the Korg I think I heard), but it does come in eventually.

If you want a sample from that oldtimer (must be early aughties), I can try wiring it up. No direct recording to USB stick I am afraid: I need to go via analog. But at least I can avoid speaker/microphone.

It's a bit sobering to figure out that the old tech wasn't all that bad. I am not quite sure: could be that the sample frequency was something like 32kHz at that time. Enough for a typical PA, not really great for "airy" cymbal sounds on a HiFi set.

I'll try to adjust the settings to find out how much of the vibrato is from the patch.

 

[KeysFla]

Trying to make a digital accordion sound like a cello is harder than it looks! Here's the opening of “Chiquilín de Bachín” with all the sensitivity I could squeeze out of the bellows.
Still learning how not to overdo it—
but I like where it’s heading.

Sounds good…keep up the good work…