An Improved GUI….

Before I introduce the new additions may I say many thanks to all who have purchased The Blue Zone.  After some user feedback Stephen and Mario very kindly offered to update the GUI to include a filter envelope and a filter amount control.

There are now two small yellow buttons, one on either side of the ENVELOPE control.

By clicking on AMP you can set the VCA envelope and by clicking on FILTER you can set the filter envelope.  The controls will move to their previous positions when switching between each mode.

The filter FREQUENCY and RESONANCE controls are still present in VCA mode

The FREQUENCY and filter ENV AMT controls are present in FILTER mode for adjustment.

As before, all control positions will be preserved if the .nki file is saved but please remember to use a new file name to avoid overwriting the original.

The Electron Forest is the second release in the Blue Zone Series.  It was made by mixing the hand cranked output of two 1960’s tube sinewave generators running well above the audible range (60 to 100kHz).  This produced upper and lower sidebands, the lower being in the audio range.  This was passed through a tube EQ resulting in a super smooth superheterodyne effect much like tuning an old AM radio but with no extraneous noise.  The Theremin works on a very similar principle.

A long recording was made and then several random round robin loops were setup in the instrument.

You will have noticed that The Electron Forest GUI is ochre in colour.  The idea is that the instruments in The Blue Zone Series will be colour coded:

Blue:  Ambient / New Age / Washes & Synthetic Textures   Ochre: Sound Effects   Red: Synths 

More GUI colours / timbres may be added over time.

The Electron Forest Played Live…

The Electron Forest & The Blue Zone Together…

And a further addition to The Blue Zone Series….  Anthem Keys

Anthem Keys… made with 3 layered tube overdriven PWM waves presented in octaves.  Adding a rapid filter envelope results in synth chime type timbres and warm pads with slower envelopes.

Two example patches and a multi are provided with the instrument.

Anthem Keys (the layered multi provided with the instrument in action)…

Credits

D.A.Wilson (Hideaway Studio) Oscillator Capture & Wave Shaping, Sample Set, Example Patches & Demos

Stephen Howell (RIP) (www.hollowsun.com) GUI Concept, GUI Design & Graphics.

Mario Krušelj Synth Engine Script

Usage Restrictions & Copyright Notice (see below)

HS-4KL-BZ02 & HS-4KL-BZ03 (26/01/13)