MaxMSP Gristleiser?
Being relatively new to Max, I'm looking to create a software version of my beloved "Gristleizer" stompbox so I can integrate it into my digital setup. Has anyone come across or attempted a software version using Max or could give me some pointers as to where to start?
Thanks!
Rather than expecting people, who may wish to help you, to go off and search for info on this pedal, why not tell us what it does, its components and which features you wish to implement in Max? Then you'll get lots and lots of help, otherwise only people who know this effect intimately will reply...
the gristleiser is just a lfo with 4 selectable waveforms controlling either amplitude modulation or filter cutoff. the weirdness comes from the extremely high values the lfo can run at, causing a ring modulation sound in certain settings. the problem is that most of the appeal in the sound is the analog aspect. a max version would not work exactly the same (you can't starve the voltage to your patch like the bias knob does). maybe using degrade~ for bit crushing would be a suitable digital alternative.
overall a very simple patch to build. having one of the reproductions would help you fine-tune the settings. i know the website says the lfo goes as low as 6 cycles a second or ~0.16Hz i think but i don't know what the maximum frequency is.
The Gristleiser, if I'm not mistaken, was originally an old Phonosonics kit, sold simply as something like 'Guitar Efffects Pedal' - I still have the schematic, and indeed the stomp box. I could scan & post the schematic if anyone's interested...
Your'e right, the main appeal of this box was it's screeching filter - an LFO driven amp and filter modulator would be no problem to build in Max, but getting that sound would be another matter.
You'd want a narrow resonant bandpass filter sweeping in the earache (3kHz?) zone, and some wave-shaping/distortion.
Have a look at the excellent LFO building tutorials on the Cycling/articles pages for some LFO building tips, play around with Max's various filters and then search for some distortion/overdrive patches on the forum - that should get you somewhere in the right direction,
cheers
Roger
they have block diagrams and circuits diagrams on their website.
they wont open for me in safari though.
indeed it is just a lowpass filter and and a saturation effect with LFOs, but i think you
will never be able to come close to it using a dozen of max objects.
the gristle was made of very cheap components which gave it its special character,
just as it is with the roland tb-303.
maybe if there was a max object alled [hype~] it could replace most of these old machine?
-110
That's all the help I needed thanks guys (Roger in particular). I've found a couple of schematics that look fairly handy so will get cracking on that.
And just for the record, I don't "expect" people to do anything, so genuine thanks for the replies.
'Expecting' may have been a bad choice of term. Yes.
You did get kinda lucky there with roger and cudnylon.
No?