REAKTOR-COMMUNITY

DESCRIPTION

(This update doesn't change anything with the ensemble. I just posted it to correct the Version entry, which was at 2 but is now at 3. Build 3 was already out for multiple months prior.)

Whirlyroads is modeled after the Wurlitzer 140 and 200 electric pianos.

The hammers, reeds and pickups are very simple. The hammers are simulated using envelopes, filters and noise. The reeds are modeled using several paralel tuned resonant bandpass filters, an approach known as Modal synthesis. The partial frequencies and amplitudes are taken from measurements from a sample library of a real Wurlitzer. The pickups are emulated by offsetting the reed signal by an 'angle' value (changing the angle of the pickups perpendicular to the reeds) and then fed into two parallel saturators, which focus on the odd and even harmonics respectively.

Accompanying it is a suite of effects, including the internal Tremolo, a distortion effect, a 3-band EQ, a Wah Wah and a Reverb. The EQ, Distortion and Tremolo are accessible on both panels, while Wahwah and Reverb can only be accessed on panel B.

///Build 3 Changelog///
-NEW: Sympathetic Resonance. This is done by taking the output of the audio voice combiner, multiplying it by an EXTREMELY small number and then re-routing it back to the exciter, effectively modeling a soundboard and its couplings to the reeds and the action. The feature is experimental though and could likely make the instrument explode, so it is by default at 0 on all presets for precaution.

-NEW: Wurli B model.

-Both the Wurli A and Wurli B models now take into account that the dampers are missing starting from note G5, like on a real Wurlitzer.

-The Condition knob is now exponential, allowing for more finely tuned condition setting but still going to 1 after being turned hard right.

-The Distortion effect can now be switched on or off instead of being locked on.

-Added a Wahwah effect. It is by default controlled with the mod wheel.

-Added a simple Reverb effect.

-All existing and new effects are now stereo, including the Tremolo which now has a feature to change the phase for the right channel.

-The Tremolo effect's LFO module has been switched out with a Ramp and Sine module, which is more reliable especially when being used with the Shape control.

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I would like to thank Mike Moreno for his willingness to share methods on physically modeling the electric piano, Boscomac for creating the detune macro which this ensemble uses, Frank Uhlman's lolologic EP-68 for inspiring the creation of this instrument, and AcousticSamples' VReeds and Spectrasonics' Keyscape for providing a reference sound that this ensemble intends to achieve. More models and effects are to come.

You can visit Mike Moreno's blog post here on how this instrument and his EP MK1 was built: https://mikemorenoaudio.wordpress.com/2019/01/10/ep-mk1-physical-modeled-electric-piano-vst/

I hope you enjoy my work.
Modeled with care, by mv Audioware.