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Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets

Mar 12, 2020

We already know that OVox sounds great on vocals, but what about instruments? Hear how the vocal FX and resynthesis plugin can deliver vibes for days when used on drums, guitars and bass. And get free presets!

By Or Weisinger, OVox Product Designer, Waves Audio

Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets

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One way to spark some creativity in your sessions is to try to do things outside the norm. In this article we will be experimenting with OVox on different sound sources, and seeing what it brings. While in some cases the sounds and presets may not be so useful, you may discover a hidden melody, unique textures or even chord progressions that were trapped between the original source and OVox algorithms and can inspire new ideas.

1. Beats to Hits: Generate Chords from Beats

As illustrated elsewhere, one of OVox’s secret weapons is the Note Mapper. A system that detects the pitch of the source (monophonically) and allows you to map any individual note to other notes, up to 8 voice chords. Drums usually don’t have a distinct pitch. However, the pitch detector will still output something, and it could be the resonance of the kick drum or some kind of an average between the pitch of the snare and hi-hats. That “something” can be contained using the note mapper, and we can force it to make sense musically.

To experiment with this kind of effect, throw OVox onto an audio track with some sort of beat going on. You can turn on the Note Mapper with the chord you want to try set out.

Blend the dry signal together with the synth units using the “Voice” & “Synth” level controls in the Mixer row. Make sure to turn off the “Correction” flavor, which is designed for vocal signals.

Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets

Browse through the factory Note Maps, or create your own map using the Edit view.

In this example, we used a different ADSR for OVox2 to create chord plucks, and LFO Modulators to animate the sequence and create a build-up effect.

Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets

2. Loops to Hooks: Sequenced Melodies on Beats

As we said earlier, some sources like drums usually don’t have a distinctive pitch. One way to control this would be to force our Synth to always play the same note and then modulate its pitch using a Step Sequencer.

So once again, throw OVox on the audio source, turn the Note Mapper on and choose the “Monophonic” map from the Scales category. This map simply forces all the incoming notes to play the root note.

Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets

Once we have a steady pitch going on, we can use the Step Sequencer to modulate the pitch and create a melodic pattern:

Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets
  • Click on M1 on the bottom rack to edit this modulator. By default, its type is set to LFO. Change it to SEQ.
  • Assign M1 to OVox1 Tune by dragging the M1 tab and dropping it onto the Tune control.
  • Below the Tune control, notice how “M1” is now shown in the first modulation slot, stating that it is now assigned to it. Click and drag the M1 on that slot to control its depth, and set it all the way to 100.
  • When a modulator is assigned to the Tune control at 100% depth, the step values on the sequencer represent semitones.
  • On the M1 tab, edit the sequencer’s steps or browse through factory sequencers (access by clicking on the folder icon). Use the other controls to determine the Rate, Direction and number of steps you wish to use. Using the Smooth control, you can create a pitch gliding effect between the notes.
Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets

3. Bass Control: Control the synth using your bass guitar

As we said earlier, OVox’s pitch detector is monophonic, meaning it can only detect a single note a time. This means that it may get confused when trying to analyze guitar chords, for example. Bass guitar, however, is traditionally played monophonically, one note at a time, and with this, our detector can cope.

Throw OVox on your bass track and straight off the bat, using the Full Reset preset or one of the Synth presets, you can hear the bass guitar translates into a synthesizer.

You may or may not find use in the Formant Filter. You can experiment with modulating the Formant Shift to create some movement in your new sound.

Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets

In this example, we used the built-in EQ and the AM (Amplitude) modulator to spice the synth bass with some kind of a vowelly wah effect. You can create wild animations by modulating the cutoff frequencies of the EQ bands and filters.

Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets

4. Talk-box: Make your guitar talk

You can also use OVox without its built-in Synth and use any other signal from your DAW as the carrier. So, you can route your favorite synth into it, or even use your guitar, mimicking the role of a traditional talk-box effect.

The first thing you need to do is change the “Synth Source” on the upper toolbar from “Internal” to “Side-chain.”

Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets

Secondly, in your DAW, route your instrument track into OVox’s sidechain input. You can find more information on how to do this in your DAW here.

Use the Drive control to enrich and add harmonies to the carrier. The more harmonies it has, the more intelligible the results will be.

Using OVox on Instruments: Demos + Free Presets

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Learn more about how to connect OVox to your instruments in your DAW.

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