Calling all E-Mu UltraProteus users...

[deadvolvo1]

Hello all,

 

Just got my first E-Mu UltraProteus today. Very excited.

 

I knew the factory presets would be for the most part disappointing, but I was realllllly surprised at how few examples of UltraProteus prowess there were.....ESPECIALLY in the Z-Plane department.

 

I know that this is a complex synth capable of so much more than pizzicato strings, dulcimer, and piano/string combos. The manual is thick, and I've started there. Meantime....Have any of you run across any interesting patches on the net or elsewhere that I can try?

 

I'd also be interested in hearing some sound examples that go wayyyyy off into the netherworlds and hinterlands of synthesis.

 

One thing that really got the ball rolling for me with the Roland JD series -- besides the beautiful layout and sound of the JD-800 -- were the excellent patches by Eric Persing included on the PN-JD80 cards. They highlighted the JD-800's character, and revealed what the JD-800 could do beyond just organs, piano, analog brass etc.

 

And with other synths, like the M1, D50, SY77, etc., having thousands of patches to go through didn't hurt either!

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[deadvolvo1]

Off to a solid start.....Went through all the waveforms and filter types one by one. I forsee some serious woofer-shredding in my future.

 

So far it sounds like this module could really be an excellent source for some exotic & unique sounds.....IF I have the stamina.....Not liking this interface, but getting used to it.

 

One major dislike: Effect settings are not stored in patches.

 

Also....For software editors, I'd be interested to know what works the best for you. I planned on using Unisyn (Mac), but I'm open to suggestions.

[ElectricPuppy]

I'm interested in hearing some demos when you're ready, DV.

[xpander]

i'll throw together something showing off some of my patches, i've made a HUGE amount of them.

 

unisyn is the worst. it works fine but has an ugly interface that makes you not want to use it (i do own it, though). the old Galaxy + editor by Opcode was (is) the absolute best one, although it requires an olde mac that can boot native into OS9 (i.e. NOT classic). it's long-dead software so u can find it posted on the interwebs for free last time i checked. Opcode's Galaxy people went on to create the Audio MIDI component of OS X for Apple after Opcode went under, they were sharp folks and it shows big time.

 

the modern compromise is MIDIQuestXL 10. it's not as rock-solid as Unisyn but designing sounds on it is 100 times nicer.

[asynchro_nous]

Congratulations -- a sort of dark horse classic you've got there.

 

I used to have a Morpheus, traded it straight up for a K5000S (which I later converted into a healthy amount of cash with little regret), and now and then yearn for an UltraProteus -- someday, someday....

 

One thing I really loved to do on the Morpheus was program filters on various patches to open up with breath control input -- check it out (obviously you don't need a breath controller per se, but the pulmonary interaction is fantastic!) -- the filter behavior on these things can be beautifully psychedelic and organic depending on the waves and the chosen filter algo.

 

A dry sound overall, but lights right up with a nice processor.

[deadvolvo1]

A dry sound overall, but lights right up with a nice processor.

 

Thats the same impression I got using it thus far. Some things I like:

 

- The filters!!

- Double + Detune

- Wave loop adjustment

- Vocal / choir waves

- Function Generators - JD-800 envelopes on steroids!!

 

Some things that I don't like:

 

- Drum / percussion waves in the middle between string waves and synth waves

- Effects not per patch

- DACs don't sound very good compared to Wavestation, JD/S7xx, SY77, etc.

- If the encoder on the front panel goes haywire, forget it!

 

I'm interested in hearing some demos when you're ready, DV

 

Definitely going to submit some examples, possibly a full-on demo at some point. Thus far, it seems like the way to go is pick a wave, go through the filters one by one till you find a good/interesting match, set up some modulation for the filter, pair with some processing as needed......DONE!

[xpander]

i do believe that the UP is the most underrated synthesizer and the apex of E

[MetascapeMedia]

Hi, I know this is an old thread, but better late than never right? Anyway, I have some fresh Ultraproteus sounds available here:

 

http://metasounds.metascapemedia.com/

 

The sound banks really push the limits of what this Synth is capable of, using Z-Plane synthesis along with Function Generators to their maximum abilities to create such effects as realistic thunder and distant planetary atmospheres, all the way to swirling sweeping grand pianos, deep lush morphing pads, and angelic atmospheric choirs.

 

So far not one person who has tried the Ultraproteus Metasound Bank has complained

 

Happy Tweaking,

 

Michael

[deadvolvo1]

Hi Michael,

 

An MP3 demo of your UltraProteus bank might result in a few extra sales, if you'd be so daring.

 

Seems despite my best efforts, the UltraProteus is still an unrealized monster, hiding away in my storage area for the most part, emerging occasionally for another go.

 

I tried the MidiQuest and Unisyn editors, and as Xpander stated, the Unisyn editor is just terrible. I never got it to work correctly. It had serious problems loading the contents of the UltraProteus, failing virtually every time. It was really ugly looking and I don't think I missed much. The MidiQuest editor isn't quite as bad, but its still pretty hideous and flaky. It still beats editing from the front panel.

 

I spent a lot of time just trying to find combinations of waves and filter types that seemed to do magical things. One example would be VocalCube when combined with one of the Moog squares. Talk about "woofer shredding"!! Alas, most of the waves in there don't really seem to pair well with most of the Z-planes hardly or at all. Its a case of exception vs. rule. Try to imagine, if you will, a cellar of fine wines paired with a menu consisting of items like steamed vegetables, sunflower seeds, and fruit cocktail. It's what I would call "unfortunate", but not "impossible."

 

Then there's the "DIY wave" concept, thanks to the facilities for changing the looping window size, offset, direction, etc. Xpander was correct again...If you can pull it off, it's pretty cool. The trick is pulling it off. A lot of ROMpler vomit, inharmonic spectra, some desperately close to musical cases, and then one or two usable bits after a long stretch of trial and error.

 

This all leads me to the saving grace of this module....The function generators. You must use them yourself to really experience what they can do with those instances where wave meets Z-plane, falling in love. The function generator makes the two lovers dance in a way seldom heard.

 

I haven't given up on this thing. For sure, there are amazing sounds waiting inside. It's just a rough road, featuring ample tedium getting to them. The bastards in software editor land haven't hurt as much as they've helped, but a lot more could be done for sure. Galaxy + will be my next stop.

[iphoenix]

Hi, Iv been an Ultraproteus user since the late 1990s. I absolutely love this synth .

It takes some time to get to know it & there is an extreme amount of menu diving involved when programming sounds but I think its one of the most unique & powerful sounding & complex synths ever bulit.

 

I find the sounds I program are very close in sonic character to the Ensoniq Fizmo at its wildest & most organic.

It has taken me about a decade to master it , & actually will take about a lifetime as will any good /deep synth.

 

The mod matrix & function generators are some of the most important aspects of the UP / Morpheus.

 

The Morpheus & UltraProteus are essentially the same synth, with a slightly different Rom wave sets . The UP has much bigger waveform content & while it is mostly from the early Proteus models, there is a wide range of actual vintage synth waves , eg saws of Moog, Oberheim, Prophet types, squares, various pulses & percentages of pulse waves & noise spectra & lots of abstract stuff as well as most any orchestral/ rock/ pop waveforms all the bread & butter stuff.

The UP has much more filters than the Morpheus, but who would use 250 different filters? Some of them are barely usable unless very tamed, & many of them are very similar sounding, but its nice to have such a massive palette of filters all the same.

 

The big selling point of these synths when they were released was the ability to morph between many different filters , in many ways which can create a very dynamic living sound, however I find the mod matrix/ FGs / & waveform offset / timing much more exciting & powerful.

 

Usage of the wave start /end/ time & offset points & messing around with the timing are very powerful & a big part in my own sound design along with using a VERY large amount of patch cord modulation & real time modulation, to filters, times & the function generators as well as wavetable scanning in random or more controlled manners.

 

The function generators can create multiple step sequences & a lot more.

 

The sounds I play from my U.P. do not sound like Emu orchestral/ pop/ dance etc sounds of the Proteus series, but sound more like a Prophet VS, Waldorf MW/ MW2, or a Fizmo. ( I have a Prophet VS & Waldorf MWXT )

There is massive scope for crazy mangling & powerful modulation of sounds.

If there was a hardware controller UI for the UP or Morpheus, they would just about be the most powerful synths ever built, & they come close as they are.

 

It usually takes me @ 6 hours to program a sound that I want ( one patch!)

 

Check out Acidtones EMU Morpheus / Kens sprocket on Youtube , for some demos of what the Ultraproteus/ Morpheus can really do.

His stuff is very different to mine, but sort of parallel . He uses complex multis in his programming & I use just bitimbral. Thats enough for what I do for now.

You can also order ( purchase) his sounds as SYSEX files if you own an UP or Morpheus & need some instant deep programs/ sounds.

I love where he goes with these powerful instruments.

[xpander]

hmm... to me the UltraProteus has to be matched with Galaxy for maximum effect. i've programmed an insane amount of patches on it; even now that i've added juggernaut synths to my studio like the Buchla 200e, Arp 2600, Minimoogs, Xpander, FS1R, MaxMSP, Prophet VS etc, it still remains one of my favorites (in fact, i own two). adding modulators to the filters and experimenting with arbitrary combinations of animated filters and waves will seriously be endless. how endless?

 

there are about 221,000 combinations of waveforms possible and about 83,000 filter combinations for the z-plane filter. so if you want to make ONE patch to try out every normal wave (or combination of two waves) with every possible combination of z-plane filters, you should set aside time to program 18 billion patches. and that doesn't even address the fact that you can manipulate the way you access the waves.

 

we should really post some examples of applications for the sample memory manipulations because i've made some wild stuff with those tools and i'll bet there's some other great patches people have made as well.

 

here's the Galaxy editor i love so much. i have a cheap but slick-looking 700MHz OS9-bootable flatscreen iMac i purchased just to run Galaxy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[iphoenix]

hmm... to me the UltraProteus has to be matched with Galaxy for maximum effect. i've programmed an insane amount of patches on it; even now that i've added juggernaut synths to my studio like the Buchla 200e, Arp 2600, Minimoogs, Xpander, FS1R, MaxMSP, Prophet VS etc, it still remains one of my favorites (in fact, i own two). adding modulators to the filters and experimenting with arbitrary combinations of animated filters and waves will seriously be endless. how endless?

 

there are about 221,000 combinations of waveforms possible and about 83,000 filter combinations for the z-plane filter. so if you want to make ONE patch to try out every normal wave (or combination of two waves) with every possible combination of z-plane filters, you should set aside time to program 18 billion patches. and that doesn't even address the fact that you can manipulate the way you access the waves.

 

we should really post some examples of applications for the sample memory manipulations because i've made some wild stuff with those tools and i'll bet there's some other great patches people have made as well.

 

here's the Galaxy editor i love so much. i have a cheap but slick-looking 700MHz OS9-bootable flatscreen iMac i purchased just to run Galaxy:.................. "

 

Xpander,

 

those screen shots make Galaxy look like an essential UP/ Morpheus programming utility.

That would really open up the Ultraproteus beautifully.

 

Unfortunately my old OS9 retro Imac isnt working anymore, so I have never tried Galaxy. Thats the Opcode software isnt it?

 

I must pick up an old Clam Ibook or G3 Powerbook to run that on.

I agree the possibilities of sound design with the Ultra Proteus/ Morpheus are infinite, way beyond most synths.

Have you ever succeeded in using a hardware Midi/ CC or SysEx controller ( Eg Behringer/ Peavy etc) linked with Galaxy?

If not, wouldnt it be seriously awesome if such a box could manually edit the UP directly or through Galaxy?

 

When you say " sample memory manipulations " & your use therof, do you mean manipulation of the wave memory time / start / end time & 'wave sequencing'/ scanning ?

Yeah it would be great to have a UP users masterclass & what you said.

Thanks for reminding me that I dont have to redecorate the moon through a letter box, if you know what I mean.

I really must get Galaxy set up. It doesnt work on 'Classic OS9' right?

[xpander]

yeah, your efficiency will skyrocket. any editor will make a dramatic difference in your productivity but Galaxy is certainly the best designed for the UltraProteus/Morpheus.

 

i don't think Galaxy has the ability to respond to realtime sysex changes, that sounds pretty exotic for any sysex editor. you could certainly create a full UP sysex editor in something like cycling 74's Max with the iPad being the interface but that's no small undertaking.

 

and yeah, i'm talking about the manipulation of wave memory start/stop/looping/reversing, it's a prime feature.

 

MIDI never really worked on apps running on Classic but there's certainly more hope with something open-source like SheepShaver now that Classic has been dropped. the best OS X editor for the UP i've used is the MidiQuest one although the software is a maze to navigate, the layout isn't as nice and some of the operations are not as intuitive as they should be. but it does run on a new Mac.

 

 

if you ever get Galaxy running, you'll also have to pick up an old Oberheim Matrix-1000 because they did a stellar editor for that, too, and that's a seriously great-sounding synth for the price.

[iphoenix]

 

yeah, your efficiency will skyrocket. any editor will make a dramatic difference in your productivity but Galaxy is certainly the best designed for the UltraProteus/Morpheus. i don't think Galaxy has the ability to respond to realtime sysex changes, that sounds pretty exotic for any sysex editor. you could certainly create a full UP sysex editor in something like cycling 74's Max with the iPad being the interface but that's no small undertaking. and yeah, i'm talking about the manipulation of wave memory start/stop/looping/reversing, it's a prime feature. MIDI never really worked on apps running on Classic but there's certainly more hope with something open-source like SheepShaver now that Classic has been dropped. the best OS X editor for the UP i've used is the MidiQuest one although the software is a maze to navigate, the layout isn't as nice and some of the operations are not as intuitive as they should be. but it does run on a new Mac. if you ever get Galaxy running, you'll also have to pick up an old Oberheim Matrix-1000 because they did a stellar editor for that, too, and that's a seriously great-sounding synth for the price.

 

 

Thanks Xpander, that looks good too & more relevant to my immediate needs as I dont have an OS 9 Mac..I must look into a download .

 

Im so used to programming the UltraProteus via its tiny display & deep menus , that Id find it very liberating indeed to use a UI like Galaxy or MidiQuest.

 

A Matrix -1000 has been on my wish list for a long time & the UI is one of the main reasons that I havnt picked one up, another reason to get Galaxy running.

[MetascapeMedia]

Hi Michael, An MP3 demo of your UltraProteus bank might result in a few extra sales, if you'd be so daring.

 

Well, I don't actually have a specific demo, and should probably make one, but I do actually have music already made using the Ultraproteus alone which might help show off the banks a bit. If you go to my Music Production page here:

 

http://melproductions.metascapemedia.com/

 

And scroll down to the "Music Discography:" section, you will see a white embedded music player. The songs: UltraViolet, Wisdom, and Y-Nexial Triangulum, where made with my sound banks, (Y-Nexial is a good dance demo, but I used the factory Arpeggiator toward the end, personally tweaked). Oh, and also, the song Tender Hearts uses 100% of my Ultra sounds to accompany the two Ibanez Bass tracks. If you also go here:

 

http://melproductions.metascapemedia.com/The_Gates_of_Infinity.html

 

I have a whole 11 song album made with the sound banks I offer for the Ultraproteus that is in an embedded ReverbNation player at the top of that page. While the Reverbnation player loads, you will probably see an old pic of me playing on a Kawai K1-II, but I only use that as my controller so. There are also a lot of other songs I haven't mention on my site, with small demos from all the albums in the Metastore. I also have the Documentation available for the banks I offer here:

 

http://metasounds.metascapemedia.com/Metascape_Media_Ultraproteus_Documentation.pdf

 

And the actual preset list I scanned some time ago here:

 

http://metasounds.metascapemedia.com/Metascape_Media_Ultraproteus_Sound_List.pdf

 

Hope that helps, but yeah, maybe I will actually get a playable demo together in the near future

 

Michael