Analogue signal path with regards to digital effects?

[zyclone]

Hi, I found the Rev2 a couple days and was absolutely astounded how much this synth packs into one package for the price.

The only disappointing thing compared to P6 was lack of analogue HPF, which can be useful for creating some types percussion sounds.
Thankfully there is a HPF effect, which AFAIK can be fully controlled as if it were a VCF.

My concern is now is not lack of HPF function but the sound quality of HPF effect, or any effect for that matter...
It is a digital effect, so unless im mistaken the analogue signal must pass through an ADC and DAC to add the effect, right?

If so, does the analogue signal completely avoid any digital conversion when effects arent used?

Thanks

[Razmo]

Yes, the analog signal is parallel to the FX, but you can anyhow have a 100% wet output, which is crucial for many of the FX... I used the HP filter a lot in my soundbank with a blend though as that added a pleasing hollow resonant sound to plucked string sounds etc... just remember that the FX are global... so changing the HP parameters in realtime via EG or LFO will only be useful when playing monophonic sounds, as the FX is not per voice... something you need to remember with other FX as well... like distortion or ringmodulator. The HP filter is also very useful to thin out the bottom end on pads and strings so they do not muddy up the frequency spectrum.

[Razmo]

Also, percussion is easy to create, but since it is a synth, it does lack some obvious ways to create percussive sounds...many percussives use two sounds layered, one transient and one decaying sound, and for creating convincing percussion you need flexible control of each of those layers, and here a resonant HP filter is crucial.. the REV 2 give you that, but it would spoil any attempt at putting a decayed tone in as well as everything goes thru that HP filter, and you cannot route any oscillators around the filter or FX.

Your solution to that dilemma is to use layered mode... that way you have two completely independant sounds layered, each with their own FX... this is very powerful even if it halves polyphony... it lets you shape each part of your percussive sound in detail without one having any influence on the other.

Du not underestimate what power you have with layered mode...if you think creatively you can do really extreme things with it 

[maxter]

There are two pair of outputs as well, so it's possible to use one output for one layer with the purely analog signal, and the other output for a effected version with the HPF. But as Razmo said, the FX is not per voice.

[maxter]

"Thankfully there is a HPF effect, which AFAIK can be fully controlled as if it were a VCF."
-Yes

"My concern is now is not lack of HPF function but the sound quality of HPF effect, or any effect for that matter...
It is a digital effect, so unless im mistaken the analogue signal must pass through an ADC and DAC to add the effect, right?"
-Yes

"If so, does the analogue signal completely avoid any digital conversion when effects arent used?"
-Yes

When routed through the HPF 100% wet, set fully open with no resonance (ie "no effect"), there is a minute "sound degradation" from the pure analog signal, like a little compression/bit reduction. It's detectable if you really listen for it, but not too big a deal irl use, and since one wouldn't use the HPF in that fashion anyway, doesn't matter.

[zyclone]

that answers that, thanks.