some sounds will shift tuning ("accent" like)

[clockworkpictures]

Hi again: noodling and learning with my my new (used) Tempest:
While practicing I noticed that certain sounds, when recorded live or in the step editor, seemed to have constant tuning shifts, like let's say the accent you hear on the first beat of a tempo click. This does not happen with every sound so at first I imagined it was just a feature of the individual sound, maybe connected to velocity so I tried to record on fixed velocity or enering notes manually in the step editor. That did not work so I took a dive into sound's architecture: still nothing seems to be responsible for that effect. Last, I wondered if it could be a voice-related issue: actually if I set that sound to a specific voice, the "accent" every fourth beat disappears. Plus, switching between voices a slight change in pitch is audible, different in each voice assign.

bug or feature? I am quite puzzled.
thanks a lot in advance: as you can imagine this is quite preventing me to start playing seriously.

main os 1.4
voice os 1.4
Panel 1.3
Sam os 1.1

[Yorgos Arabatzis]

That shifting is known as inconsistency in Tempest terms...You can find some good tips in the first post here:
http://forum.davesmithinstruments.com/index.php/topic,78.0.html

[John the Savage]

Hi again: noodling and learning with my my new (used) Tempest:
While practicing I noticed that certain sounds, when recorded live or in the step editor, seemed to have constant tuning shifts, like let's say the accent you hear on the first beat of a tempo click. This does not happen with every sound so at first I imagined it was just a feature of the individual sound, maybe connected to velocity so I tried to record on fixed velocity or enering notes manually in the step editor. That did not work so I took a dive into sound's architecture: still nothing seems to be responsible for that effect. Last, I wondered if it could be a voice-related issue: actually if I set that sound to a specific voice, the "accent" every fourth beat disappears. Plus, switching between voices a slight change in pitch is audible, different in each voice assign.

bug or feature? I am quite puzzled.
thanks a lot in advance: as you can imagine this is quite preventing me to start playing seriously.

main os 1.4
voice os 1.4
Panel 1.3
Sam os 1.1

Without hearing this inconsistency of course it's hard to know just how drastic it is; but considering that it happens every fourth step, and given that it goes away when you assign the sound to a voice, this indicates to me that it's a variance between voices, which is typical of analog polysynths.  Some would argue that's the charm and even the point of going analog...

Anyway, I would try running the calibration routine, and see if that doesn't diminish the issue.  You can find this on the last page of the system menu.  Be sure to unplug all audio and MIDI cables from the Tempest before calibrating, and follow the prompts carefully.

Cheers!

[clockworkpictures]

Thanks Yorgos! your notes proved to be useful and just for a refresh I did the calibration, even if the main source for this inconsistency (at least in my Tempest) seem to be self-oscillating kicks.

John: thanks, probably one of the reasons I got the Tempest has been its "twisted" character, even if I must admit that this issue to me sounds more like a bug than a feature (I had and still have many mono and poly analog synths and never heard anything so relevant): inconsistencies occur always on the same beat, which is annoying: would you suggest to update to last OS?

thanks to both anyway, nice community here ^_^

[John the Savage]

Thanks Yorgos! your notes proved to be useful and just for a refresh I did the calibration, even if the main source for this inconsistency (at least in my Tempest) seem to be self-oscillating kicks.

John: thanks, probably one of the reasons I got the Tempest has been its "twisted" character, even if I must admit that this issue to me sounds more like a bug than a feature (I had and still have many mono and poly analog synths and never heard anything so relevant): inconsistencies occur always on the same beat, which is annoying: would you suggest to update to last OS?

thanks to both anyway, nice community here ^_^

Hmm...

If it's happening consistently on the same beat, you might try looking at the sequencer data in the 'Events' screen, and see if there isn't some 'Note FX' data recorded on that step.

I don't suppose you have the 'Click' track engaged by chance?  If so, turn it off (smirk).

And if it's a self-oscillating filter kick that is the culprit, you might check to see that the resonance is all the way up: i.e. some people design these kicks with the filter just on the cusp of self-oscillation, which can lead to drastic inconsistencies.

As for updating, I personally recommend it.  The latest beta fixes a lot of the bugs found in OS 1.4, offers many U.I. and file management improvements, and is no less stable.  Note that you must update both the 'Main' and 'Voice' operating systems for this beta to work, then calibrate everything again afterwards.

Cheers!

[clockworkpictures]

Yep, I did try to check note events looking for possible extra fx or pitch data but found nothing: even tried to work on a freshly initialized beat and entering notes manually on fixed velocity.. and yes I considered the metronome too ahaha ^_^

It is definitely sound and voice assign related: more audible on self oscillating sounds but yet working on resonance and cutoff does not solve the issue.
Thanks, tonite I'll update and see what happen,thanks!

[Yorgos Arabatzis]

If you use the self OSC filter you must assign the sound to a voice and be very careful with the envelopes pitch,filter,amp and aux etc.Every little change you make counts..These envelopes are very tricky/buggy..