Traveller – A Synthesizer Inspired by the Simplicity of Korg Synthe-Bass
Discover Traveller – a monophonic synthesizer created by Severák, which draws inspiration from the legendary simplicity of the Korg Synthe-Bass. This plugin doesn’t aim to dazzle you with endless features, instead it focuses on intuitive control and distinctive sound, making it an ideal tool for creating basslines, melodies, and experimental sound textures where the main thing is pure tone and expressive dynamics.
Key Features and Controls
Traveller is equipped with a set of simple but effective controls that allow you to quickly shape the desired sound:
- Oscillator: The heart of the synthesizer is a single oscillator with a choice of six different waveforms. Among them are two pulse-width modulation (PWM) waves and one noise wave, offering flexibility for such a minimalistic instrument.
- Slider “Traveller” (Filter): This slider is responsible for the filter cutoff frequency, allowing you to dynamically change the brightness and timbre of the sound from dark and muted to open and resonant.
- Slider “Slow/instant” (Attack): Controls the attack time of the note – from an instant start to a slow, gradual increase in volume.
- Slider “Bump/singing” (Decay): Adjusts the decay (release) time of the note after the key is released, allowing sounds to fade smoothly or abruptly.
- Switch “Hold” (Sustain): Activates or deactivates the sustain function, allowing notes to last as long as the key is held (if the attack is complete).
- Switch “Bite” (Resonance): Turns the filter resonance on or off, adding a characteristic emphasis at the cutoff frequency.
- Switch “Quack” (Filter+Envelope): Allows the filter envelope to affect the cutoff frequency, creating dynamic “quacking” effects or percussive timbres.
- Knob “Volume”: A classic volume control for the overall output signal.
Unique Character and Philosophy
One of the most interesting features of Traveller is its “twisted” monophony. Although you cannot hold two or more notes at the same time, the synthesizer allows you to hear the tail (decay) of the previous note when the next one begins to sound. The author decided to leave this, seemingly, “implementation defect” because it adds a unique character and unpredictability to the instrument, departing from the standard behavior of monophonic synthesizers.
The absence of built-in presets is a conscious decision of the developer, aimed at stimulating your creativity. Instead of browsing ready-made settings, Traveller offers you to completely immerse yourself in the process of creating sound from scratch, exploring the interaction of its simple, yet expressive parameters. This encourages you to experiment and find your own unique timbres.
Important Technical Details
Before using Traveller on Windows 64-bit, be sure to unpack the csound64.dll file in the plugin folder. This is necessary for its correct operation, as the synthesizer is built on the basis of Cabbage – a shell for Csound.
- The plugin is open source – you can open the
traveller.csdfile and explore or even modify its code, referring to the Cabbage documentation. - Traveller is not sensitive to the force of pressing the keys (velocity), but the timbre of the note, especially with a long attack time, may depend on the duration of its holding.
- The synthesizer supports the use of a pitch bend wheel, which adds possibilities for expressive performance.
Overall, Traveller is a compact but powerful tool for those who appreciate simplicity, characteristic sound, and are ready for experiments. Its unique monophony and intuitive control make it an interesting addition to the arsenal of any musician or producer who is looking for fresh sounds and is not afraid to delve into the process of creation.
