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Enchanting Instruments 109 - U-he Bazille Review Oscillator FM

2025-01-21

Theme:sound&person, sound

Introducing u-he’s Bazille, a software synthesizer. The alpha version was released in 2009, and the official release was four years later in 2013. I have the impression that u-he’s Bazille has been developed very slowly. In the 12 years since then, no major changes have been made to their specifications, and the look and feel of the product has remained unchanged. The concept is so unique that no other company has come out with a similar product, and it seems to never become obsolete.
If I were to provide a comprehensive explanation entirely to Bazille in this column, it would likely become a series of dozens of articles, so I would like to introduce only the points that make it unique in a few articles.

u-he / Bazille

Unique Module Configuration

All of u-he's software synths are for advanced synth nerds, but Bazille stands out from the crowd. This does not mean that it is highly functional, but rather that it is designed to tickle the fancy of nerds. u-he calls it a “geek machine”.

Bazille is constructed from a unique selection of modules taken from classic hardware synths. The oscillator is an 80's FM/PD digital, and the rest is analog semi-modular, a strange configuration that does not exist on the actual machine. It seems that the only way to physically realize such a configuration is to assemble it in a Eurorack. In fact, Urs Heckmann, president of u-he, plays Eurorack, which seems to have a great influence on the project.

It is not a versatile synth with multiple voice synthesizers, which has become popular recently, but rather it’s a synth that requires some level of understanding. It is a very interesting synth for those who want to create their own sounds, but it may be too much for those who mainly use presets. In general, it’s a synth for those who like classic FM/PM instruments and modular. The fact that it completely ignores marketing is typical of u-he.

Sound variations range from FM/PD to analog synths, but it is very flexible in its routing. The sample below is a fusion-like FM and analog sound created with Bazille.

80's Digital Oscillator FM/PD Sound Source

Bazille has FM sound sources such as YAMAHA DX7 and PD sound sources such as CASIO CZ-101 in its OSC. It has 4 of those OSCs, making it 4 operators in terms of FM sound sources. These sound sources took the world by storm in the 80's, but in the 90's they were replaced by sampling sound sources. FM sound sources almost disappeared once, but they made a modest comeback in the 2000s, and emulators are no longer rare due to the patents expiring.

The reality of sampled sound sources is that they are digital waveforms created by recording, and are basically used to play back these waveforms. The word “synthesize,” from which the word synthesizer is derived, means “synthesis,” but sampling is more about the playback device than synthesis. It is like making a collage of photographs. It is also an unsuitable sound source for real-time sound changes. I think there are many enthusiasts who are dissatisfied with these aspects. Sampling is a straightforward method for reproducing realistic acoustic sounds, but it also has the problem of needing a larger capacity in order to achieve that higher quality.

In contrast, FM and PD sound sources are flexible because they can create sounds in real time through computation. From today's perspective, they are very minimalistic, with low computational cost and do not eat up a lot of space. It is like painting a picture with simple tools. However, it is good at abstract expressions, and it’s a sound source that can show its individuality as much as you like, depending on your imagination. There is no need to purchase materials when you want to express something.

FM=PM(Phase Modulation)

The photo shows a typical FM sound source model, the YAMAHA DX7, released in 1983.

Quoted from the official Yamaha website.

This is a synthesis method that has six operators, each of which corresponds to an oscillator, each of which outputs a sine wave, and the combination of which produces a sound. It is generally called FM sound source, but u-he uses this name because it is mathematically called Phase Modulation. Here we will call it a general FM sound source.

The following is an example of a combination of three operators in which Yamaha calls an algorithm. The sound is output from an operator called carrier. The modulator modulates the underlying operator.

The FM sound source is characterized by its ability to cover a wide range of sounds with little memory and low computational cost. They were particularly good at metallic sounds and had a practical number of simultaneous sounds, so they came to be used in place of electric pianos. However, because of the difficulty of the sound creation concept and programming, presets were sold.

I tried to create an electric piano-like sound with Bazille. If you take the time to edit, it is possible to get a sound similar to that of DX7. First Bazille, followed by DX7's famous E.PIANO1 with the emulator Dexed.

FM Sound Source Sawtooth Wave

What I personally consider to be a weak point of the FM sound source is that it is impossible to create a proper sawtooth wave.

The first stage is a sawtooth wave using 4 operators in DX7(Dexed), but I am not satisfied with it because it is only a variant of a triangle wave.

The second stage is a sawtooth wave-like wave with feedback, which has an edge on one side, giving it the characteristics of a sawtooth wave, but the other side is round, giving it a unique sound that cannot be called a sawtooth wave.

The third stage is a Bazille, but it also serves as a PD, allowing for more flexibility in sound creation. The edges of the waveform, which are the weak point of FM sound sources, can be done away with and are not a problem.

Keyboard Scaling

There are many things that made the DX7 FM sound generators superior, but personally, I think the keyboard scaling feature was the keyboard scaling feature. This function allowed the user to set the sound quality and volume variation for each note of the keyboard, creating an acoustic sound. This is a development of keyboard tracking. This function is indispensable for electric piano sounds with a wide range of notes. However, for some reason, many of the FM sound source models that have appeared since then have omitted this function. In Bazille, a similar function can be achieved in several ways. In particular, the Mapping Generator allows you to adjust MIDI notes 0-127 individually, making it more flexible than DX7.

Real-time changes of FM sound source

Another advantage of Bazille's FM sound source is its smooth parameter changes. In DX7, the parameter changes were stair-stepped, and smooth changes were not possible. This made FM more difficult to understand because of the abrupt turnaround noise. This also made it inconvenient to change parameters in real time, and due to operability issues, it was used almost exclusively in a fixed fashion.

If the parameters can be changed smoothly, it becomes easier to discern and realistic to make real-time tonal changes. As for Bazille's fold-back noise, it is well tuned and less extreme than in DX7. Still, like an FM sound source, it will fold back, so you need to know what is happening.

The following sample uses two operators and gradually increases the level of the modulator. First is an example of DX7 (Dexed), and you can see that the level is increasing in a staircase-like fashion. The next example, Bazille, shows a smooth change. The modulator can modulate twice as much as DX7, and it can even modulate in the negative direction, making it extremely flexible.

FM Sound Source Feedback

Another good thing about Bazille is the flexibility of the feedback: with DX7, the feedback is fixed and algorithmically determined, with 8 levels, but with Bazille, the routing is free. Even impossible connections are allowed. Fine-tuning is also possible, so it's a very niche specification. However, there are no knobs labeled “feedback” in a friendly way, so you need to understand what it means and route it accordingly.

The video below shows feedback for only one oscillator with the above settings. Smooth changes from sine to sawtooth to noise are possible.

Below is the feedback of the DX7 (Dexed), but it has 8 steps, so it feels almost like a switchable type.

Bazille's FM sound source alone is very attractive and it is rather easy to reach DX7-like sounds, and the world beyond that is also expanding.

In the next issue, I will discuss Bazille's PD sound source.


The “sound & person” column is made up of contributions from you.
For details about contributing, click here.

achapi

楽器メーカーで楽器開発していました。楽器は不思議な道具で、人間が生きていく上で、必要不可欠でもないのに、いつの時代も、たいへんな魅力を放っています。音楽そのものが、実用性という意味では摩訶不思議な立ち位置ですが、その音楽を奏でる楽器も、道具としては一風変わった存在なのです。そんな掴み所のない楽器について、作り手視点で、あれこれ書いていきたいと思います。
blog https://achapi2718.blogspot.com/
HP https://achapi.cloudfree.jp

u-he / Bazille 簡易パッケージ版

u-he

Bazille 簡易パッケージ版

¥18,700(incl. tax)

Virtual Instrument Plug-in, synthesizers, VST2 / AU / AAX

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