Specific Interface Sound

Question

Hello,

I've got a quick question that i wonder if someone could help me with. Now i'm fairly comfortable with most interface/menu/hud sounds, however there is one in particular that is proving problematic. Its the sound of a stream of information cascading on a screen. I've put a few examples below. Its a digital chattering type of sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqqEriE0ogc @ 1:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqr4i1dmNTY @ 1:29

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbj3XSvDyw8 @ 2:09 in the background

IS it merely a case of micro editing a sequence or arpeggiating high passed glitch sounds or is there another wya im missing?

I've had a look at the other threads on this subject and theyve been veyr helpful, im just having issues with this specific sound!

many thanks in advance

Tom

Answer 1

Welcome to SSD!

Granular synthesis will be your best bet. Take a look at this.

Use a bunch of bleeps and electronic noises in the programme used in the video and you should have a great basis for "digital chattering" or data stream type noises.

Answer 2

You can either use granular, frequency modulation or substractive synthesis to create that sound. Just create a long midi note with constant tone and modulate the pitch of that tone with modulation wheel to up which means that the information flow is increasing or down which means that the flow is decreasing. After this use the synthesisers amplitude modulator with square modulation waveform and change the speed of the modulation with modulation wheel to emulate the bitflow to your liking. Same amplitude modulation can be also done with a a tremolo plugin or with classic waves mondomod plugin. you can also spice up the sound with digital glithes that you can easily do with plugins such as Izotope stutter.

Answer 3

I recently picked up the Electro-Harmonix RTG pedal for just this sort of sound. Played with right it has a real 60's kind of vibe for data stream stuff.

Answer 4

You can micro-edit the notes to a virtual analog synth, very short, at very high pitch, in very high numbers and really dense. Have some variety in their triggering -- in, say, Logic you can use Humanize. Copy that, shift it a few semitones, mix while still as midi, with the original. Then repeat one more time. Once it sounds like a digital mess, grab the Glide parameter of the synth and up it a little.

You retain full control over it, unlike granular. Granular will, however, sound more unusual.