Vocoding Pentagon I

This is from a recent SOS article. Hope it helps.

PI makes a decent vocoder. I don't know why Cakewalk don't do more to promote this feature, but here's how to use it.
Sonar 0906 4 LoadWavetable
Each of the oscillators can use a custom waveform in addition to the 14 standard ones.

1. Do not insert Pentagon into a track using the Insert / Soft Synth command. Instead, right-click in an audio track FX bin and go Soft Synths / Pentagon I. We'll call this the audio/instrument track, as it has characteristics of both.

2. Create a MIDI track to drive the audio/instrument track and assign its MIDI output to PI.

3. Assign the audio/instrument track input to your mic audio-input source (ie. from your audio interface).

4. Set the audio/instrument track Input Echo to 'On'.

5. Call up the PI patch you want to use as the vocoder 'carrier'.

6. Click on the PI logo and go Voice Modulator / On.

7. If you want a more 'voice-like' effect, click on the Pentagon I logo and go Formant Filter / On.

8. Speak into the mic, play your keyboard, and voila — instant vocoder!

You're not limited to using a source plugged into a Sonar audio input to do the vocoding. For example, one of my favorite tricks is to load a drum part into the audio/instrument track and use that to modulate whatever patch is selected in the Pentagon I. You can also manipulate the filter, LFO, VCA and other controls while all this is playing. In fact, you can appear to 'gate' the vocoded signal by setting a short amplitude decay time on the PI amplifier. This causes the patch sound to decay rapidly; when there's no signal left, there's nothing for the mic or other input to vocode, so you won't hear what's happening at the input.

The instructions that gnie give you pretty much nails it, but I think you are put off by the reference to a live mic input. In your case just put Pentagon I in the FX bin of your prerecorded vocal track. You'll have to use a MIDI track to trigger what notes you want the synth to play in conjunction with the recorded vocal. That provides a trigger and pitch for the synth in Pentagon to make the effect work on your recorded vocal.

I think what you might be missing is the MIDI signal. Vocoding doesn't work like a chorus effect where you just run the vocal through it and it works... you need to provide MIDI to provide the note triggering, duration and pitch along with the vocals. I've found that it works best with parts that are just spoken (or shouted, or whispered) instead of sung, since the synth will give it the note and tonal quality.

It really works. Try the patch called "Come and Go" in bank D.

If it's not working, you're not doing it right. Go over the instructions again. Also check this thread: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=898794 in the instruments forum.

Ok... I'm going crazy here.... are we talking about the SAme rgc:audio Pentagon I... because if we are... then i must be an idiot...
i tired every little tiny step in the post and it just doesnt work.... the sound of the synth (trigerred by midi) just plays as if there was no audio data in the track....

I Swear i am doing everything right....

i wish i could just overcome my preoccupation with these stuff

Are you absolutely sure you are turning the voice modulator on? When I do it with the Voice Modulator I can play MIDI on the synth and I get no sound if there is no audio being played on the track along with it. With the Voice Modulator off I get sound from Pentagon whenever I play, just like you describe. Good luck... I'm sure you're getting close.

And for GC Seth... the vocoder sounds more like talking if you just use clearly spoken words without any sung pitch for the audio track. Even then it can take some work to get it to sound like a talking vocoder.

Try turning on the Formant Filter from the same pop-menu where you enable the vocoder. Then try messing with the gain in the drive section.

Also, try it as DXi instead of VSTi.

You're sure your routing is all correct?

As the guy who wrote the SOS article, all I can say is that it really does work...try something for me, but don't even think about the vocoder part just yet: Record some drums in an audio track. Right-click in that audio track's FX bin and insert the Pentagon I. Does working the filter act like a signal processor, and does gating the VCA turn the drums on and off? If so, you're halfway there. If you get that happening, we'll work with the other half.

ORIGINAL: crash_3210

I...... Turn ..... the ....... @#$!@%#!@ ............. Voice modulator ON/OFF/ON/OFF/ON/OFF/ON/OFF/ON/OFF/ON/OFF/ON/OFF/

it doesnt even make a click (not to mention make a different sound)

something serious is wrong here....

maybe i should mess with its configuration in the VSTi dialog box ???

Pentagon is a DXi, at least on my system it doesn't show up in the VSTi menu.

Post a screen shot so we can see your routing. Something's not right, and I don't think anyone can help you if we can't look at how you've tried to set this up.

DONE!!!

OK OK OK ...
It's not working when installed as VSTi but when i installed it as DXi, it *magically* worked like the book...
now why would the same plugin behave 2 different wayes in the same DAW ??? is the VST wrapping still have something wrong , or it's just not supposed to function as a VSTi ???

THanks Everyone for your replies...

The song "Progress One" uses it (in links in my sig). It's not nearly as flexible as a real Vocoder, but it works. I found putting an EQ to boost the highs before PI improves the effect, and having the pre levels up very high (using trim or clip envelope) on the audio helps as well.

hmm....when i switch on the voice modulation...the pi stops playing....how do i reinstall it as a dxi like the above poster mentioned? or...is there another solution im not seeing? i do believe i followed the setup exactly as instructed...