Drumlogue Units
Synthesizer v1.2.0

Elementish Synth

Modal synthesis voice with bow, blow, and strike exciters and versatile resonator models

Download elementish_synth.drmlgunit

Overview

A powerful modal synthesis voice for the Korg drumlogue, inspired by Mutable Instruments Elements. This unit brings expressive physical modeling synthesis to your drumlogue, combining three excitation sources (bow, blow, strike) with versatile resonator models for rich, evolving timbres.

Features

  • Modal synthesis engine based on Mutable Instruments Elements
  • Three excitation types: Bow (friction), Blow (breath), Strike (percussion)
  • Three resonator models: Modal (8-partial), String (Karplus-Strong), Multi-String (5 sympathetic strings)
  • NEON SIMD optimizations for improved ARM Cortex-A7 performance (~40% faster modal resonator)
  • 12 mallet types for percussive variety
  • 5 strike modes including sample, granular, noise, plectrum, and particle
  • Marbles-inspired generative sequencer (Lightweight mode) with 16 presets
  • 8 built-in presets covering a range of sounds from mallets to strings to drones
  • Full velocity response with expressive dynamics
  • Pitch bend support (±2 semitones)
  • Tempo-synced subdivisions from 1 to 16 notes per beat
  • DĂ©jĂ  vu loop buffer for repeating melodic patterns

Installation

  1. Download the elementish_synth.drmlgunit file from GitHub Releases
  2. Connect your drumlogue to your computer via USB
  3. Copy the .drmlgunit file to the Units/Synth/ folder on the drumlogue
  4. Safely eject the drumlogue and restart it
  5. The synth will appear as “Elementish” in the Synth slot selection

Parameters

The unit has 24 parameters organized across 6 pages:

Page 1 - Exciter Mix

Parameter Range Description
BOW 0-127 Bow exciter level. Creates continuous friction/bowing sounds
BLOW 0-127 Blow exciter level. Granular noise for breath-like sounds
STRIKE 0-127 Strike exciter level. Percussive impacts
MALLET 0-11 Mallet type selection (see Mallet Types table)

Page 2 - Exciter Timbre

Parameter Range Description
BOW TIM -64 to +63 Bow friction/texture. Negative = smooth, positive = rough
FLOW -64 to +63 Air turbulence for blow exciter
STK MOD 0-4 Strike mode (see Strike Modes table)
DENSITY -64 to +63 Granular density for GRANULAR/PARTICLE strike modes

Page 3 - Resonator

Parameter Range Description
GEOMETRY -64 to +63 Structure shape. Morphs from string → bar → membrane → plate → bell
BRIGHT -64 to +63 High-frequency damping. Negative = wood/muted, positive = glass/bright
DAMPING -64 to +63 Energy dissipation. Negative = quick decay, positive = sustained
POSITION -64 to +63 Excitation point on surface. Affects harmonic content like PWM

Page 4 - Model & Space

Parameter Range Description
MODEL 0-2 Resonator model: MODAL, STRING, or MSTRING
SPACE 0-127 Stereo width. 0 = mono, 127 = wide stereo
VOLUME 0-127 Output level
(unused) - Reserved for future use

Page 5 - Envelope

Parameter Range Description
ATTACK 0-127 Envelope attack time
DECAY 0-127 Envelope decay time
RELEASE 0-127 Envelope release time
CONTOUR 0-3 Envelope mode: ADR, AD, AR, or LOOP

Page 6 - Tuning / Sequencer

Note: Page 6 differs between Full and Lightweight modes. Lightweight mode replaces LFO with a generative sequencer.

Full Mode (Page 6 - LFO)

Parameter Range Description
LFO RT 0-127 LFO rate/speed
LFO DEP 0-127 LFO modulation depth
LFO PRE 0-7 LFO shape + destination preset
COARSE -64 to +63 Pitch coarse tune. ±24 semitones range

Lightweight Mode (Page 6 - Sequencer)

Parameter Range Description
COARSE -64 to +63 Base pitch for sequencer. Sets root note
SEQ 0-15 Sequencer preset (see Sequencer Presets table)
SPREAD 0-127 Note range. 0 = narrow, 127 = ±24 semitones
DEJA VU 0-127 Pattern looping. 0 = random, 127 = locked loop

Mallet Types

Value Name Description
0 SOFT DK Soft mallet, dark timbre
1 SOFT BR Soft mallet, bright timbre
2 MED DK Medium mallet, dark timbre
3 MED BR Medium mallet, bright timbre
4 HARD DK Hard mallet, dark timbre
5 HARD BR Hard mallet, bright timbre
6 PLEC DK Plectrum, dark timbre
7 PLEC BR Plectrum, bright timbre
8 STIK DK Stick, dark timbre
9 STIK BR Stick, bright timbre
10 BOW DK Bow attack, dark timbre
11 BOW BR Bow attack, bright timbre

Strike Modes

Value Mode Description
0 SAMPLE Uses sampled mallet/strike sounds
1 GRANULAR Granular synthesis strike
2 NOISE Filtered noise burst
3 PLECTRUM Plucked string excitation
4 PARTICLE Particle/dust-like texture

Resonator Models

Value Model Description
0 MODAL Classic Elements 8-partial modal resonator. Rich harmonic content
1 STRING Karplus-Strong string synthesis. Clean plucked string sound
2 MSTRING 5 sympathetic strings. Rich, shimmering harmonic resonance

Envelope Modes

Value Mode Description
0 ADR Attack-Decay-Release (standard envelope)
1 AD Attack-Decay only (no sustain)
2 AR Attack-Release only (gate-based)
3 LOOP Looping envelope for drones

Sequencer Presets (Lightweight Mode)

The sequencer generates tempo-synced note subdivisions when triggered by the drumlogue pattern sequencer or MIDI notes.

Value Name Subdivision Scale Description
0 OFF - - Sequencer disabled, normal note playback
1 SLOW 1/beat Chromatic 1 note per beat, chromatic random
2 MED 2/beat Chromatic 2 notes per beat (8th notes)
3 FAST 4/beat Chromatic 4 notes per beat (16th notes)
4 X2 8/beat Chromatic 8 notes per beat (32nd notes)
5 X4 16/beat Chromatic 16 notes per beat (64th notes)
6 MAJ 4/beat Major 16th notes quantized to major scale
7 MIN 4/beat Minor 16th notes quantized to minor scale
8 PENT 4/beat Pentatonic 16th notes quantized to pentatonic
9 CHROM 4/beat Chromatic 16th notes, full chromatic
10 OCT 2/beat Octaves 8th notes, octave jumps only
11 5TH 2/beat Fifths 8th notes, perfect fifth intervals
12 4TH 2/beat Fourths 8th notes, perfect fourth intervals
13 TRI 3/beat Triads Triplet feel, triad tones
14 7TH 4/beat 7th Chord 16th notes, 7th chord tones
15 RAND 4/beat Random 16th notes, random scale each trigger

Presets

The unit includes 8 carefully crafted presets:

# Name Description
0 INIT Clean starting point with basic strike
1 BOWED STR Bowed string with sustain. Use BOW level to control
2 BELL Metallic bell percussion with long decay
3 WOBBLE Wobble bass sound
4 BLOWN TUBE Wind/breath instrument. Use BLOW level to control
5 SHIMMER Ambient shimmer texture
6 PLUCK STR Plucked string using STRING resonator model
7 DRONE Evolving drone pad with looping envelope

Usage Tips

Creating Mallet/Percussion Sounds

  1. Start with the INIT preset or set STRIKE to 100
  2. Choose a MALLET type - soft mallets for marimba-like sounds, hard for bells
  3. Adjust GEOMETRY to morph between string (negative) and bell (positive) characters
  4. Use BRIGHT to control the high-frequency content
  5. Set short ATTACK and moderate DECAY for percussive hits

Creating Bowed Sounds

  1. Start with the BOWED STR preset or set BOW to 80-100
  2. Set STRIKE and BLOW to 0
  3. Use BOW TIM to control the friction texture
  4. Set GEOMETRY negative for string-like resonance
  5. Use longer ATTACK for smooth note starts
  6. Set CONTOUR to AR for gate-following sustain

Creating Blown/Wind Sounds

  1. Start with the BLOWN TUBE preset or set BLOW to 80-100
  2. Set STRIKE and BOW to 0
  3. Use FLOW to control air turbulence
  4. Experiment with GEOMETRY for different tube characters
  5. POSITION affects where the “air stream” hits the resonator

Using the String Models

  1. Select MODEL = STRING for clean Karplus-Strong plucks
  2. Select MODEL = MSTRING for rich sympathetic string resonance
  3. STRING works great with STRIKE exciter for plucked sounds
  4. MSTRING adds shimmer and is excellent for pads

Creating Ambient Pads

  1. Start with the DRONE or SHIMMER preset
  2. Mix BOW and BLOW for continuous excitation
  3. Set CONTOUR to LOOP for self-sustaining sounds
  4. Use high DAMPING (positive) for long sustain
  5. Increase SPACE for wide stereo spread
  6. Try MSTRING model for rich harmonics

Tuning Tips

  • Use COARSE to transpose by semitones (±24)
  • Use FINE for detuning effects or pitch correction (±100 cents)
  • The synth responds to drumlogue’s pitch bend (±2 semitones default)

Using the Generative Sequencer (Lightweight Mode)

The sequencer is inspired by Mutable Instruments Marbles and creates tempo-synced generative melodies:

  1. Enable: Set SEQ to any preset other than OFF
  2. Set base note: Use COARSE to set the root note (0 = middle C)
  3. Create pattern: Create a pattern in drumlogue’s sequencer - each step triggers the generative sequencer
  4. Adjust spread: SPREAD controls the note range (0 = unison, 127 = ±24 semitones)
  5. Lock patterns: DEJA VU controls repetition (0 = fully random, 127 = 8-step loop)

Sequencer Tips

  • Simple melodies: Use PENT or MAJ with low SPREAD (20-40)
  • Arpeggios: Use TRI or 7TH presets with medium SPREAD
  • Chaos: Use CHROM or RAND with high SPREAD (100+)
  • Repeating riffs: Set DEJA VU to 127 for locked 8-step patterns
  • Evolving patterns: Set DEJA VU to 64-90 for mostly-repeating with variations
  • Bass lines: Use OCT or 5TH presets with COARSE set to -24

Technical Specifications

Specification Value
Sample Rate 48kHz (native drumlogue rate, adapted from original 32kHz)
Processing Stereo output
Polyphony Monophonic (single voice)
CPU Usage Efficient - MODAL ~0.5%, STRING/MSTRING ~0.3%
Binary Size ~124KB

Version History

v1.2.0 - Generative Sequencer Release

  • Marbles-inspired generative sequencer (Lightweight mode)
  • 16 sequencer presets with different subdivisions and scales
  • DĂ©jĂ  vu loop buffer for repeating patterns
  • Works with both MIDI notes and drumlogue pattern sequencer
  • Optimized note queue to prevent note loss at high subdivisions

v1.1.0 - Performance Optimization Release

  • NEON SIMD optimizations (~40% faster modal resonator)
  • CosineOscillator batch compute (~2.4x faster)
  • Stereo soft clamp optimization (2x faster)
  • Structure-of-Arrays layout for mode coefficients

v1.0.0 - Initial Release

  • Full Elements DSP integration at 48kHz
  • Three resonator models: MODAL, STRING, MSTRING
  • Level-balanced output across all models
  • 8 factory presets
  • Lightweight mode for optimal drumlogue performance

Credits