How to feed Synth layer (ZynAddSubFX) into Audio-FX layer (reverb)?

Using Zynthian
1

I’d like to add reverb to some synthesizer. When adding ZynAddSubFX synthesizer (as Midi 1) I can use the keyboard to play. After that, adding a Audio-FX reverb, I need to select another midi (Why?), and the reverb doesn’t apply to the synth. Reversing the order of adding those layers also doesn’t work.

How can you apply a reverb layer to a synth layer?

2

In the Layers menu, bold-click (hold for about a second before releasing) on the ZynAddSubFx layer. In the subsequent menu, use the “Add Audio FX” option to add the reverb.

Hope this helps!

3

Thanks a lot! It doesn’t seem to work for me, it asks to turn off Zynthian. If I click shorter it wants to add another Zynthian synth.

That feature is well hidden, why?

4

Try holding the button down for half a breath longer than the short click.

5

The buttons on my synth are not reliable, which is frustrating, half of the time they don’t properly register. And sometimes when they do register, they also rotated so it selects the wrong option. The touch screen has similar usability issues.

Time to search for more reliable buttons.

6

Just to be clear, you’re bold-clicking the ZynAddSubFx layer you already loaded, right?

7

Well - not that well hidden. It is clearly described in the user guide in the wiki and bold press of a button to gain access to context menu is a fairly common user workflow.
Zynthian does add a layer of complexity by having three button press modes but that is one of those user interface methods that needs to be learned once. (We forget that none of us are born knowing how to use a computer keyboard and mouse - we learn how to do that and sometimes we have to learn other things too :wink:.)

  • You jab a button to trigger its primary function
  • You press a button for a second then release it to access its secondary (usually context sensitive) function
  • You press and hold a button until its tertiary function triggers (usually a global function)

If your buttons are unreliable then you may need to accept a degree of fumbling to get things to work. Knowing the rules helps in this respect so you know what you are aiming at and can work around any deficiencies in the hardware.
As @Jtunes says, you need to bold press on the previously created layer to access its context menu, not on the list of available engines which can be added as new layers. So the workflow would be:

  • Enter Layers menu
  • Select the option to add a new layer
  • Select an engine, e.g. ZynAddSubFx to add as a layer
  • Select the MIDI channel to for the layer to use
  • Select the bank / patch as required (previewing as you highlight each patch)
  • Return to Layer menu, e.g. Press LAYER button or navigate with BACK / SELECT buttons
  • Highlight the layer you just added
  • Press the SELECT button for one second then release
    You are now in the layer’s context menu where you can:
  • Clone MIDI to another channel
  • Transpose MIDI input to the engine
  • Change audio output routing
  • Change assigned MIDI channel
  • Remove the layer
  • Add an audio effect to the output of the layer - multiple effects can be chained
  • Add a MIDI effect to the input to the layer - multiple effects can be chained

Note: The duration you need to press the button for bold and long press can be configured in webconf.
Note: Some engines do not have banks or presets so steps may be missing when selecting such engines.

2 Likes
8

Another thing you might want to check is whether you screwed the encoders tightly into place. They should be quite tight so that you can press and turn them without moving them. If they feel wobbly, maybe they’re not screwed in tightly enough.

I have a question about routing one layer into another. I can understand how to route the Audio Output from one layer to another, but after doing so I don’t hear anything.

Do you have to go to the Admin menu and change the mode to Stage Mode to hear multiple layers? Like, if you route a PD layer into a MOD-UI layer, or an FX layer, do you need to be in Stage Mode to hear all of that happening?

Or instead, do you need to make sure that you routed the FX layer but not the PD layer into the Audio capture and headphones?