I got a VST plugin and I need some hints...

VCV Rack
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Hello there rackheads! And friendly greetings! So, lately I’ve bought THIS LITTLE JEWEL! called Chipspeech. It is a voice synthesizer that can replicate all those lovely retro voice synths to make your daw/keyboard sing or talk. Literaly. There are no samples, just synth.

I’ve tested with my keyboards and it’s a massive fun but I basically bought it because I want to use it with VCV, I have a gazillions of ideas of patches to do with that thing.

Now, the “problem” is that it uses MIDI CC to send literally everything to the VST. I already do that with my keyboard to control all the modules I need to control but I would like to have some automation: for istance, I don’t want to play on the keyboard to make it talk and I know it requires some MIDI CC input to hyphenating words, to use the same word with different notes and virtually all parameters, including some interesting circuit bends.

When I use it in HOST I can get some results but those are very raw and totally not what I want and when I use the keyboard everything go smooth and by the numbers but my goal is to make everything as much as automatic and self generative as possible.

I’ve seen that VCV provides some modules for that but every experiment I made so fare brought me to nothing and I start to think I need some suggestions. I uploaded the software manual (it is freely downloadable when you get the demo version so no copyright infringment) in case you should need some more detailed info.

chipspeech_guide.pdf (1.7 MB)

I have the gut feeling I am missing a tiny detail but I better ask to the hive-mind. Thanks in advance and have a great week y’all!

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Look at the Core CV/MIDI modules to start with, such as:

VCV Library - VCV CV to MIDI CC (vcvrack.com)

Many other MIDI-related modules marked with the MIDI tag

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In VCV Host, instean of using MIDI CC, you can address the VST parameters directly:

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btw: using chipspeech or a similar VST is a great idea for generating generic robotic speech :+1:

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NYSTHI SAM can also provide a few nice hours.

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Ok, let me reply to everyone in good order… @pachde it’s a good start indeed mostly to understand how the heck MIDI work in VCV, luckly enough…

@Ahornberg showed how HOST can recieve the VST parameters directly so I guess I can skip the MIDI step. The only problem, tho, is that chipspeech got dozens of parameters to set. But I seem to see an expander of some sort for that, or am I mistaking?

@FiroLFO oh man… If I remember correctly I was at least one of the ones who pushed poor Antonio into making his SAM module and yeah, it’s brilliant! And TBH there is also a free VST that do the same thing, a SAM emulator. But after I tried the demo version of this thing with all its almost endless possibilities, I had to have it. There is even a “singer” (aka one of the voice set) called… SAM! The C=64 voice synth is just way too mythical and unique!

Thank you all! :ok_hand::grin: :+1:

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