> Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2014 09:35:25 +0100
> From: w.bo...@upcmail.nl
> To: linux-audio-dev@lists.linuxaudio.org
> Subject: Re: [LAD] Software sound
> 
> an interesting question might be: do you 
> hear a difference between a Moog- and a Chamberlain filter? And if the answer 
> is yes, then isn't there a simpler way to reach the desired result?

Yes, you definitely hear the difference between these two algorithms. The best 
way I could describe the difference would be 'warmth', 'character.'

You will also see very different performance profiles for the two algorithms, 
the Chamberlains are a lot more efficient.

Life is full of choices but they are all trade-offs. I might stick my neck out 
and suggest that it could be possible to optimise Fons' design to factor out a 
few divisions. I did the same (with help and advice from other people) on a 
Huovillainen filter and there are a lot of commonalities between the two 
algorithms. The result on the Huovilainen algorithm was the same sound quality, 
smaller CPU footprint but still not much closer to the efficiency of the 
Chamberlain, almost to the point that it was not worth the effort. Other more 
efficient optimisations are possible using approximation for the tanh() 
function but they do affect the filter characteristics.

As a side note to this, the Moog design was patented as a four stage ladder 
filter using transistors. Diverse manufacturers copied the design, the most 
notable that I know of was ARP with their Odyssey synth. Moog sued them for 
abuse of patent, ARP backed down and agreed to pay royalties for use of the 
design (in all subsequent sales of their synth).
The point I wanted to make is some people mentioned that the design used diodes 
rather than transistors. Well the Moog design did not use diodes but there were 
several other manufacturers who took the Moog design and manipulated it to run 
with diodes hence circumventing the patent - if you have seen such designs then 
it is possible they were released due to not being in violation. Pretty sure 
the muSoniq Sonic-5 did this and here is another rub: muSoniq was started by an 
ex-Moog employee (Zumchek) and muSoniq also later bought the rights to the Moog 
company after Bob pretty much went bankrupt.

Regards, nick
                                          
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