Aphex Twin's "Bit 4"

[Taylor]

This track on Drukqs is a pretty interesting sound, I think. I would post a clip, but can't find one online and don't want to post one on my website for IP reasons (that one's for you Puretube).

For those who have the record, any thoughts on how to recreate this filter sound? I'm sure it was created with an elaborate modular synth, but how would you go about it if you were going to make it into an effect? There's definitely one filter with an envelope that starts high (high cutoff), then goes down and back up, but there's more to it than that. Seems maybe the resonance is being tweaked with its own envelope, and I think there may be a second filter, but there's this crazy wave-wrapping thing happening at 4 seconds and again around 12 seconds.

I guess I intend for this to be a sort of "sound design target practice". I'm not trying to emulate Aphex, I just like to understand how people create interesting sounds like that, to get better at translating the sound I'm after into a circuit.

[g.]

it seems to be a FM sounding synth. (eg dx7, fb01...)

[Taylor]

Hmm, yeah, I suppose you're right. Having little experience with programming FM patches, that hadn't occurred to me. Damn, maybe I should continue pursuing this.

[anchovie]

For anyone who doesn't have the CD but is curious, the track can be heard on Aphex's YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXSmi2Y4pCI

Sometimes Aphex doesn't create his sounds using conventional methods at all: http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2002/05/52426

[Taylor]

Yep, but he also lies a lot when people ask him how he did something. The Metasynth thing is true, though, and once you've played around with it you can recognize the sounds it generates easily.