After browsing at
PlanetZ I found a post about an effect that had been around for
several years, and still being updated and revered by users.
It was called FLU_LIQ and it was made by
MCCY. Now, in this article I'm not even going to attempt
to document the parameters, as they are numerous and complex, with
many hidden. It really is an effect to 'tweak-and-see' what
effects you can obtain, and it doesn't take long to obtain
excellent, usable results. To this, I cannot add much more
than what MCCY and XITE1/4LIVE had to say on the 'Z' (below) and...
JUST GET IT!!
XITE-1/4LIVE:
Well in case anyone forgot
what FLU_LIQ was, it's an effect that
has no Native equivalent, and is unique to Scope DSP, like so many
others. Picture a nice field and stream photograph and
visualize a snippet of music. Now have the original picture
still there but another image of the original being shifted around
by waveforms over the top of the original, it has a watery Liquid
sound that makes my Modular IV Electric Pianos really full of
motion.
MCCY: There are
LOTS of parameters under the surface. That's the reason why I have
not implemented presets so far. I have no concept for all these
parameters being implemented user-friendly. Changing overall speed
shouldn't be a big problem but to be precise, there are sixteen
speeds involved. Imagine selecting speed, different waveforms and
depth for every single LFO and even some secret parameters
more which should make sense. To have these things
controllable is exactly what I want too, but even the simplest way
(just adding a huge control-surface) needs some time.
XITE-1/4LIVE: I use MCCY's
FLU_LIQ for a Chorus/Flange type of effect
too. It has a unique sound that is reminiscent of the Electro Harmonix
Electric Mistress hardware effect (shown left).
Josef Zawinul (R.I.P.) had some of
the finest technique and effects on a Rhodes in the history of that fabulous
invention. I often find myself using Wax-S Wah-Wah with Celmo's Pro Vintage
Delay inserted into it to achieve those tones. There is a song from the
Heavy Weather album called "A Remark You Made" that had a layered Grand
Piano with a Rhodes and Phaser that was drop dead gorgeous. I have come close
to it, but never really nailed it, as the noise associated with most
modulation effects added excessive noise.
Liquid has nailed it to the wall. The natural harmonics of
the Grand Piano without reverb layered with a Rhodes and this, and of course a touch of the PCM91
on the Rhodes is perfect.
Since Flu_Liq contains many
different controls across multiple frequency ranges, the main panel
provides a simplified one-to-many mapping of these controls.
This becomes more obvious when you open any of the three sub-control
panels, as illustrated by the animated picture below: