I programmed this patch on the Roland MKS-80 to simulate the sound of a Sho – a traditional Japanese reed instrument capable of playing dense and eerie harmonies.

Because of the nature of the instrument and how it’s played the reeds tend to vary in pitch so I added a touch of subtle modulation with a slow rate LFO to the oscillator’s pitch so that it doesn’t sound perfectly in key.

Of course my intent is not to duplicate the instrument (it would be impossible to accurately represent the nuances of this fascinating instrument with any electronic device), but to create a synthetic simile with a character of its own.

Image used courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Synthesized Japanese Sho Reed Instrument

Synthesized Japanese Sho Reed Instrument by Ostraka