Arturia Solina V User Manual
USER MANUAL
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -1- 1 INTRODUCTION
Project management
Theo Niessink
Pierre-Lin Laneyrie
Glen Darcey
Adrien Courdavault
Pierre-Lin Laneyrie
Theo Niessink
Glen Darcey
Shaun Ellwood
(decoderdesign.com)
Morgan Perrier
Glen Darcey
Boele Gerkes
Randy Lee
Theo Niessink
Erik Norlander
Pierce Warnecke
Randy Lee
Product management
Programming
Design
Sound design
Manual
1st edition, October 2014
© ARTURIA S.A. – 1999-2014 – All rights reserved.
30, chemin du Vieux Chêne
38240 Meylan
FRANCE
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -2- 1 INTRODUCTION
http://www.arturia.com
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Project management ........................................................................................................................................ 2
Table of contents ............................................................................................................................................... 3
1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 5
1.1 String theories ............................................................................................................................................... 5
1.1.1 Chamberlin and Mellotron ................................................................................................................ 5
1.1.2 Ken Freeman: string synthesist .......................................................................................................... 6
1.1.3 Eminent .................................................................................................................................................. 6
1.2 The ARP String Ensemble ............................................................................................................................ 6
1.2.1 Arrival of the fittest .............................................................................................................................. 7
1.2.2 Form factor ........................................................................................................................................... 7
1.2.3 A string of spinoffs ................................................................................................................................ 8
1.2.4 String songs: a selected discography ............................................................................................. 8
1.3 Physical modeling synthesis ....................................................................................................................... 9
1.3.1 Music and math: forever linked ........................................................................................................ 9
1.3.2 Complex calculations ........................................................................................................................ 9
1.3.3 No end in sight ................................................................................................................................... 10
2 ACTIVATION & FIRST START ...................................................................................................................... 11
2.1 Register & Activate ................................................................................................................................... 11
2.2 Initial setup .................................................................................................................................................. 11
2.2.1 Audio and MIDI settings: Windows ................................................................................................. 11
2.2.2 Audio and MIDI settings: Mac OS X ............................................................................................... 12
3 USER INTERFACE ......................................................................................................................................... 14
3.1 Virtual keyboard ........................................................................................................................................ 14
3.2 The tool bar ................................................................................................................................................. 14
3.2.1 Selecting Presets ................................................................................................................................ 14
3.2.2 Open .................................................................................................................................................... 15
3.2.3 Poly ....................................................................................................................................................... 16
3.2.4 Panic .................................................................................................................................................... 17
3.2.5 CPU meter........................................................................................................................................... 17
3.2.6 Global MIDI channel......................................................................................................................... 17
3.2.7 MIDI controller configurations ......................................................................................................... 18
3.2.8 PREF (MIDI preferences) ................................................................................................................... 19
3.3 Managing presets ..................................................................................................................................... 20
3.3.1 Select a bank, type, or preset ........................................................................................................ 21
3.3.2 Saving an edited preset................................................................................................................... 22
3.3.3 Import / Export a bank of presets ................................................................................................... 23
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -3- 1 INTRODUCTION
3.4 Assigning MIDI controls ............................................................................................................................. 23
3.4.1 Minimum / maximum controller ranges ........................................................................................ 24
3.5 Front panel .................................................................................................................................................. 25
3.5.1 Basic controls ..................................................................................................................................... 25
3.5.2 Bonus controls .................................................................................................................................... 26
3.5.3 Coarse vs. Fine adjustments ............................................................................................................ 28
3.6 Open mode ................................................................................................................................................ 29
3.6.1 Master section .................................................................................................................................... 29
3.6.2 LFO ....................................................................................................................................................... 30
3.6.3 Bass section: Filter, FENV and Sustain ............................................................................................ 31
3.6.4 Bass section: Arpeggiator ................................................................................................................ 32
3.6.5 Upper Resonator ............................................................................................................................... 33
3.6.6 Effects .................................................................................................................................................. 35
3.6.7 Amount controls ................................................................................................................................ 35
3.6.8 Effect sends ........................................................................................................................................ 36
3.7 The effects................................................................................................................................................... 36
3.7.1 FX 1: Phaser ......................................................................................................................................... 37
3.7.2 FX 1: Analog Chorus .......................................................................................................................... 38
3.7.3 FX 2: Analog Delay ............................................................................................................................ 38
3.7.4 FX 2: Digital Delay .............................................................................................................................. 39
3.7.5 Convolution Reverb .......................................................................................................................... 39
3.7.6 Ensemble ............................................................................................................................................. 41
4 END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT .............................................................................................................. 42
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -4- 1 INTRODUCTION
1 INTRODUCTION
Arturia would like to thank you for purchasing our latest modeling synthesizer, Solina V. We are
confident it will become a valuable addition to your music production studio.
If you’ve purchased our products before, you know we take great pride in recreating the sound
and feel of the original instruments. And then we top it off with 21st century features the products
might have had if the technology had been available at the time!
And if this is the first Arturia product you have owned, it is an excellent way to become
acquainted with our stuff.
The instrument upon which this virtual model is based played an important part in many hit songs
of the 1970s and early 1980s. And naturally it was a perfect fit for the various forms of symphonic
rock that flourished in those days, filling the spot that had previously been held by the mercurial
Mellotron.
Since you obviously appreciate the Solina sound, we thought you might enjoy a brief look
backward at what it took to bring this marvelous instrument to life.
1.1 String theories
In the early days of rock music there were very few options available to the keyboard player in a
band. The nicer clubs would have a grand piano or a Hammond, the not-so-nice ones might
have an upright piano (tuning optional), and the vast majority had nothing at all; if you wanted
to play, you needed to bring something with you.
Unfortunately, the options were limited to electric pianos and portable organs (some more
portable than others). And while those instruments were certainly capable of producing some
great sounds, there was a hole they couldn’t fill: the irreplaceable lushness of a room full of
violins, violas, cellos and contrabasses. There’s something about the sound of these instruments
that can take a sweet love song and turn it into a heart-rending expression of the human
condition.
And it was impractical for studios to hire a small orchestra except for the most important artists.
The average musician could only dream that he might one day hear his music with something
more than basic instrumentation.
So the stage was set for an instrument that would help fill these needs. Thankfully, certain
technological innovations were just around the corner.
1.1.1 Chamberlin and Mellotron
One of the first attempts to solve this problem was a keyboard which traces its roots to the late
1940s, when a gentleman named Harry Chamberlin began experimenting with ways to trigger
strips of magnetic recording tape from an organ-style keyboard. His first device played back prerecorded drum loops, and he followed this with a series of keyboards that would play tapes of
various orchestral instruments. The age of samplers began with analog tapes!
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -5- 1 INTRODUCTION
A bit of industrial drama led to an overlap between the Chamberlin products and their younger,
more famous cousins, the Mellotrons. Suffice it to say that these products were used extensively
by major artists such as the Beatles, the Moody Blues, King Crimson, Genesis, Led Zeppelin and
Yes.
However, their size, unreliability and price tag made them unsuitable for many people. The need
for another solution was building.
1.1.2 Ken Freeman: string synthesist
As a keyboard player in the mid-1960s, Ken Freeman saw first-hand the need for an instrument to
help him reproduce the string arrangements of popular music when his band played live shows.
But a Mellotron was out of the question for most of the reasons already cited.
He discovered through experiments with a Selmer Clavioline and a triple-head delay unit that a
single voice with vibrato could be made to sound like an ensemble with the proper application
of the delay unit’s three LFOs. This discovery fueled his imagination and set in motion the
development of the very first string synthesizer: the Freeman String Symphonizer.
Unfortunately for Mr. Freeman, the alternate skittishness and sluggishness of the companies he
courted for mass-production of his invention actually prevented the Symphonizer from being the
first string synthesizer to make it to marketplace. But he deserves our grateful thanks for his
pioneering work in this area, which spurred the development of dozens of similar products.
1.1.3 Eminent
In 1972 a Dutch company by the name of Eminent Orgelbouw B.V. broadened their product line
with the introduction of the Eminent 310 series of console organs. Their targets at the time were
the home and theater organ markets, which had certainly been kind to them.
But perhaps unexpected was the impact the model 310 home organ would have on the
worldwide music scene within a few years. Their novel approach to the string ensemble issue
caught the attention of an artist by the name of Jean Michel Jarre, who used the Eminent 310
strings for his seminal albums Oxygène and Équinoxe, released in 1976 and 1978, respectively.
Prior to that Eminent must have recognized they had something special on their hands,
something that could stand on its own as a product and also fill a need that had been
simmering in an untapped marketplace for many years. And so in 1974, two years after the initial
introduction of the 310 series organs, the Eminent Solina was born.
The Solina had a 4-octave keyboard and only offered a handful of sounds. But they were
important sounds, ones that had been missing in the minds of many musicians: warm, ensemble
strings that could fill out the sound while the guitarist took a solo; high string lines that could soar
above the song and make it sparkle. And perhaps most importantly, these sounds could be
carried from gig to gig by one person, even though at nearly 50 pounds the Solina was quite
heavy by today’s standards.
But there was still one more step to be taken before the world would be introduced to perhaps
one of the most sought-after vintage keyboards of all time: the ARP String Ensemble.
1.2 The ARP String Ensemble
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -6- 1 INTRODUCTION
It’s no mistake that the Eminent Solina and ARP String Ensemble sound alike: they are the same
keyboard with different labels. ARP had actually been in pursuit of an ensemble synthesizer of
their own design for some time, and for various reasons discontinued their efforts and struck an
agreement with Eminent to “rebadge” their Solina as an ARP product.
ARP was no “new kid on the block,” though, which is probably why the much larger Eminent
agreed to the deal; ARP had already established itself solidly within the synthesizer marketplace
with several impressive products, including the now-legendary Odyssey. And so an unusual
partnership was forged that proved to be a very wise move for both parties.
Note: the first production version of the ARP String Ensemble was actually named the “ARP Model
2100 String Ensemble SE-IV”. But that’s a bit unwieldy, so this manual will gradually transition from
the name “ARP String Ensemble” to “Solina” to give credit where credit is due.
1.2.1 Arrival of the fittest
As mentioned previously, the ARP String Ensemble was not the first ensemble keyboard to reach
the ready hands of keyboard players around the world. But at some point after its release in 1974
it became the standard-bearer for all that followed.
In fact, the String Ensemble has proven not only to be the most popular product ARP ever made,
but also the one with the most identifiable sound. The average person might hear a synth lead
and not know whether it was an ARP, a Bob Moog's creation or an Oberheim, but the ARP String
Ensemble has always benefited from a strong sound identity, easily recognizable. Some other
synths were even sometimes mistaken for a String Ensemble so much it was a sound reference.
Case in point: Jean Michel Jarre’s Oxygène and Équinoxe albums, which were released years
after the ARP String Ensemble hit the streets, used the Eminent 310, not an ARP.
And even though its sound was obviously synthesized, as opposed to the “real” strings provided
by the Mellotron tapes, it had certain advantages that made it the natural selection for
keyboard players around the world: smaller size and weight, no tapes to tune or break, and it
didn’t cost as much as a house.
ARP drove the point home in their marketing materials with statements like “You can hold a
chord until you drop from exhaustion. That certainly beats the eight-second limit found on other
systems.” This was true: the Mellotron tapes were not loops; when a key was pressed they played
for about 8 seconds before reaching the end, and after that they needed to reset their position.
To put things in perspective, that’s 2 bars of 4/4 time at 60 bpm. This forced the keyboard player
to be mindful when voicing chords, so as not to have a crucial note drop out at a bad time. But
the String Ensemble imposed no such limitation.
1.2.2 Form factor
Another great thing the Solina had in its favor were its dimensions, especially the width (38”) and
depth (14.5”). It stacked well on top of other “foundational” keyboards like the Rhodes, Wurlitzer
and Hammond. It also had a sturdy, flat top, so it in turn could be used as a stackable surface for
a smaller synth such as the Odyssey.
So by the time the Solina was packed into its flight case, it took up less room in the tour bus cargo
bay than almost anything else in the keyboard player’s rig. All things taken together, ARP and
Eminent had produced a best-seller.
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -7- 1 INTRODUCTION
1.2.3 A string of spinoffs
It is said that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. In the business world, though, it is an
attempt to eat the other guy’s lunch. The Solina and its siblings held their own for quite a few
years against a slew of competitors, and it is amazing they did as well as they did. Take a look at
just a small sample of what they were up against:
Year ARP model Competition
1973 Logan String Melody I
1974 Solina/SE-IV Crumar Stringman, EKO Stradivarius
1975 Omni Roland RS-101
1976 Godwin String Concert S249, Jen SM2007 String Machine, Roland RS-202
Korg PE-2000
1977 Omni 2 Crumar Orchestrator, Hohner K4 / Stringer (USA) / String Performer (Europe)
Elgam String Ensemble, Logan String Melody II, Multivox MX202
Oberheim Eight-voice
1978 Quadra Farfisa Soundmaker, Roland RS-505
Oberheim OB-1
Sequential Circuits Prophet 5
1979 Quartet* Crumar Performer, Korg Lambda, Roland VP-330, Yamaha SK-10/20/30/50D
Siel Orchestra (*rebadged for ARP as the Quartet)
Oberheim OB-X
1980 Godwin Model 749 String Concert, Korg Trident
Oberheim OB-Xa
1981 Roland Jupiter 8
Note the appearance of the first 8-voice programmable synthesizer in 1977, followed rapidly by
others of varying polyphony but increasing popularity. By 1981 the competition was too fierce,
the research and development costs were too high, and the public interest in ensemble
synthesizers had waned. Sadly, ARP Instruments, Inc. was forced to close its doors.
But its legacy lives on in the 21st century, as synthesizer enthusiasts are once again paying top
dollar for ARP synthesizers, including the Solina String Ensemble. And it is with the utmost respect
for the history of the technology and the music it inspired that we offer to you the Arturia Solina V.
1.2.4 String songs: a selected discography
The Solina string sound has been used to great effect on many albums through the years. Here is
a brief overview:
Dream Weaver – Gary Wright
I’m In You – Peter Frampton
The Grand Illusion – Styx
Come Get It! – Rick James
Thrust – Herbie Hancock
Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -8- 1 INTRODUCTION
Captain Fantastic – Elton John
Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
The Age of Plastic – The Buggles
Premiers Symptômes – Air
We could go on and on; there are literally thousands of recordings where the Solina sound
played a major role. And now with Solina V we hope to see many thousands more!
1.3 Physical modeling synthesis
The process of building a sound usually involves at least one of the following synthesis methods:
Additive, which creates a timbre by adding various waveforms together
Subtractive, in which partials of an audio signal are attenuated by a filter to reduce the
original harmonic content of the sound
Frequency Modulation (FM), where waveforms are used in carrier/modulator relationships
and tuned according to the harmonic series to produce overtones in the carrier waves
Wavetable, which offers a wide selection of digital waveforms and then allows them to
be layered, filtered, and/or used as the crossfade targets of an X/Y controller or a looping
envelope
Sample Playback, where recordings of a sound are triggered by a playback device, and
can be transposed by increasing the playback speed when different pitches are required
Granular, which splits samples into very short “grains” and allows them to be manipulated
through a myriad of playback options, and
Physical modeling. In this method the output waveform is calculated according to a set
of equations and algorithms derived through extensive analysis of a physical sound
source.
1.3.1 Music and math: forever linked
A physical model attempts to codify the laws of physics that govern a particular form of sound
generation. A model typically will have multiple parameters, some of which are constants that
describe the physical materials and dimensions of the instrument, while others are timedependent components representing the player´s interaction with the instrument, such as
plucking a string, pressing a valve, or reducing the pressure of his embouchure, etc.
This idea has been around for a long time, but development has been hindered until recently
because processors that were powerful enough to handle the computational complexity of the
physical models either didn’t exist or were too expensive.
But if you’ve been watching the technological trajectories, you know those days are in the past.
And we’re just as happy about that as you are.
1.3.2 Complex calculations
Here’s an example of what must be taken into account while developing a physical model. To
recreate the sound of a drum, for instance, a formula must be in place to represent all of the
ways the collision between a drum stick and a drum head sends shockwaves through a twodimensional membrane. Among other things, the formula must incorporate:
The properties of the striker: its rigidity, the velocity of the hit, the material, and how/where
the strike happens
The membrane: its mass density, elasticity, woven fabric vs. plastic vs. skin, etc.
The sympathetic resonances of the membrane and the body of the drum
The conditions at the membrane boundaries: is there a rigid termination to the drum´s
body, or are there multiple, independently adjustable pressure points?
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -9- 1 INTRODUCTION
The ancillary and perhaps lingering response of additional components, such as the
snares under a snare drum.
Similar complexities can be found in instruments such as an acoustic guitar. A few years ago, a
French scientist finally completed a comprehensive modeling of all acoustic guitar parameters.
The calculations to produce the sound took three days!
The second-biggest challenge of physical modeling synthesis is to simplify the algorithms
wherever possible without sacrificing the essential nature of the instrument being modeled. The
goal is to achieve an efficient model which can be used interactively, in real time, without
limiting the spontaneous paths a musician may take during a rush of creativity.
1.3.3 No end in sight
There are several methods of physical modeling synthesis, including Karplus-Strong algorithms,
digital waveguide synthesis, and formant synthesis. Each one uses a different paradigm to bring
a modeled sound to its musical fruition.
The main point here is that physical modeling synthesis is capable of recreating the character of
a “real” instrument during performance, including its subtle nuances of expression, while using a
thousand times less hard drive space than the “sampling” method would take to produce an
inferior result.
If that were not amazing enough, it should be mentioned that physical modeling algorithms
have the ability to combine parameters into instruments that have never existed. There is no limit
to the types of sounds that can be produced!
And when you bring together a bunch of music lovers who also have a tremendous grasp of the
applicable laws of physics and the characteristics of electronic circuits, you wind up with Arturia.
And Arturia now offers you our latest marriage of math and music, the Solina V.
May it help you weave the music of your dreams!
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -10- 1 INTRODUCTION
2 ACTIVATION & FIRST START
Solina V works on computers equipped with Windows 7 or 8 and Mac OS X 10.7 or later. You can
use the stand-alone version or use Solina V as an Audio Units, AAX, VST2 or VST3 instrument.
2.1 Register & Activate
Once the Solina V has been installed, the next step is to register the software.
The registration process will require you to enter the serial number and the unlock code you
received with the product.
In order to proceed, go to this web page and follow the instructions:
http://www.arturia.com/register
Note: If you don’t have an Arturia account yet, you will need to create one. The process is quick,
but it does require that you can access your e-mail address during the registration process.
Once you have acquired an Arturia account you will be able to register the product.
2.2 Initial setup
At the top of the Solina V application is a pull-down menu. It houses the MIDI settings and various
sound selection and output options, among other things.
The location of this menu is slightly different for Windows and Macintosh computers, so we’ll
address them separately.
2.2.1 Audio and MIDI settings: Windows
Click on the Setup > Audio MIDI Settings menu:
The next window you’ll see is the same one that appears when the software starts for the first time:
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -11- 2 INSTALLATION & ACTIVATION
Here the pull-down menus and boxes allow you to:
• Select the audio interface
• Set the audio output port
• Set the buffer size
• Set the sample rate
• Play a test tone to check your audio configuration
• Select which MIDI input port(s) will be recognized
2.2.2 Audio and MIDI settings: Mac OS X
The process is similar for Mac OS X. Select Preferences from the Solina V pull-down menu:
Another window will open with options for connecting audio and MIDI interfaces:
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -12- 2 INSTALLATION & ACTIVATION
Mac OS X Audio MIDI Settings window
The above window shows one of several configuration options. The settings indicate the selection
of an Arturia controller as one of the MIDI sources, while the setting “Built-in Output” means the
user will hear the sound of the Solina V through the computer’s speakers as opposed to the
external USB audio interface. If a different configuration is desired, all you need to do is select a
different audio device in the drop-down menu and then check and uncheck the various MIDI
Devices until you have exactly what you need.
Other options enable you to:
choose the memory buffer size (a smaller size will increase the CPU load but will reduce
latency, and vice versa)
choose a sample rate between 44,100 Hz and 192,000 Hz.
You can also play a test tone to make sure the audio interface responds properly. Just click the
“Play Test Tone” button and a simple, clear tone will play. It shuts itself off after one second, so if
you need to hear it again just click the button a second time.
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -13- 2 INSTALLATION & ACTIVATION
3 USER INTERFACE
Solina V has a lot of great features, and in this chapter we’ll make sure you know what each one
does. We think you’ll be amazed at how quickly Solina V provides you with sounds that are
inspiring and perfect for all sorts of projects.
It’s also really easy to work with; just a few tweaks here and there and suddenly you’re in a new
world. That will always be the main focus of every Arturia product: unleashing your creativity.
3.1 Virtual keyboard
The virtual keyboard allows you to play a sound without the need for an external MIDI device; just
click on a virtual key to hear the selected sound. You can also drag the cursor across the keys to
hear a glissando.
The virtual keyboard and basic controls of Solina V
There’s another important feature to mention: if a preset is velocity-sensitive, you can even play
different velocities on the virtual keyboard with your cursor. When you click further back on the
key it will be triggered with a lower velocity, and a forward click will generate a higher velocity.
3.2 The tool bar
Across the top of the Solina V window is a narrow strip known as the tool bar. It houses the
preferences and MIDI settings, various sound selection options, and gives access to advanced
editing functions, among other things.
The Solina V tool bar
We’ll go through each of these functions in the following sections.
3.2.1 Selecting Presets
Naturally one of the first things you’ll want to do is listen to a handful or two of the great presets
Arturia included with Solina V. This is really easy to do.
ARTURIA SOLINA V User Manual -14- 3 USER INTERFACE
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