Dave Smith Instruments PRO 2 User Manual
Operation Manual
Version 1.0
July 2014
Dave Smith Instruments
1527 Stockton Street, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94133
USA
©2014 Dave Smith Instruments
www.davesmithinstruments.com
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian
Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numerique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du
Reglement sur le materiel brouilleur du Canada.
For Technical Support, email: support@davesmithinstruments.com
Table of Contents
Thank You ..........................................vii
Getting Started ........................................1
Sound Banks ...........................................1
Using the Display ........................................2
Using Show, Compare, and Revert Parameter ..................3
Creating a Program from Scratch ............................ 4
Saving Programs ........................................4
Using the Pro 2 in Paraphonic Mode .........................5
Moving to the Next Level ..................................6
Connections ..........................................8
Global Settings ......................................10
Oscillators ..........................................15
Character ...........................................23
Filter 1 & 2 ..........................................24
Filter Envelopes 1 & 2 .................................27
Amplier Envelope ...................................30
Auxiliary Envelopes 4 & 5 ..............................33
Creating Reverb and Modulation-Based Effects ................ 38
Low Frequency Oscillators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Modulation ..........................................44
Using the Assign Mod Buttons .............................45
Arpeggiator .........................................46
Sequencer ..........................................49
Programming the Sequencer ..............................50
Adding Rests, Ties, and Velocity ...........................53
Sequencer Parameters ................................... 56
Master Volume/Voice Volume ...........................60
Distortion ...........................................61
Glide ...............................................62
Pitch and Modulation Wheels ...........................64
Touch Sliders ........................................66
Play List ............................................68
Cue ..................................................69
Misc Parameters .....................................70
Using USB ..........................................72
A Few Tutorials ......................................73
Processing External Audio ................................73
Filtering External Audio Using the Envelope Follower ...........74
Syncing the Sequencer with an External MIDI Device ...........75
Using the Pro 2’s CV Outs to Control a Modular Synth ..........76
Look for More Tutorials Online .............................77
Appendix A:
Modulation Sources ..................................78
Appendix B:
Modulation Destinations ...............................79
Appendix C:
Delay Times (Delays 1-3) ..............................82
Appendix D:
MIDI Implementation ..................................85
MIDI Messages ......................................... 86
NRPN Messages .......................................91
Sysex Messages .......................................132
Packed Data Format .................................... 135
Appendix E: Support .................................136
Troubleshooting .......................................136
Contacting Technical Support .............................137
Warranty Repair .......................................138
Credits and Acknowledgements
Sound Design
Rory Dow
Peter Dyer
Keith Hillebrandt
Kurt Kurasaki
Kevin Lamb
The DSI Crew
Ashley Bellouin, Bob Coover, Carson Day, Chris Hector, Tony Karavidas, Mark Kono,
Andrew McGowan, Joanne McGowan, Tracy Wadley, and Mark Wilcox.
Peter M. Mahr
Tim Mantle
Cord Mueller
Drew Neumann
Bob Oxley
Robert Rich
Matia Simovich
James Terris
Taiho Yamada
Thank You
No doubt about it: It’s an exciting time to be a synth geek. You only have to
look around you to realize that we’re experiencing a renaissance of sorts for
synthesizers. From stompboxes to modulars, synths are here in a very big way.
With the current demand for all things analog, I’ve been asked many times if I would
ever consider reissuing the Pro-One monosynth. My response has always been the
same: “You’ve got to keep moving forward.” The simple truth is, I’m happiest
creating new instruments—synths that put more power and better sounds into the
hands of musicians with every iteration.
But actions speak louder than words, so here’s the last one on that particular
subject: the Pro 2. It’s light years beyond the Pro-One in every way and is the
culmination of my many years designing synthesizers. It’s also the deepest and
most powerful monosynth I’ve ever created, so it should keep you busy exploring
the outer limits of sound for quite some time.
I really hope you enjoy playing it as much as we enjoyed designing it.
Thanks for the purchase, from all of us here at DSI!
Cheers,
Getting Started
The Pro 2 is a monophonic synthesizer with the added capability of
paraphonic operation. This means that while it was designed primarily
with single-note operation in mind, you can actually play up to four notes
simultaneously if you enable this feature. The Pro 2 uses a combination
of digital and analog audio electronics to generate its sounds, making it
a hybrid synthesizer. This allows us to design a tremendous amount of
power and versatility into a very compact instrument. In fact, the Pro 2
offers so much exibility that it rivals many modular synthesizers.
You can nd in-depth information about each of the Pro 2’s parameters
in the Reference section of this manual. But don’t hesitate to dive right
in and start turning knobs and pressing buttons before you begin reading. You won’t break anything and you can always get back to where you
started, even if you have no idea what you’re doing. So start exploring
and keep your ears and mind open!
Sound Banks
The Pro 2 contains 792 programs organized into 8 banks of 99 sounds.
Half of its programs are in 4 Factory banks and the rest are in 4 User
banks. The Factory banks are permanent. The User banks can be overwritten. You can edit programs in either bank, but you can only save
them to the User bank.
program number
(program 1)
bank type/number
(user bank 1)
Misc
Params
P1
U1
Show
Revert
Param
Basic Sound
Pro 2 Operation Manual
program name
(”Basic Sound”)
Write
Compare
Global
Program
selects banks
U1-4 (user)
and F5-8 (factory)
Bank
Select
Program
Select
selects
programs
1-99
Getting Started
1
To choose a program:
soft knob 1
soft knob 2 soft knob 3 soft knob 4
1. Turn the Bank Select knob to choose a bank (“U” indicates a User
bank; “F” indicates Factory).
2. Turn the Program Select knob to choose a program number.
3. Play the keyboard to audition the sound.
If you tweak any knobs or switches, the display will switch to a parameter display
screen. You can always continue choosing programs with the program select knob.
Using the Display
The Pro 2’s main parameters are accessible through its front panel knobs
and switches, but there are many additional parameters (as well as
numeric display of values) accessible through the OLED display.
For example, adjusting a knob or switch in the Oscillator section reveals
the value of that parameter in the display. The display also reveals additional oscillator parameters not found on the front panel. You can select
and edit these additional parameters using the four soft knobs and soft
keys located above and below the display.
The soft knobs are detented encoders that are useful for dialing in values
with precision. The soft keys select between various tabs.
Write
Misc
Params
Show
Revert
Param
2 Getting Started
Glide Mode Retrigger Gate Source Key Assign
FixRate A On Keyboard Paraphonic
GLIDE MODE RETRIGGER GATE SOURCE KEY ASSIGN
Key Modes
soft key 1 soft key 2 soft key 3 soft key 4
Pitch Wheel
Compare
Global
Program
Dave Smith Instruments
Using Show, Compare, and Revert Parameter
Any time you turn a front panel knob or press a switch, the value of
that parameter will appear in the OLED display. Often you will want to
inspect the value of a parameter without actually turning a knob (which
changes the parameter value).
To show a parameter value without changing it:
1. Hold down the Show button and turn a knob or press a switch. The
current value of the parameter appears in the display.
2. To inspect multiple parameter settings, press the Show button once to
turn it on. Adjust as many knobs or switches as you want to see their
current settings. When you’re nished, press the Show button again to
turn it off.
Hold down the show button and move the pitch wheel to see its bend range
settings.
It’s often useful while editing a program to compare its current edited
state to its original saved version.
To compare an edited program to its original saved version:
• Press the compare button and play the keyboard to hear the original version of the program. To return to the edited version, press the
compare button again to turn it off.
It is also useful to revert a single parameter to its original setting.
To revert a parameter to its original saved state:
• Press and hold the revert param button. Turn a parameter knob.
Release the revert param button. The parameter is restored to its saved
value.
Pro 2 Operation Manual
Getting Started
3
Creating a Program from Scratch
Many sound designers use an existing program as a jumping off point
for new sounds. But it’s often equally useful to create a new sound from
scratch. The Pro 2 makes this easy by providing a “Basic Program” in
its Global menu. This preset is very simple, with a single oscillator as its
basis, and has only basic modulation routings set up.
To use the Basic Program:
1. Press the global button.
2. Turn soft knob 1 to menu item 31: “Basic Program.”
3. Press Soft Key 1 to execute the write now command.
4. Start twiddling knobs to create something new. Don’t forget to save
your program (see below).
Saving Programs
If you’ve created or edited a sound that you like, you will want to save
it. Saving a program overwrites a previously saved program. Sound
designers often save dozens of incremental versions of a program as they
continue to rene it. These intermediate versions often make good jumping off points for new sounds.
Before saving a sound to a chosen Bank or Program location, you can preview
the program currently at that destination by pressing the compare button. This is a very
useful way to decide whether or not to overwrite an existing sound with a new one.
To save a program:
1. Press the write button.
2. Turn the Bank Select knob (or soft knob 1) to choose a User bank (“U”
indicates a User bank; “F” indicates a non-overwritable Factory bank).
3. Turn the Program Select knob (or soft knob 2) to select a program
number within the chosen User bank.
4. Enter a name for the program using the appropriate Soft knobs and Soft
keys (see the illustration below for their functions).
5. Press the write button a second time. The program is saved.
4 Getting Started
Dave Smith Instruments
select bank
select program select character edit character
press to save
Write
Write Bank Write Prog Select Char Edit Char
asic Sound
Writing to Bank:1 Program:41 A:
Hit ‘Write’ to Save Prog
insert character delete character
B
Key AssignInsert Char Delete Char
Compare
Global
Program
Sometimes you may want to cancel saving a program before you
commit.
To cancel the save process before you commit:
• Press the program button. You can return to editing if you want.
Using the Pro 2 in Paraphonic Mode
The Pro 2 was designed primarily as a monophonic instrument. But we
added a 4-voice paraphonic playback mode for extra performance power.
In this mode, the four main oscillators can be triggered independently,
each with its own envelope. The two lters are shared in common
between the four oscillators. This effectively gives you the ability to play
chords of up to 4 notes.
For full 4-note paraphony, make sure that a waveshape is selected for each
oscillator. Each oscillator is triggered with an envelope set by the VCA shape. Set the
output level of the oscillators in this mode using the quad level parameter. To access this
parameter, turn the oscillator 1 sub octave knob on the front panel.
Sub Osc Quad Level Attack Release
ENVELOPE FOLLOWER
80
SUB OSC
Sub Osc
Pro 2 Operation Manual
99
QUAD LEVEL
Ext Input Air/Girth Char FX
25
ATTACK
40
RELEASE
Getting Started
5
To enable 4-voice paraphonic playback:
1. Press the miSc paramS button.
2. Press soft key 1 to select the key modeS tab.
3. Turn soft knob 4 (key aSSign) to paraphonic.
4. Play some chords.
With clever programming you can create some very rich sounds that work well in
paraphonic mode. Add a bit of pulse width modulation or chorused delay and surprisingly
lush string and pad sounds are easily within reach.
Moving to the Next Level
The Pro 2 is a deep instrument lled with nearly limitless possibilities
for sound creation. Although we realize that you’d rather spend your
time exploring its capabilities, we’d like to quickly point you toward a
few things that will help you tailor the instrument to your needs.
First, check out the Global Settings section of this manual. Read about
Pot Modes and determine which works best for you. You’ll also nd
information about MIDI setup. Read this to more effectively integrate the
Pro 2 into your rig. To get the most out of the Pro 2’s live performance
capabilities, read up on using a footswitch or expression pedal.
And nally, be on the lookout for tips and notes scattered throughout this
manual to gain a better working knowledge of the Pro 2. The better you
know your instrument, the more you’ll get out of it. We wish you many
hours of musical exploration!
6 Getting Started
Dave Smith Instruments
Pro 2 Operation Manual
Getting Started
7
Connections
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Footswitch
MIDI In
MIDI Out
MIDI Thru/
Out 2
100-240 VAC
50-60 Hz
30 Watts
1 2
USB
1. AC Power Connector—Accepts a standard, grounded IEC power
cord. Operates over a range of 100 to 240 volts and 50 to 60 Hz.
2. USB—For bidirectional MIDI communication with a computer. The
Pro 2 is a Class Compliant USB device and does not require additional
drivers when used with Mac OS or Windows. See Using USB on page
72 for more information.
3. MIDI In, Out, and Thru/Out 2—Standard 5-pin MIDI DIN connectors.
The MIDI Thru/Out 2 jack can function as either a standard MIDI Thru or as a
second MIDI output. To choose the functionality you want, press the global button and
scroll to item 12: midi port 2 thru/out and select the desired option.
4. Footswitch—Accepts a momentary, normally open or normally
closed footswitch to control sustain or to turn the arpeggiator on and off.
See “Footswitch” under Global Settings on page 12 for more information.
5. Pedal—Accepts a standard expression pedal that has a variable resis-
tor on a TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) ¼ inch phone plug. For more information,
see “Pedal Function” in Global Settings on page 10.
8 Connections
Dave Smith Instruments
MIDI In
MIDI Out
MIDI Thru/
Out 2
Pedal Right
Footswitch
CV In
1
2 3 4 1
CV Out
2 3 4
Gate
Out
Audio Out
Audio In Headphones
Left
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6. Control Voltage Ins and Outs 1-4—Standard ⅛ inch TS connectors.
These jacks input and output a scalable 1-volt-per-octave signal for
interfacing with modular synthesizers and other gear that recognize this
standard.
7. Gate Out—Standard ⅛ inch TS connector. This jack outputs a 10 volt
on/off signal for triggering external sequencers and other devices that
support this type of connectivity.
8. Audio In—Unbalanced, ¼ inch audio input. The Pro 2 accepts exter-
nal audio signals for processing through this connector. Input level can
be adjusted using the ext. input level knob in the Oscillators section.
9. Audio Outputs—Unbalanced, ¼ inch audio outputs. The Pro 2 sounds
great in stereo, but can be switched to mono if needed. See “Mono/
Stereo” in Global Settings on page 11.
10. Headphones—A ¼ inch stereo headphone jack.
Pro 2 Operation Manual
Connections
9
Global Settings
Press the global button to set parameters such as Master Tune and MIDI
Channel that affect all programs globally.
1. Master Coarse Tune: -12…+12—Master Transpose control, 0 is
centered. Steps in semitones up to one octave up (+12) or down (-12).
2. Master Fine Tune: -50…+50—Master Fine Tune control; 0 centered.
Steps in cents as much as a quarter-tone up (+50) or down (-50).
3. MIDI Channel: All, 1…16—Selects which MIDI channel to send and
receive data, 1 to 16. All receives on all 16 channels.
4. MIDI Clock Mode: Sets the Pro 2’s ability to send and receive MIDI
clock messages:
• Off: MIDI Clock is neither sent nor received
• Master: MIDI Clock is sent, but not received.
• Slave: MIDI Clock is received, but not sent.
• Slave Thru: MIDI Clock is received and passed to MIDI Out
In Slave and Slave Thru modes, if no MIDI clock is present at the selected
input, the arpeggiator and sequencer will not function.
5. MIDI Clock Cable: MIDI Port, USB—Sets the port, MIDI or USB, by
which MIDI clocks are received.
6. MIDI Param Send: Off, CC, NRPN—Changes to the values of front
panel controls are transmitted via MIDI as Non-registered Parameter
Number (NRPN) controllers or as Continuous Controllers (CC). Transmission of parameters can also be turned off. See MIDI Implementation
on page 85 for details.
NRPNs are the preferred method of parameter transmission, since they cover
the complete range of all parameters, while CCs are limited to a range of 128.
7. MIDI Param Receive: Off, CC, NRPN—Sets the method by which
parameter changes are received via MIDI. As with transmission, NRPNs
are the preferred method.
10 Global Settings
Dave Smith Instruments
8. MIDI Control Enable: Off, On—When On, the synth will respond to
MIDI controllers, including Pitch Wheel, Mod Wheel, Pedal, Breath,
Volume, and Expression.
9. MIDI Sysex Enable: Off, On—When On, the synth will respond to
received MIDI SysEx messages, and will transmit them, when prompted,
to the MIDI Out. See Sysex Messages on page 132 for details.
10. MIDI Sysex Cable: None, MIDI Port, USB—Sets the port, MIDI or
USB, by which System Exclusive data will be transmitted and received.
11. MIDI Out Select: Off, MIDI, USB, MIDI+USB—Sets the port by which
MIDI data will be transmitted.
12. MIDI Port 2 Thru/Out:
Out, Thru—Selects whether the midi thru/out
2 port outputs a second, user-selectable MIDI channel or outputs the MIDI
data received on the MIDI In port.
13. Local Control: Off, On—When on (the default), the keyboard and
front panel controls directly affect the Pro 2. When off, the controls are
transmitted via MIDI but do not directly affect the “local” synth (that is,
the Pro 2). This is primarily useful for avoiding MIDI data loops that can
occur with some external sequencers.
14. Mono/Stereo: Stereo, Mono—The Pro 2 defaults to stereo operation.
When set to Mono, this parameter defeats all pan settings and modulation, effectively making each of the outputs a mono output.
15. Pot Mode:
panel are a mixture of “endless” rotary encoders and potentiometers
front
Relative, Passthru, Jump—The rotary controls on the Pro 2’s
or “pots.” The pots are identiable by their lined knobs and the fact that
they have about 300° of travel. There are three pot modes to determine
how the synth reacts when the programmable parameters are edited.
(Master volume is not programmable, so these modes don’t apply.)
When set to Relative, changes are relative to the stored setting. In Relative mode,
the full value range is not available until either the minimum or maximum value
and the respective lower or upper limit of the pot’s travel is reached.
Pro 2 Operation Manual
Global Settings
11
For example, the Resonance parameter has a value range of 0 to 127.
Let’s say the physical position of the Resonance pot is the equivalent of
a value of 100. If you switch to a program that has a stored Resonance
setting of 63 and turn the pot all the way up, it will only go to 90. To get
to the maximum value of 127, you rst have to turn down until the value is
at the other extreme and the pot is at the limit of its travel (in this case, 0
and fully counter-clockwise, respectively).
In Passthru mode, turning the pot has no effect until after the edited value
equals the preset value (that is, until the edited value “passes through”
the stored value).
Jump mode uses an absolute value based upon the position of the pot
when edited: turn a pot and the value jumps immediately from the stored
value to the edited value.
16. Footswitch Polarity: Normal, Reversed—There are two types of
momentary footswitches, normally open and normally closed. Either
type can be used with the Pro 2’s Sustain switch input. Not sure which
type you have? If the behavior of the footswitch is the opposite of what
is expected—that is, down is off and up is on—changing this setting will
correct that.
17. Footswitch Function: Sustain, Arp Hold On/Off—The footswitch can
be used for sustain or to turn arpeggiator hold on and off.
18. Pedal Polarity: Normal, Reversed—This allows you to accommo-
date certain models of expression pedals that behave in a way that is the
opposite of what you might expect due to their polarity. (Pressing down
on the pedal decreases rather than increases modulation, for example.) If
this is the case with your expression pedal, choose the appropriate setting
to correct it.
19. Pedal Function: Breath Control, Foot Controller, Expression, Master
Volume, Filter 1+2: Full Range, Filter 1+2 Filter: Half Range—Sets the
function/destination for the Pedal 1 input. An expression pedal can be
routed to any destination using the modulation matrix. See Modulation
on page 44 for more information.
20. Aftertouch Enable: Off, On—When on, the Pro 2 will receive and
transmit aftertouch data via MIDI.
12 Global Settings
Dave Smith Instruments
21. Aftertouch Curve: Curve 1, Curve 2, Curve 3, Curve 4—Sets one
of four pressure curves for the keyboard to adjust the aftertouch to your
playing style.
22. Velocity Curve:—Curve 1, Curve 2, Curve 3, Curve 4—Sets one of
the four velocity curves for the keyboard to adjust the velocity response
to your playing style.
23. CV 1 In Scale: -127…+128—Allows adjustment of the input scale of
control voltage input 1.
The Pro 2’s oscillators can both drive and be driven by control voltages.
Because the electronics in any device are rarely perfect, CV In and Out scaling allows
you to make slight adjustments so that the Pro 2 and any connected CV devices are in
tune with each other.
24. CV 2 In Scale: -127…+128—Allows adjustment of the input scale of
control voltage input 2.
25. CV 3 In Scale: -127…+128—Allows adjustment of the input scale of
control voltage input 3.
26. CV 4 In Scale: -127…+128—Allows adjustment of the input scale of
control voltage input 4.
27. CV 1 Out Scale: -127…+128—Allows adjustment of the output scale
of control voltage output 1.
28. CV 2 Out Scale: -127…+128—Allows adjustment of the output scale
of control voltage output 2.
29. CV 3 Out Scale: -127…+128—Allows adjustment of the output scale
of control voltage output 3.
30. CV 4 Out Scale: -127…+128—Allows adjustment of the output scale
of control voltage output 4.
31. Basic Program—Press Write Now (soft key 1) to load a basic,
template program into the edit buffer. Use write to permanently save to
memory.
Pro 2 Operation Manual
Global Settings
13
32. Calibrate Sliders—Press Start Cal (soft key 1) and follow the
onscreen instructions to calibrate the sliders.
33. Calibrate Wheels—Press Start Cal (soft key 1) and follow the
onscreen instructions to calibrate the wheels.
34. Autotune Filters—Press Start Tuning (soft key 1) and follow the
onscreen instructions to tune lters 1 and 2.
The sliders, wheels, and lters are calibrated at the factory and under normal
circumstances should not require re-calibration or re-tuning.
35. Reset Globals—Sets the global parameters to the factory default
settings.
36. Dump Current Program—Transmits the current program in SysEx
format via the selected MIDI port. (See “9. MIDI Sysex Cable.”)
Dumped programs will load back into the same bank and program location in memory when received by the Pro 2 via MIDI.
37. Dump Current Bank—Transmits the current bank in SysEx format
via the selected MIDI port. (See item 10, “MIDI Sysex Cable.”) Dumped
banks will load back into the same bank location in memory when
received by the Pro 2 via MIDI.
38. Dump All User Banks—Transmits all four User Banks in SysEx
format via the selected MIDI port. (See item 10, “MIDI Sysex Cable.”)
Dumped banks will load back into the same bank location in memory
when received by the Pro 2 via MIDI.
14 Global Settings
Dave Smith Instruments
Oscillators
Oscillators provide the raw building blocks of a synthesizer’s sound by
producing waveforms, each of which has its own inherent sound character based on its harmonic content. The Pro 2 has four oscillators (plus
a sub oscillator for oscillator 1). These are capable of generating classic analog waveforms (sine, triangle, sawtooth, square) as well as more
complex wavetable-derived wave shapes, different types of noise, and
super waves, which are stacked, detuned versions of the wave shapes.
Oscillator buttons 1-4 select an individual oscillator for editing.
To edit the same parameter on all 4 oscillators simultaneously, press and
briey hold one of the oscillator select buttons. In this state, you can also use the soft
knobs in the OLED display to individually edit the same parameter on each oscillator.
To exit this mode, press any oscillator button.
OSCILLATORS
1
2
Pitch Shape/Noise
3
Sync Character
Output
Level
Ext Input
Level
4
Fine Shape Mod/
Pulse Width
Glide
Amount
Oscillator 1
Sub Octave
In addition to the front panel controls, there are several parameters, such
as fm amount, am amount, wave left and wave right that are accessed
through the soft knobs and switches.
Shape Shape Mod
10
Sawtooth
Osc Shape
Pro 2 Operation Manual
SHAPE MOD WAVE LEFT WAVE RIGHT
Osc Tuning Osc Mods Osc Level
Tines Nasal
Oscillators
15
Pitch Fine Tune Wave Reset Key Follow
C2
PITCH WAVE RESET KEY FOLLOW
Osc Shape Osc Tuning
FM Amount AM Amount Glide Osc Slop
5
FM AMOUNT
Osc Shape Osc Tuning Osc Mods
Level Sync
O
FINE TUNE
O
AM AMOUNT
Osc Mods Osc Level
20
GLIDE
0
OSC SLOP
Osc Level
100
LEVEL
Osc Shape Osc Tuning Osc Mods Osc Level
Pitch: C 0…C 10—Sets the base oscillator frequency over a 10-octave
range, from 8 Hz to 8KHz, stepping in semitones. C3 is middle C, the rst
octave is 0 (C0, C#0, etc.), the second octave is 1 (C1, C#1, etc.), and so on.
SYNC
The global Master Tune settings affect the pitch of all oscillators. See Global
Settings on page 10 for more information.
Fine: -50…+50—Fine tune control with a range of a quartertone up or
down. Zero is centered. Steps are in cents (50 cents = 1/2 semitone).
Shape/Noise: Off, Sawtooth, Super Saw, Pulse, Triangle, Sine, Tines,
Mellow, Church, Muted, Nasal, Boing, Gothic, Ahhh, Shrill, Ohhhh,
Buzzzz, Meh, Super Tines, Super Mellow, Super Church, Super Muted,
Super Nasal, Super Boing, Super Gothic, Super Ahhh, Super Shrill,
Super Ohhhh, Super Buzzzz, Super Meh, Red Noise, White Noise, Violet
Noise—Used to select the wave shape or type of noise generated by the
selected oscillator. Wave shapes include four typical analog synthesizer
waves as well as more complex wavetable sounds. There are also three
types of noise: red, white, and violet.
16 Oscillators
Dave Smith Instruments
Shape Mod/Pulse Width: -64…0…63—Causes the wave shape to be
altered. How it changes depends upon the selected shape. A setting of 0
is the default, unaffected shape.
When Sawtooth is the selected shape,
Shape mod/pulSe width controls
the symmetry of the wave, similar to pulse width on the Pulse wave.
Shape mod/pulSe width affeccts the pulse width or duty cycle of the
Pulse wave.
-64 63
0
Pulse Width
When Triangle is the selected shape, the width of the wave is changed,
similar to Pulse and Sawtooth, adding harmonics and getting more thin
sounding when turned in either direction from 0.
With Sine as the selected shape, values less than 0 gradually add another
sine an octave higher than the base pitch. Values greater than 0 cause
the sine wave to gradually be clipped, adding harmonics and sounding
somewhat distorted.
For the wavetable shapes,
Shape mod/pulSe width crossfades between
the selected shape and the Wave Left and Wave Right selections. Let’s
say, for example, that the selected wave shape is Mellow, Wave Left is
set to Tines, and Wave Right is set to Nasal. A Shape mod/pulSe width
setting of -64 will be the Tines wave, 0 will be Mellow, and +63 will
be Nasal. Values between -64 and 0 will be a mix of Tines and Mellow;
values between 0 and +63 will be a mix of Mellow and Nasal.
A broad variety of hybrid wave shapes can be created by mixing two
of the wavetable shapes.
Shape mod/pulSe width is also a modulation
destination, so an LFO or other modulation source can be routed to it.
Note that the algorithm used to mix the waves is not simply a mix. If all
three are set to the same wave, there will still be a noticeable difference
in the sound as Shape Mod changes.
Pro 2 Operation Manual
Oscillators
17
Shape mod/pulSe width also works when noise is the selected shape.
With a Shape Mod value of 0, the displayed noise type is what is heard.
Values less than 0 gradually cause it to change to a second noise type.
Values greater than 64 cause it to change to a third noise type. The left
and right noise sources are xed. Try it. It’s much easier to hear than to
explain! The display also provides a visual indication of the change.
Wave Left, Wave Right—(In the osc shape tab in the OLED display)
Sets the wavetable shapes used in conjunction with the
w
idth parameter. Wave Left and Wave Right are only active when one
Shape mod/pulSe
of the twelve wavetables is selected as the primary oscillator shape. See
“Shape Mod/Pulse Width” for more information.
Output Level: 0…127—Sets the output level for each of the oscillators.
When using three or four oscillators, it may be necessary to reduce the levels of
each to avoid clipping.
Glide Amount: 0...127—Sets the oscillator glide (portamento) amount.
Glide can be set independently for each oscillator. Low values are
shorter/faster. The
glide switch must be on to hear the effect of glide
amount. For a detailed explanation, see Glide on page 62.
To set glide amount for all oscillators simultaneously, press and briey hold any
of the oscillator select buttons until all of them are lit. Then adjust glide amount. Press
any oscillator select button to exit.
Ext Input Level: 0…127—Controls the volume level of any signal
connected to the
connecting low-level output devices such as guitars use the
input gain control (see below) to boost their gain if necessary. If nothing is
audio in jack on the rear panel of the Pro 2. When
external
connected to the audio in jack, the ext input level control functions as a
feedback path and feeds the Pro 2’s audio back into itself. Turning it up
can yield interesting results.
Ext Input Gain: 0…127—(In the ext input tab in the OLED display)
Boosts the input level of any signal connected to the
audio in connector
on the rear panel of the Pro 2. This is useful for increasing the gain of
low-level output devices such as guitars.
18 Oscillators
Dave Smith Instruments
Threshold: 0…127—(In the ext input tab in the OLED display) Sets the
threshold above which external input signals will trigger the Pro 2’s Gate
and envelope follower. Triggering these from an external input allows
you to drive the Pro 2’s envelopes, sequencer steps, and more with
guitars, drum machines and so on.
Oscillator 1 Sub Octave: 0…127—(In the Sub oSc tab) Controls the
level of a sine wave oscillator pitched one octave below oscillator 1.
Because a sine wave has few harmonics and is mainly characterized by
its fundamental frequency, adding a sub octave to sounds such as bass are
a great way to increase their low-register presence.
Sub Osc Quad Level Attack Release
ENVELOPE FOLLOWER
80
SUB OSC
Sub Osc
Quad Level: 0…127—(In the Sub oSc tab) Access this parameter by
99
QUAD LEVEL
Ext Input Air/Girth Char FX
25
ATTACK
40
RELEASE
turning the oSc 1 Sub octave knob. Controls the overall output level of a
paraphonic program.
(Envelope Follower) Attack: 0…127—(In the Sub oSc tab) Access this
parameter by turning the oSc 1 Sub octave knob. Sets the attack speed of
the envelope follower.
(Envelope Follower) Release: 0…127—(In the Sub oSc tab) Access this
parameter by turning the oSc 1 Sub octave knob. Sets the release speed of
the envelope follower.
Sync: Off, On—Turns oscillator hard sync on. Sync utilizes pairs of
oscillators to force one oscillator (the slave) to restart its cycle every time
the other oscillator (the master) starts a cycle. This provides a way to
create more complex, harmonically rich shapes from simple waveforms.
Pro 2 Operation Manual
Oscillators
19
Oscillator 1
Oscillator 2
Oscillator 1
synced to
Oscillator 2
The following table shows how the oscillators are paired.
Master
Osc
2
3
4
1
controls
Slave
Osc
1
2
3
4
The effect of Sync is much more easily heard than explained. Here’s a
simple example of how to use Sync.
1. Load the Basic Program from the Global menu. Oscillator 1 Shape is
set to sawtooth and oscillators 2, 3, and 4 are off.
2. With oscillator 1 selected, press the Sync button to turn oscillator 1 sync
on.
3. Now turn oscillator 1 pitch while playing the keyboard.
The harmonic content changes, but not the fundamental pitch.
Now select oscillator 2 and do the same thing while turning oscillator 2 pitch. (Remember: only oscillator 1 should actually be audible.)
The fundamental pitch changes, but the harmonic content is relatively
consistent. Oscillator 2 is the master and oscillator 1 is the slave.
Use glide, an envelope generator, an LFO, the mod wheel, or other modulation
source to sweep the pitch of a slave oscillator.
Of course, each of the four oscillators can be synced, so it’s possible to
have two pairs of synced oscillators or to sync oscillators in series (an
oscillator synced to a synced oscillator, synced to a synced oscillator…).
20 Oscillators
Dave Smith Instruments
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