Elektron Analog Four User Manual
FCC compliance statement
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.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in
a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
European Union regulation compliance statement
This product has been tested to comply with the Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC and the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 2004/108/EC. The product meets the requirements of RoHS 2 Directive 2011/65/EU.
This symbol indicates that your product must be disposed of properly according to local laws and regulations.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Carefully read these instructions and save them for future reference.
When using electric products, basic instructions must be followed, including the following:
Do not use this unit near water.
1.
2. Never use any aggressive cleaners on the casing or the LCD
overlay. Remove dust, dirt and fingerprints with a soft, dry
and non-abrasive cloth. More persistent dirt can be removed
with a slightly damp cloth using only water. Disconnect all
cables while doing this. Only reconnect them once the unit is
safely dry.
3. To avoid scratches or damage, never use sharp objects near
the display. Also avoid applying any pressure to the display
itself.
4. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Make sure you place the unit on a stable surface before use.
5. Connect to an easily accessible power outlet close to the
unit.
6. In the EU, only use CE approved power cords.
7. When transporting the unit, preferably use accessories rec-
ommended by the manufacturer or the box and padding the
unit originally shipped with.
10. This product, by itself or in combination with amplifiers,
headphones or speakers, is capable of producing sound levels that may cause permanent hearing loss. Do not operate
for a long period of time at a high volume level or at a level
that is uncomfortable.
11. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched par-
ticularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the unit.
12. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufac-
turer.
13. Unplug this unit during lightning storms or when unused for
long periods of time.
14. Refer all servicing to qualified service technicians. Servicing
is required when the unit has been damaged in any way,
such as liquid having been spilled or objects have fallen into
the unit, the unit has been exposed to rain or moisture, does
not operate normally, or has been dropped.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat
registers, stoves, or any other equipment (including amplifiers) producing heat.
9. Make sure there is sufficient air circulation in the room where
the unit is kept.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of fire, electrical shock or product damage:
• Do not expose the unit to rain, moisture, dripping or splashing and also avoid placing objects filled with liquid, such as vases, on the
unit.
• Do not expose the unit to direct sunlight, nor use it in ambient temperatures exceeding 40°C.
• Do not unmount the enclosure. There are no user repairable or adjustable parts inside. Leave service and repairs to trained service
personnel only.
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................1
CONVENTIONS IN THIS MANUAL........................................................................................................ 1
THE BACKGROUND OF ANALOG KEYS .....................................................................2
PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS...........................................................................3
FRONT PANEL....................................................................................................................................... 3
REAR CONNECTORS ........................................................................................................................... 5
CONNECTING THE UNIT ...................................................................................................................... 5
ANALOG KEYS SIGNAL PATH ......................................................................................6
ABOUT THE COMPONENTS................................................................................................................. 6
COMMENTS ON THE SIGNAL PATH ............................................................................................... 6
ABOUT THE OSCILLATORS AND FILTERS .................................................................................... 6
OVERVIEW OF THE ANALOG KEYS STRUCTURE .....................................................7
+DRIVE................................................................................................................................................... 7
DATA STRUCTURE................................................................................................................................ 7
PROJECT .......................................................................................................................................... 7
KIT ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
SOUND.............................................................................................................................................. 7
BANK ................................................................................................................................................. 8
PATTERN........................................................................................................................................... 8
SONG ................................................................................................................................................ 8
CHAINS ............................................................................................................................................. 8
GLOBAL ............................................................................................................................................ 8
ABOUT THE TRACK TYPES ................................................................................................................. 8
THE SYNTH TRACKS....................................................................................................................... 8
THE FX TRACK................................................................................................................................. 8
THE CV TRACK ................................................................................................................................ 8
EDITING THE TRACKS .................................................................................................................... 8
THE USER INTERFACE..................................................................................................9
PARAMETER EDITING .......................................................................................................................... 9
QUICK PARAMETER EDITING.........................................................................................................9
PARAMETER VALUE JUMP ............................................................................................................. 9
QUICK SCROLLING............................................................................................................................. 10
COPY, CLEAR AND PASTE ................................................................................................................. 10
ONE-HANDED OPERATION................................................................................................................ 10
THE NAMING MENU............................................................................................................................ 10
POP-UP MENU NAMING ................................................................................................................ 10
QUICK START ...............................................................................................................11
PLAYING THE FACTORY PRESETS....................................................................................................11
PERFORMANCE MODE ..................................................................................................................11
ADJUSTING PARAMETERS............................................................................................................11
KEYBOARD CONTROL ................................................................................................12
THE KEYBOARD.................................................................................................................................. 12
JOYSTICK ............................................................................................................................................ 12
OCTAVE SHIFT .................................................................................................................................... 12
KEYBOARD MODE KEYS ................................................................................................................... 12
MULTI MAP MODE.......................................................................................................................... 12
EXTERNAL KEYBOARD MODE ..................................................................................................... 13
HOLD MODE ................................................................................................................................... 13
PROJECTS ....................................................................................................................14
PROJECT MENU ................................................................................................................................. 14
1 of 4
KITS AND SOUNDS...................................................................................................... 16
THE +DRIVE SOUND LIBRARY AND THE SOUND POOL................................................................. 16
KIT MENU............................................................................................................................................. 17
PERFORMANCE MODE ...................................................................................................................... 18
PERFORMANCE SETUP ................................................................................................................ 18
PERFORMANCE MUTE.................................................................................................................. 19
PERFORMANCE MIXER................................................................................................................. 19
POLYPHONY........................................................................................................................................ 20
POLYPHONY CONFIGURATION.................................................................................................... 20
VOICE ROUTING ............................................................................................................................ 21
SOUND MENU ..................................................................................................................................... 24
PLAYING A SOUND ............................................................................................................................. 28
PLAYING A SOUND WITH AN EXTERNAL MIDI KEYBOARD ...................................................... 28
EDITING A SOUND .............................................................................................................................. 28
EDITING THE FX AND CV TRACKS ................................................................................................... 29
THE FX TRACK ............................................................................................................................... 29
THE CV TRACK............................................................................................................................... 29
TRACK MUTING................................................................................................................................... 29
THE SEQUENCER ........................................................................................................ 30
BASIC PATTERN OPERATIONS.......................................................................................................... 30
SELECTING A PATTERN................................................................................................................ 30
PATTERN CONTROL ...................................................................................................................... 30
TEMPO ............................................................................................................................................ 31
PATTERN MODES................................................................................................................................ 31
EDITING A PATTERN........................................................................................................................... 31
TRIG TYPES.................................................................................................................................... 32
GRID RECORDING MODE .............................................................................................................32
LIVE RECORDING MODE .............................................................................................................. 32
TRACK MENU ...................................................................................................................................... 33
PATTERN MENU .................................................................................................................................. 33
ARPEGGIATOR .................................................................................................................................... 34
ARPEGGIATOR SETUP.................................................................................................................. 35
NOTE MENU ........................................................................................................................................ 35
NOTES SETUP................................................................................................................................ 36
CLICK TRACK ...................................................................................................................................... 37
SCALE MENU....................................................................................................................................... 37
NORMAL MODE.............................................................................................................................. 37
ADVANCED MODE ......................................................................................................................... 38
SEQUENCER FEATURES ................................................................................................................... 38
PARAMETER LOCKS...................................................................................................................... 38
SOUND LOCKS............................................................................................................................... 39
TRIG MUTE ..................................................................................................................................... 39
ACCENT .......................................................................................................................................... 40
NOTE SLIDE.................................................................................................................................... 40
PARAMETER SLIDE ....................................................................................................................... 41
SWING............................................................................................................................................. 41
TRACK TRANSPOSE...................................................................................................................... 41
DESTRUCTIVE TRANSPOSE ........................................................................................................ 42
COPY, PASTE AND CLEAR OPERATIONS.................................................................................... 42
QUICK SAVE AND RELOAD COMMANDS .................................................................................... 42
.............................................................................................................................................................. 43
CHAINS AND SONGS................................................................................................... 44
CHAINS ................................................................................................................................................ 44
2 of 4
SONGS ................................................................................................................................................. 45
SONG EDIT MENU ......................................................................................................................... 45
ADDING SONG ROWS AND ASSIGNING PATTERNS AND CHAINS........................................... 45
ADDING REPEATS, MUTES AND TRANSPOSE INFORMATION................................................. 46
SONG MENU................................................................................................................................... 46
GLOBAL MENU.............................................................................................................47
PROJECT ............................................................................................................................................. 47
GLOBAL SLOT ..................................................................................................................................... 47
SYNTH CONFIG................................................................................................................................... 47
SEQUENCER CONFIG ........................................................................................................................ 48
MIDI CONFIG ....................................................................................................................................... 48
MIDI SYNC ...................................................................................................................................... 48
MIDI PORT CONFIG ....................................................................................................................... 49
MIDI CHANNELS............................................................................................................................. 50
MULTI MAP EDIT ............................................................................................................................ 51
CV CONFIG .......................................................................................................................................... 54
CV A-D CONFIG.............................................................................................................................. 54
VOLTAGE TRIM............................................................................................................................... 56
SYSEX DUMP ...................................................................................................................................... 56
SYSEX SEND.................................................................................................................................. 57
SYSEX RECEIVE ............................................................................................................................ 58
OS UPGRADE ...................................................................................................................................... 59
FORMAT +DRIVE................................................................................................................................. 59
VOICE ROUTING ................................................................................................................................. 59
EARLY STARTUP MENU ..............................................................................................61
TEST MODE......................................................................................................................................... 61
EMPTY RESET .................................................................................................................................... 61
FACTORY RESET ................................................................................................................................ 61
OS UPGRADE ...................................................................................................................................... 61
MORE ON OSCILLATORS, FILTERS AND ENVELOPES ...........................................62
OSCILLATORS ..................................................................................................................................... 62
OTHER OSCILLATOR WAVEFORM SELECTIONS ....................................................................... 63
FILTERS ............................................................................................................................................... 64
4-POLE LADDER FILTER ............................................................................................................... 64
2-POLE MULTI MODE FILTER........................................................................................................64
ENVELOPES ........................................................................................................................................ 65
SETUP EXAMPLES.......................................................................................................66
ANALOG KEYS CONTROL OF AN EXTERNAL ANALOG SYNTHESIZER........................................ 66
ANALOG KEYS WITH OTHER ELEKTRON GEAR............................................................................. 68
ANALOG KEYS AS A FILTER BANK ................................................................................................... 69
USING AN EXTERNAL OSCILLATOR WITH ANALOG KEYS ............................................................ 71
ANALOG KEYS WITH AN ELECTRIC GUITAR................................................................................... 73
TECHNICAL INFORMATION.........................................................................................75
SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................................ 75
CREDITS AND CONTACT INFORMATION ..................................................................76
CREDITS .............................................................................................................................................. 76
PRODUCT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................... 76
ADDITIONAL DESIGN .................................................................................................................... 76
FACTORY DEFAULT SOUND DESIGN .......................................................................................... 76
REFERENCE MANUAL................................................................................................................... 76
CONTACT INFORMATION................................................................................................................... 76
3 of 4
ELEKTRON WEBSITE .................................................................................................................... 76
DELIVERY ADDRESS..................................................................................................................... 76
TELEPHONE ................................................................................................................................... 76
APPENDIX A: SYNTH TRACK PARAMETERS
OSCILLATOR 1....................................................................................................................................... 1
OSCILLATOR 2....................................................................................................................................... 2
FILTERS.................................................................................................................................................. 3
AMPLITUDE ........................................................................................................................................... 4
ENVELOPES .......................................................................................................................................... 5
LFO ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
APPENDIX B: FX TRACK PARAMETERS
EXTERNAL IN ........................................................................................................................................ 1
WIDESHIFT CHORUS............................................................................................................................ 2
SATURATOR DELAY.............................................................................................................................. 3
SUPERVOID REVERB ........................................................................................................................... 4
FX LFO ................................................................................................................................................... 5
APPENDIX C: CV TRACK PARAMETERS
CV A-D.................................................................................................................................................... 1
CV ENVELOPES .................................................................................................................................... 5
CV LFO ................................................................................................................................................... 6
APPENDIX D: MIDI
PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS........................................................................................................... 1
MODULATION PARAMETERS............................................................................................................... 1
SYNTH TRACK PARAMETERS ............................................................................................................. 2
FX TRACK PARAMETERS..................................................................................................................... 9
CV TRACK PARAMETERS .................................................................................................................. 11
APPENDIX E: ANALOG KEYS ARCHITECTURE
INDEX
4 of 4
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for choosing Analog Keys. It is a digitally controlled analog synthesizer featuring, among many
things, the renowned Elektron step sequencer. The innovative combination of modern technology and tried and
trusted ways of sound generation will let you experience the analog realm in its entirety. To make the most of the
machine, we recommend you to carefully read this manual. Tutorial videos, found on the Elektron website, are
also available. They cover the basics of Analog Keys and are a great complement to this document.
CONVENTIONS IN THIS MANUAL
In this manual we have used certain conventions. They are listed below:
Buttons are written in upper case, bold style, enclosed in brackets. For instance, the button labeled “function” on
the main panel is written [FUNCTION].
Menu names are written in upper case. The OSC 1 menu is an example of that.
Parameter names and certain menu options where settings can be made or actions performed are written in
bold, upper case, style. VOL for example.
Upper case style is used for parameter setting alternatives, for example OFF, and for certain menu settings, like
LEGATO.
Messages visible on the screen are written in upper case with quotation marks. Like this, “BANK A: CHOOSE
PTN”.
Knobs are written in upper case, bold, italic style. For instance, the knob “level” is written LEVEL.
LED indicators like the record LED are written <RECORD>.
The following symbols are used throughout the manual:
This symbol indicates information that you need to pay attention to.
This indicates a tip that might make it easier interacting with Analog Keys.
This symbol is not used, but it shows a nice ear.
1
THE BACKGROUND OF ANALOG KEYS
THE BACKGROUND OF ANALOG KEYS
Working with a proper synthesizer is a musical experience hard to beat. The tactility, the fluent interaction, and
the expressive potential open up another – maybe more direct – way of making music. Less logic, more feeling.
The musical output is bound to be different and more personal, and should one adhere to the French linguist
Roland Barthes' idea about the humiliated repetition being one of the negative aspects of culture (The Pleasure
of the Text, 1973), this difference can, so to speak, make all the difference.
The idea of the Analog Keys came to us after we had made the Analog Four; a groundbreaking analog tabletop
synthesizer. We realized the spirit of the Analog Four would be very much at home in a larger, more performance oriented, machine. Just like its smaller sibling, the Analog Keys features the same deep approach to
analog synthesis, the same brilliant effects, and the same capable Elektron step sequencer. Added were elements aimed at making it more suited for the stage. The keyboard, the joystick, the dedicated buttons, the individual outputs, and all the other design choices are results of this ambition. The Analog Keys has, in other
words, been conceived with full focus on playability.
We are incredibly proud of the Analog Keys and we believe we have accomplished our goal of creating a flagship analog performance synthesizer. And we hope you will feel the same way.
Enjoy the power of true hardware,
The Elektron Team
Analog Keys REFERENCE MANUAL for operating system version 1.12. This manual is copyright © 2014 Elektron Music Machines MAV AB. All
reproduction without written authorization is strictly prohibited. The information in this manual may change without notice. Elektron’s product
names, logotypes, titles, words or phrases may be registered and protected by Swedish and international law. All other brand or product names
are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
2
PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS
Master
Volume
-+
1 182 6 7 8 1210 1413 15 16317
40
37
38
35
27
4
5
24
41
42
19202122232628293031
25
33 3234
36
43
39
46
45
44
119
PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS
FRONT PANEL
The Analog Keys Front Panel.
1. MASTER VOLUME sets the volume for the main outputs and the headphones output.
2. [SONG MODE] activates/deactivates SONG mode.
3. [CHAIN MODE] activates/deactivates CHAIN mode.
4. [RECORD] key. activates/deactivates GRID RECORDING mode. Starts LIVE RECORDING if held while
pressing [PLAY]. The secondary function is a copy operation.
5. SOUND SELECTION wheel allows quick access to Sounds. It is also used to scroll through menus and set
some parameter values.
6. [PLAY] starts the playback of the sequencer. The secondary function is a clear operation.
7. [STOP] stops playback. The secondary function is a paste operation.
8. LEVEL sets the overall volume level of the active track.
9. [TEMPO] opens the TEMPO menu. [FUNCTION] + [TEMPO] makes it possible to tap the tempo.
10. [YES/SAVE] key. Used for entering sub-menus and for confirming choices.
11. [NO/RELOAD] key. Used for exiting an active menu and backing one step.
12. The LCD window.
13. The [ARROW] keys. Used for menu navigation. They are called [UP], [DOWN], [LEFT] and [RIGHT].
14. [PERFORMANCE] enters PERFORMANCE mode.
15. [ARP] key. Controls for the arpeggiator of the active track are found here.
16. [NOTE] key. Note settings for the active track are made here.
17. [PARAMETER] keys switch between the PARAMETER pages of the active track. The upper white text leg-
end indicates the pages for the four synth tracks. The gray text is for the FX track pages and the white text
line beneath indicates the CV track pages. A second press on the [PARAMETER] key will open secondary
PARAMETER pages. <PARAMETER> LED indicates if the first (red) or second (green) page is active.
18. DATA ENTRY knobs. Used for adjusting parameters.
3
PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS
19. [SONG] key opens the SONG menu. The secondary function opens the GLOBAL menu.
20. [PATTERN] key opens the PATTERN menu. The secondary function opens the pattern SWING settings.
21. [TRACK] key opens the TRACK menu. The secondary function opens the CLICK menu.
22. [SOUND] key opens the SOUND menu. Secondary function accesses the trig-activated track muting.
23. [KIT] key opens the KIT menu. The secondary function opens the POLYPHONY configuration menu.
24. [PAGE] selects the active pattern page in GRID RECORDING mode. The active pattern page is indicated
by the four LEDs above the key. The secondary function accesses the SCALE menu.
25. <PATTERN PAGE> LEDs indicate how many pattern pages the active pattern consists of and which pattern
page is currently active. The LED flashes on the pattern page currently playing.
26. [TRIG] keys are used for entering sequencer trigs, as well as choosing patterns.
27. <BANK GROUP> LED indicates if bank group A-D or E-H is accessed by the [BANK] keys.
28. [BANK D/H] accesses pattern selection for either bank D or H. The secondary function opens the PARAM-
ETER SLIDE menu.
29. [BANK C/G] accesses pattern selection for either bank C or G. The secondary function opens the NOTE
SLIDE menu.
30. [BANK B/F] accesses pattern selection for either bank B or F. The secondary function opens the ACCENT
menu.
31. [BANK A/E] accesses pattern selection for either bank A or E. The secondary function opens the TRIG
MUTE menu.
32. KEYBOARD spans three octaves and has 37 semi-weighted, after-touch and velocity sensitive keys.
33. [OCTAVE UP] shifts the KEYBOARD range up one octave.
34. [OCTAVE DOWN] shifts the KEYBOARD range down one octave.
35. <OCTAVE> LEDs shows the octave transposition for the KEYBOARD.
36. JOYSTICK for up to 15 custom assigned parameters, such as pitch bend and modulation.
37. [HOLD] key holds all pressed KEYBOARD keys until deactivated. Secondary function activates/deacti-
vates KEYBOARD transpose according to sequencer track settings.
38. [MIDI EXT] activates/deactivates KEYBOARD and DATA ENTRY knob MIDI control of external equipment.
Secondary function opens the MIDI CONFIGURATION menu.
39. [MULTI MAP] activates/deactivates the custom mapping of the KEYBOARD. Secondary function brings up
the MULTI MAP EDIT menu.
40. [FUNCTION] key. Press and hold to access secondary functions. Secondary functions are generally written
in red text on the panel of the Analog Keys.
41. [TRANSPOSE] key transposes the sequencer track. Secondary function is transpose lock.
42. <TRACK> LEDs indicating the active track and muted tracks. Red is active, green is unmuted, off is muted
and yellow is active but muted.
43. [TRACK] keys select the active track. Four synth tracks, one FX track and one CV track are available.
[FUNCTION] + [TRACK] mutes a track
<TRANSPOSE> LED indicates if the transpose lock fu
44.
ATTERN MODE> LED indicates the selected PATTERN mode: sequential (off), direct start (red) or direct
45. <P
jump (green).
46. [BANK GROUP] key. Selects the active bank group (A-D or E-H). The secondary function activates different PATTERN modes.
nction is activated or not.
4
PANEL LAYOUT AND CONNECTORS
Power
21 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
REAR CONNECTORS
The Analog Keys Rear Connectors.
1. Power on/off switch.
2. Power in (100-250 V AC, 50-60 Hz). Use the included C7 power cable, or equivalent, connected to a
power outlet.
3. Full-speed USB 2.0 Connection. Connect using the included A to B USB 2.0 connector cable to a computer host.
4. MIDI Thru. Use standard MIDI cable to connect another MIDI unit in chain. Duplicates incoming MIDI In
data stream.
5. MIDI Out. Use standard MIDI cable to connect to MIDI In of an external MIDI unit in order to control it.
6. MIDI In. Use standard MIDI cable to connect MIDI Out of an external MIDI unit in order for it to control
Analog Keys.
7. CV outputs C and D. Connect to external synth with CV inputs. Use either standard 1/4” mono phone plug
or 1/4” insert/Y cable.
8. CV outputs A and B. Same recommended connector as above.
9. Audio input L/R. Use standard 1/4” mono phone plug to input sound from other synthesizers or mixers.
10. Individual stereo outputs Track 1-4. Use 1/4” insert/Y cable in order to access both left and right chan-
nels.
11. Main Out L/R. Use either 1/4” mono phone plug (unbalanced connection) or 1/4” stereo (Tip/Ring/Sleeve)
phone plug (balanced connection).
12. Headphones Output. Connect standard headphones with 1/4” stereo phone plug.
CONNECTING THE UNIT
Make sure you place the Analog Keys on a stable support, such as a sturdy table with sufficient cable space or
a synth stand capable of a 10 kg load.
1. Before you connect the Analog Keys to other equipment, make sure all units are switched off.
2. Plug the included AC cable into a power outlet and the Analog Keys.
3. Connect the main out L/R from the Analog Keys to your mixer or amplifier.
4. If MIDI control is desired, connect the MIDI OUT port of the device you wish send data from to the MIDI IN
port of the Analog Keys. The MIDI THRU port duplicates the data arriving at the MIDI IN port. It is used for
chaining several MIDI units together.
5. Switch on all units. Switch on the unit by pressing the Power rocker switch located at the back of the unit.
Before restarting the unit, wait 2 seconds after the LCD backlight goes out.
5
ANALOG KEYS SIGNAL PATH
OSCILLATOR 1
SUB OSC
OSCILLATOR 2 LADDER FILTER MULTIMODE FILTER VCA/PAN MUTE
SUB OSC
MAIN OUT R
MAIN OUT L
INDIVIDUAL OUT L
INDIVIDUAL OUT R
OVERDRIVE
NOISE GENERATOR
AM AND
SYNC MODES
ANALOG KEYS SIGNAL PATH
Below is an image outlining the signal path of Analog Keys.
ABOUT THE COMPONENTS
Both oscillators of each voice are analog. All their elaborate waveshaping abilities are completely analog, with
digitally controlled pitches. The noise generator is digital. The two filters and the overdrive circuit between them
are completely analog. The amplifiers are analog. The envelopes and LFOs are digital. They are designed for
maximum efficiency and versatility.
COMMENTS ON THE SIGNAL PATH
The signal path from the oscillators to the audio outputs is completely analog. The signal path from the external
inputs to the audio outputs is also completely analog. The digital send effects are parallel to the main audio path,
and the wet signals from the digital send effects are mixed with the dry analog signal before the main output
stage.
ABOUT THE OSCILLATORS AND FILTERS
The oscillators are designed and built from scratch, in order to obtain a lush sound and provide an array of control features. The ladder filter utilizes discrete low-noise transistors, the multimode filter uses high quality VCAs.
The combination of tradition and innovation ensures a unique sound with a wide range of possibilities. For a
more complete image of Analog Keys architecture, see “Appendix E: ANALOG KEYS ARCHITECTURE“.
6
OVERVIEW OF THE ANALOG KEYS STRUCTURE
128 PROJECTS
+DRIVE SOUND LIBRARY
4096 SOUNDS
4 GLOBALS 16 SONGS 128 PATTERNS 128 KITS
4 SOUNDS
FX
CV
SOUND POOL
128 SOUNDS
OVERVIEW OF THE ANALOG KEYS STRUCTURE
The image below outlines the data structure of Analog Keys.
+DRIVE
The +Drive is a non-volatile memory capable of storing up to 128 projects (thousands of patterns, kits and
songs) internally. The +Drive also contains the +Drive Sound library, with the capacity of storing 4096 Sounds.
Every project has access to these Sounds.
DATA STRUCTURE
PROJECT
A project contains 128 patterns, 128 kits, 16 songs, 4 global slots, and a project Sound pool consisting of up to
128 Sounds. Generic settings and states (tempo, mutes et cetera) are also stored in each project. When a project is loaded it becomes the active working state of Analog Keys. From here it is possible to edit the patterns,
kits, songs and globals of the project. Analog Keys always retains the active working state, the active project,
even when switched off. However, it must be manually saved in a project slot before another project is loaded or
it will be lost. Projects are saved, loaded et cetera in the GLOBAL menu. Read more about projects in the section “PROJECTS” on page 14.
KIT
Kits contain four Sounds, one for each synth track, and settings for the FX and CV tracks. Up to 128 kits are
available for each Analog Keys project. Each pattern is linked to a kit. Read more in section “KITS AND
SOUNDS” on page 16.
SOUND
A Sound consists of stored synth track parameter settings. Each synth track contains one Sound. Sounds can
be stored either in the Sound pool of the active project or in the +Drive Sound library. The Sound pool contains
128 Sounds and the +Drive library has the capacity of 4096 Sounds. Read more in section “KITS AND
SOUNDS” on page 16.
7
OVERVIEW OF THE ANALOG KEYS STRUCTURE
BANK
Eight banks exist for each project and each bank contains 16 patterns. Read more in section “THE
SEQUENCER” on page 30.
PATTERN
For each of the 8 banks 16 patterns are available, which means 128 patterns are always readily available. A pattern consists of sequencer data like trigs, parameter locks, time signature and individual track lengths for the
synth tracks and the FX and CV tracks, as well as ARP and NOTE page settings. Read more in section “THE
SEQUENCER” on page 30.
SONG
16 songs are available for each project. They are used to sequence the playback of chains. Read more about
songs in the section “SONGS” on page 45.
CHAINS
A chain is a sequence of patterns. Up to 256 pattern slots are possible to allocate between 64 chains. Chains
are covered in detail on page 44.
GLOBAL
The GLOBAL menu is where you save, load and manage projects, handle SysEx data and perform OS
upgrades. It also contains general settings for the synth and sequencer as well as MIDI and CV configurations.
Four global slots are available for every project, each with its own individual settings. Read more about the
global settings in the section “GLOBAL MENU” on page 47.
ABOUT THE TRACK TYPES
THE SYNTH TRACKS
The synth tracks consist of track 1-4. To edit one of them, press [TRACK] key 1-4. Sounds are loaded to the
synth tracks. Sounds can be played polyphonically.
THE FX TRACK The FX track controls Analog Keys internal send effects. To edit the FX track, press the [TRACK] key 5.
THE CV TRACK
The CV track is used for controlling external equipment capable of receiving analog CV and Gate signals. To
edit the CV track, press [TRACK] key 6.
EDITING THE TRACKS
The six [PARAMETER] keys open pages that are used for editing the tracks. They contain different parameters
depending on the track type. Edit parameters using the DATA ENTRY knobs. Press and turn a knob to adjust
parameters in larger increments.
8
THE USER INTERFACE
1 2 4 5
7
6
3
THE USER INTERFACE
The center of Analog Keys editing is the LCD display. The main interface screen is shown below:
1. Bar indicating the main volume setting of the active track.
2. The current tempo displayed with one decimal.
3. The playback/recording status of the sequencer shown by the standard “record”, “play”, “pause” and “stop”
symbols; , , and . To the right is a counter displaying how many bars, beats and steps the
sequencer has played.
4. Information about which PARAMETER page is active. The line above the text indicates the active sub page
of the PARAMETER page. A completely drawn line means no sub page is available.
5. Up to ten track parameters. They show what the DATA ENTRY knobs control and also indicate the current
parameter values. Press and turn a knob to adjust its parameters in larger increments.
6. The currently active pattern. To the left the active song row is visible. A “_ _:” representation indicates the
scratch pad row is active.
7. The currently active kit. When turning a DATA ENTRY knob, the full name of the parameter being adjusted
is shown here.
• All windows can be closed using the [NO/RELOAD] key.
• Buttons or knobs not used by an active menu retain their original function. For example, the
TEMPO menu makes use of the SOUND SELECTION wheel, but you can still use the DATA ENTRY
knobs to control the parameters of the active track.
PARAMETER EDITING
The DATA ENTRY knobs are used to change the value of the track parameters. The physical location of the
knobs on the front panel correspond to the layout of the parameters on the screen.
QUICK PARAMETER EDITING
If the DATA ENTRY knob is pressed down while being turned parameters will be adjusted in larger increments.
This makes it much quicker to sweep through a whole parameter range.
PARAMETER VALUE JUMP
Keeping [FUNCTION] pressed while editing certain parameters will make the parameter values jump to relevant
positions. For instance the delay time of Saturator Delay, which will jump between 16, 32, 64 and 128, or the
oscillator tuning, which will jump in octaves.
9
THE USER INTERFACE
QUICK SCROLLING
Scroll through menus using the SOUND SELECTION wheel. In many menus, quick scrolling is also available.
Press [FUNCTION] + the [UP] or [DOWN] arrow keys to move the cursor one menu page at a time.
COPY, CLEAR AND PASTE
Copy, clear and paste commands are available in a lot of contexts. A copy operation is performed by pressing
[FUNCTION] + [REC]. A paste operation is performed by pressing [FUNCTION] + [STOP]. A clear operation is
performed by pressing [FUNCTION] + [PLAY]. Paste and clear operations can be undone by repeating the but-
ton press combination. See the different sections in the manual for more information about where these commands are available.
ONE-HANDED OPERATION
The functional layout of the Analog Keys ensures many complex operations can be done using only one hand,
leaving the other hand free to play the KEYBOARD or tweak sounds. With the [FUNCTION] key in the vicinity of
the [TRACK] keys, one-handed track muting is possible. As is one-handed transpose locking, copy, clear and
paste commands, pattern play mode change, and more.
THE NAMING MENU
The naming procedure is identical for the various naming menus that exist.
The [LEFT] and [RIGHT] arrow keys are used to navigate between the letters. Turning the SOUND SELEC-
TION wheel or pressing the [UP] or [DOWN] arrow keys select the letter. [FUNCTION] + [NO/RELOAD] will
erase letters.
POP-UP MENU NAMING
While in a NAMING menu it is possible to open a pop up-menu displaying all available letters, symbols and digits. Entering characters in the pop up-menu is often a considerably faster naming method. When a NAMING
menu is open, press the [FUNCTION] key to access the pop up-menu.
While keeping [FUNCTION] pressed use the [ARROW] keys to navigate to the character you want to insert.
Once there, release [FUNCTION] to insert the character.
• Copy, paste and clear commands are available in the naming menus.
10
QUICK START
QUICK START
This quick start will guide you through some of the basic operations to allow you to start using Analog Keys right
away. First connect it as described in section “CONNECTING THE UNIT”, on page 5.
PLAYING THE FACTORY PRESETS
Analog Keys is shipped with several preset patterns, kits and Sounds. To immediately start experimenting with
Analog Keys, just follow the instructions below.
1. Switch on Analog Keys.
2. Press [PLAY] to listen to pattern A01.
3. Select pattern A02, which is the second demo pattern, by first making sure bank group A-D is selected. The
<BANK GROUP> indicates the selected bank group. If A-D is not selected, press the [BANK GROUP] key.
4. Pressing [BANK A/E] + [TRIG] key 2 will make pattern A02 play once the currently playing pattern finishes.
Pattern A03 is selected by pressing [BANK A/E] + [TRIG] key 3 and so on.
5. Mute tracks by pressing [FUNCTION] + the [TRACK] key of the track you want to mute. Unmute by repeat-
ing the procedure.
6. Press [STOP] to stop playback.
PERFORMANCE MODE
The PERFORMANCE mode makes it possible for the DATA ENTRY knobs to control several PARAMETER
page parameters at once. This is called a parameter macro.
1. Make sure a pattern is playing.
2. Press the [PERFORMANCE] key to access PERFORMANCE mode.
3. Turn the DATA ENTRY knobs and hear how the sound of the pattern changes.
ADJUSTING PARAMETERS
Each track contains six PARAMETER pages. Parameters affecting the sound of the track are found on these
pages.
1. Make sure a pattern is playing.
2. Press the [TRACK] key of one of the four synth tracks.
3. To change the cutoff of the ladder filter, press the [FILTERS] key. The FILTERS page will open. The param-
eter labelled FRQ changes the cutoff of the ladder filter. Turn DATA ENTRY knob A to change the parame-
ter value.
4. Try out the rest of the PARAMETER page parameters to experiment with the sound shaping possibilities.
5. To reload the Sound to its original state, press [NO/RELOAD] + [SOUND].
6. To reload the whole kit to its original state, press [NO/RELOAD] + [KIT].
• Explore the Analog Keys factory presets. 32 sample patterns are available in the A and B banks of
project slot 1, each with its own unique kit. The project 1 Sound pool contains 128 preset Sounds.
Additionally, 512 Sounds are readily available in the +Drive Sound library. The Sounds are tagged
to ensure ease of location and identification.
11
KEYBOARD CONTROL
KEYBOARD CONTROL
Analog Keys comes equipped with a versatile 37-key KEYBOARD. It is made to suit the needs of both delicate
and heavy-handed players. Precise studio sessions or intense live performances. On the left-hand side there
are three sets of controls. From the top: three keys for the various keyboard modes, an assignable JOYSTICK
and lastly a set of keys for shifting the octave up or down.
THE KEYBOARD
The entire keyboard is made up of 128 notes spanning 11 octaves. The KEYBOARD playable range has 37
semi-weighted, velocity sensitive keys with aftertouch. In its initial state, the playable range spans the middle
three octaves, with C5 as the first note of the very middle octave.
A red LED above each individual key will show key activity. It will flash briefly when a key is tapped, whether
manually or if played by the Analog Keys sequencer. The LED will light up full-bright if a key is held down manually, or half-bright if held down hands-free using the [HOLD] key (see page 13).
Customize the velocity sensitivity and aftertouch settings for the keys by pressing [SOUND] and select SOUND
SETTINGS. See page 27 for more on velocity and aftertouch settings.
JOYSTICK
To the left of the keyboard you will find an omnidirectional JOYSTICK. Its default functionality is pitch bend in the
sideways direction, modulation in the upward direction and breath control in the downward direction. Press
[SOUND] and select SOUND SETTINGS to customize the JOYSTICK functionality and the parameters it will
control. See page 27 for further details.
OCTAVE SHIFT
The two keys [OCTAVE DOWN] and [OCTAVE UP] shift the playable keyboard range a whole octave down or
up, respectively. The range spans eleven octaves. <OCTAVE> shows the position in the range with a full-bright
red LED for the middle five octaves. For lower or higher octave positions (outside of the <OCTAVE> range), the
LED light will be increasingly dim for each [OCTAVE DOWN] or [OCTAVE UP] key press.
KEYBOARD MODE KEYS
There are three main keys with which you change the keyboard mode of operation: [MULTI MAP], [MIDI EXT]
and [HOLD]. The red LEDs above these keys show if they are active (full-bright) or inactive (off).
MULTI MAP MODE
To activate the multi map of the KEYBOARD, press the [MULTI MAP] key. To deactivate, press again. The factory preset default mapping is shown below. (In order to play the entire multi mapped LEAD Sounds reaching
outside of the playable keyboard range, as seen in the illustration, press the [OCTAVE UP] key once to shift the
KEYBOARD one octave up. This will push the DRUMS section outside of the playable range. Press [OCTAVE
DOWN] once in order to reach the DRUMS again.) When starting new projects, the default mapping is a 2-split.
12
KEYBOARD CONTROL
Trk 1
Master
Volume
Level
Tempo
Tap
Sound Selection
Bank Group
Direct Change
Song
Edit
Mode
Trig Mute Accent Note
Slide
Parameter
Slide
Chain
New
Perf
Setup
Page
Scale
ABCDE
FGHIJ
Arp
Setup
Note
Setup
Osc 1
Ext In
CV A
Osc 2
CV B
Filters
Chorus
CV C
Amp
Delay
CV D
Env
Reverb
Env
LFO
LFO
LFO
Copy Clear Paste
Transpose
Lock
1:42:4 3:4 4:4
Mute
Yes/Save
No/Reload
Multi Map
Edit
Poly
Edit
Octave
Down Up
Transpose
As Seq
I
Function
-+
Headphones Left Right Trk 1 Trk 2 Trk 3 Trk 4 In Left In Right CV AB MIDI In MIDI Out
Sync A
MIDI Thru
Sync B
USB AC In PowerCV CD
Trk 2Mute
Trk 3Mute
Trk 4Mute
FXMute
CVMute
DRUMS BASS PAD LEAD
DEFAULT MULTI MAP
You can assign a wide variety of custom functions to the 128 available keyboard keys by using the MULTI MAP
EDITOR. Press [FUNCTION]+[MULTI MAP] to open it. Read more about mapping the keyboard on page 51.
EXTERNAL KEYBOARD MODE
Pressing [MIDI EXT] will turn the keyboard controls of the Analog Keys into an external MIDI keyboard controlling other gear. The KEYBOARD keys, JOYSTICK, DATA ENTRY knobs and the LEVEL knob will be dedi-
cated to sending MIDI Out messages. Until deactivated, the Analog Keys synth and parameter settings will not
be affected by these controls, only the external MIDI gear. Press the key again to deactivate. Note that the internal sequencer and synth tracks will continue to work normally even while the external keyboard mode is active.
Enter the setup menu to set the desired external MIDI channel and assign the appropriate MIDI CC messages
for the ten DATA ENTRY knobs. Access by pressing [FUNCTION]+[MIDI EXT].
HOLD MODE
To activate the [HOLD] key functionality, the [HOLD] key needs to be pressed in combination with at least one
of the KEYBOARD keys. Play a note (or a chord in polyphonic mode), then press the [HOLD] key. The opposite
order works equally well, pressing [HOLD], then playing a note. The LED above the [HOLD] key will light up and
stay lit as long as at least one note is held.
When held, the KEYBOARD key (or keys) will act as if held down continuously even after the key is released.
The red LED above each affected KEYBOARD key will be lit for all held notes. You can repeat this and hold
notes on any of the tracks without releasing the already held notes. You can also hold multi mapped sounds or
other functions and hold notes on external synths without releasing notes already held on the KEYBOARD. All
notes held will remain so until the key of the held note is pressed a second time, in which case it is released, and
the LED above it will be unlit. To release all of the held notes, press the [HOLD] key. The red LED above the
[HOLD] key will then be unlit.
The secondary function of the [HOLD] key is the keyboard transpose. Press [FUNCTION]+[HOLD] to activate,
press the same combination a second time to deactivate. The notes played will automatically conform to the
track key note setting, making it impossible to play off key. The track key note is set in the NOTE MENU,
accessed by pressing [FUNCTION]+[NOTE]. See NOTES SETUP on page 36 for more details.
13
PROJECTS
PROJECTS
A project is the top level structure of Analog Keys. A project contains 128 patterns, 128 kits, 16 songs, 4 global
slots, and a project Sound pool consisting of up to 128 Sounds. Projects are handy when, for example, you want
to save a specific setup for a live performance or when managing a select number of compositions. The +Drive
can store 128 projects.
When a project is loaded it becomes the active working state of Analog Keys, independent of the +Drive. Analog
Keys will keep track of what project slot the active project was loaded from. When a project is loaded it is possible to edit its patterns, kits, songs, and globals. The active project and any changes made to it are automatically
remembered by Analog Keys, allowing you to edit patterns, kits et cetera, switch off the unit, switch it on again
and have everything sound as it did prior to the power cycling. Please note that changes are not automatically
written to the +Drive. To store the active working state of the project to a +Drive slot, the project needs to be
saved manually.
PROJECT MENU
Projects are managed in the PROJECT menu, located in the GLOBAL menu. Open the GLOBAL menu by
pressing [FUNCTION] + [SONG].
Scroll through the list by using [UP]/[DOWN] or the SOUND SELECTION wheel and select PROJECT. Open
the menu by pressing [YES/SAVE].
LOAD PROJECT opens a project selection screen where you choose a project to be loaded. Note that the
active project will not be saved before loading the new project. This menu can be accessed directly by pressing
and holding [FUNCTION] + [SONG] for a second. If you wish to create a new project, select CREATE NEW at
the very bottom of the list. The new project will be a blank slate.
SAVE PROJECT opens a project selection screen where you choose a slot to save the active project to.
14
PROJECTS
• The currently active project is linked to the slot indicated by a small arrow in front of the project
name.
• Projects can be copied/cleared/pasted in the LOAD PROJECT and SAVE PROJECT menus.
• A lock symbol indicates the project is write protected.
PROJECT MANAGER launches the PROJECT MANAGER menu. Selecting a project in this menu and pressing the [RIGHT] arrow key will bring up a list of commands.
CLEAR resets the project slot to a clean state.
INIT NEW initializes an empty file slot with a clean project. This operation is only available for
empty project slots.
DELETE removes the project from the slot.
RENAME opens a screen where you can rename the project file.
LOAD FROM loads the selected project. This will overwrite the active project!
SAVE TO saves the active project to the selected slot.
TOGGLE toggles write protection on or off. Write protected projects can not be overwritten,
renamed or erased. A write protected project is indicated by a lock symbol.
• Multiple projects can be selected and deselected by highlighting them and pressing [YES/SAVE].
• The currently active project is linked to the slot indicated by a small arrow in front of the project
name.
• Projects can be copied/cleared/pasted in this menu.
• LOAD FROM in the PROJECT MANAGER will overwrite the active project. Be sure to save your
project before you load another.
15
KITS AND SOUNDS
KITS AND SOUNDS
Kits and Sounds are the basic building blocks of Analog Keys soundcrafting. A kit is a collection of Sound, FX
and CV track parameter settings. A Sound is essentially a synth track patch, made up by subtractive synthesis
from the oscillators through the filters via its various parameter settings. Each of the 4 synth tracks contains one
Sound.
Kits and Sounds are separated, meaning kits do not necessarily have to use any saved Sounds. When saving a
kit, the PARAMETER page settings of the synth tracks, i.e. the settings that constitute a Sound, will be saved
together with the kit. The synth track PARAMETER page settings of a kit can of course be saved as individual
Sounds as well. When loading a Sound, it will become a part of the kit. Changes made to the track Sound will
not affect the loaded Sound, only the kit. A specific kit is always assigned to a pattern which controls the playback of the kit.
A Kit contains:
• Sound settings for the 4 synth tracks.
• FX track parameter settings.
• CV track parameter settings.
• LEVEL settings for the Synth and FX tracks.
• PERFORMANCE mode parameter settings.
• Polyphony settings.
A Sound contains:
• Settings for the PARAMETER pages of a synth track.
• The LCD graphics in the left part of the screen shows the name of the currently active kit. When
the [TRACK] keys are pressed, this information will briefly change to reflect the name of the track.
In the case of the synth tracks, the name of the track Sound will be displayed.
• Note that several patterns may use the same kit. Changes you make to the kit while editing one of
the patterns will directly affect how the other patterns using the kit sound as well. Remember to
save the kit to a new location if you wish to avoid this.
THE +DRIVE SOUND LIBRARY AND THE SOUND POOL
Sounds can be loaded to a kit from either the +Drive Sound library or the Sound pool of the active project. The
difference between the two is that the +Drive Sound library has the capacity of 4096 Sounds, available to all projects, while a Sound pool is a part of a project and limited to 128 Sounds. The major benefit of Sounds loaded to
the Sound pool is the possibility for them to be Sound locked. This feature is not available for the Sounds in the
+Drive Sound library. Read more about Sound locking on page 39.
16
KITS AND SOUNDS
KIT MENU
In the KIT menu commands relating to kits are found, most importantly kit save and load. Open the menu by
pressing [KIT]. Use the [UP] and [DOWN] arrow keys to move between the commands. Press [YES/SAVE] to
confirm your selection. Exit the menu by pressing [NO/RELOAD].
RELOAD KIT will reload either the active kit, reverting it to its saved status, or all kits. Using the [LEFT] and
[RIGHT] keys selects whether only the active kit or all kits will be reloaded. [NO/RELOAD] + [KIT] offers a short
cut to reloading the active kit.
LOAD KIT opens a menu where one of the up to 128 saved kits can be loaded. When this menu is opened the
kit list will appear. The active kit is indicated by inverted graphics. Select the kit to be loaded by using the
[ARROW] keys or the SOUND SELECTION wheel. [LEFT]/[RIGHT] will quickly scroll between the menu
pages. Once a kit has been selected, press [YES/SAVE] to load it. The loaded kit will be linked to the active pattern. Loading the active kit will reload it.
SAVE KIT is where all the current, kit related, settings can be saved as a kit. The saved kit will be linked to the
active pattern. [YES/SAVE] + [KIT] offers a short cut to this command.
When this menu is opened the kit list will appear. The active kit is indicated by inverted graphics. Select the slot
to which the kit will be saved by using the [ARROW] keys or the SOUND SELECTION wheel. Press [YES/
SAVE] to save to the selected slot. The NAMING menu, covered on page 10, will appear.
CLEAR KIT will clear the content of the currently loaded kit, basically initializing it. When selecting this option a
prompt will appear. Press [YES/SAVE] to clear the kit or [NO/RELOAD] to cancel the operation. Note that no kit
information will be permanently lost until the kit is saved to the same kit slot it was loaded from.
PERFORMANCE opens the PERFORMANCE SETUP menu, covered on page 18.
POLY CONFIG opens the POLYPHONY CONFIGURATION menu. See page 20.
VOICE ROUTING accesses VOICE ROUTING. See page 21.
• Copy, clear and paste operations are available in the LOAD KIT, SAVE KIT and PERFORMANCE
SETUP menus.
• Use the SOUND SELECTION wheel to scroll through the LOAD KIT and SAVE KIT menus.
• Once you have assembled a kit you like, you are advised to save it.
• Kits not used by any patterns are indicated by an asterisk after the kit name.
17
KITS AND SOUNDS
PERFORMANCE MODE
The PERFORMANCE mode makes it possible to control five track parameters, that can be chosen from any
track, at the same time by turning a single DATA ENTRY knob. This is called a performance macro. Track mut-
ing and an overview of all synth and FX track levels are available in this mode as well. PERFORMANCE mode
settings are saved as a part of a kit.
Access the PERFORMANCE mode by pressing the [PERFORMANCE] key.
The ten available performance macros are seen in the PERFORMANCE menu. Turn the DATA ENTRY knobs to
adjust the parameter macro settings. The graphics indicating the active kit will briefly change to reflect the mute
status of the tracks.
PERFORMANCE SETUP
The ten performance macros available in the PERFORMANCE mode are set up in the PERFORMANCE
SETUP menu. Access this menu by pressing [FUNCTION] + [PERFORMANCE].
• The collection of all ten performance macros can be copied, cleared and pasted while in this
menu.
PERFORMANCE CONFIGURE is where parameters are assigned to the performance mac-
ros. After selecting this option, the list of performance macros and the knobs they are
assigned to will show up. In this menu, individual performance macros can be copied, cleared
and pasted.
Use the [UP] and [DOWN] arrow keys to select the DATA ENTRY knob corresponding to the
performance macro that will be edited. Press [YES/SAVE] to confirm the selection. You can
also click on a knob to bring up its macro menu. The menu where track parameters are
assigned to the selected performance macro will appear.
18
KITS AND SOUNDS
Up to five track parameters can be assigned to a performance macro. Parameters can be
selected from all six tracks. Select from which tracks parameters will be assigned by clicking
DATA ENTRY knobs A-E. Select the track parameters that will be assigned by turning DATA
ENTRY knobs A-E. Confirm a selection by clicking the knob or by pressing [YES/SAVE].
DATA ENTRY knobs F-J are used to set the depth of the five track parameters. The depth is
an offset of the original track parameter value.
By default the parameter macro knob spans a parameter value range of 0-127. A parameter
macro value of 0 will not introduce any changes to the sound. Press the LEVEL knob to make
the performance macro knob work in a bipolar fashion, making the parameter macro value
range go from -64 to +63.
While a pattern or Sound is playing, turn the LEVEL knob to preview how the performance
macro affects the sound.
• PERFORMANCE mode parameters are not possible to parameter lock.
• If for example the depth of the OSC1 PITCH of track 1 is set to 63 and the parameter macro is set
to a non-bipolar mode, turning the parameter macro knob to 127 will introduce a parameter value
offset of +63 to the OSC1 PITCH parameter. If the macro knob is set to a bipolar mode, turning the
parameter macro value to +63 will introduce a parameter value offset of +63 to the OSC1 PITCH
parameter. Conversely, turning the parameter macro knob to -64 will introduce a parameter value
offset of -64 to the OSC1 PITCH parameter.
• Use parameter macros to affect the most relevant parameters when playing live. By carefully set-
ting up parameter macros you might find that you don't have to leave this mode at all during your
live set.
PERFORMANCE RENAME allows performance macro knobs to be named. Use the [UP] and [DOWN] arrow
keys to select the DATA ENTRY knob corresponding to the performance macro that will be named. Press [YES/
SAVE] to confirm the selection. The NAMING menu will appear.
PERFORMANCE MUTE
Track muting, also covered on page 29, can be carried out while in PERFORMANCE mode. When in PERFORMANCE mode, [TRIG] keys 1-6 mute the tracks. An outlined square in the track mute section and a full bright
<TRIG> LED means a track is audible. A minus sign and a quarter-bright <TRIG> LED indicates the track is
muted. While holding [FUNCTION] and pressing the six first [TRIG] keys, the mute changes will be held until
[FUNCTION] is released. A track that is currently muted, but will be unmuted when [FUNCTION] is released, is
indicated by a “+” sign and a half-bright <TRIG> LED. A track that is currently not muted, but will be muted when
[FUNCTION] is released, is indicated by an asterisk and a half-bright, blinking <TRIG> LED.
PERFORMANCE MIXER
When PERFORMANCE mode is active, pressing [PERFORMANCE] will open the PERFORMANCE MIXER
menu. In this menu the level of the tracks can be controlled with DATA ENTRY knobs A-E.
19
KITS AND SOUNDS
MONOPHONIC POLYPHONIC
TRACK 1
TRACK 2
TRACK 3
TRACK 4
VOICE A
VOICE B
VOICE C
VOICE D
TRACK 1
TRACK 2
TRACK 3
TRACK 4
VOICE A
VOICE B
VOICE C
VOICE D
POLYPHONY
Four voice polyphony can be configured by selecting POLY CONFIG in the KIT menu. Analog Keys is capable
of four voice multitimbral polyphony (as well as unison). This is possible due to the powerful sound engine which
is able to change sound instantly and allow completely dynamic voice allocation (see figure below). The
sequencer is completely polyphonic, allowing overlapping notes and chords to be programmed on the tracks.
Any track can play up to four notes using its own track sound. Notes are distributed to the synth voices according to the selected allocation method. Any of the synth voices can also be poly-disabled, allowing tracks to have
their dedicated, monophonic synth voice available at all times. The poly configuration is stored per kit, for maximum flexibility, allowing up to 128 different poly configurations per project.
POLYPHONY CONFIGURATION
The settings for up to four voice polyphony are found in the POLY CONFIG menu. Access by pressing [FUNCTION] + [KIT]).
VOICES Select any combination of the four voices to be poly activated by using the [LEFT]
and [RIGHT] arrow keys. Tick or untick a box by pressing the [YES/SAVE] button.To activate/
deactivate voice 1-4 directly, press [TRIG] key 1 through 4. When in the POLY CONFIG
menu, the red LEDs above [TRIG] key 1-4 on the front panel will be half-bright. When a voice
is activated, the corresponding LED will be full-bright. Voices that are not set to be poly enabled will be dedicated monophonic voices for their corresponding tracks. These will never be
used for polyphonic playback. Voices that are poly enabled can be allocated dynamically by
any of the poly enabled tracks.
ALLOCATION changes the allocation method of the poly voices, or sets all poly enabled
voices to play simultaneously (RESET, ROTATE, REASSIGN or UNISON, respectively).
Select method with the [LEFT] and [RIGHT] arrow keys. For a visual explanation of the different allocation methods, see illustrations on page 22 and page 23.
The LEDs above the first four [TRIG] keys will flash to show voice activity depending on the
selected method. Select method, play a few notes on the KEYBOARD and watch the LEDs to
get an immediate, visual impression of how the different allocation methods work.
20
RESET Picks the first available voice in increasing order, starting from track voice 1,
for every new overlapping note played.
KITS AND SOUNDS
ROTATE For every new coinciding note played, the voices are allocated in a cyclic
manner.
REASSIGN Uses the same voice as last time for every note played as long as its
unused. Otherwise, the least recently used voice is used for the new note.
UNISON Uses all voices to play the same note. Employs the adjustable parameters
DETUNE and PAN SPREAD shown below.
USE TRK SOUNDS forces the selected voices to use the Sounds of the four tracks, instead of
letting the voices use the played Sound in a dynamic way. Tick/untick box to activate/deactivate using the [YES/SAVE] key or the [LEFT] and [RIGHT] arrow keys.
UNISON DETUNE sets the offset (0-127) by which the selected unison voices will be detuned.
Decrease or increase the offset with the [LEFT] and [RIGHT] arrow keys.
UNISON PAN SPREAD set the width of the pan spread (0-127) around the center point of the
unison sound. Use the [LEFT] and [RIGHT] arrow keys to set the value.
If no free voice is found, the least recently used voice is stolen and used for the played note.
See illustration on page 23. This applies to all allocation methods described above.
VOICE ROUTING
Set custom voice routing by accessing VOICE ROUTING, found at the bottom position in the KIT menu.
Activate/deactivate routing of any the four voices to the main output and to the FX track. Navigate using the
[ARROW] keys. Tick or untick box with the [YES/SAVE] key.
Alternatively, instantly activate or deactivate voice to main or voice to FX using the [TRIG] keys 1-4 and 9-12,
respectively. Red LEDs above these sets of keys will indicate if the voice is active (full-bright) or inactive (halfbright).
Note that voice routing can be set and stored for each individual KIT. If you want to use the GLOBAL voice routing setting, tick the box USE GLOBAL SETTINGS using the [YES/SAVE] key.
21
KITS AND SOUNDS
POLYPHONIC VOICE ALLOCATION METHOD: RESET
C/D/D#/F
C
D
D#
F
VOICE B
VOICE C
VOICE B
VOICE A/B/C/D
VOICE A
D#
VOICE A
PLAYED NOTE
ASSIGNED VOICE
BEGINNING OF NOTE END OF NOTE
(SHOWN AS PLAYED FROM TRACK 1)
POLYPHONIC VOICE ALLOCATION METHOD: ROTATE
C/D/D#/F
VOICE A/B/C/D
PLAYED NOTE
ASSIGNED VOICE
BEGINNING OF NOTE END OF NOTE
C
D
D#
F
VOICE D
VOICE C
VOICE B
D
VOICE AVOICE A
22
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