Elektron SFX-6, SFX-60, SFX-60 MKII 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 residentpial 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 2004/108/EC EMC Directive and the 72/23/EC Low Voltage directive.
his symbol indicates that your product must be disposed of properly according to local laws and regu-
T lations.
The included switched-mode power supply is CEC Level IV compliant.
The device contains a non rechargable lithium perchlorate battery cell that may need to be recycled separately de­pending on local environmental laws. If the battery needs replacing, please contact Elektron or a local professional technician for servicing.
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................1-1
CONVENTIONS IN THIS MANUAL..................................................................................................... 1-1
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE MONOMACHINE ...........................................................1-2
KEEP IN MIND .................................................................................................................................... 1-2
IGHLIGHTS....................................................................................................................................... 1-2
H
USER INTERFACE AND CONNECTORS....................................................................1-3
FRONT / MAIN CONTROL PANEL ..................................................................................................... 1-3
KEYBOARD INTERFACE, SFX-6........................................................................................................ 1-5
REAR CONNECTORS ........................................................................................................................ 1-6
ADDITIONAL REAR CONNECTORS, SFX-6...................................................................................... 1-7
RACK MOUNT KIT (SFX-60MKII ACCESSORY)................................................................................ 1-7
RACK MOUNT KIT ASSEMBLY..................................................................................................... 1-7
CONNECTING THE UNIT ................................................................................................................... 1-7
CARE INSTRUCTIONS ....................................................................................................................... 1-8
THE LCD USER INTERFACE ......................................................................................1-9
LAYER EDIT AND WINDOWS ............................................................................................................ 1-9
QUICK START ............................................................................................................1-10
SELECTING AND PLAYING A PATTERN......................................................................................... 1-10
LAYING IN MULTI TRIG MODE...................................................................................................... 1-11
P
EXPLORING A PATTERN ................................................................................................................. 1-11
DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECORDING............................................................................................. 1-11
OVERVIEW OF GRID RECORDING MODE................................................................................ 1-11
OVERVIEW OF LIVE RECORDING MODE ................................................................................. 1-12
PARAMETER LOCKS .................................................................................................................. 1-12
MONOMACHINE OVERVIEW ....................................................................................1-14
CHOOSE YOUR WAY OF WORKING............................................................................................... 1-14
SIX INDIVIDUAL TRACKS ........................................................................................................... 1-14
SIX TRACK SEQUENCING.......................................................................................................... 1-14
MIDI SEQUENCING ..................................................................................................................... 1-14
POLY MODE................................................................................................................................. 1-14
MULTI TRIG MODE...................................................................................................................... 1-14
MULTI MAP MODE....................................................................................................................... 1-14
MONOMACHINE SYNTHESIS ARRANGEMENT......................................................1-16
MONOMACHINE KITS ...................................................................................................................... 1-17
HE LINK BETWEEN KITS AND PATTERNS................................................................................... 1-17
T
LOADING A KIT............................................................................................................................ 1-18
LOADING AN EMPTY KIT............................................................................................................ 1-18
SAVING AND NAMING A KIT ...................................................................................................... 1-18
UNDO KIT..................................................................................................................................... 1-19
COPY KIT ..................................................................................................................................... 1-20
CLEAR KIT ................................................................................................................................... 1-20
KIT EDITING...................................................................................................................................... 1-21
ASSIGNING A MACHINE TO A TRACK ...................................................................................... 1-21
COPY MACHINE .......................................................................................................................... 1-22
CLEAR MACHINE ........................................................................................................................ 1-23
SETTING THE MIX BUS .............................................................................................................. 1-23
PARAMETER EDITING ..................................................................................................................... 1-24
TRACK EFFECTS ......................................................................................................1-25
LEVEL................................................................................................................................................ 1-25
MPLIFICATION PAGE..................................................................................................................... 1-25
A
1 of 6
AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE............................................................................................................... 1-25
DISTORTION................................................................................................................................ 1-26
TRACK VOLUME.......................................................................................................................... 1-27
PAN............................................................................................................................................... 1-28
PORTAMENTO............................................................................................................................. 1-28
FILTER PAGE .................................................................................................................................... 1-28
BASIC FILTER CONTROLS......................................................................................................... 1-29
FILTER ENVELOPE ..................................................................................................................... 1-30
FILTER TRACKING ...................................................................................................................... 1-30
EFFECTS PAGE................................................................................................................................ 1-31
EQ................................................................................................................................................. 1-31
SAMPLE RATE REDUCTION....................................................................................................... 1-31
DELAY .......................................................................................................................................... 1-32
LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATORS.......................................................................... 1-34
LFO CONTROLS .......................................................................................................................... 1-34
ADDITIONAL KIT SETTINGS ....................................................................................1-37
ASSIGN ............................................................................................................................................. 1-37
OYSTICK .................................................................................................................................... 1-38
J
VELOCITY .................................................................................................................................... 1-38
KEY TRACKING ........................................................................................................................... 1-39
TRIG TRACK SETTINGS .................................................................................................................. 1-39
MULTI TRIG....................................................................................................................................... 1-40
MULTI ENV........................................................................................................................................ 1-42
THE PATTERN SEQUENCER.................................................................................... 1-44
BASIC PATTERN OPERATION......................................................................................................... 1-44
PATTERN SELECTION ................................................................................................................ 1-44
PATTERN CHAINING ................................................................................................................... 1-45
SCALE SETUP ............................................................................................................................. 1-45
COMPOSING A PATTERN ................................................................................................................ 1-46
RECORDING PREPARATIONS ................................................................................................... 1-46
GRID RECORDING ...................................................................................................................... 1-46
LIVE RECORDING ....................................................................................................................... 1-48
STEP RECORDING...................................................................................................................... 1-49
NOTE COPY................................................................................................................................. 1-49
CLEAR NOTE PARAMETER LOCKS........................................................................................... 1-49
TRACK PAGE COPY.................................................................................................................... 1-50
CLEAR TRACK PAGE.................................................................................................................. 1-50
TRACK COPY............................................................................................................................... 1-51
CLEAR TRACK............................................................................................................................. 1-52
PATTERN COPY .......................................................................................................................... 1-52
CLEAR PATTERN......................................................................................................................... 1-53
SUPER COPY .............................................................................................................................. 1-53
SUPER CLEAR............................................................................................................................. 1-54
TEMPO .............................................................................................................................................. 1-54
THE TEMPO SCREEN ................................................................................................................. 1-55
TAP TEMPO ................................................................................................................................. 1-55
EXTERNAL SYNCHRONISATION ............................................................................................... 1-55
PARAMETER LOCKS........................................................................................................................ 1-56
PARAMETER LOCKS IN GRID RECORDING MODE ................................................................. 1-56
PARAMETER LOCKS IN LIVE RECORDING MODE .................................................................. 1-57
ADVANCED SEQUENCER CONTROL............................................................................................. 1-57
TRIG TRACKS.............................................................................................................................. 1-57
2 of 6
TRIGLESS TRIGS ........................................................................................................................ 1-58
PITCHLESS TRIGS...................................................................................................................... 1-58
ADDITIONAL SEQUENCER FEATURES ..................................................................1-60
THE ARPEGGIATOR......................................................................................................................... 1-60
A
RPEGGIATOR BASIC SETTINGS ............................................................................................. 1-60
ARPEGGIATOR ENVELOPE TRIGGING SWITCHES................................................................. 1-61
ARPEGGIATOR RHYTHM AND OFFSET TRACK ...................................................................... 1-62
TRANSPOSE..................................................................................................................................... 1-62
SWING............................................................................................................................................... 1-63
THE SWING TRACK .................................................................................................................... 1-64
SLIDE ................................................................................................................................................ 1-65
THE MUTE MODE............................................................................................................................. 1-66
MINIMISING THE MUTE WINDOW ............................................................................................. 1-67
POLY MODE...................................................................................................................................... 1-68
THE MIDI SEQUENCER.............................................................................................1-69
USING THE MIDI SEQUENCER .................................................................................................. 1-69
HE MAIN MIDI SEQUENCER INTERFACE ............................................................................... 1-70
T
COMPARISON WITH THE INTERNAL SEQUENCER ................................................................ 1-70
THE SONG MODE......................................................................................................1-72
LOAD SONG ................................................................................................................................ 1-72
SAVE SONG................................................................................................................................. 1-73
SONG PLAY ................................................................................................................................. 1-74
SONG TRANSPORT .................................................................................................................... 1-74
SONG EDITING............................................................................................................................ 1-75
SONG EDIT TRANSPORT ........................................................................................................... 1-76
SONG LOOPS.............................................................................................................................. 1-77
SONG JUMP ................................................................................................................................ 1-77
SONG HALT ................................................................................................................................. 1-77
SONG TRACK TRANSPOSE ....................................................................................................... 1-78
SONG EXTRA .............................................................................................................................. 1-78
MONOMACHINE ROUTING.......................................................................................1-80
THE MONOMACHINE MIXER ..................................................................................................... 1-80
HE FX MACHINES ..................................................................................................................... 1-80
T
USING THE AUDIO INPUTS........................................................................................................ 1-81
NEIGHBOUR ROUTING .............................................................................................................. 1-82
MIX BUS ROUTING ..................................................................................................................... 1-83
ROUTING MODE AB=MIX ........................................................................................................... 1-84
ROUTING MODE 6xMONO ......................................................................................................... 1-84
GLOBAL SETTINGS ..................................................................................................1-86
TURBO MENU................................................................................................................................... 1-86
AUDIO ............................................................................................................................................... 1-87
MASTER TUNE ............................................................................................................................ 1-87
GLOBAL ROUTING...................................................................................................................... 1-87
CONTROL ......................................................................................................................................... 1-88
MIDI CHANNELS.......................................................................................................................... 1-88
MORE ON THE MONOMACHINE MIDI FUNCTIONALITY ......................................................... 1-89
CONTROL OUT1.......................................................................................................................... 1-90
CONTROL OUT2.......................................................................................................................... 1-91
CONTROL IN................................................................................................................................ 1-91
MULTI MAP EDIT ......................................................................................................................... 1-92
MECHANICAL SETTINGS (MKII UNITS ONLY)............................................................................... 1-93
3 of 6
FILE ................................................................................................................................................... 1-94
SYSEX SEND ............................................................................................................................... 1-94
SYSEX RECEIVE ......................................................................................................................... 1-96
DIGIPRO MANAGER (MONOMACHINE SFX-60 MKII ONLY) ......................................................... 1-99
RECEIVE WAVEFORMS.............................................................................................................. 1-99
SEND WAVEFORMS.................................................................................................................. 1-101
ERASE WAVEFORMS................................................................................................................ 1-102
RENAME WAVEFORMS ............................................................................................................ 1-103
MIDI SEQ......................................................................................................................................... 1-104
MIDI SEQ SETTINGS ...................................................................................................................... 1-104
EARLY STARTUP MENU.........................................................................................1-106
TEST MODE .................................................................................................................................... 1-106
MPTY RESET................................................................................................................................ 1-106
E
FACTORY RESET ........................................................................................................................... 1-106
SOFT RESET .................................................................................................................................. 1-106
MIDI UPGRADE............................................................................................................................... 1-107
SEND UPGRADE ............................................................................................................................ 1-107
TECHNICAL INFORMATION ...................................................................................1-109
SPECIFICATIONS SFX-60MKII....................................................................................................... 1-109
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE MKI AND MKII MODELS .................................... 1-110
DESIGN ........................................................................................................................................... 1-110
POWER SUPPLY............................................................................................................................. 1-110
SNR RATIO AND OUTPUTS........................................................................................................... 1-110
CREDITS .................................................................................................................. 1-111
PRODUCT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT.....................................................................................1-111
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN ......................................................................................................................1-111
ADDITIONAL DESIGN......................................................................................................................1-111
USER’S MANUAL.............................................................................................................................1-111
FACTORY DEFAULT SOUND DESIGN ...........................................................................................1-111
FACTORY WAVEFORMS .................................................................................................................1-111
CONTACT INFORMATION....................................................................................... 1-112
ELEKTRON SUPPORT ................................................................................................................... 1-112
LEKTRON WEBSITE .................................................................................................................... 1-112
E
POSTAL ADDRESS......................................................................................................................... 1-112
APPENDIX A: MACHINE REFERENCE
SUPERWAVE............................................................................................................... A-1
SUPERWAVE SAW “SWAVE-SAW” ....................................................................................................A-1
SUPERWAVE PULSE “SWAVE-PULSE”.............................................................................................A-2
SUPERWAVE ENSEMBLE “SWAVE-ENS” .........................................................................................A-2
SID ............................................................................................................................... A-3
SID 6581 ..............................................................................................................................................A-3
DIGIPRO ...................................................................................................................... A-4
DIGIPRO WAVE “DPRO-WAVE” .........................................................................................................A-4
DIGIPRO BEAT BOX “DPRO-BBOX” ..................................................................................................A-4
DIGIPRO DOUBLEDRAW “DPRO-DDRW” .........................................................................................A-5
DIGIPRO ENSEMBLE “DPRO-DENS” ................................................................................................A-5
FM+.............................................................................................................................. A-6
FM+STATIC “FM+STAT” ......................................................................................................................A-6
M+PARALLELL “FM+PAR”................................................................................................................A-7
F
4 of 6
FM+DYNAMIC “FM+DYN”...................................................................................................................A-7
VO ................................................................................................................................ A-8
VO-6 ....................................................................................................................................................A-8
V
O-6 TUTORIAL.............................................................................................................................A-9
GND MACHINES ....................................................................................................... A-10
GROUND “GND” ...............................................................................................................................A-10
SINE WAVE “SIN” ..............................................................................................................................A-10
NOISE “NOIS” ...................................................................................................................................A-10
FX MACHINES........................................................................................................... A-11
THRU................................................................................................................................................. A-11
EVERB ............................................................................................................................................ A-11
R
CHORUS ...........................................................................................................................................A-12
DYNAMIX ..........................................................................................................................................A-12
DYNAMIX TUTORIAL...................................................................................................................A-13
RING MODULATOR ..........................................................................................................................A-13
PHASER ............................................................................................................................................A-13
FLANGER..........................................................................................................................................A-13
APPENDIX B: MIDI CONTROL REFERENCE
MONOMACHINE MIDI SPECIFICATION .......................................................................................B-1
NOTE ON & NOTE OFF MESSAGES............................................................................................B-1
CONTROL CHANGE MESSAGES.................................................................................................B-2
NRPN MAPPING ............................................................................................................................B-5
OTHER MIDI MESSAGES .............................................................................................................B-6
APPENDIX C: SYSEX REFERENCE
INDEX
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6 of 6

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION
Thank you for choosing the Monomachine SFX-6/SFX-60/SFX-60MKII as your companion for music creation. It is a powerful and intuitive tool for creating sounds, melodies and musi­cal compositions of all kinds. We hope you will have a lot of fun while exploring the vast possibilities of the Monomachine. To make the most of the SFX-6/SFX-60/SFX-60MKII, we would like you to carefully read the relevant parts of this manual before operating the instrument.

CONVENTIONS IN THIS MANUAL

In this manual we have used certain conventions for indicating input using knobs and but-
ons through the user interface. These conventions are listed below.
t
Keys (buttons) are written in upper case with bold style, and they are enclosed in brackets. For instance, the key “function” on the main panel is written [FUNCTION].
Menu names, certain modes and operations are written in upper case. The SYNTHESIS menu is an example of that.
Messages visible on the screen will be written in upper case with quotation marks. Like this, “RECEIVING DUMP”.
Parameter abbreviations as they appear on the screen are written in bold style, for exam­ple PTCH
Knobs are written in upper case with bold, italic style. For instance, the LEVEL knob is an example of this.
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 symbol indicates a tip that might make it easier interacting with the SFX-6/ SFX60/SFX-60MKII.
This symbol is used to caution you to protect your hearing (once).
Monomachine SFX-6/SFX-60/SFX-60MKII USER’S MANUAL for operating system version 1.22. This manual (rev
) is copyright © 2001-2010 Elektron Music Machines MAV AB. All reproduction without written authorization is
F 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.
1

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE MONOMACHINE

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE MONOMACHINE
Synthesizers are available in many different types and forms. Nevertheless, for most part they follow the norm how a synthesizer of its era is expected to be. Development for musi­cal tools generally comes in the form of new synthesis techniques or an increase in polyph­ony, memory or other quantitative elements. The advances in the music machine world have brought numerous good inventions for musicians. However, we believe usability is easily lost in the hunt for the highest specifications.
With the Monomachine we have tried creating a synthesizer free from prejudice, and focus on what actually spurs creativity without letting technology stand in your way. We want to inspire you to make sounds and music you haven’t even thought of.
We have put all our efforts into exploring, to the fullest extent, the concept we believe is one of the most creative in the history of synthesizers - the monophonic synthesizer with a tightly integrated sequencer. The Monomachine offers ground breaking sound synthesis machines, divided into five Monosynths, together with dedicated track effects. The sound synthesis tracks are controlled with the world’s most advanced pattern based sequencer, inspired by the concept found in grid programmed drum machines.

KEEP IN MIND

The Monomachine is a very multifaceted synthesizer. Depending on how you choose to
se it certain aspects of it will be more important to you. We have combined many new cre-
u ative approaches with what we enjoy most in the tradition of synthesizers.
Try to find your own way of working, whether it being using the song sequencer to build complete songs, building patterns for real-time manipulation using the MULTI TRIG func­tion, or using your favourite sound in POLY mode. This user’s manual will guide you through all the functions and give some hints on relevant applications.

HIGHLIGHTS

6 Track Internal Sequencer with sound synthesis
6 Track External MIDI Sequencer
5x Monosynths: SuperWave, SID, DigiPRO, FM+, VO
Dynamically controlled Stereo effects.
6x Tape-style Tempo synced delays
18x Tempo synced LFO's
Full real-time control
User waveforms (SFX-60MKII only)
Man-Machine potential
2

USER INTERFACE AND CONNECTORS

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USER INTERFACE AND CONNECTORS

FRONT / MAIN CONTROL PANEL

The Monomachine SFX-60 MKII front panel / SFX-6 main control panel:
1. Master volume control. Sets the volume for the main output and the headphone jack.
2. The LCD graphical interface display.
3. LEVEL k
4. DATA ENTRY
nob. Sets the overall volume level of the track in focus.
knobs. Used for tweaking parameters for the machines and effects.
The DATA ENTRY and LEVEL knobs allow accelerated editing by pressing the
knob while turning it.
5. [DATA PAGE] selection keys. These keys are used for browsing through the seven
DATA pages. The current selection is indicated by the <DATA PAGE> LED’s to the left of these keys.
Press both [DATA PAGE] keys simultaneously to open the MULTI ENV window.
6. [TRACK] keys 1-6. These keys are used for selecting which track is in focus of editing.
The secondary function is to mute or activate the track. The <TRACK> LED’s are located to the left of the [TRACK] keys. These indicate which tracks are active or muted, and also which track is in the editing focus. The LED colours indicate the following: Green = Active, Non-lit = Muted, Red = Active in focus, Yellow = Muted in focus
7. [TEMPO] key. Press to bring up the tempo window for adjustment. The current tempo is
always indicated by the speed of the flashing of the <TEMPO> LED. While holding
[FUNCTION] you can use [TEMPO] for tapping the tempo.
8. [FUNCTION] key. Press and hold it for accessing the secondary function of another key.
9. [KIT/SONG] k
ey. Opens the kit menu, or the song menu if in song mode. The secondary
function is calling the [GLOBAL] menu.
3
USER INTERFACE AND CONNECTORS
10.[TRIG] k
eys 1 to 16. Main functions of these keys are as keyboard for trigging notes, and for editing notes in GRID RECORDING mode. They are also used for choosing pat­terns, if pressed while holding one of the [BANK] keys. When functioning as a keyboard, the notes are played with velocity 80. Hold [FUNCTION] while playing to play with full velocity (127).
11.[PATTERN/SONG] key. Switches between pattern and song sequencer mode. The cur-
rent sequencer mode is indicated by the <PATTERN> and <SONG> LED’s. The second­ary function is to set the unit in [POLY] mode.
12.[ENTER/YES] and [EXIT/NO] keys. Used for entering and exiting menus and for con-
firming choices or aborting functions.
13.The [
ARROW] keys. Used for menu navigation. The [ARROW] keys are individually
named [UP], [DOWN], [LEFT] and [RIGHT]. In the main interface screen [UP] and [DOWN] are used for setting the octave for the
[TRIG] keys.
14.[BANK GROUP] key. Used for switching between bank group A to D and E to H. The
<BANK GROUP> LED’s to the right indicate the current selection. The secondary func­tion is to enter the dedicated [MUTE MODE].
15.[A/E], [B/F], [C/G] and [D/H] [BANK] keys. Hold one of the [BANK] keys and then
press one of the [TRIG] keys to select the pattern (A01-H16) indicated by the label of the [BANK] key and the <BANK GROUP> LED’s. The secondary functions are to edit the track settings for the arpeggiator and the transpose, swing and slide functions.
16.[REC], [PLAY], [STOP] keys. The [REC] key is used for toggling GRID RECORDING
mode on/off. [PLAY] Initiates playback of a pattern or song. Pressing [PLAY] a second time pauses playback. Press [PLAY] while holding [REC] to enter LIVE RECORDING mode. Press [REC] while holding [STOP] to enter STEP RECORDING mode. [STOP] halts the playback of a pattern or song. Press [STOP] twice to rewind the song and turn off all sound and reset various things. In GRID RECORDING mode, the <RECORD> LED gives a steady light, in LIVE RECORDING it flashes and in STEP RECORDING mode it double flashes. The secondary functions of these keys are to perform copy, paste and clear commands.
17.[SCALE] k
ey. In GRID RECORDING mode: switches the track page focus of the [TRIG] keys if the scale length exceed 16. The trig positions are organised in up to four pages with 16 positions in each. The <TRACK PAGE> above the [SCALE] key indicate which page is currently being edited or played. The secondary function is calling the SCALE SETUP menu.
18.[TRIG SELECT] key. Switches which trig track is programmed from the [TRIG] keys.
The <TRIG TRACK> LED’s to the left indicate the current track selection. The secondary function is to enter or exit the MIDI SEQ mode.
4
USER INTERFACE AND CONNECTORS
1 2
3
4
5

KEYBOARD INTERFACE, SFX-6

1. Joystick, for real-time expression control. The joystick can individually control parame-
ers for all tracks.
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2. Keyboard, for real-time playing and for use in the GRID RECORDING and LIVE
RECORDING modes.
3. [MULTI TRIG] key, used for toggling the MULTI TRIG mode. The current state of the
MULTI TRIG mode is being indicated by the <MULTI TRIG> LED above. The secondary function of this key is to toggle the MULTI MAP mode. MULTI MAP mode is indicated by the <MULTI TRIG> LED flashing. Read more about these modes of operation in the sec­tion “MULTI TRIG” on page 40 .
4. [OCTAVE] keys. Control which octaves the keyboard is playing, and which notes are
represented on the <KEYBOARD> LED’s.
5. <KEYBOARD> LED’s. Shows the notes being played on the active track, or pro-
grammed on a step selected in GRID RECORDING mode.
5
USER INTERFACE AND CONNECTORS
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REAR CONNECTORS

1. Power On/Off switch.
2. Power in.
Caution! Use only an Elektron-approved power supply with your Monomachine
SFX-60 MKII. It allows the unit to be used all over the globe without the need of voltage converters. If you need a new power supply the specifications are 6VDC, 3A, 5.5x2.5mm (2.5mm inner diameter) DC power plug (power at center), ungrounded 2 prong inlet (IEC320-C8). Using the wrong type of adapter may result in damage to your unit. Damage caused by the use of incorrect power supply is not covered by warranty. If you are unsure about your power supply, please con­tact Elektron support.
Note that the MKI models require a different power supply compared to the MKII
models. Please see “DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE MKI AND MKII MODELS” on page 109 for detailed info about the specifications of the power supply that should be used with the MKI models of the Monomachine SFX-60 MKII.
3. MIDI Thru/Out/In
4. Audio Input B/A
5. Individual Audio Outputs F/E/D/C
6
USER INTERFACE AND CONNECTORS
1 2 3
6. Main/Individual Audio Outputs B/A
7. Stereo Headphone Outputs (Amplified copy of output AB)

ADDITIONAL REAR CONNECTORS, SFX-6

1. AC 115/230V 50/60Hz Input with integrated fuse holder and spare fuse storage.
Caution! Although the Monomachine SFX-6 can accept both 115 and 230 Volts
main current, both the voltage selector and the fuse need to be matched to the voltage. The fuse holder has two sections. The inner is the one currently in use. For 115V operation the fuse should be specified as 250mA, 125V. For 230V opera­tion the fuse should be specified as 125mA, 250V.
2. Power On/Off switch.
3. Voltage selector.
Caution! If you want to change the voltage for the Monomachine, please take
notice of the warning found in the first point of this section.

RACK MOUNT KIT (SFX-60MKII ACCESSORY)

The Monomachine SFX-60MKII can be rack mounted in a standard 19” rack, using the SFX-60/SPS-1 rack mount kit which is ordered separately. When rack mounted, the SFX­60 MKII occupies four standard height units plus additional space needed to accommodate cables plugged into the unit at the back.

RACK MOUNT KIT ASSEMBLY

Make sure that you use a Philips screwdriver of the right size, and in good condition. Use the included M3x6mm size screws to secure the rack mount consoles on each side of the SFX-60 MKII. Make sure that all screws are fastened for secure operation of the unit.

CONNECTING THE UNIT

Follow the basic guide below to power up your unit for the first time.
1. For SFX-6
voltage selector on the back of your SFX-6. For SFX-60MKII: Connect the supplied DC adapter to a wall socket, and connect the small plug into the rear of the unit.
2. Connect the Main Audio Out A/B from the Monomachine to your mixer or amplifier, and/
or connect a pair of stereo headphones to the Headphone Output.
3. If MIDI control is desired, connect the MIDI OUT from the Monomachine to the MIDI IN
of the device you wish to send data to. Connect the MIDI IN of the Monomachine to the MIDI OUT of device you wish to receive data from. The MIDI THRU port is “echoing” the data coming in from the MIDI IN port, so it can be used for daisy chaining other MIDI units.
: Insert the supplied power cord in a grounded wall socket, specified as the
7
USER INTERFACE AND CONNECTORS
4. Switch all units on.
5. If you do not have any previous experience of the Monomachine we suggest that you fol-
ow the “QUICK START” on page 10.
l

CARE INSTRUCTIONS

To ensure many years of trouble free operation, please follow the advice below:
Never use any aggressive cleaners on the casing or the LCD overlay. Remove
dust, dirt and fingerprints with a soft dry cloth. More persistent dirt can be removed with a slightly damp cloth using only water.
Never use sharp objects near the display to avoid scratches or damage. Also
void applying any pressure to the display itself.
a
When transporting the Monomachine, try to use the box in which it was originally
shipped with the padding supplied, or equivalent packaging.
Make sure that you place the unit on a stable surface before use. If you mount the
unit in a rack, be sure to tighten all four screws in the rack mount holes.
The memory used for storing patches and kits is powered by a battery inside the
unit. It will hold data for at least 6 years before needing replacement. If the battery needs replacement, the “BATTERY LOW” message will appear in the display. Con­tact Elektron support or your nearest repair center.
Turn off the machine when not in use.
8

THE LCD USER INTERFACE

THE LCD USER INTERFACE
The center of the Monomachine SFX-6/SFX-60MKII editing is the LCD graphical interface display. The interface screen for the SYNTHESIS page is printed below:
1. The current tempo. This will show “EXT” when synced to external tempo.
2. Level bar showing the selected volume level of the machine on the track in focus.
3. Up to eight parameters. They correspond to the layout of the 8 D
The little dot in the circle indicates the current parameter value. If an knob isn’t repre­sented it means it serves no function at that particular screen. Above the graphical rep­resentation of the knobs are up to four characters, the abbreviation for the parameter the knob controls.
4. Four rectangular boxes showing the playback position in the pattern page.
5. The playback/recording status shown by the standard “record”, “play”, “pause” and
“stop” symbols; , , and .
6. Name and number of the current kit.
7. The index of the current pattern, ranging from A01 to H16.
8. Specification of the Mono-synth and machine of the track in focus.
ATA ENTRY knobs.

LAYER EDIT AND WINDOWS

When a function which puts a window on top of the main interface screen is opened, the
unction of certain buttons and/or knobs will change. The buttons that are not used or
f blocked can still be used to control the layer underneath. For example, when you have called the tempo function it will make use of the LEVEL knob, but you can still use the DATA ENTRY knobs to control the track in focus. When a window has functions mapped to such interface controls, help is provided at the bottom of the window in the form of icons representing these controls. The icons are:
The arrow buttons The LEVEL knob
The [FUNCTION] key The [TRIG] keys
The DATA ENTRY knobs
All windows can be closed using the [EXIT/NO] key.
9

QUICK START

QUICK START
This quick start will guide you through some of the basic operations to get you started using the Monomachine. First connect your unit as described in section “CONNECTING THE UNIT”, on page 7.
The DATA ENTRY knobs have accelerated editing when being pressed. By default,
the knobs increase/decrease the parameter value in steps of +1/-1. When pressed, the step length is higher, allowing quicker adjustments.
This guide assumes you have a Monomachine SFX-6 Keyboard or SFX-60MKII tabletop module with a MIDI keyboard connected. If you have a SFX-60MKII you need to take care to set the midi keyboard to play on the correct MIDI channel. When we refer to play a sound in MULTI TRIG mode, a MIDI keyboard should be sending on the multi trig channel. By default this is set to MIDI channel 7. When playing on a specific track we recommend using the auto track channel which will switch focus depending on which track is selected with the [TRACK] keys. By default the auto channel is assigned to MIDI channel 9. Please refer to section “MIDI CHANNELS”, on page 88 for more information on the MIDI channel assignment of the Monomachine.

SELECTING AND PLAYING A PATTERN

1. Verify that the <PATTERN> LED is lit and the <SONG LED> is not. If this isn’t the case,
press the [PATTERN/SONG].
2. Check the <BANK GROUP> LED to see if bank group A-D or E-H is active. If needed
press [BANK GROUP] key to toggle the active bank group. For this demonstration use group A-D.
3. To select pattern A01, press and hold the pattern selection key [
[TRIG] key 1. You can see the index of the currently selected pattern in the lower left
corner of the display. Each pattern automatically loads the kit it is linked with. The name of the kit is also shown in the display.
4. To listen to the pattern, press the [PLAY] key. The pattern starts playing and loops back
to the beginning again when it has reached its end. Pressing [PLAY] while playing pauses the playback.
5. To change patterns during playback, simply select a pattern the same way as in step 3.
The display will show the selected pattern next to the current one, but with an arrow pointing between them. This indicates that once the current pattern has played to its end, the new selected pattern will start playing.
6. To stop the playback of the pattern, press the [STOP]
key.
A/E] and then press the
10
QUICK START

PLAYING IN MULTI TRIG MODE

1. Select a pattern, ranging from A01-D16. All the Monomachine presets are located in this
ange. Make sure the sequencer is stopped.
r
2. Enter MULTI TRIG mode. On SFX-6 press the [MULTI TRIG] key and check that the
<MULTI TRIG> LED is lit with a steady light. For SFX-60 MKII select the multi trig chan­nel on your MIDI keyboard.
3. Play some notes!
4. Depending on the trig mode selected in the kit a number of things could happen. Please
refer to section “MULTI TRIG”, on page 40 for the full story.

EXPLORING A PATTERN

1. Select a pattern as previously described.
2. Make sure the sequencer is stopped and that MULTI TRIG mode is switched off on the
FX-6 (<MULTI TRIG> LED not lit) and that the sequencer is not in GRID RECORDING
S mode (<REC> LED not lit). Use the auto channel if using an external MIDI control key­board.
3. Select one of the six tracks as the active track by pressing a [TRACK] key.
4. For each track the machine loaded is displayed in the lower left corner of the display.
5. Play some notes on each of the tracks, either using the keyboard or the [TRIG] keys.
Note that it’s possible that not all tracks will sound, the track can be an FX that needs input from another track or silenced due to the output assigning, machine selection or track effect settings. If you don’t hear anything, try selecting another track.
6. Use the [DATA PAGE] keys to navigate between the DATA pages. The <DATA PAGE>
LED’s will indicate the current selection. Select the SYNTHESIS page.
7. Now, turn any of the DATA ENTRY knobs to tweak the machine synthesis parameters
on the selected track. You can change any parameters without fear of losing presets or other kits stored, as the changes will not be saved if you don’t save the kit. The parame­ters presented on the SYNTHESIS page are specific to the machine loaded. See Appen­dix A for information about the parameters and functions of the machines.
8. Use the [DATA PAGE]
FILTER and EFFECTS pages and explore the wide range of sound shaping tools availa­ble. You can find information about the track effects on page 25.
keys to continue to the DATA pages named AMPLIFICATION,

DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECORDING

OVERVIEW OF GRID RECORDING MODE

You can input notes into a pattern of the sequencer, both while the sequencer is running and when it is stopped. First select the pattern you wish to edit. You might want to select an empty pattern, as all changes are made “live” to the pattern. As factory default, patterns E01-H16 are empty.
1. If you wish you can change the kit assigned to the pattern by, press the [KIT] key, then
select LOAD in the menu, and select the kit you prefer from the list presented.
2. Press the [RECORD] key to enter GRID RECORDING mode. The <RECORD> LED
should be firmly lit.
11
QUICK START
3. Choose to active a track using the [TRACK]
keys. Below is a screen shot of how the
SYNTHESIS page could look like after selecting a track.
4. Press a [
TRIG] key to add a note trig. A note trig is indicated by a red <TRIG> LED.
Pressing the same [TRIG] key once more removes the note trig.
5. To change the pitch of a note, press and hold the [TRIG] key. You will see a mini key-
board pop up in the lower left corner of the screen. Either input the new note on the key­board or use the [ARROW] keys to select the new note. When done release the [TRIG] key.
6. To enter a note off trig, press a [TRIG] key while holding the [FUNCTION] key. A Note
Off is indicated by a yellow <TRIG> LED. To remove a note off the same [TRIG] key must be pressed twice.

OVERVIEW OF LIVE RECORDING MODE

The LIVE RECORDING mode allows you to record notes in real-time while the pattern is playing.
To enter this mode, press and hold [RECORD] and then [PLAY].You can now play notes on the track you want to record, using either the [TRIG KEYS] or a keyboard. All played notes will be quantised to the closest trig step.
If a note is played on a position where there already was a note programmed the new note will replace the note on that step.
To erase notes in LIVE RECORDING mode hold [EXIT/NO] while the notes you want to remove are heard.
The pattern will loop and be ready for further recording until you press the [STOP] key.

PARAMETER LOCKS

A parameter lock is a parameter locked to a certain value for a specific step. Parameter locks can be programmed in GRID RECORDING mode and recorded in LIVE RECORD­ING mode. Parameter locks are a very important part of creating unique and dynamic pat­terns.
12
To lock parameters on a specific step in the track in GRID RECORDING mode, hold a [TRIG] key and turn or click a DATA ENTRY knob. The parameter connected to the knob will be inverted to indicate that it now is has a parameter lock. The corresponding <TRIG> LED will flash rapidly to indicate that a parameter is locked for that step.
QUICK START
In LIVE RECORDING mode, you can lock parameters by turning a knob while recording.
Parameters can be locked for any parameter and track. To lock parameters for a new track, select that track with the [TRACK] button and repeat the steps above.
To remove a single lock in GRID RECORDING mode, press and hold the [TRIG] key and click the knob connected to the parameter you wish to remove. You will see that the inverted square around the parameter is removed. To remove all parameter locks for a trig, hold the [TRIG] key and press [CLEAR]. The locks are also cleared when the note is removed.
13

MONOMACHINE OVERVIEW

MONOMACHINE OVERVIEW
The sound generating structure of the Monomachine differs in many ways from what is common for contemporary sound synthesizers and sequencers. The SFX-6/SFX-60MKII offers six tracks of audio synthesis/FX, effects and sequencing. All six tracks can be equipped with a sound generating or sound effecting machine of your choice, Track Effect engine including amplifier envelope, LP/BP/HP filter, synchronised tape-style delay, three LFO’s and the most refined step sequencer. Please refer to Figure 1, “Monomachine sound synthesis overview,” on page 15 for an overview of the general structure of the Monoma­chine.

CHOOSE YOUR WAY OF WORKING

The Monomachine offers you many ways of working. The six tracks of synthesis can be
pproached in several ways. Some suggestions how you could organise your work is
a described below. All the techniques presented will be discussed in detail later in this man­ual.

SIX INDIVIDUAL TRACKS

Each of the six tracks can be programmed with individual sound generating machines and sound and effects settings. Using the Monomachine this way offers you access to six inde­pendent tracks of monophonic synthesis. All tracks can also be externally controlled by their assigned MIDI channels if preferred.

SIX TRACK SEQUENCING

The six tracks can be controlled by the Monomachine sequencer. In addition to the tradi­tional pitch and note on/off commands, it allows direct control over all sound generating parameters and envelope trigs.

MIDI SEQUENCING

Six additional tracks of polyphonic MIDI sequencing for controlling external gear are lined up beside the sequencer for the internal sound generating tracks.

POLY MODE

By entering POLY MODE the Monomachine dedicates all six sound generating tracks to offer one track with six-voice polyphony.

MULTI TRIG MODE

In MULTI TRIG mode, all six sound generating tracks are controlled simultanously from a single control source. The sequencer can be a part of the control, and your sequences can be transposed in real-time. This way you can construct the most dynamic and complex monophonic super-sounds imaginable.

MULTI MAP MODE

Using the MULTI MAP mode you can lay out your sequences over a keyboard, for live or studio use.
14
MONOMACHINE OVERVIEW
FIGURE 1. Monomachine sound synthesis overview
15

MONOMACHINE SYNTHESIS ARRANGEMENT

MONOMACHINE SYNTHESIS ARRANGEMENT
The basic sound generating unit in the Monomachine is called a machine. Each machine is designed for generating sounds from a specific technique or method, such as analogue style pulse, SID MOS 6581 or dynamic FM. The sound generating machines allow you to get many different starting points with varied sound characteristics.
The machines are grouped in so called Mono-synths. It can be viewed as if the machines in a Mono-synth belong to the same family. For example, in the FM+ family there are a total of 3 machines for static, parallel and dynamic FM synthesis. Despite the fact that each machine is based on the family synthesis, each machine can have a unique parameter set. The parameters are selected individually to give the user the best control of the machines. There is a special Mono-synth named FX. The machines in this family do not generate sounds, but offer effects for other tracks.
Description of Mono-synths and their parameters are covered in Appendix A.
Each of the six tracks can have any machine assigned to it. The assignment of machines and their parameter settings are collected in kits. Editing the kits is discussed in section “KIT EDITING”, on page 21.
All six tracks have their dedicated effect modules. The track effect system consists of the parameters found in the AMPLIFICATION, FILTER and EFFECT pages. Each track effect system delivers hi/lo/band-pass resonant 24-db filter with envelope and individual Q-con­trol, 1-band eq, sample rate reduction, distortion and tempo synchronised tape-style delay. You will also find controls for left/right-pan and portamento speed among the the track effects. The track effects are explained in depth in section “TRACK EFFECTS”, on page 25.
Each track offers three powerful Low Frequency Oscillators (LFO’s). The three LFO’s offer identical functionality, and can be assigned to any machine, track effect or LFO parameter. You will find more information about the LFO’s on page 34.
16
MONOMACHINE SYNTHESIS ARRANGEMENT

MONOMACHINE KITS

The Monomachine does not arrange sounds in what is commonly referred to as “patches”.
he Monomachine equivalence of a “patch” depends on which way you are using it.
T
If you use the six tracks as individual synthesizers, or in POLY mode, then you
could see a kit as carrying six “patches”. The kit would then be the equivalence to what in common synthesizer terms is referred to as a “performance”.
If you use the MULTI TRIG mode, then all six tracks would be trigged from the
Multi Trig track. A kit would then be the direct equivalence of what is commonly referred to as a “patch”.
If you use the MULTI TRIG mode and incorporate the sequencer, then your “patch”
ould incorporate both the kit and the sequencer pattern from which it is linked.
w
If you are used to the structure of ordinary synthesizers, the Monomachine way of structur­ing sounds in patterns and kit might be confusing at first. Hopefully, after some time of use you will appreciate the flexibility and ease of use of the Monomachine implementation.

THE LINK BETWEEN KITS AND PATTERNS

Each pattern with data is associated with a certain kit, which will be recalled when the pat­tern is played. This way, you know playing a certain pattern always gives the same result, and that the parameter locks make sense.
Be careful to save any changes you have made to your kit that you want to keep.
Changing pattern might change kit and then you will lose the old kit settings.
If two patterns use the same kit, the kit will not be reloaded when changing pat-
tern.
As a reference, Monomachine kits hold the information specified below:
The machines selected for each of the 6 tracks
Parameter settings for the 6 machines
Parameter settings for the 6 Track Effects
Parameter settings for the 6x3 LFO’s
Parameter settings for the 6 MIDI sequencer tracks
Input and output routings for the 6 tracks.
Trig track and multi trig settings for the 6 tracks.
Parameters for the Multi-envelope.
The kit name
ll kits are battery backed and user definable. A total of 128 user kits can be stored in
A memory.
17
MONOMACHINE SYNTHESIS ARRANGEMENT

LOADING A KIT

1. Open the KIT window by pressing the [KIT]
[ARROW] keys.
key and select the LOAD icon using the
2. Press [
3. The window presents a list of the kits stored in memory. Use the [UP] and [DOWN] keys
ENTER/YES] to open the LOAD KIT window.
to choose among the 128 kit slots. Press [ENTER/YES] to load the kit of your choice. If you want to exit without loading a kit, press [EXIT/NO].
Kits that are not associated with any pattern are distinguished by a little star after
the kit name.
The kit currently loaded is indicated by an inverted selection box. The focus, when
moved away from the kit currently loaded, is a hollow square box.

LOADING AN EMPTY KIT

To get a clean kit, open the KIT LOAD window as described above and load a position where no kit was previously saved. The empty positions are indicated with “--” as the kits in the figure below.
18
After loading an empty kit, you will get six tracks loaded with the GND>SIN machine, and all track effects and other parameters reset to default values.

SAVING AND NAMING A KIT

1. Open the KIT window.
MONOMACHINE SYNTHESIS ARRANGEMENT
2. Use the arrow keys to move to the “SAVE” icon. Press [
ENTER/YES] to open the KIT
SAVE menu.
3. The screen presents a list of the kits stored in memory. Use the [
UP] and [DOWN] keys
to choose from the 128 kit slots. Press [ENTER/YES] to select the slot where you want to save your kit.
4. The next window appearing will allow you to name the kit. Use the LEVEL knob or the
[UP] and [DOWN] keys to cycle through the letters. The [LEFT] and [RIGHT] keys move
the cursor backwards and forwards on the line.
5. Pressing the [FUNCTION] key gives access to the “high score” selection method, in
which you see all characters at the same time. Keep the [FUNCTION] key held while navigating using the [ARROW] keys. Release the [FUNCTION] key, when you have located the letter of your choice.
6. When the kit name is complete, press [ENTER/YES]
7. If you want to exit without saving the kit, press [EXIT/NO].
to save it.

UNDO KIT

There is a special kit in the first position of the kit list named the “UNDO KIT”.
When you have made unsaved changes to a kit and a new one is loaded, the unsaved old kit will be stored in the “UNDO KIT” position. When saving a kit over an occupied position in the kit list, the overwritten kit will also be saved in the “UNDO KIT”.
19
MONOMACHINE SYNTHESIS ARRANGEMENT
You can load the “UNDO KIT” to restore your most recent unintentionally lost kit. This can be useful when accidentally changing pattern and the kit is changed so that your unsaved changes are lost. When you have restored your kit using the undo kit, don’t forget to save it.

COPY KIT

When in the KIT SAVE or KIT LOAD menus you can copy and paste kits. For loading a kit, see section “LOADING A KIT”, on page 18. For saving a kit, see section “SAVING AND NAMING A KIT”, on page 18.
1. When you are in either the KIT SAVE or KIT LOAD menus, select the kit you want to
c
opy, hold down the [FUNCTION] key and press the [RECORD] button. A message say-
ing “COPY KIT” appears.
2. Use the [UP] and [DOWN] keys to scroll to the slot you want to copy the kit to.
3. To paste the kit into the slot, hold [FUNCTION] and press the [STOP] button. The mes-
sage “PASTE KIT” appears.
20
If you want to undo the action, press the [FUNCTION] + [STOP] buttons again. The
message saying “UNDO KIT” indicates that the paste operation has been undone.

CLEAR KIT

You can also clear kits while in the KIT SAVE or KIT LOAD menus.
1. Select the kit you want to clear, hold down the [FUNCTION] key and press the [PLAY]
button. A message saying “CLEAR KIT” appears.
MONOMACHINE SYNTHESIS ARRANGEMENT
It is also possible to undo this operation. To undo the action, hold the function
[FUNCTION] button and press the [PLAY] button. The message saying “UNDO KIT” indicates that the clear operation has been undone.

KIT EDITING

You can either create your kit from scratch, or modify an existing one and then save it to a new position. To load an empty kit, see section “LOADING AN EMPTY KIT”, on page 18.

ASSIGNING A MACHINE TO A TRACK

If you want to create a kit from scratch, follow the instructions below.
1. Open the KIT window and select EDIT KIT using the [ARROW] k
2. Press [ENTER/YES] to enter the EDIT KIT Menu. The EDIT KIT menu is used for
eys].
changing the machine for the active track, and for specifying audio bus routing. For FX machines you also select the audio input routing for the machine. Read more about FX machines and routing in section “MONOMACHINE ROUTING”, on page 80.
The <TRACK> LED’s indicate which track you are editing, and it is also displayed in the name bar at the top of the window. To change the track in focus, use the [TRACK] keys.
3. Use [LEFT] a
nd [RIGHT] to move between the SYNTH, MACHINE and MIX columns.
[LEFT] and [RIGHT] are also used for moving between the OUT BUS positions. You will
notice that the name of the active column is inverted. You can use the [UP] and [DOWN] arrows to choose from the available menu choices in the column.
To assing a new machine, first move to the SYNTH column with the [LEFT] and [RIGHT] keys. Select the Mono-synth of your choice by moving the focus using [UP] and
[DOWN].
21
MONOMACHINE SYNTHESIS ARRANGEMENT
Press [RIGHT] once to move the focus to the MACHINE column. Select the machine using [UP] and [DOWN].
Finally you need to press the [ENTER/YES] key to confirm your selection.
The Mono-synth and the machine currently assigned to the track are indicated by
inverted selection boxes. The focus, when moved away from the machine cur­rently loaded, is a hollow square box. When [ENTER/YES] is pressed, the current focus will be assigned, thus changing the square hollow focus to the inverted box.

COPY MACHINE

You can copy one machine and its settings from one track to another. It is also possible to copy the current machine and its settings to another kit.
1. In the EDIT KIT menu, press and hold [FUNCTION] and then press [RECORD]. A mes-
sage saying “COPY MACHINE” appears.
2. The settings are placed in the machine copy buffer. Now you can either change track
sing the [TRACK] keys, or load a new kit and select a target track in there.
u
3. Once the target track is selected, press and hold [FUNCTION] and then press [STOP] to
paste the machine settings from the copy buffer. A message saying “PASTE MACHINE” appears.
22
Any previous machine settings will be overwritten when pasting.
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