E-MU Systems E4K User Manual

GETTING AROUND

on the E4K

© 1995 E-mu Systems, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

• FI499 Rev. A

E-MU WORLD HEADQUARTERS
E-MU SYSTEMS, INC. U.S.A.

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95067–0015

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Sprints & Presets 1

WELCOME

IN THIS BOOKLET

• Getting Around

• SoundSprinting

•␣ RT Controllers

•␣ Bookmarks

•␣ Demo Sequences

•␣ Sound Designing

•␣ Sequencer

•␣ Controller Charts

REAL TIME CONTROLLERS

ASSIGNABLE KEYS

SEQUENCER

PRESET

SAMPLE

EMULATOR

LEVEL

EXIT

PAGE

PRESET SELECT

ENTER

RETURN

0.987654321

WELCOME

If you have just met the E4K for the first time, we suggest that you follow
through these “guided tours” until you get familiar with the way the E4K
operates.

THE EMULATOR FOUR MODULAR SYSTEM

The E4K is divided up into six main modules and each module contains a
particular group of functions. To access a module, you simply press the
module button and a page of choices appears. The six modules are as follows:

■ Disk Module: The disk module controls all disk operations such as loading

and saving banks, presets and samples. It also contains several utilities to
format and backup the hard disk.

■ Master Module: This module contains functions that affect the entire

machine: Memory status, master tuning, erase bank, name bank, output
levels, miscellaneous functions, master MIDI settings. In addition, the Master
module contains the master effects settings and the sequencer submodule.
The effects and the sequencer are also accessible via dedicated front panel
buttons.

■ Sample Manage Module: This is where you go to record your own samples.

You can also rename, copy, erase or place them on the keyboard.

■ Sample Edit Module: With this module, you can loop (with several auto-

matic looping options) or edit the length of a sample. This module also
contains many types of digital signal processors which actually modify the
raw sample data. Fortunately, the E4K contains an “Undo” function which
lets you restore the original sample if you aren't happy with the results.

■ Preset Manage Module: This module handles the preset “housekeeping”

chores such as naming, erasing, copying and exporting.

■ Preset Edit Module: This is the synthesizer module where raw samples are

turned into expressive new instruments. Samples can be arranged on the
keyboard, switched or crossfaded in just about any possible way. Digital
Modular Synthesis is term we use to describe the E4K's powerful synthesis
engine. Any modulation source can be connected to any destination through
the use of virtual patch cords. There are 58 modulation sources and 55 desti­nations on the E4K, including Z-plane filters, complex envelopes, LFOs and
modulation processors, which allow complex synthesis models to be built.

Getting Around on the E4K2

Activating Modules and Selecting Functions

Each module has an associated switch. These are grouped on the left side of
the display. Pressing the associated switch activates the module and is indi­cated by an LED next to the switch. Upon activation the top line of the
display will show the module identifier.

Once the module has been activated, the function keys below the display are
used to select the function located directly above it. You can think of the E4K
like a book— each time you press a function key, you are turning to another
page in the book. The module select keys are like chapters in the book.

Module Select Keys

PRESET

SAMPLE

NAVIGATION

Function Keys

When you're finished with a module, either press its button again to deacti­vate, or simply activate a new module. Any time you make a mistake, get
confused or otherwise “get lost in the module”, you can bail out by simply
deactivating, then reactivating the module.

Main Screen

When all the module LEDs are off, you are in the main preset selection
screen (shown below). This screen can also be accessed by pressing the Exit
key repeatedly from wherever you are.

Hot Tip…

If you want to “Lock” the Sprint, Load, Save and Multi keys on the Main
screen instead of the arrow key, simply press and hold the arrow key for
two seconds. To hide the menu options again, press Hide.

Press and hold this key for two
seconds to display the menu bar
at the bottom of the display
instead of the arrow.

Getting Around 3

SOUNDSPRINTING

LOADING & PLAYING SOUNDSPRINTS

Normally when using a sampler, you must load a bank of presets into
memory before playing. The E4K can also be used this way, but for browsing
presets there is a much better way. SoundSprint is a new routine which
allows you to load presets quickly into memory one at a time as you browse
through them.

þ To Access Presets Via SoundSprint:

1. Turn on the E4K and wait for it to come up. The E4K power switch is
located on the rear panel adjacent to the power cord. The display will
appear as shown below.

2. Press the Arrow function key (F6) in the lower right corner of the display.

Press

- Tip: You could also press

Assignable key 3 to instantly
jump to the sprint page. Don't
hold the key too long or it will
reassign itself!

3. A row of soft-keys will appear along the bottom of the display. Press

Sprint (F3) to access SoundSprint mode. After pressing Sprint, the follow­ing screen will appear.

4. You are now in SoundSprint mode. Notice that the Disk LED is lit,
indicating that you are in the Disk module. You could have arrived at this
same screen via the disk module and preset browser. The Sprint key is
simply a direct jump to the Sprint page.

Getting Around on the E4K4

REAL-TIME CONTROLLERS

5. Use the bank soft-keys (F5 & F6), the left/right cursor keys, the previous/
next keys or the data entry control to select presets. The previous and
next banks in the folder are shown in the upper right of the Sprint
display window.

If you get lost…

If in your mad button pressing, you find yourself somewhere other than the
Sprint screen, use this shortcut. The E4K is shipped with Assignable Key 3
programmed to access SoundSprint mode. Simply press Assignable Key #3.

To program an assignable key…

If Assignable Key #3 is not programmed for the Sprint page, you can easily
reprogram it. First go to the Sprint page (Main Screen, Arrow, Sprint), then
press and hold the Assignable Key 3 for two seconds. Now it's pro­grammed!

CHECK OUT THE REAL-TIME CONTROLLERS

Each of the Sprint presets is a carefully crafted Instrument with real-time
controllers programmed to control the most important aspects of the sound.
The back of this booklet contains a Sprint preset listing with a description of
what the real-time controllers do in each preset. For many of the Sprint
presets, the sliders are programmed according to the diagram below.
These are only generalized labels; many of the presets use the sliders for
wildly different uses.

Filter Envelope

Resonance

Chorus or ??

or Add Voice

Don't forget to check out the other real-time controllers such as the “Thumby
Button”, modulation wheels and keyboard aftertouch (pressure).

To get back the original sound…

After fiddling with the sliders you may just want to get back to the original
settings. Simply press Assignable Key #3 which has been programmed to
jump to the Sprint page. The original slider settings will instantly reload.

- Tip: Aftertouch is applied by

pressing down harder on the key
after the note has been made.

- Tip: If you find a set of

slider settings that you like
better than the factory settings
go to Preset Edit, Global and
adjust controllers A-D. Then
save the bank back to itself.

Sprints & Presets 5

SETTING BOOKMARKS

BOOKMARKS

If you find a preset you really like, you might want to attach a Bookmark to
it. Bookmarks allow you to instantly select and load a SoundSprint. Up to
100 bookmarks can be saved and store in nonvolatile EEPROM.

þ To Set a Bookmark:

1. From the SoundSprint Browser, select the preset you wish to bookmark
using the left/right cursor keys.

2. Press the Mark… function key (F3). The following screen will appear.

3. Select a bookmark location using the data entry control or inc/dec keys.

4. After selecting a location, press the Set function key (F4) to set the
bookmark. Press the Set/Save function key (F3) if you want to save the
bookmarks to nonvolatile memory.

• The numeric keypad selects a bookmark from the rank of 10 you last
selected with the Lock engaged.

5. Press the Go function key (F6) to go to the currently selected preset.

6. Press Cancel (F1) to cancel the operation.

þ Alternate Method to Set a Bookmark:

1. From the SoundSprint Browser, select the preset you wish to bookmark
using the left/right cursor keys.

2. Press and hold the Set key located to the right side of the numeric keys.
While holding the Set key, press one of the numeric keys. A pop up
dialog box will inform you that the bookmark is set.

• If you don't Save your bookmarks using the Set/Save button, they will be
lost when power is turned off.

Getting Around on the E4K6