Ensoniq Corporation Fizmo Owner's Manual
User’s Guide
Realtime Transwave Synth
L
EADING THE WORLD IN SOUND INNOV A TION
TM
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User’s Guide
Version 1.10
FIZMO User’s Guide
Written, designed, and illustrated by Robby Berman
Copyright © 1998
EMU-ENSONIQ ® Corp
155 Great Valley Parkway
Box 3035
Malvern, PA 19355-0735
USA
World Wide Web—
Printed in U.S.A.
All Rights Reserved
Please record the following information:
Your Authorized ENSONIQ Dealer:_________________________________________ Phone:________________________
Your Dealer Sales Representative:_________________________________________________
Serial Number of Unit:___________________________ Date of Purchase:_________________
Your Authorized ENSONIQ Dealer is your primary source for service and support. The above information will be helpful in
communicating with your Authorized ENSONIQ Dealer, and provide necessary information should you need to contact
ENSONIQ Customer Service. If you have any questions concerning the use of this unit, please contact your Authorized
ENSONIQ Dealer first. For additional technical support, or to find the name of the nearest Authorized ENSONIQ Repair
Station, call ENSONIQ Customer Service at (610) 647-3930 Monday through Friday.
This manual is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by EMU-ENSONIQ Corp. This document may not, in whole or in part, be
copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form without prior
written consent from EMU-ENSONIQ Corp. The FIZMO software/firmware is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by EMUENSONIQ Corp.
http://www.ensoniq.com
Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the text and illustrations in this manual, no guarantee is made
or implied in this regard.
IMPORTANT:
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.
Changes or modifications to the product not expressly approved by ENSONIQ could void the user's FCC authority to operate
the equipment.
In order to fulfill warranty requirements, your FIZMO should be serviced only by an Authorized ENSONIQ Repair Station. The
ENSONIQ serial number label must appear on the outside of the unit, or the ENSONIQ warranty is void.
ENSONIQ and FIZMO are trademarks of EMU-ENSONIQ Corp.
Part Number 9310023501-B Model Number MM 173
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1—Meet FIZMO 1
About the FIZMO User’s Guide ..........................................................................................................1
What’s in the FIZMO box?.................................................................................................................1
The FIZMO Demos.............................................................................................................................1
is
What
FIZMO’s Display.................................................................................................................................3
The -/No and +/Yes Buttons.............................................................................................................3
How FIZMO’s Memory Works............................................................................................................3
2—Setting Up 5
Listening to FIZMO ............................................................................................................................5
Using FIZMO’s Audio Input.................................................................................................................5
Connecting a Dual Foot Switch to FIZMO...........................................................................................6
Making MIDI Connections..................................................................................................................7
Supplying Power to FIZMO.................................................................................................................7
a FIZMO Preset?..................................................................................................................2
3—Playing FIZMO 9
Selecting Presets ..............................................................................................................................9
Realtime Performance Controls.........................................................................................................9
4—The Arpeggiator 11
Turning the Arpeggiator On and Off................................................................................................ 11
Selecting an Arpeggiator Preset..................................................................................................... 11
The Arpeggiator Keyboard Button .................................................................................................. 12
The Tempo Button.......................................................................................................................... 12
The Range Button........................................................................................................................... 13
Editing Arpeggiator Presets............................................................................................................ 13
5—Editing, Creating and Saving Presets 15
The Compare Button and LED ........................................................................................................ 15
Changing, Layering and Mapping a Preset’s Sounds....................................................................... 15
Editing and Setting Up a Preset’s Effects....................................................................................... 18
Saving a Preset .............................................................................................................................. 20
6—Programming Sounds 21
Understanding FIZMO Sounds ........................................................................................................ 21
Modulation ..................................................................................................................................... 21
Selecting a Sound for Programming ............................................................................................... 26
OSC................................................................................................................................................ 26
Wave.............................................................................................................................................. 26
Pitch............................................................................................................................................... 27
Glide ............................................................................................................................................... 28
Filter............................................................................................................................................... 28
Amplitude ....................................................................................................................................... 29
Effect Bus....................................................................................................................................... 30
ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide i
Table of Contents
7—MIDI 31
Receiving MIDI................................................................................................................................31
Transmitting MIDI........................................................................................................................... 32
Dumping Data To and From FIZMO................................................................................................. 33
Assorted MIDI Parameters............................................................................................................. 34
The Four System Controllers.......................................................................................................... 34
Recording and Playing Back Edits Using NRPNs............................................................................. 35
FIZMO MIDI Implementation Chart ................................................................................................. 36
8—Supplemental Info 37
FIZMO’s Factory Presets................................................................................................................ 37
Sound Location-to-MIDI Program Change Translator ...................................................................... 39
FIZMO's Arpeggiator Presets ......................................................................................................... 40
Updating FIZMO’s Operating System .............................................................................................. 41
Restoring FIZMO’s Factory Presets and Sounds............................................................................. 41
What is MIDI? ................................................................................................................................42
Proper Care of FIZMO .................................................................................................................... 45
Index 47
ii ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide
1—Meet FIZMO
1—Meet FIZMO
Congratulations on your purchase of ENSONIQ’s FIZMO. FIZMO is a unique new synthesizer based on
ENSONIQ’s exclusive Transwaves: evolving waveforms that provide the basis for incredibly animated, alive
sounds. FIZMO utilizes both traditional synth techniques and its own array of potent modulation tools—as well as
ENSONIQ’s acclaimed effects—to create CD-quality sounds unlike anything heard anywhere else. FIZMO’s
extensive realtime controls and vocoder allow you to easily shape sounds with your hands and mouth as you play,
while its intelligent, interactive arpeggiator pulses away in the background.
Straight out of the box, FIZMO’s ready to go, with 64 great-sounding presets pre-programmed by ENSONIQ.
Turn the F, I, Z, M and O knobs as you play to hear the selected preset change shape. You can also build your
own preset from scratch using FIZMO’s many handy front panel knobs.
About the FIZMO User’s Guide
Notes, Tips, Warnings
As you read the User’s Guide, you’ll see notes tips and warnings interspersed throughout the text, offset by their
gray background. Each contains a particular kind of information:
• Notes provide additional information relating to the topic being discussed.
• Tips describe applications for the topic under discussion.
• Warnings provide important information that helps you avoid damage to your work, FIZMO or you yourself.
Button Illustrations
Where button or knob illustrations appear in the User’s Guide, buttons
The button referred
to in the text
referred to in the accompanying text are shown in black, while knobs are
shown with a black outer ring (except for the FIZMO knobs in
Chapter 3
).
Keyboard Range Mode
What’s in the FIZMO box?
In your FIZMO box, you’ll find:
• FIZMO • a power supply for FIZMO • the FIZMO User’s Guide
Tip: See Page 44 for information on FIZMO’s proper care.
The FIZMO Demos
FIZMO contains brief demonstration songs that can give you an idea of its sonic capabilities. To play a demo:
1. Press and hold down the preset bank-selection button.
2. While continuing to hold down the preset bank-selection
button, press the +/Yes button, and then release both
buttons. The display will show FIZMO’s first demo, d001.
3. Press the +/Yes button to begin playing the demo. To stop
the demo, press the button again.
4. To select the next demo in FIZMO’s memory, press the Variations up arrow button in the Effects
section of FIZMO’s front panel. (To re-select an earlier demo press the down arrow button.)
5. To exit FIZMO’s demo-playing mode, press the -/No button.
Preset bank-
selection button
- / No
Bank 1
Bank 2
- / No + / Yes
Demo
Variation
Note: While the demo plays, FIZMO’s front-panel controls are de-activated; turning knobs and such will have no
effect. When you press the -/No button to exit demo mode, normal functionality is restored.
ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide 1
1—Meet FIZMO
What is a FIZMO Preset?
Whenever you turn FIZMO on and start playing, you’re playing
a preset. A preset contains:
• from one to four sounds.
• an insert effect or global reverb.
• an arpeggiator pattern you can turn on or off.
Any of the sounds in a preset can be:
• layered on top of each other, in the same or different areas of the keyboard.
• split, so that each sound plays only in a pre-determined portion of FIZMO’s keyboard.
Chapter 3
describes how to select and play presets.
Chapter 5
describes how to edit, create and save presets.
About Sounds
A sound in FIZMO is comprised of up to two oscillators, each of which plays one of FIZMO’s onboard waves.
Most of the knobs on FIZMO’s front panel allow you to change the characteristics of the currently selected
oscillator.
sounds in a preset.
Note: Since each preset can contain up to four sounds, and each sound can contain up to two oscillators—each
of which plays its own wave—a preset can utilize up to eight different oscillators and waves.
Note: When you press a key on the keyboard, each active oscillator plays its wave. FIZMO can sound up to 48
waves at a time; therefore, the number of notes that can be played simultaneously depends on the number of
sounds and oscillators active in the current preset.
Chapter 5
describes how to select any of FIZMO’s 256 sounds, as well as how to layer and split
Chapter 6
describes how to select and edit oscillators, and provides a description of waves.
About Effects
A preset’s sounds can be processed by any one of FIZMO’s large selection of onboard 44.1 kHz (CD-quality)
effects. These effects fall into two basic categories:
• FIZMO’s global reverbs can provide a natural ambience to your preset.
• FIZMO’s insert effects are powerful effects that perform a wide variety of processing tasks, from reverbs to
delays, choruses to distortions as well as some unique ENSONIQ-exclusive effects. The vocoder, introduced
below, is one of the insert effects.
Each FIZMO effect is pre-programmed with its own set of variations from which to choose. Chapter 5 discusses
selecting and editing effects.
Introducing the FIZMO Vocoder
FIZMO includes a special effect called a “vocoder.” Vocoders were popular in the 1970’s, and can be heard on
many records of that era. A vocoder is an interactive filter that allows you to use your mouth to shape a preset’s
frequency content. When an effect that uses the vocoder is selected, you can speak or sing into a microphone
plugged into FIZMO’s rear-panel Audio Input jack: the frequencies of the notes you play on the keyboard as you
speak or sing will mimic the shape of your mouth, making FIZMO’s notes sound as if they’re being sung. The
vocoder is described in
Chapter 5
.
The FIZMO Arpeggiator
An arpeggiator is a device that records notes struck on the keyboard and plays them back repeatedly in preprogrammed patterns. FIZMO’s arpeggiator provides a variety of ways in which you can add notes to a pattern,
as well as a wide selection of options that allow you to set how the arpeggiator plays its notes. FIZMO’s
arpeggiator is also MIDI-interactive.
Chapter 4
describes the arpeggiator in detail.
2 ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide
1—Meet FIZMO
FIZMO’s Display
FIZMO’s 4-character LED display provides information as you adjust FIZMO’s settings. Many
settings have their own knobs—in such a case, the display shows you the setting’s current value
when you turn its knob. Some settings, called “parameters,” are accessed by pressing the
appropriate button on FIZMO’s front panel. Values and parameters names are often shown in abbreviated form
on FIZMO's display, as noted throughout the User’s Guide.
Tip: Most of FIZMO’s display abbreviations appear in the User’s Guide Index; if you see something you don’t
understand, the Index can direct you to an explanation.
The -/No and +/Yes Buttons
As you work on FIZMO, you’ll find numerous settings whose values you’ll want to raise or
lower, and features you’ll want to activate or de-activate. To perform either of these tasks,
press the -/No or +/Yes button:
• To lower a displayed value, click the -/No button.
• To raise a displayed value, click the +/Yes button.
• To activate a displayed feature, press the +/Yes button.
• To de-activate a displayed feature, press the -/No button.
Tip: To increment or decrement through values at a greater speed, double-click the desired button, holding it
down after the second click. To move at high speed, triple-click the button, holding it down after the third click.
- / No + / Yes
How FIZMO’s Memory Works
FIZMO contains three types of memory, RAM (“Random Access Memory”), ROM (“Read-Only Memory”) and
FLASH:
• RAM is a form of memory that can be written to and read from instantaneously. It’s also impermanent, and is
cleared when FIZMO is turned off.
• FLASH is a form of memory ideal for saving data that you want to retain permanently, or until you manually
change it. Data must be burned into FLASH, a slightly slower process than writing data to RAM.
• ROM is a permanent, unchangeable form of memory that contains factory-programmed data such as waves
and other items that FIZMO requires to operate.
FIZMO’s presets, sounds, arpeggiator data and global settings are stored in FLASH so that they’re in place each
time you power up FIZMO. When you select a preset, its components are automatically—and instantly—copied
into RAM so that they can be played, shaped in realtime and edited. When you save a preset (Page 20) or your
current global settings (Page 34), you’ll see the word “burn” displayed during the saving process, indicating that
your data is being burned into FLASH. When you update FIZMO’s operating system—the software code that
makes it run—it, too, will be burned into FLASH automatically (see Page 41).
ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide 3
ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide
2—Setting Up
2—Setting Up
Listening to FIZMO
There are essentially two ways to hear the sound FIZMO produces:
• You can listen to FIZMO by connecting its outputs to a mixer or amplifier and listening to the mixer or
amplifier.
• You can listen to FIZMO through headphones.
Connecting FIZMO to a Mixer or Amplifier
To Listen to FIZMO in Stereo
1. Connect one end of a 1/4” audio cable to FIZMO’s rear-panel Left Main Out jack.
2. Connect the other end to an input on your mixer or amplifier.
3. Connect one end of a second 1/4” audio cable to FIZMO’s Right Main Out jack.
4. Connect the other end of the cable to a second input on your mixer or amplifier.
To Listen to FIZMO in Mono
1. Connect one end of a 1/4” mono cable to either of FIZMO’s rear-panel Main Out jacks—when you connect
a cable to a single Main Out jack, FIZMO sends all of its sound out of the connected jack in mono.
2. Connect the other end to an input on your mixer or amplifier.
Right/Mono Left/Mono
Main Out
Tip: You can use 1/4”-to-RCA-type adapters to connect FIZMO to a home stereo, but do so with care, since the
dynamic range of FIZMO is much greater than that of a CD or tape, and can damage your speakers if set to too
high a volume. Follow the guidelines in “Setting FIZMO’s Output Volume” below to avoid damage to your
system.
Connecting FIZMO to Headphones
1. Connect your 1/4” stereo headphone plug to the Phones jack on FIZMO’s rear panel.
Tip: If your headphones use a mini plug, you can buy an inexpensive mini-to-1/4” adapter that will allow
you to connect the headphones to FIZMO.
Setting FIZMO’s Output Volume
Volume
Note: Each of FIZMO’s oscillators has its own Amp setting that controls the oscillator’s volume. The Volume
knob described above controls FIZMO’s overall level.
FIZMO, like all digital equipment, sounds best when its Volume knob is all the way up. If you’ve
connected FIZMO to a mixer or amplifier, use their input level control to find a level for FIZMO that
works with the rest of your gear. When FIZMO is connected to a home stereo, turn FIZMO’s Volume
knob all the way down, power up (described later in this chapter) and, while playing FIZMO’s keyboard
as hard as you plan to, slowly turn up its Volume knob to find a volume that sounds good without
distorting your stereo’s inputs.
Using FIZMO’s Audio Input
Audio Input
The rear-panel Audio Input jack allows you to connect a microphone or line-level audio
signal to FIZMO in order to control its vocoder or to process external audio through its
onboard insert effects. The input volume is set using the Input Level knob located to its
right (when viewed from the back), as described in the following section.
(Mic or Line)
Phones
Input Level
ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide 5
2—Setting Up
Setting the Audio Input Volume
To set the optimal input volume:
1. After connecting a microphone or line-level signal to the Audio Input jack, speak into the microphone or send
audio at a typical volume into FIZMO.
2. Adjust the input volume by slowly turning the rear-panel Input Level knob up or down until the
Input Clip LED just above the Effects section of FIZMO’s front panel lights occasionally.
Routing a Microphone to an Insert Effect
A microphone connected to FIZMO’s Audio Input jack will always be routed to the vocoder insert effect (see
Page 19). You can also send the microphone’s audio to any other insert effect. To do this, tap the MIDI Edit
button until LnIn (for “Line In”) is displayed; in a moment or so, the current LnIn value will be displayed. Use the
-/No or +/Yes button to set the parameter to:
• On to direct the microphone’s audio to any of FIZMO’s insert effects.
• OFF to direct the microphone’s audio only to the vocoder insert effect.
Tip: To learn about insert effects, see Page 18.
Note: Whenever LnIn is set to its On value, you’ll hear your microphone through the currently selected insert
effect. If you’re hearing unexpected sounds through your effects, make sure to set the LnIn parameter to OFF.
Input Clip
Connecting a Dual Foot Switch to FIZMO
You can connect an ENSONIQ SW-10 dual foot switch—purchased separately—to FIZMO’s Dual
Foot Switch jack. With an SW-10 installed, you can use your feet for selecting presets, starting,
stopping and latching the arpeggiator, setting the arpeggiator’s tempo and for realtime modulation.
Programming the Behavior of a Dual Foot Switch
The behavior of the pedals of a dual foot switch are determined by the settings of the Ft 1 and Ft 2
parameters—the Ft 1 parameter sets the behavior of the right-hand pedal, and the Ft 2 parameter sets the
behavior of the left pedal. To set either parameter’s value:
1. After connecting an SW-10, tap the MIDI Edit button repeatedly until the desired parameter—Ft 1
or Ft 2—appears. After roughly one second, the parameter’s current setting will be displayed.
2. Press the -/No or +/Yes button to select the desired value for the parameter.
When you select: the pedal will:
OFF
SuS
Sos
SyS1
SyS2
SyS3
SyS4
ArP
ArPL
tAP
iPrS
dPrS
do nothing.
function as a traditional sustain pedal.
operate as a traditional sostenuto pedal.
send a value of 127 to any setting modulated by Sys1 (Page 21).
send a value of 127 to any setting modulated by Sys2 (Page 21).
send a value of 127 to any setting modulated by Sys3 (Page 21).
send a value of 127 to any setting modulated by Sys4 (Page 21).
toggle the arpeggiator on or off (
Chapter 4
).
route the keyboard to the arpeggiator while the pedal is held down (Page 12).
allow you to set the FIZMO’s system tempo by tapping the pedal (Page 13).
the next-highest preset in the current preset bank (Page 9) will be selected.
the next-lowest preset in the current preset bank (Page 9) will be selected.
Dual Foot Switch
(Sustain)
MIDI
Edit
Tip: If you don’t require the extended functionality of a dual footswitch, you can purchase and connect an
ENSONIQ SW-2 single footswitch to FIZMO’s foot-switch jack. The Ft 1 parameter will control its behavior.
6 ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide
Making MIDI Connections
2—Setting Up
Before FIZMO can transmit or receive MIDI data—as described in
Chapter 7
—its rear-panel MIDI jacks must be
connected to the rest of your MIDI studio. Each jack handles a particular task:
• MIDI Thru—When FIZMO is part of a MIDI daisy-chain, with one MIDI device
connected to another and that one to the next so on, any MIDI data FIZMO
Thru Out In
MIDI
receives is passed along from this jack to the next device in the daisy-chain.
• MIDI Out—This jack transmits MIDI data generated by FIZMO, including data
produced by its keyboard, arpeggiator, FIZMO knobs or during a SysEx data
dump.
• MIDI In—FIZMO receives MIDI data from external devices using the MIDI In
jack. You can use MIDI to play FIZMO, add notes or supply timing information
to its arpeggiator, and receive dumps of SysEx data.
Supplying Power to FIZMO
Warning: Before connecting FIZMO’s power supply, make sure that FIZMO’s rear-panel Power button is in its
“out” position.
Tip: See Page 45 for additional information on polarization and grounding.
Connect the small plug of FIZMO’s AC power supply to FIZMO’s rear-panel Power In jack. Connect the
other end to a standard household outlet (if the supplied adapter doesn’t match your outlet, contact your
authorized ENSONIQ dealer).
Turning On FIZMO
Power In
9V AC, 1A
Warning: As with all audio equipment, before turning FIZMO on, turn down your monitoring system to
avoid any unwanted level spikes.
To turn FIZMO on, press its rear-panel Power button until it latches in its On—pushed-in—position.
Power
Off On
ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide 7
ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide
3—Playing FIZMO
3—Playing FIZMO
Playing FIZMO is all about enjoying its presets and manipulating them. This chapter describes the selection of
presets and FIZMO’s realtime performance controls.
Note: Presets are described in
Chapter 1
.
Selecting Presets
FIZMO contains 64 presets arranged into two banks of 32 presets each, a bank being a collection of presets.
Preset-Selection Mode
To select a preset, you must first enter FIZMO’s preset-selection mode. You can tell if
you’re in preset-selection mode by looking at FIZMO’s display or at the Bank 1 and
Bank 2 LEDs located underneath and just to the left of FIZMO’s display. When you’re
in preset-selection mode, a “P” appears in the left side of the display, and one of the
two LEDs will be lit. If this is not the case, you can enter preset-selection mode by
selecting a preset bank, as described below.
Selecting a Preset Bank
To select one or the other preset bank, click the preset bank-selection button. Each
click selects one or the other of the two preset banks, as indicated by the Bank 1
and Bank 2 LEDs. When a bank is selected, its LED lights.
Selecting a Specific Preset
Click the -/No and +/Yes buttons to select an individual preset from either preset bank. The
number of the currently selected preset is shown in FIZMO’s display.
Tip: See Page 37 for a list of FIZMO’s presets.
“P” shows that you’re in
preset-selection mode.
Bank 1
Bank 2
P 01
Bank 1
Bank 2
Preset bankselection button
P 01
“01” signifies
Preset 1.
Realtime Performance Controls
FIZMO’s realtime performance controls allow you to simultaneously re-shape all of a preset’s sounds as you play.
These controls have an immediate effect on the presets, and are thus called “realtime” controls. The realtime
performance controls do not permanently change the currently selected preset—when you next select it, it will be
restored to its original state. To permanently alter a preset, you must edit it (
Note: Most the many FIZMO knobs and buttons dedicated to editing also result in instantly heard changes. They
are described in
Note: FIZMO’s realtime controls also transmit MIDI data from FIZMO’s MIDI Out jack as described in
Chapters 5
and 6.
Chapter 5
Keyboard Performance Controls
You can affect the way a preset sounds by how you play FIZMO’s keyboard:
• The keyboard is velocity-sensitive, so that it senses how hard or soft you play. In addition to affecting the
volume of the notes you hear, velocity can be used to change the value of various oscillator settings.
• When you strike a key and press it down, the keyboard generates channel pressure messages that can also
affect oscillator or effect settings.
Tip: Most of the effects in factory-programmed presets are designed to respond to velocity and/or pressure.
To learn how to program oscillators to respond to velocity and pressure, see “Modulation” in
ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide 9
) or its sounds (
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
.
).
.
3—Playing FIZMO
Setting the Keyboard’s Velocity Response
You can adjust the FIZMO keyboard’s response to the force with which you play, allowing you to get the
most out of FIZMO’s sounds, regardless of how hard you like to play. To set this parameter:
MIDI
1. Press the MIDI Edit button repeatedly until “tch” is displayed—after approximately one second, the
current velocity curve value will be displayed.
Edit
2. Press the -/No or +/Yes button to select one of the six available velocity curves:
• Curve 1 is designed for musicians who play softly, while Curve 4 will suit players who play hard. Try each
curve to find the setting with which FIZMO’s sounds feel most responsive to your playing.
• Curve 5 causes the keyboard to always play as if you’ve struck its keys with a medium amount of force
(a MIDI velocity value of 64).
• Curve 6 causes the keyboard to always play as if you’ve struck its keys with a maximum amount of force
(a MIDI velocity value of 127).
The Pitch Bend and Mod Wheels
The two wheels to the left of FIZMO’s keyboard are its pitch bend wheel—on the left—and mod wheel—on the
right. These two wheels can be moved as you play; each has its own effect on the currently selected preset.
The Pitch Bend Wheel
The pitch bend wheel bends the pitch of notes upward when the wheel is pushed forward, or downward when it’s
pulled back. In its center position, no pitch-bend is applied. When shipped from the factory, the wheel bends pitch
by up to two semitones. To change the maximum pitch bend amount, tap the MIDI Edit button until bEnd
appears in FIZMO’s display—in a moment, the bEnd parameter’s current value will appear. Use the /No or +/Yes button to select the desired maximum amount of pitch-bending.
Tip: FIZMO can bend only those notes currently held down, letting sustained notes remain at their original pitch.
To activate held pitch-bending, tap the MIDI Edit button until PhLd appears in FIZMO’s display—in a moment, the
parameter’s current value will appear. Use the -/No or +/Yes button to set the PhLd parameter to “On.”
MIDI
Edit
The Modulation Wheel
The modulation wheel (or “mod wheel”) can be used to raise the value of any of FIZMO’s modulators
programmed to respond to the mod wheel. These modulators can be applied to various oscillator and effect
settings. The mod wheel is typically used for adding vibrato to sounds. Modulation is described on Page 21.
The FIZMO Knobs
The easiest way to shape FIZMO presets in realtime is to turn the F-I-Z-M-O knobs. The presets created at the
factory are programmed to respond to these knobs in enjoyable ways, as described on Page 37.
When you twist the: it:
F knob adjusts the value of any setting to which Sys3 is applied as a modulator (Page 21).
In all factory-programmed sounds, Sys 3 modulates preset effects (Page 18).
I knob selects from among the frames in the preset’s Transwaves (Page 26).
Z knob adjusts the filter cutoffs of the preset’s oscillators (Page 28).
M knob detunes the preset’s oscillators (Page on page 21).
O knob adjusts the value of any setting to which Sys4 is applied as a modulator (Page 21).
Effect modulation
Wave modulation
Brightness
Detuning
Sys4 control
Tip: You can make your current FIZMO knob settings permanent by saving the preset—see Page 20.
10 ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide
4—The Arpeggiator
4—The Arpeggiator
FIZMO’s arpeggiator produces mesmerizing, repetitive
Tempo Arpeggiator
streams of musical notes using the active sounds in the
currently selected preset. The arpeggiator can play both
pre-programmed phrases, and can generate fantastic
On/OffTap Keyboard Range Mode
Value
new music based on notes that you play. You can also
play along with the arpeggiator.
Tip: The arpeggiator can be synchronized to MIDI clocks so that you can synchronize it to an external MIDI
device. You can also supply the arpeggiator with notes via MIDI. See
Chapter 7
.
Understanding Arpeggiator Presets
Whenever you use the arpeggiator, you’re using an “arpeggiator preset.” An arpeggiator preset tells the
arpeggiator what notes to play, and how to play them by determining the arpeggiator’s operating mode and also
containing a variety of parameters that influence certain important aspects of its behavior (these are detailed in
“Editing Arpeggiator Presets” on Page 13).
Note: Each FIZMO preset contains an arpeggiator preset, and remembers the current state of the arpeggiator’s
other settings when the preset was last saved. Therefore, when you change any arpeggiator setting, the LED in
the Sound Edit button lights to show that the preset has been edited. See Page 20 to learn how to save a
preset—and your current arpeggiator settings.
Arpeggiator Operating Modes
The arpeggiator can function in either of two modes, or a combination of both. The operating mode is determined
by the type, or types, of information the arpeggiator preset contains. An arpeggiator preset can contain a:
• pattern—A pattern is a pre-programmed phrase containing note or controller data. When an arpeggiator
preset contains a pattern, you can transpose its note data to any key or octave by striking a key on FIZMO’s
keyboard.
• control algorithm—A control algorithm allows you to play notes into the arpeggiator, and tells the arpeggiator
in what order to play those notes.
Turning the Arpeggiator On and Off
To turn the arpeggiator on, click the Arpeggiator On/Off button—when the arpeggiator is on, the
button’s LED lights.
Tip: You can also turn the arpeggiator on and off using a foot switch—see Page 6.
Arpeggiator
On/Off
Selecting an Arpeggiator Preset
FIZMO contains over a hundred arpeggiator presets. To select one:
1. Click the Arpeggiator Mode button—or hold down the button and turn the Arpeggiator
Value knob—until PrSt is displayed. In a moment or so, the number of the currently
selected arpeggiator preset will be displayed.
2. Turn the Arpeggiator Value knob or use the -/No or +/Yes button to select the desired
arpeggiator preset. The arpeggiator preset already saved in the preset is shown as snd; the other
arpeggiator presets are identified by number.
Tip: For a list of FIZMO's arpeggiator presets, see Page 40.
Tip: The control algorithm contained in the highest-numbered arpeggiator preset performs a unique function: any
notes you supply to the arpeggiator are sustained for as long as the arpeggiator is turned on.
ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide 11
Mode
Value
4—The Arpeggiator
The Arpeggiator Keyboard Button
The Arpeggiator Keyboard button determines whether FIZMO’s keyboard—and incoming MIDI notes;
see Page 31—will supply notes to the arpeggiator, or will bypass the arpeggiator and play the sounds
of the currently selected preset. When you save a preset, it remembers the current state of the
Keyboard button. The Keyboard button contains an LED; each time you press the Keyboard button, the LED
turns on or off. When the LED is:
• lit, you can give the arpeggiator notes to play, and/or transpose an arpeggiator pattern, using the keyboard.
You can also use FIZMO’s pitch bend and modulation wheels to manipulate the notes the arpeggiator plays.
• unlit, you can play along with the arpeggiator.
Tip: The setting of the HELd arpeggiator preset parameter determines how you can supply the arpeggiator notes
when using a control algorithm. See “Held Mode and Control Algorithm Notes” on Page 14.
You can set the keyboard’s behavior on a system-wide level so that it behaves in the manner you find most
convenient. To do this, tap the MIDI Edit button until bPAS (for “Arpeggiator Bypass parameter”) is displayed; in a
moment or so, the parameter’s current value will be displayed. Use the -/No or +/Yes button to set it to:
Value: Displayed as: So that:
Bypass Off
Bypass On
Preset
Arpeggiator On/ Off
OFF
On
PSEt
ArP
the keyboard always supplies notes to the arpeggiator.
the keyboard always plays the current preset.
when a new preset is selected, FIZMO will set the Keyboard button and
LED to the on/off state stored in the preset.
if the arpeggiator is turned on, the keyboard will supply it notes; if it’s
off, the keyboard will play the currently selected preset.
Keyboard
Note: You can override the setting of the Arpeggiator Bypass parameter at any time by pressing the Keyboard
button manually.
Note: When shipped from the factory, the Arpeggiator Bypass parameter is set to ArP.
Tip: You can use a foot switch to temporarily direct the keyboard to the arpeggiator—see Page 6.
The Tempo Button
You can set the tempo of the currently selected arpeggiator preset by tapping the Arpeggiator Tempo
button—when you press the button, the current tempo value is displayed in beats per minute (bpm). The
arpeggiator’s tempo can be set anywhere from 25 bpm (t25) to 320 bpm (t320). The Tempo button’s
LED is always flashing, showing the current arpeggiator tempo.
Tip: You can also hold down the Arpeggiator Tempo button and turn the Arpeggiator Value knob to set the
tempo. In addition, once you’ve pressed the Arpeggiator Tempo button, you can use the -/No or +/Yes button to
set the tempo.
The system-wide Arpeggiator Tempo Source parameter allows you to set the behavior of the arpeggiator’s tempo
as you select presets. To access and set this parameter, tap the MIDI Edit button until AtPO is displayed; in a
moment or so, the parameter’s current value will be displayed. Use the -/No or +/Yes button to set it to:
Value: Displayed as: So that:
Preset
Front panel
PSet
FPnL
When a new preset is selected, the arpeggiator tempo will be set to the tempo
stored in the preset.
the tempo selected using the Tempo button will remain in place when a new
preset is selected.
Tempo
Tap
Note: You can override the setting of the Arpeggiator Tempo Source parameter at any time by setting the
Arpeggiator Tempo from the front panel.
Note: When shipped from the factory the Arpeggiator Tempo Source parameter is set to FPnL.
12 ENSONIQ FIZMO User’s Guide
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