Eventide H8000, H7600, Orville Programming manual

Programming Manual for

H8000, H7600, Orville and

the DSP7000 families of

Harmonizer

Brand Effects

Processors.

( covering H8000/H8000A/H8000FW, H7600, Orville™, DSP7000/7500™ and DSP4000B+™ )

Harmonizer is a registered trademark of Eventide Inc. for its audio special effects devices incorporating pitch shift.

H8000, H8000A, H8000FW, H7600, Orville, DSP7000, DSP7500, DSP4000B+and Ultrashifter are trademarks of Eventide Inc.

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The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

Table of Contents

GENERAL PRINCIPLES____________________________________________________________________________4

OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................................................................................................4

Different Kinds of Signals 6

HOW A PROGRAM INTERFACES WITH THE PARAMETER AREA................................................................................................. 7

Simple Interface 7 Custom Interface 8

MODULES...................................................................................................................................................................................10

The IN and OUT “Modules” 10 The Characteristics of Modules 11

WRAP UP....................................................................................................................................................................................15

VSIGFILE________________________________________________________________________________________16

System Requirements and Background Knowledge Required 16

COMMUNICATIONS..................................................................................................................................................................... 16

Establishing a MIDI Connection 16 Establishing a Serial Connection 17

BASIC FUNCTIONS......................................................................................................................................................................18

Adding Modules 18 Connecting Modules 19 Deleting Modules 19

DISPLAY FUNCTIONS .................................................................................................................................................................. 20

Selecting Modules 20 Moving Modules 20 Re-Positioning Modules 20 Aligning Modules 21 Zooming 21

EDITING......................................................................................................................................................................................22

SENDING PROGRAMS TO THE HARMONIZER............................................................................................................................... 24

TUTORIAL 1 -A SIMPLE PROGRAM.............................................................................................................................................. 24

ADVANCED FEATURES ............................................................................................................................................................... 27

The Specifier Display 27

Repeating Fields 31

Editing “Special” Modules 33

Updating the Parameters from the Harmonizer 33

Getting Programs from the Harmonizer 34

Creating the User Interface 35

Viewing Menupages and Menupage Modules 35 Interface Modules 36 Parameter Adjusters 37

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

Simple “Parameter Adjusters” 40 Menupages and Parameter Placement 45

TUTORIAL 2 -PRETTY IN DEPTH..................................................................................................................................................48

INTER-DSP COMMUNICATION FOR H8000,ORVILLE..................................................................................................................56

SUPERMODULES..........................................................................................................................................................................57

TUTORIAL 3 -USING SUPERMODULES .........................................................................................................................................57

FILE FUNCTIONS.........................................................................................................................................................................62

“ *.sig” Files versus “ *.sif” Files 63

PATCH EDITOR __________________________________________________________________________________64

GET COMFORTABLE BY DOING ..................................................................................................................................................64

The IN and OUT “Modules” 67

THE PATCH EDITOR AREA DISPLAY ...........................................................................................................................................68

Front Panel Controls 69 The Patch Editor Area SOFT KEY Functions 70

THE <MODIFY> SOFT KEY.......................................................................................................................................................76

Modifying a delay module 76 Modifying Complex Modules 79

INTER-DSP COMMUNICATION FOR H8000 AND ORVILLE...........................................................................................................80

CREATING THE USER INTERFACE................................................................................................................................................81

Viewing Menupages and Menupage Modules 81 Interface Modules 83 Simple “Parameter Adjusters” 87

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

This manual covers H8000TM family, H7600TM, OrvilleTM as well as the DSP7000TM family of Harmonizer® Brand Effects Processors, as well as the DSP4000B+TM. In the following text these will, for convenience, be referred to as 'Harmonizers'. Much of its contents also apply to the older 4000 series, but the reader is not advised to view this publication as an exhaustive reference for these models. This manual does not cover the Eclipse Processors. Most references to H7600 also apply to DSP7000/7500 and DSP4000B+, whereas H8000 references apply to H8000, H8000A, H8000FW and in most cases, Orville as well.

One of the reasons Eventide’s effects units are so versatile is that their effects programs are “modular." A single program is composed of many smaller “modules." Modules might best be thought of as good old fashioned “guitar pedals” (except, of course, that unlike guitar pedals, the modules in the Harmonizer are 24 bit, crystal clear, high-end audio processors!). Imagine you have a gym floor covered with guitar pedals and a coat rack draped with patch cords. You run around connecting pedals, a delay pedal to a pitchshifter pedal, the output of that pitchshifter pedal to a compressor, the output of that compressor into a filter, etc. The end result of all that patching is, to the Harmonizer, a program.

Although the above picture is oversimplified, it does capture the essence of what’s going on when a program is created. You’re just connecting modules (guitar pedals) to each other to produce a desired overall program.

These modular programs can be created with either of two tools, Vsigfile - a PC-based graphic editor, or the unit’s internal Patch Editor. Vsigfile is more suitable for program creation, whereas the Patch Editor is handy for making local modifications, but either can be used for either purpose.

Without going into great detail, the example cited above, “a delay pedal into a pitchshifter into a compressor into a filter” is shown to the right as seen in the Patch Editor. The little boxes represent the modules and the lines between them represent “patch cords."

IN represents the inputs to the effects engine or DSP (Digital

Signal Processor) running the program, dly represents the delay module, psh represents the pitchshifter module, cpr represents the compressor module,

OUT represents the outputs from the DSP running the program.

flt represents the filter module and

Of course, if things were going to remain this simple there would be no need for this separate Programmer’s Manual. But conceptually, things are this simple! We’ll muddy things up by implementing “control” features that will make your programs easier to use in the We’ll further muddy them by making large programs that utilize many modules connected in ways that defy the “serial/parallel” paradigm. So the details may get a little complex, but the main idea should remain crystal clear: we’re just connecting a bunch of 24 bit, full bandwidth guitar pedals!

The first chapter in this manual, General Principles, will cover the underlying concepts involved in constructing programs either in VSigfile or the Patch Editor area. It is essential reading. The second chapter will discuss the mechanics of creating programs in VSigfile, and the third chapter will discuss the mechanics of creating programs in the Patch Editor area. It is suggested that you only read the chapter pertaining to the construction “environment” you will in fact use.

or the H3000 family of Harmonizer® Brand Effects

PARAMETER area.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

OVERVIEW

This section will describe in general terms just what goes into constructing a program. Return to this section if you ever feel like you’re being mired down in details later on.

First, the primary “stuff” of program construction is the “module." Modules are small, functional “chunks." Some modules may have names that will be familiar to you, such as delay, reverb, filter, pitchshifter, and eq. As you would expect, a delay module delays the signal at its input. A reverb module adds reverb to the signal at its input. A filter module filters the signal at its input. And so on.

Before going any further, let’s say you wanted to construct a program that delayed and filtered a signal. You would begin either in VSigfile or the Patch Editor area with a “blank slate” that contained nothing but representations of the inputs and outputs of the DSP that would run the program. You would then add a delay module and a filter module. Lastly, you would connect one of the DSP’s inputs to the

delay module, the delay module’s output to the filter module, and the filter module’s

output to one of the DSP’s outputs. The result, as seen in VSigfile, is shown above.

Most modules, delay and filter included, have “control inputs” that allow you to change parameters associated with a given module. For example, a delay module has a control input that allows you to change the delay time for the module (will it delay the signal 20ms or 1000ms?). A filter module has three control inputs: one for the cutoff frequency, one for the resonance at the cutoff, and one to select the type of filtering done by the module (lowpass, highpass, notch, or band).

We normally construct programs so that parameters such as the ones described above can be altered in the PARAMETER area of the Harmonizer (like the factory presets you’ve probably already played with). Some things called “userobject signals” are used in the construction of a program to create and organize menu pages of parameters in the

The three paragraphs above capture the three cornerstones of program construction in the Harmonizer.

1. We must connect appropriate modules to achieve a desired, overall audio effect.

2. We must control the parameters of the modules in a program so that the desired audio effect is

achieved.

3. We must make some of the parameters available in the PARAMETER area so that the user can

“tweak” the program to fit a particular situation.

PARAMETER area.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

Much complication will now be heaped upon the above three cornerstones, but all of the complication is introduced in order to achieve the goals set out in the three cornerstones! Don’t lose sight of these three cornerstones, as they motivate everything that follows!

To gain a greater appreciation for what we are doing when we construct an the Harmonizer program, consider the following analogy:

Computer programs basically compute things. The computer user however, is not directly involved in actual computation (thank goodness). The user does direct the computer regarding what computations it should carry out and receives the results of those computations through a “user interface." The user interface on a computer is typically a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse. The lucky individual who designs a computer program on the other hand, needs to consider both the actual computations that the computer performs and the way those computations will be controlled and displayed at the user interface.

By analogy, when you construct a program for the Harmonizer you must consider the actual audio manipulations carried out by the program (cornerstones one and two) and will be controlled and displayed at the user interface (cornerstones two and three). In this context, the user interface is the

PARAMETER area in conjunction with the front panel keys and display. Don’t

worry, constructing programs for the Harmonizer is decidedly easier than even the easiest computer programming!

Unfortunately, we must discuss these two charges in reverse order, with user interface coming first and actual audio manipulations coming second. The latter can’t be properly understood without the former.

(If you’ve ever learned a computer language, the first thing they teach you is how to print “Hello” on the monitor!)

But first we’ll take a brief detour and look at the different types of signals that interconnect modules in the Harmonizer. After that, we’ll talk about the user interface.

the way those manipulations

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

Different Kinds of Signals

To achieve the goals set out by the three cornerstones, we must employ four signal types. Signals connect modules together. The four signal types are:

Audio Signals Used to pass full bandwidth audio between modules in accordance with

cornerstone one. Audio signals are represented numerically by a value between 1 and +1.

Control Signals Typically used to pass parameter values between modules in accordance with

cornerstone two. Control signals are low speed and are updated at a variable rate, depending on how busy the Harmonizer is. Control signals are represented numerically by a value between -32768.0 and +32767.999.

Mod Signals Used to pass “modulation signals” between modules. A “modulation signal” is a

higher speed control-type signal running at one quarter the bandwidth of the audio signal. Mod and audio signals may be interconnected, but not without a loss of signal quality.

Although mod signals look like audio signals, they actually work to achieve cornerstone two (controlling the parameters of a module). In some cases, control signals are too slow to alter a parameter without “clicking” or “stuttering." For instance, if you wanted to alter a delay time quickly to produce a flange effect, a control signal might not be equal to the job. Thus certain modules (moddelay for instance) come equipped with a mod input. Other modules (such as the low frequency oscillator (LFO)) come equipped with a mod output. By interconnecting the two, fast, smooth parameter adjustment can be executed that would defy control signals.

Userobject Signals Used to pass PARAMETER area menu page information in accordance with

cornerstone three.

There exist module inputs and outputs for each of the four signal types. They are named (logically enough):

• audio inputs/outputs

• control inputs/outputs

• mod inputs/outputs

• userobject inputs/outputs

Only inputs and outputs of a similar type may be interconnected (except for audio and mod inputs/outputs). A given module will only have those types of inputs/outputs that are pertinent to its function.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

HOW A PROGRAM INTERFACES WITH THE PARAMETER AREA

Simple Interface

Because you really shouldn’t be reading this manual if you haven’t already read the User Guide, we’ll assume you’ve seen menu pages in the PARAMETER area.

A menu page, with an associated SOFT KEY, is created by connecting a module’s userobject output to a userobject input on something called the “head” module. Every program has one (and only one) head module. The actual parameters that will appear on a menu page created this way depend on the module being connected. They will usually be the values of all unconnected control inputs.

For example, consider the simple delay module connected to a filter module we started this chapter out with (again, as shown in Vsigfile). Now that you’ve learned a little more, we’ve “unhidden” the control inputs for these modules (the unconnected ones on the left) and the userobject outputs (the ones on the

lower right)

head module

“module” doesn’t really look like the other modules)

. As you can see, we’ve connected their userobject outputs to the userobject inputs on the

(the disembodied “1” and “2” in the lower right corner. The observant user will spot that th e head

If we run this program and go to the

PARAMETER area, we see

the screen to the right. A menu page exists for each module that contains parameters pertinent to its functioning.

Note that the order of the connections to the head module’s userobject inputs dictates the order of the

SOFT KEYS.

Constructing programs this way is fast and easy. Just concentrate on the audio connections and then connect every module’s userobject output to the head module. However, the user interface isn’t very “slick” and may be cumbersome to use. That’s where “custom” interface construction comes in. . .

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

Custom Interface

There is one very special module that is used to create custom menu pages. It’s called (appropriately) the menupage module. It has any number of userobject inputs (the example shown to the right has only one) and a single userobject output. The menupage module will create a menu page out of the userobject outputs that are connected to it.

The menupage module is typically used with a special group of modules called the “interface” group. Most of the modules in the interface group have a userobject output and either a single control output or a single control input. The interface modules that have a control output (like the “knob” module shown to the right) are connected to the control input of another module. The interface module then “takes over” that control input. Similarly, interface modules that have a single control input (like the “monitor” module

shown to the right)

value of that control output. (It should now be clear that not all modules exist to deal with audio.

Many, such as the interface modules, exist to create a user interface. Still others exist to manipulate control signals.)

are connected to the control output of another module to display the

For example, we could utilize two knob modules and a menupage module in the program we’ve been working on. One knob module will take over the The second knob module will take over the

delay time control input on the delay module.

frequency control input on the filter module. The

userobjects of both knob modules are connected to the menupage module, which is in turn connected to the head module.

When we run the program on the Harmonizer, the screen shown to the right appears in the PARAMETER area. Notice that the order that the knob module’s userobject outputs are connected to the menupage module dictate their order on the menu page in the

PARAMETER area.

Also notice that because the second knob module “took over” the filter module’s

frequency control input, that parameter

no longer appears on the filter module’s menu page.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

The menu pages found in the factory presets were almost exclusively made with interface modules and menupage modules.

Now that you have some understanding of audio signals, control signals, and userobject signals coupled with an understanding of how they all play a role in making a program both functional and accessible from the

PARAMETER area, we can discuss modules in a little more depth.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

MODULES

Modules are the magic that make the Harmonizer shine. They are signal processing “nuggets” that are interconnected (via the signals discussed above). Before we discuss aspects of the typical modules like the delay module, the filter module, the pitch shifter module, etc., we need to look at the more specialized IN and OUT “modules."

The IN and OUT “Modules”

Orville, H8000

Orville’s programs are loaded and run one at a time on a given DSP. The DSP running the program provides the program with four channels of input audio (the source of that input audio is a function of the routing configuration, see the Harmonizer’s User Manual). Most H8000 family programs can run on one DSP, but it also allows larger (monolithic) programs to be split across two DSPs. The DSP(s) running the program also take(s) the four or eight channels of output audio from the program (its subsequently destination is again a function of the routing configuration).

DSP7000, H7600

The H7600’s programs are loaded and run on its single DSP. The DSP provides the program with two channels of input audio and takes two channels of output audio from the program. The remainder of this manual will show Orville-style four channel processing, but the idea is the same with the H7600’s two channels. If you send a program that has more than two inputs or outputs to your H7600 from VSigfile, it will not be accepted.

The input audio and output audio connections to the program are handled through a pair of pre-defined modules called IN and OUT. The IN module has up to four (eight on H8000) signals to send to the program, labeled 1, 2, 3 etc. Since these signals are coming from the module, they are called because the IN module has outputs. Similarly, the OUT module has inputs labeled 1, 2, 3 etc. This difficulty is minor compared to the gain in consistency created by using the word module, and using the word input to refer to all signals that go into a module.

In the simplest of conceivable programs, the IN module’s

outputs are connected directly to the OUT module’s inputs

(this is the modules are inserted in-between the IN and OUT modules.

The IN and OUT modules always remain as part of the program.

outputs of the module. A small amount of confusion might result

output to refer to all signals that come from a

Thru’ program in bank 0). Normally, other, optional

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

The Characteristics of Modules

There are several characteristics associated with any module. All modules have:

• a module type

• a module name

Modules use memory and processing resources that can be divided into the following groups:

• audio memory

• signal processing

• user interface and control signal memory

• control processing

Different types of modules use different amounts of these resources. More complex modules have some or all of these items:

• specifiers

• audio inputs (and/or mod inputs)

• audio outputs (and/or mod outputs)

• control inputs

• control outputs

• userobject outputs

• userobject inputs

The following sections will discuss all of these attributes in depth. . .

MODULE TYPE

There are many kinds of modules at our disposal. The “module type” simply defines a module as being a particular kind of module. When a module is added to a program, it is selected by module type. Once added, the module type cannot be changed. If a different module type is needed, the “offending” module must be deleted and then the correct module type must be added anew.

The modules are ordered by module type. When a module is mentioned in this document, it is referred to by module type. For example, a module whose module type is “samphold” would be referred to as a samphold module. The best place to find detailed information on each module is the Vsigfile Help System (Modules Section), which is updated regularly.

MODULE NAME

The module name is a text string that is stored with a particular module. It is helpful to change the module name immediately after adding a module so that modules of the same type can be told apart. Choose a name that reflects both the purpose of the module within the patch, and the module type. The name may be up to 18 characters in length. To the right we see gate type module named “Ch1 Hiss Gate."

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

RESOURCES

A resource is something that is needed for the operation of a Harmonizer program -there are several different kinds of resources. A program cannot run if it needs more of a particular resource than is available.

Audio memory

Modules that store audio for brief periods of time use audio memory. Modules that use audio memory include modules in the delay, filter, pitch shift, and reverb groups. Some modules contain “specifiers”

(see below) that increase or decrease the amount of audio memory used by either varying the number of

audio channels or by specifying the amount of delay explicitly.

Signal Processing

Modules that perform operations on audio use signal processing. The amount of processing performed by a module can only be changed via specifiers (see below.) This is important, as the amount of signal processing that can be done in any given period is finite. Modules that perform complex effects on audio use more processing than those that perform simple effects. For example, the reverb_a module uses more processing power than the delay module, even though the delay module might use more audio memory.

User Interface and Control Signal Memory

Interface memory includes memory used to store text, adjustable range limits, default values, control inputs, control outputs, and any data used by “control” modules. Modules that use text fields consume a large amount of this kind of memory. For instance, it is possible to use up all of the user interface memory with just two textblock modules if each contains enough lines of text (See the Vsigfile Help System for a closer look at the textblock module).

Control Processing

Control processing is a resource that cannot be exhausted, though it can be strained. The Harmonizer will repetitively process everything that comes under the control process category as often as possible. Control operations will get slower as more operations are required. For instance, if a single menu page has eight values displayed that are all changing rapidly, the display may appear to update slowly. Typically, control values are updated about 100 times a second.

SPECIFIERS

A specifier is a control that affects a module's behavior. For example, a delay module might have a specifier that sets the maximum delay time a user can enter. A pitchshifter module might have a specifier that sets the number of pitchshifting voices used by the module. A module may have several specifiers.

Specifiers are only adjustable in the Patch Editor area or in Vsigfile (i.e. specifiers can never be altered

in the PARAMETER area). There is no input or output for specifiers; they reside “inside” a module (you’ll learn how to access the “inside” of a module in the Vsigfile or Patch Editor chapters).

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

Specifiers have the following features:

• they are extremely efficient in terms of resources. (A module with a specifier for a given

characteristic is more efficient than a module with a control input for that characteristic.)

• they can change the amount of resources that a module needs.

• they can change the number of audio, mod, and control inputs and outputs, or even the number of

other specifiers (!) for a module.

• they can be numerical, multiple choice, or text.

AUDIO INPUTS

An audio input is used to pass high fidelity audio into a module. An audio input can be connected to at most one audio or mod output. Unconnected audio inputs are actually attached to a special “null signal” provided by the Harmonizer's operating system. The null signal simulates a zero voltage, noise-free audio source. Audio signals range if value from -1 to +1, or full negative to full positive. Audio inputs are always found on the left side of modules.

AUDIO OUTPUTS

An audio output is used to pass high fidelity audio out of a module. An audio output may be connected to any number of audio or mod inputs. Audio outputs are always found on the right side of modules.

CONTROL INPUTS

One module can control the parameter of a second module by connecting to the second module’s control input (as we saw the knob modules doing in the “Custom Interface” section). The range of values a control input can accept may be set by a specifier, by fixed internal programming, or even by another control input. A few notes concerning control inputs:

• Control inputs are always found on the left side of a module.

• The value of a control input cannot change the amount of resources used by a module.

• The existence of a control input takes up processing and memory resources. In modules with a

variable number of control inputs (like the c_switch module), reducing the number of inputs reduces the amount of resources used. (In such modules, specifiers control the number of control inputs.)

• Control inputs can be connected to only one control output.

ONTROL OUTPUTS

A control output sends a numerical value to another module by connecting to one of the other module’s control inputs. A single control output can connect to any number of control inputs. Control outputs are always found on the right side of a module.

OD INPUTS

A mod input is used to pass a high performance modulation signal into a module. A mod input may be connected to at most one audio or mod output. Unconnected mod inputs are actually attached to a special “null signal” provided by the Harmonizer's operating system. The null signal simulates a zero voltage, noise-free audio source. Mod signals range in value from -1 to +1, or full negative to full positive. Mod inputs are always found on the left side of a module.

Although mod signals are high performance modulation signals, they kind of stink at passing audio signals

modules)

because the sampling rate used for mod signals is 1/4 that used for audio signals.

that retro, “aliasing." dawn-of-t he-s a mpl e rs ki nd of s o un d, mo d si gn al s might be right up your alley!)

(they were never really meant to! Remember, they act to achieve cornerstone two - to control the parameters of

. An audio signal passed through a mod in/mod out on a module will lose fidelity. This is

(Of course if you go for

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

MOD OUTPUTS

A mod output is used to pass a high performance modulation signal from a module. A mod output may be connected to any number of audio or mod inputs. Mod outputs are always found on the right side of a module. See the comments made immediately above concerning the “low-fi” status of mod signals.

USEROBJECT OUTPUTS

Most modules have a userobject output. The userobject output can be connected to the userobject input on a menupage module, the head module, or a gang module. Such a connection will allow the module’s parameters to be accessible in the PARAMETER area. The existence or use of a userobject does not affect system resources or memory. This means that menu pages can be created without using much in the way of resources or program memory.

In Vsigfile, userobject outputs are always found on the right side of a module. In the Patch Editor area, userobject outputs are not explicitly shown.

USEROBJECT INPUTS

A handful of modules (gang, head, and menupage) have userobject inputs. This means that these modules can accept as inputs other modules’ userobject outputs. For instance, a menupage module may be used to create a

In Vsigfile, userobject inputs are always found on the left side of a module. In the Patch Editor area, userobject inputs are not explicitly shown.

PARAMETER area menu page by accepting the userobjects of other modules.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

WRAP UP

OK, so that completes our birds-eye view of the program construction process. Recall that all of our constructing is done to satisfy the three so-called “cornerstones”:

1. We must connect appropriate modules to achieve a desired, overall audio effect.

This is achieved by connecting audio-manipulating modules via audio signals. The “heart” of the program lies in its audio construction.

2. We must control the parameters of the modules in a program so that the desired audio effect is

achieved.

This is achieved by using mod signals and control signals to alter the parameters of the audiomanipulating modules.

3. We must make some of the parameters available in the PARAMETER area so that the user can

“tweak” the program to fit a particular situation.

This is achieved by connecting userobject outputs to the head module. Additionally, menupage modules may be used in conjunction with interface modules to create custom menu pages.

That completes the theory of program construction, but much remains in the way of execution. We’ll cover that in the Vsigfile Chapter and the Patch Editor Chapter. You should now proceed to either the Vsigfile Chapter or the Patch Editor Chapter, depending on which you plan to use.

If you have a computer that you can use with VSigfile, you really ought to use it (see the VSigfile Chapter for

system requirements)

Vsigfile is decidedly easier to use than the Patch Editor area, especially for constructing large programs.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

VSIGFILE

System Requirements and Background Knowledge Required

To run Vsigfile, you will need a PC-compatible running Microsoft Windows 95, 98, XP or Vista. Macintosh users have had some success running Vsigfile under the "Virtual PC" Windows emulator, but Eventide is unable to assist in replicating this operation.

To communicate with the Harmonizer you need either a Windows supported MIDI interface (typically Creative Technology’s “Soundblaster”) or an IBM PC type RS232 serial port. You can create programs on Vsigfile without the Harmonizer connected, but you can’t run them on the Harmonizer until they’re uploaded (and this, of course, requires connecting the Harmonizer to your computer!).

NOTE – this chapter refers to an earlier version of Vsigfile and has been left here in the interests of completeness. An updated version is available as part of the Vsigfile Help System.

This chapter assumes that you’re familiar with the operation of a PC and with the Windows operating environment and that you’ve read the User’s Manual and the General Principles Chapters in this manual.

COMMUNICATIONS

You will create programs in Vsigfile and then send them to the Harmonizer to be run, or you will receive programs from the Harmonizer to edit in Vsigfile. Either way, there needs to be a communications link between Vsigfile and the Harmonizer. You have your choice of a MIDI connection or a serial port connection. We’ll look at each in turn.

Establishing a MIDI Connection

Assuming you’ve launched Vsigfile, choose Comms under the Preferences menu. Choose MIDI as the Comms Type in the dialog box that opens.

Then choose MIDI config.

The dialog box that opens allows you to select an input interface and an output interface from the possibilities that exist on your particular computer. Select the interface(s) you want to use. Make sure that the output goes to the external MIDI socket, not to the internal (usually wavetable) synthesizer.

You will need to connect the MIDI Output on the Harmonizer to your chosen MIDI Input interface on your computer and vice versa. One way communication is not sufficient.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

On the Harmonizer, ensure that MIDI is enabled and system

exclusive

menu page in the SETUP area.

If you find that your PC is “unhappy” about the speed of transmission (as in “it’s too fast!”), lower the sysex speed parameter on the “second” [midi] menu page in the SETUP area. This will dumb down the Harmonizer’s transmission speed.

Assuming you’ve launched Vsigfile, choose Comms under the Preferences menu.

is on. You will find these parameters on the [midi]

Establishing a Serial Connection

Choose Serial as the Comms Type in the dialog box that opens.

Choose Serial Config to select the comms port you would like to use.

You must also ensure that the baud rate, the data bits, the stop bits, and the parity agree on the Harmonizer and Vsigfile. These parameters are found on the “third” [midi] menu page in the SETUP area in the Harmonizer (as shown above right) and in Serial Config under the Preferences menu in Vsigfile (as

shown above left) . The higher you set the Harmonizer and your computer. However, most computers have a ceiling above which errors occur. You should set the baud rate as high as you can (on both machines) without incurring errors. On the Harmonizer, ensure that serial is enabled and system exclusive is on. You will find these parameters on the Connect your computer’s serial port to the Harmonizer’s serial port and ensure that no other device on your computer is hogging the comms port (the modem is a common offender on the author’s computer).

If Vsigfile is unable to access its assigned comms port, you will get the message similar to that shown to the right. It means that there is a device (or another program) hogging the comms port or that there is something wrong with the selected comms port. Either way, you’ve got a problem to ferret out.

Vsigfile will itself hog the comms port. To “disconnect” Vsigfile from the comms port (so that you can use another device), choose Disconnect from the Midi menu, or use AutoDisconnect which will disconnect the

[midi] menu page in the SETUP area.

baud rate the faster the communication will be between the

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

BASIC FUNCTIONS

All right, so now you have Vsigfile communicating with the Harmonizer (you do, don’t you?). Now we can take a look at how we actually add, connect, and manipulate modules in Vsigfile.

Before we look at anything, verify that the View menu is “checked” as shown to the right. That way, the structures we describe will be visible to you.

In Vsigfile, signals are color coded:

• audio and mod inputs, outputs, and signals are coded green.

• control inputs, outputs, and signals are coded blue.

• userobject inputs, outputs, and signals are coded pink.

•

The black and white (damn!) screen capture shown to the right is similar to what you should see if you were to begin a new file (by pressing the

button). The green “ins and outs” correspond to the audio inputs and outputs to the DSP that will eventually run the program. The blue “1, 2, 3, and 4” on the left correspond to the “global” control outputs. The pink “1” on the right corresponds to the first userobject input on the head module.

Adding Modules

Use the Add Module command found under the Edit menu to add modules to a program. The dialog box

shown to the right opens. The left side of the box selects a group (a collection of similar modules) and the right side selects a module type inside that group. Additionally, you can change the Num field

to insert more than one instance of a particular kind of module. Go ahead and insert a IIR module from the “Filter” group as shown above.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

Connecting Modules

To connect an input to an output simply click on the input or output you want to start with, drag to the output or input you want to connect to, and release. Go ahead and connect the IIR module to the other stuff as shown to the right.

Also note that when you “hover” the pointer over an input or output for a second, a “bubble” appears that describes what that input or output is.

Additionally, the lower left corner of the Vsigfile window displays the Module type you are hovering over, its name, the input/output name, and what it is connected to (if anything).

Deleting Modules

To delete modules, first select the module slated for deletion by clicking on it (its module type name will turn red). Then press the “Delete” key on the keyboard or select the Delete Module command from the Edit menu.

To delete more that one module at a time, just click and drag over the area that contains the modules you would like to delete

modules are being selected)

will have red module type names. Then press the “Delete” key on the keyboard or select the Delete Module command from

the Edit menu.

To unplug a connection, click on the input that terminates the connection and press the “Delete” key on the keyboard. Away it goes. . .

(in the screen capture to the right, the multiply and the peak

. All of the modules that you select

UNPLUGGING CONNECTIONS

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

DISPLAY FUNCTIONS

Now that you can add modules, we can discuss a few of the display-related features of VSigfile. These functions don’t have anything to do with the actual construction of a program; they simply make it easier to view and manipulate the display.

Selecting Modules

A single module can be selected by clicking on it. Several modules can be selected simultaneously by clicking and dragging over the area on the screen that contains the desired modules (as shown to the right) or by clicking on all of the desired modules while pressing the “Shift” key on the keyboard. The selected module or modules will have red module type names (modules that

aren’t

selected have gray module type names).

Moving Modules

You can move modules around on the screen at will. Doing so can help to make a patch more “viewable." Simply click on the module you want to move and drag it to its new position. All of a module’s connections will stay with the module.

To move more than one module at a time, first select the modules you would like to move. All of the selected modules will have red module type names. Then click on any one of the selected modules and drag the whole bunch to its new location.

Re-Positioning Modules

To make a patch more “viewable." a function under the Edit menu exists that automatically re-Positions all of the modules on the screen. There are times when this is very useful; particularly when you’ve downloaded a program from the Harmonizer to work with on VSigfile. There are other

times where using re-Position will just make things less “viewable."

Trouble is, the re-Position function is not “Undoable” (see below). As a work- around, Save a program just before you use the re-Position function. If the result is worse than the original, simply reopen the saved version.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

Aligning Modules

You can align a group of modules either along their top edge or their left edge. First, select the modules you would like to align. Then select either Top or Left from the Align menu. The

add and bound modules have been selected to the right.

The result of Top aligning them is shown below. Nice, eh?

Zooming

You’ll find that as a patch gets very large it’s hard to see the names or input/outputs of individual modules when the whole patch is in view. A zoom function exists to let us zoom in or zoom out. Under the Zoom menu you’ll find four choices:

In Get closer relative to the current display. Out Get further away relative to the current display. to Fit Zoom such that the entire patch just fits on the screen. Selected Zoom such that the currently selected modules just fit on the screen. Modules are

selected by clicking and dragging over the area that contains them.

View

As your programs become more complicated, you’ll often want to “hide” certain kinds of signals to make a patch more “viewable." A check mark next to an item under the View menu indicates that that sort of signal is shown. The absence of a

check mark next to an item indicates that that sort of signal is “hidden."

Audio

Shows or hides all audio/mod

Control

Shows or hides all control

Misc

Shows or hides all userobject

Unconnects

Shows or hides all unconnected inputs and outputs. Hiding all the unconnected inputs and outputs is useful when trying to follow the logic of a patch.

(green) connections, inputs, and outputs.

(blue) connections, inputs, and outputs.

(pink) connections, inputs, and outputs.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

EDITING

One of the benefits of using Vsigfile over the Patch Editor area is that Editing patches in Vsigfile is considerably easier than editing patches in the Patch Editor area (despite its name!).

Select All

This command selects every module in a program. This is the same as clicking and dragging over all the modules in a program, only easier.

Cut, Copy, and Paste

Vsigfile makes use of the standard “clipboard” associated with the Windows operating system. The clipboard is a temporary holding area for text or modules. The Cut, Copy, and Paste commands work with

the clipboard as follows:

• The Cut command deletes the currently selected text, module, or modules and places what it deletes

on the clipboard (if something was already on the clipboard it will be overwritten!). If more than one module is Cut and connections exist between those Cut modules, then those connections will exist on the

clipboard as well.

• The Copy command copies (does not delete) the currently selected text, module, or

modules and places what it copies on the clipboard (if something was already on the

clipboard it will be overwritten!)

exist between those Copied modules, then those connections will exist on the

. If more than one module is Copied and connections

clipboard as well. You can also Copy by pressing the button.

• The Paste command places the contents of the clipboard into the patch. A

version still exists on the clipboard so that you can Paste more than once. If text is selected (as shown to

the right)

also Paste by pressing the button.

Undo

Selecting the Undo command under the Edit menu reverses the last change that was made to the patch. You can Undo many times in a row.

, the Paste command will replace the selected text with the contents of the clipboard. You can

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

Context Dependent Menus

By right clicking the mouse, a “context dependent menu” will appear as shown to the right. The available commands will depend on what’s going on in the “vicinity” of the right click. Once you get more familiar with Vsigfile, using context dependent menus will save you time.

Shortcut Keys

There are several “shortcut” keys that perform menu commands. They are listed next to their command in the various menus. For example, the Cut command can be accomplished by holding down the “Ctrl”

key and the “x” key simultaneously. Once you get proficient with Vsigfile, these shortcut keys will save you time (and you know what they say about time. . .).

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

SENDING PROGRAMS TO THE HARMONIZER

Once you’ve constructed a program in Vsigfile, you’ll want to send it to the Harmonizer so that it can be run. This is accomplished by selecting the Send

command under the Midi menu. Make sure that the Harmonizer is in some area other than the Patch Editor area when you Send, lest errors occur! Be warned: the program running on the currently displayed DSP will be “bumped out” by the program you Send! Save any changes before you Send!

→ Your computer must be communicating with the Harmonizer for this to work! See Communications on page 16.

TUTORIAL 1 -A SIMPLE PROGRAM

We can couple our new found knowledge of Vsigfile with the material we learned in the General Principles Chapter to create a simple, but meaningful, program. We’ll create a modulating filter.

To begin, start with a clean slate by pressing the

button. You should see

a work area that looks like the one shown to the right. The green “in1 >” and “in2 >” on the left represent the inputs 1 and 2 on the DSP that will eventually run the program (we’ll learn how to do quad programs for Orville later, but

the idea is the same)

. Similarly, the green “> out1” and “> out2” on the right

represent the outputs 1 and 2 on the DSP that will eventually run the program. The blue “1, 2, 3, and 4” on the left represent the “global inputs”

(these only have meaning for Orville’s dual DSPs, and we’ll learn about them in “InterDSP Communication” on page

56). The pink “1” on the right represents the first

userobject input on the head module. Recall that the userobject outputs of

modules are connected to the head module so that their menu pages will appear in the PARAMETER area.

To create a “modulating filter” program, we’ll need just two modules: an LFO

oscillator)

module and a modfilter module.

(low frequency

Go ahead and add these modules to the program by using the Add Module command from the Edit

menu. You’ll find the LFO module in the “Oscillator” group and the modfilter module in the “Filter” group.

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

After adding both modules, the screen should look similar to the one at the right. The modules are overlapping and nothing is yet connected. Move (by clicking and dragging) the modfilter module to the right so that both modules are clearly in view. Note that the DSP outputs and the head module input “move out of the way."

The screen should now look similar to the small one at the immediate right.

Now connect in1 > to in on the modfilter module by clicking on in1 > and then dragging to in on the modfilter module (recall that if you “hover” the

pointer over an input or output for a second, a “bubble” will appear that describes the input or output)

• Connect low on the modfilter module to >

out1

(“low” is the lowpass output of the filter).

• Connect high on the modfilter module to

>out2 (“high” is the highpass output of the filter).

• Connect out on the LFO module to fmod on the modfilter module. (“fmod” is a modulation input. The

filter’s cutoff frequency will vary as a function of the signal applied to this input.)

The result should look similar to that shown right.

Let’s take a moment and analyze these connections. A signal comes into the DSP’s input 1 and then into the modfilter module. We refer to the Modules Section of the Help System to learn what exactly the modfilter module will do with the signal. It reads:

Modfilter: This module implements a classic state-variable audio filter. It provides simultaneous lowpass, bandpass, highpass, and notch outputs. It has variable Q. . . and frequency and has mod rate frequency and q factor modulation inputs.

So, not surprisingly, it will filter the signal applied to its input. All of the frequencies in the input signal that lie below the cutoff frequency will be output at that lie above the cutoff frequency will be output at will modulate the cutoff frequency. We’ve now satisfied “cornerstone one” of program construction: We’ve connected appropriate modules to achieve a desired, overall audio effect.

The second and third “cornerstones” of program construction state that:

• We must control the parameters of the modules in a program so that the desired audio effect is

achieved.

• We must make some of the parameters available in the PARAMETER area so that the user can

“tweak” the program to fit a particular situation.

• In our simple program these will be one in the same. We will arrange to have the parameters for

both modules available in the userobject inputs of the head module.

. Similarly,

low, and all of the frequencies in the input signal high. Furthermore, the LFO module’s output signal

PARAMETER area by connecting their userobject outputs to the

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

First click on the head module’s userobject input 1 (the pink square below the DSP outputs). Then select the Add Repeating Field command from the Edit menu. A

second userobject input should appear. Connect the modfilter’s

head module’s

userobject userobject

userobject

output to the head module’s input 2. The screen should look similar

userobject

input 1 and the LFO’s

to the one on the right.

OK, now we’re ready to send the program to the Harmonizer to be run. Make sure the Harmonizer is in some area other than the Patch Editor area and then select the Send command from the Midi menu.

→ If you aren’t connected to the Harmonizer, read “Communications” on page 16.

The Harmonizer should flash “coding file from remote” and

loading program." You should then find yourself in the

then “

PARAMETER area with a screen that looks like the one to the

right. After turning the [lfo] /freq to something other than

0.0Hz, mess with the [modfilte] /freq and freq mod parameters.

And that’s basically it. You can create simple programs by concentrating on “cornerstone one” and then satisfying the other two “cornerstones,” by liberally connecting userobject outputs to the head module. Now that you’ve been introduced to the basics and have some hands-on experience, let’s move on to more advanced topics in program construction.

output to the

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

ADVANCED FEATURES

The Specifier Display

Some mention was made in the General Principles Chapter of “Specifiers." The astute reader will note that no mention has been made of these creatures since! Well, now’s the time. Go ahead and add a delay module from the “Delay” group.

Once it’s added, doubleclick on it. You will call up the “Vsigfile

shown to the right. We’ve entered the “guts” of the module. Here we have access to all kinds of cool stuff. Cells that contain black type can be altered, while those that contain gray type cannot. Let’s take each row in turn. . .

Specifier

Display”

Title Line

The first row gives a general description of each column (more or less).

• The type column describes what type of input or output a row pertains to

do with inputs or outputs (like the first two shown above), the ‘type’ column is of little value)

• The MODULE column contains most of the alterable information in the Display. The title of the column

(in this case, “DELAY”) is the module type.

• The description column gives a marginally useful description of each row.

• The min and max columns list the minimum and maximum values that can be entered in the MODULE

column.

• The visible column allows you to “hide” input or outputs in the normal Vsigfile display.

Module Name

The second row, MODULE column cell allows you to alter the name of the module. The module name is a text string that is stored with a particular module. There is a default module name that is usually the

same as the module type. It is helpful to change the module name immediately after adding a module so that modules of the same type can be told apart. Choose a name that reflects both the purpose of the module within the patch, and the module type. The name may be up to 18 characters in length, and no two modules in a given patch may share the same name.

(if a row doesn’t have anything to

The Harmonizer® Programmer’s Manual

Additionally, you can change the name of a module from the normal Vsigfile display by double clicking on the name.

If you plan to use multiple copies of a particular module type, it’s wise to tack a “1” onto the end

of the first instance and then Copy and Paste that instance. The subsequent copies will be

numbered sequentially, as shown to the right.

Specifiers

The third row contains a “specifier” for the delay module. Remember specifiers from the General Principles Chapter? It read:

A specifier is a control that affects a module's behavior. For example, a delay module might have a

specifier that sets the maximum delay time a user can enter. A pitchshifter module might have a specifier that sets the number of pitchshifting voices used by the module. A module may have several specifiers. The range of permitted values for a specifier is fixed.

Specifiers are only

the PARAMETER area). There is no input or output for specifiers, they reside “inside” a module

Whadaya know? We’ve got a delay module here, and the specifier at hand sets the maximum delay time for it. By looking at the min and max columns, we can see that the minimum delay time is 1

(millisecond) and the maximum delay time is 32500 (milliseconds). The maximum delay time is something you set as the program’s creator; the user will not be able to alter it. This is important,

because, like most things in life, the amount of delay the Harmonizer has available is finite. As a result, it is necessary to divide this among the modules, so that each has enough. Setting the maximum amount that each module can use in this way makes sure that there is enough left for the others.

Different types of modules will have different types of specifiers; some may have no specifiers at all and some may have many. The Modules Section describes what the specifiers for a given module do. Let’s look at the Vsigfile Specifier Display windows for a few other types of modules to see what sorts of specifiers they have:

adjustable in the Patch Editor area or in Vsigfile (i.e. specifiers can never be altered in

• Here we see the single specifier

for the IIR module. This module is a resonant filter and the n_sections specifier selects the number of “poles” used. The number of poles used is something you set as the program’s creator; the user will

not be able to alter it. Here the number of poles controls the behaviour of the filter, but it also determines the amount of DSP resources the filter will use.

• Here we see the single specifier

for the easytaps module. This module produces a tapped delay line and the taps specifier selects the maximum number of taps that the user can select. As with all specifiers, the maximum number

of taps is something you set as the program’s creator; the user will not be able to alter it.

+ 69 hidden pages

Eventide H8000, H7600, Orville Programming manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

OVERVIEW

Different Kinds of Signals

HOW A PROGRAM INTERFACES WITH THE PARAMETER AREA

Simple Interface

Custom Interface

MODULES

The IN and OUT “Modules”

The Characteristics of Modules

MODULE TYPE

MODULE NAME

RESOURCES

Audio memory

Signal Processing

User Interface and Control Signal Memory

Control Processing

SPECIFIERS

AUDIO INPUTS

AUDIO OUTPUTS

CONTROL INPUTS

MOD OUTPUTS

USEROBJECT OUTPUTS

USEROBJECT INPUTS

WRAP UP

VSIGFILE

System Requirements and Background Knowledge Required

COMMUNICATIONS

Establishing a MIDI Connection

Establishing a Serial Connection

BASIC FUNCTIONS

Adding Modules

Connecting Modules

Deleting Modules

UNPLUGGING CONNECTIONS

DISPLAY FUNCTIONS

Selecting Modules

Moving Modules

Re-Positioning Modules

Aligning Modules

Zooming

View

Audio

Control

Misc

Unconnects

EDITING

Select All

Cut, Copy, and Paste

Undo

Context Dependent Menus

Shortcut Keys

SENDING PROGRAMS TO THE HARMONIZER

TUTORIAL 1 -A SIMPLE PROGRAM

ADVANCED FEATURES

The Specifier Display

Title Line

Module Name

Specifiers