Future Retro Revolution Owner Manual
Written and produced by Jered Flickinger
Copyright 2004
Future Retro Synthesizers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
2. Welcome
Overview
Philosophy
MAINTENANCE
3. Power
Care
Backup Battery
Fuse
Warranty
Support
GETTING STARTED
4. I want to play it now!
Basic system setup
CONNECTIONS
5. Back panel connections
ANALOG SECTION
6. Introduction to analog
Waveform select
Overdrive off/on
7. Tune
Cutoff
Resonance
Envelope
Envelope decay
8. Accent
Accent decay
CV mod
Volume
9. Blank patch sheet
DSP EFFECTS
10. Effect descriptions
11. Selecting effects
Setting the amount of an effect
SEQUENCER
12. Sequencer introduction
Sequencer structure
13. Using the sequencer
Playing patterns
14. Selecting patterns
Multiple pattern cueing
15. Editing patterns
16. Entering notes
17. Clearing notes
Changing a note’s pitch
18. Recording and clearing accents
Recording and clearing glides
Setting and clearing the loop point
19. Selecting the amount of swing
Selecting a time signature
Transposing patterns
20. Shifting patterns
Setting the tempo
Copy and Pasting patterns
21. Blank pattern sheet
22. Remixing patterns
23. Selecting songs
Playing songs
Editing songs
Selecting patterns for a song step
24. Transposing a song step
Setting the loop point for a song
Setting the song’s tempo
25. Advanced song editing
26. Blank song sheet
MIDI MODES
27. Using the Revolution as a master clock
28. Syncing the Revolution to an external clock
29. Playing the Revolution with a MIDI keyboard
30. Playing an external MIDI sound module
31. Playing control voltage synthesizers
32. Using DIN Sync
33. MIDI program change messages
SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE
34. Using sysex to dump patterns and songs
35. Sysex information
OTHER CAPABILITIES
36. Processing external audio
ADDITIONAL NOTES
37. Accent decay settings
Connecting outputs to inputs
38. Create a default pattern
Syncing the Revolution’s playback
Resetting a song to it’s beginning
The logic of playing patterns backwards
39. Remixing patterns and sliced audio beats
Remix patterns do not play backwards
CALIBRATIONS
40. Tuning and calibrating the Revolution
41. Trimmer location diagram
SPECIFICATIONS
42. Analog controls
DSP effects
43. Sequencer
Interfacing
Power, Dimensions, Weight
of music within a finite amount of space, and you will begin to see the importance of this
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO THE REVOLUTION!
Thank you for purchasing the Revolution.
OVERVIEW
The Revolution is a true monophonic analog synthesizer, which includes analog and DSP
effects, along with a programmable digital sequencer section and multiple interfacing features.
We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure that the Revolution is fully capable of the most accurate
reproduction of the original TB303’s sound, and in many ways surpasses its signature liquid tones
and capabilities.
The step-based sequencer provides 256 storable patterns which users can create and edit in real-time
while the unit plays. Patterns may be selected and played in any order live, or prearranged into one of
the 16 song locations stored in memory. In addition, the Revolution provides our new Remix feature
which provides 256 variations for every pattern and song, for more than 65,000 possible patterns
right out of box.
The Revolution can be used to play other MIDI sound modules and CV/Gate type synthesizers, sync
the playback with other MIDI sequencers, or be played live with a MIDI keyboard. This unit can also
act as a MIDI to CV/Gate converter, and a MIDI to Din Sync converter, as well as process external
audio.
Please be sure and read through the entire manual for a full understanding of the features and
functions the Revolution is capable of.
PHILOSOPHY
The Revolution is our new concept synthesizer designed to illustrate loop-based music in a much
more natural way than has been provided in the past with traditional instruments. Think about it.
The basis of music is time. Time is nothing more than our perception of the heavenly bodies spinning
through their celestial orbits.
From ancient sundials to modern analog clocks time has been represented as the circle, a cycle which
never ends, illustrating the infinite within a finite amount of space. So why not use this same
knowledge to represent music?
Consider the sine wave, which is the fundamental tone in all sound. It’s shape circular. Consider the
cyclic patterns of the rhythm, melody, and harmony, and how one could best represent the infinite
possibilities
circular theme throughout music.
May the Revolution inspire you!
d
trol knobs to remove them. Remove the 3 hex screws on the bottom/front
MAINTENANCE
POWER
Use only the 12 volt AC/AC 1 Amp output power supply provided with this unit. If you shoul
ever lose this power supply, please contact us for a replacement.
CARE
Avoid exposing the unit to smoke, damp, dusty, or extreme hot and cold environments. To clean the
unit, use a soft damp cloth. Do not use any abrasive cleaners, as these may harm the surfaces and
finish of the unit.
BACKUP BATTERY
The Revolution does contain an internal 3.6 volt backup battery for the sequencer’s RAM. This
battery will last for years. However at some point in the future this battery may need to be replaced.
As a general rule always back up your patterns and songs using the sysex dump feature to prevent the
accidental loss of your work. And definitely save your work before the battery is replaced, as all
information will be lost when the battery is removed.
To replace the battery yourself, use the following procedure. Gently pull up on the 14 control knobs
to remove them. Remove the 3 hex screws on the bottom/front of the unit, and the 3 hex screws on
the rear jack panel of the unit. Lift the front panel off the unit and locate the battery on the front righthand side of the main PC board. Desolder the old battery and replace only with a TL-5140/P type
lithium battery of 3.6 volts rated at 2,100 mAh. Once the battery has been replaced reinstall the front
panel, screws and knobs.
If you would prefer that we do this service for you, please contact us for more information.
FUSE
Should the fuse in the Revolution need replacing, use the following procedure to change the fuse.
Gently pull up on the 14 con
of the unit, and the 3 hex screws on the rear jack panel of the unit. Lift the front panel off the unit and
locate the fuse near the power switch. Remove the old fuse and replace with only a 1 amp fast-acting
fuse. Once the fuse has been replaced reinstall the front panel, screws and knobs.
PRODUCT WARRANTY AND SUPPORT
The Revolution comes with a 1 year limited warranty covering any mechanical or electrical defects.
This warranty does not cover damage due to misuse or abuse of this product. To validate your
warranty, fill out the warranty card included with your unit and return it within one month of the
original purchase date. Should you experience problems with your machine, please contact us by
phone or email. You must have an authorization to return a unit to us for repairs.
Our office is open Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm central standard time zone.
Phone: 785-827-9278
Email: support@future-retro.com
Product support can be found online at www.future-retro.com
GETTING STARTED
I WANT TO PLAY NOW!
I know, you just got this cool new machine and don’t really feel like reading the entire manual
before you at least get to hear what it sounds like, right?
To play the Revolution follow these directions in order.
1. Connect the Revolution to an audio system, or headphones as shown below.
2. Set the Tune control to it’s mid position, and turn the volume all the way down (counter
clockwise).
3. Turn the Revolution’s power on by pressing the power switch located on the back of the unit.
The display will light up indicating the unit is now on. The display shows the current pattern
bank selected, and keys 1-16 are used to select one of the 16 patterns in each of the 16 banks,
when the Pattern key indicator is on.
4. Press the Play key and the pattern currently selected will begin playing. The Play key
indicator will blink at the rate of quarter notes. Raise the Volume control until you hear audio
in your speakers or headphones. You can select patterns by pressing step keys 1-16. To
change the pattern bank you are selecting patterns from, use the Up/Down keys and the
display will show the current bank selected.
5. You can change the tempo patterns are currently playing at by pressing and holding the
Tempo key, and using the Up/Down keys to change the tempo. While the Tempo key is held,
the display will show the current tempo setting.
6. Feel free to tweak the knobs in the analog section to vary the sound being played.
7. Press the Play key again when you want to stop playback.
For most live or studio work you will
want to connect the MAIN OUTPUT
to a mixer, amplifier, and stereo
speakers. The audio outputs of the
Revolution are stereo 1/4” jacks. You
can use either mono or stereo cables
to run the output into your mixer.
For personal monitoring, you can
connect headphones to the PHONES
OUTPUT.
As a general rule, turn the Revolution
on first, then mixer, then amplifier.
When shutting everything off, turn
the amplifier off first, then proceed
with turning off the rest of your
equipment. This will help prevent
any power surges to your
amplifier and speakers.
Use a 1/4” cable to connect the output of a line level audio source to
jack, you will only be able to hear the external audio.
Please read over the analog controls section on the next page to learn about the,
CONNECTIONS
Always remember to turn the power off before making new connections.
12V AC Connect the power supply provided with your unit here. Use only 12V AC
output power supplies rated at 1 Amp to power the unit.
POWER ON/OFF This is the main power switch. Push this to turn the unit On and Off.
DIN SYNC OUT Use a MIDI cable to connect this output to the Din Sync Input of other
devices to sync their playback with the Revolution.
MIDI OUT Use a MIDI cable to connect this output to another devices MIDI Input, so
that the other device can be played by, or sync its playback to, the Revolution. You may
also use this connection when performing a sysex dump of patterns and songs to another
device.
MIDI THRU All information being received by the Revolution’s MIDI input will be sent
out the MIDI THRU output. Use a MIDI cable to connect this output to another devices
MIDI Input for creating a daisy chain between multiple units.
MIDI IN Use a MIDI cable to connect this input to another devices MIDI Out, so that the
Revolution can be played, or sync its playback to the other device. You may also use this
connection when performing a sysex dump of patterns and songs from another device.
MAIN AUDIO OUT Use either a stereo or mono 1/4” cable to connect this output to the
input of your audio system, or mixer. Sound generated by the analog section will be
output here.
PHONES AUDIO OUT Connect your stereo headphones here to monitor the sound of
the main audio output.
FILTER AUDIO IN
this input, so that the audio source can be filtered, gated, distorted, or processed with the
DSP effects. When a cable is plugged half way in to this input, the external audio will be
summed with the sound of the oscillator. When a cable is plugged all the way in to this
FILTER CV IN Use a 1/4” mono cable to connect this input to the output of any control
voltage source from 0 to +5.33volts, to modulate the filter’s cutoff frequency.
GATE OUT When notes are played in the Revolution, a +12 volt (positive polarity) gate
signal is generated at this output for controlling other analog equipment.
CV OUT When notes are played in the Revolution, a 1 volt per octave control voltage is
generated at this output for controlling other analog equipment.
WAVEFORM SELECT and OVERDRIVE ON/OFF switches.
INTRODUCTION TO ANALOG
When this switch is pressed in, the square wave shape will be selected for the oscillator.
ins all harmonics creating a very full and sometimes
The Revolution is a true analog monophonic synthesizer, designed to accurately recreate the
classic sounds of the original TB303 Bassline and more. All of the elements of a sound can be
changed instantly by the dedicated control knobs and switches.
These controls are not digitized in any way for the storing of sound patches or transmitting knob
movements as MIDI CC messages. Instead we have chosen to keep these controls true analog just as
the original TB303. This prevents problems such as stair-stepping and jumping of parameters
common in most of today’s digital synthesizers. After all it’s analog, and its controls should be as
smooth as the sound it creates. You should find the unit is very simple to use, and is just begging to
be tweaked live.
The analog control locations should be very familiar to those who have already used a TB303, as we
kept the layout of the original controls and added our own little twist to things. Those who are not
already familiar with using a TB303, will be up and running in no time.
The analog section of the Revolution contains a voltage controlled oscillator capable of generating
both sawtooth and square waveforms over a 5 octave range. This oscillator, an external audio source,
or both, can be connected to the input of the 18db 3pole resonant low pass filter. The filter is used to
shape the overall tone of the sound. The filter’s frequency can be adjusted manually with the cutoff
control, swept by the dedicated filter envelope, modulated by the internal control voltages (generated
by the sequencer) or any external control voltage source, as well as the unique brightening effect that
accent has on the filter. Once the sound passes through the filter, it can then be overdriven and gated
by the amplifier section. Accent will also affect the overall volume of the Revolution’s amplifier.
And finally the sound can be processed by the internal DSP effects, before being sent to your audio
system.
These analog switches are located on the rear of the unit.
WAVEFORM SELECT
ANALOG CONTROLS
When this switch is in the out position, the sawtooth wave shape will be selected for the
oscillator. The square waveform contains only odd harmonics, and has a very hollow
sound. The sawtooth waveform conta
raspy sound.
OVERDRIVE OFF/ON
When this switch is pressed in, the internal audio signal will be overdriven by an analog
distortion stage. When this switch is in the out position, overdrive will be turned off, and
the original clean signal will be heard. The overdrive stage is a nice way to add
harmonics to a sound. This distortion will provide an aggressive edge to the sound.
You may notice that there is no overdrive amount control. The overdrive stage in the
Revolution is dynamic, in the sense that the amount of resonance in the filter determines
how overdriven the sound will be. At lower resonance settings, sounds will be mildly
clipped. Higher resonance settings will cause the sound to become more distorted with
emphasis on the high end for clarity and cutting through.
cutoff frequency. Turning this control clockwise will cause the sound to become thinner with more of
turn this control clockwise, the envelope will sweep the cutoff
AY time, the filter’s ENVelope
ANALOG CONTROLS
TUNE This is a fine tune control for the pitch of the oscillator. It has approximately a +/- 1 semitone
range. When this control is in the mid-position, the oscillator should generate the correct pitch
programmed into the sequencer. Use this control to fine tune the Revolution with other equipment.
If larger changes in frequency are required, you can transpose the patterns within the sequencer.
CUTOFF The cutoff control adjusts the point at which high frequencies become reduced in the
lowpass filter. Turning this control clockwise will allow more high frequencies to pass through the
filter. When this control is turned counter-clockwise, high frequencies will be attenuated and only
lower frequencies will be heard.
RESONANCE The resonance control is used to accentuate the frequencies closest to the filter’s
a liquid quality. When this control is turned counter-clockwise, the sound will become full and no
resonance will be heard.
ENVELOPE The envelope control adjusts the amount of affect the filter’s envelope signal will have
on the filter’s cutoff frequency. As you
frequency over a greater range. When turned counter-clockwise, the filter’s envelope will have very
little affect on the filter’s cutoff frequency.
ENV DECAY This is the filter’s envelope decay control, which will vary the decay time for the
filter’s envelope. Turning this control clockwise will create longer envelope decay times, allowing
high frequencies to pass through the filter for a longer amount of time. Turning this control counterclockwise will shorten the amount of time high frequencies can pass through the filter.
Note: The total decay time for the filter’s envelope is actually the sum of the ACCent DECAY time
and the ENVelope DECAY time. As you increase the ACCent DEC
DECAY time will also increase. The ACCent DECAY time simply sets the shortest possible
decay time for the filter’s envelope.
ANALOG CONTROLS
When notes are programmed with an accent in the sequencer, the filter’s envelope will use this accent
Note:
ACCENT The accent control adjusts the amount of affect the filter’s envelope will have on both the
filter’s cutoff frequency and the amplitude of the sound when notes are programmed with an accent
in the sequencer. When this control is turned clockwise, the filter’s cutoff frequency will sweep up
for the duration of the accent decay, and the overall amplitude for accented notes will increase
accordingly with the setting of this control and the accent decay time. When this control is turned
counter-clockwise, accented notes will play at normal volume, however the filter’s envelope decay
will still jump to the shortest possible decay time set by the accent decay control.
ACC DECAY The accent decay control sets the shortest possible time for the filter’s envelope.
decay time to sweep the filter’s cutoff frequency, as well as boost the amplitude of the overall sound.
When this control is turned clockwise, the filter sweep time becomes longer, and accented notes will
play at a louder amplitude for a longer period of time. When turned counter-clockwise, the filter
envelope will be capable of creating short tight blips, and you may hear little or no affect on the
amplitude of the sound.
We have increased the range of this control to provide shorter and longer accent decay times
than the TB303 was capable of. To recreate the original accent decay time of the TB303, set the
accent decay control to the approximate position shown in the picture above.
CV MOD This control-voltage modulation amount control is used to make the filter’s cutoff
frequency follow the pitch of notes programmed into the sequencer. When an external modulation
signal is inserted into the CV IN jack on the rear panel, this external signal can then modulate the
filter’s cutoff frequency instead of following the pitches programmed into the sequencer.
Turning this control clock-wise allows the internal pitches, or external modulation signal to have a
greater affect on the filter’s cutoff frequency. When this control is turned counter-clockwise the
internal or external control voltages will have little or no affect on the filter’s cutoff frequency.
VOLUME The volume control adjusts the amount of audio signal sent to both the MAIN
OUTPUT and PHONES OUTPUT.
PATCH SHEET
Here is a blank
make notes, and document how the Revolution is connected with other equipment.
PATCH NAME:
patch sheet which you can photocopy and use to record knob and switch settings,
for a pattern. When the time signature of a pattern is set for 3/4, this delay will work best with tempos
DSP EFFECTS
The Revolution provides 16 preset stereo 24 bit DSP effects for processing both internal and external
sounds. Although the internal sound section of the Revolution is mono, these stereo effects can be
used to widen the stereo field of the sound as well as provide more depth.
CH+RM1 This effect provides chorus with reverb creating a nice smooth and spatial sound.
CH+RM2 This effect provides an auto-wah guitar effect with reverb for lead type instrument sounds.
DLY 1 This effect provides a 141ms slap-back delay to the sound. This effect is best used with
tempos in the area of 53, 106, and 212 BPM (beats per minute) when the 4/4 time signature is used
in the area of 70, and 141 BPM.
DLY 2 This effect provides a 107ms delay to the sound. This effect is best used with tempos in the
area of 70, and 140 BPM when the 4/4 time signature is used for a pattern. When the time signature
of a pattern is set for 3/4, this delay will work best with tempos in the area of 93, and 187 BPM.
CHRS Chorus is a stereo chorus for making audio rich and full sounding.
FLNG Flange is a stereo flange for metallic sweeping effects.
PLT 1 Plate 1 is a classic plate reverb which may be best used to process instruments and vocals.
PLT 2 Plate 2 is another plate reverb with added brightness and sizzle which may be best used to
process instruments, drums, and vocals.
RM1 Room 1 models a hardwood studio room, for a natural reverb sound.
PLT 3 Plate 3 is a short vintage plate reverb, as typically used on snares and guitar sounds.
RM 2 Room 2 is another reverb effect, which can be used to add ambience to instruments.
RM 3 Room 3 provides a warm reverb sound for instruments.
HL 1 Hall 1 is a bright hall reverb typically used for instruments, drums, and vocals.
HL 2 Hall 2 is a warm hall reverb typically used for acoustic instruments, drums, and vocals.
LPF Low Pass Filter is an effect which can be used to remove the high frequencies from instruments.
ROTARY Creates a stereo rotary speaker effect.
DSP EFFECTS
t channel. When this control is turned
You could set one channel to dry and the other to wet when recording so that you can come back later
The Revolution provides 16 preset stereo 24 bit DSP effects for processing both internal and external
sounds.
SELECTING EFFECTS To select an effect, rotate the center control switch to the desired effect.
MIX L This is the dry/wet control for the left output channel. Turning this control clockwise will
increase the amount of processed signal heard on the left output channel. When this control is turned
fully counter-clockwise, the DSP effects will be bypassed and only the dry analog audio signal will
be heard on the left output channel. The mix ratio for this control is 100% dry to 100% wet.
MIX R This is the dry/wet control for the right output channel. Turning this control clockwise will
increase the amount of processed signal heard on the right outpu
fully counter-clockwise, the DSP effects will be bypassed and only the dry analog audio signal will
be heard on the right output channel. The mix ratio for this control is 100% dry to 100% wet.
Using different combinations of dry/wet settings for each channel will help place the audio within the
stereo field.
when mixing those tracks to get the perfect balance of dry and processed signals for the overall mix.
With some effects, the output level may decrease as the mix controls are turned clockwise. You may
need to make adjustments to the Volume control to make up for this attenuation.
SEQUENCER INTRODUCTION
The Revolution contains a programmable digital sequencer for recording and playing back
musical patterns and songs. All the information for a pattern can be edited while the
sequencer is either playing or stopped. The sequencer automatically saves all changes made to
patterns and songs. This allows users to create and manipulate patterns live and hear the changes as
they are made.
With the Revolution’s sequencer, you can play the internal analog sound section, external MIDI
sound modules, as well as the older CV/Gate type synthesizers.
STRUCTURE
There are 256 user writable patterns arranged as 16 banks of 16 patterns. Each pattern can be up to 1
measure in length, which is then divided into 12 or 16 equal steps depending on the time signature.
Each pattern records the time signature, notes, pitches, accents, glides, loop point, and swing amount.
Patterns can also be copied and pasted, shifted in time, transposed, and remixed, as well as be played
forward or in reverse.
These patterns can be selected and played live in any order while in the Pattern mode. Patterns can
also be prearranged into one of the 16 song locations. Each song will record the order patterns will
play, along with the transpose setting for each pattern, and the loop point for the song. Each song can
arrange up to 3580 measures worth of music. Songs can also have their patterns remixed or be played
forward or reverse for all sorts of interesting variations.
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