Moog Stage Edition, Little Phatty User Manual

Table of Contents

THE BASICS

5

Setup and Connections ........................................

5

Overview and Features ........................................

7

Signal Flow ....................................................................

9

THE COMPONENTS

A. Oscillator Section ................................................

C. Envelope Generators Section .....................

G. Input/Output Panel ............................................

20

THE USER INTERFACE

23

25

A. Menus ........................................................................

25

C. System Exclusive .................................................

APPENDICES

A – Master Mode Menu Flow Chart ......................

46

47

C – Tutorial .............................................................................

48

53

54

54

G – Using the CP-251 with the Little Phatty .....

55

57

GLOSSARY ......................................................................................

58

Page 3

chosen to be a Moog customer. We look forward to serving you with this product and many more Moog

The Little Phatty Stage Edition is a great performance synth. If you read through

this manual carefully and

The Little Phatty sounds great and is intuitively easy to use. We are hoping you are reading this manual after

a week or so of sleepless but blissful nights of playing the Little Phatty. The Phatty user interface was de-

signed to have you up and running in a matter of minutes.

The Little Phatty is built with care and pride by our team in Asheville, N.C. If you have a chance to come to

the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, call and come by and see us. We would be happy to

take you on a tour of the factory.

The look of the Stage Edition is something we hope you appreciate as well. Moog products are known for

their durability and we are con dent the Phatty will uphold that tradition. One of the new features of the

aspect of the product.

for the product. The Engineering team of Cyril Lance, Steve Dunnington, and Mike Peio made it happen.

The design of any product is always the product of many minds but the Phatty design starts with Axel

The software for the LP was developed by the team of Chuck Carlson, Cyril Lance, and Peter Ning. Thanks

to Barry Darnell, one hard working dude, for our board designs. Thanks also to our Beta unit testers: Amos

sign process: Brian Kehew, Roger O’Donnell, Tom Brislin, Nigel Hopkins, Michael Vallarella, Keiichi Goto, Tomo

the success of this project. And  nally, nobody takes more pride in what they do than the production folks

at Moog Music led by Mike Peio, Plant Manager.

you and expect this product will provide a lifetime of musical enjoyment.

Page 4 Page 5

LP User’s Manual - The Basics

The Setup and Connections section below explains how to unpack, setup and connect the Little Phatty, and

The Components section offers detailed explanations of the components that create and modify sound.

and subtractive synthesis.

well as the MIDI Interface Speci cation, Appendix D.

Throughout the manual you will see icons that point out additional information:

This icon indicates an important note concerning the operation of the Little Phatty.

This icon indicates a useful performance or programming tip.

This icon indicates technical information for the advanced user or the technically curious.

The Little Phatty is shipped with the following items:

2. Power cord

4. Warranty registration card

What you will need

2. A 1⁄4” instrument cable and ampli er, or a pair of headphones

Setup and Connections

LP User’s Manual - The Basics

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LP User’s Manual - The Basics

Set up

You will need a sturdy keyboard stand or table that will support a 22 lb. analog synthesizer and will not

topple if you play hard. Use caution when lifting the Little Phatty out of the carton, and be sure to save the

carton and all packing material in case you need to ship the Little Phatty for any reason.

cord.

The Little Phatty’s universal power supply will operate with a power source from 90 to 250 Volts AC,

50/60Hz.

Turn the power on. You will see the LCD screen light up and display the message:

Version X.x

After a few seconds the start-up screen disappears and the current preset will appear in the display. The

button will be illuminated in amber, the name of the current preset location and preset name will be

displayed on the top line of the LCD screen, and the message ‘PRESET ACTIVE’ will be displayed on the lower

Set the Little Phatty’s Volume control to minimum before connecting to an ampli er or headphones. Adjust the

ampli er level for a comfortable listening level, and then slowly bring up the Little Phatty’s volume. Make sure

the

Output ON/OFF

switch is illuminated red – this means the output is turned on.

Start Playing!

VALUE

dial to scroll through the presets. All preset locations (00 – 99) are loaded with sounds from

the factory. There are a total of 100 locations in memory for presets – all are user programmable. Note that

once a preset is called up, you can tweak the parameters to your liking using the front panel controls. Any

changes made to the current preset will cause the

button to change its illumination from amber to red,

and the lower line of the LCD screen will change to ‘PANEL ACTIVE’.

to return to the original sound, press

button until you change presets. If you wish to save your changes – refer to the

section on Storing Presets on page 23. Any changes made to a preset will be lost if they are not saved once you

change to a new preset.

Warranty registration

web site at www.moogmusic.com and click on the “Product Register” tab. If you complete all the requested

and 125 degrees F), but the LP’s voltage controlled oscilators (VCOs) may not remain in tune.

The LP’s VCOs use a heated chip design that take a short time to warm up. The warm up period

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LP User’s Manual - The Basics

The Little Phatty (LP for short) is a monophonic analog synthesizer that is a descendant of the classic Minimoog

analog envelope generators and a  exible modulation matrix. The LP’s front panel has four variable-function

edit controls for real time adjustment of the Modulation, Oscillator, Filter and Envelope Generator parameters,

the controls for Preset selection and management, adjustment of global parameters, and System Exclusive MIDI

function and utilities. The LP features 100 factory preset sounds, which can be modi ed or replaced by your

own sounds.

The LCD display and User Interface - provides controls to access presets and other software functions.

The Fine Tune control is located here, along with switches for Glide On/Off and Octave transpose.

2.

The Modulation section - features a programmable modulation matrix. The Modulation section has

controls to select the modulation Source (LFO Triangle, LFO Square, LFO Sawtooth, LFO Ramp,

through the Modulation Wheel; when the Mod Wheel is all the way forward the Mod Source passes to

the Mod Destination at the level set by the Mod Amount.

The Oscillators section - features two analog oscillators, each with individual Octave, Level and Wave-

form controls. Additional controls are provided for tuning the second oscillator relative to the  rst,

setting the Glide Rate, and engaging Oscillator Sync. The oscillator outputs are summed together along

with the External Audio Input and routed to the Filter section.

4.

The Filter section - features the classic Moog 24 dB/Octave ‘ladder  lter’, and includes controls for

adjusting Cutoff Frequency, Resonance, Keyboard Amount, Envelope Amount, and Overload. The output

of the Filter is routed to the output Voltage Controlled Ampli er (VCA), which is controlled by the

Volume Envelope Generator.

5.

The Envelope Generator (EG) section - contains two ADSR-style envelopes, one for the Filter and one

for the Volume. The EG section includes controls for adjusting the Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release

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LP User’s Manual - The Basics

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LP User’s Manual - The Basics

The Output section - includes controls for adjusting the Master Volume, a switch to toggle the output

on and off, and a headphone jack. The Master Volume is used for setting the levels of both the output

and the headphones. The Output On/Off switch affects the Audio Output, but not the headphones.

Side Panel:

The side panel provides connections for Power, MIDI, Control Voltage Input and Audio I/O:

2.

Audio jacks – provides monophonic audio input and audio output connections. The Audio Input jack

allows external signals to be processed by the Little Phatty.

signal. These inputs allow the LP to be controlled from expression pedals, or CV devices like the

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LP User’s Manual - The Basics

To understand the operation of the Little Phatty, take a look at the diagram below. The diagram shows the

 ow of the audio, control voltage and modulation signals in the Little Phatty. Heavy lines are used to indicate

audio signals, which  ow from left to right. Lighter lines indicate the control voltages (CV’s), which  ow from

the top and bottom. Dotted lines indicate programmable modulation routings.

and are mixed together with the external audio input signal. This combined audio signal is passed to the

ADSR envelope. The signal then passes to the ampli er stage, where the Volume ADSR envelope shapes it.

The keyboard is the main control source of the Little Phatty. Each time a key is pressed, the keyboard

also applied to the Filter to control the  lter cutoff. The Gate signal is used to simultaneously trigger the

shown), or through the CV and Gate trigger connections. The resulting sound depends on the various

Signal Flow

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LP User’s Manual - The Basics

The LP has two operating modes: Master and Preset.

A complete list of the Master mode functions and parameters is shown on page 25.

controls. The Preset mode is the main operating mode for editing and playing the LP. Information

on Preset mode is found on page 23.

When the LP is powered on, it starts up in Preset mode. In

When the LP is powered on, it starts up in Preset mode. In

this mode, you select presets using the

this mode, you select presets using the

VALUE

encoder. Press

the

the

VALUE

encoder to increment by single presets, or rotate

the encoder to step through the presets in either direction.

the encoder to step through the presets in either direction.

button changes from amber to red, indicating that you

are editing the preset sound. By pressing the

are editing the preset sound. By pressing the

button

you can toggle between the preset (stored) and edited (panel)

you can toggle between the preset (stored) and edited (panel)

sounds. Note that once you change preset numbers, any

changes to the previous preset will be lost unless the changes

are saved.

one for each of the four sound shaping sections (Modulation, Oscillators, Filter, and

approximately the stored or edited value of the current parameter. The parameters

for each section are chosen by pushing the switch for the desired parameter in that

section. That switch then becomes illuminated in amber. Only one parameter can be

activated at a time for editing in each section.

Some parameters offer multiple selections (such as the Modulation SOURCE switch,

shown at right). Pressing that switch advances through the six possible Modulation

sources. For the On/Off type switches like GLIDE ON/OFF (above), 1-2 SYNC or

and goes out when the parameter is turned off.

TECH NOTE:

The LP’s editing controls are actually analog potentiometers. When

certain key parameters are selected, the analog control signal is switched to control

that parameter directly. This is called RAC™ (Real Analog Control). RAC gives the LP a

to the analog control signal path; straight to the synthesizer circuits. In the Stage Edition,

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

of the Filter, Envelope Generator and Output sections. Then we’ll cover the Modulation section, the Key-

A. The Oscillator Section

The Oscillators are the main sound source of the Little Phatty. The oscillators in the LP are analog Voltage

The Components

are adjusted by their variable waveform (Wave)

controls. There is also a switch for syncing Oscillator

2 to Oscillator 1, and a control for adjusting the glide

The frequencies of the oscillators are controlled by a

The keyboard creates a voltage that allows the

oscillators to be played in an equal tempered scale.

The glide circuit can be switched in between the

control (Oscillator 2), the Pitch Bend Wheel, the

and the output of the Mod Matrix when the “Pitch”

destination is selected.

OCTAVE

that selects the relative frequency range. To select the octave,

simply press the switch. Each press of the switch advances the setting, as indicated by the corresponding

on the keyboard is A440.

OSC LEVEL

that allows the analog edit control to adjust the oscillator

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

Waveform:

WAVE

that allows the analog edit control to modify the waveform.

The waveform is continuously variable from triangle, to sawtooth, to square, to rectangular. The waveform

edit control for the oscillator section indicates the knob positions to obtain the triangle, sawtooth, square

and skinniest pulse waveforms.

changes. By limiting the modulation between the square and thin

analog synthesizer sound. Although the waveforms can be set from

the front panel individually for each oscillator, modulation is applied

to both waveform controls simultaneously. When using modulation,

that it becomes silent.

Sync:

This is an ON/OFF type switch that

1-2 SYNC

switch is lit. With sync

on, Oscillator 2 is synchronized (synced) to Oscillator 1, forcing Oscillator 2 to restart its waveform from

the beginning each time Oscillator 1 starts a new waveform cycle.

The effect is noticeable if the synced Oscillator is a higher frequency

than the Reset Oscillator. The main frequency heard is that of the

2 Frequency control to hear this effect. Depending on how it is ap-

OSC 2 FREQ

that allows the analog edit control to adjust the frequency

of Oscillator 2 relative to Oscillator 1. The pitch of Oscillator 2 can be adjusted up or down 7 semitones

slightly out of tune. Note that Oscillator 1 does not have a frequency control because it is designed to

serve as a reference oscillator

When this is selected, the analog edit

control is used to set the glide rate (portamento) between notes. A Glide switch on the User Interface

the lowest C to the highest C on the keyboard).

Additional CV control:

The

PITCH

jack on the side-panel is a CV input for external control of the oscillator pitch. This input

controls the frequencies of both oscillators. A 1-volt change of this voltage will change the pitch by

The jack accepts -5 to +5 volts, or an expression pedal like the EP-1.

A steady control voltage applied to the PITCH jack will offset the base

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

quencies while allowing others to pass through unaffected. An important term to understand regarding

 lters is “Cutoff Frequency”. This is the point at which frequencies begin to be rejected. The LP features

a lowpass  lter, which behaves as its name indicates: it allows low frequencies to pass and rejects high

frequencies.

Another important aspect of  lters is the cutoff slope. The cutoff slope

de nes how well the  lter rejects signals above the cutoff frequency.

The cutoff slope is measured in decibels per octave (dB/Octave), and is

speci ed as a multiple of six. A 6dB/Octave slope (the simplest pos-

sible  lter design) exhibits a gentle roll-off with a minimum rejection of

frequencies above the cutoff. By comparison, a 12dB/Octave slope is

twice as steep, and rejects frequencies above the cutoff twice as fast.

An 18dB/Octave slope is steeper still, with a corresponding frequency

of frequencies above the cutoff point. The classic Moog  lter is a 24dB/

The Moog  lter also features a parameter called Resonance. This

This gives the  lter a character that can sound vocal, buzzy or zappy,

depending on how it’s used. When the resonance is turned up past

about 3 o’clock on the analog edit dial, the  lter begins to self-oscillate

at the cutoff frequency, producing a sine wave tone.

The KB AMOUNT parameter allows you to set the degree to which the  lter cutoff frequency tracks the

off will rise by an octave each time you play an octave higher on the keyboard. This setting allows you to

AMOUNT is set to zero, the  lter cutoff remains at the value determined by the analog edit control, regard-

cutoff to follow the glide of the notes being played (when GLIDE is switched ON). Using the KB AMOUNT

control, you can adjust the amount of Glide that will affect the  lter cutoff.

The EGR AMNT parameter allows you to set the degree to which the Filter EG affects the  lter cutoff

frequency. The EGR AMNT parameter is bi-polar, meaning the Filter EG can affect the  lter cutoff either in

a positive or negative way.

A positive amount will cause the Filter EG to raise the cutoff frequency, while a

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

clipping as the amount is increased. The results you get with OVERLOAD will depend on the settings of

the oscillator waves and levels, and the  lter cutoff and the  lter resonance settings in addition to Overload

amount. Overload is not the same distortion you’d get from a fuzz box – it must be played with to get the

edginess to the sound.

When the

switch is selected, the analog edit control is used to adjust the  lter cutoff frequency.

The cutoff frequency is adjustable from about 20 Hz to 16 Khz.

As the edit control is rotated clockwise, the

cutoff frequency is increased, allowing more of the signal harmonics to pass through the  lter.

When the

switch is selected, the analog edit control is used to adjust the  lter resonance.

end of the signal as the Cutoff control is turned down. As Resonance is increased, the  lter begins to form

a peak at the cutoff frequency. This emphasizes harmonics near the cutoff frequency, and can result in a ‘wah-

wah’ effect when resonance is set fairly high and the  lter cutoff is varied. As the resonance is turned up the

the cutoff frequency.

When the

KB AMOUNT

switch is selected, the analog edit control is used to adjust the amount of post-

glide keyboard voltage that is routed to the  lter cutoff frequency. When the edit control is rotated fully

clockwise, the  lter cutoff follows the key played on the keyboard. A higher key will cause a higher cutoff

frequency. This allows a sound to retain its brightness as it is played higher on the keyboard.

When the

switch is selected, the analog edit control adjusts the amount of the Filter Envelope

the legend on the panel, so the amount is 0 when the edit control dial is at the 12 o’clock position. Rotat-

When the

OVERLOAD

switch is selected, the analog edit control adjusts the amount of pre- lter and post-

 lter clipping. Overload can be used to warm up sounds and give them a distinctive tonal edge. Advancing

the edit control increases the amount of clipping from the subtle warmth of soft clipping to the ‘growl’ pro-

vided by the beginnings of hard clipping. When set to 100%, Overload adds a volume boost of about +6dB.

Additional CV control:

The

jack on the side-panel is a CV input for external control of the  lter cutoff parameter. The jack

accepts -5 to +5 volts, or an expression pedal like the EP-1. A voltage applied to this jack is added to the

setting of the  lter cutoff control. A one-volt change in the control voltage will change the cutoff frequency

of the  lter by about one octave.

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

TECH NOTES:

differently. Asymmetrical clipping circuits tend to produce tones with unique richness and character.

2. The Overload circuit has no effect on the sound when the analog edit control is set fully counter-

clockwise. Advancing the control gradually introduces the effect, starting with a gentle overdrive-like

quality that becomes increasingly aggressive and edgy as the control reaches 100%. Because the

Overload uses clipping, some sounds, such as a squarewave with the  lter cutoff all the way up,

aren’t affected much by increasing the Overload amount. Try sounds tuned to intervals other than

3. The name “Overload” came from the Overload indicator on the Minimoog, where if the output

was patched back into the audio input the Overload indicator would go on. Mixing the Audio in

would provide a “fatter” sound by increasing the level of signal coming out of the mixer and going

envelope – a shape that de nes the changes that occur in a sound over time. An envelope can de ne any

aspect of change in a sound – volume, timbre, or pitch. The circuits that create envelope control signals in

synthesizers are called Envelope Generators (EGs).

The Little Phatty has two identical EG circuits. When trig-

gered, these circuits produce time-var ying control voltages

specify this progression are the Attack, Decay, Sustain and

Attack determines the character of the onset of the sound.

The Attack control adjusts the time it takes when a key is

fade-in time). The Decay control adjusts the second stage

the full level to the level set by the Sustain control. The

envelope will stay at the sustain level as long as a key is held

down. When the key is released, the Release control de-

termines how long it takes for the sound to fade out (see

ADSR Envelope Signal below).

The Little Phatty has one EG dedicated to the  lter (to control

the cutoff frequency), and one EG dedicated to the ampli er

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

Attack:

When the

ATTACK

switch is selected, the analog edit control is used to adjust the Attack time of the corre-

sponding envelope from 1 msec to 10 seconds.

When the

switch is selected, the analog edit control is used to adjust the Decay time of the cor-

Sustain:

When the

SUSTAIN

switch is selected, the analog edit control is used to set the Sustain level of the corre-

sponding envelope.

When the

switch is selected, the analog edit control is used to adjust the Release time (the time

for the envelope to return to zero) from 1 msec to 10 seconds.

Additional Control:

The

jack on the side panel is a trigger input that accepts a footswitch (momentary, normally

closed like the Moog FS-1) or a gate signal. Pressing the footswitch or applying a gate signal (+5V) causes

or sustain a note using your foot without playing the keyboard – useful if you want to free-up

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

synthesis. The LP’s Modulation section opens up a world of modulation possibili-

ties that were not available on the original Minimoog. The Modulation section

allows you to select from six modulation sources, four destinations, and set the

To try out a simple modulation effect, make the following settings:

- Set the LFO RATE to 6 Hz (about 11 o’clock on the analog edit control)

- Set the SOURCE to Triangle wave

- Set the DESTINATION to Pitch

- Set the AMOUNT to 50%

These settings will produce a vibrato effect with variable depth when the

Section Controls:

When the

switch is selected, the analog edit control is used to adjust the frequency of the LFO.

The frequency is adjustable from 0.2 Hz to 500 Hz.

Since the LFO rate extends well into the audio range,

this allows the LFO to be used for clangorous (FM-like) modulations.

Amount:

When the

AMOUNT

switch is selected, the analog edit control is used to adjust the maximum amount of

Source:

The

SOURCE

switch selects the source of the modulation. Each time the switch is pressed, it advances to

the next modulation source, as indicated by the corresponding LED. Four of the selections allow you to use

the LFO as a modulation source. When any of the LFO waves is selected, the associated LED will  ash in

time with the LFO rate. The available Source selections are:

- LFO Sawtooth Wave

- LFO Square Wave

- LFO Triangle Wave

- LFO Ramp Wave

- Filt. Env. (Filter Envelope)/Sample & Hold

- Osc 2 (Oscillator 2)/Noise

The

switch selects the destination of the modulation. The modulation destination is chosen

- Filter (affects  lter cutoff)

- Pitch (affects the pitch of both oscillators)

- Wave (affects the waveform of both oscillators)

- Osc 2 (affects the pitch of Oscillator 2)

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

The Little Phatty has a single monophonic audio output. The level of the audio output

signal while keeping the Headphone signal active.

Section Controls:

Volume:

VOLUME

is the main volume control. Rotating the control fully clockwise produces the maximum output.

stored with the preset.

The

OUTPUT ON/OFF

switch controls the audio that appears at the audio output jack. This switch has no

effect on the Headphone jack. This arrangement allows you to monitor and adjust the sound of the LP using

OUTPUT ON/OFF

switch

to turn off the output if you are using the LP as a controller and wish to control external gear without hear-

The

jack is a 1/4” headphone output for use with standard headphones. The Volume control

adjusts the level at this jack.

Additional CV control:

The

VOLUME

jack on the side panel is a CV input for external control of the

The jack accepts

a positive control voltage from 0 to 5 Volts, or an expression pedal like the Moog EP-1. A voltage of 0 volts

silences the LP, and a voltage of 5 volts corresponds to the output level set by the Volume control.

The headphone volume can be scaled using the System Utilities

and your desired Output Volume setting.

Page 18

.

LP User’s Manual - The Components

The Little Phatty has a 37-note keyboard (3 octaves,

tons, the keyboard has a playable range of 7 octaves.

The keyboard produces velocity control voltages, and

transmits MIDI Note On and Note Off messages poly-

To the left of the keyboard is the Left Hand

Wheel controls.

This spring-loaded control affects the pitch of both oscillators.

The amount of pitch bend can be set for

each direction (UP/DOWN) independently via the Advanced Preset Menu (see page 31) and saved in each

This control sets the amount of modulation that is sent to the modulation destination of the Modulation

sound. As you explore the presets, don’t forget to try the Modulation Wheel to hear this added effect on

the sound.

the key to breathing musical life into your performances. For example, a small amount of

or it can control something less expected, like EG-swept oscillator sync. Although the

actual performance technique with these controls is beyond the scope of this manual, we

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

The Side Panel provides all of the input and

output connects. In addition to the Audio Out-

for MIDI, and the power connector and power

switch.

This is a standard AC power inlet, Use only a power cord designed to mate with this receptacle. The Little

– Do not alter the power connector in any way. Doing so can

Audio IN:

The Audio In jack allows an external audio source to be mixed with the LP’s VCOs, and then routed to the

 lter for processing. The LP has no provisions for adjusting the level of this input, it must be controlled ex-

ternally. The audio input is designed to distor t as the level of the external audio gets very high, adding color

to the sound.

Audio OUT:

The Audio Out jack provides an unbalanced line-level signal for connecting to an ampli er or mixer.

These are connections for MIDI In and Out. There is no MIDI thru function.

The Pitch, Filter and Volume CV jacks supply power and will accept an expression pedal such as the

–5 to +5 Volts.

The KB Gate Input accepts a footswitch (a momentary, normally-closed footswitch like the

To hear the external audio signal without having to hold down a key on the keyboard, plug a

dummy plug (or a patch cord with nothing connected to the other end) into the KB Gate jack.

This will leave the keyboard gate open, and the volume envelope will remain at its Sustain

turn the envelope Decay parameter down below 12:00 in order for the Sustain level to remain

constant. If you notice that the volume of the external signal begins to slowly fade away, check

to be sure the envelope Decay parameters are not set too high.

2. The LP’s Audio Input is not limited to processing monophonic signals - it can work well for

Audio In jack. Now you have a POLYPHONIC source that is being affected by the LP’s Filter,

Overload and EGR circuits.

Page 20

The Interface Panel is located on a far left of the instrument. The Interface Panel provides a status display

and controls for all of the Little Phatty’s software functions and instrument settings.

The status display is an LCD screen located in the center

of the panel above the section controls. When the LP is

 rst powered on, the screen will display the message:

Version X.x

The message will stay on the screen for a few seconds,

and then the screen will display the active preset. This

was powered down.

Section Controls:

switch places you in Master mode. In this mode, the

VALUE

knob is used to scroll

through the Master mode menus for the Little Phatty. For a list of the Master mode menus, see page 25.

switch places you in Preset mode. In this mode, the

VALUE

knob is used to select the

switch also functions as ‘compare’ button, allowing you to toggle between stored and

edited presets. For more on Preset Mode, see page 23.

Value:

The

VALUE

knob is a continuous rotary encoder used to access menus and options, and select presets.

VALUE

knob will adjust numeric values UP or DOWN, or toggle

amongst discrete options. The encoder has a built-in push button (called the

VALUE

switch) that is used to

advance through the presets in Performance Sets and for stepping though Master menu.

This also is used

for stepping through values (presets, master mode values). When naming a preset, the

VALUE

switch acts

as a backspace control.

The

switch is used to navigate around the display. In Master mode, the cursor is used to advance

through the parameters in the display, allowing you to make edits and changes. In Preset Mode, the cursor

tion). Press

to get into cursor mode, and press

or

to exit cursor mode.

The

button is used to enter changes and store edited presets in PRESET mode and to

execute SysEx and System Utility functions in MASTER mode.

LP User’s Manual - The Components

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LP User’s Manual - The Components

The

control is used to tune the Little Phatty’s oscillators + /– 3 semitones for matching an

external reference pitch.

The

switch enables or disables the glissando effect between notes. Glide is ON when the

switch LED is lit. The glide rate is set using the

control in the oscillator section.

The

OCTAVE UP

and

OCTAVE DOWN

switches affect the octave selection for both oscillators. The

cordingly. Pressing the same switch a second time will adjust the octave again and change the illumination

from amber to red, indicating that a two-octave change has been selected. The Octave settings are stored

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LP User’s Manual - The User Interface

VALUE

knob. As the

VALUE

display and is immediately available to be auditioned (you

do not need to ‘activate’ the preset to hear it). Pressing

VALUE

and turning the knob will advance by increments

of ten.

You can use the front panel controls to edit the sound at

any point. Changing any of the front panel controls will

automatically switch the lower part of the display from

light also changes

sound you hear is an edited version of the stored preset

You can toggle between the stored and edited sound by pressing the

button. This acts like a

the COMPARE function, the

button will alternate colors and the LCD will display either ‘PRESET

ACTIVE’ (the original sound) or ‘PANEL ACTIVE’ (the edited sound).

Storing Presets

To store a preset, press the

button. This button doubles as the

STORE

button in Preset mode as

of a stored preset (Preset Active).

When you press

STORE

 eld, which gives you the chance to back out of the store operation

you change if your mind. Use the

key to toggle between

these  elds. To save your preset, use the

VALUE

knob to select the

desired memory location where the preset will be saved.

button to toggle the YES/NO  eld, then use the

VALUE

STORE

will simply return you to Preset mode without any action. You

can also press the

selected, pressing

STORE

will save the preset to the desired memory

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When you press STORE, the LCD will display the ‘PRESET STORED’

the desired location and scrolling through the character list. To change a preset name, press the

VALUE

ter or number. Press the

button again to move the cursor forward to the next letter, or press

the

VALUE

switch to move the cursor backwards. Repeat this action until all desired characters have been

changed.

All characters are uppercase only.

button once to select the  rst character in the

VALUE

knob to select a new character as shown. Use the

button to advance to the next letter, then use the

VALUE

desired name change is complete. When  nished, press the

STORE

with the ‘Save to’ message as described above. Select the desired

STORE

to save the new name.

when the preset is recalled. By saving your presets with this in mind, you can have the

four analog edit controls automatically set to the desired parameters when the preset is

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LP User’s Manual - The User Interface

for sending and receiving data.

To enter master mode, press the

button. By

default, the  rst master menu entry is Performance Sets.

When switching between the Master and Preset modes,

the last used master menu entry appears.

When the master menu is active, the

VALUE

knob is used

to scroll through menu entries. To change a particular

CURSOR

button to enable

the parameter for editing. The selected parameter will be

VALUE

knob is now used to change the

changed as the display is updated (i.e. if you scroll through

values and settle on something new, you don’t have to do

anything to activate that new entry).

key will step

through the parameters. You can also press the

button to disable the

mode. At this

VALUE

knob allows you to step through the menu entries again. When you reach the end of the

VALUE

knob will wrap back to the  rst entry.

A. Master Mode Menus

convenient access. There are four banks of Performance Sets contain-

set up a sequence of 8 presets in each bank. This allows you to easily

switch between these assigned presets in the order they are set up.

tially through the bank by pressing the

VALUE

switch, or use the

CURSOR

button to highlight the bank or preset, then use the

VALUE

rd

preset in Performance

Set 1 is Preset 24 - LEAD. For more on Performance Sets and how to

con gure them, see page 42.

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ADVANCED PRESET:

Advanced Presets is a set of menus that allows you to access

additional parameters for each preset. These parameters are stored

available:

- Filter Poles (1-4)

- EGR Release

- Trigger Options

- Keyboard Priority

- Filter Sensitivity

- Additional LFO Modulation Sources (2)

- Pitch Bend options

- Secondary Modulation destinations.

- Pot Mapping

ANALOGUE MODE:

Analogue mode controls the way the analog edit controls work. In

SNAP mode, the parameter will ‘snap’ instantaneously to the current

stays constant until the potentiometer passes through

the current

value. In TRACK mode, the parameter value moves in the same di-

To change modes, use the

button

to highlight the parameter, then use the

VALUE

knob to set the new

Values:

The Keyboard Priority menu allows you to select from 3 differ-

ent types of keyboard priority.

to sound, a setting of HIGH NOTE causes the highest key pressed

to sound, and a setting of LAST NOTE causes the most recent key

the new parameter value.

Values:

the default is LAST NOTE

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This menu is used to select the LP’s MIDI In and Out channels. The LP

can only send and receive on one channel at a time, but each channel

can be set independently. To change the MIDI channel, use the

SOR

button to highlight the desired parameter, then use the

VALUE

Values:

the default values are 1 for both MIDI In and MIDI Out

This menu item is used to enable or disable the LP’s transmission

status of either parameter use the

button to highlight the

VALUE

knob to set the new parameter value.

Values:

the default values are ON for both SND and RCV

also receive MIDI. It does not disable any MIDI transmitting or receiv-

are using a MIDI sequencer and have both IN and OUT connected,

and the sequencer passes the IN through to the OUT.

The Tune parameter is used to enable or disable the

When the Tune parameter is set to ON, the

panel control

works normally to tune the LP. In his mode, you can use the

VALUE

to the numerical value and rotating the

VALUE

knob (the adjustment

value is from -2048 to +2047, representing roughly +/- a third).

When the Tune parameter is set to OFF, the position of the

TUNE

panel control is stored and the control itself is disabled. This

feature prevents accidental bumping of the

during performance.

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When the Tune parameter is set to AUTO, the AutoTune function is

engaged and the display changes as shown. AutoTune works to keep

the LP in tune by automatically making  ne adjustments to the Fine

Tuning CV.

When AutoTune is enabled, the display shows the actual value of the

the note that you are tuning to, cursor over to the Note value in

the display and use the

VALUE

knob for precise adjustments. Hitting

another note on the keyboard will set that note as the new target for

tuning. You can exit out this menu by hitting the

or

current tuning.

Values:

Tune - ON, OFF, AUTO; the default is ON

Output ON/OFF

button status will not change, however). The reason for muting the output is that

AutoTune uses a special Calibration Preset tone which isn’t very musical. The LP’s output will remain

start playing.

AutoTune has a special ‘timeout’ feature that waits 15 seconds after you stop playing

time, you will see it change:

AUTO …

AUTO 60.12

The LP will continue to autotune while you are playing until you disable it in the menu, or until you

switch off the power.

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LP User’s Manual - The User Interface

eters using the

VALUE

knob. Each LP parameter stored has a value

from zero to 4095. In Precision Mode that value is displayed on the

second line on the screen.

To edit a parameter in Precision Mode, press the corresponding

will see that parameter name along with its value on the display. To

edit with the

VALUE

knob, press the

button and rotate the

VALUE

knob. Each click of the

VALUE

knob results in a change of one

value. Pressing the

VALUE

knob while simultaneously rotating it will

change the value in increments of 10, allowing for faster editing.

the preset must be stored (see “Preset Mode” on page 23).

To exit

or

button. The last edited

Values:

The default parameter is Volume Attack

SYSEX MENU:

SYSEX (System Exclusive) is a set of commands to transmit and

SYSTEM UTILITIES:

System Utilities is a set of commands used to issue an ‘ALL NOTES

system exclusive message, perform a system reboot, restore

factory default values or perform various system calibrations on the

PERFORMANCE TIP: You can quickly change a global parameter during performance by

 rst entering Master Mode and select the desired parameter menu using the VALUE knob

change, press Master. The desired menu item will be displayed, allowing you to quickly make

adjustments.

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The Advanced Preset menu provides a set of additional programming parameters for each preset. These

This menu allows you choose the number of Filter Poles for the

gentle 6db/octave (1 pole) to a steep 24db/octave (4 poles). To select

the number of Filter Poles, use the

button to highlight the

VALUE

knob to set the new parameter value.

Values:

This menu allows you to turn the EGR Release parameter ON and

of both the  lter and volume envelopes. To change the status, use the

VALUE

knob

to set the new parameter value.

Values:

The Gate menu allows you to select how the envelopes are triggered

when more than one key is pressed on the keyboard. A setting of

A setting of LEGATO OFF will retrigger the envelope

on a new note from the current EGR level.

A setting of EGR RESET

will force the envelope generators to start from 0 volts each time a

button

to highlight the parameter, then use the

VALUE

knob to set the new

Values:

The Filter Sensitivity menu allows you to select how the keyboard

velocity will affect the  lter cutoff frequency. Positive values increase

the velocity sensitivity. This will raise the  lter cutoff as the keys are

struck harder, mimicking the properties of acoustic instruments.

frequency as the keys are struck harder.

To change the parameter, use

the

VALUE

Values:

-8... 0... +8

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This menu allows you to select one of two modulation options that

will be used when the FILT ENV source is selected on the front panel

the parameter, use the

then use the

VALUE

knob to set the new parameter value.

Values:

This menu allows you to select one of two modulation options that

will be used when the OSC2 source is selected on the front panel

the

VALUE

Values:

The Pitch Bend menu allows you to individually set the positive and

semitones. To change either parameter, use the

button to

VALUE

knob to select the new

Values:

This menu allows you to program a secondary destination for

those offered on the front panel (the primary modulation). The

AMOUNT

control speci es both the primary and

secondary modulation amounts - there is no separate amount control

for the secondary modulation. To program a secondary modulation

destination, use the

VALUE

knob to set the new parameter value.

Values:

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The Pot Mapping menu allows you to make arbitrary MIDI Continuous

on the front panel (MOD, OSC, FILT, and EGR). Additionally, the four

or combined MIDI control. Among its many possibilities, Pot Mapping

allows you to ‘reprogram’ the four panel knobs to control any of the

control of Filter Cutoff, Resonance, Overload and EG Amount, all at the

same time.

To set up Pot Mapping, press the

CURSOR

button and use the

VALUE

CURSOR

button again to move to the next  eld and select

the desired MIDI CC parameter.

button once more to select whether the assign-

CURSOR

button again will return you back to the

the active parameter in that section. For example, suppose Pot

CC#10. To activate Pot Mapping, you would press the button that is

currently active (i.e. lit) in the Modulation section. The button will turn

off (now no button in the Modulation group will be illuminated), and

the Modulation knob will now send MIDI CC#10 information when

Values:

the normal CC assignments in that section. For example, in the Modulation section, the LFO Rate

will revert to sending the normal MIDI CC’s #03 and #06.

that you want to control independently of the LP. You could program Pot Mapping to have the

With this setup, you press the active control in the Mod section (either the LFO Rate or Amount

switch) to engage Pot Mapping without affecting your LP’s sound or state. Now when you adjust the

the MOD control, it sends MIDI CC#xx out to your external MIDI device, but has no effect on the LP’s

sound engine.

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SysEx menus are a set of commands to transmit and receive selected presets, bulk dumps and  rmware

dumps. To enable SysEx menus, press the

button. This will highlight the menu options shown

on the second line of the display. Once highlighted, use the

VALUE

knob to scroll through the menus. To

activate a command, press the

button.

SEND CURRENT PRESET:

This option allows you to send the current preset (system exclusive

data format) for archiving a preset in the LP’s memory. This requires

another LP or computer with a MIDI interface and a program that can

accept a SysEx dump. You must enable the device that is to receive the

SysEx data. Once the remote device is enabled, press

to start

the data transfer.

When

is pressed, the LCD will brie y display the ‘SENDING

CUR PRESET’

display will return to the SYSEX menu.

SEND ALL PRESETS:

This option allows you to send the system exclusive data for archiving

the complete bank of presets in the LP’s memory. To complete this

command, enable the device that is to receive the SysEx data. Once

the remote SysEx device is enabled, press

to start the data

transfer.

When

is pressed, the LCD will brie y display the ‘SENDING

ALL PRESETS’ message shown and the

button will stay lit until

the data transfer is complete. When the operation has  nished, the

display will return to the SYSEX menu.

This option allows you to save the entire state of the LP (including all

global data, performance set data and preset data) for later recovery.

To execute a bulk dump, enable the device that is to receive the SysEx

data. Once your remote SysEx device is enabled, press

to start

the data transfer.

When

is pressed, the LCD will brie y display the ‘SENDING

button will stay lit until

the data transfer is complete. When the operation has  nished, the dis-

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This option allows you to backup the operating system via SysEx data.

To execute this command, enable the device that is to receive the

SysEx data. Once you have enabled your remote SysEx device, press

to start the data transfer.

When

is pressed, the LCD will display the ‘SENDING FIRM-

WARE SYSEX’ message shown, and the

button will stay lit until

the SysEx transfer is complete When the operation has  nished, the

display will return to the SYSEX menu.

The LP is able to receive System Exclusive data at any time without any special prior setup. SysEx  les are

will display the status of SysEx data transfers as follows:

SINGLE PRESETS:

The LP will brie y display a ‘RECEIVING SINGLE PRESET’ message

whenever a single preset is transmitted via SysEx. The preset will

automatically be stored at the current preset location. For example, if

the current preset location is 31 when the SysEx is received, the new

ALL PRESETS:

The LP will display a ‘RECEIVING ALL PRESETS’ message when a bank

of presets is transmitted. The transmitted bank will replace the current

The LP will display a ‘RECEIVING BULK DUMP’

dump is transmitted.

The LP will display a ‘RX FIRMWARE’ message when a  rmware

second line of the display as the transmission executes. After the  rm-

ware update is completed, the LP will automatically reset.

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System Utilities provides a set of useful commands, including a command to send an “All Notes Off ’ mes-

sage, a command to perform an operating system reboot, and a command to restore factory default values

and presets.

ALL NOTES OFF:

The  rst System Utilities option is ‘ALL NOTES OFF’. This command

active notes and controllers. This command is the equivalent of a ‘panic

command, simply press the

button. You do not have to enable

the menu using the

button.

The LCD will brie y display an ’ALL NOTES OFF’ message while the

data command is transmitted. When complete, the screen will return

to the System Utilities menu. To select other System Utilities options,

button, and then use the

VALUE

knob to scroll

through the menus.

The Headphone Volume option allows you to scale the headphone

volume in relationship to the output volume. Since headphones can

vary widely in their ef ciency to reproduce sound, this control allows

you to set the headphone volume to a comforable listening level rela-

tive to the Output Volume control. The parameter values are from 0

VERSION:

This menu option displays the current operating system version.

This option performs a master reboot of the LP, similar to turning the

You will be asked to con rm this operation (Yes/No). If you are unsure,

select NO and press

to return to the System Utilities menu

without any action. If you are sure, use the

VALUE

knob to change

from NO to YES and press

This will reboot the system.

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This option allows you to restore the global default values, perfomance

sets and all factory presets. When you are ready to execute this opera-

tion, press

to activate.

You will be asked to con rm this operation (Yes/No). If you are

to return to the System Utili-

ties menu without any action. If you are sure, use the

VALUE

knob to

change from NO to YES and press

This will restore the fac-

tory default global values, performance presets and factory presets.

While the restore process is taking place, the LCD will brie y display

a ‘RESTORING FACTORY DEFAULTS’ message. When complete, the

screen will return to the System Utilities menu.

wish to save prior to performing this action.

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a. The LP must be at a stable and constant temperature during calibration. You should allow the LP to

warm up 30 minutes before beginning any calibrations.

c. The LP is calibrated at the factory. The Note Calibration operation is not necessary unless the LP

goes out of tune. The Note Calibration overwrites the current calibration lookup table (LUT). Performing a

d. You can exit out of a calibration at any time by pressing the MASTER button. For the Note Calibration

operation, only those notes that have already been calibrated will be saved. The remaining notes will

e. Note Calibration is not meant for overall tuning drifts, such as if the LP is 10 cents sharp. Small tuning

drifts are best taken care of using the AutoTune function (see the Local Mode/Tune menu, page 28)

f. If you perform a Note Calibration, it is highly recommended that you also perform the Oscillator 2

without the expense and hassle of shipping the LP back to the fac-

tory for calibration. The LP’s calibration utilities allow you to perform

tion is stored in the LP’s EEPROM and referenced when playing a note

to guarantee that the LP’s oscillators will be in tune. Other calibrations

ensure that variable controls such as the pitch wheel and oscillator 2

detuning function predictably and precisely.

To access the calibration options, press

VALUE

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This calibration option allows you to select Pitch Wheel calibration.

This is a manual calibration that should only be performed if you are

experiencing trouble with the pitch wheel and believe it needs recali-

to access the Pitch Wheel calibration menu.

You will be asked if you wish to proceed. Use the

VALUE

knob to se-

YES and press

When Pitch Wheel calibration is enabled, the display appears as shown.

The values displayed indicate the minimum, middle and maximum posi-

tions of the pitch wheel.

When you see this display, perform the following operations:

wards you). The left-hand number will go to some minimum value.

2.) Move the Pitch Wheel to the maximum position (all the way

towards the panel). The right-hand number will go to some maximum

value.

The middle number should settle around 2048 (+/-20).

This completes the Pitch Wheel calibration. To exit the calibration,

to return to the System Utilities Calibration menu or press

to exit the calibration and return to the highest level of the

System Utilities menu.

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This calibration option allows you to select Note calibration. This

calibrates individual notes exactly for each oscillator and octave setting.

to access the Note calibration menu.

The Note calibration menu will be displayed, allowing you to set the

calibration range. The default note range is MIDI notes 12 - 116. For

every one of these notes, the pitches are calibrated at each of the

octave settings, from 16’ to 2’. To change the range, use the

VALUE

knob to

select the MIDI note value. Then press

to complete. By specifying a narrower range of notes (for example, just the range of the LP

shorten the calibration time.

You will be asked if you wish to proceed. Use the

VALUE

knob to se-

YES and press

displayed are

the MIDI note number being calibrated, the calibration

value

and the actual

01 cents sharp). Note calibration will proceed through the speci ed

then oscillator 2.

When Note calibration is complete, the message ‘SUCCESSFUL’ will

appear on the display and the new calibration values will be stored in

the LP’s EEPROM. To exit the calibration,

to return to

the System Utilities Calibration menu or press

to exit the

calibration and return to the highest level of the System Utilities menu.

Only those notes that have been calibrated up to that point will be saved. The remaining

operation in this manner may result in inaccurate tuning.

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This option allows you to select Pitch Wheel Amount calibration. This

calibrates the Pitch Wheel Amount parameter to precise semitone val-

to access the Pitch Wheel

Amount calibration menu.

You will be asked if you wish to proceed. Use the

VALUE

knob to

select YES or NO, then press

change your mind about performing this calibration, select NO and

Calibration will begin, and the display will appear as shown. The  rst

example, +2 means ‘plus two semitones’). The second number is the

calibration value (this is the value stored in the LP’s EEPROM), and the

third number is the actual measured note, which is displayed in MIDI

and the actual measured note is 36 cents sharp). All Pitch Amount

calibrations are based on MIDI note 60, so for a calibration value of +2,

the target note value is 62.00. As the calibration operation proceeds,

the calibration values will increment  rst through all of the positive

When the calibration is complete, the message ‘SUCCESSFUL’ will ap-

to return to the

System Utilities Calibration menu or press

to exit the calibra-

tion and return to the highest level of the System Utilities menu.

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LP User’s Manual - The User Interface

This option allows you to select OSC2 Frequency Calibration. This

calibrates the

OSC2_FREQ

control so that turning the editing dial all

the way CCW turns OSC2 down exactly a  fth (-7 semitones) and

turning all the way CW turns OSC2 up exactly a  fth (+7 semitones).

to access the OSC2 Frequency Calibration menu.

You will be asked if you wish to proceed. Use the

VALUE

knob to se-

YES and press

the value stored in the LP’s EEPROM), and the third number is the

actual measured note, which is displayed in MIDI Note Number Cents

actual measured value is 37 cents sharp). When calibration starts, the

change as the note climbs to 67.00, at which point it has calibrated the

at which point it has calibrated the minimum value (-7 semitones).

When the calibration is complete, the message ‘SUCCESSFUL’ will ap-

to return to the

System Utilities Calibration menu or press

to exit the calibra-

tion and return to the highest level of the System Utilities menu.

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situation or to enhance your productivity in a studio environment.

quence of sounds that doesn’t necessarily match up to the preset locations. Performance Sets gives you the

ability to set up sequences of sounds that you can step through easily and quickly during a performance.

The LP has four Performance Sets located in the Master menu. Each Performance Set contains eight preset

entries, so set 1 has an array of 8 presets; set 2 has an array of 8 presets, etc. Viewed as a table, the

SET

24

5802892301

2

02035105069207

08

9956574876

4

44

454647

The  rst entry in Set 1 above is Preset 24; the second entry is Preset 58, and so on. Performance Sets allow

you to sequence up to 32 presets for your speci c needs. Once the Performance Sets are con gured, you

can call up a set and step though the sequence using the

VALUE

switch.

The example on the right shows the preset stored

– SUPERCHUNK). To step through this sequence,

VALUE

switch. Each press will advance to

the next preset in the sequence. After the eighth pre-

set is reached, the next press of the

VALUE

switch will

cycle back to the  rst preset in Performance Set 3.

To return to Preset mode, press the

button.

The preset displayed will be the last preset selected in

the Performance Set.

button again will return to the

SET

00010203040506

07

08

09

20

23

2526272829

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LP User’s Manual - The User Interface

To edit a Performance Set, use the

CURSOR

key to select the Performance SET number (1-4), ENTRY

button

once to highlight the SET number for editing. Press the

button a second time to advance to the

The number is changed by rotating the

VALUE

knob. For this example,

we’ll change the SET number to 1, and then advance to the next pa-

button.

The ENTRY value is now ready to be changed. Using the

VALUE

CURSOR

VALUE

the

button.

This places us back where we started in Performance Sets. There are no parameters highlighted, and the

button is lit. Preset 23 - LUCKY MAN is the active preset, ready for playing.

To return to Preset mode, press the

button. The preset displayed will be the last preset selected in

the Performance Set.

button again will return you to the last used master menu entry.

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When you adjust any one of the LP’s four analog edit controls, MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) mes-

sages are transmitted on the MIDI Out jack. The information contained in these MIDI messages varies

according to the parameter each edit control is assigned. For example, when the panel  lter CUTOFF

switch is selected, the edit control in the Filter Section generates MIDI CC data corresponding to the

The following chart lists the default MIDI CC data that is generated for each front panel control.

a. The MIDI CC assignments shown for each section are over-ridden when Pot

does not transmit this MIDI message.

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LP User’s Manual - The User Interface

SECTION

CONTROL

CC

VALUE/RANGE

CURSOR

GLIDE ON/OFF

Turns Glide ON/OFF

0-63 OFF, 64-127 ON

OCTAVE UP

Octave increment switch

OCTAVE DOWN

Octave decrement switch

Modulation

Adjusts the LFO frequency

0 – 127

AMOUNT

Adjusts the modulation amount

0 – 127

SOURCE

Selects the modulation source

0, 16, 32, 48, 64, 80

Selects the modulation destination

0, 16, 32, 48

OSC 1 OCTAVE

Sets the octave of oscillator 1

74

0, 32, 48, 64

WAVE

Sets the waveform of oscillator 1

9

0 – 127

OSC 1 LEVEL

Adjusts the volume level of oscillator 1

0 – 127

GLIDE RATE

Sets the portamento rate time

5

0 – 127

Turns oscillator sync ON/OFF

77

0-63 OFF, 64-127 ON

OCTAVE

Sets the octave of oscillator 2

75

0, 32, 48, 64

OSC 2 FREQ

Adjusts the frequency of oscillator 2

0 – 127

WAVE

Sets the waveform of oscillator 2

0 – 127

OSC 2 LEVEL

Adjusts the volume level of oscillator 2

0 – 127

CUTOFF

Adjusts the  lter cutoff frequency

0 – 127

Adjusts the  lter resonance parameter

0 – 127

Adjusts the amount of pitch CV affecting the cutoff

0 – 127

Adjusts the EG amount affecting the cutoff

27

0 – 127

OVERLOAD

Adjusts the amount of  lter overdrive

0 – 127

ATTACK

Adjusts the  lter envelope attack time

23

0 – 127

Adjusts the  lter envelope decay time

0 – 127

SUSTAIN

Sets the  lter envelope sustain level

25

0 – 127

Adjusts the  lter envelope release time

26

0 – 127

ATTACK

Adjusts the volume envelope attack time

28

0 – 127

Adjusts the volume envelope decay time

29

0 – 127

SUSTAIN

Sets the volume envelope sustain level

0 – 127

Adjusts the volume envelope release time

0 – 127

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Appendix A - MASTER MODE Menus

which are individually stored with each preset, all Master Mode menu parameters effect the LP globally.

Advanced Presets are

stored individually with

each preset.

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Appendix B - The Calibration Preset

SECTION

VALUE

Modulation

0

AMOUNT

0

SOURCE

SQUARE

WAVE

OSC 1 OCTAVE

WAVE

2048

OSC 1 LEVEL

4095

GLIDE RATE

OFF

OCTAVE

OSC 2 FREQ

2048

WAVE

2048

OSC 2 LEVEL

0

CUTOFF

4095

0

2701

2048

OVERLOAD

0

ATTACK

0

0

SUSTAIN

2048

0

ATTACK

0

0

SUSTAIN

4095

0

The LP has a speci c Calibration Preset that is stored in a non-volatile memory location labeled ‘CA’ (this

also useful as a default starting point for preset development. Note that the Calibration Preset cannot be

saved to the CA memory location, but it can be saved to any other preset location (00-99).

The tables below list the default values of the Calibration Preset (bold text is used to indicate Precision

SECTION

VALUE

ON

GATE

0

OSC2

OFF

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Appendix C - Tutorial

of sound and synthesis.

Sound is simply the audible change in air pressure. When we perceive

sound, our ears are responding to variations in air pressure that hap-

called the Frequency, which is measured in cycles per second, or Hertz

the low end) to about 20,000 Hz (on the high end). The frequency of

a sound corresponds to its pitch. A low frequency corresponds to a

A second perception of sound is its volume or loudness. Loud sounds

create big  uctuations in air pressure, while soft sounds create small

 uctuations. The measurement of these  uctuations is called the

Amplitude, which is measured in Decibels (dB).

A third perception of sound is its tone color, also known as its timbre. There is no standard of measurement

for timbre, so instead we use familiar terms to describe the tone color of a sound – bright or dull, buzzy or

er an example: if the base pitch is 100 Hz, harmonics will occur at 200 Hz (2 x 100), 300 Hz (3 x 100), 400

they decrease as the frequency goes up, so a 200hz harmonic will be louder than a 300Hz harmonic, which

will be louder than a 400Hz harmonic, and so on. Note that there are some sounds that contain overtones

that are not mathematically related to the base pitch. These include the ‘metallic’ sounds created by percus-

sion instruments like cymbals, gongs and chimes, and noise sounds like wind or white noise. The overtones

of these sounds are called ‘inharmonic’, as they don’t  t neatly into a mathematical relationship with the base

timbre) to create new sounds and simulate existing ones. This process is called Synthesis. There are a

distortion and additive to name but a few), but the method used most often is called Subtractive Synthesis.

to achieve the desired sound.

A synthesizer design based on subtractive synthesis typically consists of three main components and three

auxiliary components. The main components are the Oscillator, Filter and Ampli er, and the auxiliary

components are the Keyboard controller, Envelope Generator, and Low Frequency Oscillator.

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The Oscillator is the starting point of Subtractive Synthesis, for it is here that the initial sound is created. The

oscillator creates electrical vibrations which function in a manner similar to the strings of a guitar; they create the

signal source that the rest of the system will use to modify and shape the sound. The key oscillator parameters

are pitch and waveform.

The pitch of the oscillator is primarily determined by the keyboard, which creates speci c pitches based on an

equal-tempered scale (more about the keyboard later).

The waveform determines the harmonic richness of the audio signal. There are four basic waveforms common

to most synthesizers: sawtooth, square, triangle and sine.

The sawtooth wave is the richest sounding of the four waves. It contains all

of the harmonics, and has a bright, buzzy sound. Sawtooth waves are ideal

for brass and string sounds, bass sounds and rich accompaniments.

The square wave possesses a hollow sound compared to the sawtooth,

owing to the fact that it contains only odd harmonics. This hollow

characteristic is ideal for distinctive lead and sustained (pad) sounds.

An interesting aspect of the square wave is that the waveshape can be

changed to make the top and bottom parts asymmetrical, creating a pulse

wave. By changing the shape of the wave, new harmonics are introduced.

for creating lush pads. Many synthesizers allow you to dynamically control

the shape, or ‘width’ of the pulse wave using modulation sources such as a

The Subtractive Synthesis Model

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triangle wave has a soft, slightly buzzy sound that is suitable for high-

The sine wave is the purest waveform of them all. It has no harmonics,

so it produces a very pure tone. Because of this, sine waves generally

aren’t used as primary audio signals, but are often used to reinforce or

enhance other waves. They are also used as modulation sources.

Synthesizers often have more than one oscillator, and each oscillator usually has its own frequency and

waveform and level (volume) parameters. Several oscillators make possible rich and complex sound source

con gurations. Some synthesizers also permit external audio signals to serve as sound sources, allowing you

to combine them with the oscillators, or process the external audio by itself using the synthesizer compo-

The combined sound sources are routed to the Filter, the circuit that removes frequencies. Although there

are several types of  lters, the Little Phatty offers just one, but it’s a very important one: the Lowpass  lter.

works to remove high frequency signals is called the Cutoff frequency.

Above the cutoff, frequencies are gradually reduced according to the

 lter’s ‘slope’, which is a measure of how well the  lter works. The

slope of a  lter is expressed in decibels per octave (dB/Oct). The Little

synthesis.

Another important  lter parameter is the  lter resonance. Resonance ampli es the frequencies at the

cutoff frequency, emphasizing any signal frequencies that appear there. It’s possible to adjust the resonance

control to the point where the  lter actually oscillates. When this occurs, the oscillation frequency is the

same as the cutoff frequency.

The Filtered signal is routed to the Ampli er, which controls the gain (volume) of the signal. The Ampli er

controls the articulation of a sound, turning it on and off as you play. The Ampli er is usually paired with

an Envelope Generator (described below). The gain of the ampli er follows the contours of the Envelope

The Oscillator, Filter and Ampli er are voltage controlled, meaning that they respond to changes in voltages.

voltage, the higher the cutoff frequency. For the Ampli er, this means the higher the voltage, the greater the

volume. Since each of the three main components respond to a voltage, the entire synthesis system thus

components, like Envelope Generators and Low Frequency Oscillators (which generate control voltages) to

further vary the sound.

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whenever a key is pressed. The level of the control voltage signal is a function of which key is pressed - the

The keyboard’s control voltage signal is commonly routed to the oscillators to control the pitch, and it can also

trigger signal is routed to the Envelope Generators to trigger the envelopes.

The second

auxiliary component is the Envelope Generator, or EG. The

voltage that is typically used to control the gain of the ampli er, or the

cutoff frequency of the  lter. Many synthesizers, including the Little

ampli er and  lter circuits.

The EG is triggered from a Gate signal that is generated every time a

according to the control settings.

The LP’s Envelope Generators have four stages that can be set individually:

Attack – The time to go from zero volts to the maximum voltage (the fade in time).

Sustain – The maximum level of the envelope after completing the attack and decay stages (if the

stages, and the Release control has no effect.

The last auxiliary component is the Low Frequency Oscillator, also known

as the LFO. The LFO operates like the main oscillators in almost all

to send modulation control signals to the main components. For example,

varying the pitch of the oscillator. If you send that same LFO signal to

the ampli er, and you’ll get tremolo. LFO’s are used to create cyclical

variations in the sound, making the sound more dynamic and interesting.

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So there you have it - the six basic components that make up a synthesizer based on the subtractive

synthesis model. Keep in mind that most ‘subtractive’ synthesizers often include more than one of each

component. This is especially true of the oscillators and envelope generators (the Little Phatty has two of

each), but may also be true of  lters, ampli ers and LFO’s. For example, the Moog Voyager has three oscilla-

tors, two  lters, two ampli ers, an LFO, two extensive modulation sections, and the Voyager’s third oscillator

can act as an additional LFO. Synthesizers that offer more than one of each type of component provide

a broader palette for sound creation, resulting in sounds with a greater complexity, variation, and depth.

So what is the best way to con gure and program these synthesis components effectively? The answer

could  ll a book’s worth of explanations and examples. Two such recommended books on this subject are:

You can also learn a lot from examining the factory presets in detail. The Little Phatty’s presets were crafted

As with all musical instruments, practice, exploration and experimentation are an important par t of achiev-

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LP User’s Manual - Appendices

Appendix D - MIDI Implementation Chart

Version 1.0

TRANSMITTED

Altered

X

X

* Note priority is user selectable

24-108

0-127

The transmitted note numbers follow the

transposition, the transmitted range is

48 – 84 (C3-C6)

Velocity

X

X

After touch

True Number

00 - 99

00 - 99

System Exclusive

System Commands

Song Position

Song Selection

Tune

X

X

System Real Time

Commands

Aux messages

All Notes Off

Active Sense

System Reset

X

X

X = No

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LP User’s Manual - Appendices

Appendix E - Service and Support Information

speci cations at the time of shipment for a period of one year from the date of purchase. During the war-

tory basis. This warranty covers defects that Moog Music determines are no fault of the user. In countries

outside of the USA, contact the Moog authorized distributor listed on our web site (www.moogmusic.com)

for service.

c

You must obtain prior approval in the form of an RMA (Return Material Authorization) number from Moog

original inner packing including the foam inserts. The warranty will not be honored if the product is not

charges paid.

What we will do

transport. If the product has been abused, damaged in transit, or is out of warranty, we will contact you with

an estimate of the repair cost.

you do not have web access,  ll out the all the information on the included warranty card and mail to:

Attn: New Product Registration

2004-E Riverside Dr.

Asheville, N.C. USA 28804

Appendix F - Caring for the Little Phatty

of the wood end caps can be cleaned with a guitar polish, or a  ne furniture polish. Heed the safety warnings

at the beginning of the manual. Don’t drop the unit. If you are shipping your Little Phatty to the factor y for

servicing, we recommend using the original shipping carton, or an ATA approved Road Case. Shipping the Little

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SAFETY: Do not open the chassis. There are no user

serviceable parts in the Little Phatty. Maintenance of the Little Phatty synthesizer should be

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LP User’s Manual - Appendices

The Moogerfooger® CP-251 Control Processor makes an ideal companion to the Little Phatty synthesizer.

The CP-251 provides an LFO with two waveforms (Triangle/Square), a Sample & Hold circuit with two out-

expands the sonic palate of the LP, allowing for the creation of interesting new sonic textures.

and try these ideas!

Simple con gurations using the LFO from the CP-251:

To create a steady Vibrato effect:

- Using a 1/4’ patch cable, connect the CP-251 LFO Triangle output to an Attenuator Input.

- With another 1/4’ patch cable, connect the Attenuator Output to the LP’s Pitch CV jack.

on the dial (a very low amount). This con guration will produce the mild pitch wavering known as vibrato.

Setting the LFO Rate considerably higher will result in wild FM textures.

To create Tremolo:

- Using a 1/4’ patch cable, connect the CP-251 LFO Triangle output to an Attenuator Input

- With another 1/4’ patch cable, connect the Attenuator Output to the LP’s Volume CV jack.

dial. This will produce the pulsating amplitude modulation known as tremolo. Adjust the LFO Rate to taste.

To produce Timbral Modulation:

- Using a 1/4’ patch cable, connect the CP-251 LFO Triangle output to an Attenuator Input

- With another 1/4’ patch cable, connect the Attenuator Output to the LP’s Filter CV jack.

on the dial. This will produce a pleasing tone modulation as the  lter cutoff frequency is modulated. Setting

the LFO Rate considerably higher will result in wild timbral textures, while a very low setting will create a

slowly evolving  lter sweep. For a “random stepping”  lter effect, use the S&H Out 1 in place of the LFO

Triangle out.

the LP’s Pitch, Filter and Volume inputs all at once, or split the modulation signal using the multiple jack and

any interval desired and have it ready any time you need it. Here’s the connection:

- Connect the EP-1 to an Attenuator Input.

- With another 1/4’ patch cable, connect the Attenuator Output to the LP’s Pitch CV jack.

Appendix G - Using the CP-251 with the Little Phatty

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To set the transposition interval, press the EP-1footpedal all the way down and slowly adjust the Attenuator

on the CP-251 while striking a note on the LP. The pitch will go up as you raise the Attenuator level. Rock

the EP-1 pedal between full up and full down positions to hear the difference in pitch, and adjust the Attenu-

ator until the desired interval is reached. This will give you a foot-activated transposition controller you can

You can use the CP-251 Noise source as a control voltage by simply routing it to any of the LP’s CV inputs

- Using a 1/4” patch cable, connect the CP-251 Noise output to an Attenuator input.

- With another 1/4” patch cable, connect the Attenuator output to one of the LP’s CV jacks.

This will allow you to raise or lower the Noise level as desired, adding just a touch of noise to add realism to

a sound, or a blast of noise for extreme sonic effect.

voltage signal, giving a result similar to using the Modulation Mix control on the original Minimoog:

- Using a 1/4” patch cable, connect the LFO Triangle output to the CP-251 Mixer 1 input

- Using another 1/4” patch cable, connect the Noise output to the CP-251 Mixer 2 input

- With another 1/4” patch cable, connect the Mixer “+” output to the LP’s Filter CV jack.

Set the CP-251 Mixer 1 and Mixer 2 inputs to ‘5’ on the dial, and set the Master level to ‘10’. Adjust the Mix-

er 1 and 2 levels to balance the LFO and Noise signals, and use the Master level to set the effect intensity.

You can also use the Mixer’s Offset Voltage control by itself to provide an additional steady CV signal, or

combine it with the LFO and Noise. An interesting effect is to mix the LFO and Noise source together with

a negative offset (set the Mixer Offset control to about 9 o’clock) and route the Mixer Output to the LP

tive offset voltage) while the combined LFO/Noise signal is introduced.

an existing sound (for example, creating the illusion of ‘breath’ in an instrument) or process the noise just by

then into the LP’s Audio In jack. Noise never sounded so good!

We’ve just scratched the Surface

These are just a few of the synthesis possibilities afforded by the Little Phatty and the CP-251. Other CV

equipment like our Moogerfooger® analog effects can be added to expand the sonic potential of the

always connect a source to a destination, and that you shouldn’t combine multiple CV to a single destination

without a mixer. We encourage you to experiment, as there are many possibilities for exploring synthesis

– whether you are trying to duplicate a sound or effect you heard, or if you are trying to make a sound that

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LP User’s Manual - Appendices

Appendix F - Speci cations

Type:

synthesizer w/100 presets

Synth Engine:

Wave: Continuously variable

(triangle/sawtooth/square/pulse)

Wave: Continuously variable

(triangle/sawtooth/square/pulse)

distortion, adds +6dB signal

Attack Time: 0.001 to 10 seconds

Sustain Level: 0 to 100%

Source: LFO triangle, LFO square,

Amount: 0 to 100%

Transmits polyphonic MIDI Note On/Off

with velocity

Analog Edit Potentiometers (4)

Selection/Navigation controls:

Value encoder (with pushswitch)

Side Panel:

AC Power Inlet (universal power supply,

Audio Out

Volume CV: 0 to +5V

Outputs:

26.75” x 14.75” x 6.75”

Weight:

22lb (9.9 kg)

Operating System;

Speci cations subject to change without notice

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LP User’s Manual - Glossary

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LP User’s Manual - Glossary

ADSR – Abbreviation for Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release, the four stages of an envelope control voltage

Amplitude – The strength of a sound’s vibration measured in Decibels (dB). Amplitude corresponds to the

control signals for parameters such as volume, vibrato and panning.

sound. In the case of pitch, pressing a key on the keyboard sends a control voltage that determines the

the CV, the higher the gain, or volume).

volume) over time. For example, when a string is plucked, its amplitude is suddenly very loud, but then

dies out gradually. This describes the Volume envelope of the sound. We observe that the initial part of

the plucked sound is very bright, but then the brightness fades away. This describes the Tonal envelope

contour. We also hear the frequency of the sound go slightly higher when the string is plucked, and then

drop slightly as the note fades. This is the pitch envelope contour. A synthesizer can create these kinds

of changes by applying electrically generated envelopes to oscillators (affecting pitch),  lters (affecting

tone) and ampli ers (affecting volume).

varying signal that can be applied to any voltage-controlled circuit. The Envelope Generators in the

to as ADSR. The Attack, Decay and Release segments are speci ed as time parameters, while the

Sustain segment is a simply a level setting. Attack speci es the onset time of the envelope. For example,

the sound of a plucked string starts suddenly, meaning its volume envelope has a fast attack time. Decay

speci es how quickly the onset of the envelope fades into the sustained portion. Sustain is the level at

which the envelope sustains after the initial transient (the attack and decay portion). Finally, Release de-

termines how long the envelope takes to fade away. An Envelope Generator uses a trigger to start and

stop the ADSR envelope. This trigger is called a gate signal, and it’s produced whenever a key is pressed

on the keyboard. The gate signal turns on and stays on as long as a key is held down. When the key

envelope signal moves through the Attack and Decay segments and settles at the Sustain level as long as

the gate signal is on. When the gate goes off, the release segment of the envelope begins. A new gate

signal retriggers the Envelope Generator.

.

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LP User’s Manual - Glossary

digital memory used to store information, even after the power is turned off. In the Little Phatty, the

A  lter has a cutoff frequency that determines the point at which frequencies begin to be removed. A

frequency are removed and frequencies above the cutoff are passed through. A bandpass  lter has two

cutoff frequencies that de ne a frequency band, outside of which the frequencies are removed.

two terms are not always interchangeable. Frequency is an objective measurement of a sound, while pitch

such as a bass; a high frequency sound corresponds to a high-pitched sound such as a piccolo. In music, a

change in pitch of one octave higher equals a doubling of the frequency.

oscillator to modulate the frequency of another. In FM, the modulating oscillator is called the ‘modulator’,

while the other oscillator is known as the ‘carrier’. The carrier oscillator is the one you hear. When

the modulator frequency is very low (about 6Hz), the effect is described as vibrato. As the modulator

frequency is raised into the audio range, new modulation frequency components are created, and the effect

a Glide Rate control determines the speed of the glide between notes.

a sound its particular character. This corresponds to the musical term timbre or tone color. A harmonic

sound, such as a vibrating string, is one in which the harmonics are mathematically related by what is called

the harmonic series. These sounds are typically pleasing to the ear and generally the consecutive vibrations

which the harmonics are not mathematically related. Their waveforms look chaotic. White noise is an

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source of modulation. For instance, an LFO with a triangle waveform, set to about 6 Hz and modulating

the pitch of a VCO results in vibrato. Changing the LFO waveform to a square wave will result in a trill.

An LFO modulating a VCA with a triangle wave creates tremolo.

and an amount. This could be as simple as the  lter cutoff of a VCF (a modulation destination) being

changed by the front panel cutoff control (the source), or as complex as mixing multiple CVs together to

or less). Noise can be used as either an audio or modulation source. When used as an audio source, noise

can be used by itself to synthesize explosions or wind noises, or can be mixed with other waveforms to

create noise artifacts, such as breath sounds. When used as a modulation source, noise can introduce

equivalent of a vibrating reed, or string. When ampli ed, an oscillator produces a pitched sound whose

frequency is determined by one or more control voltages. Changes to these voltages correspond to

changes in pitch. An oscillator’s vibration can have different shapes or waveforms, such as a triangle,

sawtooth, or square wave. The Little Phatty has two oscillators for generating sounds.

attenuation to the  lter response, so while a single pole  lter has a 6dB/Octave response, a 4-pole  lter (like

the one in the Little Phatty) has a 24dB/Octave response.

Sample and Hold (S&H) – A circuit that generates a random control voltage at regular intervals. Traditional

sample and hold circuits employ white noise as a signal source, taking periodic samples of this signal

and holding that sample (a voltage level) until the next sample is taken. Since the signal source is noise

controlled by a low frequency oscillator (LFO). By adjusting the speed of the LFO, the speed of the S&H

circuit can be varied. In the Little Phatty, digital circuitry is used to simulate an equivalent S&H circuit, and

the LFO Rate control sets the speed. The S&H output is available as a programmable modulation source.

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LP User’s Manual - Glossary

Sound – Audible vibrations of air pressure. For electronic sounds such as those produced by a synthesizer,

as sound.

Subtractive synthesis – A method of creating tones using harmonically rich (bright) source material, and then

Synthesis – The generation of sound by electronic means, where programmer/performer has the ability to

change the pitch, volume, timbre and articulation.

Timbre – Pronounced ‘tamber’, it refers to the quality of a sound by its overtones. An unprocessed sawtooth

wave has a bright timbre, while a triangle wave has a mellow timbre.

Tremolo – Technically a form of low frequency amplitude modulation, tremolo is a smooth audible pulsing of

volume. In synthesizers, tremolo is produced when a 5-6Hz LFO triangle or sine wave signal is applied to a

voltage controlled ampli er.

Waveform – The shape of an oscillator’s vibration. This determines its timbre. Commonly used waveforms

timbres. A sawtooth has the greatest number of harmonics, and sounds bright and buzzy. A square wave

sounds muted and  utelike.VCA – Short for Voltage Controlled Ampli er, a VCA is an ampli er circuit

where the gain is a function of the control voltage. In the Little Phatty, the VCA is paired with the Volume

ADSR envelope generator to specify the articulation of a sound. Another CV source for the VCA in the

VCF – Short for Voltage Controlled Filter, a VCF is a  lter circuit where the  lter cutoff frequency is a function of

the control voltage. A VCF is used to control the timbre of a sound. In the Little Phatty, the VCF is paired

with the Filter ADSR envelope generator for dynamic control. Other CV sources for the VCF include the

VCO – Short for Voltage Controlled Oscillator, a VCO is an oscillator circuit where the oscillator frequency is

a function of the control voltage. In the Little Phatty, the VCO is primarily controlled from the keyboard.

Vibrato – Technically a very low frequency modulation, vibrato is a smooth, mild pitch warble. In synthesizers,

vibrato is produced when a 5-6Hz LFO triangle or sine wave signal is applied to a voltage controlled

oscillator, causing the pitch to deviate slightly above and below the base frequency.

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