Moog Taurus 3 User Manual
Table of Contents
FOREWORD by Cyril Lance ........................................ 4
THE BASICS
How to Use this Manual .......................................... 5
Setup and Connections ........................................... 6
Overview and Features ........................................... 7
Signal Flow ....................................................................... 9
Basic Operation ............................................................ 10
THE COMPONENTS
A. Oscillator/LFO Panel............................................. 11
B. Filter/Arpeggiator Panel ..................................... 15
C. CONTROL Footwheel ..................................... 18
D. Footswitches .......................................................... 19
E. Pedalboard ................................................................. 23
F. VOLUME Footwheel ........................................... 24
G. Input/Output Panel .............................................. 25
H. Interface Panel ........................................................ 26
Selecting Presets ........................................................ 27
THE USER INTERFACE
Preset Mode ............................................................................ 28
Master Mode ........................................................................... 30
A. Master Mode Menu Structure .................... 31
B. Master Mode Menus ....................................... 32
C. Advanced Presets Menus ............................... 35
D. MIDI Setup Menus ............................................ 38
E. System Exclusive (SysEx) Menus ............... 42
F. System Utilities Menus .................................... 44
How the Taurus 3 handles MIDI .................................... 50
APPENDICES
A – Arpeggiator Examples .............................................. 53
B – MIDI Implementation Chart ................................. 54
C – Service & Support Information ............................ 55
D – Caring for the Taurus 3 ............................................ 55
E – Specications ................................................................... 56
F – MIDI Program Change Commands ..................... 57
GLOSSARY .......................................................................................... 58
Page 3
Foreword
Every instrument has a story…
The Taurus 3 story starts for me at the 2006 NAMM show just months after Bob Moog’s passing, when we were secretly showing Little
Phatty prototypes to a select few. This was my rst NAMM show and I was a newcomer to the world of electronic musical instruments.
The rst day, I stood leaning against the wall across from our booth, watching a blank poster with a picture of Bob quickly ll up with
adoring messages and tributes to someone who had touched so many lives. It was an incredibly moving experience and quite a surreal
way to take in the responsibility that had been passed on to us. Many, after writing a goodbye note to Bob on the poster, told me about
“the time I met Bob” or how Bob’s instruments had changed their lives.
Invariably, the question followed, “When are you guys going to make another Taurus?”
At the time I didn’t have an answer but this became a much-debated question among folks at Moog Music as the requests continued.
Should we release the Taurus again? What exactly would it be? Would people really want to buy it? And most importantly: What
made the Taurus 1 such a coveted instrument?
Over the last few years we have repeatedly asked these questions until Mike Adams proposed last year that we put this to our
customers. It was a simple proposal and one that I think truly reects on the vital relationship between you, our customers, and us here
at Moog Music. The proposal was that if enough of you committed in advance to purchase a new Moog Taurus, we would begin the
task of designing such an instrument.
Personally, I was skeptical about how many people really wanted a Taurus but I’m used to being wrong about these things! The response
was overwhelming and the excitement the announcement generated was incredible. Thus, the genesis of the Taurus 3 began...
Last week, I sat in the control room of the beautiful Echo Mountain Recording Studio in Asheville with my partners Steve Dunnington
and Amos Gaynes and Taurus acionado Michael Caloroso. We listened critically to Michael’s Taurus 1 and our Taurus 3, making sure the
T3 shared every detail and nuance of the original.
The results are stunning. The Taurus 3 not only captures the original sounds of the Taurus 1 in full, but instantly expands upon its
capabilities and offers many new dimensions to its sonic palette including LFOs, external CVs, and transposable arpeggiators. We are
extremely proud and excited for you to begin making music with this instrument!
As we prepare to ship the rst Taurus 3 pedals, this is really only the very beginning of the stor y. We are waiting for you to continue it…
Thank you to all the early adopters who made the commitment to us at Moog to go forward with this project. Your faith in us allowed
us to create this instrument, and your enthusiasm, comments, suggestions and discussions were all essential to its successful development.
We consider ourselves to be the luckiest company in the world to be blessed with you all.
Thank you to our industrial design partners Axel Hartmann and Klaus Weber, who kindly discarded my hand-drawn sketches and crafted
the beautiful and functional design that we have built. The hard work and hear t they put into the Taurus 3 design are deeply appreciated
and immediately recognizable.
Thank you to our terric engineering team, Steve Dunnington, Amos Gaynes, Rick Shaich, Eric Church and David Rankin, a suppor tive
and inspired group of colleagues whose contributions are immeasurable. Thanks to all of you for getting us through the struggles of
birthing this instrument.
Thanks to Greg Kist for his dedication and attention to detail in creating this ne manual you are about to read.
Thanks to Michael Caloroso who drove to Asheville from upstate New York in winter weather to listen with a critical ear to our
prototypes and conrm that we “got it right”.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to our fearless leader Mike Adams who continually rides the helm of our little factory here in Asheville with
integrity, heart, and dedication to Bob Moog’s values and legacy.
Our job is to provide you with tools that you fall in love with, tools that have an inexhaustible vocabulary and work to expand our sonic
universe.
The Taurus 3 ts the bill. We hope you enjoy it immensely and look forward to hearing from you.
Cyril Lance
Chief Technical Alchemist
Page 4 Page 5
T3 User’s Manual - The Basics
How to Use this Manual
The Setup and Connections section below explains how to unpack, setup and connect the Taurus 3, and pro-
vides a quick start to get you up and running with your new instrument. Please read this section rst!
The Components section offers detailed explanations of the components that create and modify sound.
For those interested in MIDI interface specics, see the section titled How the Taurus 3 handles MIDI (page
50), as well as the MIDI Implementation Chart, which appears in Appendix B.
Throughout the manual you will see icons that point out additional information:
This icon indicates an important note concerning the operation of the Taurus 3.
This icon indicates a useful performance or programming tip.
This icon indicates technical information for the advanced user or the technically curious.
Setup and Connections
The following should get you set up and running quickly. When exploring the Taurus 3 for the rst time, you
may want to place the instrument on a table or other study surface so that you can easily reach and activate
the front panel controls in order to become familiar with the basic operation.
NOTE: We encourage you to read the entire manual at some point to learn more about the
instrument and gain a better understanding of what you can do with the Taurus 3.
Check the contents in the shipping carton
The Taurus 3 is shipped with the following items:
1. Taurus 3 Bass Synthesizer
2. Power cord
3. Taurus 3 User’s Manual
4. Warranty registration card
What you will need
In addition to the Taurus 3 and provided accessories, you will need:
1. A stand or table sufcient to support the Taurus 3 (45 lbs).
2. A ” instrument cable
3. An amplier or mixer (the Taurus 3 does not provide a headphone output)
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T3 User’s Manual - The Basics
Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Basics
Set up
Make sure you have an adequate place to set up your Taurus 3. You may want to place the instrument on a
table or other study surface so that you can easily familiarize yourself with its operation. Keep in mind that
the Taurus 3 is a substantial instrument, and the surface you place it on should be capable of supporting 45
lb. Use caution when lifting the Taurus 3 out of the carton and be sure to use proper lifting techniques. Save
the carton and all packing material in case you need to ship the instrument for any reason.
NOTE: When moving or transporting the Taurus 3, do not lift the instrument by the pedals
or by the footguard.
Connect to Power
Connect the power receptacle (on the side panel) to a wall outlet using the supplied AC power cord. The
universal power supply will operate with a power source from 90 to 250 Volts AC, 50/60Hz.
Power up
Turn the power on. You will see the LCD light up and briey display a start-up message:
Taurus 3
Version X.X
After a few seconds the start-up screen will disappear and the current Preset will appear in the display. The
PRESET button will be illuminated in AMBER. The current preset location and Preset name will be displayed
on the top line of the LCD screen. The lower line of the LCD will display the Active Parameter along with the
parameter value. The Active Parameter value can be modied at any time using the CONTROL Footwheel.
Connect to Amplier
Set the VOLUME Footwheel to minimum before connecting to an amplier or mixer. Adjust the amplier level
for a comfortable listening level, and then slowly bring up the volume level on the Taurus 3.
Start Playing
Use the VALUE knob to scroll through the Presets. All 52 preset locations (A1 – M4) are loaded with sounds
from the factory, and all but A1 – A4 are user-programmable (presets A1 – A4 are xed in memory, but these
can be edited and saved to other locations). Once a Preset is dialed up, you can tweak the parameters to your
liking using the front panel controls. Any edits made to the current Preset will cause the PRESET button to
change its illumination from AMBER to RED, indicating that it has been modied. To return to the original sound,
press PRESET. The PRESET button allows you to toggle between the stored Preset and the edited Preset
until you switch to a new Preset. Note that edits made to a Preset will be lost if they are not saved prior to
switching to a new Preset. For information on saving an edited Preset, refer to ‘Storing Presets’ on page 29.
Warranty registration
Use the supplied Warranty card or Moog’s on-line warranty registration system to activate your warranty.
For on-line access, go to the Moog web site (www.moogmusic.com) and click on the “Product Register” tab.
For either registration method, if you complete all the requested information, Moog Music will send you a
complimentary gift.
NOTE: The Taurus 3 is recommended for an operating temperature between about 50 and 100 degrees
Fahrenheit. It is safe to operate the synthesizer outside of this range (between 0 and 125 degrees F),
but the T3’s voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs) may not remain in tune. A warm up period of about 5
minutes is recommended to achieve maximum oscillator stability. The warm up period may be longer if the
T3 has been stored outside the recommended operating temperature range.
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T3 User’s Manual - The Basics
Overview and Features
The Taurus 3 (‘T3’) is a monophonic analog bass synthesizer that is an updated version of the classic Taurus
1 synthesizer. The T3 features 2 ultra-stable oscillators, a genuine Moog 24dB/Octave low pass lter, two
envelope generators and a Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO). The T3 front panel offers edit controls for real-time
adjustment of the Modulation, Oscillator, Filter, Envelope Generator and Arpeggiator parameters, plus dedicated
controls for Octave Switching, Glide, Transposition and Volume. The User Interface section on the far left side
has controls for the selection and management of Presets, the adjustment of global parameters, and access to
System Exclusive MIDI functions and utilities. The T3 features 52 factory Presets; four are xed in memory and
48 are user-programmable.
Here’s a brief description of the front panel.
Front Panel:
1. The Volume Footwheel - Adjusts the output volume of the T3.
2. The LCD display and User Interface - Provides controls to access, edit and store Presets, perform
global operations, and access System Exclusive MIDI functions.
3. The ‘Select Level’ button - Toggles between Upper and Lower panel functions for editing Presets.
‘Upper’ selects the Oscillator & Filter functions (indicated by RED LEDs), while ‘Lower’ selects the LFO &
Arpeggiator functions (indicted by AMBER LEDs).
4. The Oscillator/LFO section - The Oscillator section provides controls to adjust the frequency of
Oscillator B (coarse and ne tuning), select the Octave of both oscillators, adjust the Oscillator Mix and
Glide rate, and set the Volume Envelope Generator parameters. The LFO section provides controls to
select the LFO Wave, Rate, Amount (Oscillators and Filter), and LFO sync.
5. The Filter/Arpeggiator section - The Filter section provides controls for adjusting Cutoff Frequency
and Resonance, Envelope Amount, and Filter Envelope parameters. The Arpeggiator section provides
controls to select the Order, Pattern, and Octave of the arpeggiator, as well as select the Arp ON/OFF
and Latch ON/OFF conditions.
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T3 User’s Manual - The Basics
Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Basics
Front Panel (con’t):
6. The Control Footwheel - A performance control for the real-time adjustment of parameter values. The
accompanying LED bargraph indictor displays the approximate parameter value.
7. Four ‘Quick Access’ footswitches to select four Presets in a given bank.
8. Footswitches for Bank selection, for Transpose, Glide, and Decay ON/OFF, and for Octave UP/DOWN.
Side Panel:
The side panel provides connections for Power, MIDI, Control Voltage Input and Audio Output:
1. Power Socket/Switch – Power input to the T3.
2. Audio Output jacks – Two monophonic audio output connections (Hi Z/Lo Z).
3. Control Voltage jacks – Control Voltage inputs for Pitch, Filter, and Volume, and a Gate input to trigger
the Filter and Volume envelope generators. CV inputs allow the T3 to be controlled from expression
pedals (like the Moog EP-2), or CV devices like the Moogerfooger® CP-251 Control Processor or
MP-201 Multi-Pedal. The Gate input can be triggered with a gate signal.
4. MIDI – Provides MIDI Input/Output connections to other MIDI devices through either standard
MIDI DIN or USB connections (software selectable).
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T3 User’s Manual - The Basics
Signal Flow
The diagram below shows the ow of the audio, modulation and control voltage signals in the Taurus 3.
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 the modulation routings.
As shown in the block diagram above, the source signals for the T3 are created by two voltage-controlled
oscillators (labeled ‘A’ and ‘B’). The output levels of the oscillators are adjusted relative to one another with
an A/B Mixer before being passed to a Lowpass Filter. The Lowpass Filter sculpts the tone of the signal
according to the settings of the Cutoff and Resonance lter parameters, and the Filter AD envelope. The
signal then passes to the amplier stage, where the Volume ASD envelope shapes it. Finally, the signal is
routed to the AudioOutput section, where the overall level is set by the Master Volume menu parameter
and dynamically adjusted with the Volume Footwheel controller
The Pedalboard is the main control source of the Taurus 3. Each time a pedal is pressed, the pedalboard
produces Pitch CV and Gate signals. The Pitch CV determines the pitch of the oscillators; it is also
applied to the Filter to control the Filter Cutoff parameter. The Gate signal simultaneously triggers the Filter
and Volume Envelope Generators. The T3 can also be controlled through a MIDI connection (not shown),
or through external CV and Gate connections. The resulting sound depends on the combined parameter
settings of the oscillators, lter, envelope generators and LFO, plus any external CV signals that may be ap-
plied.
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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Basics
Basic Operation
The T3 has two operating modes: Master and Preset.
• Master mode allows you to access and change global parameters and other utility options.
A complete list of the Master mode functions and parameters is shown on page 30.
• Preset mode allows you to access the presets and manipulate the sound from the front panel
controls. Preset mode is the main operating mode for editing and playing the T3. Information
on Preset mode is found on page 28.
When the T3 is powered on, it starts up in Preset mode. In this
mode, Presets are selected using the VALUE encoder, the PRESET
access footswitches, or the BANK footswitch in combination with
the footpedals (see Selecting Presets, page 26). In Preset mode,
you’ll see the current Preset displayed on the top line of the LCD
display, and the Active Parameter displayed on the lower line.
The PRESET button is illuminated in AMBER. When you modify
a Preset, the PRESET button changes from AMBER to RED, and
an asterisk (‘*’) appears beside the Preset name, indicating that
you have edited the sound. You can toggle between the stored
(unmodied) Preset and the edited Preset simply by pressing the
PRESET button (this acts a Compare function). Note that any
edits made to a Preset must be saved prior to selecting a new
Preset, or those edits will be lost (for more, see Storing Presets,
page 29).
Editing Presets
In Preset Mode, Presets can be edited either by using either the CONTROL footwheel or the VALUE
encoder. Either of these controls will modify the Active Parameter. The Active Parameter is always displayed
on the bottom line of the LCD display; it is also indicated by a corresponding panel switch that is illuminated
when that parameter is active. The following front panel parameters can act as Active Parameters:
Oscillators:
B FREQ (Osc. B Coarse)
BEAT (Osc. B Fine)
GLIDE (Glide Rate)
OCTAVE
MIX
Filter:
CUTOFF
RESONANCE
ATTACK
DECAY
FILTER EG AMOUNT
Volume Envelope:
ATTACK
DECAY
SUSTAIN
LFO:
RATE
PITCH AMT
FILTER AMT
LFO SYNC
MODWHEEL
Arpeggiator:
ON/OFF
LATCH
ORDER
PATTERN
OCTAVE
RATE
Moving the CONTROL footwheel changes the value of the Active Parameter. The change in value is up-
dated on the LCD display as well as the LED bargraph.
To edit with the VALUE encoder, press the CURSOR button to move the cursor to the bottom line of the
display, then rotate the VALUE knob in the desired direction. The displayed value will change by +/-1 per
click. When editing 12-bit parameter values (0 - 4095), you can advance the value +/-10 by pressing the
VALUE pushswitch while turning the knob.
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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
The Components
Let’s take a closer look at the features and functions of the components that make up the Taurus 3, start-
ing with the Oscillator/LFO section. Then we’ll cover the Filter/Arpeggiator section, Control Footwheel,
the Footswitch section, the Pedalboard, the Volume Footwheel, the Input/Output Side Panel, and the User
Interface section.
A. The Oscillator/LFO Panel
The dual-function Oscillator/LFO control panel provides controls to adjust Oscillator and LFO parameters.
The function of the controls in this panel depend on the status of the SELECT LEVEL button, which is
used to toggle between Upper and Lower panel functions. When ‘Upper’ is selected, the SELECT LEVEL
button is illuminated RED and the control panel buttons allow you to select any one of the eight Oscillator
parameters. When ‘Lower’ is selected, the SELECT LEVEL button is illuminated AMBER, and the control
panel buttons allow you to select the eight LFO parameters. Once a parameter has been is selected, the
parameter value can be modied using either the VALUE encoder knob or the CONTROL footwheel.
A.1. Oscillator
Two oscillators, designated ‘A’ & ‘B’, serve as the sound source of the T3. These are analog Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs) that can produce a total musical range of 5 octaves.
Oscillator A serves as a master oscillator to which
Oscillator B is tuned. The waveform of both oscillators is a xed sawtooth wave.
The frequencies of the oscillators are mainly
controlled by the pedalboard control voltage (CV),
which creates a scaled pitch voltage that allows the
oscillators to be played in an equal tempered scale.
Other control voltages that can affect the oscillator frequencies include the Glide function, Octave
switch, Oscillator B Frequency Offset controls
(B.FREQ & BEAT), Pitch CV Input (on the side
panel), Fine Tune control, and the LFO.
Oscillator Panel Controls:
B. FREQ:
Selects the coarse frequency offset for Oscillator B. The adjustment range is approximately 2 octaves
(from about -1 octave to +1 octave).
BEAT:
Selects the ne frequency offset for Oscillator B. The adjustment range is approximately +/- 50 cents.
Page 11
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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
GLIDE:
Selects the Glide parameter, which sets glide rate between notes. The glide rate can vary from virtually instantaneous to a very long glide (approximately 5 seconds per octave) when set to the maximum
value. The GLIDE footswitch, located below the control panel, turns the Glide effect ON/OFF.
OCTAVE (LO, MED, HI):
Selects the Octave parameter, which adjusts the octave setting of both oscillators. The three available
octave settings are LO, MED and HI, which correspond to octave settings of 32’, 16’ and 8’.
MIX:
Selects the Mix parameter, which allows the outputs of Oscillator A and B to be mixed in varying
amounts. A Mix value of ‘0’ is the equivalent to 100% Oscillator A and 0% Oscillator B. A Mix setting of
‘4095’ is just the opposite. A setting of ‘2047’ is essentially a 50/50 mix of both oscillators.
ATTACK, SUSTAIN, DECAY:
The last three switches in the Oscillator panel select the Attack, Sustain and Decay parameters for the
Volume Envelope Generator. The Attack time parameter is adjustable from 5 to 560 msec. The Decay
time parameter is adjustable from 50 msec to 2.8 seconds. The Sustain level parameter is adjustable
from 0 to 100%. The DECAY footswitch (located below the control panel) applies the Decay segment
to the release of a note when it is switched ON. When the DECAY footswitch is OFF, the release time
is instantaneous.
DECAY Footswitch = ON
DECAY Footswitch = OFF
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
NOMINALLY one octave. The jack accepts 0 to +5 volts, or an expression pedal like the Moog EP-2.
The GATE jack on the side panel is a trigger input that accepts a Gate trigger signal (+5V). A Gate trig-
ger applied to this input will cause both envelope generators (Volume and Filter) to trigger.
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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
A.2. LFO
Modulation effects in the Taurus 3 are provided
by a wide-range LFO that allows you to select from four waveforms, adjust modulation
amounts to two destinations (Pitch and Filter),
and set the LFO sync option.
LFO Panel Controls:
SQUARE, TRIANGLE, RAMP, SAW:
Selects the LFO waveform. These four switches act like Radio Buttons; pressing one switch deselects
any others. One of these four switches will always be illuminated whenever the LFO panel is selected.
RATE:
Selects the LFO Rate parameter. The frequency range is 0.01 to 100 Hz. In addition to adjusting the
rate with the VALUE encoder or CONTROL footwheel, the LFO rate can be modied by the Tap
Tempo function (see page 22).
LFO AMOUNT FILTER/LFO AMOUNT PITCH
Selects the LFO Amount parameter for the Filter and Pitch (Oscillators), from zero to full scale (100%).
MODWHEEL (PITCH + FILTER)
Selects the MODWHEEL parameter, which allows the CONTROL footwheel to act like a Modulation
Wheel. This parameter is accessed by pressing both LFO AMOUNT switches simultaneously. When
this ‘hot key’ combination is activated, both LFO AMOUNT panel switches will be illuminated and
‘MODWHEEL: XXXX’ will appear on the bottom line of the display:
When MODWHEEL is selected, the CONTROL footwheel functions like the Mod Wheel found on a
Voyager or Little Phatty – it is used to dynamically control the amount of modulation that is programmed
for the Pitch and Filter LFO modulation parameters. MODWHEEL will remain as the active parameter until
a new parameter or a new preset is selected. As an active parameter, MODWHEEL and its associated value
can be stored for later recall, allowing you to program a constant modulation amount for a given preset.
NOTE: When MODWHEEL is selected, the CONTROL footwheel will transmit the
MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) values for Modulation.
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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
LFO Panel Controls (con’t):
LFO SYNC (OFF, KB, MIDI)
Selects the sync options for the LFO. A setting of ‘OFF’ means that the LFO is free-running. A setting of
‘KB’ will cause the LFO to be restar ted from 0 degrees every time a pedal is depressed (this means 0V
for the Triangle and Ramp waveforms, and the top of the Square and Sawtooth waveforms). When LFO
SYNC is set to ‘MIDI’, the LFO RATE parameter becomes a MIDI clock divider offering 20 different time
value options as shown in the table below. The divisor is based on 24 clocks per quarter note (the MIDI
standard). Note that if no MIDI clock is present when LFO SYNC is set to ‘MIDI’, the LFO will run at
the rate stored in the Preset for the free-running condition, but divided by the clock divider setting.
CLOCKS/ NOTE TIME VALUE LFO CLOCK
DIVIDER
2 1/32 note triplet /32T 122 – 127
3 1/32 note /32 116 – 121
4 1/16 note triplet /16T 109 – 115
6 1/16 note /16 103 – 108
8 1/8 note triplet /8 T 097 – 102
9 Dotted 1/16 note /16D 090 – 096
12 1/8 note /8 084 – 089
16 Quarter note triplet /4 T 077 – 083
18 Dotted 1/8 note /8 D 071 – 076
24 Quarter note /4 065 – 070
32 Half note triplet /2 T 058 – 064
36 Dotted quar ter note /4 D 052 – 057
48 Half note /2 045 – 051
64 Whole note triplet WH T 039 – 044
72 Dotted half note /2 D 033 – 038
96 Whole note WH 026 – 032
144 Dotted Whole note WH D 020 – 025
192 2 Whole notes 2 WH 013 – 019
288 3 Whole notes 3 WH 007 – 012
384 4 Whole notes 4 WH 000 – 006
MIDI CC VALUES
Additional CV control:
The FILTER jack on the side-panel is a CV input for external control of the lter cutoff parameter. The
jack accepts 0 to +5 volts, or an expression pedal like the Moog EP-2. 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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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
B – The Filter/Arpeggiator Panel
The dual-function Filter/Arpeggiator control panel provides controls to adjust Filter and Arpeggiator param-
eters. As with the Oscillator/LFO panel, the function of the controls in this panel depend on the status of
the SELECT LEVEL button. When ‘Upper’ is selected, the control panel buttons panel allow you to select
any one of the ve Filter parameters. When ‘Lower’ is selected, the control panel buttons allow you to
select any one of the Arpeggiator parameters.
B.1. Filter
The Filter provides either dynamic or xed timbre tonal
modications. Dynamic changes are programmed by a
dedicated Envelope Generator, which provides independent Attack and Decay envelope contours to open and
close the lter. The Filter is the classic Moog 24dB/octave
low-pass lter design.
The Filter panel provides controls for the lter Cutoff
and Resonance parameters as well as controls for the
lter envelope Attack and Decay parameters, and the
envelope Amount.
Filter Panel Controls:
AMOUNT:
Selects the lter envelope Amount parameter. This adjusts the Amount of the envelope that is applied to
the lter cutoff, from 0 to 100%.
ATTACK, DECAY:
These buttons select the lter envelope Attack and Decay time parameters. The Attack time is adjustable
from 5 to 56 msec. The Decay time is adjustable from 50 msec to 2.8 sec.
CUTOFF:
Selects the lter Cutoff parameter. Filter Cutoff can be adjusted from 20 Hz to 20KHz.
RESONANCE:
Selects the Resonance parameter. Resonance is adjustable from 0 to self-oscillation.
TECH NOTE: Like the Taurus 1, the source of the Taurus 3 lter envelope generator is a pulse signal,
which is great for simulating the timbre of a plucked string. Adjusting the lter envelope attack time
slows the rise time of this pulse, but it also limits how far up the pulse rises. This means that for a given
lter envelope amount setting, as the attack time increases, the perceived envelope amount decreases.
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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
B.2. Arpeggiator
The Arpeggiator is a note pattern generator based
on the notes played on the pedalboard and stored
in the note stack (the note stack is a ‘memory
bank’ for the arpeggiator). For any note or series
of notes that are played, the arpeggiated pattern is
determined by the Order, Pattern and Octave settings, along with the Latch and other parameters in
the Advanced Preset menu.
The Arpeggiator control panel provides controls
to select the Order, Pattern, Octave, and Latch
parameter values, as well as Arp ON/OFF and
Arp Rate.
Arpeggiator Panel Controls:
ORDER:
Selects the arpeggiator Order parameter, which determines the order in which notes are sequenced. The
available selections are UP, DN (Down), and ORDER where:
UP - Notes are sequenced from the lowest note to the highest
DN - Notes are sequenced from the highest note to the lowest
ORDER - Notes are sequenced in the order that the note stack was lled
PATTERN:
Selects the arpeggiator Pattern parameter, which determines the sequence playback mode. The available
modes are LOOP, B/F (Back/Forth) & ONCE, where:
LOOP - When the sequence reaches the end, it loops back to the starting point
B/F - When the sequence reaches the end, it reverses direction and returns to the starting point
ONCE - The sequence makes a single pass and then stops
OCTAVE:
Selects the arpeggiator Octave parameter, which determines the overall note range of the sequence. The
available values are -2.1, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 2.1. With the exception of ‘-2.1’ and ‘2.1’, all values specify octaves.
When these values are selected, the sequence will play the original note entered, and then the same note
transposed by octaves until the octave limit is reached. For ‘-2.1’ and ‘2.1’ values, the sequence will transpose up or down two octaves and then back one octave towards the original pitch. For example, if the
arpeggiator was sequencing a single note (‘C1’), and ‘2.1’ was chosen as the Octave value, the sequence
would be ‘C1 - C2 - C3 - C2’.
For more on Arpeggiator operations, see Appendix A - Arpeggiator Examples.
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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
Arpeggiator Panel Controls (con’t):
ON/OFF:
Sets the arpeggiator ON/OFF condition. When ON, the Arpeggiator creates patterns of notes based on
the Order, Pattern, Octave and Latch parameter settings, plus any applicable Advanced Preset settings. If
the TRANSPOSE/PGM footswitch is programmed to control ‘ARP ON/OFF’, that footswitch can be used
to toggle the Arpeggiator function ON and OFF.
When the Arpeggiator is ON, an ‘A’ appears in the bottom line of the display:
LATCH:
Sets the arpeggiator Latch ON/OFF condition. When the arpeggiator is ON and the Latch is OFF, the
arpeggiator outputs notes only when notes are being played. If Note Latch is ON then the arpeggiator
can be started by pressing a note and then stopped by pressing that note again.
When the arpeggiator is ON and the Latch is ON, the arpeggiator runs when a pedal is pressed and continue after that pedal is released until the Latch is turned OFF. The notes the arpeggiator plays are based
on the note stack. If Note Latch is OFF, then the note stack only has one note in it. If Note Latch is ON,
then each new note played is added to the note stack.
When the Latch is ON, an ‘L’ replaces the ‘A’ on the bottom line of the display:
ARP RATE (ON/OFF + LATCH)
Selects the ARP RATE parameter, which allows you to adjust the arpeggiator rate using the CONTROL
footwheel. This parameter is accessed by pressing the ARP ON/OFF and LATCH switches simultaneously. When this ‘hot key’ combination is activated, both the ON/OFF and LATCH panel switches will
be illuminated simultaneously and ‘ARP RATE: XXXX’ will appear on the bottom line of the LCD display:
Arppegiator Rate will remain as the active parameter until a new parameter or a new preset is selected.
NOTE: “ARP RATE’ is part of the Advanced Presets menu parameters. When activated by
the ‘hot key’ combination, however, ARP RATE becomes an actve parameter that can be
dynamically controlled with the CONTROL footwheel and stored for later recall. This option
allows you to adjust the Arp Rate parameter in a live performance situation.
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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
C – The Control Footwheel
The CONTROL Footwheel is a performance control used to modify the value of the
Active Parameter. An illuminated slot in the wheel’s face helps to identify the position
of the wheel. A 15-element LED bargraph to the left of the footwheel displays the
approximate value of the Active Parameter.
When editing values that change continuously, the action of the CONTROL footwheel
depends on the setting of the Analogue Mode parameter (SNAP, PASS-THRU, or
TRACK). When the Analogue Mode parameter is set to SNAP, the active parameter
will snap instantaneously to the setting of the footwheel. In PASS-THRU mode, the
parameter value stays constant until the footwheel passes through the current value. In
TRACK mode, the parameter value moves in the same direction as the footwheel (up or
down) until the value and footwheel positions are identical.
When editing parameters that have discrete values (such as the ‘LO-MED-HI’ Octave
parameter), the CONTROL footwheel will SNAP instantaneously to the value regardless
of the setting of the Analogue Mode parameter.
NOTES: The CONTROL footwheel will transmit the MIDI CC message that corresponds to the active parameter. For a complete list of MIDI CC messages, see
‘How the TAURUS 3 handles MIDI’ on page 50
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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
D – Footswitches
The eight footswitches in the footswitch section provide controls for selecting individual Presets and Preset
Banks, and for turning selected functions ON/OFF. All of the footswitches have an LED above the switch
mechanism, which illuminates when the switch is in the ON state.
The four PRESET footswitches select individual Presets from within a given bank of Presets. A bank contains
four Presets and there are 13 Banks, which provide a total of 52 Presets as shown in the table below. Unlike
the other footswitches on the panel – which are independent of each other – the four PRESET footswitches
work similar to radio pushbuttons; when a new Preset is selected, it deselects the previous Preset. The rst bank
contains the original Taurus Presets (‘TAURUS III’ replaces the original “VAR’ preset in location A1), while the
other 12 banks feature brand new Presets from the factory.
The BANK footswitch allows you to select any one the 13 available banks (A–M). Although pressing the BANK
footswitch initiates the process, the actual bank selection is made using the 13 pedals on the pedalboard. When
the BANK footswitch is pressed, the Bank footswitch LED blinks and the function of the pedalboard temporarily
changes to a ‘bank selection’ function. Pressing one of the 13 footpedals will now select the new bank as shown:
PRESETS
FOOTPEDAL BANK
1 2 3 4
C1 A TAURUS III TAURUS BASS TUBA
C#1 B B1 B2 B3 B4
D C C1 C2 C3 C4
D#1 D D1 D2 D3 D4
E1 E E1 E2 E3 E4
F1 F F1 F2 F3 F4
F#1 G G1 G2 G3 G4
G1 H H1 H2 H3 H4
G#1 I I1 I2 I3 I4
A1 J J1 J2 J3 J4
A#1 K K1 K2 K3 K4
B1 L L1 L2 L3 L4
C2 M M1 M2 M3 M4
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Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
Taurus 3 User’s Manual - The Components
During the bank selection process, the LCD will display the currently selected bank and preset location:
NOTE: When selecting Banks using the footwheels, the LCD becomes a non-editable display.
You cannot select the Bank or Preset using the VALUE encoder in this mode.
To change the bank, simply press a footpedal. For example, pressing the C# footpedal will select bank B:
After making a bank selection, press the BANK footswitch again to load the new preset (in this example,
‘B2’) and the Bank LED will stop ashing. The LCD will now display the Preset at location B2:
As an alternate method, while the Bank LED is ashing, you can press any of the four Preset footswitches
to immediately switch to the chosen preset within the selected bank without having to press the BANK
footswitch a second time. For example, suppose you have just selected bank D (footpedal D#):
If you now press Preset footswitch #3, the Taurus will immediately switch to Preset D3. The Bank LED will
stop ashing and the LCD will display the new Preset:
NOTE: If you press the BANK footswitch by mistake, pressing it a second time will cancel
the Bank Selection function.
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