Motas Electronics Motas-6 User Manual
User Guide
document revision 1.0
for firmware version 06020100
October 8, 2017
Contents
1
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2
Proper use and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3
Document conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5
Top panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6
Rear panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
7
Quick-start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
8
Control Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
9
Parameter pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
9.1 Parameter page display overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
10
Modulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
10.1 MIDI / CV Modulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
10.2 Global low-frequency oscillators (LFOx) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
10.3 Dedicated low-frequency oscillator (LFO). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
10.4 Envelope Generator (EG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
User Guide
page i
11
Parameter pages - in depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
11.1 Master Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
11.2 Oscillator 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
11.3 Oscillator 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
11.4 Oscillator 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
11.5 Mixer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
11.6 Low-pass filter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
11.7 High-pass filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
11.8 Low-pass filter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
11.9 Output stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
12
Patch summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
13
Load, save and copy patch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
13.1 Load patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
13.2 Save and erase patches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
13.3 Copy/Reset/Randomise patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
14
Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
14.1 Volume level monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
14.2 MIDI in monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
14.3 Oscilloscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
14.4 Spectrum analyser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
15
Arpeggiator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
15.1 Main arpeggiator settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
15.2 More arpeggiator settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
15.3 Internal arpeggiator settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
16
Pattern sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
16.1 Control overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
16.2 Pattern edit mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
16.3 Load/save/copy patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
User Guide
CONTENTS page ii
16.4 Sequence edit mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
16.5 Load/save sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
17
Vector morphing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
18
Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
18.1 Patch settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
18.2 Tempo settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
18.3 MIDI channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
18.4 Modulators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
18.5 Morph modulators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
18.6 CV/Gate inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
18.7 Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
18.8 SysEx data backup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
18.9 NRPN control + SysEx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
18.10 System settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
18.11 Custom settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
18.12 Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
18.13 Calibration values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
18.14 System status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
18.15 Version info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
19
Real-time patch change recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
I
Signal path diagram (simplified) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
II
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
III
MIDI Implementation Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
IV
Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
V
EU Declaration of Conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
User Guide
CONTENTS page iii
1
Foreword
Thank you for taking the time to read this user guide.
The synthesizer is the result of many years of development to create a great-sounding instru-
ment with very comprehensive modulation capabilities and an easy to use and responsive interface.
To get the most out of this powerful synthesizer we recommend studying this guide carefully whilst practising
and listening at the same time. You cannot beat hands-on experience!
We hope you will find using an enjoyable experience and discover some great new sounds.
For the latest news and updates please visit our website motas-synth.uk.
For technical support, general enquiries or user feedback (gratefully received) please email
support@motas-synth.uk
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that this guide is as accurate as possible Motas Electronics
Limited will not be liable for any erroneous information. This manual may be updated at any time without
prior notice. Please check the website for updates.
This guide or any portion of it may not be reproduced in any form without the manufacturer’s express
consent.
User Guide
page 1
2
!
!
!
!
Proper use and maintenance
Please read the following instructions
carefully and keep them with the appara-
tus. Do not operate the apparatus until you
have read and understood this section.
damaged (or potentially has been damaged) in
any way such as power connections damaged,
liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into
the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed
to rain or moisture, apparatus does not operate
normally or has been dropped.
Proper use
• Only use a correctly specified power supply oth-
erwise damage may occur to the apparatus and/
or other connected equipment.
• Place the apparatus on a stable surface.
• Never use the apparatus under damp conditions.
Do not expose the apparatus to rain. Use the
apparatus in enclosed rooms only.
• Unplug the apparatus during lightning storms or
when unused for long periods of time.
• Never operate the apparatus or power supply
with wet hands.
• Never place objects containing liquids on or near
the apparatus.
• Do not use the apparatus in extremely dusty or
dirty environments.
• The rear left of the chassis gets warm in normal
use – make sure that adequate ventilation is avail-
able. Do not place the apparatus near heat
sources such as radiators.
• Make sure no foreign objects find their way into
the chassis. If for some reason this should oc-
cur, switch the power off, unplug the device and
consult qualified service personnel.
• This apparatus, used on its own or with amplifiers,
speakers or headphones, can generate volume
levels that may do irreparable damage to your
hearing.
Do not allow the apparatus to get
damp or wet, if this happens turn off the unit
immediately and seek advice of qualified
service personnel.
Do not open the apparatus, there
are no user-serviceable parts inside.
Only use a correctly specified power
supply otherwise damage may occur to the
apparatus and/or other connected equip-
ment. The power supply must be regulated
12 VDC (± 10 %, centre positive) and have
a current rating of at least 800 mA.
This apparatus is designed exclusively to produce
low- frequency audio signals for the purpose of gen-
erating sound. Any other use is prohibited. Motas
Electronics Limited is not liable for damages due to
incorrect use.
• Do not expose the apparatus to direct sunlight
as this could damage the display and fade the
finish.
• Do not expose the apparatus to extreme vibra-
tions.
• Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
Servicing is required when the apparatus has been
User Guide
Maintenance
• Do not open the apparatus or remove the cover.
Refer all service and repair tasks to qualified per-
sonnel. The interior of the chassis contains no
components that require user maintenance.
• The top and rear panels have been treated with
a special coating to reduce the appearance of
page 2
finger marks. Use only a dry, soft cloth (e.g. a
i
micro-fibre cloth) or brush to clean the device.
Never use alcohol, cleaning solutions or similar
chemicals as they will probably damage the sur-
face finish of the chassis and/or the markings.
The symbol below indicates that this
product must not be disposed of with your
other household waste. Instead, it is your re-
sponsibility to dispose of your waste equip-
ment by handing it over to a designated
collection point for the recycling of waste
electrical and electronic equipment. The
separate collection and recycling of your
waste equipment at the time of disposal
will help conserve natural resources and en-
sure that it is recycled in a manner that pro-
tects human health and the environment.
For more information about where you can
drop off your waste for recycling, please
contact your Local Authority, or where you
purchased your product.
User Guide
CHAPTER 2. PROPER USE AND MAINTENANCE page 3
3
i
!
Document conventions
You will find many screenshots taken from
throughout this guide. An example
is show below:
The following document formatting conventions are
used:
• Link (blue text) is a weblink or a link to another
part of this document.
•1(number) refers to an item on the top panel
of the unit.
Advanced information section high-
lighted with a ’gears’ icon. It is not nec-
essary to understand these sections to suc-
cessfully use .
Warning section highlighted with a
’warning’ icon. It is important to ensure that
you read and understand these sections.
•A(letter) refers to an item on the rear panel of
the unit.
• this or this shows text you may see on
the display.
• I shows a symbol you may see on the display.
TE XT
•
the top panel labelled with that text or symbol.
•
on the top panel labelled with that text or sym-
bol.
• rotary encoder refers to the rotary data-entry
wheel on the front panel.
bulb’ icon.
or refers to a push button on
TE XT
or refers to a rotary knob
Tip section highlighted with a ’light-
Information section highlighted with
an ’i’ icon.
User Guide
page 4
4
Introduction
is a super-flexible monophonic syn-
thesizer with classic analogue subtractive synthesis
and powerful digital control - giving huge modula-
tion possibilities.
• Fully analogue audio signal path
• Three analogue oscillators (VCOs) with freely mix-
able waveforms:
– triangle (oscillators 1, 2 and 3)
– sawtooth (oscillators 1, 2 and 3)
– variable width pulse (oscillators 1 and 3)
– square and sub-oscillator (oscillator 2)
• Oscillator hard-syncing
• Analogue phase modulation (oscillators 2 and 3)
• Analogue noise souce (white or pink)
• Internal audio feedback or external audio input
• 4 CV/gate inputs for analogue control
• Three independent analogue filters (VCFs) with
flexible routing:
– Low-pass resonant filter (6-pole with selectable
outputs and resonance character adjustment
– Second low-pass resonant filter (4-pole)
• Flexible arpeggiator
• Built-in pattern sequencer
• Non-volatile internal memory for saving 500 patches,
56 patterns, 16 sequences and user settings
• High-resolution OLED graphic display
• Compact high-quality tabletop case
Analogue oscillators
has three analogue voltage-controlled
oscillators (VCOs) with various hard-sync, pulse-width
and phase-modulation options. These are true ana-
logue oscillators and not DCOs! The oscillators, ana-
logue noise source (with white/pink output option)
and an internal feedback routing or external audio
input all feed into a mixer before the filters.
Analogue filters
has very powerful filtering capabili-
ties. There is a 6-pole voltage-controlled low-pass
filter (VCF) with adjustable resonance to self-oscillation
(with selectable 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6-pole outputs),
a 2-pole high-pass filter and a second 4-pole low-
pass filter with adjustable resonance to self-oscillation
(similar in design to the filter from a certain silver
box from the 1980s. . .)
– High-pass filter (2-pole)
• Multiple output distortion options
• Powerful modulation architecture:
– 4 global LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators)
– 4 global EGs (Envelope Generators)
– 33 parameter-local LFOs
– 33 parameter-local EGs
– Four freely configurable modulation
sources from MIDI and CV/gate inputs
• Quick-access buttons to 5 active patches
• Copy/reset/randomise feature
• Full MIDI control and USB MIDI interface
• Oscilloscope and spectrum analyser
User Guide
The filters can be chained in parallel or in series and
the outputs are separately mixable giving huge sound-
creation potential. The final audio output has a va-
riety of clipping distortion options.
Modulation
Each analogue-controlled parameter has it’s own
dedicated LFO, EG and global modulation source
settings in addition to modulation control from the
global LFOs and EGs. This allows very flexible and
powerful control of the analogue sound.
Up to four global modulation sources can be freely
defined from incoming MIDI controller data and/or
analogue signals on the CV/gate inputs.
page 5
The internal architecture uses high-
resolution digital signals for the modulation
allowing a total of 37 simultaneous LFOs and
EGs.
User interface
Dedicated analogue rotary potentiometers are
used to access the basic analogue parameter
pages and to allow fast ’tweaking’ in real-time. In
addition uses a rotary rotary encoder
in combination with tactile push buttons for
data entry and editing.
Display
has an OLED (organic light emitting
diode) display with a fast update rate and wide
viewing angle. The display intensity can be ad-
justed.
External connections
has traditional MIDI input and MIDI
output connectors in addition to USB MIDI. USB MIDI
allows faster data transfer to and from a PC and
is recognised as a standard MIDI de-
vice (no special drivers should be needed). There
are four analogue CV/gate inputs to allow play-
ing/modulation from e.g. analogue sequencers
and modular synthesizers.
The main audio output is monophonic and in ad-
dition there is a mono headphone output (on a
stereo connector).
Other features
has a flexible arpeggiator that can
sync to MIDI clock and a pattern sequencer. More
than 500 sound patches can be saved to its inter-
nal non-volatile memory. There is a useful oscillo-
scope and spectrum analyser feature that allow
the user to study the output signals on the display.
User Guide
CHAPTER 4. INTRODUCTION page 6
5
Top panel
1
sound editing ’parameter’ knobs with LEDs
[x 33]
2
quick-access patch-change buttons with
LEDs [x 5]
3
OLED display, main volume knob and mon-
itor button
4
modulation settings / sequence control but-
tons [x18]
5
rotary encoder and buttons [x 4] for data
entry/options
6
buttons to access other features [x 9]
User Guide
page 7
6
Rear panel
A
headphones out (2 channel mono)
[ Stereo 6.35mm phone socket ]
B
main audio out (mono)
[ Mono 6.35mm phone socket ]
C
external audio input
[ Mono 6.35mm phone socket ]
D
CV/gate inputs [ 3.5mm sockets x4]
E
MIDI out [ 5-pin DIN socket ]
F
MIDI in [ 5-pin DIN socket ]
G
USB MIDI socket for connection to PC
[ USB type-B ]
H
power supply in
[ 2.1mm. 12V DC, centre positive ]
J
power on/off push switch
[ button in = power on ]
User Guide
page 8
7
Quick-start
1. Firstly ensure that the power buttonJis off
and the main volume control3is set to min-
imum.
2. Plug a MIDI cable from your MIDI keyboard to
the MIDI IN connectorF. Turn on your MIDI
keyboard and set it up to send MIDI notes as
you play.
Alternatively connect to your
PC with a USB cable – it should appear as
a standard MIDI device (once powered on).
Use your sequencer or other software to send
note data.
Ensure the receive MIDI chan-
nel matches the send channel number – for
more info see 18.3.
3. Plug a mono audio patch cable from the main
audio outBto your external amplification
system. Set the gain level low initially, to avoid
any audio pops when is switched
on. Alternatively monitor on headphonesA.
LOA D
7. Press
then use the rotary encoder to scroll through
the available presets sounds (in bank 0). As
each preset is selected the settings are loaded
in and you should be able to hear audio as
you play. For more information on loading
sounds see chapter 13. Adjust the volume
level control3to a suitable listening level.
(button in the6group). and
4. Plug in the 12V DC power supply into connec-
tionH.
5. Turn on using the power button
J
. The display will show the start-up image
below.
6. Press
the right arrow button . The display will
change and show MIDI diagnosics monitor-
ing information for the incoming MIDI data if
everything is working correctly. If you don’t
see this check your connections and exter-
nal settings. For more information on the MIDI
monitoring see chapter 14.
MO NI TOR
(in the3group) and then
User Guide
page 9
8
Control Overview
To access the settings (also known as parameters)
that determine the sound you turn a rotary knob
1
corresponding to the setting that you want
to change. Each rotary knob
1
is associated
with it’s own ’parameter page’. Normally the dis-
play will then change to show the settings for the
parameter page associated with that knob.
Turning a rotary knob
1
normally has the side-
effect of also changing the offset value for that pa-
rameter page. Use the ’value lock’ feature to al-
low changing of the active parameter page with-
out changing the offset. Press the
VALU E LOC K
button to toggle ’value-lock’ on and off. When
’locked’ the LED will flash next to the
VALU E LOC K
button.
Conversely use the ’page-lock’ mode to allow rapid
hands-on changes of parameter basic offsets such
as sweeping filter cut-off, changing oscillator mix
levels etc. without changing the active parameter
page. Press the
PAGE L OCK
button to toggle
’page-lock’ on and off. When ’locked’ the LED will
flash next to the
PAGE L OCK
button.
access a particular parameter page turn the ap-
propriate rotary knob
1
. The active parameter
page is shown by the adjacent flashing LED.
Patch changing
has 5 patches (sound setups) in
memory ready for easy access. To change presets
press one of the preset
3
,
2
LED will be lit to show the active patch. See
4
,
or
2
buttons
5
. The corresponding preset
1
2
,
chapter 12 for more details.
Load/save/copy
To load or save patches, patterns or sequences
press
LOA D
or
SAVE
. To copy patch sounds
around or reset parameter page settings press
CO PY
. See chapter 13 for more details.
Monitor
To view signal level, the incoming MIDI signals and
output signals and access the oscilloscope and spec-
trum analyser features use the ’monitor’ feature
MO NI TOR
. See chapter 14 for more details.
For faster data entry when using the rotary encoder
, push the rotary encoder wheel down at the
same time as turning.
MIDI panic
In the case of any ’stuck’ notes e.g. if a MIDI key-
board is unplugged whilst a note is ’on’, simultane-
ously press the rotary encoder wheel down and
to turn all notes off.
Master volume
Turn the
VOL UME
to set the output volume
level.
Patch parameter editing
The sound generated by is controlled
by the settings on 33 parameter ’pages’ – each
parameter has its own ’page’ shown on the dis-
play. These are explained in detail in chapter 11. To
Arpeggiator
has a powerful arpeggiator feature
– press
AR PE G.
. See chapter 15 for more de-
tails.
Pattern sequence
has a pattern sequencer. Press
PATT ER N
SE QU ENC E
to access the patterns and
to access the sequencer. See chap-
ter 16 for more details.
Vector morphing
has a vector morphing feature to al-
low smooth transition from the sound parameters
of one patch to another using an external con-
troller. To access the vector morphing feature press
whilst a preset page is displayed. See chap-
ter 17 for more details.
User Guide
page 10
Setup
To access various global settings and parameters
(such as MIDI receive channel, calibration and mod-
ulation sources) press
SE TU P
. See chapter 18 for
more details.
Live sound changes
can send and receive MIDI NRPN mes-
sages to allow external recording and control of
patch settings. See chapter 19 for more details.
User Guide
CHAPTER 8. CONTROL OVERVIEW page 11
9
Parameter pages
The sound generated by is controlled
by the settings on 33 parameter ’pages’ – each
parameter has its own ’page’ shown on the dis-
play. These are listed below and explained in de-
tail in chapter 11. To access a particular parameter
page turn the appropriate rotary knob
1
. The
active parameter page is shown by the adjacent
flashing LED indicator.
Use the ’value lock’ feature to allow
changing of the active parameter page
without changing the sound parameters.
Press the
VALU E LOC K
button to toggle
’value-lock’ on and off. When ’locked’ the
LED will flash next to the
VALU E LOC K
but-
ton.
The listing below is a summary of each parameter
page starting from the top left of the front panel
moving from left-to-right and then down in rows.
Parameter page summary
• Master pitch page:
MA ST ER P ITC H
pitch control of all
3 oscillators
• Oscillator 1 pages:
overall volume level
PI TC H
pitch control and
hard sync. options
triangle waveform volume level
sawtooth waveform volume level
PW M
pulse-width control
pulse waveform volume level
• Oscillator 2 pages:
PH AS E MOD
PI TC H
SU B
• Oscillator 3 pages:
PH AS E MOD
PI TC H
PW M
• Mixer pages:
noise source volume level
and white/pink option
overall volume level from mixer
and boost option
feedback/external audio
input volume level
phase modulation control
overall volume level
pitch control and
hard sync. options
triangle waveform
volume level
sawtooth waveform
volume level
square waveform
volume level
sub-oscillator waveform
volume level
phase modulation control
overall volume level
pitch control
triangle waveform
volume level
sawtooth waveform
volume level
pulse-width control
pulse waveform
volume level
User Guide
page 12
• Low-pass filter 1 pages:
cut-off frequency and
input routing options
tions on each page, once you have mastered op-
eration of one of the parameter pages you will un-
derstand most of all the others as the basic opera-
tion is common to all pages.
resonance amount and
character option
output volume level and
routing options
• High-pass filter pages:
cut-off frequency and
input routing options
output volume level and
routing options
• Low-pass filter 2 pages:
cut-off frequency and
input routing options
resonance amount
output volume level and
routing options
• Output stage page:
output volume level and
clipping options
Use the ’page-lock’ mode to al-
low rapid hands-on changes of parame-
ter basic offsets such as sweeping filter cut-
off, changing oscillator mix levels etc. with-
out changing the active parameter page.
Press the
PAGE L OCK
button to toggle
’page-lock’ on and off. When ’locked’ the
LED will flash next to the
PAGE L OCK
but-
ton.
9.1 Parameter page display overview
Although controlling the sound in may
appear to be rather daunting at first given the num-
ber of parameter pages and the large number op-
So let’s start by explaining operation of one of the
parameter pages. Start by reseting the current patch
by pressing
CO PY
and selecting ’reset patch’.
Then turn the low-pass filter 1 cut-off control
to access that parameter page. You should now
see something similar on the display to that shown
in the figure below.
Page title
Each page has a ’destination’ i.e. what aspect of
the synthesizer it controls, and this is labelled at the
top left of the display. In this case it is
lpf-1 :cutoff - the cut-off frequency of
low-pass filter 1.
Basic offset
Each parameter page has a basic offset level that
can be adjusted using the rotary knobs1or rotary
encoder and up and down buttons5.
All of the modulation sources (see chapter 10) add
(or subtract) from this offset to generate the final
level. The rotary encoder, and adjust
the basic offset for the active page only when the
basic offset is the active editable item (shown as
flashing), otherwise they will control other parame-
ters. However, the rotary knobs1always control
the basic offset for their parameter page (except
when ’value-lock’ is enabled).
User Guide
CHAPTER 9. PARAMETER PAGES page 13
Use the rotary knobs1for smooth fine
i
i
control of the parameter page offset. Use
the and buttons to jump set
amounts in offset.
When the parameter page displays
modulations not active
the current value will follow the basic offset,
since all the modulations amounts are set
to zero.
Push the rotary encoder and turn
at the same time to change values in larger
steps for rapid sound adjustments.
Page options
Some parameter pages have additional options.
For pages with a single option and
cycle back and forth through the single option set-
tings. For pages with two options the but-
ton cycles through option 1 whilst the but-
ton cycles through option 2.
In the example shown the single option is for the
source of the audio input to the filter, in this case set
to the main mix. You can only change the page
option when the active editing item is the basic
offet (shown by flashing value at the bottom right-
hand of the display) otherwise con-
trol other parameters (more on this later!).
The current value bar tries to fol-
low the parameter page value in real-time.
However, if the modulation is very fast this
display will not be able to ’keep-up’ and so
you will only see a snapshot of the value at
that point in time.
Current preset
has 5 preset patches. The current
active patch is shown as a number in the bottom
left corner (patch 1 in this case). In addition a cor-
responding preset2LED will be lit. To change pre-
sets press one of the preset2buttons.
Current values
At the far right of the screen a horizontal bar shows
the current level of the destination signal in real
time. The current value is the sum of the basic off-
set for the page with all the modulation signals (see
chapter 10 for explanation of the modulation op-
tions).
If the controlling signal rises above the maximum
of the destination then an ’up’ arrow k is shown
instead of the bar, and if the controlling signal falls
below the minimum a ’down’ arrow l is shown
instead of the bar.
The horizontal arrow next to the solid vertical bar
shows the current position of the rotary knob
User Guide
CHAPTER 9. PARAMETER PAGES page 14
1
.
10
i
Modulation
Modulation means changing parameter values from
a modulation source. This could be a freely-changing
modulation with time, such as from a low-frequency
oscillator (LFO) that is not synchronised or modula-
tion that is synchronised to the start of a key press,
such as from an envelope generator (EG) triggered
by a note-on event.
Conventional analogue synthesizers typically have
a small number of LFOs (from 1 to 3 or so) and
EGs (usually 1 or 2) that are used for modulation.
In some cases the modulation sources have fixed
destinations (such as a dedicated EG for output
level) or can be set to only a limited number of des-
tinations (such as filter cut-off frequency or pitch).
Perhaps the most common ’modu-
lation’ used in synthesizing sounds (and of-
ten not really considered as modulation)
is simply applying an envelope modula-
tion to the output signal level. With this
’modulation’ the volume increases once a
key is pressed and decays away once the
key is released. Without this modulation
a constant sound volume would be heard
whether or not a key was pressed.
Each and every parameter page has dedicated
modulation control amounts from 9 sources:
is different – every parameter has its
own dedicated LFO and dedicated EG in addition
to dedicated modulation amount settings from 4
global LFOs, 4 global EGs and 4 external modula-
tion sources (MIDI or CV input)! This powerful ar-
chitecture allows complete freedom to modulate
and control almost every aspect of the sound gen-
eration. You can freely set the modulation for every
parameter separately if desired or have coupled
modulation between parameters using the global
modulation sources, if you wish.
Each parameter page allows you to set the levels
and routings of the various parameters that deter-
mine the sound, but things get a lot more interest-
ing once some modulation is used. Modulation al-
lows creation of interesting sounds that change in
character over time.
I MIDI/CV note-on value
K MIDI note velocity
G MIDI/CV global modulation M1
H MIDI/CV global modulation M2
I MIDI/CV global modulation M3
J MIDI/CV global modulation M4
lfox choice of global LFO x = 1–4
lfo dedicated LFO for
each parameter page
egx choice of global EG x = 1 – 4, or
dedicated EG
The modulation amount can be zero (for no mod-
ulation), positive or negative. The actual modula-
tion signal applied to the parameter page value
is the product (i.e. multiplication) of the modula-
tion amount and the modulation source signal at
that point in time. All of the modulation signals are
added together with the parameter page basic
offset value to give the resulting value for the pa-
rameter page value.
User Guide
page 15
i
The modulation signals are ’bipolar’ –
i
i
this means that when the source is at its mid-
dle value the modulation effect will be zero.
For a positive modulation amount when the
source is at its positive peak the modula-
tion will increase the parameter page value
and when the source is at its negative peak
the modulation will decrease the parame-
ter page value.
The modulation amount displayed
shows the modulation peak-to-peak max-
imum change. For example, if the mod-
ulation amount for LFO on the oscillator 1
pitch parameter page is set to 12.00 s then
the modulation of the pitch will vary over 12
semitones (1 octave) as the LFO waveform
cycles from it’s minimum to maximum val-
ues.
From a patch parameter page press the modula-
VE LO CIT Y
,
). The modu-
or
KE Y
M4
tion button desired once (i.e.
M1
,
lation icon flashes to show it is in primary edit mode
(i.e. one of I , K , G , H , I or J
flashes). Now turn the rotary encoder5or push
the up or down buttons - the amount
of this modulation source applied to the parame-
ter page (the primary destination) is
shown as a small vertical bar on the left-hand side
above the modulation icon. Set positive values to
increase the parameter page basic offset with in-
creasing modulation signal or set negative values
to decrease the parameter page basic offset with
increasing modulation signal.
shown by a solid bar whilst negative
amounts are shown with a hollow bar.
M2
,
Positive modulation amounts are
M3
,
10.1 MIDI / CV Modulations
There are 6 possible MIDI / CV modulation sources:
MIDI note-on value (or CV pitch), MIDI velocity (or
CV velocity) and 4 globally assigned MIDI or CV
modulation sources.
The interface for all these modulations is the same.
Each source has it’s own icon on the display run-
ning along the second row.
Each modulation source has two amount settings.
The first (primary) sets the amount of the modu-
lation signal to add or subtract to the parameter
page basic offset e.g if set on the parameter page
lpf-1 :cutoff it would directly increase
or decrease the cut-off frequency of low-pass filter
1 as the modulation signal increases or decreases.
It is also possible to modulate the modulations! This
is where the secondary destination and secondary
amount is used.
Now press the modulation button a second time
VE LO CIT Y
,
M4
again). The modula-
M1
,
M1
,
M2
,
M3
KE Y
KE Y
or
VE LO CIT Y
,
M4
again). Only the secondary
(i.e. press the
M2
,
tion icon flashes together with the secondary des-
tination icon. Now turn the rotary encoder5or
push the up or down buttons - this sets
the amount this modulation source has on the sec-
ondary destination. The amount is shown as a small
vertical bar on the right-hand side above the mod-
ulation icon. Set positive values to increase the
destination level with increasing modulation signal
or set negative values to decrease the destination
level with increasing modulation signal.
Now press the modulation button a third time (i.e.
press the
M3
,
destination icon flashes. Now the rotary encoder
controls the secondary destination from one of
the following nine options:
or
,
User Guide
CHAPTER 10. MODULATION page 16
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