Sequential Pro 3, Pro 3 SE Special Edition User manual
Multi-filter Mono/Paraphonic Synthesizer
PRO 3
User’s Guide
PRO 3
Version 1.0
January, 2020
Sequential LLC
1527 Stockton Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94133
USA
©2020 Sequential LLC
www.sequential.com
Tested to Comply
With FCC Standards
FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian
Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numerique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du
Reglement sur le materiel brouilleur du Canada.
For pluggable equipment, the socket-outlet shall be installed near the equipment
and shall be easily accessible.
For Technical Support, email: support@sequential.com
Table of Contents
A Few Words of Thanks ...............................xi
Chapter 1: Getting Started ..............................1
Rear Panel Connections ................................. 2
Using USB ..................................................4
Setting Up the Pro 3 ..................................... 5
Using the Main Display .................................. 6
Sound Banks ........................................... 7
Selecting Programs ...........................................7
Editing Programs ....................................... 8
Comparing an Edited Program to its Original State ...................8
Creating a Program from Scratch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Saving a Program ...................................... 10
Canceling Save .............................................11
Comparing Before You Save ...................................11
Using Paraphonic Mode ................................. 12
Exploring the Pro 3 in Greater Depth ...................... 13
Chapter 2: Pro 3 Controls ..............................14
Oscillators ............................................ 15
Exploring Oscillator 3 ........................................17
Oscillator Parameters (Front Panel) ..............................18
Additional Oscillator Parameters (Display Menus) ...................19
TAB 1 - Osc Tuning ..........................................19
TAB 2 Osc Shape ............................................20
TAB 3 - Osc Level ...........................................20
TAB 4 - Osc Misc ............................................21
Mixer ................................................ 21
Mixer Parameters (Front Panel) ................................22
Additional Mixer Parameters (Display Menu) .......................23
TAB 2 - Ext in ...............................................23
TAB 3 - Ext in Env ...........................................23
Filters ................................................ 24
Filter Parameters (Front Panel) .................................27
Additional Filter Parameters (Display Menus) ......................28
TAB 3 - ADSR ...............................................29
TAB 4 - Env Amt .............................................30
Envelope Parameters (Front Panel) .............................33
Additional Filter Envelope Parameters (Display Menus) ..............34
TAB4 - Env Amount ..........................................34
Amplier Envelope ..................................... 35
Amplier Envelope Parameters (Front Panel) ......................37
Additional Amplier Parameters (Display Menus) ...................38
TAB 1 - VCA ................................................38
TAB 4 - VCA Env Amount ......................................38
Auxiliary Envelopes .................................... 39
Auxiliary Envelope Parameters (Front Panel) ......................40
Additional Auxiliary Envelope Parameters (Display Menus). . . . . . . . . . . . 41
TAB 1 - Aux 1 Destination .....................................41
TAB 3 - Aux 1 Env Amount .....................................41
Low Frequency Oscillators .............................. 42
LFO Parameters (Front Panel) .................................43
Additional LFO Parameters (Display Menus) .......................44
TAB 1 - LFO Shape ..........................................44
TAB 2 - LFO Control ..........................................45
TAB 3 - LFO Dest ............................................46
Modulation ........................................... 46
Modulation Parameters (Front Panel) ............................48
Additional Mod Matrix Parameters (Display Menu) ..................48
Modulation Examples .........................................48
Effects ............................................... 50
Effects Parameters (Front Panel) ................................52
Arpeggiator ........................................... 54
Arpeggiator “Momentary Sustain” Mode ..........................56
MIDI Note Output from the Arpeggiator ...........................57
Arpeggiator Parameters (Display Menus) .........................58
Clock Parameters ......................................59
Sequencer ............................................ 60
Normal, Gated, and Trigger Modes ..............................60
Programming the Sequencer ...................................62
Recording Phrases/Sequences A,B,C, or D. .......................63
Sequencing Parameter Changes in Real-Time .....................64
Copying a Sequence from One Track to Another ....................65
Copying and Pasting an Entire Sequence .........................65
Muting a Sequence Track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Creating An Extended Sequence ...............................66
Paraphonic Sequencing ......................................67
Adding Rests, Ties, and Velocity ................................68
Editing Duration .............................................72
Adding Ratcheting ...........................................72
Editing Other Elements of a Sequence ...........................73
Setting or Changing the Destination of a Track .....................74
Recording Additional Sequencer Tracks for Modulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Using Slew .................................................76
Turning off the Sequencer’s “Notes” Track ........................76
Sequencer Parameters (Front Panel) ............................77
Additional Sequencer Parameters (Display Menus). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Cue Program .......................................... 79
Tuned Feedback ....................................... 80
Feedback Parameters ........................................81
Master Volume/Program Volume .......................... 82
Transpose ............................................ 83
Hold ................................................. 83
Glide ................................................. 83
Glide Modes ................................................84
Pitch and Mod Wheels .................................. 86
Pitch Wheel ................................................86
Modulation Wheel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Touch slider .......................................... 88
Adding Aftertouch ..................................... 89
Distortion ............................................. 90
Play List .............................................. 91
Miscellaneous Parameters .............................. 93
Key Modes Tab ..............................................93
Gate Source ................................................94
Scale .....................................................94
Glide Tab ..................................................95
Pitch Wheel Tab .............................................95
Global Settings ........................................ 96
Chapter 3: Programming the Pro 3 ...........................104
Synthesis 101: Synth Bass ............................. 104
Creating Synth Brass .................................. 107
Turning Synth Brass into a Paraphonic String Pad .................108
Creating a Hard-Sync Lead ............................. 110
A Final Word ............................................... 111
Chapter 4: Using the Pro 3 with External Devices .........112
Processing External Audio ....................................112
Filtering External Audio Using the Envelope Follower ...............113
Syncing the Sequencer with an External MIDI Device ...............11 5
Using Pro 3’s CV Outs to Control a Modular Synth .................11 6
More About Pro 3’s CV Outputs ................................11 7
viii
Sequential
Appendix A: Modulation Sources ......................119
Appendix B: Modulation Destinations ...................120
Appendix C: Troubleshooting and Support ..............122
Troubleshooting ............................................122
Resetting the Global Parameters ...............................124
Contacting Technical Support ..................................124
Warranty Repair ............................................125
Appendix D: Calibrating the Pro 3 ......................126
Calibrating the VCOs and Filters ...............................126
Calibrating the Pitch and Mod Wheels ...........................126
Resetting the Global Parameters ...............................126
Importing Programs and Banks ................................128
Appendix E: Alternative Tunings .......................130
Appendix F: MIDI Implementation ......................134
MIDI Messages ............................................136
NRPN Messages ...........................................140
Control NRPN Data .........................................147
SysEx Messages ...........................................147
Packed Data Format ........................................150
Pro 3 User’s Guide
ix
THE SEQUENTIAL CREW
Art Arellano, Gerry Bassermann, Fabien Cesari, Bob Coover, Carson Day, Chris Hector,
Tony Karavidas, Mark Kono, Justin Labrecque, Andy Lambert, Michelle Marshall, Andrew
McGowan, Joanne McGowan, Julio Ortiz, Denise Smith, Tracy Wadley, and Mark Wilcox.
THE PRO 3 SOUND DESIGN TEAM
Rory Dow, Peter Dyer, GLASYS, Mike Hiegemann, Tim Koon, Tobias Menguser,
Drew Neumann, Bob Oxley, Francis Preve, Lorenz Rhode, Robert Rich, Matia Simovich,
Huston Singletary, James Terris, Mitch Thomas, and Taiho Yamada.
Special thanks to Kurt Kurasaki, Drew Neumann, and Robert Rich for wavetables!
x
Sequential
A Few Words of Thanks
Thank you for purchasing the Pro 3, our latest effort to make the world’s greatest
monosynth. That’s a bold statement, but it’s true. Our biggest pleasure here at
Sequential is trying to outdo ourselves with each new instrument.
In many ways the Pro 3 is the evolution of a concept that started with the classic
Sequential Circuits Pro-One — pack as much power as possible into a compact
footprint and make it sound awesome. In this case, that power comes in threes:
three oscillators, three lters, three LFOs, plus our most powerful sequencer yet.
And there’s plenty of modulation; over thirty-two slots worth, in fact.
Our formula seems to have worked. The Pro 3 doesn’t just sound good, it sounds
amazing. We love this synth and hope you will, too.
So stop reading and starting playing!
Cheers,
Chapter 1: Getting Started
MODPITCH TOUCH
Headphones
Up
TRANSPOSE
Down
PITCH
MASTER VOLUME
DISTORTION
SHAPE
SHOW EFFECTS PARAM 1 PARAM 2
PARAM 3MIXEFFECT TYPE
EFFECT 1
EFFECT 2
ON/OFF
SHAPE MOD SYNC
BPM DIVIDE SWING
VELOCITY ATTACK DECAY SUSTAIN RELEASE AMOUNT
ATTACK DECAY SUSTAIN RELEASEAUX ENV AMOUNT
VELOCITY ATTACK DECAY SUSTAIN RELEASE AMOUNT
AMOUNT
GRUNGE
TUNING
PITCH SHAPE SHAPE MOD SYNC
AMOUNT
GLIDE RATE
GLIDE
HOLD PITCH SHAPE SHAPE MOD LOW FREQ
OSC 1 LEVEL
OSC 2 LEVEL
EXT AUDIO
NOISE
OSC 3 LEVEL
TAP TEMPO ARPEGGIATOR
SOURCE DESTINATION
VALUE
1 2
CUTOFF
DRIVE
BP
LP
NOTCH
LOW-PASS 1 LOW-PASS 2
Revert Write
CompareShow
GlobalMisc. Params
Play ListParaphonic
STATE-VARIABLE
4-Pole OTA 4-Pole Ladder 2-Pole OTA
HP
RESONANCE
STATE
FREQUENCY AMOUNT
1 2 3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
TRACKS
SLEWSEQ LOCKCUE PGM
BANK
Inc
Dec
PROGRAM
TRACK SEL
notes/vel duration ratchet cutoff assign 1 assign 2 assign 3 assign 4 assign 5 assign 6 assign 7 assign 8 CV out 1 CV out 2 CV out 3 CV out 4
A B C D
SEQUENCE RECORD PLAY MODE RESETDIRECTION
fwd
Normal
Gated
Trigger
rev fwd/rev random
DESTINATIONSHAPE
LFO OSCILLATORS
MODULATION EFFECTS
MIXER
FILTER
ENVELOPES
AMP FILTER
TUNED
FEEDBACK
AUX
PRO 3
Writing to Bank:1 Program:1 A:
uper Bass
Hit ‘Write’ to Save Prog
Write Bank Write Prog Select Char Edit Char
S
Key AssignInsert Char Delete Char
OCTAVE
-1-2+1
+2
-1-2+1
+2
-1-2+1
+2
OCTAVE
OCTAVE
1
1
1
OSC 1OSC 2OSC 3
The Pro 3 is a hybrid synthesizer in the best sense of the word. It
combines the warmth and punch of two analog, voltage-controlled oscil-
lators and three types of classic analog lters with the versatility of a
third, digital wavetable oscillator and an array of digital effects.
This blend of technologies gives you an instrument that’s sonically satis-
fying to play, but also has power and exibility rivaling modular systems
through its extensive modulation capabilities and four control voltage ins
and outs.
This chapter of your user’s guide provides an overview of essential
tasks such as how to make basic audio connections and how to edit and
save sounds. Later chapters explain each of the parameters of the Pro 3,
as well as how to program sounds and how to use the global menu to
manage its overall behavior.
We’ve designed the Pro 3 to be as easy to use as possible. Its essential
controls are within easy reach on its front panel, so don’t hesitate to dive
in and start turning knobs and pressing buttons. Then, when you’re ready,
dig into this user’s guide to explore the deeper parts of the synth.
Pro 3 User’s Guide
Chapter 1: Getting Started
1
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
21
43
Rear Panel Connections
The rear panel of the Pro 3 has connectors for power, USB, MIDI, audio,
and pedals.
1. Power On/Off—This rocker switch controls power on and off to the
Pro 3.
2. AC Power Connector—Accepts a standard, grounded IEC power
cord. Operates over a range of 100 to 240 volts and 50 to 60 Hz.
3. USB—For bidirectional MIDI communication with a computer. The
Pro 3 is a Class Compliant USB device and does not require additional
drivers when used with Mac OS or Windows. See “Using USB” on page
4 for more information.
4. MIDI In, Out 1, Thru, Out 2—Standard 5-pin MIDI DIN connectors
for communicating with MIDI-equipped devices.
5. Footswitch—Accepts a momentary, normally open or normally closed
footswitch to control sustain or to latch the Arpeggiator on when keys
are held. Alternatively, an audio signal connected to the audio in jack can
be used to either control Sequencer/Arpeggiator playback, or to gate the
lter and amplier envelopes while notes are held.
Audio signals used to drive the Arpeggiator/Sequencer should not exceed 5
volts peak-to-peak.
Rear Panel Connections
2
Sequential
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
6. Pedal—Accepts a standard expression pedal that has a variable resis-
tor on a TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) ¼ inch phone plug. Once connected, you
can use the modulation matrix to route the pedal to control a variety of
things such as volume or lter cutoff frequency to add expressiveness to
live performance.
7. Control Voltage Ins 1-4—Standard 3.5 mm connectors. These jacks
accept a +/-5V signal for interfacing with modular synthesizers. They can
be congured for 1-volt-per-octave operation for gear that recognize that
standard.
8. Control Voltage Outs 1-4—Standard 3.5 mm connectors. These jacks
output a +/-5V signal for interfacing with modular synthesizers. They can
be congured for 1-volt-per-octave operation for gear that recognize that
standard.
9. Gate Out—Standard 3.5 mm connector. This jack outputs a 10-volt
on/off signal to switch a note on/off in external Sequencers and other
devices that support this type of connectivity.
10. Audio In—Unbalanced, ¼ inch audio input. The Pro 3 accepts exter-
nal audio signals for processing through this connector. Input level can
be adjusted using the ext audio knob in the Mixer section.
11. Audio Outputs—Unbalanced, ¼ inch audio outputs. The Pro 3
sounds great in stereo, but can be switched to mono if needed. See
“Global Settings” on page 96.
12. Headphones (on front) — ¼ inch stereo headphone jack. Headphone
volume is controlled by the master volume knob on the front panel.
Pro 3 User’s Guide
Rear Panel Connections
3
Using USB
The Pro 3’s USB 2.0 port enables bidirectional MIDI communication
with a computer. A MIDI interface and MIDI cables are not necessary, just a USB cable. The Pro 3 is a Class Compliant USB device.
That means it does not require any additional drivers to be installed to
communicate with a Mac or Windows computer. The Pro 3 transmits and
receives MIDI data via USB, but does not transmit audio.
MIDI In and USB should not be used at the same time, as overlapping
messages from different sources may cause the Pro 3 to respond unpredictably. MIDI
Out and USB can be used at the same time and transmit the same data.
Under Mac OS, “Pro 3” will appear as a MIDI port when connected via
USB and can be congured using the Mac’s Audio MIDI Setup utility
(typically found in Applications/Utilities).
Under Windows, the rst time the Pro 3 is connected via USB, the
“Found new hardware” alert appears and it is automatically installed as
“Pro 3.”
In Windows, if you unplug the USB cable and plug it back in while a
program has the Pro 3 port open, you may have to resync. That usually
means going to the Pro 3 Keyboard Properties — in the Windows Device
Manager under “Sound, video, and game controllers” — and clicking
OK. If Pro 3 is no longer listed in the Device Manager, turn off the Pro 3
then turn it back on again while it is connected via USB. It should be
detected on power up.
Rear Panel Connections
4
Sequential
Setting Up the Pro 3
P1
Pro 3 Lead
U1
Turn to scroll through
User and Factory banks
Turn to scroll through
programs 1-128 in each bank
Here’s how to get your Pro 3 up and running:
Getting Started:
1. Plug the power cable into the AC power connector on the back panel of
the Pro 3.
2. If you have an expression pedal, connect it to the pedal jack on the
back of the Pro 3. If you have a sustain pedal, connect it to the foot-
switch jack.
3. Turn on the Pro 3.
4. Connect the left and right audio outputs on the back of the Pro 3 to
your amp/mixer/powered speakers using unbalanced, ¼ inch audio
cables. These are the main stereo outputs for the synth.
5. Turn up the volume on your amp/mixer/powered speakers.
6. Turn up the volume on the Pro 3.
7. Use the bank and program knobs to scroll through the factory sounds.
You can also use Soft Knob 1 and Soft Knob 2 as well as inc and dec
buttons to scroll through the sounds in the currently selected bank.
Bank and Program controls
programmed into the touch slider and the mod wheel. While you’re trying out the
factory sounds, play with these performance controls and listen how the sound
changes. Each preset also has a pre-programmed sequence. To hear it, press the
play button in the seq section.
Pro 3 User’s Guide
Each of the factory presets has interesting and useful modulation functions
Setting Up the Pro 3
5
Using the Main Display
soft knob 1
parameter 1
soft knob 2
parameter 2
soft knob 3
parameter 3
soft knob 4
parameter 4
soft button 1
menu tab 1
soft button 2
menu tab 2
soft button 3
menu tab 3
soft button 4
menu tab 4
Write
Compare
Global
Play List
CUTOFF
Cuto DriveResonance Filter Type
RESONANCE
60 2060
DRIVE Filter Type
Env AmtFilter Env AmtFilter Misc ADSR
Ladder
The most frequently used controls on the Pro 3 are on its front panel. But
there are many additional controls (as well as numeric display of values)
visible in its main display.
For example, adjusting a knob or switch in the oscillators section
reveals the tuning, shape, and level menus in the display. The display
also reveals parameters not found on the front panel such as osc slop and
wave reset (in Tab 2). You can select and edit these additional param-
eters using the four Soft Knobs and Soft Buttons located above and below
the display.
The Soft Knobs are for dialing in values. The Soft Buttons select
between various menu tabs.
The Main Display
6
Using the Main Display
Sequential
Sound Banks
U1
PRO 3 LEAD
P1
Turn to scroll through
User and Factory banks
Turn to scroll through
programs 1-128 in each bank
BANK
PROGRAM
The Pro 3 contains a total of 1024 programs. Banks U1-U4 are user
banks that can be overwritten. Banks F1-F4 are factory banks that are
permanent. As shipped, user banks U1-U4 are identical to permanent
factory banks F1-F4. Each bank has 128 programs (multiplied by 4
banks = 512 programs each). You can edit the programs of either bank,
but you can only save them to user banks U1-U4.
Banks of non-rewritable, permanent sounds are included so that they are
always available, to be used as is, or as templates for new sounds of your
own. It’s easy to design a new sound by tweaking an existing one.
Bank and Program controls
Selecting Programs
Use the bank and program knobs to select and recall programs.
To choose a program:
1. Turn the bank knob to select the bank you want.
2. Turn the program knob to select a program within that bank.
Pro 3 User’s Guide
Sound Banks
7
Editing Programs
Write
Compare
Global
Play List
CUTOFF
Cuto DriveResonance Filter Type
RESONANCE
60 2060
DRIVE Filter Type
Env AmtFilter Filter TypeFilter Misc ADSR
Ladder
When editing a program
press to hear the saved
version for comparison
Because the majority of the sound-shaping controls of the Pro 3 appear on its
front panel, editing an existing program is simple: turn a knob and listen to
its effect. Keep turning knobs and pressing buttons. If you like what you’ve
created, save the program by pressing the write button twice. (See “Saving a
Program” on page 10 for more options when you save.)
The rotary controls on the front panel are a mixture of rotary encoders
(which have no position indicator) and potentiometers or “pots,” which
have a position indicator and a nite travel range from left to right. You
can choose between three different modes that determine how the synth
reacts when you edit its parameters with a pot. For details, see page
98.
Comparing an Edited Program to its Original State
When editing a program, it’s often useful to compare its edited state to
its original state to evaluate your edits.
To compare an edited program to a saved version:
1. Edit a program, then press the compare button.
2. Play the keyboard to hear the saved version of the sound.
3. To disable the compare function and return to the edited sound, press
Compare button
Editing Programs
8
the compare button again to turn it off. Programs can’t be written while
in compare mode.
Sequential
It’s also useful to be able to check the value of a parameter for reference.
Write
Compare
Global
Play List
CUTOFF
Cuto DriveResonance Filter Type
RESONANCE
60 2060
DRIVE Filter Type
Env AmtFilter Filter TypeFilter Misc ADSR
Ladder
Revert
Show
Misc Params
Paraphonic
Press the Show button
and turn any knob to
see its current setting
without changing it.
Normally, to make a parameter value appear in the display, you have to
turn the parameter’s knob — which will change the parameter value. But
there is a way to do this without changing the value:
To check the value of a parameter without changing it:
1. Press the show button.
2. Turn any parameter knob. The value appears in the display.
3. To return to normal operation, press the show button again to disable it.
Using the Show button to display a parameter value
Creating a Program from Scratch
An existing program can be very useful as a jumping off point for new
sounds. But it’s also useful (and educational) to create a new sound from
scratch. The Pro 3 makes this easy by providing a “basic preset” that you
can quickly recall at any time. This preset is very simple, with a single
oscillator as its basis.
To recall the basic program:
Pro 3 User’s Guide
1. Press the global button.
2. Use Soft Knob 1 to scroll through the commands and select basic
program in the display menu.
3. Press soft button 1 (write now). The current sound settings are reset to
the basic program.
4. Press the global button again to return to normal operation. From here
you can begin creating your own sound using the basic program as a
starting point.
Editing Programs
9
You can also recall the Basic Program by simultaneously pressing the trans-
pose down and the touch slider’s latch button.
Chapter 3 provides a selection of simple sound design tutorials. It’s designed
to give you a basic working knowledge of how to use the Pro 3 to make your
own sounds. See “Chapter 3: Programming the Pro 3” on page 104.
Saving a Program
If you’ve created a sound that you like, you’ll probably want to save it.
Saving a program overwrites a previously saved program. Sound designers often save many incremental versions of a program as they continue
to rene it. These intermediate versions often make good jumping off
points for new sounds.
To save a program to the same preset location:
1. Press the write button. Its LED begins blinking.
2. Enter a name for the program using the appropriate Soft Knobs and
Soft Button. (See the illustration that follows for their functions.)
3. Press the write button again. Its LED stops blinking and the program is
saved.
To save a program to a different location:
1. Press the write button. Its LED begins blinking.
2. Turn the bank or program knobs (or Soft Knob 1 and Soft Knob 2) to
select a new location. You can only save to banks U1-U4.
3. Enter a name for the program using the appropriate Soft Knobs and
Soft Buttons. (See the illustration that follows for their functions.)
Press the write button again. Its LED stops blinking and the program is
saved.
Saving a Program
10
Sequential
Writing to Bank:1 Program:1 A:
uper Bass
Hit ‘Write’ to Save Prog
Write Bank Write Prog Select Char Edit Char
S
Key AssignInsert Char Delete Char
select bank
insert character delete character
select program select character edit character
Write
Play List
Global
Compare
Saving a Program
Canceling Save
Sometimes you may want to cancel saving a program before you
commit.
To cancel the save process before you commit:
• If the write button LED is ashing, press the global button. The write
LED stops ashing and saving is canceled. You can return to editing if
you want.
Comparing Before You Save
Before saving a program to a new location, it’s a good idea to listen to the
program in the target location to make sure you really want to overwrite it.
To evaluate a program before you overwrite it:
1. Get ready to save by pressing the write button. It starts ashing.
2. Press the compare button. Its LED lights up.
3. Use the bank and program knobs to navigate to the sound you want to
audition and play the keyboard to hear the sound in the target location.
4. If you don’t want to overwrite that location, use the Bank and Program
knobs to select other possible locations to audition.
Pro 3 User’s Guide
Saving a Program
11
5. Once you have found a location to overwrite, press the compare button
again to turn it off. (Programs can’t be written while in compare mode.)
6. The write button is still ashing and ready to save. Press write and the
sound is saved.
7. Alternatively, if you want to cancel saving and continue editing, press
the global button. Saving is canceled.
You can use the global button to set the program that appears when you
power on the Pro 3. Simply use the bank and program knobs to nd the program you
want, then press the global button twice. That program is now the default program on
start up.
Using Paraphonic Mode
The Pro 3 was designed primarily as a monophonic instrument. But we
added a 3-voice paraphonic playback mode for extra performance power.
In this mode, the three oscillators can be triggered independently, each
with its own amplier envelope. (However, the lter and its envelope are
shared between the three oscillators.) This gives you the ability to play
chords of up to 3 notes.
Make sure to select a waveshape for oscillator 3 since it’s possible to set this
oscillator to off. Each oscillator is triggered with an envelope set by the VCA shape.
Show
Write
Compare
Global
Play List
Cuto DriveResonance Filter Type
CUTOFF
60 2060
RESONANCE
Ladder
DRIVE Filter Type
Env AmtFilter Env AmtFilter Misc ADSR
Press the Paraphonic
button to enable
3-voice paraphonic mode.
Using Paraphonic Mode
12
Revert
Misc Params
Paraphonic
Sequential
To enable paraphonic playback:
1. Press the paraphonic button.
2. Turn up the levels of all three oscillators in the mixer.
3. Play some chords.
4. Adjust the Octave and oscillator waveshapes as necessary.
With clever programming you can create complex sounds that work well in
paraphonic mode. Add a bit of pulse width modulation or chorused delay to create
interesting string and pad sounds.
Exploring the Pro 3 in Greater Depth
Before you explore the sound creation possibilities of the Pro 3, we’d
like to point you toward a few things that will help you tailor it to your
needs. The better you know it, the more you’ll get out of it.
First, read “Global Settings” on page 96. There are many useful
settings and functions found in the Global menu that will affect the
overall behavior of your Pro 3, including tuning, MIDI connections,
calibration, and more. In particular, read about Pot Modes and determine
which works best for you when you’re editing sounds.
Also, in “Rear Panel Connections” on page 2 read about the various
connectors on the back of your Pro 3 and how you can use its various
pedal, audio, MIDI, and USB inputs and outputs.
Finally, be on the lookout for tips and notes scattered throughout this
manual to gain a better working knowledge of the Pro 3. We wish you
many hours of musical exploration!
Pro 3 User’s Guide
Exploring the Pro 3 in Greater Depth
13
Chapter 2: Pro 3 Controls
soft knob 1
parameter 1
soft knob 2
parameter 2
soft knob 3
parameter 3
soft knob 4
parameter 4
soft button 1
menu tab 1
soft button 2
menu tab 2
soft button 3
menu tab 3
soft button 4
menu tab 4
Write
Compare
Global
Play List
CUTOFF
Cuto DriveResonance Filter Type
RESONANCE
60 2060
DRIVE Filter Type
Env AmtFilter Env AmtFilter Misc ADSR
Ladder
This chapter explains all of the controls on the Pro 3, section by section.
As explained in Chapter 1, the most frequently used Pro 3 controls are
located on its front panel, with additional controls (as well as numeric
display of values) visible in its main display.
Adjusting a knob or switch in the Mixer section reveals the three oscillator level parameters and noise level parameter in the display. The
display also reveals additional parameters not found on the front panel
such as external input level, gate threshold, and more. You can select
and edit these additional parameters using the four Soft Knobs and Soft
Buttons located above and below the display.
The Soft Knobs are detented encoders for dialing in values. The Soft
Buttons select between various menu tabs.
The Main Display
14
Chapter 2: Pro 3 Controls
Sequential
Oscillators
PITCH
SHAPE SHAPE MOD SYNC
PITCH SHAPE SHAPE MOD SYNC
PITCH SHAPE SHAPE MOD LOW FREQ
OSCILLATORS
OCTAVE
-1-2+1
+2
-1-2+1
+2
-1-2+1
+2
OCTAVE
OCTAVE
1
1
1
OSC 1OSC 2OSC 3
triangle
sawtooth
pulse/square
Oscillators generate the raw building blocks of the Pro 3’s sound by
producing waveforms, each of which has its own sound character based
on its harmonic content. The Pro 3 has two analog, voltage-controlled
oscillators and one digital wavetable oscillator.
Oscillators 1 and 2 generate triangle, sawtooth, and pulse waves. You can
vary the “pulse width” of these waveshapes using the shape mod parameter. This allows for a variety of different waveshapes and timbres.
Shape Mod
value: 0
Oscillator pulse width (pulse wave)
Oscillator 3, because it’s digital, generates not only triangle, sawtooth,
super saw, and pulse waves but also complex, wavetable-derived wave
shapes.
The Oscillators section
Shape Mod
value: 254
Pro 3 User’s Guide
Oscillators
15
To listen to the oscillators:
1. Press the global button.
2. Use Soft Knob 1 to navigate to the basic program command, then press
Soft Button 1 (write now).
3. In the basic program, only Oscillator 1 is audible. (The levels of Oscillators 2 and 3 are set to zero by default.)
4. Hold down a note on the keyboard and in the oscillators section,
turn the shape knob left and right to hear the waveshape change from
triangle to sawtooth to pulse. (Sawtooth is selected by default in the
basic program.)
5. With a specic waveshape selected, turn the shape mod knob and listen
to how the timbre of the waveshape changes. Note that when using
shape mod with the pulse wave, it’s possible to make the pulse width so
narrow that the sound “disappears.”
6. Be aware that on Oscillator 3, when super saw is selected as the waveshape (refer to the display to see the name of the waveshape), shape
mod controls the detuning of the Super Saw wave.
7. Turn up the level of Oscillator 2 in the Mixer and experiment with
setting each oscillator to a different waveshape. Experiment with the
pitch knob on the oscillators and notice how slightly detuning the oscil-
lators in relation to each other creates movement and thickness in their
combined sound. Try tuning one oscillator to a interval such as a third,
a fth, or a sixth.
8. Experiment with the octave knob on the oscillators and notice how
setting each oscillator to different octave inuences their combined
sound. This is especially true when using all three oscillators together.
9. Choose one of the three lter types and rotate the lter’s cutoff and
resonance knobs to see how this affects the sound of the oscillators.
10. With Oscillator 1 and 2 on, press the sync button on Oscillator 1, and
set it’s octave to 5. Then rotate the pitch knob on Oscillator 1 while
you hold a note. This is the classic hard sync sound that you’ve probably heard before. Instead of rotating the pitch knob by hand, you can
use the modulation matrix to route an envelope to Oscillator 1 to sweep
the oscillator’s pitch and create this effect each time you play a note.
You’ll learn more about the mod matrix in “Modulation” on page 46.
Oscillators
16
Sequential
Exploring Oscillator 3
Because Oscillator 3 is a digital wavetable oscillator, it generates a variety of waveshapes. In addition to the standard, static waveshapes of sine,
sawtooth, super saw, and pulse waves, it provides 32 wavetables, each
with 16 different waves within that table.
Once you select one of the 32 wavetables with the shape knob, you
can then select a wave within the wavetable using the shape mod knob.
When you turn the shape mod knob, you’ll hear the waveshapes morph
smoothly from one to the next as the Pro 3 interpolates between them.
If you select one of the 32 wavetables, you can then select a specic
static wave. Or, if you use an LFO or the modulation matrix to control
shape mod, you can sweep through the selected table’s 16 waves to create
timbres that shift and evolve in interesting ways.
To listen to Oscillator 3:
1. Press the global button. Use Soft Knob 1 to navigate to the basic
program command, then press Soft Button 1 (write now).
2. In the basic program, only Oscillator 1 is audible. The levels of Oscillators 2 and 3 are set to zero in the Mixer by default.
3. In the mixer section, turn down the level of Oscillator 1 and turn up the
level of Oscillator 3.
4. Play and hold a note on the keyboard. In the oscillators section, turn
the shape knob on Oscillator 3 to select one of the 32 wavetables. The
rst choices are sine, sawtooth, super saw, and pulse, after that are
wavetables 1-32
5. Turn the shape mod knob to select a waveshape within the currently
selected wavetable. When you turn the knob, you’ll hear the waveshapes morph smoothly from one to the next.
Pro 3 User’s Guide
Oscillators
17
To use an LFO to sweep through the waves in a wavetable:
1. Use the shape knob on Oscillator 3 to select one of the 32 wavetables.
2. In the lfo section, press the lfo 3 button, then the destination button.
3. In the display, choose osc 3 shapemod as the destination.
4. Hold down a note on the keyboard and listen as you set the frequency
and amount of LFO 3 modulation as desired. Higher frequency settings
sweep through the wavetable faster. Higher amount settings sweep
though a wider range of waves in the wavetable.
Oscillator Parameters (Front Panel)
Shape: Selects the waveshape generated by the oscillator. Oscillators 1
and 2 produce triangle, sawtooth, and pulse analog waveshapes. These
waveshapes are continuously variable. Oscillator 3 produces triangle,
sawtooth, super saw, and pulse waves, plus 32 wavetables containing 16
waves each.
Octave: Sets the base frequency of an oscillator over a 5-octave range. The
global master coarse and master fine settings affect the pitch of the
oscillators. See “Global Settings” on page 119 for more information.
Pitch: -700...+699—Fine tune control with a range of 7 semitones (a
major 5th) up or down. The 12 o’clock position is centered.
Shape Mod: On Oscillator 1 and 2, this changes the “pulse” width of the
selected waveform, which modies its harmonic content and timbre. To
generate a square wave when pulse is selected as the waveform, set this
parameter to 0. On Oscillator 3, this knob selects a waveshape within the
currently selected wavetable. If super saw is selected as the waveshape,
shape mod controls the thickness (detuning) of the Super Saw.
Applying waveshape modulation using an LFO or other modulation source in
the mod matrix is a great way to add movement to a sound.
Oscillators
18
Sequential
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