SonicProjects OP-X PLAYER User Manual

SonicProjects

OP-X Player

MANUAL

www.sonicprojects.ch

Introduction

Congratulations on the purchase of OP-X Player!

The OP-X Player has got the same basic engine and sound as the full OP-X
while there's a reduced graphical user interface that only gives access to a few
parameters. The OP-X Player however is fully compatible to the big brother
OP-X, it can load every OP-X patch and comes with the full OP-X patches
library containing more than 500 of the finest sounds.

If you want to get access to all parameters and create your own sounds from
scratch, then you can upgrade for a cheap price to the full OP-X, which gives
instant access to all 83 parameters on a huge and classy GUI. All of these
parameters can be automated and remote controlled with midi CC.

Separate Voice Design (SVD):

The technical structure of this synth ist quite unique. The enigine is based on
six totally independent voices which correspond to the voice boards of the
original godfather. There's no voice cloning to achieve polyphony as it is
normally the case in VST instruments. Each voice is a separate mono synth
with completely independent signal path and slightly different sound as it is the
case too in real analog polysynths.These imperfectnesses are one of the main
reasons for the organic and lively character of the old faithfull original.

The original only offered an „Auto Tune“ function which tuned the oscillators of
the voice boards. The warm up drift again did detune the oscillators after some
time and the „Auto Tune“ had to be repeated. When filters and envelopes were
detuned, then they had to be tuned with a screwdriver in the inside of the
device by tweaking a lot of trimpots on the voice boards.

The OP-X makes this easier. It offers four global buttons which let you tune or
again detune oscillators, filters, filter envelopes and portamento times on the
fly. The oscillators' tuning additionally can be altered contunuously with the
„spread“ knob which also works in polyphonic mode. Everything can be mixed
up in any combination of course. So there are a lot of options to achieve the
right sound with the wished amount of analog dirt.

The filters of OP-X are meticulously modeled after the legendary analog
counterparts which never sound thin even in high resonance settings. Those
filters are unbeatable for lively and fat sweeps and pads.

More infos on the OP-X engine:

http://www.sonicprojects.ch/obx/separatevoicedesign.html

Installation

Doubleclick the installer and follow the instructions.

The installer will search for the shared vst plugins folder. You can also browse
your computer for the vst plugins folder manually. The plugin will be installed in
a subfolder named „SonicProjects“. The installer will also create a folder
named „SonicProjects“ in your start menu. You will find here the pdf manual
and the uninstaller.

Note: You will need a vst host to run the plugin. Have a look at the „Hosting“
section right below for further information.

After first loading in your host you have to enter your personal id and key data
to unlock the plugin. After unlocking you have to reload the plugin. Be sure to
enter the whole line containing name AND number in the “User ID” field:

Remove the plugin:

Use the uninstaller in the „SonicProjects“ folder in the start menu.

License and copyright

The plugins are bound to the registered user. It's not allowed to pass them on
to third persons. Each plugin contains a irreversible name printing and a
hiddden serial that allows to identify the original user in case of irregular
distribution.

Hosting

The OP-X Player can't be run in standalone mode. It needs a vst host to run. If
you don't have a one then have a look at our dedicated site where we have
listed some tested and recommended free vst hosts including short guides and
a lot of additional information:

http://www.sonicprojects.ch/obx/freevsthost.html

The voice LEDs

These LEDs indicate voice activity. Each voice has its propriate LED. That
means, when a voice is receiving trigger data to play, its propriate LED shines.
In unisono mode, all six LEDs are glowing at the same time. The original has
this LEDs too, but mounted on the individual voice boards in the inside of the
device. With their help, you could see that a voice was working correctly.

The TUNER section:

VOLUME

Master volume. Its setting is stored with the preset.

TUNER

The individually and slightly detuned voices can be tuned here. Read the intro
for comprehensive info on the voice tuning.

OSC

Tunes the oscillators. In released state, each voice is slightly and individually
detuned as it would be on startup in the original.

FILT

Tunes the filters. In released state, the filter cutoff of every voice is slightly
different, as it is the case in every original device that is not freshly serviced.

ENV

Tunes the attack and decay times of the filter envelopes. In released mode,
the attack and release time of every voices' filter envelope is slightly different.
This gives organic life to pad and sweep sounds.

A further tunable parameter are the portamento times.
The portamento times can be tuned in the „CONTROL“ section, see below.

The CONTROL section

PORTAMENTO

Also called "glide" sometimes. Makes the pitch change continuosly between
the notes. Short settings in unisono sounds makes the sound "squeak". The
function also works in polyphonic mode. The portamento can be detuned with
"Porta DET" in the additional functions section (beyond filters section). In
released "Porta DET" mode, the portamento times of each voice are equal. In
pushed mode, the times vary from voice to voice which was typical for the
original. The sonic result in solo sound is a special sort of "depth" while gliding.

DET

Portamento tuner. In released mode, the portamento times of each voice are
equal for snappy "squeek". In pressed mode, the times vary slightly from voice
to voice which was typical in the original. The sonic result in solo sound is a
special sort of "depth" or „smear“ while gliding.

The FILTER / MANUAL section

A specially designed 12db Filter tries to do its best to emulate the famous SEM
sound. The SEM filters got famous with the beige SEM-Modules and the SEM
based Four- and Eightvoice. The OB-X was the last Ob. synth that was
equipped with this discrete design. Later models, beginning with the OB-Xa,
got the standard Curtis Chips. One of the special things of the SEM filters is
that in high resonance settings the sound remains as fat as in zero resonance
settings. This is a wonderful thing for pads and sweeps. The old SEM filters
had no self oscillation, so you won't find it here too.

CUTOFF

Regulates the filter cutoff frequency.

SPREAD

Spreads the oscillator tuning of the voices - good for fattening up unisono
sounds, but it also works in polyphonic mode for continuously controlled
detuning of the oscillators to emulate slightly „pissed-off“ tuning.