SP Studio Systems SP-12 User Manual

SP-12

SAMPLING

PERCUSSION SYSTEM

OWNERS MANUAL

By Craig Anderton

Version 2.3

CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................6

WHAT IS IT?............................................................................................................. 7

SP-12 GROUND RULES........................................................................................... 8

Activating and De-activating Modules ................................................................... 8

Accessing Functions Within the Module................................................................ 8

What’s a Default?..................................................................................................8

SETTINGS AND VALUES.........................................................................................9

Entering ................................................................................................................ 9

Leading Zeroes..................................................................................................... 9

Segment and Song Modes.................................................................................... 9

THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF SEGMENT MODE.............................................. 10

The Right Arrow/Left Arrow Buttons (stepping and “fast forwarding”).................. 10

The Current Song Display................................................................................... 10

The Current Segment Display............................................................................. 10

BEEP MESSAGES.................................................................................................. 10

PART 1: GETTING READY...........................................................................11

1A SETUP........................................................................................................ 12

1B INSTANT GRATIFICATION!........................................................................ 13

1C BACKGROUND: THE PERFORMANCE MODULE..................................... 14

1D SELECTING DRUM SOUNDS .................................................................... 14

1E ADJUSTING THE MIX................................................................................. 15

1F TUNING THE DRUMS/CHANGING DECAY (SET-UP 18) .......................... 16

1G BACKGROUND: SETTING UP ADDITIONAL SOUNDS.............................. 16

1H ACCESSING/EXITING MULTILEVEL (SET-UP 12 & 13)............................. 17

1I ACCESSING/EXITING MULTIPITCH (SET-UP 11 & 13)............................. 18

1J ACCESSING DYNAMICS (SET-UP 14)....................................................... 19

1K STORING (DEFINING) A MIX (SET-UP 15)................................................ 19

1L AUDITIONING (SELECTING) A MIX (SET-UP 16) ...................................... 20

1M ASSIGNING DRUM SOUNDS TO OUTPUT CHANNELS............................ 20

CONTENTS

1N PLAYING BACK SEGMENTS..................................................................... 21

1O SETTING TEMPO........................................................................................ 22

1P PROGRAMMING THE METRONOME........................................................ 23

PART 2: RECORDING SEGMENTS .............................................................24

2B ERASING A SEGMENT .............................................................................. 26

2C “DIMENSIONING” A SEGMENT.................................................................. 26

Part 1: Standard Dimensioning.................................................................... 27

Part 2: Real-Time Dimensioning.................................................................. 28

2D UNDERSTANDING AUTO CORRECT......................................................... 29

2E SETTING AUTO CORRECT........................................................................ 31

2F RECORDING A SEGMENT IN REAL TIME................................................. 31

2G RECORDING A SEGMENT IN STEP TIME................................................. 33

2H ERASING A SPECIFIC DRUM SOUND....................................................... 34

2I ERASING A SPECIFIC NOTE OF A DRUM TRACK.................................... 34

2J COPYING AND APPENDING SEGMENTS ................................................. 35

2K ADDING SWING.......................................................................................... 36

2L SWAPPING DRUM SOUNDS...................................................................... 37

2M COPYING SOUNDS .................................................................................... 37

2N CLEARING THE MEMORY.......................................................................... 38

2M CHECK REMAINING MEMORY .................................................................. 38

PART 3: CREATING A SONG ......................................................................39

3A CREATING A SONG: OVERVIEW............................................................... 40

3B SELECTING A SONG.................................................................................. 41

3C CHAINING SEGMENTS TOGETHER.......................................................... 42

3D ENDING A SONG........................................................................................ 43

3E EDITING SONGS (STEPPING, INSERTING, DELETING) .......................... 44

3F USING REPEATS........................................................................................ 45

CONTENTS

3G CHANGING THE SONG DRUM SOUND MIX.............................................. 47

3H SETTING SONG TEMPO ............................................................................ 48

3I PROGRAMMING TEMPO CHANGES WITHIN A SONG............................. 49

3J JUMPING TO A SUB-SONG........................................................................50

3K PROGRAMMING TRIGGER OUTPUTS...................................................... 50

3L STARTING AT A SPECIFIED POINT IN THE SONG................................... 51

3M EFFICIENT USE OF MEMORY ................................................................... 52

PART 4: SAMPLING YOUR OWN SOUNDS................................................53

4A SAMPLING: AN OVERVIEW ....................................................................... 54

4B SETTING LEVELS PRIOR TO SAMPLING.................................................. 55

4C ASSIGNING THE SAMPLE..........................................................................56

4D SETTING THE SAMPLING THRESHOLD ................................................... 56

4E SETTING THE SAMPLE LENGTH............................................................... 57

4F INITIATING AND STOPPING SAMPLING ................................................... 57

4G DELETING A USER SOUND....................................................................... 58

4H MODIFYING A SAMPLE VIA TRUNCATION AND LOOP............................ 59

PART 5: SAVING YOUR DATA ....................................................................62

5A BACKGROUND: SAVING DATA.................................................................. 63

5B GENERAL CARE & HANDLING OF DISKS & CASSETTES........................ 63

Labeling ...................................................................................................... 64

Write-protecting disks and cassettes........................................................... 64

5C HOOKING UP THE 1541 DISK DRIVE OR CASSETTE .............................. 66

5D FORMATTING DISKS (CASSETTE/DISK 0) ............................................... 67

5E DISK AND CASSETTE OPERATIONS ........................................................ 68

PART 6: MIDI, SYNC, & SMPTE...................................................................70

6A MIDI CHANNEL AND MODE SELECT ........................................................ 71

6B BACKGROUND: SYNCHRONIZATION ....................................................... 73

CONTENTS

6C INTERNAL SYNC (SYNC 1) ........................................................................ 73

6D MIDI SYNC (SYNC 2).................................................................................. 73

6E SMPTE SYNC (SYNC 3) ............................................................................. 74

6F CLICK SYNC (SYNC 4) ............................................................................... 75

6G WRITING SMPTE TIME CODE ON TAPE................................................... 76

6H WRITING A 24 PPQN CLICK SYNC TRACK ON TAPE .............................. 77

PART 7: MIXING AND PROCESSING..........................................................78

7A MIXING AND PROCESSING: OVERVIEW.................................................. 79

7B PSEUDO AUTOMATED MIXDOWN ............................................................ 79

7C CREATING AMBIENCE............................................................................... 79

7D USING SPECIAL EFFECTS IN THE STUDIO..............................................80

APPENDIX.....................................................................................................81

APPENDIX A: THE ART OF SAMPLING................................................................. 82

PART 1: TAKING THE BEST POSSIBLE SAMPLE............................................ 82

PART 2: MANIPULATING THE SAMPLE ........................................................... 86

APPENDIX C: UNDERSTANDING TIME SIGNATURES......................................... 89

APPENDIX D: UNDERSTANDING MIDI/SMPTE .................................................... 90

What does the MIDI cable do?............................................................................ 90

What does MIDI stand for? ................................................................................. 90

How can information control a synthesizer or drum machine?............................. 90

How does MIDI differentiate between different instruments?............................... 91

16 channels, huh? Sounds like a lot of patch cords to me!.................................. 91

What kind of words does the MIDI language include?......................................... 91

Dealing With “MlDlosyncracies” .......................................................................... 92

SMPTE ............................................................................................................... 92

APPENDIX E: TIPS ON CREATING REALISTIC DRUM PARTS............................ 93

APPENDIX F: TIPS ON USING CASSETTE INTERFACES.................................... 94

APPENDIX G: HOW THE SP-12 WORKS............................................................... 96

APPENDIX H: SPECIAL FUNCTIONS (SET-UP #23)............................................. 97

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS IT

SP-12 GROUND RULES

SETTINGS AND VALUES

THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF SEGMENT MODE

BEEP MESSAGES

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS IT?

The SP-12 is the latest member of E-mu’s family of high - technology musical instruments. It combines the most popular features of our first drum machine, the Drumulator, along with the Emulator II’s sampling capabilities, modular design, and extensive use of display messages.

Thanks to 12 bit sound digitizing, the drum sounds have a crispness and dynamic range unattainable with the more common (and inexpensive) 8 bit digitizing technology. Best of’ all, despite the wide range of functions the SP-12 is remarkably easy to learn and use. After even a short period of familiarization, creating drum parts becomes second nature. We have made every effort to make the SP-12’s operation as transparent as possible, so that you can get rhythmic ideas from your head into reality in the shortest possible time.

You’re going to love what the SP-12 can do. Ready? Let’s start.

INTRODUCTION

SP-12 GROUND RULES

Here are all the background terms you will need to know in order to make sense of the manual.

Activating and De-activating Modules

The SP-12 is organized as seven modules: Set-up, Cassette/Disk, Sync, Sample, Master Control, Programming, and Performance. The Set-up, Cassette/Disk, Sync, and Sample modules are used less frequently than the others, and are normally inactive. To access the functions in one of these modules, it must be activated by pressing the switch located In the module. When activated, the associated LED will glow and functions other than those which pertain to the module will be locked out.

After you have finished working with a module, de-activate it by pressing the switch again (the associated LED will extinguish); or, select a different module.

Accessing Functions Within the Module

The Set-up, Cassette/Disk, Sync, and Sample modules include a printed list of functions. When the module is active, you can select the desired function by keying in its number.

Example: If while the Set-up module is active you wanted to alter the MIDI parameters, you would key in 22. If you wanted to define a mix, you would key in 15.

What’s a Default?

A default is the setting or value that a function assumes until changed; the default Is generally the most common option for a given function. Example: Most metronomes click every quarter note, so the SP-12’s metronome defaults to quarter notes. However, this default setting can be easily changed to any one of several other values.

INTRODUCTION

SETTINGS AND VALUES

There are two ways of altering the SP-12’s parameters. One is to alter a slider setting this is typically done when changing levels, pitch, and so on. The other is to specify a numeric value with the keypad. This is typically done when telling the SP-12 how many measures long a segment should be, the time signature, and so on.

Entering

During the process of specifying a setting or value, it is necessary to tell the SP-12’s computer when the data you select should be entered into memory. For example, suppose you’re setting the tempo; typically, you would vary the tempo until the groove sounded “just right”. However, how is the computer going to know that the tempo you have just selected is the right one?

Pressing the ENTER button tells the computer to write the desired setting or value you have selected into its memory. Generally the display will confirm what you have chosen; when it shows the desired setting or value, press ENTER.

Leading Zeroes

You will often need to enter numbers via the keypad.

If the function you have selected requires that you enter a two-digit number, you must enter a leading zero when entering a single digit number.

Example: Enter 07 instead of 7.

If the function you have selected allows for entering a one-digit number only and does not accept a two - digit number, do not enter a leading zero.

Segment and Song Modes

The SP-12 has two main operational modes. In segment mode, you create individual segments of rhythms, typically a few measures long. In song mode, you chain these segments together to make a complete song. Example: The intro, verse, chorus, and solo of a song could all be separate segments; combining these together in the proper order would create a song.

Segment and song modes are selected by the left-most button in the Programming module. In song mode, the labels above the eight buttons to the right of the SEGMENT/SONG button apply; in segment mode, the labels below the eight buttons to the right of the SEGMENT/SONG button apply.

INTRODUCTION

THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF SEGMENT MODE

Segment mode is the SP-12’s “scratchpad” where you work up rhythmic segments prior to combining them in songs. Therefore, tempos, mixes, and most other segment parameters set while in segment mode (except tuning and dynamics) are retained only while you are in segment mode. When going into song mode, the song parameters for tempo, mix, and so on replace the parameters worked out in segment mode. If you return to segment mode from song mode, the segment parameters for tempo, mix, etc. will be those of the last song you selected.

The Right Arrow/Left Arrow Buttons (stepping and “fast forwarding”)

The Right Arrow and Left Arrow buttons step through values shown in the display. Each time you press one of these buttons you will step through one value. Holding down these buttons “fast forwards” (in the case of Right Arrow) or “fast backwards” (in the case of Left Arrow) through the values.

The Current Song Display

When you first turn on the SP-12, the display will show the Current Song and tempo for that song. The Current Song remains as is until changed.

The Current Segment Display

When you go into segment mode, the display will show the Current Segment and tempo for that segment. The Current Segment remains as is until changed.

BEEP MESSAGES

The SP-12 confirms certain actions (as described later in the manual) by sending out a “beep” tone. When monitoring via the MIX OUT jack, the beep level is set by the METRONOME VOLUME in conjunction with the MIX VOLUME. Since the MIX VOLUME serves as a master control for all SP-12 sounds (drums and metronome), if MIX VOLUME is turned down you won’t hear anything -- and that includes beep messages

GETTING READY

PART 1: GETTING READY

1A SETUP

1B INSTANT GRATIFICATION!

1C BACKGROUND: THE PERFORMANCE MODULE

1D SELECTING DRUM SOUNDS

1E ADJUSTING THE MIX

1F TUNING THE DRUMS/CHANGING DECAY

1G BACKGROUND: ADDITIONAL SOUNDS

1H ACCESSING/EXITING MULTILEVEL

1I ACCESSING/EXITING MULTIPITCH

1J ACCESSING DYNAMICS

1K STORING (DEFINING) A MIX

1L AUDITIONING (SELECTING) A MIX

1M ASSIGNING DRUM SOUNDS TO OUTPUT CHANNELS

1N PLAYING BACK SEGMENTS

1O SETTING TEMPO

1P PROGRAMMING THE METRONOME

GETTING READY

1A SETUP

IMPORTANT!! Before you turn on your SP-12: There is a 115/230 Volt selector

switch on the back of the SP-12, next to the ON/OFF switch. Make sure the AC voltage indicated on the switch agrees with the AC voltage present in your part of the world. If not, change the switch settings with a small screwdriver.

1. Set up the SP-12 on a hard surface so that the bottom plate ventilation holes are not obstructed.

2. Patch a standard, guitar type patch cord between the MIX OUT jack on the rear panel and a high quality amp or mixing console. The better the sound system, the more life like the sound of the SP-12.

3. Make sure the ON/OFF switch is in the OFF position. Plug the line cord into a properly wired three-wire AC outlet.

4. Turn the MIX VOLUME and METRONOME VOLUME controls all the way to the left.

5. Turn the ON/OFF switch to ON; the SP-12 will run a self-test where all LED’s will light up briefly to show they’re working properly.

6. Press the RUN/STOP switch (located near the lower right hand corner of the SP-12) to start the drums, and then turn up the MIX VOLUME control to hear a demo of what this baby can do. Adjust the monitor system levels to suit. If you hear the drums, all is well to proceed, press RUN/STOP a second time and the song will stop.

GETTING READY

1B INSTANT GRATIFICATION!

Yes, the SP-12 is an extremely versatile device. But that versatility means that in order to learn about all the options, you’ll have to spend a few hours with the SP-12 and this manual.

If you’re patient enough to actually do that right now, we salute your willpower. Chances are, though, you can hardly wait to start making some sounds. So, we’ll short circuit the learning process a bit with this little exercise. Follow these steps EXACTLY as given.

1. Hook up the SP-12 as described previously, then turn up the METRONOME

VOLUME control about halfway. MIX VOLUME and the monitor system levels should be set as described in the previous Section.

2. Push the SONG/SEGMENT button until the SEGMENT light glows.

3. Locate the ten number buttons (0 - 9) towards the right of the SP-12. Press 9

and then press 9 again. The display says Seg 99 and shows the tempo in Beats per Minute. Seg 99 will have a default length of two measures (which we’ll leave as is for now).

4. Hold down RECORD and press RUN/STOP; both their LEDs will be lit to

indicate you are in record mode. You should also hear the metronome (if not, check the METRONOME VOLUME control).

5. The eight large buttons along the bottom of the SP-12 play various drum

sounds -- note that the harder you hit a button, the louder the sound. Play in time with the metronome, and whatever you play will be recorded. You will have two measures to play to; they repeat over and over again to allow for easy multitracking of drum parts. To play additional drum sounds, hit the SELECT button to audition other banks of drums.

6. For now, you can only play 8th notes; later on, we’ll cover how to play all the

other note values.

7. When you’ve finished recording, press RUN/STOP (the RUN/STOP light goes

out). To play back what you’ve recorded, press RUN/STOP again (RUN/STOP light glows).

8. Congratulations! You have now experienced about 0.5% of the SP-12’s

capabilities. To find out about the other 99.5%, keep reading.

GETTING READY

1C BACKGROUND: THE PERFORMANCE MODULE

This module is where you select drum sounds, tuning, drum mix, and so on.

All of these adjustments reset to their default values when the SP-12 is turned off. However, eight different drum mixes may be stored in memory and recalled when creating a song.

1D SELECTING DRUM SOUNDS

The row of eight large buttons (Drum Play buttons) along the bottom of the SP-12 play the different drum sounds.

The SELECT button (left of Play buttons) chooses between four different banks of drum sounds. Bank ii consists of sampled drum sounds; these come loaded with factory sounds, but you can also sample your own sounds.

To audition the drums, select a bank with the SELECT switch, and then play the Play Buttons. Listen to all four banks to familiarize yourself with the available sounds.

GETTING READY

1E ADJUSTING THE MIX

1. Press the TUNE-MIX-MULTI switch (towards the upper left corner of the

Performance module) until the MIX LED lights. The display graphically shows the level of each drum in the selected bank.

2. Vary the slider above the corresponding Drum Play button to vary the level of

each individual drum. As soon as you move the slider, the graph in the display will jump to its new position.

3. Note that MIX settings are not stored while in segment mode. If you come up

with a particularly good mix, you can save the mix as described in Section 1K.

GETTING READY

1F TUNING THE DRUMS/CHANGING DECAY (SET-UP 18)

1. You may tune or change the decay time of any of the drum sounds. Cymbals

may also be tuned, but due to the nature of the SP-12’s tuning change software, the sound will probably be different from your expectations of a “tuned cymbal” (SP-12 tuning creates more of a ring modulation type of effect).

2. Each sound may be programmed to have its tuning or decay (but not both)

varied by its associated slider while the TUNE/DECAY LED is lit. Whether the slider affects tuning or decay is programmed in the SET-UP module. Activate SETUP, then key in 18. Play the desired sound. The display will indicate whether the sound is “TUNED” or “DECAYED”. Key in 1 if you want the slider to vary the tuning, or 2 if you want the slider to vary the decay. Drums and claps default to tuning variations, while cymbals default to decay variations.

3. Press the TUNE-MIX-MULTI switch until the TUNE/DECAY LED lights.

Sounds which are set for decay mode have a small diagonal line above the drum sound number. The display graphically shows the relative tuning or decay of each drum; the center line indicates normal pitch or decay.

4. Vary the slider above the corresponding Drum Play button to vary the

individual tuning (plus or minus a fifth) for each drum set for tuning change. As soon as you move the slider, the corresponding display graph will jump to its new position. The higher-pitched the drum, the taller the bar; the lowerpitched the drum, the shorter the bar. With those sounds set for decay change, varying the slider changes the amount of decay. The longer the decay, the taller the bar; the shorter the decay, the shorter the bar.

1G BACKGROUND: SETTING UP ADDITIONAL SOUNDS

This is where things really start to get interesting, thanks to a cute little trick called multimode and its offshoots, multipitch and multilevel.

Multipitch takes a single drum sound or handclap and “spreads” its pitch over all eight Drum Play buttons, with the leftmost button playing the highest pitch and the rightmost button playing the lowest pitch. With cymbals, multipitch spreads the decay with the leftmost button playing the longest decay and the rightmost button playing the shortest decay.

Multilevel takes a sound and spreads the level over all eight Drum Play buttons, with the leftmost button playing the softest level and the rightmost button playing the loudest level.

GETTING READY

1H ACCESSING/EXITING MULTILEVEL (SET-UP 12 & 13)

1. Activate the SET-UP module by pressing its button. Its LED will glow, and the

display will ask for a function from the list printed to the right of the SET-UP button.

2. Key in 12 (MULTI-LEVEL). Select the sound to be multileveled by using

SELECT to select the Bank containing the sound, then press the sound’s Play button.

3. To edit the factory preset levels, select MIX with the TUNE- MIX-MULTI

switch and vary the sliders to change levels. The display shows each sound’s relative level. When the levels are set as desired, press ENTER.

4. While in multilevel, you may also edit the pitch for each level of the sound (or

the decay if the sound is set up for decay variations instead of tuning variations). Press the TUNE-MIX- MULTI button and select TUNE/DECAY; the display shows the relative pitch of each sound. Use the sliders as described earlier to set the pitch.

Whenever you select the bank containing the multileveled sound, it will still be in multilevel mode. This will be indicated by the MULTIMODE LED (next to the TUNEMIX-MULTI switch) being on.

To turn off multilevel:

1. Activate the SET-UP module (if it is not already) and select the bank to “de-

multilevel”. The display should be asking “Setup Function?”; if it instead shows the bar graph, press ENTER to alert the computer it can move on to the next task.

2. Key in 13 (EXIT MULTI-MODE). When the display asks “Exit Multi Mode?”,

press YES. The Bank will return to its normal preset assignments.

Note: If you later change the mix of a segment or song that contains multilevel effects, these will all increase or decrease proportionately in level. For example, if you programmed some soft sounds and medium level sounds, increasing the mix level will bring up all the sounds by an equivalent amount (within the dynamic range limits of the drum machine, of course).

GETTING READY

1I ACCESSING/EXITING MULTIPITCH (SET-UP 11 & 13)

1. Activate the SET-UP Module by pressing its switch. Its LED will glow, and the

display will ask for a function from the list printed to the right of the SET-UP switch.

2. Key in 11 (MULTI-PITCH). Select the sound to be multi-pitched by using

SELECT to select the bank containing the sound, then press the sound’s Play button. That sound will now be spread across the Play buttons at factory preselected pitches.

3. If you want to edit the factory preset pitches, select TUNE/DECAY with the

TUNE-MIX-MULTI switch and vary the sliders to change pitch. The display shows the relative pitch of each sound. When the tuning is as desired, press ENTER.

4. While in multipitch, you may also edit the level for each sound of the

multipitched Bank. Press the TUNE-MIX-MULTI button and select MIX, then use the sliders as described earlier to set the levels.

5. Whenever you select the bank containing the multipitched sound, it will still be

in multipitch mode. This will be indicated by the MULTIMODE LED (next to the TUNE-MIX-MULTI switch) being on.

To turn off multi-pitch:

1. Activate the SET-UP module (if it is not already) and select the bank to “de-

multipitch”. The display should be asking “Set-up Function?”; if it instead shows the bar graph, press ENTER to alert the computer it can move on to the next task.

2. Key in 13 (EXIT MULTI-MODE). When the display asks “Exit Multi Mode?”,

press YES. The Bank will return to its normal preset assignments.

Notes: Once a segment has been recorded with sounds at particular pitches, these pitches cannot be modified after the fact for that segment unless you erase the sound and re-record it.

You can enter and exit multipitch and multilevel modes while recording to gain additional drum sounds. Pitch changes can also be recorded along with the segment.

GETTING READY

1J ACCESSING DYNAMICS (SET-UP 14)

Yes, the harder you hit the buttons the louder the sound. We did this in such an incredibly ingenious way that engineers across the country will burst out laughing when they take the SP-12 apart for the first time.

1. Activate the SET-UP Module by pressing its switch. Its LED will glow, and the

display will ask for a function from the list printed to the right of the SET-UP switch.

2. Key in 111 (DYNAMIC BUTTONS). The display asks whether you want

dynamic buttons or not; press YES if you do.

3. Hit the buttons to check out the dynamics.

All buttons for all banks are now dynamically responsive. To turn off dynamics, select Function 1k in the SET-UP module and when the display asks “Dynamic Buttons?”, press NO.

1K STORING (DEFINING) A MIX (SET-UP 15)

The SP-12 memorizes up to eight different mixes; each mix contains the level data for all four banks. When creating a song, this mix information can be stored as part of the song so that different songs (or different sections of the same song) have different mixes. To store a mix for later use:

1. After perfecting the mix, activate the SET-UP Module by pressing its switch.

Its LED will glow, and the display will ask for a function from the list printed to the right of the SET-UP switch.

2. Key in 15 (DEFINE MIX). The display will ask “Save Current Mix As Mix #“.

Assign a number from 1 to 8 (do not include leading zeroes in this case); when the display confirms your choice, press ENTER.

We will describe how to audition a particular mix in the next Section; in Section 3G, we’ll cover how to select the desired mix when creating a song.

Note that channel assignments (Section 1M) and pitch/decay information (Section 1F) are also stored with the mix, thereby allowing programmed channel changes and pitch/decay changes.

GETTING READY

1L AUDITIONING (SELECTING) A MIX (SET-UP 16)

You may select an already defined drum mix (see Section 1K) which will assign the mix levels to the drum sounds in all four banks.

1. Activate the Set-Up module by pressing its switch. Its LED will glow, and the

display will ask for a function from the list printed to the right of the SET-UP switch.

2. Key in 16 (SELECT MIX). The display will ask for the desired mix number (as

defined according to the instructions in Section 1K). Enter a number from 1 to 8 (do not include leading zeroes in this ease); when the display confirms your choice, press ENTER.

1M ASSIGNING DRUM SOUNDS TO OUTPUT CHANNELS

The MIX OUT jack carries a mono mix of the SP-12’s drums; MIX VOLUME regulates the overall level.

However, the SP-12 also has eight individual output channels. These are typically used in the studio to send different sounds to different mixing console channels.

Since there are more than eight drum sounds, there is a default pre-set assignment that determines which drums go to which channels. However, this may be changed in the following manner:

1. Activate the SET-UP Module by pressing its switch. Its LED will glow, and the

display will ask for a function from the list printed to the right of the SET-UP switch.

2. Key in 17 (CHANNEL ASSIGN). The display asks you to select a sound;

select it using the appropriate Bank select and Drum Play buttons. Note that you can consecutively hit different play buttons to see the channels to which different sounds are assigned.

3. The display now confirms your Drum Sound choice and shows its existing

output channel assignment. To change this assignment, enter a number from 1 to 8 via the keypad. The drum sound will now appear at the like-numbered output jack on the rear panel. This information is stored with mixes (Section 1K).

Note: Each output Is filtered differently. Channels 1 and 2 have dynamic filters whose bandwidth varies in time, channels 3 and 14 are muted by a constant amount, channels 5 and 6 are somewhat less muted, and channels 7 and 8 are unfiltered. Knowing this can be handy when assigning sampled sounds, as different sampled sounds may respond better to particular amounts of filtering. To hear the filter effects, select a drum sound and assign it to each channel in succession, carefully noting the difference in sound between the different channel assignments.

GETTING READY

1N PLAYING BACK SEGMENTS

You can record and play back 100 rhythm patterns called segments. These are numbered from 00 through 99. Several segments were loaded into the SP-12 at the factory; here is how to play them.

1. Press the SONG/SEGMENT button a few times. The SEGMENT light shows

you are in segment mode, and can play back or record segments. The SONG light shows you are in song mode. For now, choose the segment mode. The display will show the segment number and tempo In Beats per Minute.

2. To select a different segment, key in two digits with the keypad. Leading

zeroes must be entered for single digit segments (i.e. press 0 then 7 to select segment 07).

3. Make sure METRONOME LEVEL is up so that you can hear any beep

messages from the SP-12 in subsequent steps.

4. Press RUN/STOP. Several things will happen: the segment will play

continuously, the RUN/STOP light will glow (except for a blink at the beginning of the segment), and you will hear a metronome clicking along with the segment (adjust METRONOME LEVEL to suit). If instead of hearing a rhythm pattern you hear a beep, the segment you’ve selected has never been put in record mode (which means it cannot contain any drum sounds). Key in a different segment number. To stop a segment, press RUN/STOP a second time. A rear panel jack parallels the RUN/STOP switch for remote applications.

5. Repeat step 2 to select another segment. If the SP-12 is running, the new

segment will begin playing as soon as the current segment ends. If the current segment ends and the SP-12 stops (RUN/STOP light goes off), the new segment you’ve selected is empty.

Note: Remember as you go through these examples that the ENTER button, in addition to its normal enter function, is a failsafe/reset button as long as the display shows a flashing cursor. For example, if you accidentally enter the wrong first digit of a segment number, before doing anything else press ENTER. This restores the SP12 to where it was before you hit the wrong key.

GETTING READY

1O SETTING TEMPO

The tempo may be varied from 40 to 240 Beats Per Minute. Segment tempo settings are “remembered” by the SP-12 only while you are in segment mode. If you switch over to song mode (as described later), the SP-12 acquires the tempo of the selected song. If you then switch back to segment mode, the SP12 will retain this song tempo.

1. To change tempo (the SP-12 may be stopped or running), press TEMPO. The

cursor will flash under the first digit of the tempo display. There are five ways to enter tempo:

 Press the Right Arrow button once to increase the tempo by 1 BPM. Hold

the button down to increment through the tempo 1 BPM at a time.

 Press the Left Arrow button once to decrease the tempo by 1 BPM. Hold

the button down to decrement through the tempo 1 BPM at a time.

 Use the keypad to enter the tempo directly, accurate to 1/10th BPM (four

digits). Leading zeroes must be entered.

 Use Slider #1 to vary the tempo.

 “Tap” the tempo you want on the TAP/REPEAT button. The SP-12 will

compute the time between taps and translate that to Beats Per Minute. If desired, you can tap continuously and when the groove feels just right, stop tapping; the last time interval between taps will be remembered as the tempo. The rear panel TAP/AUTO REP jack accepts a momentary action, normally open footswitch if you want to tap with your foot instead of your hand.

When the display shows the desired tempo press ENTER. This tempo will apply to all segments when you are in segment mode.

GETTING READY

1P PROGRAMMING THE METRONOME

When playing back or recording segments, you can program the metronome for a variety of different beats. The metronome produces an accented click on the first beat of each measure and a softer click on the other beats.

1. The SP-12 must be stopped (RUN/STOP light off), and the SEGMENT light

must be on.

2. Press METRONOMES The Right Arrow and Left Arrow buttons step through

the various metronome options:

Off no metronome output 1/4 quarter notes (this is the default value) 1/4 t quarter note triplets 1/8 eighth notes 1/8 t eighth note triplets 1/16 sixteenth notes 1/16 t sixteenth note triplets 1/32 thirty-second notes 1/32 t thirty-second note triplets Click sends a 24 pulses-per-quarter-note signal out the rear channel MET

OUT jack for synchronizing other devices to the SP-12.

3. When the display shows the desired metronome value, press ENTER.

Note: The higher metronome speeds are useful when recording a fast, complex drum part since you may slow the tempo way down, yet still have clicks occurring regularly enough so that you know where you are in the segment. (If the tempo is very slow and you select, for example, quarter note clicks, the clicks occur too far apart to be helpful.)

RECORDING SEGMENTS

PART 2: RECORDING SEGMENTS

2A OVERVIEW

2B ERASING A SEGMENT

2C “DIMENSIONING” A SEGMENT

2D UNDERSTANDING AUTO CORRECT

2E SETTING AUTO CORRECT

2F RECORDING A SEGMENT IN REALTIME

2G RECODING A SEGMENT IN STEP TIME

2H ERASING A SPECIFC DRUM SOUND

2I ERASING A SPECIFIC NOTE OF A DRUM TRACK

2J COPYING AND APPENDING SEGMENTS

2K ADDING SWING

2L SWAPPING DRUM SOUNDS

2M COPYING SOUNDS

2N CLEARING THE MEMORY

RECORDING SEGMENTS

2A RECORDING A SEGMENT - OVERVIEW

There are two ways to record a segment, real time and step time. In both cases, recording initially consists of:

1. Programming the metronome (if necessary).

2. Erasing previously recorded sounds (if necessary).

3. Defining the segment’s time signature and the number of measures in the segment (“dimensioning” the segment).

4. Setting Auto Correct (to correct for timing errors in real time recording; this also determines the step rate in step time recording, and the repeat rate when recording repetitive “drum rolls” as described in Section 2F).

5. Selecting the desired bank of drum sounds for recording (this may be changed at any time during the recording process).

6. In real time, entering record mode and playing drum sounds (the SP-12’s memory remembers what you play) in time with the metronome; in step time, entering record mode and stepping through each step of the segment, playing drum sounds as required at the various steps. While in real time, you can record pitch changes, enter/exit multipitch or multilevel mode, change Auto Correct, change tempo, or switch banks if desired.

7. After recording the segment, you can make changes with either real time or step time editing.

We have already covered the first step in recording (programming the metronome), as well as the fifth step (selecting different drum sounds). Now let’s cover the remaining steps in the order given above.

RECORDING SEGMENTS

2B ERASING A SEGMENT

Erasing a segment clears out all existing drum sounds, and automatically redimensions the segment to two measures of 4/4. Before erasing a segment, always check whether that segment already contains something you want to keep. To erase:

1. Stop the SP-12, confirm that you are in segment mode, and press ERASE.

2. The display helpfully mentions that you can erase either a sound or segment.

Erasing a sound will be covered later; to erase a segment, enter the two-digit segment number. The display will replace the flashing cursor with the number you entered, and ask you to confirm that this is the segment you want to erase.

3. If this is the segment to be erased, press YES. If not, press NO and the SP-

12 will return you to step 2.

4. After erasing, the display will return to whatever segment you had keyed in

prior to starting the erase process. For example, if you had first selected segment 01 but then decided to erase segment 51, after erasing 51 you would return to 01. If you want to continue working with segment 51, make sure you key it back in again so that 51 appears in the display.

2C “DIMENSIONING” A SEGMENT (SETTING TIME SIGNATURE AND/OR BAR LENGTH)

“Dimensioning” a segment defines the segment’s time signature (from 1 to 99 beats per measure), and the number of bars and beats per segment (up to 99 bars and 99 beats; thus, you could have a segment that was, say, 2 measures and 3 beats long). If desired, each segment may be dimensioned differently. If you are not familiar with time signature notation, see Appendix B.

After erasing a segment, it assumes a length of two measures and a 4/4 time signature. If this dimensioning suits your musical needs, skip ahead to the next section. Otherwise, there are two ways to dimension a segment: standard dimensioning and real-time dimensioning. Make sure you are in segment mode, and then proceed with whichever procedure seems more suitable for re-dimensioning the segment.

RECORDING SEGMENTS

Part 1: Standard Dimensioning

1. Set the time signature by pressing TIME SIGNATURE. The display will

probably show the 04/4 default time signature and a cursor will be flashing under the first digit. There are three ways to enter the desired time signature numerator (number of beats per measure):

 Press the Right Arrow button once to increase the numerator value by

one. Hold the button down to increment through the tempo one digit at a time.

 Press the Left Arrow button once to decrease the numerator value by

one. Hold the button down to decrement through the tempo one digit at a time.

 Use the keypad to enter the numerator directly. Leading zeroes must

be entered.

2. When the display shows the desired time signature numerator press ENTER.

The cursor will now flash under the first digit of the denominator (i.e. the rhythmic value of each beat in the measure); the default value is 4.

3. There are four denominator values: 4

(sixteenth note), and 32 (thirty-second note). Tap the Right Arrow key to step from longer to shorter rhythmic values; tap the Left Arrow key to step from shorter to longer rhythmic values (or hold the button to “fast forward”).

4. When the display shows the desired time signature denominator press

ENTER. The time signature will now be stored with the segment.

5. To set the number of measures and beats in the segment (segment length),

press SEGMENT LENGTH. The display will probably show the default value of 02 bars, 00 beats.

6. To increase the number of measures in a segment (up to 99), press Right

Arrow. Tap this button to go forward a digit at time, or hold it down to “fast forward”. To decrease the number of measures in a segment, (down to 1), tap or hold Left Arrow. You may also use the keypad to enter the number of bars.

7. When the display shows the desired segment length, press ENTER. You may

now select the number of additional beats in the segment.

8. To increase the number of additional beats in the segment (up to 99), press

Right Arrow. Tap this button to go forward a digit at time, or hold it down to “fast forward”. To decrease the number of additional beats in the segment, (down to 1), tap or hold Left Arrow. Or, enter the number of additional beats with the keypad.

9. When the display shows the desired number of additional beats in the

segment, press ENTER. Dimensioning is now complete. A segment cannot be re-dimensioned once it has been recorded.

(quarter note), 8 (eighth note), 16

RECORDING SEGMENTS

Part 2: Real-Time Dimensioning

Real-time dimensioning mode is useful when you want a segment’s length to be other than some number of whole measures and beats (i.e. if you wanted 2 measures, 1 beat, and just a tiny bit more).

1. Press SEGMENT LENGTH then press RUN/STOP; the metronome will click

and the display will count off the beats and measures as they go by.

2. After the appropriate number of beats and measures have gone by, press

RUN/STOP a second time. If you do not press RUN/STOP precisely on the beat, it will be auto corrected by the SP-12 (see next section for more information on Auto Correct).

3. If you miss the desired end point of the segment, hit RUN/STOP again to re-

start the process. Press RUN/STOP again when the segment is the desired length. Also note that you can edit this setting (until the segment is recorded) by using the Right Arrow, Left Arrow, and keypad buttons (this works similarly to step 8 in Part 1).

Note: If you dimension to more than an even beat (for example, 2 bars, 1 beat, and an eighth note), the display will indicate a + sign.

RECORDING SEGMENTS

2D UNDERSTANDING AUTO CORRECT

Auto correct lets you create patterns with perfect timing by placing whatever drum sound you play on your choice of the nearest eighth note, eighth note triplet, sixteenth note, sixteenth note triplet, thirty-second note, or thirty-second note triplet. (For more information on rhythmic notation, see Appendix B.)

To understand how this works, consider Fig. 2-1, which shows one measure of 4/4 music (there are four quarter notes, eight eighth notes, and sixteen sixteenth notes in a measure of 4/4.

Fig. 2-1

Suppose you want to record a bass drum on every quarter note, but your sense of timing is a little shaky. The upper row of dots in Fig. 2-2 shows where you might have played the four bass drum beats. The first one is a little behind the beat, the second a little in front of the beat, the third right on the beat, and the fourth slightly behind the beat. The lower row of dots in Fig. 2-2 shows how setting Auto Correct to eighth note resolution puts each drum sound on the nearest eighth note, thereby correcting a not-so-tight bass drum part for perfect timing.

Fig. 2-2

Now consider Fig. 2-3, which shows Auto Correct set to sixteenth note resolution. In this case, the beats you played have been assigned to the nearest sixteenth note -which is fine on beats 3 and 4 but not on 1 and 2.

RECORDING SEGMENTS

Fig. 2-3

This illustrates an important point: Use the least amount of resolution needed. If you are recording a simple snare back beat, there’s no point in using an Auto Correct setting with any more resolution than eighth notes. To record something more complex, set a finer resolution (such as sixteenth or even thirty-second notes).

You may change Auto Correct while you are in segment mode, whether the SP-12 is running or stopped. If you change Auto Correct while the SP-12 is running, the change takes effect at the end of the segment. Changing Auto Correct as desired takes the pressure off of recording long drum parts -- use low resolution to record most of a part, and then switch over to finer resolution to record more complex rhythms. Note that recording triplets is easy; since there are four triplet Auto Correct options, and that alternating between triplet and non-triplet Auto Correct modes lets you record complex polyrhythms.

Another option is high-resolution mode, where the SP-12 places beats exactly where you play them rather than “rounding them off” to the nearest specified note. This allows syncopation, beats which slightly lead or lag the rhythm, and so on.

When programming in step time, the Auto Correct setting determines the rhythmic value of’ each step. For example, with an Auto Correct setting of 1/8, you will step through the song an eighth note at a time. Selecting HiRes mode steps through the song at a rate equivalent to sixty-fourth note triplets. See later for more information on step time recording.

+ 69 hidden pages

SP Studio Systems SP-12 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

SAMPLING

OWNERS MANUAL

By Craig Anderton

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS IT?

SP-12 GROUND RULES

Activating and De-activating Modules

Accessing Functions Within the Module

What’s a Default?

SETTINGS AND VALUES

Entering

Leading Zeroes

Segment and Song Modes

THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF SEGMENT MODE

The Right Arrow/Left Arrow Buttons (stepping and “fast forwarding”)

The Current Song Display

The Current Segment Display

BEEP MESSAGES

PART 1: GETTING READY

1O SETTING TEMPO

1P PROGRAMMING THE METRONOME

1A SETUP

1B INSTANT GRATIFICATION!

1C BACKGROUND: THE PERFORMANCE MODULE

1D SELECTING DRUM SOUNDS

1E ADJUSTING THE MIX

1F TUNING THE DRUMS/CHANGING DECAY (SET-UP 18)

1G BACKGROUND: SETTING UP ADDITIONAL SOUNDS

1H ACCESSING/EXITING MULTILEVEL (SET-UP 12 & 13)

1I ACCESSING/EXITING MULTIPITCH (SET-UP 11 & 13)

1J ACCESSING DYNAMICS (SET-UP 14)

1K STORING (DEFINING) A MIX (SET-UP 15)

1L AUDITIONING (SELECTING) A MIX (SET-UP 16)

1M ASSIGNING DRUM SOUNDS TO OUTPUT CHANNELS

1N PLAYING BACK SEGMENTS

1O SETTING TEMPO

1P PROGRAMMING THE METRONOME

PART 2: RECORDING SEGMENTS

2A RECORDING A SEGMENT - OVERVIEW

2B ERASING A SEGMENT

2C “DIMENSIONING” A SEGMENT (SETTING TIME SIGNATURE AND/OR BAR LENGTH)

Part 1: Standard Dimensioning

Part 2: Real-Time Dimensioning

2D UNDERSTANDING AUTO CORRECT