Studio Electronics ATC-1X User Manual

FEATURES / VOICE ARCHITECTURE .............................................................. ii

IMPORTANT NOTES .................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 2

BAS I C O P E R A T IO N

GETTING IT STARTED................................................................................... 3

CONNECTIONS .......................................................................................... 4

USING THE MEMBRANE AND ROTARY ENCODER (reading the display) ........... 5

CRE AT I N G S O U N D S

OSCILLATORS ........................................................................................ 6, 7

FILTER ....................................................................................................... 8

ENVELOPES .................................................................................... 9, 10, 11

MODULATION ................................................................................... 12, 12b

MIDI-KYBD .......................................................................................... 13, 14

PROGRAM (editing and saving patches) ....................................................... 15

TE C H N I C A L I N F O

LFO AND MIDI CONTROLLER ASSIGNMENTS ............................................. 16

MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART ................................................................. 17

SPECIFICATIONS ....................................................................................... 18

TROUBLE SHOOTING ................................................................................ 18

I. Portamento and auto glide.

II. Single and multiple triggering.
III. Inv erting of envelopes 1 and 3.
IV. Note priority: low or last.

V. LFO 2 sync to MIDI clock with seven beat divisions: whole, half, quarter,

quarter note triplet, eighth, eighth note triplet, sixteenth, and sixteenth note
triplet.

VI. Assignable additional env elope.

VII. Audio frequen cy modulation of Oscillator 1 and filt er by Oscillator 2.

VIII. Individual continuous controller assignments for all key sound paramet ers.

IX. Patch parameter edits from rotary encoder transmitted via MIDI.

X. Velocity sensitive.

XI. Extensive Modwheel and Aftertouch assignments.

XII. Holds 51 2 patches in RAM.

XIII. Exter nal input for audio signal processing.

XIV. Ringmod

Hardware:

A. Two voltage controlled oscillators with triangle, sawtooth, and square

waveforms.
The square waveform has variable pulse width control.
B. User sele ctable voltage controlled f ilters.

Types available:

Reproduction of the classic 24db Min iMoog low pass resonant filt er

Reproduction of the boxy 12db Oberh eim Synthesizer Expander

Module filter.

Reproduction of the uniqu e and rare ARP 26 00 filt er

Reproduction of the Techno classic Roland TB-30 3 f ilter
C. White noise generator.
D. High dynamic gain voltage controlled amplifier.

Software:

A. Thr ee four-stage envelopes wit h specially designed exponential curves.

Attack, decay, sustain, and release controls. Time range: 1 m.sec - 15 sec.

B. Two low fr equency oscillators with triangle, square, saw up, saw down, noise

and random waveforms. Frequency range: 0.1 hz - 50 hz

In addition to the aforementioned "Safety Instructions" printed on the inside front
cover, we (the goodly folks at S. E.) ask––nay, we implore!––you please read and
heed the following recommendations:

POWER SUPPLY CONCERNS

Turn off the power to all equipment before making any connections between devices. This will help to
prevent malfunction and likely speaker damage.

Be certain to use a separate power outlet for this unit, as sharing one with distortion producing devices
(such as motors, variable lighting devices) is unwise.

PLACEMENT CONCERNS

Placing the unit in close proximity to power amplifiers or equipment containing large transformers is likely
to induce hum.

If the unit is to be operated nearby T.V. or radio receivers, some type of interference might be noticeable.
In such cases, move the unit out of proximity with the entertainment devices.

MAINTENANCE

In hopes that you might keep the visuals of your treasured analog gem in tip top shape, our cleaning
specialists advise wiping ever so gently with a slightly dampened soft cloth. For those stains of a more
tenacious temperament add a mild detergent to the mix, always remembering to follow with that ubiquitous
"soft dry cloth".

Never apply solvents of any kind: benzene, paint thinner, propyl alcohol, etc., to avoid the risk of nasty
discoloration, disfigurement and most importantly, those deadly liver flukes. (It should be parenthetically
noted that neither solvents nor the unit itself are ever to be taken internally!)

OTHER PRECAUTIONS

Protect the unit from strong jolts and vibration, especially when standing on well-established fault lines.
Never apply strong pressure to the front, back or side panels, or strike them in any manner whatsoever.

It is normal and helpful for this synthesizer to generate a certain degree of heat.

MEMORY BACKUP CONCERNS

Within the unit is contained a battery which serves to maintain the contents of the memory when the power
is switched off. The normal life of this battery is 5 years or more. To prevent unintentional memory loss,
the battery must be replaced every 5 years as a rule. When it is time to change it, contact us, or your local
authorized Studio Electronics service station.

Please be aware that the contents of the memory may possibly be lost: when sent for repair work, or when
a chance malfunction occurs––it is always prudent to back up your complete memory via a SYSEX bulk
dump. Remember, each bank must be saved individually. When in the shop for repair, great care is taken
to avoid data loss, however In the event of damage to circuitry related to the memory system itself, you
are

sorry for Charlie

(emphasis Greg’s).

Thank you for purchasing the STUD IO ELECTRONICS A TC-X. You're soon to discover
the world's only 4-way discrete multi-filtered analog synthesizer. Like never before, you
now have the ability to create and explore all of the classic Analog synthesizer sounds in
one powerfully expressive and versatile machine.

The AT C-X is a truly modern Analog synthesizer, incorporating authentic discrete
component circuitry with complete MIDI implementation and total programmability.
Control of the parameters from the optical encoder is smooth and precise. Its creative and
intuitive design incorporates unique features and functions, allowing the discerning
musician complex tone manipulation and seemingly endless patch variations.

The electronically produced sound of the ATC- X is vibrant, warm and "punchy";
possessing the highly pleasing qualities of inherent randomness in pitch and timbre, like
those of a fine acoustic instrument.

We take great pride in manufacturing this instrument in "the land that the rivers have
quartered"––The United States of America and maintain the highest standards of quality
by meticulously procuring only the finest materials and carefully assembling each and every
S T U D I O E L E C T R O N I C S

product by hand.

It is our sincerest hope that the long anticipated ATC- X surpasses expectations and
provides decades of satisfaction, pleasure and performance.

Setting Up the Instrument

A. Plug the power supply cable into any conventional A.C. outlet. With its auto-

switching power supply the ATC-X is capable of accommodating voltages ranging
from 90 - 250. So, wherever you and your ATC-X are in this great big world, proper
operation is a cinch.

B. Use an appropriate patch-chord to connect the ATC-X to your sound monitoring

devices. To reproduce the full sound spectrum of which the synthesizer is capable, a
"high fidelity" P.A. system is required.

C. Flip the power switch on the back of the unit to the on position. Allow approximately

3 to 5 minutes for proper warm-up to assure tuning stabilization.

D. Enjoy the negative space that is the balance of this page.

Well almost: A 450 dpi print quality version of the Cover page is available for royalty-free
download at http://studioelectronics.com/assets/PDFs/ATC-X/ATCXCover.tiff.zip

And get these sounds: http://studioelectronics.com/products_atc-atcx_basses_and.php

They are vital…

We love you all. The interest and support of this growing S.E. sub-culture of folks with
really good ears make possible the sustainable life of the craftsman; the artisan; the
boutique perfectionist who knows little or nothing else––well he humors himself with
various and sundry disciplines, but his devotion remains pure: thanks to you, the customer!

MSR ’08 (First actual use of new year’s shorthand!)