Waldorf Largo User Manual
Foreword
Largo User´s Manual 2
Foreword
Thank you for purchasing the Waldorf Largo. You now own
a synthesizer with real Waldorf DNA featuring a wide range
of unique sounds of high quality.
What to read?
The biggest problem with any manual is to find a way to
cover both the needs of an absolute expert and a beginner
alike. There are people who read a manual cover to cover
while others don’t even touch it. The latter is the worst
choice, especially when the manual describes a Waldorf
instrument.
If you decide to read the following manual, we promise you
a lot of fun while reading about and working with the
Waldorf Largo.
Your Waldorf Team
Hint
Waldorf Music GmbH is not liable for any erroneous
information contained in this manual. The contents of this
manual may be updated at any time without prior notice.
We made every effort to ensure the information herein is
accurate and that the manual contains no contradictory
information. Waldorf Music GmbH extends no liabilities in
regard to this manual other than those required by local law.
This manual or any portion of it may not be reproduced in
any form without the manufacturer's written consent.
Waldorf Music GmbH, Lilienthal Str. 7, D-53424 Waldorf,
Germany
Foreword
3 Largo User´s Manual
Largo Development Team
Software: Wolfram Franke, Stefan Stenzel
64 Bit and
AAX Porting: Thomas Rehaag
Design: Axel Hartmann
Manual: Holger Steinbrink
Betatest/ Sounddesign: Wolfram Franke, André Geisler,
Boele Gerkes, Daniel Gill,
Achim Gratz, Dajan Izzo, Till
Kopper, Dirk Krause, Rob Lee,
Jay de Miceli, Niels Moseley,
Markus Moser, Dr. Georg
Müller, Kai Niggemann, Don
Petersen, Holger Steinbrink, Dr.
Stefan Trippler
Largo Version: 1.5.2, May 2014
w Please visit our website www.waldorfmusic.de
Maybe you can download a newer version for your
Largo.
We would like to thank
Christian Bacaj, Karsten Dubsch, Willie Eckl, Joachim
Flor, Michael von Garnier, Frank Schneider, Kurt “Lu”
Wangard,吴海彬 and anyone we have forgotten.
Content
Largo User´s Manual 4
Content
Foreword ........................................................................................... 2!
What to read? .................................................................. 2!
Hint ................................................................................. 2!
Largo Development Team ............................................... 3!
We would like to thank ................................................... 3!
Content .............................................................................................. 4!
Overview ........................................................................................... 6!
User Interface .................................................................. 6!
Introduction ...................................................................................... 7!
About this Manual ........................................................... 7!
Symbols .......................................................................... 7!
Highlighted Control Features and Parameters .................. 7!
Installation ........................................................................................ 8!
System Requirements for Windows ................................. 8!
Installation under Windows ............................................. 8!
System Requirements for Mac OS X ................................ 9!
Installation under Mac OS X ............................................ 9!
Activation of Largo ........................................................ 10!
Basic Operation .............................................................................. 10!
Worth Knowing about Parts ........................................... 12!
General Operation ........................................................ 12!
Control Elements ........................................................... 13!
Sound Parameter ........................................................................... 14!
Overview of Functions ................................................... 14!
The Head-up Section ..................................................... 14!
The File Menu ................................................................ 14!
The Edit Menu ............................................................... 15!
Sound Selection ............................................................. 16!
The Sound Browser ........................................................ 16!
Program Table ............................................................... 17!
File Browser ................................................................... 19!
Working with the File Browser ....................................... 20!
Oscillator Section .......................................................... 22!
Activating an Oscillator ................................................. 22!
Mixer Section ................................................................. 30!
The Filter Section ........................................................... 32!
The Amplifier Section .................................................... 38!
Parameter Module Section ............................................. 39!
The LFOs ....................................................................... 42!
The Envelopes ................................................................ 45!
The Modulation Matrix .................................................. 47!
The Arpeggiator ............................................................. 50!
Arpeggiator Step Editor .................................................. 56!
The Effects ..................................................................... 59!
Appendix ......................................................................................... 67!
Oscillators Introduction ................................................. 67!
Filter Introduction .......................................................... 74!
Content
5 Largo User´s Manual
The Comb Filter Types ................................................... 76!
Envelope Types in the Largo .......................................... 81!
FM Sources .................................................................... 84!
Modulation Sources ....................................................... 84!
Modulation Destinations ............................................... 85!
Tips & Tricks .................................................................. 86!
Controller Numbers ....................................................... 88!
Glossary ......................................................................... 93!
Product Support ............................................................. 99!
Overview
Largo User´s Manual 6
Overview
User Interface
a Head-up section
b Main parameter section
c Module parameter section
d Virtual Keyboard and Part parameter
Introduction
7 Largo User´s Manual
Introduction
About this Manual
This manual was written to help you to become familiar
with the Largo synthesizer. It will also aid experienced
users with routine tasks.
To avoid confusion, the terminology in this manual is
based on the Largo parameter names. You will find a
glossary at the end of this manual; it explains the various
terms used.
We also used a uniform set of symbols to show you topics
of particular interest or significance. Important terms are
highlighted in bold letters.
Symbols
m Caution – The comments that follow this symbol
will help you avoid errors and malfunctions.
w Info – Additional information on a given topic.
+ Instruction – Follow these guidelines to execute a
desired function.
[ Example – Real-world examples to try out.
Highlighted Control Features and Parameters
All of the Largo´s buttons, controls and parameters are
highlighted in bold letters throughout the manual.
Example:
• Turn the Cutoff dial.
The Largo’s different modes and parameter pages are
illustrated in a depiction of the display.
The value range of a continuous parameter is indicated
from low to high with both values shown in italic letters,
separated by three dots.
Example:
Cutoff 0…127
Installation
Largo User´s Manual 8
Installation
System Requirements for Windows
In order to be able to use the Largo, you will need at least:
• A PC with a Pentium IV or AMD Athlon 1 GHz
processor or better, we recommend a fast CPU.
• 64 MB free RAM.
• Windows XP or newer.
• VST 2.4 compatible host application such as
Steinberg Cubase or newer. This must be correctly
installed on your computer.
• AAX compatibel host application such as Pro Tools
10. This must be correctly installed on your
computer.
w Please also observe the system requirements of your
host application!
w Largo runs within 32 bit as well as 64 bit host
applications.
Installation under Windows
Installation from CD-ROM:
1. Start your computer and launch your operating system.
Insert the Largo CD-ROM into your DVD/CD-ROM drive.
If you have enabled the Autostart function in Windows,
the Installer will start automatically and you can proceed
with Step 5 below. If not, please proceed as follows:
2. Launch the Explorer or open the window “My
Computer”.
3. Double click on the icon for the drive that holds the
Largo CD-ROM.
4. Double click on the Largo installer icon. This launches
a special installation program.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.
w After installing Largo you will have to activate the
program on your computer Please refer to the chapter
“Activation of Largo”.
Installation of a downloaded Installer File:
1. Refer to the folder where the downloaded Largo zip
archive is located.
Installation
9 Largo User´s Manual
2. Double click on the archive file to extraxt it.
3. Double click on the Largo Installer icon. This launches
a special installation program.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions.
w After installing Largo you will have to activate the
program on your computer. Please refer to the
chapter “Activation of Largor”.
System Requirements for Mac OS X
In order to be able to use the Largo, you will need at least:
• Mac with 1.5 GHz Intel processor or better.
• Mac OS X 10.6 or newer.
• 128 MB of free RAM.
• VST 2.4 compatible host application or a VST3
compatible host application such as Steinberg
Cubase. This must be correctly installed on your
computer.
or
• An AudioUnit 2.0 compatible host application such
as Apple Logic or GarageBand. This must be
correctly installed on your computer.
or
• An AAX compatible host application such as Pro
Tools 10. This must be correctly installed on your
computer.
w Please also observe the system requirements of your
host application!
w Largo runs within 32 bit as well as 64 bit host
applications.
Installation under Mac OS X
Proceed as follows to install the Largo:
Installation from CD-ROM:
1. Quit all other applications so that you return to the
Finder. Disable any system activity monitoring software or
extension. Then insert the Largo CD into your computer’s
DVD/CD-ROM drive.
2. If required, double click on the Largo icon to open the
CD window.
Installation
Largo User´s Manual 10
3. Double click on the Largo Installer icon to load the
installation software. Follow the instructions on the
screen.
w After installing Largo you will have to activate the
program on your computer Please refer to the chapter
“Activation of Largo”.
Installation of a Downloaded Installer File:
1. Refer to the folder where the downloaded Largo zip
archive is located.
2. Double click on the archive file to extraxt it.
3. Double click on the Largo Installer DMG icon. This
launches a special installation program.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions.
w After installing Largo you will have to activate the
program on your computer. Please refer to the
chapter „Activation of Largo“.
Activation of Largo
Largo uses a software based copy protection called
eLicenser. Largo can only run with an activated license.
m Really important — The license code can be used
just once and becomes invalid after first use. If you
have lost your license code by a hard disk crash or
renewing your operating system please contact our
support: support@waldorfmusic.de
Independent of installing Largo on a Mac or Windows
computer you will need to activate the software. You
need to have administrator rights to install and authorize
Largo. If your current user account doesn't have
administrator rights, please quit the installer, log in as user
with administrator rights and start the installer again.
w You require an active internet connection for license
activation.
1. After successful installation of Largo the eLicenser
Control Center application will start automatically. If not,
please start it manually. The eLicenser Control Center can
be found within your Application folder.
2. In the application windows please choose the option
“Enter Activation Code”.
Installation
11 Largo User´s Manual
3. Enter the 32 digit activation code that was included in
your Largo package. Confirm it and follow the
instructions.
4. You can download your final activation as software
license (SeL) or directly to a connected optional eLicenser
USB Key (e.g. Steinberg Key).
w Largo is copy-protected by the Soft eLicenser Copy
Protection. You do not need an USB key to authorize
Largo on a particular computer. However, we
strongly recommend to transfer the Largo license to
an eLicenser USB Key (i.e. from Steinberg or
eLicenser) during or after activation. Please consult
the eLicenser Control Center Online Help how to
perform this optional step.
w If you want to use Largo on different computers or if
you want to remove the soft license from your current
computer or if you need to reinstall your computer
system you must transfer the Largo eLicense to an
eLicenser USB Key. Otherwise your soft license will
be gone forever.
w Please note the “Read Me!” and “Important Changes”
text files on the Largo CD-ROM, which may contain
additional information and/or any changes.
m If you want to upgrade your operating system
software or exchange any hardware system
component make sure to transfer your soft eLicense
to an optional eLicenser USB Key before. Otherwise
your soft license will be gone forever.
Basic Operation
Largo User´s Manual 12
Basic Operation
Worth Knowing about Parts
Largo offers a sound structure with four parts. All four
parts are always saved for each sound program. For each
bank, 128 sound programs are saved. The four parts can
be controlled either together via MIDI channel 5 or
separately via MIDI channels 1, 2, 3 or 4 (Multi sets to
Part). Additionally all parts can be played simultaneously
regardless of the incoming MIDI channel (Multi sets to
Layer) Each part can have its own stereo output. With the
Outputs parameter, you can mix all parts together to one
stereo output. You can also use this architecture to
generate a 4 times multimode or surround sound.
Both Effect units are available for each part without any
restrictions.
General Operation
Largo has been optimized for a screen resolution of at
least 1024x768 pixels. If your resolution is smaller, you
either have to scroll your window.
Largo has various on-screen controls, the behavior of
which differs according to the Control Mode settings in
the Common menu (Auto/Linear/Circular). The faders can
be moved with greater accuracy by holding down the
SHIFT key on your computer keyboard while moving your
mouse. Clicking the corresponding fader or knob while
holding down the CTRL key resets the parameters to the
stored values. Mouse scroll wheel is supported for all
continuous controls. This excludes buttons and graphic
displays.
Doubleclick on any continuous control opens text edit
field. This excludes buttons and menus.
Basic Operation
13 Largo User´s Manual
Control Elements
Using Largo’s controls is simple. There are some different
types of control elements:
Dials
To set a value, click on the dial, hold down
the mouse button and drag around the dial
in a circle (Control Mode setting: Circular)
or move the mouse up and down (Control
Mode setting: Linear).
Parameter Values
These allow to set a parameter value.
Click and hold the mouse button on the
value and drag the mouse up or down. Pressing Shift
while holding the mouse button allows finer adjustment.
Pop-up Menu
Click on the corresponding
parameter to open a pop up
menu where you can choose the desired parameter.
Switches
Switches are represented by “LEDs”. If
a function is active, its “LED” will be lit
red and all others within the function
block will be dark. To activate a
function, click on its “LED”.
Display
The information display shows parameter information and
a brief description of the parameter function. In addition,
MIDI controller allocations and the current numerical
value of the parameter are displayed. If you hover over a
parameter using the mouse, the corresponding
information appears in the information display.
Sound Parameter
Largo User´s Manual 14
Sound Parameter
Overview of Functions
The Waldorf Largo consists of numerous sound-shaping
components. The following pages describe all parameters
in detail. Additional information can be found in the
Appendix on page 57.
The Head-up Section
The Head-up section provides the global overview and
includes the following elements:
1. The Browse and Edit buttons toggle between standard
Largo user interface (Edit) and Sound Browser window
(Browser).
2. The File menu button opens a pop-down menu
containing all functions as loading and saving programs
and banks.
3. The Edit menu button opens a pop-down menu
containing various functions for editing sound programs
and parts.
4. The Sound Selection is for selecting sound programs.
5. The Information Display shows parameter information.
In addition, MIDI controller allocations and the current
numerical value of the parameter are displayed.
6. The Waldorf logo is clickable and opens a window
with vitally important information about the Largo.
The File Menu
Left click on the File menu button to open a pop-down
menu with the following parameters:
• Load Bank opens a window to load a Largo
soundbank.
• Save Bank opens a window to save the current
Largo soundbank.
• Load Program opens a window to load a single
Largo sound program.
• Save Program opens a window to save the current
Largo sound program.
• Recall Bank recalls all sound edits and recover the
original soundbank settings.
Sound Parameter
15 Largo User´s Manual
• Save All Programs up to this Program saves all
sounds from sound program 1 to the current sound
program as single sounds.
• Save All Programs up to this Program as Audio
Unit Preset (only Mac) saves all sounds from sound
program 1 to the current sound program as single
AudioUnit presets.
The Edit Menu
Left click on the Edit menu button to open a pop-down
menu with the following parameters:
• Copy Program copies the current sound program
into the clipboard.
• Paste Program pastes the sound program from the
clipboard to the current sound program.
• Recall Program recalls all sound edits and recover
the original sound settings.
• Init Program initializes the current sound and set all
parameter to standard values.
• Copy Part copies the current selected part into the
clipboard.
• Paste Part pastes the part from the clipboard to the
current part.
• Recall Part recalls all part sound edits and recover
the original part settings.
• Init Part initializes the current part and set all
parameter to standard values
• Sort by Name Ascending up to this Program
arranges all sound programs in alphabetical order up
to the actual program.
• Sort by Name Descending up to this Program
arranges all sound programs in alphabetical order
from to the actual program.
• Sort by Category Ascending up to this Program
arranges all sound programs based on the categories
up to the actual program.
• Sort by Category Descending up to this
Program arranges all sound programs based on the
categories from to the actual program.
Sound Parameter
Largo User´s Manual 16
w Please note that some host applications as Steinberg
Cubase 4 or newer use an additional sound data
managment. It offers you an alternative way to load
and save sounds. Please refer to the corresponding
chapter in the manual of your host application.
[ Working with Parts – To set up a sound program
with different parts please do the following:
Select the desired sound program and use the Copy
Part function. Select the destination sound program
and use the Paste Part function to paste the new part
into the existing program.
Sound Selection
The Sound display shows the name and category of the
current sound program. Click on the left arrow buttons to
step through the sound programs of the current loaded
sound bank. Click on the right arrow button to open a
pop-down menu for a faster sound selection.
Doubleclick on the soundname or the category to change
it by entering a new indication.
The Sound Browser
Largo offers a comprehensive window for selecting,
searching and managing sound programs.
Click on the Browser button in the head-up section to
open the Sound Browser window.
The Sound Browser consists of two main sections: The
Program Table on the right and the File Browser on the
left.
The upper section offers different search and category
options:
• The pop-up menu „Show all“ selects the displayed
files types. You can choose between „Show all“,
Sound Parameter
17 Largo User´s Manual
show „Programs“ only, show „Banks“ only or show
„AudioUnit Setting“ (Mac only).
• File Browser search field – here you can type in any
name or search strings to find desired sounds, banks
etc. Search results will be shown in the File Browser
window. Click on the cross to reset the search field.
• Program Table view buttons - here you can choose, if
the Program Table shows all sound programs (All) or
sound programs from 1-64 or 65-128.
• Program table search field – here you can type in any
name or search strings to find desired sounds,
categories e.g. Search results will be highlighted in
grey. Click on the cross to reset the search field.
Program Table
The Program Table shows all Programs of the currently
loaded Bank (or part of, if the views 1-64 or 65-128 are
displayed). It allows to quickly access or manage these
sounds. Managing includes reordering, copying and
pasting, importing and exporting among other functions. It
offers the following mouse and keyboard functions:
• Click selects a Program. Selected Programs are
highlighted with a filled background in a different
colour.
• 2nd Click renames a Program.
• Double-Click switches to that Program. Active
Programs are highlighted with a frame in a different
colour.
• Shift + Click selects a contiguous range of Programs.
• Command + Click [Mac] / CTRL + Click [Windows]
adds a Program to or removes it from the current
selection.
• Right Click [also CTRL + Click on Mac] opens a
context menu with the following menu items:
• Open – opens a fxp or aupreset from a desired
location.
• Save as Single Programs – saves the selected
Programs to a desired location as fxp (VST
version) or aupreset (AU version).
• Copy – copies the selected Programs to the
system clipboard. This allows copying and
pasting Programs between different Largo
instances.
Sound Parameter
Largo User´s Manual 18
• Paste – pastes the copied Programs into the
currently selected Programs. If there are less
Programs selected, the remaining Programs are
pasted into the following Programs.
• Init – initializes the selected Programs.
• Select All – selects all Programs in the Program
Table.
• Sort By Name/Category Ascending/Descending
– sorts the selected Programs according to the
chosen function. Note that Category Sort doesn't
sort the factory-given categories alphabetically
but in a meaningful order.
• Arrow Key (Up / Down / Left / Right) selects a
Program and switches to it.
• Shift + Arrow Key selects a contiguous range of
Programs.
Dragging:
• Swap – Drag and Drop entries inside the Program
Table swaps the selected Programs with the ones
starting at the drop location.
• Copy – Holding Option [Mac] or Alt [Windows]
during the drop operation copies the selected
Programs to the ones starting at the drop location.
• Import – Drop of a selection of files of known file
types from Finder [Mac] or Explorer [Windows]
imports them into Programs starting at the drop
location. Dropping Bank Files (.fxb) and Program
Files (.fxp or .aupreset [Mac]) at once results in
undefined behaviour, depending on the order in
which the Operating System delivers these files to
Largo.
• Export – Drag and Drop on the File Browser, the
Finder [Mac], the Explorer [Windows] or any other
application that is aware of dragged files saves the
selected Programs to disk into the selected folder as
invidivual .fxp files (or as .auprest files when run as
AudioUnit on Mac). The files are always stored with
unique file names so no existing files are overwritten.
• Share – Drop on any application that can handle files
to perform further actions with them, such as an
email application to easily share Largo Programs with
other musicians.
• List – Drop on any application window that doesn't
handle files creates a text list from the selected
Sound Parameter
19 Largo User´s Manual
programs, such as a plain text editor (no rich text
editor since that one understands drag & drop of
files), e.g. TextEdit [Mac] or Notepad [Windows].
File Browser
The File Browser shows file and folder (directory)
hierarchies of certain folders in a tree view similar to the
Finder [Mac] or Explorer [Windows]. It allows to quickly
access or manage files of all known file types on disk.
Managing includes restructuring, duplicating, removing,
importing and exporting among other functions. Only
known file types are presented, files that Largo doesn't
understand are not added to the tree.
Its view differs from the Explorer tree view [Windows] in
that it displays folders and files both in the same structure.
This allows to view or select files in different folders at
once which wouldn't be possible with a split view, which
would only show the files of one single folder.
The File Browser shows at least the content of the default
Largo Program locations on disk. They are called Local
Library (accessible for all users of the particular computer)
and User Library (accessible only for the current user)
respectively and are located in the following locations
(note that folder names might be localized or personalized
on your operating system version. Those folder names
appear in [brackets]):
Presets Location on a Mac computer:
Local Library: /Library/Audio/Presets/Waldorf/Largo/
User Library: [User home directory]/Library/ Audio/
Presets/Waldorf/Largo/
Preset Location on a Windows computer
w Please note that we have changed the location of the
Largo factory sounds. They are installed in the Local
Library folder as written below. If you like, you can
overwrite these sounds with your existing sound
library in the Windows Explorer.
Local Library: [Largo installation path]\Waldorf\Largo
Sounds
User Library: [Documents And Settings]\[User home
directory]\[Application Data]\Waldorf\Largo\
Further folders can be added and removed at will but we
strongly recommend to not add an entire hard disk or
other huge folder structure since scanning those might
take a very long time and if the number of found items is
huge, Largo might behave unpredictable.
Sound Parameter
Largo User´s Manual 20
Working with the File Browser
The view is divided into three columns. The first column
shows the file or folder name, the second the last
modification date and the third the category for a Program
File. Folders have a small disclosure triangle to their left to
reveal or hide their content.
Files or folders that are added to the tree by either
dropping them onto the file browser or by using the
context menu items Add... or Duplicate are always
created with unique file names. These file names are
created in the style "original_name number.extension"
where "original_name" refers to the original file name
without extension, "number" refers to a unique number
starting at 1, which is incremented until a unique name is
found, and "extension" refers to the original file extension.
The File Browser offers the following mouse and keyboard
functions. Please note that all operations which modify
files or folders on disk require sufficient access privileges:
• Click selects a file or folder. Selected items are
highlighted with a filled background in a different
color.
• 2nd Click renames a file or folder if possible. The
root folders cannot be renamed but all subfolders and
files can. Note that this doesn't change the name of
the Sound in that file, it only changes the name of the
file on disk. If a name already exists, the file is not
renamed.
• Double-Click on a file loads that file into Largo. A
Program File (.fxp or .aupreset [Mac]) is loaded into
the currently active Program location overwriting the
Program that was there previously. A Bank File
replaces the whole memory of Largo completely.
• Double-Click on a folder reveals or hides its content.
• Shift + Click selects a contiguous range of files and
folders.
• Command + Click [Mac] / CTRL + Click [Windows]
adds a file or folder to or removes it from the current
selection.
• Right Click (also CTRL + Click on Mac) opens a
context menu with the following menu items:
• Open – loads the selected file into Largo.
• New Folder... – creates a new folder on disk
inside the selected folder or the enclosing folder
if a file is selected. Upon successful creation, the
folder can be renamed.
Sound Parameter
21 Largo User´s Manual
• Add... – shows a file select dialog to select files
that are copied into the selected folder or the
enclosing folder if a file is selected.
• Rename... – renames a file or folder if possible.
The root folders cannot be renamed but all
subfolders and files can. Note that this doesn't
change the name of the Sound in that file, it only
changes the name of the file on disk. If a name
already exists, the file is not renamed.
• Duplicate – duplicates the selected files or
folders and renames them uniquely.
• Move to Trash – moves the selected files or
folders to the system trash.
• Reveal in Finder [Mac] / Reveal in Explorer
[Windows] – reveals the selected files or folders
in a Finder [Mac] or Explorer [Windows]
window.
• Add Scan Folder... – shows a folder select dialog
to select a folder that is scanned for folders and
files with known file types and the result is
added to the File Browser view. No files are
copied by this command, the selected folder is
only added to the view tree. All added scan
folders are stored in Largo's preferences when
Largo is closed and they are added to the File
Browser automatically on subsequent launches.
• Remove Scan Folder – removes the selected toplevel folder from the list of scanned folders if
possible. The main library folders Local Library
and User Library cannot be removed, only the
custom scan folders can.
• Refresh – refreshes the content of the selected
folder or the enclosing folder if a file is selected.
• Refresh All – refreshes the content of all folders.
• Arrow Key Up / Down select the previous / next file
or folder in the file browser.
• Arrow Key Left / Right close or open a selected
folder.
• Return (or Enter) loads the selected entry into Largo
memory. A Program File is loaded into the currently
selected program, a Bank File replaces the whole
memory of Largo.
Dragging:
• Move – Drag and Drop inside the File Browser or
between the Finder [Mac] or the Explorer [Windows]
Sound Parameter
Largo User´s Manual 22
moves the selected files or folders to the highlighted
folder. Note: the files and folders are *moved*, so
they are *removed* from their original location and
created at their new location. If you don't want that,
use the copy command below.
• Copy – Holding Option [Mac] or Alt [Windows]
during the drop operation copies the selected files or
folders to the new location.
• Load – Drag of selected files to the Program Table
loads them into Largo RAM starting at the highlighted
location.
Oscillator Section
The Largo offers three oscillators that nearly use the same
parameters for editing.
w A detailled introduction of the oscillators can be
found in the Appendix.
Activating an Oscillator
Click on the Active button to switch the corresponding
oscillator on or off.
Shape Pop-down Menu Pulse / Saw / Triangle
/ Sine / Wavetables
Sets the type of waveform to be generated by the
Oscillator. The parameter is called Shape instead of
Sound Parameter
23 Largo User´s Manual
“waveform”, because it doesn’t necessarily set only one
waveform, but sets a specific oscillator model that could
produce a number of waveforms depending on other
settings. A good example for this behaviour is the Pulse
shape. However, the term “waveform” is used
interchangeably throughout the manual. The following
shapes are currently available:
• Pulse selects the pulse waveform. A pulse waveform
with a pulse width of 50% has only the odd
harmonics of the fundamental frequency present.
This waveform produces a hollow / metallic sound.
If the Pulse waveform is selected, the parameters
Wave and Wave Mod Source are used to change
the pulsewidth of the waveform.
• Saw selects the sawtooth waveform. A Sawtooth
wave has all the harmonics of the fundamental
frequency in descending magnitude. It doesn’t have
any further parameters.
• Triangle selects the triangular waveform. The triangle
mainly consists of the odd harmonics with very low
magnitudes. It doesn’t have any further parameters.
• Sine consists of the fundamental frequency only. It
has no harmonics at all. It doesn’t have any further
parameter.
• 68 Wavetables based on classic wavetables of
Waldorf synthesizers can be found in oscillator 1
and 2 only. An introduction to the Wavetables can
be found in the Appendix of this manual. When a
wavetable is selected, the parameters Wave and
Wave Mod serve to select the start point of the
waves. Furthermore, the modulation sources 01PW
and 02PW are active subject to which Oscillator is
set to the wavetable.
[ The Pulse shape can be used to create unusual
synthesizer sounds and oboe like sounds.
[ The Saw shape can be used for basses, leads, brass
and string sounds.
[ The Tri shape can be used for flute sounds or soft
pads.
!"#$%
&'()*(+#%,!"#$%,-*./01
2(3/44/0 5)*(67#% 2*6%
Sound Parameter
Largo User´s Manual 24
[ The Sine shape can be used to produce basses and
electric organ sounds.
[ The Sine shape is also perfectly suited for ring
modulation or as FM Source.
[ The wavetables are perfect for very vivid sounds.
[ The tips listed here of course are only suggestions.
The variety of tones among all Waveforms in the
Largo are nearly inexhaustible.
w Left-click and hold on the Shape display and move
the mouse vertically to change the startwave of a
Wavetable or the Pulswidth of a Pulse shape.
w Left-click and hold on the Shape display and move
the mouse up or down to change the Oscillator
Startphase (see below).
Octave 128´...1/2´
Sets the basic pitch of the oscillator in steps of an octave.
The Octave setting is shown as register value, a common
measurement based on the length of organ pipes. The
reference pitch for the oscillator is generated at MIDI note
A3 (note no. 69) when Octave is set to 8’, Semitone and
Detune are set to 0, Keytrack is set to 100% and no
pitch modulation is applied. In this case, the oscillator’s
frequency will be the same as set in the global Master
Tune parameter (usually 440 Hz).
[ Set Octave to 16’ for bass sounds.
[ Set Octave to 8’ if you are creating typical keyboard
sounds.
[ Set Octave to 4’ if you are programming strings or
other high pitched sounds.
[ When you use an Oscillator to modulate other
Oscillators or the Filters, experiment with the Octave
parameter. Low settings might result in periodic
modulations while high settings might add a bell
character to the timbre.
[ Ultra-low settings like 128’ can create very nice
rhythmic changes when used with the ring
modulator. If this is still not low enough, you can
use the Standard Modulation Matrix to apply
MAXIMUM to the respective oscillator pitch with a
negative amount.
Sound Parameter
25 Largo User´s Manual
Semitone -12...+12
Sets the pitch of the oscillator in semitone steps. The
standard setting for this parameter is 0, but there are cases
where different values are interesting as well.
[ Organ sounds often include a fifth, therefore one
oscillator's semitone parameter must be set to +7.
[ Lead and Solo sounds might sound interesting when
you set one Oscillator to e.g. a fourth (+5
semitones).
[ When making ring modulated or FM sounds, try to
use dissonant values, e.g. +6 or +8.
Detune -64...+63
Fine-tunes the oscillator in steps of 1/128th of a semitone.
The audible result of detuned oscillators is a Chorus or
Flanger effect. Use a positive setting for one oscillator and
an equivalent negative setting for another.
[ A low value of ±1 results in a slow and soft Flanger
effect.
[ Mid-ranged settings of ±5 are perfect for pads and
other fat sounding programs.
[ High values of ±12 or above will give a strong
detune that can be used for accordions or effect
sounds.
Bend Range -24...+24
Determines the intensity of the pitchbend via MIDI
Pitchbend messages in semitones for the selected
oscillator.
Keytrack -200%...+196%
Determines how much the pitch of the selected oscillator
depends on the MIDI note number. The reference note for
Keytrack is E3, note number 64. For positive settings, the
oscillator pitch rises on notes above the reference note,
for negative settings the oscillator pitch falls by the same
amount and vice versa. A setting of +100% corresponds
to a 1:1 scale, e.g. when an octave is played on the
keyboard the pitch changes for the same amount. Other
settings than +100% make sense especially when using
ring modulation, FM or oscillator synchronization. Try to
use values in the range 0%…+75% or even negative
settings for one oscillator while leaving the second at
+100% Keytrack.
Sound Parameter
Largo User´s Manual 26
FM Source see table „FM Sources“
Selects the source for the frequency modulation of the
selected oscillator.
[ You can create nice E-Piano sounds when you use a
high pitched oscillator as FM Source and set its
Keytrack to a value between 000% and +050%.
[ The use of Noise is very interesting as FM Source
on a high pitched oscillator playing a sine or triangle
waveform. With a low FM Amount, the oscillator
starts to sound dirty or airy while higher amounts
create a coloured noise similar to a filter with high
resonance. A side benefit is that the filters are then
still free for other purposes.
FM Amount 0...127
Sets the amount of frequency modulation that is applied
to the oscillator by the selected FM source. The sound
will get more metallic and sometimes even drift out of
tune, especially if Oscillator 2 is used as FM Source for
Oscillator 3 and Sync is activated. To avoid unusable
detune, use a triangular or sine waveform for the FM
Source.
[ If you want to bias FM over the keyboard so that
higher notes aren’t modulated as strongly as lower
notes, use the Modulation Matrix and apply
Keytrack to the respective oscillator FM with a
negative amount.
Pulsewidth/Wavescan 0...127
Sets the pulse width of the Pulse waveform or changes the
startpoint of the wavetable. Click in the waveform display
and drag the mouse up or down to change the value. The
value 0 is equivalent to a pulse ratio of 0%, the oscillator
is producing no audible signal. The value 127 is
equivalent to 50% and produces a symmetric square
wave without even harmonics. If you select any waveform
other than Pulse or the wavetables, this parameter does
not have any effect. The following picture illustrates the
effect of the pulsewidth parameter:
[ A pulse width of 50% can be used for flute sounds
or very hollow bass sounds.
!"#$%&'()*+&,-.
/01"23%4
!"#$%&'()*+&55. !"#$%&'()*+&6,. !"#$%&'()*+&78.
/9:;"#$%4
Sound Parameter
27 Largo User´s Manual
[ A pulse width of around 30% can be used for e-
piano or fat bass sounds.
[ A pulse width of around 10% is interesting for
Clavinet sounds.
[ Experiment with different start points for the
Wavetable waveforms to get an overview of the
array of available Waveforms for both wavetables.
Wave Source see table „Modulation Sources“
Selects the source of the pulsewidth modulation or the
wavetable modulation. Common sources for pulsewidth
modulation are envelopes and LFOs, but other sources
like the modulation wheel or aftertouch can create nice
effects as well.
[ To create a thick oscillator sound, use a triangular
LFO as Wave Source with full Wave Amount and
a Pulsewidth of around 80. This basic setting is
useful for very big string and lead sounds. When you
play different notes on the keyboard, you might
notice that bass notes sound more detuned than
higher notes. To avoid this behaviour, set Keytrack
of the used LFO to a positive setting between 50%
and 100%.
[ To create a Bass sound, use a decaying Envelope as
Wave Source with negative Wave Amount and a
Pulsewidth of around 80…127. This results in a fat
attack phase, especially when only one oscillator is
used for the Bass.
[ When you want to create a sound with a wave
sweep, you should set the startpoint roughly
(Pulsewidth) at the desired wave, before you apply
any modulation. This will help you to find the basic
waveform, before the effect of modulations. Note
that you can apply unipolar and bipolar modulation
sources. For example, set Pulsewidth to 64, which
is almost the middle of the wavetable and apply a
slow running LFO to Wave Source to sweep
through the whole wavetable.
Wave Amount -64...+63
This parameter determines the amount of modulation that
is applied to the pulsewidth of the oscillator’s square
wave. If a wavetable is selected, Wave Amount
determines the amount of the wavetable modulation. If
you select any waveform other than Pulse or the
wavetables, this parameter does not have any effect. The
modulation source that affects the pulsewidth is selected
by the source parameter described above.
Sound Parameter
Largo User´s Manual 28
Brilliance 0...127
Determines the brilliance of the ocillator models Saw,
Pulse and all Wavetables. The models Saw and Pulse
don !t play simple waveforms as a sampler. It is based on exact
emulations of analog components with digital algorithms.
The Brilliance parameter changes defined parameters of
these models to point out the higher frequencies. A value
of 0 results in perfect interpolation (good for waves with
only a few harmonics), 127 results in bright waveform
playback (good for brilliant waveforms such as in
wavetable Clipper). A value of 64 is nearly similar to the
brilliance of the oscillators produced by the Waldorf Q
and microQ synthesizers.
w Many people can´t hear the highest frequencies of
our oscillators. So don´t be surprised if you can´t hear
any difference when using Brilliance. Ask infants,
dogs or bats to help you adjusting the oscillator
brilliance.
Wavetables are using 64 harmonics. In this case Brilliance
can add harmonics for lower frequencies. Higher
Brilliance values come close to the sound synthesis
process of the earlier wavetable synthesizers as PPG
Wave and Waldorf Wave. The Waldorf Microwave II/XT
offers a similar parameter called „Quantize“.
Phase free/ 0...360
°
Determines the startphase of an oscillator. free results in
free-running oscillators as in analog synthesizers, 0..360°
determines the phase in degree the oscillator waveform
starts with.
Limit On / Off
Available for Oscillator 1 and 2 only. Determines, if the
classic wavetables (from Resonant) are played with or without
the additional analog waveforms. The analog waveforms are a
relict from the former PPG Wave and Microwave
synthesizers. If you don !t want to use these waveforms, use
Limit to mask it.
• Off masks the analog waveforms of a wavetable.
• On plays the analog waveforms of a wavetable.
Sub Oscillator Octave 1...4
Available for Oscillator 1 and 2 only. Sub Oscillator
Octave determines the relative proportion of Sub and
Main oscillator frequencies. Higher values represent a
lower tuning.
Sound Parameter
29 Largo User´s Manual
Level 0...127
Available for Oscillator 1 and 2 only. Sub Oscillator Level
determines the volume of the Suboscillator creating a
Square Waveform. A setting of 0 corresponds to no
volume. Please note that the loudness of the Suboscillator
also depends on the volume of the main oscillator
Sync (only for Osc 2) off / on
Enables or disables oscillator synchronization. When
enabled, Oscillator 2 acts as a slave that is controlled by
Oscillator 3, the master. Each time Oscillator 3 starts a
new cycle, it sends a trigger signal to Oscillator 2, forcing
it to restart its waveform cycle, too. As a result, interesting
sound effects may be generated, especially when both
oscillators are operating at different pitch settings. Using
additional pitch modulation by envelopes, LFO, or Pitch
bend will lend further movement to sync sounds. The
following picture illustrates the principle of oscillator
synchronization in a simplified way:
[ Use Sync for Lead or Solo sounds. Set Oscillator 2
to play one octave and 7 semitones higher, apply an
envelope to its pitch with positive amount and you
get a screaming sync sound.
[ Sync can also be very interesting on arpeggio
sounds. Apply a slow clocked LFO to Oscillator 2
pitch and the arpeggio starts to move.
Osc Pitch Mod Source see Table “Modulation
Sources”
Selects the source of the pitch modulation for all
oscillators. A common source for pitch modulation is an
LFO whose strength is controlled by the modwheel or
aftertouch.
!"#$%&$'#(()*&+ $,-'./%*&%*"#$%&$'#(()*&+ +.$0(*$%#-%*"#$%1)2.
-.1%','(.%&3%4)$*.+%&$'#(()*&+
Sound Parameter
Largo User´s Manual 30
[ To create a common pitch vibrato that is
controlled by the modwheel, set Osc Pitch Mod
Source to LFO1*MW with Osc Pitch Mod
Amount set to around +20.
[ To create a sound whose pitch glides in, set Osc
Pitch Mod Source to a decaying Envelope with
Osc Pitch Mod Amount set to around –25.
w If you want to modulate the pitch of individual
oscillators, you can do so with the Modulation
Matrix.
Osc Pitch Mod Amount -64...+63
Sets the amount of pitch modulation for all oscillators.
Positive amounts will raise the pitch when positive
modulation is applied, e.g. by pressing aftertouch on the
keyboard. Negative amounts will lower the pitch when
positive modulation is applied.
Mixer Section
Osc Level 0...127
Controls the volume of the selected Oscillator.
Osc Balance F1 64...mid...F2
63
Determines the ratio of the selected
Oscillator’s signal that is sent to the
inputs of Filter 1 and Filter 2. If set to
F1 64, the signal is sent to Filter 1
only. Higher values will increase the
amount of signal that feeds Filter 2
and decrease the amount of signal
that feeds Filter 1. If set to mid, both
filters will receive the same signal
level. If set to F2 63, the signal is sent
to Filter 2 only.
Ring Modulation
The following parameters refer to the ring modulator.
Ring Mod Level 0...127
Volume of the ring modulation between Oscillator 1 and
2. From a technical point of view ring modulation is the
multiplication of two oscillators’ signals. The result of this
operation is a waveform that contains the sums and the
differences of the source frequency components. Since the
ring modulation generates disharmonic components, it
Loading...