User's Manual

5.3 The Synth Section 37
Latch mode
The Arpeggiator module is toggled in latch mode by clicking the Latch button to its on position. In
this mode, the Arpeggiator keeps playing its pattern when the notes on the keyboard are released
and until a new chord is played.
5.2.7 Virtual Keyboard
The lower part of each view includes a virtual keyboard. The keyboard covers seven octaves and
notes are activated by clicking on the keyboard. The keyboard is useful to test sounds when no
MIDI keyboard is connected to your computer.
5.2.8 Split Keyboard
When two layers are used in a sound, one can enable the split keyboard mode in order to play
them in different regions of the keyboard. This mode is activated by clicking on the Split button
of the Keyboard module. When this mode is activated, a coloured line appears above the ribbon
keyboard of the interface in order to indicate the range of each split region of the keyboard. The left
portion of the keyboard is associated with layer A while the right portion is associated with layer B.
The split point on the keyboard can be adjusted by clicking on the ellipsis icon located to the right
of the ribbon. The split note can be chosen from the Split Note drop down menu. Alternatively, the
Learn function can be activated and the desired split note played on the MIDI keyboard connected
to Chromaphone 3.
5.3 The Synth Section
The Synth section is accessed by clicking on the Synth tab of a layer. This section allows one
to go ’under the hood’ and tweak the core synthesis modules of Chromaphone 3 and therefore to
customize its tone and behavior.
5.3.1 General Notions of Acoustics
Normal Modes
Exciting an object such as the skin of a drum by hitting it with a mallet results in a complex vibra-
tional motion. It is this vibration of the object that will create pressure waves in the surrounding