Operation Manual

Vocalizer
The Vocalizer produces a particular type of effects that harmonise the audio signal on the microphone input according to some specific rules.
It is dedicated to the human voice, and adds two or three notes to the single note sung into the microphone, thus creating a vocal duo or trio
utilising the timbre of the voice on the microphone input. The SD1 applies the Vocalizer only to the signal coming from the balanced Micro 1
input with XLR connection, and uses, as harmonisation information, the chords played on the keyboard or those on the MIDI In 2 input. The
Vocalizer control can also be carried out by a MIDI track of a Midifile played by the SD1 sequencer or by information collected on MIDI In 1. Due
to the fact that the Vocalizer includes the control of the elements forming the timbre, further to harmonisation it also consents to significant-
ly alter the timbre itself, for example to transform a male timbre into a female one.
The SD1 Vocalizer is freely programmable and consents storage of all parameters in one of the twelve RAM Vocal Sets, in addition of the four
Vocal Sets in ROM. It also features the opportunity of assigning some Arranger control buttons, like Fill or Arrange, a different algorithm, such
as to automate voice harmonisation, too. The assignments made to the Arrange A, B, C and D buttons are valid even while reproducing a song,
so it will be possible to call up a different algorithm pressing one of these buttons.
HOW TO ACTIVATE THE VOCALIZER
Before using the Vocalizer, you need to connect a microphone of good quality to the audio input Micro 1 and regulate the amplification acting
on the Gain cursor. The SD1 provides special parameters for gain management, but you may visually control the microphone volume by observ-
ing the Overload LED on the ON LINE EFFECT button. A good regulation is achieved if the LED lights up only very rarely. If the LED is continu-
ously lighting, this means that the audio input is saturated and, as a consequence, unpleasant distortions will be produced on the audio signal.
For further information on how to manage the audio inputs please refer to the Effects and Microphone sections.
Activating the Vocalizer is extremely easy:
Press the VOCALIZER ON/OFF button, the LED will light up.
The SD1 displays a first page with ten Vocal Sets assigned to the function buttons, which can be instantly called up. Pressing PAGE +/- opens
the second Vocal Set page including also the Vocal Sets preset by Ketron.
The Vocal Set can also be called up from the On Line Effect menu, where the Vocal Set selected on the Vocalizer On/Off page is indicated.
There is no difference between selecting a Vocal Set from the Vocalizer menus or from the On Line Effect menus.
Pressing the VOCALIZER ON/OFF button immediately activates the Vocalizer, which can be deactivated by re-pressing the same button on the
Vocalizer page. If you are on the main page of the display, in order to deactivate this function you will need to go to the Vocalizer page with a
first press on the VOCALIZER ON/OFF button and then press again the same button.
THE VOCALIZER MODES
The Vocalizer performs differently according to which of the five different harmonisation modes Automatic Chord 1, Automatic Chord 2,
Keyboard Harmony, Fixed Interval and Vocal Effects has been selected. Each one of these modes includes different algorithms that will be dis-
played in the centre of the display.
Automatic Chord 1 and Automatic Chord 2 produce the additional notes according to the chord played and to the recognition of the note that
was sung into the microphone input.
Keyboard Harmony adds the notes according to the chord played but independently from the recognition of the note sung. A particular aspect
of Keyboard Harmony is the MIDI algorithm drawing the notes to be added to the human voice from a MIDI track of a Midifile. This opportunity
is included by a number of commercial Midifiles and the SD1 is compatible with most of these files.
Fixed Interval transforms the Vocalizer into a common Pitch Shifter, i.e. it adds the voices according to fixed intervals and not based on the
chord recognition. Vocal Effects offers special effects algorithms that totally transform the character of the original voice.
THE VOCALIZER PARAMETERS
Pressing the VOCALIZER EDIT button accesses the page dedicated to programming a Vocal Set, with all the relevant parameters. This page indi-
cates the presently selected Vocal Set to be edited and, in the centre, the list of algorithms available according to the selected harmonisation
mode. To its side, associated to the function buttons, you will find a number of directly accessible parameters, or parameters over which you
may access other parameters that will be shown at the centre of the display.
SD1 Owner’s Manual
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