User Manual

20
(Envelope Controls Continued)
AMPLIFIER ATTACK: The time required for the Mixer output’s amplitude to ascend from zero to its
maximum value is controlled via this knob. Its value ranges from 1 millisecond to 10 seconds.
AMPLIFIER DECAY: The time required for the Mixer output’s amplitude to descend from its maximum
value to the Sustain Level is controlled via this knob. Its value ranges from 1 millisecond to 10 seconds.
AMPLIFIER SUSTAIN: Rotating this knob will set the Mixer output’s amplitude once the Decay Stage is
complete. The Sustain stage is held until the Envelope receives a Note Off command or the Gate ends.
Its value ranges from zero to 100 percent, calibrated 1 to 10.
AMPLIFIER RELEASE: The time required for the Mixer output’s amplitude to descend from its Sustain
value to zero is controlled via this knob. Its value ranges from 1 millisecond to 10 seconds.
TRY THIS
NOTE ARTICULATION
Load your favorite melodic Preset. For both Envelopes, turn the Attack to just under one second
and the Release to just over one second. Play the keys staccato, making sure to lift your fingers
between each note. Notice that you can hear the Release Stage after every note, especially when
you pause long enough for the Envelope to return to zero.
Now play legato, making sure you don’t lift you fingers between notes. Hear the difference? After
the first note, the Envelopes bypass their Attack, Decay, and Release Stages when you play legato
and maintain their Sustain Levels until you lift your fingers. Playing with a combination of staccato
and legato articulations adds to the expressivity of your performance.
CLASSIC ELECTRONIC KICK DRUM
One of the simplest sounds you can synthesize is a kick drum, also called a bass drum. Perhaps
the best example of an electronic kick drum comes from a classic analog drum machine, the 808.
It uses a sine wave and a 2-stage Envelope Generator to create the sound. Subsequent 25 lets you
re-create this vintage sound with just a bit more thump.
Although synthesizing most percussion begins with the Noise Generator, the kick drum is an
exception. After initializing the Patches, turn up the Mixer level on Oscillator 1. Turn Oscillator 1’s
OCTAVE knob to 16’ and the WAVE knob to triangle. On the Amplifier Envelope, turn the ATTACK
and SUSTAIN knobs all the way down. Now adjust the DECAY and RELEASE knobs to exactly
1 second. Because triangle waves have a few weak overtones, you’ll need to filter those out to
approximate a sine wave.
Turn the Filter CUTOFF knob to 320Hz and the MULTIDRIVE knob to 9 O’clock. On the front
panel’s left side, press the left OCTAVE button to lower the pitch an octave, and strike the low C
key. If necessary, slightly adjust the CUTOFF and DECAY to taste. And there you have it: a sound
that’s propelled millions of people out on the dance floor.
ENVELOPES (Continued)