+ + + +
Z3000 Smart VCO Patent Pending Design - Gur Milstein Special Thanks Marc Bareille Sean Coulter Shawn Cleary Matthew Davidson David Lackey Michael McGrath Yigal Mesika Alex Olup Mark Pulver Rene Schmitz Andreas Schneider Gene Zumchack MADE IN THE USA Tiptop Audio 2008 All Rights Reserved
Welcome. This quick start guide provides an introduction to the operation of the Z3000. The Z3000 is an analog voltage controlled oscillator with a built-in digital pulse counter. It displays constant pitch data at a refresh rate of one update per second in three different modes. Each mode can be accessed using the Mode Switch. This unique feature puts the Z3000 into a class of its own as a VCO, bringing new capabilities of complex sound synthesis to the analog realm.
Frequency Mode. Frequency Mode is the Z3000’s first mode and is the mode that the module starts in when powered. It works by counting the wave cycles generated by the VCO for one second and then shows the results on the display with a resolution of 1Hz. The display ranges from 1Hz up to 9999Hz. When frequencies pass above the maximum range of 9999Hz the display shuts off, this is normal. Similarly, when frequencies pass below the lower limit of 1Hz the display blinks the word LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator).
Frequency Mode. - Frequency Ratios When multiple VCOs are combined in a patch, either modulating each other, modulating other modules, or simply having their waveforms mixed together, frequency ratios are practical tools for audio synthesis. VCOs working together create overtones. These can be generally pleasant to the ear (harmonic) or abrasive (inharmonic or dissonant). Harmonic overtones come from mathematically even frequency intervals.
Frequency Ratios. - Continued Audio synthesis relies heavily on frequency ratios, so using them appropriately can be very helpful no matter what the application: modulate the pulse width of another VCO, for frequency modulation, modulate the cutoff of a filter or any other parameters in a given system’s modules. The Z3000’s Frequency Mode makes it possible to quickly experiment with the mathematical side of sound design and audio processing.
Musical Note Mode. The Musical Note Mode works by comparing the VCO frequency to a table of stored values corresponding to Western musical notes. In this mode, the display will show the numerical frequency reading, but once a specific frequency is reached that is equivalent to a known note value, the display will show the name of the note. For example, if the VCO is tuned for 53Hz it will display '53', but if the pitch were to reach 55Hz the display will show 'A1' which is the musical note A of octave 1.
Musical Note Mode. - Chords Musical Note Mode is very useful for creating tonal music with a modular synthesizer. It allows multiple VCOs to be set to specific notes or semitones, space several Z3000s apart to build chords, or set any VCOs to a specific musical key to match a music piece. For example, using three Z3000s, it is possible to set a basic C major chord consisting of notes C, E, and G. Chord charts are available from many music retailers. C.2 d.2 F.2 G.2 A.
Octave Mode. Octave Mode improves upon the functionality of a mechanical octave switch. With an ordinary VCO in a modular system, setting the relationship between the note pressed on a keyboard and what is heard is often requires an independent reference at a known pitch, usually a non-modular synth. The Octave Mode of the Z3000 makes this task a quick and efficient process. While in Octave Mode, the display will show the relative octave of the note being heard (“OCt2”, “OCt3”, etc).
Octave Mode. - Continued Setting up the Z3000 to use Octave Mode is simple. First, configure a keyboard through a MIDI to CV converter and plug the CV output of the converter into the 1V/OCT input on the Z3000.
1V/Oct CV Input and Output. The 1V/Oct CV IN/OUT jacks let you easily cascade the CV output coming from a MIDI to CV interface, quantizer, sequencer or any other CV source. Connecting a bank of Z3000s to a single CV source is simple and looks something like this: MIDI > CV > VCO1 CV IN > VCO1 CV OUT > VCO2 CV IN > VCO2 CV OUT > VCO 3 CV IN ...etc. Please note that the maximum number of cascades is dependent on the output drive of the MIDI to CV or other CV source used.
External Input. This is a direct input into the pulse counter in the Z3000. Feed a sawtooth wave from any other VCO into this input to adjust, synthesize and monitor the pitch using all of the features of the Z3000's three mode options. The EXT IN is designed to work with a 10Vpp sawtooth wave, though other waveforms can be used if the sawtooth waveform is not providing a stable reading. As long as the signal does not exceed 10Vpp, a signal from most VCOs can be used.
Frequency Modulation. - Basics Frequency modulation (FM) synthesis is a technique used to generate musically interesting sounds by rapidly changing the basic frequency of a sound. The pattern of change is created by another waveform with a frequency within the range of human hearing. In practice, it is as simple as connecting the audio output of an oscillator to the frequency control input of another oscillator.
FM - Continued: Modulation Index The amount of modulation applied to the second oscillator is commonly known as the modulation index. The modulation index is controlled by the FM knob on the Z3000. It is difficult to calculate the actual spectrum of the resulting sound created by the modulation index, but the more modulation applied, the more complex the sound gets, resulting in noise and frequency drift.
FM - Continued: Input Types The Z3000 is equipped with two exponential FM inputs and one linear FM input. The FM1 and FM2 jacks are exponential but FM2 is summed with the Linear FM input and, as such, share the FM knob. Generally speaking, when employing FM theory, linear modulation provides the only true form of modulation and has more predictable results and produces less inharmonic material than exponential FM does.
FM - Continued: Frequency Ratios The frequency ratios and modulation index define the tone and harmonic content of the resulting sound. Specific frequency ratios will create harmonic and inharmonic sounds, as previously described, and the Z3000 allows the user to precisely set those ratios in any of its three modes. While playing an FM patch across a range of several octaves, the frequency at these octaves may not maintain the frequency ratio that was set at another octave.
Synchronization and FM. Combining synchronization and frequency modulaton allows for the creation of whole new sound spectra. Its sound is more predictable than FM alone, as there is no chance of the fundamental of the modulating oscillators drifting away when increasing or decreasing the modulation index. As a result, the output sounds are less likely to become inharmonic. Conversely, the synchronization itself distorts the waveform of the slave VCO, thus adding harmonics to the sound.
Voices and Operators. Classic Analog Voice A typical voice on a vintage analog synthesizer usually starts with two or more VCOs with their pitch intervals preset. The wavefroms of the VCOs are mixed together and sent to a VCF, followed by a VCA. A modular synthesizer gives the user the freedom to build complex analog voices. On a modular, a voice is not preset and can be made of several VCOs and other modules. This allows for a variety of synthesis techniques which can be mixed into a single output.
Frequency/Note Conversion Table. This table of frequencies for equal-tempered scale is highly recommended for use with the Z3000. With it, it is possible to navigate frequencies, build chords and construct synthesis models. We recommend hanging it next to your modular synthesizer. A free version that you can print yourself is available at: www.tiptopaudio.com/resources.html F.0 G.0 A.0 C.1 D.1 F.1 G.1 A.1 62 B1 D.0 A1 55 C.0 F6 A.4 B4 C.5 C5 D5 D7 D.5 E5 F.5 F5 G5 G7 G.5 G.
