User manual ACCESS VIRUS C

ACCESS VIRUS C SERIES USER MANUAL OS5 ENGLISH VERSION ©2002 Access Music GmbH, Germany. VIRUS is a trademark of Access Music GmbH. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. All features and specifications subject to change without notice. Written by Christoph Kemper, Uwe G. Hönig, Wiland Samolak and Marc Schlaile. Translation by Thomas Green and Howard Scarr. Graphic Design and DTP by Babylonwaves Media. http://www.access-music.de info@access-music.de 2 1 Content IMPORTANT SAFETY REMARKS Handling............................................................... 44 All about the memory ........................................... 47 The Modulation Matrix and Soft Knobs..................48 Random Patch Generator......................................50 Categories............................................................ 52 The Effects Section............................................... 52 Audio Inputs ......................................................... 53 Internal Audio Routing .......................................... 54 Additional functions .............................................. 55 PROLOGUE SYNTHESIS PARAMETERS INTRODUCTION The Virus ............................................................. 14 The Amplifier Envelope ........................................ 17 The First Filter...................................................... 18 Filter Modulation .................................................. 19 The Saturation Stage ........................................... 21 The Second Filter ................................................. 21 Filter Routing ....................................................... 24 The First Oscillator ............................................... 25 The Second Oscillator .......................................... 27 The Third Oscillator.............................................. 29 The Mixer Section ................................................ 29 The LFOs ............................................................. 30 The MOD Section ................................................. 33 Soft Knob 1/2....................................................... 33 Volume and Panorama Position ............................ 34 Velocity................................................................ 34 Unison Mode........................................................ 35 The Effects........................................................... 36 The Arpeggiator ................................................... 38 SoundDiver Virus ................................................. 38 More to Come ...................................................... 39 OSCILLATORS ...................................................... 58 Oscillator-1/2/3 (Panel).........................................58 Oscillator (Edit-Menu) ........................................... 59 FILTER ................................................................. 63 Filters (Panel) ....................................................... 63 Filter Envelope...................................................... 64 Filter-Edit-Menu ................................................... 65 ENVELOPES ......................................................... 69 MIXER .................................................................. 70 LFO AND MODMATRIX .........................................71 LFO (Panel)........................................................... 71 LFO (Edit Menu).................................................... 73 ARPEGGIATOR EDIT.............................................. 80 THE INTERNAL EFFECTS ......................................82 Distortion (Panel) .................................................. 82 Chorus (Panel) ...................................................... 83 Chorus (Edit Menu) ............................................... 83 Phaser (Panel) ...................................................... 84 Phaser (Edit Menu) ............................................... 84 Delay / Reverb...................................................... 85 Delay / Reverb (Panel) .......................................... 86 Delay / Reverb (Menu) .......................................... 87 Vocoder................................................................ 92 Analog Boost ........................................................ 92 Equalizer .............................................................. 92 CONCEPT AND OPERATION Operating Modes ................................................. 42 Master Clock and Midi-Clock ............................... 44 ACCESS VIRUS OS5 3 MAIN EDIT MENU Common .............................................................. 96 Unison Mode........................................................ 99 Punch Intensity .................................................. 100 Envelope Sustain Time....................................... 100 Analog Inputs..................................................... 100 Follower (Envelope-Follower) ............................. 102 Ringmodulator ................................................... 102 Second Output/Surround.................................... 103 Velocity.............................................................. 104 Sound Category ................................................. 106 Soft Knob-1/2 .................................................... 106 Problems Related to Parameter Control ..............144 Arrangement Dump - The Sound in the Song......145 TIPS AND TRICKS All abouts Inputs................................................. 148 About the Delay/Reverb ......................................149 The Virus as an Effect Device .............................150 Envelope Follower .............................................. 150 Oscillators .......................................................... 151 Filters................................................................. 153 Saturation for Added Grit and Dirt .......................153 LFOs .................................................................. 154 Volume Control................................................... 155 Assign and the Soft Knobs ..................................156 Arpeggiator ........................................................ 156 How to modulate the Vocoder parameters ..........156 MIDI ................................................................... 157 How to install Updates ........................................158 MULTI MODE & SYSTEM SETUP MULTI MODE PARAMETERS .............................. 110 SYSTEM ............................................................ 114 Keyboard ........................................................... 114 Input .................................................................. 116 MIDI................................................................... 117 System .............................................................. 121 APPENDIX System Exclusive Data .......................................162 Parameter Descriptions ......................................166 Multi Dump Table ............................................... 178 Classes .............................................................. 180 Mod Matrix Sources .......................................... 182 Mod Matrix Destinations .....................................183 Soft Knob Destinations ......................................184 MIDI Implementation Chart .................................185 FCC Information (U.S.A) ......................................186 FCC Information (CANADA) .................................187 Other Standards (Rest of World)..........................187 Declaration of Conformity ...................................188 Garantie Bestimmung .........................................189 Warranty ............................................................ 190 THE KEYBOARD VERSIONS OF THE VIRUS The VIRUS kc and the indigo ............................. 126 The Keyboard-Modes ......................................... 128 THE VOCODER OF THE VIRUS Vocoder ............................................................. 132 The parameters of the VIRUS Vocoder ................ 134 Notes about the vocoder: ................................... 137 THE VIRUS AND SEQUENCERS 4 1 INDEX INDEX ................................................................ 192 Important Safety Remarks 6 2 Important Safety Remarks Please read all notes carefully before you power the device up. A few fundamental rules on handling electrical devices follow. OPERATION · Don't set beverages or any other receptacle containing liquids on the device. · Make sure the device is placed on a solid base. Set it on a stable tabletop or mount it to a rack. · Make sure that no foreign objects fall into or somehow end up inside the device's housing. In the event that this should occur, switch the device off and pull the power plug. Then get in touch with an authorized dealer. · Used on its own and in conjunction with amps, loudspeakers or headphones, this device is able to generate levels that can lead to irreversible hearing damage. For this reason, always operate it at a reasonable volume level. SET-UP · Operate and store the device in enclosed rooms only. · Never expose the device to a damp environment. · Never operate or store the device in extremely dusty or dirty environments. · Assure that air can circulate freely on all sides of the device, especially when you mount it to a rack. · Don't set the device in the immediate vicinity of heat sources such as radiators. · Don't expose the device to direct sunlight. · Don't expose the device to strong vibrations and mechanical shocks. MEMORY BATTERY CHANGE The VIRUS stores its sound programs in a battery-buffered RAM. This battery (general type designation: CR2032) should be replaced every three to four years. The housing has to be opened to change the battery, so take the device to a qualified service technician. Do your part in protecting our environment and take it to a shop that disposes of batteries properly. Before you have the battery changed, save the entire memory content of the RAM by loading it to a sequencer via "Total Dump". Be advised that RAM content is lost when the battery is swapped (see "Midi Dump TX" on page 117).). CONNECTIONS · Be sure to use exclusively the included mains power supply adapter. · Plug the device only into mains sockets that are properly grounded in compliance with statutory regulations. · Never modify the included power cord. If its plug does not fit the sockets you have available, take it to a qualified electrician. · Always pull the power plug out of the mains socket when you won't be using the device for prolonged periods. · Never touch the mains plug with wet hands. · Always pull the actual plug, never the cord, when you're unplugging the device. CARE · Do not open the device, it is not equipped with any user-serviceable parts. Repair and maintenance may only be carried out by qualified specialists. ACCESS VIRUS OS5 7 · Use only a dry, soft cloth or brush to clean the device. · Do not use alcohol, solvents or similar chemicals. These can damage the surface of the housing. FITNESS FOR PURPOSE This device is designed exclusively to generate low-frequency audio signals for sound engineering-related purposes. Any other use is not permitted and automatically invalidates the warranty extended by Access Music Electronics GmbH. 8 2 Important Safety Remarks Prologue 10 CHAPTER 3 Prologue Dear VIRUS Owner, Congratulations on your choice, the new VIRUS. You have purchased a cutting-edge synthesizer that comes fully loaded with several revolutionary features. Here are just a few of the highlights: The VIRUS delivers the sound characteristics and tone of traditional analog synthesizers in a previously unparalleled level of quality and handling ease. We're not kidding, the VIRUS actual delivers the authentic response of an analog synth via a digital signal processor chip, although the sound shaping and voicing options out-perform those of it historical predecessors by a considerable margin. The VIRUS comes with up to 1024 slots for storing SINGLE sounds. These are organized in eight banks. The first two banks (A and B) are located in the RAM, so you can overwrite them with new sounds. The other six banks are "hard-wired", i.e. they're programmed into the FLASH ROM. To make use of the banks E-H you need to install the second1024.mid file first ("The 1024 sounds update" on page 158). The VIRUS offers a maximum of 32 voices. In Multi Mode, these are allocated dynamically to sixteen simultaneously available sounds. You have no less than three audio oscillators plus one suboscillator, a noise generator, a ring modulator, two Multi Mode filters, two envelopes, a stereo VCA, three LFOs and a saturation stage (SATURATOR) for cascade filtering, tube and distortion effects. The VIRUS offers a veritable arsenal of effects. You have seven powerful sound-sculpting functions, including chorus, phaser and distortion, at your disposal, with each effect available separately for every sound. Thus, in 16-way MULTI mode, the VIRUS offers over 98 effects, no less!. Among them you also get a global reverb/ delay unit that lets you create high-quality reverb effects and rhythmic delay taps. Delay time can be synced up to MIDI clock. With the benefit of two external audio inputs, the VIRUS may also serve as an FX device and signal processor that you can use creatively to come up with all kinds of effects. External signals can be processed with filter, gate and lo-fi effects, routed to the VIRUS effects section and serve as a modulation source for frequency and ring modulation. Beyond that, you can use internal or external signals as sources for the VIRUS' on-board vocoder serve. The vocoder works with up to 32 filter bands and offers diverse manipulation and modulation options. The three main oscillators produce 66 waveshapes, three of which are dynamically mixable so that spectral effects are possible within the confines of a single oscillator. In conventional synthesizers, this type of effect requires several oscillators. Synchronization, frequency modulation and ring modulation between the audio oscillators delivers additional complex spectral effects that you can use for all kinds of sound shaping purposes. The filters can be switched in series or in parallel within the voices via several options. When you switch the filters in series, the saturation stage is embedded between the filters. Consequently, an overdriven filter resonance can be re-filtered within the same voice! A maximum of six filter poles (36 dB slope!) enables radical tonal manipulations. The LFOs feature 68 continuous variable waveshapes each, including a triangle with variable symmetry and infinitely variable aperiodic oscillations for random variation of the controlled parameters. The LFOs are capable of polyphonic as well as monophonic oscillation. In other words, if several voices are active, the ACCESS VIRUS OS5 11 LFOs can run independently or in sync. A number of keyboard trigger options enable you start LFO waveshapes with variable phase lengths at the beginning of a note and/or to cycle once only, like an envelope. Next to the numerous "hard-wired" or fixed modulation configurations, you can assign three modulation sources to up to nine different modulation destinations via the Modulation Matrix. For your modulation sources, you have LFOs, velocity, the pitch bender, aftertouch, the modulation wheel, numerous MIDI controllers and other sources to chose from. For your modulation destinations, you can select any sound parameter of the VIRUS that is conducive to being remote controlled. Up to 16 arpeggiators are available in MULTI mode. These give you countless options for creating arpeggios, which can also be synced up to MIDI clock. Sounds and effects are patched out via six audio outputs which of course can also be used to route three stereo signals out. In additional to its killer sounds and tone, the VIRUS was designed to deliver ultimate handling and control comfort. It is equipped with dedicated knobs and buttons for the crucial synthesizer functions, further parameters are accessible via data entry procedures. We distinguished between these two levels of expertise to enable you to create complex sounds while keeping the user interface as clear and uncluttered as possible. In all modesty, we are especially proud of a feature we developed called Adaptive Parameter Smoothing. For the first time in the history of synthesizers equipped with memories, you can manipulate a knob or control feature without an audible step or increment. In other words, the sound does not change abruptly but SEAMLESSLY. No more zipper noises! The VIRUS re- sponds just as smoothly as analog synthesizers did prior to the introduction of digital sound storage And users of contemporary software sequencers will appreciate the fact that the VIRUS sends all sound shaping commands immediately in the form of MIDI Controller or Poly Pressure data (and of course accepts all of the corresponding Controller and SysEx messages). This feature lets you dynamically control the VIRUS and all its functions via computer. Although far from complete, the features listed above give you some indication that you now own an exceptionally versatile, high-quality musical instrument that will give you plenty of joy for years to come. We certainly hope you can fully exploit the enormous potential of this fine instrument. Have fun and enjoy! Your VIRUS Development Team By the way: a rack mounting kit is optionally available for the Virus C. Feel free to get in touch with your local authorized dealer for more info. Many thanks to: Ben Crosland, Maik Fliege, Thomas Green, Axel Hartmann, Uwe G. Hönig, Jörg Hüttner, Timo Kaluza, Oliver Käser, Andrea Mason, Thorsten Matuschowski, Jörg Meißner, Paul Nagel, Kai Niggemann, Rob Papen, Matt Picone, Wieland Samolak, Daniela Sauerbier, Howard Scarr, Hans-Jörg Scheffler, Shehryar Lasi, Jenny Simon, Matt Skags, Joeri Vankeirsbilck, Jay Vaughan, Jens Wegerhoff and Daniel Wewer. 12 CHAPTER 3 Prologue Introduction 14 CHAPTER 4 Introduction í THE VIRUS This section provides deliberate, step-by-step guidelines on operating and handling the VIRUS for those of you who are new to the world of synthesizers and MIDI. The following covers basics such as how to connect the VIRUS to an AC power supply, your MIDI system and your audio system. Then we will guide you through a series of experiments designed to demonstrate the different functional groups, their control features and the tasks they execute. After you have finished reading this section, you will be able to handle virtually all of the sound generating and sound shaping functions of the VIRUS. All of these are described in context, along with their control features. Even the majority of less significant functions, accessible via menus, are discussed here. You will find a detailed, comprehensive description of all functions of your new synthesizer in the section following this introduction. Please keep in mind that within confines of this introduction, we are unable to impart all of the knowledge and skills in acoustics, sound synthesis and MIDI control you might desire or need to acquire. If you are keen to learn more about these subjects, you should consider becoming a regular reader of one or several of the leading trade publications in your country. Your local musical instruments dealer or more experienced musicians will be able to recommend the best magazines to you. And of course there is a wide range of books available on these subjects. If you decide to read this section, we recommend you read it in its entirety from the start rather than begin with a subsection that is of particular interest to you. A fitting metaphor for the basics discussed in this section might be a house where each bit of information in a sub- section is a brick that builds on a preceding brick and interlocks with those next to it. You want your knowledge base to be a sound structure so you won't run into problems when you find one of the "bricks" is missing. CABLE CONNECTIONS Before you connect the VIRUS to an AC outlet and the rest of your equipment, ensure that all of the devices are switched OFF. If your VIRUS does not have a build-in keyboard, then connect the MIDI OUT of the desired MIDI send device (keyboard, computer, hardware sequencer, etc.) with the MIDI IN of the VIRUS. Connect the audio outputs of the VIRUS with the signal inputs of your audio system. In order to receive a signal, as a minimum you must connect the output OUT 1 R/MONO. However, we recommend you also connect the output OUT 1 L so you are able to enjoy the stereo sounds of the VIRUS. Once you have established the desired cable connections, make sure the main volume controls of all the connected devices (VIRUS: MASTER VOLUME, located at the upper left hand of the control panel) are dialed to the lowest possible setting. Switch the devices on in the following sequence: the MIDI send device (computer, master keyboard, etc.) first, then the sound generators (VIRUS and the other signal sources), followed by the mixing console and finally the amplifier. Now while you are sending notes on MIDI Channel 1 of the VIRUS, turn the master volumes of the connected devices up in the same order that you switched the devices on. Be sure to keep on eye on the signal level indicators of your mixing console. ACCESS VIRUS OS5 The Virus 15 MASTER VOLUME Controls the overall volume of the VIRUS. This control determines the volume of the signal pair piped through Output 1 before it is converted into an analog signal. This means that under normal circumstances, you should turn Master Volume all they way up because you of course want the VIRUS to deliver the most dynamic signal possible. and so on, simply use the PARAMETER/BANK buttons to step from one program bank to another. You'll find that some sound programs are labeled with the abbreviations "INP" or "VOC". These use the external audio input as a signal source for the filter section (INP) or vocoder (VOC). This means that you won't hear anything until you route an audio signal into the external audio inputs. LISTENING TO THE FACTORY SOUNDS The program memory of the VIRUS was loaded with sound programs (SINGLE PROGRAMs) and sound combinations (MULTI PROGRAMs) before it left the factory. To hear the SINGLE PROGRAMs (and gain an initial impression of the possibilities your new instrument has to offer in terms of sounds), first make sure your MIDI source is sending on MIDI Channel 1. Press the SINGLE button. A number, a letter, number and name appear in the display. These indicate the the MIDI Channel, the current Program Bank (A to D or A to H) as well as the number and name of the current sound program. MULTISINGLE UNDO STORE MULTI SINGLE + SOFT KNOB 1 í Tip: You can trigger a note on the Virus by pressing both the EDIT and SYNC buttons in the OSCILLATORS section at the same time ­ this is the AUDITION function, which is especially useful for auditioning sounds when there is no keyboard connected to the Virus. í Now if you play notes you should be able to hear this sound and a note (the round dot at the end of the note staff is solid black) should appear in the display every time you press a key and release a key. If you do not hear a sound but you see a half note (blank note head) check to see if you are sending on the wrong MIDI Channel. Call up each of the 128 programs in Bank A in turn. You can do this either with the VALUE keys (which simply increment/decrement the program number), or by holding down the MULTI key and scrolling through programs with the VALUE knob. To try out all the other sounds in banks B to H, simply switch banks with the PARAMETER/BANK buttons. Press the VALUE button to call up the 128 single programs of Bank A in sequence. (The VALUE pot is inactive in this operating mode.) In order to hear the sound programs in banks B, C 16 CHAPTER 4 Introduction SOUND CATEGORIES To help you find the type of SINGLE sound you are looking for more quickly, the Virus operating system lets you define so-called ,,categories" and save this information together with each of your SINGLE sounds. Available categories are: Off, Lead, Bass, Pad, Decay, Pluck, Acid, Classic, Arpeggiator, Effects, Drums, Percussion, Inp u t , Vo c o d e r, F a v o u r i t e 1 , F a v o u r i t e 2 , Favourite3 Each SINGLE sound can ,,belong" to two categories at the same time. Of course the categories of all the presets in Banks C to H are fixed, but for sounds in the RAM Banks (A and B) they can be defined and saved together with the program. To search for sounds in a specific category (in SINGLE or MULTI-SINGLE mode): Press and hold the SINGLE button. This causes the currently selected category to appear in the display, and it can be changed by stepping up or down with the Parameter buttons. Having found the category you want, do not release the SINGLE button and scroll through the sounds using the Value buttons. Release the SINGLE button when you have found what you are looking for. SINGLE sounds which do not belong to the currently selected category are simply skipped over. lect these combination programs via the VALUE button. The VIRUS features "only" 128 MULTI PROGRAMs, so you don't have to switch back and forth between banks they way you just did while activating single programs. The majority of available MULTI PROGRAMs contain sound combinations that are controlled via a single MIDI channel. In these MULTI PROGRAMs, the sounds involved are allocated side-by-side (split) or on top of one another (layered) on the keyboard. In other MULTI PROGRAMs, the sounds are divided up over several MIDI channels to make it easier to work with a sequencer. If you activate a MULTI PROGRAM and hear a single sound only, then you can control this MULTI PROGRAM via several channels. YOUR FIRST SOUND PROGRAM If you have never created or changed a sound on a synthesizer, we now have the pleasure of introducing you to this fascinating process. Select the single program "C127 - START -". Press any key on the connected keyboard. You should hear a sound that, for lack of better description, is a bit harsh or biting, but above all completely static. It should start immediately after you press a key and sustain indefinitely for as long as you hold the key down. As soon as you release the key, the sound should end abruptly. This sound is not designed to be especially pleasant; it is intended to be as neutral as possible to give you a basis from which you can begin creating or shaping your own sound. LISTENING TO THE MULTI PROGRAMS The VIRUS not only has the capability of playing SINGLE PROGAMs, but also combinations consisting of more than one sound simultaneously (MIDI Multi Mode). To call up the MULTI PROGRAMs, press the MULTI button and se- ACCESS VIRUS OS5 The Amplifier Envelope 17 í THE AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE Long-term exposure to this sound will definitely grate on your nerves, so let's get started with changing it into a signal you might enjoy hearing, beginning with the volume characteristics. Locate the section labeled AMPLIFIER at the bottom right of the control feature panel of the VIRUS. Here you can see four pots labeled ATTACK, DECAY, SUSTAIN and RELEASE, respectively. These controls will help you to dial in volume characteristics called an amplifier envelope and put an end to the nerve-racking drone that may remind you of one of those cheesy organs that you hear in `60s B-movie sound tracks. Rotate the ATTACK pot while you repeatedly AMPLIFIER 6 6 6 6 Take a look at the display of the VIRUS to gain an impression of the difference between these two values. It shows two numeric values when you dial a pot: at the left you can see the value stored in the sound program and at the right, the numeric equivalent to the value determined by the current position of the pot. í Always keep in mind that for a programmable synthesizer the position of the control feature or pot does not necessarily indicate the actual value of the given function. The reason for this is that when you first activate a sound program, it will reflect the programmed value. You have to adjust the control feature before the programmed value is superseded by the value you determine manually. 0 12 0 12 0 12 0 12 ATTACK DECAY SUSTAIN RELEASE Now fiddle with the DECAY pot while you repeatedly press a key to activate a note. Hold the key down for good while. You will notice that the volume, once it reaches maximum level at the end of the ATTACK phase, drops until it reaches a minimum level. The DECAY pot determines the speed, or in synthesizer jargon, the rate at which the volume decreases. However, the DECAY level does not always drop to the minimum level; you can determine a random value between the maximum and minimum levels at which the volume remains constant. This level in turn is controlled via the SUSTAIN pot. Whenever the SUSTAIN level is set to maximum, the volume cannot drop during the DECAY phase; in other words, in this situation the DECAY pot is ineffective. engage a key to hear the note. The further you turn the pot up, the longer it takes for the sound to achieve maximum volume after the start of the note. So you can say ATTACK controls the initial volume swell of the sound. Presumably the ATTACK pot was set to a random position before you made any adjustments. Nevertheless the volume automatically increased to the maximum level before you started rotating the pot. The reason for this is that an ATTACK value of 0 is saved in the sound program - START - and this value remains valid until you determine a new value by adjusting the position of the pot, even if you turn it ever so slightly. í The individual functions of a synthesizer are designed to interact; many functions are dependent on other functions. In a number of cases this means that some functions are subordinate 18 CHAPTER 4 Introduction to others, i.e. the effectiveness of a control feature is altered, modified or even negated completely by other related functions. í THE FIRST FILTER Now we will take a look at a component of a synthesizer that is generally regarded as the most important functional unit as it enables drastic sound shaping measures: the filter - or in the case of the VIRUS, the two filters. But first we will concentrate on just one of the two filters. The final pot, RELEASE, determines the speed or rate at which the volume decreases when you release the key: At low values the sound ends relatively abruptly, at high values, the sound fades out more gradually and softly. The length of the RELEASE phase also depends on which level the amplifier curve is at when you release the key: The lower the level, the shorter the RELEASE phase. If you dialed in a brief DECAY or SUSTAIN-TIME phase and it ended while you held the key down then of course there will not be an audible RELEASE phase. The amplifier envelope can be described as a variable curve which, depending on the type and duration of attack, hold and release data, automatically influences an imaginary volume pot (turns it up or down). At the beginning of the note, ATTACK controls the rise or rate of increase to the maximum level. Once the maximum level is achieved, DECAY determines the fall or rate of decrease to the SUSTAIN value, which is infinitely variable between the minimum and maximum levels. The amplifier envelope may remain at this value until the end of the note, fall towards the minimum level as determined by the variable TIME value, or even rise again towards the maximum level. After the end of the note, RELEASE controls the fall or rate of decrease to the minimum level. Consequently, the control pots labeled ATTACK, DECAY, TIME and RELEASE control a speed or rate, where as SUSTAIN actually controls a level. FILTERS 6 6 0 1+2 0 12 0 12 -100% 100% 1 2 CUTOFF 0 RESONANCE ENV AMOUNT FILTER BALANCE FILT 1 FILT 2 LP HP BP -6 6 BS EDIT FILT 1 MODE FILT 2 SELECT CUTOFF 2 Locate the Cutoff pot (not to be confused with Cutoff 2!) in the section labeled FILTERS, directly above the section labeled AMPLIFIER. Rotate the pot to the left and right and note how the sound becomes muddier and clearer in response to the direction in which you turn the pot. (To ensure this effect and the following aural experiments are most pronounced, adjust the amplifier envelope so that the VIRUS generates a constant level while you hold a key down). This is how a low pass filter works: it suppresses, or in technical jargon, attenuates the higher frequencies in a signal and allows the lower frequencies through. Think of the Cutoff pot as a bouncer and the VIRUS as your pub. You can tell it which frequencies to let in and which frequencies to keep out. The frequencies above the so-called cutoff or filter frequency are suppressed, those below it remain unaffected. ACCESS VIRUS OS5 Filter Modulation 19 Now locate the FILT 1 MODE switch, which is also located in the FILTERS section. It enables you to select a filter operating mode from the four available options: - LP the low pass filter we have just discussed. - HP the high pass filter which works in the opposite manner of the low pass filter: It suppresses the lower frequencies in a signal and lets the higher frequencies pass. - BP the band pass filter which suppresses both ends of the tonal spectrum and allows only a narrowly defined bandwidth of the original sound to pass. - BS The band stop filter, band reject filter or notch filter which works in the opposite manner of the bandpass filter. It allows all of the frequencies of a signal except for a narrow frequency band around the cutoff to pass. The term "notch" is fairly descriptive; you might say this filter chops a notch out of the sound spectrum. FILT 1 LP HP BP BS EDIT FILT 1 MODE FILT 2 SELECT FILT 2 resonance up. Experiment by varying the RESONANCE setting in the different operating modes in conjunction with different Cutoff settings. You will find the effect that the RESONANCE pot achieves is markedly different for the band stop filter in comparison to the effect it has on the other filter types: as the resonance increases, the bandwidth of the notch decreases; in other words more frequencies on both sides of the filter frequency are allowed to pass. í FILTER MODULATION Of course we don't want to require you to execute every sound modification manually by twiddling pots. All kinds of sound modifications in the VIRUS can be executed automatically much in the way of your previous experiments with the volume controls: The amplifier envelope can be described as a variable curve which, depending on the type and duration of attack, hold and release data, automatically influences (turns it up or down) an imaginary volume pot. Similar procedures are applicable to the filter frequencies. The FILTERS section features its own envelope, the structure of which is identical to the amplifier envelope, located directly above the amplifier envelope on the control feature panel. Much like the amplifier envelope, the filter envelope automatically "rotates" the Cutoff pot. However there is one significant difference between the two envelopes. With the amplifier envelope, you are always dealing with an initial volume level of 0 because of course you want absolute silence prior to the beginning of a note. After the RELEASE phase, it is again Now activate the different operating modes and rotate the Cutoff pot to get a feel for the way each filtering option works. Along with the Cutoff pot, the RESONANCE pot is the most important control feature of a filter. The filter resonance increases the volume of the frequencies located near the cutoff frequencies and suppresses the more remote frequencies. This sound shaping feature has a striking effect - especially when used in conjunction with the low pass filter: it produces a nasal or honking type of tone which increases as you turn the 20 CHAPTER 4 Introduction highly desirable that your box is silent. With the filter envelope, the situation is somewhat different: It always starts at the Cutoff value that you determined manually. And it is definitely not always desirable that the filter frequency is brought to the maximum level. For your next experiment set the amplifier envelope so that you hear a constant level when you press and hold a note. Now deactivate the filter envelope by setting the ENV AMOUNT to 0. Set Filter-1Filter-1 to low pass mode and decrease the filter frequency until you just barely hear a muddy signal when you play notes in the midrange. Now play a few higher and lower notes. You will find that the lower notes have a greater overtone content, whereas the higher notes sound muddier and their volume decreases until the notes are completely inaudible. You might already suspect what this is all about: As the notes are transposed ever lower, more portions of the signal fall below the cutoff frequency, whereas with the notes that are transposed ever higher, more portions of the signal rise above the cutoff frequency and subsequently are suppressed until the root note and the last audible portion of the signal is silenced. To avoid this effect - or if desirable, to amplify it - you have the option of influencing the cutoff frequency via the pitch of the note, i.e. the note number. The degree of influence is determined by the KEY FOLLOW. You find this parameter within the Filter Edit menu. Please note that KEY FOLLOW is a so-called bipolar parameter: Its control range is not limited to the positive end of the spectrum (0 to a maximum of 127). Bipolar controls effect negative values as well, in this case from the negative maximum of -64 through 0 an on to the positive maximum of +63. Consequently, if this pot is set to the center position (12 o'clock or 0) the pitch of the notes corresponding to the keys on your keyboard has no effect on the cutoff frequency. If on the other hand you turn the KEY FOLLOW pot clockwise towards the positive control range, you will find that the filter opens up increasingly as the pitch increases with higher notes. At lower notes, the filter closes down again. If you turn the pot counter-clockwise to- 6 6 0 0 12 0 12 -100% 100% CUTOFF RESONANCE ENV AMOUNT Consequently, you need a tool that limits the effective range of the fi lter. This is why we equipped the VIRUS with a control labeled ENV AMOUNT (short for Envelope Amount). When the pot is turned counter-clockwise to the far left, the filter has no effect on the cutoff frequency; the further you turn the pot to the right, the greater the effect the filter envelope has on the filter frequency. The maximum level of the envelope may lie outside the audible range when the filter has already been partially opened via the Cutoff pot or was manipulated via other control options. In extreme cases where the filter is already completely open, the filter frequency cannot be increased regardless of how high you set the ENV AMOUNT. Go ahead and spend some experimenting with different ENV AMOUNT, Cutoff and RESONANCE settings for the diverse filter operating modes. Also try varying the settings for the amplifier envelope. You will find that with just these few parameters you are able to come up with a vast amount of sound settings. If you are among the many musicians who are associative listeners, you might say many of the settings produce sounds reminiscent of stringed-instruments; some sound picked, plucked or snapped, others sound bowed. ACCESS VIRUS OS5 The Saturation Stage 21 wards the negative control range, the KEY FOLLOW effect is reversed. With the VIRUS, you will encounter this feature - intensity control via a bipolar parameter - again in conjunction with other modulation sources and targets. Now experiment as much as you like with different KEY FOLLOW settings and tune the settings via the Cutoff pot. And remember to bring all of the other parameters you have encountered thus far into play. position (12 o'clock) determines the volume of the filter section's input signal. The portion of the control range located to the right of the center position (12 o'clock) does not achieve any increase in volume; it simply intensifies the degree of saturation or distortion. This effect is only achieved when you have activated a saturation curve. The intensity of the remaining available DSP effects is also controlled via the OSC VOL knob. 0 í THE SATURATION STAGE In the signal chain of the VIRUS, Filter-1 is followed by a saturation stage. It enables you to add overtones to the filtered signal via distortion. Locate and press the button labeled EDIT in the FILTERS section. 01111111111111111112 -6 6 OSC VOL Feel free to experiment with the diverse saturation curves and be sure to vary the OSC VOL settings. Note how the different Cutoff and RESONANCE settings influence the saturation curve. 61111111111111111154 1 SATURATION Curve Off í THE SECOND FILTER You probably noticed that by a adding a bit of saturation to the signal you can come up with a pretty heavy, aggressive sound - especially with a low filter frequency level and high resonance. You're probably thinking these types of sounds could do with some more filtering. We had the same idea, which is one of the reasons why we equipped the VIRUS with another filter per voice. The display will read "SATURATION CURVE OFF", which means exactly what it says. With the VALUE buttons or the VALUE pot, you can now select from a number of saturation/distortion curves. Next to the distortion curves, the SATURATION stage offers further DSP effects such as the shaper, rectifier and filter. These are explained in detail in the section on the SATURATION stage. At this point we would like to mention the OSC VOL pot in the MIXER section. The portion of the control range from the far left to the center 22 CHAPTER 4 Introduction The technical design of this second filter is identical to the first, so we won't discuss it in as much detail as we did the first filter. However, there are few differences in how you handle the second filter: · Only two control features of the VIRUS are allocated exclusively to Filter-2: Cutoff-2 and FILT 2 MODE. · The RESONANCE, ENV AMOUNT and KEY FOLLOW pots can be allocated to either of the two filters or both simultaneously. Use the two SELECT-buttons located at the far right of the FILTERS section to select the desired operating mode. For instance, if you press the FILT 2 SELECT button, then the values you set via the RESONANCE, ENV AMOUNT and KEY FOLLOW pots apply exclusively to Filter-2. The corresponding parameters of Filter-1 remain unaffected. On the other hand, if you press both SELECT buttons at the same time, the values that you dial in apply by the same measure to Filters 1 and 2. In the sound program we are using for our experiments, the LEDs of both buttons are illuminated, so that all adjustments to the given parameters affect both filters. However, you have yet to actually hear the effect of Filter-2 on the signal because it is mixed out of the audible signal path of the VIRUS. 1 (we'll explain Cutoff 2 a bit later). Set Cutoff to a medium or middle value and turn the RESONANCE pot counter-clockwise to the far left to achieve a relatively muddy sound. Now locate the FILTER BALANCE pot at the upper right hand of the control panel and rotate it from the left to the right. You will note the sound becomes muddier as you turn the pot towards the center position (12 o'clock) and that the sound is somewhat brighter at the far right of the control range then at the far left. The reason for this effect is that when you turn the FILTER BALANCE pot to the far left, only Filter-1 is audible. When you rotate the pot to the right, Filter-2 is blended in so that it follows Filter-1 in the signal chain. When you turn the FILTER BALANCE pot clockwise, Filter-1 is blended out of the signal chain until at the far right position only Filter-2 is active and audible. Each filter in the VIRUS normally features 2 poles. However in the FILTER ROUTING operating mode SER 6, Filter-1 operates with 4 poles, so the signal patched through Filter-1 (FILTER BALANCE to the far left) is trimmed more drastically than when it is routed through Filter-2 (FILTER BALANCE to the far right). When you set the FILTER BALANCE pot to the center position (12 o'clock) - as we mentioned before - the two filters are routed in series, which means they respond as if they were a single filter with 6 poles and consequently a great deal of slope. This is why the input signal is trimmed substantially when you set the pot to this position. Experiment with the diverse FILTER BALANCE positions to get a feel for the different degrees of slope. Rotate the Cutoff pot or activate the filter envelope (for both filters!) to hear the filters in action. The Cutoff 2 pot is a special feature: It controls the cutoff frequency of the second filter, but is subordinate to the Cutoff pot located above it. CUTOFF 0 RESONANCE ENV AMOUNT FILTER BALANCE FILT 1 FILT 2 LP HP BP -6 6 BS EDIT FILT 1 MODE FILT 2 SELECT CUTOFF 2 Before we get started with our next experiment, deactivate SATURATION, set the ENV AMOUNT of the filter envelope to zero and set Cutoff 2 to the center position (12 o'clock) so that Filter-2 always has the same cutoff frequency as Filter- ACCESS VIRUS OS5 The Second Filter 23 In other words, at the center position (12 o'clock) the manually selected frequency of Filter-2 is identical to that of Filter-1. When you rotate the pot to the left the cutoff frequency level of Filter-2 is increased relatively to Filter-1, when you turn to pot to the right the cutoff frequency level is decreased relatively. Now when you adjust the Cutoff pot, you adjust the cutoff frequency of both filters by the same measure! This feature lets you determine a difference in values in the filter frequencies (called an offset) via the Cutoff2 pot which remains constant whenever you adjust the Cutoff pot. Yet another experiment in which you can come up new filtering characteristics that are typical of the VIRUS: Set the FILTER BALANCE pot to the center position (12 o'clock) and Cutoff 2 to the maximum level. The FILTER ROUTING operating mode must remain SER 6. Set Cutoff and RESONANCE to a middle value and select a clearly audible SATURATION curve. Now you can filter this complex signal produced by a combination of the saturation stage and the Filter-1 yet again. Rotate the Cutoff 2 pot slowly towards the center position (12 o'clock). You can hear how Filter-2 gradually modifies the distorted signal. You can set a RESONANCE value for Filter-2 if you press the FILT 2 SELECT button and rotate the RESONANCE pot to the desired position. Set the Cutoff 2 pot to a position to the right of the center position. This configuration can be described as a complex non-linear filter set up where the cutoff frequency is controlled via the Cutoff pot. You can dial in a wide range of sound-shaping option via Cutoff 2. Also try modifying the resonances of both filters as well as the SATURATION curve to come up with different filtering characteristics. Now experiment with the diverse filter modes and listen closely to the effect of the parameters RESONANCE, ENV AMOUNT and KEY FOLLOW in conjunction with the SELECT button. Please also keep in mind that the chances of choking a sound off are substantially greater when you are using both filters: For instance, if the first filter is used as a low pass with a low cutoff frequency and the second as a high pass with a high cutoff frequency, the VIRUS will not generate an audible signal when you set the FILTER BALANCE pot to the center position (12 o'clock). 24 CHAPTER 4 Introduction í FILTER ROUTING The final parameter we'll discuss for the time being is FILTER ROUTING. This feature offers several filter routing options which allow you to operate the filters in series, i.e. patch one after the other in the signal chain, or in parallel, which means side by side in the signal chain: - SER-4 The filters are switched in series; with two poles each (12dB/Okt.), both filters have the same slope for a total of four filter poles (24dB/Okt.). - SER-6 The filters are switched in series; Filter-1 has four poles (24dB/Okt.), Filter-2 has two poles (12dB/Okt.) so the overall slope is equivalent to six poles (36dB/Okt.). - PAR-4 The filters are switched in parallel and feature two poles each (12dB/Okt.). - SPLIT The filters are switched in parallel and feature two poles each (12dB/Okt.). Additionally, they receive independent input signals (more on this later). Each of the two oscillators routes its signal into one of the two filters whose signals can be spread in the panorama via a parameter called UNISON Pan Spread. í Regardless of which FILTER ROUTING option you chose, the SATURATION stage is always post-Filter-1, i.e. after Filter in the signal chain. ACCESS VIRUS OS5 The First Oscillator 25 í THE FIRST OSCILLATOR To this point, we have turned our attention exclusively to sound-shaping functions and have always started with the same basic material: a so-called sawtooth wave. This waveshape is especially well-suited as a neutral starting point as it contains all of the so-called natural scale of overtones, which give the filter plenty of quality material to work with. The filters, with the exception of a notch filter or band stop (BS), trim the far reaches of the tonal spectrum, so for instance a signal sounds muddier after it has been routed through a low pass filter. You can well imagine that this type of sound modification is substantial but insufficient for shaping more subtle differences in tone. For instance the tone of a trumpet differs significantly from that of a saxophone even though no one would seriously claim that either of the instruments has a muddier tone than the other. 26 CHAPTER 4 Introduction What you need is a sound-shaping option for the portion of a signal that a filter allows to pass. And of course you also need a tool for determining the pitch of a signal. In synthesizers, both of these tasks are executed by oscillators. They oscillate at a variable pitch that can be modulated and they also generate different waveshapes which give the filters a wider variety of material to work with. The VIRUS is has two main oscillators and a socalled suboscillator. Let`s take a look at Oscillator 1, the one you have already heard in action during your experiments so far: Start with the same basic sound you used at the very beginning. Now modify the amplifier envelope to make the sound less grating, but hold back on any other filter or saturation modifications for the moment so you can hear the pure, unadulterated oscillator. Oscillator 1, the one you have already heard in action during your experiments so far: Start with the same basic sound you used at the very beginning. Now modify the amplifier envelope to make the sound less grating, but hold back on any other filter or saturation modifications for the moment so you can hear the pure, unadulterated oscillator. Press the OSC 1 button in the OSCILLATORS section to enter the edit pages for oscillator 1. Directly above this button are the SHAPE and WAVE SEL/PW controls which determine the waveform and therefore the basic sound of oscillator 1. The SHAPE parameter is currently set to the exact center (value 64), and if you look at the panel directly above the SHAPE conrol, you will see a symbol representing a sawtooth wave. OSCILLATORS 6 0 6 WAVE 0 12 - 48 48 0 12 SHAPE WAVE SEL / PW 6 SEMITONE OSC 1 OSC 2 DETUNE 2 / 3 OSC 3 0 12 EDIT SYNC FM AMOUNT SELECT AUDITION OSC 3 ON You can definitely see why this waveshape bears the name "sawtooth." Press and hold a key and slowly turn the pot clockwise. You should be able to hear how the tone becomes increasingly more hollow-sounding. You might say this effect thins the sound out, but in any case, the entire tonal spectrum is affected by an equal measure, which is an audio result filters are unable to achieve. The waveshape that is audible when you turn the SHAPE pot to the far right is a so-called pulse wave. The graphical representation of this waveshape on the control panel gives you a good idea of its appearance. It is unique because the duration of the negative pulse is equal to the duration of the positive pulse: It has a so-called pulse width of 50%. The tone of a pulse wave is different to that of a sawtooth wave because it does not contain all overtones in the natural overtone scale, only the oddnumbered tones, i.e. the first (the root note that determines the pitch), third, fifth, and so forth. By turning the SHAPE pot from the sawtooth control range towards the pulse control range, you are actually dialing every other overtone out of the mix, which explains why the sound becomes thinner. You can continue modifying the sound by reducing the symmetrical width of the pulse wave. In the VIRUS, you can execute this sound-shaping measure via the WAVE SEL/PW ACCESS VIRUS OS5 The Second Oscillator 27 (PW = pulse width) pot, PROVIDED THE SHAPE POT IS SET TO A POSITION IN THE RIGHT HALF OF ITS CONTROL RANGE (LATER THAN 12 O'CLOCK). Rotate the WAVE SEL/PW pot slowly from the left to the right and leave the SHAPE pot at the far right position. You can hear how the treble content of the sound increases while the sound becomes ever thinner. At the far right position, the signal is no longer audible because the pulse width is equivalent to 0% and consequently the wave no longer oscillates. Starting at the center position (12 o'clock) indicated by the sawtooth, turn the SHAPE pot counter-clockwise towards the left. You can hear how the overtones are increasingly mixed out of the signal until you can only hear the root note. This sound is produced by a so-called sine wave, one of 64 other waveshapes that you have at your disposal for sound generation purposes. These waveshapes can also be activated via WAVE SEL/PW (WAVE SEL: Wave Select), PROVIDED THE SHAPE POT IS SET TO A POSITION IN THE LEFT HALF OF ITS CONTROL RANGE (EARLIER THAN 12 O'CLOCK). Regardless of the current SHAPE setting, you can also select a wave in the EDIT menu under OSCILLATOR 1 WAVE. Go ahead and check out the different waveshapes. The second of the 64 waves is a triangle wave, the remainder of the waveshapes are each a unique tonal blend. After you have familiarized yourself with this raw material, experiment with the parameters of the FILTERS and AMPLIFIER sections you have dealt with thus far (don't forget about SATURATION and the corresponding function of the OSC VOL pot), to get a feel for how the diverse waveshapes respond to filtering, saturation and amplifier modifications. í THE SECOND OSCILLATOR As already mentioned above, the Virus has a second oscillator (as well as several other basic sound sources which will be described later in this manual). Press the OSC 2 button in the OSCILLATORS section to enter the edit pages for the oscillator 2. The controls in this section now apply to oscillator 2 only ­ oscillator 1 parameters cannot be changed now (although the oscillator can still be heard). Dial in the basic sound program that you had at the very beginning; change the amplifier envelope to suit your taste. In the sound program, the OSC BAL (Oscillator Balance) pot in the MIXER section is preset to the far left. In order to hear Oscillator 2 in action, rotate the OSC BAL (Oscillator Balance) pot in the MIXER section to the right. Towards the center position (12 o'clock) you will hear how the tone is modified and as you rotate the pot further to the right, how the intensity of this modification is reduced. This effect is known as the comb filtering effect. It occurs when two signals with the same frequency but different phase lengths are mixed. Press the same key on your keyboard several times with the OSC BAL set to the center position (12 o'clock). You should notice that each note has a slightly different tone. The oscillators are the source of this effect. The oscill a t o r s o f t h e V I R U S o s c i l l a t e f r e e l y, consequently every time you play a note, the phase constellation between the two oscillators is different. For now, leave the OSC BAL POT at the center position (12 o'clock). You are already familiar with Oscillator 1's SHAPE and WAVE SEL/PW pots. These functions are identical for Oscillator 2, so we won't go into detail on them again. 28 CHAPTER 4 Introduction OSCILLATORS 6 0 6 WAVE 0 12 - 48 48 0 12 pot. What happens is that the wave cycle of Oscillator 2 is interrupted as soon as Oscillator 1 starts its cycle. The pitch of the second oscillator no longer has the expected effect, instead it generates special tones, in some cases for lack of a better description "screaming" type effects. The other effect that benefits from manipulating the interval between the oscillators is frequency modulation (FM). It generates new tonal spectra in which the signal of the first oscillator controls the frequency of the second oscillator similar to the manner in which filters can be controlled via envelopes. And here too you have a pot which allows you to control the intensity of: FM AMOUNT. Basically, this effect is similar to a vibrato, although here you're dealing with an extremely fast vibrato featuring a frequency within the range of human hearing. This signal is not actually audible as a vibrato effect. Instead, you'll hear a sound modulation, in some cases, a very drastic one at that. Choose the pure sine waveshape for Oscillator 2. In conjunction with the sine wave, the frequency modulation generates very clear, in some cases bell-like, spectra. In the VIRUS you have the option of combining the two functions called oscillator synchronization (SYNC) and frequency modulation (FM AMOUNT, to generate new harmonic spectra. Switch SYNC on and experiment with the FM AMOUNT. Also try out different SEMITONE settings and the diverse waveshapes of Oscillator.The VIRUS is equipped with a third master oscillator that lets you create further oscillations and spectra. You can access the parameters of this oscillator, which are described in a later chapter, via the OSCILLATOR EDIT menu. SHAPE WAVE SEL / PW 6 SEMITONE OSC 1 OSC 2 DETUNE 2 / 3 OSC 3 0 12 EDIT SYNC FM AMOUNT SELECT AUDITION OSC 3 ON Locate the pot labeled DETUNE and slowly rotate it to the right from the far left position (which is preset in the sound program). You can hear the tone start to waver and as you turn the pot further to the right, how this vibrato effect increases until Oscillator 2 sounds distinctly out of tune with Oscillator 1. This wavering or vibrato-type effect has a popular traditional in synthesizers. It is used to achieve chorus effects, create sounds reminiscent of stringed instruments/ string sections or simply beef up the sound. The SEMITONE pot enables you to transpose Oscillator 2 by plus/minus four octaves in semitone steps while Oscillator 1 maintains the pitch. This feature is especially interesting when used in conjunction with two other oscillator functions: synchronization and frequency modulation. Locate and activate the SYNC button in the OSCILLATORS section (the LED must illuminate). The synchronization function forces Oscillator 2 to restart its wave cycle at the same time as Oscillator 1 waveshape starts its cycle. The initial effect of this measure is that the wavering tone that resulted from detuning and mixing the oscillator signals disappears. The SYNC effect really becomes interesting when you transpose Oscillator 2 upwards in comparison to Oscillator 1 via the SEMITONE ACCESS VIRUS OS5 The Third Oscillator 29 í THE THIRD OSCILLATOR The VIRUS also has a third main oscillator, which can be used to add more movement and body to the sound. Oscillator 3 is activated using the OSC 3 ON key, and its parameters become available after pressing the OSC 3 selection button. Although the oscillator 3 parameters are no different from oscillators 1 and 2, there is one thing you should keep in mind. Because most sounds only require two oscillators, the third oscillator has been made optional, i.e. it has to be switched on whenever necessary. Oscillator 3 takes a certain amount of computing power, and the trade-off is a reduction of the maximum polyphony: Playing a note using oscillator 3 uses up about an extra third of a voice from the available polyphony. In other words: Playing a three-voice chord using a sound which includes oscillator 3 would use up four (and not three) of the available voices. Now we'll take a closer look at the final control element, the SUB OSC pot: It controls the volume of the fourth oscillator, the so-called SubOscillator, which always operates an octave below Oscillator 1. The SubOscillator is mixed to the Oscillator 1 and 2 master mix signal as determined by the OSC BAL pot. The master volume of the composite mix is controlled by the OSC VOL pot. The only other parameter available for the SubOscillator is accessible via the OSCILLATOR EDIT menu where you have the option of selecting a triangle or pulse waveshape (SUB OSCILLATOR WAVE SQUARE/TRIANGLE). The NOISE control determines the level of another basic audio source ­ the noise generator. The other parameter belonging to the noise generator is its color, which can be set in the menu via NOISE Color in the OSCILLATOR-EDIT menu. In the central position (+0), the noise generator produces so-called ,,white noise" which includes all frequencies at an equal level. Please note that, unlike the other oscillators, noise level is not affected by OSC VOL ­ it is even audible when this is turned down to zero. The fifth control in the mixer section determines the level of the Ring Modulator. This is not considered one of the basic sound source, but is the result of muliplying the output of oscillators 1 and 2. Ring modulation can create interesting enharmonic sounds which are highly dependant upon the frequency ratio between the two oscillators (adjustable via e.g. OSC 2 SEMITONE) as well as the waveforms (e.g. use two sine waves for pure bell-like tones). To blend in the ring modulator use EDIT: RINGMODULATOR VOLUME (in OSCILLATOR EDIT Menu). If the RINGMODULATOR VOLUME is zero, the ring modulator is switched off. OSC VOL does not affect the ring modulator level (or indeed the noise volume). Therefore the original oscillator signal can be leveled independently of í THE MIXER SECTION You have already come across two parameters of the MIXER section: OSC BAL determines the mix ratio between Oscillators 1 and 2; in the left half of its control range, OSC VOL determines the master volume of the oscillator mix. In the right half of the control range from the center position to the far right, OSC VOL increases the saturation intensity when a SATURATION curve has been activated. 30 CHAPTER 4 Introduction the ring modulator. Be sure to check out what the ring modulator does when you select a sine wave for Oscillator 1 and 2. Now we can go on and solve the mysteries of the signal flow as determined by the FILTER ROUTING operating mode SPLIT: Here Oscillator 1 and the SubOscillator are routed to Filter1, whereas Oscillator 2 and the Noise Generator are routed to Filter-2. Although the sound sources are split into two signal paths, you can still control the volume levels of the different elements as well as OSC VOL in the usual manner. In the VIRUS, both of these tasks are executed by a so-called LFO (low frequency oscillator) that oscillates at frequencies below the audible range. An LFO is similar to the oscillators you have encountered thus far, but it oscillates significantly slower so that its output signal is too low for human hearing. So what good are they if you can't hear them? LFOs are used in much the same manner as envelopes, with the major difference that the are repeated indefinitely. For our next experiment, you should recall either the basic sound you have always started with so far, or a version you have already edited and saved. Look for the RATE control in the LFOS/MOD section. To the left of this knob is an LED, which should be flashing in time with the LFO 1 (the currently selected LFO ­ see below). Turn the RATE control and see the speed of the LED changing. The buttons to the right of the RATE knob are used for selecting LFO waveforms. The controls in the LFOS/MOD section only apply to the currently selected LFO (like in the OSCILLATORS section), and you can switch LFOs using the SELECT button in the top lefthand corner of this section. When LFO 3 is selected, the LED to the right of the RATE control flashes in time with LFO 3, otherwise it show the rate of LFO 2 í THE LFOS When you first started this series of experiments with sounds, we promised that many of the functions the VIRUS can be "programmed" so that they are executed automatically. You have already learned how to control the volume and cutoff frequencies of both filters as well as the pitch and intensity of the frequency modulation of Oscillator 2 via "preprogrammed" envelopes. These options are great, but you have already encountered a number of functions where it would be a helpful if you could also program them to be executed automatically. And of course envelopes are great modulation sources, but you have to play a note every time you want to initiate an envelope. During your experiments you probably came across a function or two you would like to be able to control periodically - independently of notes. Some features that come to mind are traditional techniques such as vibrato (periodic pitch control) and tremolo (periodic volume control). Another option you might like to have at your disposal is random parameter control. LFO 1 Start with the usual basic sound configuration or chose a modified sound to suit your taste. Locate the RATE pot in the LFO 1 section of the control panel. The RATE pot is equipped with an LED that indicates the speed of the LFO as well as its waveshape. Turn the RATE pot and check out how the flash of the LED indicates the change of pace as you rotate the pot. ACCESS VIRUS OS5 The LFOs 31 í Once you have pressed the lower SELECTbutton button, you can scroll forwards or backwards through the available modulation destinations with the PARAMETER buttons. When the EDIT key in this section is held down, modulation destinations can be selected by turning the SELECT control. al in different sound-shaping settings manually. In other words, the audible result of a joint modulation varies according to the values you have determined for the other parameters. - FILTER GAIN This is the level of signal entering the filter section and therefore influences the subsequent saturation stage. Modulating FILT GAIN therefore causes a periodic change in saturation as well as a tremolo i.e. a periodic change in volume. If the saturation stage is not used, you will only hear tremolo. The position within the signal chain (at the input of the filter section) has been deliberately chosen so that both the volume and the amount of distortion can be modulated by the same source, as is often the case in electromagnetic instruments. Also, rapid LFO movements cause sharp impulses (transients) within the oscillator signal, which can be used to excite filter resonance. Filter resonance always dies away freely, as the filter input is affected by modulating FILT GAIN, not its output. - ASSIGN Here you can freely select any modulation destination. Currently you are unable to hear the effect of the LFO as its modulation intensity is set to 0 in the sound program. In order to change this setting, you must access the second SELECT button which works in conjunction with fi ve vertically arrayed LEDs labeled OSC 1, OSC 2, PW 1+2, RESO 1+2, FILTER GAIN and ASSIGN: Press the SELECT button repeatedly and observe how the LEDs flash in succession (the LEDs OSC 1 and OSC 2 flash separately as well as in unison). The corresponding modulation targets appear in the display, along with the modulation intensity values as determined by the VALUE pot and VALUE buttons. (You can also scroll through the modulation targets via the PARAMETER button after you have pressed the SELECT button once.) Once you have dialed in a value other than 0 for a modulation target, the corresponding LED illuminates continually. This feature tells you at a glance that a modulation is underway even when the display indicates some other type of operation. HERE ARE THE DEFINITIONS FOR THE MODULATION TARGETS: - OSC-1 refers to the frequency of oscillator 1 - OSC-2 refers to the frequency of oscillator 2 - PW 1+2 means that the pulse widths of both oscillators are controlled in unison - RESO 1+2 refers to the resonances of both filters. Please keep in mind that although each set of these parameters is assigned a common modulation intensity, you can still di- Modulate these five parameters separately and in combinations with different intensities. Try to anticipate the sound you will come up with when you modulate the first oscillator, the second oscillator or both oscillators at once and see if the results match your expectations. If you can fairly reliably predict the outcome of your sound-shaping efforts, you should have a handle on the information discussed thus far and can use your knowledge to create specific sounds you have in mind. During the course of your experiments, it is entirely possible that you have generated modulations that have no effect whatsoever on the sound, for instance if you modulate the frequency of Oscillator 2 although it is dialed out 32 CHAPTER 4 Introduction of the oscillator mix. When you run into this type of problem, check out the signal routing, if any configurations conflict with each other and memorize the situation, problem and solution. If you make a habit out of this, you won't panic when you run into similar situations; instead you'll keep your cool, analyze the unexpected sound and fix the mix. You are currently using a triangle as the LFO waveshape. You shouldn't have any problem associating the periodic up and down fluctuation of the target parameter with this waveshape. Now activate the other available waveshapes for LFO 1 and try to picture the respective waveshape and associate it with the results of the modulation. The third waveshape is a descending sawtooth wave. You can convert it into to an ascending sawtooth by simply dialing in the requisite negative modulation intensities (AMOUNT). In the WAVE setting, you have access to 64 LFO waveshapes. Select these in the display section using the VALUE buttons: - S&H (Sample and Hold) is a structured random modulation. Here random modulation values are generated. The value is held until the next beat impulse, then it abruptly jumps to a new random value. - S&G (Sample and Glide) is a continual random modulation. Here the random values glide seamlessly into one another, the rate of which is determined by random modulation of the RATE value. Continued your experiments with different LFO waveshapes. Note that after a while you no longer consciously hear minimal modulation intensities - depending on the waveshape and modulation target (e.g. S&G +1 on OSC 1 or 2). However they do pep up the sound of lend it a certain vitality. The key to many great sounds are these types of minimal modulations. You may have gathered that the LFOs of the VIRUS are polyphonic: If several notes are played simultaneously, these are controlled by dedicated LFOs, each with a slightly varied rate. This effect livens up the sound of chords, especially when they are sustained. To enhance this effect, activate the LFO 1 KEY FOLLOW in the LFO-EDIT-Menu. This function enables you to control the rate of the LFOs via the pitch, or more accurately, via the MIDI note number, so that higher notes generate faster LFO rates. As result, when you press and hold several notes you will hear all kinds of substantially different periodic fluctuations. Finally, the LFOs can also be used as additional envelopes. The control feature for this effect is the ENV MODE button. When you press this button, two things occur: For one, the LFO no longer initiates its cycles periodically, but only once at and in sync with the start of a note, and for the other, the active range of the LFO is switched from bipolar (in both directions from the zero position) to unipolar (from zero in one direction only). Please note that this applies to the modulation target but not the modulation intensity. Here you can still determine a value in the entire bipolar range. This effect is especially prominent when used in conjunction with the sawtooth wave, which enables a fade-out type of effect (when you dial in a positive AMOUNT value) or a volume-swell type of effect (negative AMOUNT) for the available modulation targets. Using the LFO Curve The following 62 waveshapes are identical to the oscillator section's digital waves. These can be used to create interesting rhythmic effects. ACCESS VIRUS OS5 The MOD Section 33 parameter located in the LFO EDIT menu, you can have the "ramp" rise or fall exponentially. If you choose a triangle for your waveshape, the device will generate an ascending phase (attack) and a descending phase (decay). LFO Curve also lets you determine the temporal relationship between attack and decay; in other words, their respective rates.. Dial in the desired speed via the RATE pot. You can also use S&H and S&G in ENV MODE to come up with some attractive results: S&H generates a single random value at the start of a note (in this case, the RATE pot has no effect); S&G works in the same manner although in this case the RATE value is crucial. It determines the amount of time it takes to glide from the previous to the new random value. LFOS/MOD 1 6 2/3 LFO 1 LFO2 LFO3 MOD EDIT SELECT 1 OSC 1 OSC 2 PW 1+2 RESO 1+2 FILT GAIN AMOUNT ASSIGN 2 0 12 WAVE SHAPE RATE FILTER 1 FILTER 2 SHAPE 1+2 FM AMT PAN ASSIGN 3 OSC 1 OSC 2 PW 1 PW 2 SYNC PHASE MOD ASSIGN 1 ASSIGN 2 ASSIGN 3 ASSIGN 4 ASSIGN 5 ASSIGN 6 í SOFT KNOB 1/2 These are the two freely assignable controls. The destination of these controls can be defined within the Edit menu (SOFT KNOB 1/2 MODE). There are two parameters, one global and one local i.e. applying only to the current SINGLE program (which will override the global definition if defined). SOFT KNOB 2 doubles as a value control, and therefore only works as a SOFT KNOB when the Virus is in Play mode i.e. no Edit menu is selected. For each SOFT KNOB, you can choose a short description from a list in the menu, and this will be saved as part of the SINGLE program. In Play mode, this will appear in the display ­ to remind you of what each SOFT KNOB does when you are playing your Virus. (see "The SOFT Knobs (Controls)" on page 49). í THE MOD SECTION You may have noticed that, apart from the three LFOs, an entry called MOD also appears as an option when you press the Select button. This gives you access to the Virus modulation matrix. The six ASSIGN entries (selectable via the SELECT button) represent six freely definable modulation connections. After you have selected one of them, you can set the modulation source, destination and intensity in the menu. To maintain compatibility with previous Virus models, ASSIGN 2 has two destinations and ASSIGN 3 has three. Each of the other ASSIGNs have only a single modulation destination. Please note: When MOD is selected instead of an LFO, the RATE knob will always control LFO 1 by default. 34 CHAPTER 4 Introduction í VOLUME AND PANORAMA POSITION You probably noticed that the many of the sound shaping options available in the VIRUS occasionally influence the volume level. For instance, an unfiltered sawtooth is naturally louder than a highly filtered sawtooth because whenever you blend a part of the frequency spectrum out of the mix, you are automatically reducing the overall volume of the signal. This is why the VIRUS is equipped with a programmable volume pot for each SINGLE PROGRAM. It enables you to balance out the volume levels of your sound programs. Locate the parameter PATCH VOLUME in the COMMON section of the EDIT menu. 01111111111111111112 í VELOCITY Velocity is one of the preferred modulation sources of keyboard players: A light key attack generates a low velocity value for the given note, a heavy touch generates a high velocity value. In the VIRUS you have ten modulation targets available for Velocity. Locate the VELOCITY section in the EDIT menu. 01111111111111111112 61111111111111111154 1 VELOCITY Osc1Shape +0 There you will find the modulation intensities for: OSC 1 SHAPE OSC 2 SHAPE PULSE WIDTH FM AMOUNT FILT 1 ENV AMT FILT 2 ENV AMT RESONANCE 1 RESONANCE 2 VOLUME PANORAMA 61111111111111111154 1 COMMON PatchVolume 100 Its value is set to 100 so that you have a reserve or headroom of 27 volume increments when you are dealing with highly filtered sounds. You have already dealt with the Panorama position as a modulation target of LFO 2. Here you can not only modulate it, but also determine settings manually. For this purpose, use the parameter PANORAMA which is also located in the OUTPUT section of the EDIT menu. Like many other parameters, Panorama is a starting point for modulations. For instance you can modulate the Panorama position via LFO 2 even if you have already set the Panorama to the far left position. In this case of course you will only hear the Panorama position shift to the right. which you can manipulate independently of one another in the familiar bipolar control range. A light key attack generates a low velocity value for the given note, a heavy touch generates a high velocity value. ACCESS VIRUS OS5 Unison Mode 35 í UNISON MODE When we talked about the oscillators, we mentioned that by subtly detuning signals, you can beef up sounds and achieve string-like sounds. The VIRUS is equipped with features that allow you to take this type of tonal manipulation a step further. On of these is the so-called UNISON MODE. It enables you to initiate two or more voices for each note played, which in turn lets you detune many oscillators. UNISON MODE also offers the option of spreading the voices generated by one note in the stereo panorama and shifting the phases of their LFOs so that all types of periodic effects can be used to produce an even more exciting signal. Locate the parameter group UNISON in the EDIT menu. 01111111111111111112 where two voices are played for every note. In the "OFF" position, one voice per note is played. 61111111111111111154 1 UNISON Mode Twin UNISON mode determines how many voices the VIRUS will use to render a played note. In a nutshell, it determines how "fat" the sound will be. You can use the UNISON Detune parameter to determine to which extent the active voices are detuned. UNISON PanSpread distributes them uniformly across the stereo panorama, a process by which you can also determine the width of a sound's stereo base. When you activate UNISON mode for a sound, it can still be played polyphonically. However, depending on the number of voices you've dialed in, its polyphony will of course be considerably reduced in UNISON mode. The most efficient and the standard setting is UNISON mode = Twin, 36 CHAPTER 4 Introduction í THE EFFECTS At the bottom left of the panel is the effects section, divided into an EFFECTS and a DELAY/ REVERB block. This gives you access to Distortion, Phaser and Chorus effects as well as Delay and Reverb. The TYPE/MIX and INTENSITY knobs in the EFFECTS block are used to control the distortion, phaser and chorus effects. They always apply to one of the three simultaneous effects only, selectable via the Select button. The following parameters can be controlled using these two knobs: Reverb decay; FEEDBACK/DAMPING determines the degree of feedback in the Delay signal, or high frequency damping for the Reverb. If Delay or Reverb are synchronized to the clock, DELAY/REV TIME controls the time expressed as a note value (1/16, 1/8, etc.). In the next section we are going to take a closer look at the Virus effects. EFFECTS 6 6 DIST PHA CHO EDIT SELECT 0 12 0 12 TYPE/ MIX INTENSITY Distortion-Effekt: TYPE/MIX INTENSITY Phaser-Effekt TYPE/MIX INTENSITY Chorus-Effekt: TYPE/MIX INTENSITY Chorus Mix Depth Phaser Mix Feedback Distortion Curve Distortion Intensity DISTORTION The Distortion effect is actually a collection of several different algorithms, which are selectable via the TYPE/MIX control: - OFF No distortion - LIGHT, SOFT, MIDDLE, HARD Four analog distortion curves, with differing characteristics and intensities. - DIGITAL Digital distortion with hard clipping. Shaper. Sine characteristic with multiple wave cycles. Signals sent through the Shaper can be changed quite drastically; the results are often similar to the spectra of linear FM (frequency modulation). - RECTIFIER Variable half-wave rectification; input level does not affect the amount of distortion. - BITREDUCER Variable reduction of the bit depth; generates digital quantization noise. All other effects parameters are defined in the menu by pressing the upper EDIT button. The lower EDIT button in the DELAY/REVERB section lets you switch between the Delay and Reverb effects. The SEND control determines the proportion of the selected effect within the signal; DELAY/REV TIME controls Delay time or ACCESS VIRUS OS5 The Effects 37 - RATEREDUCER Variable reduction of the sampling rate; generates digital aliasing effects. - LOWPASS 1-pole lowpass filter; gentle reduction of higher frequencies. - HIGHPASS 1-pole highpass filter; gentle reduction of lower frequencies. The INTENSITY control is used for setting the degree of distortion (in distortion algorithms) or the cutoff frequency (in the two filter algorithms). INTENSITY ranges from very slight to extreme. phaser`s own LFO. The other three parameters affect the general sound of the phaser: FREQUENCY determines the average frequency of resonant peaks, STAGES is the number of resonant peaks and SPREAD is the distance between resonant peaks within the frequency spectrum. CHORUS Chorus has been a popular effect for a long time, and is often used to make pad sounds (such as synthetic strings) less static. It is actually a pair of short delay lines (usually no longer than 50 ms) with continuously modulated delay time via dedicated LFO. This modulation causes subtle frequency shifts in the processed signal, which results in a more complex phasing between direct and processed signals. Feedback in the delay line accentuates the Chorus effect, and because the left side of the signal is modulated in the opposite direction to the right side, the Chorus effect is capable of creating a stereo signal from a mono input. When the basic delay is extremely short, this effect is called flanging. The feedback parameter is especially significant here, as higher values can create dramatic resonances and could even be considered an additional signal source. Like in the Phaser, the FEEDBACK parameter is bipolar, because positive and negative feedback have different characteristics. At higher feedback levels (negative or positive) it becomes obvious that the two sides of the signal are being modulated in opposite directions. The TYPE/MIX control in the EFFECTS section determines the balance between the direct and processed signals. The RATE and SHAPE parameters control the dedicated LFO, and are available in the EDIT menu. Two further parameters in the menu are DELAY and FEEDBACK. These are used to set the delay time and feedback level. The INTENSITY control determines PHASER The Phaser effect produces resonant (or even cutting) emphasis on certain frequencies within the signal. The frequencies of these resonances are shifted around the frequency spectrum, causing a distinctive movement in the sound. Tastefully applied, this effect is particularly good for pad sounds and for authentic traditional electric piano sounds. The pure Phaser signal is the result of a frequency-dependent phase shift together with a slight pitch modulation from the phaser`s own LFO. Typical phaser sounds only appear when the processed signal is mixed with the dry signal, usually at the same level. The TYPE/MIX control is used to set this balance. The INTENSITY control changes the level of feedback in the phased signal. Higher feedback levels cause higher resonant peaks in the signal. The FEEDBACK parameter is bipolar, because positive and negative feedback have different characteristics. More phaser parameters can be found in the EDIT menu: RATE and DEPTH control the speed and intensity of modulation from the 38 CHAPTER 4 Introduction the DEPTH i.e. modulation intensity of the LFO. Please note that signal paths in the Virus Chorus/Flanger are stereo throughout: The stereo position and any panorama modulation or stereo spread values are preserved in the processed signal. . DELAY/REVERB 6 6 6 0 12 0 12 0 12 EDIT SEND DELAY/ REV TIME FEEDBACK/ DAMPING DELAY/REVERB The DELAY/REVERB section is responsible for two different effects. The SEND control determines the relative amount of effect signal: The DELAY effect delays the input signal, and is usually used for echoes. The nominal delay time set by the DELAY/REV-TIME control can be modulated so that stereo phasing effects can appear. The delay time can be synchronized to the clock so that echoes will be ,,in time" and will automatically adjust to any tempo changes. There are also several fixed-pattern delay algorithms, many of which delay the left and right sides differently i.e. using different note values. Interesting rhythmic patterns can be created by increading feedback level (via the FEEDBACK/ DAMPING control). REVERB simulates the effect of the boundaries in real spaces such as living rooms or cathedrals. There are several parameters here which go beyond pure simulation of real spaces. The predelay parameter normally found in reverb units is handled by the DELAY section described above ­ DELAY is in front of REVERB in the signal path. REVERB can be synchronized to the clock so you can seamlessly integrate the effect into the rhythmic context of your music. The DELAY/REV TIME control determines the decay time, and FEEDBACK/DAMPING sets the amount of high frequency damping. í THE ARPEGGIATOR The ARP section located inconspicuously below the main volume control is the Virus arpeggiator. This section only has an ON/OFF button and an EDIT button (which opens the arpeggiator menu). Arpeggiators break chords into individual notes, which are (usually) played back in succession. However, the Virus arpeggiator offers numerous playback options including rhythmic repetition of the unchanged chord. It is a very intuitive aid for creating original rhythms, melodic sequences, bass lines and much more. Simply switch on the Arpeggiator and try it out! The arpeggiator parameters are explained in the Parameters chapter. í SOUNDDIVER VIRUS Every Virus which leaves the factory includes a custom version of the software Emagic SoundDiver. This is a powerful tool for managing sounds and controlling all Virus parameters ACCESS VIRUS OS5 More to ComeSoundDiver Virus 39 from the computer (Mac or PC). Even if you prefer to control your Virus with its own knobs and buttons most of the time, SoundDiver still has quite a few useful functions and features which complement the Virus user interface very well. Take for instance SoundDiver's Memory Manager. This can display the entire memory contents of the Virus clearly arranged on a single page, and has many comfortable functions to help you manage all your Single and Multi programs. For instance SoundDiver lets you drag and drop sounds from one place to another, or rename them etc. etc. These are the kinds of jobs which are handled much more comfortably on a computer screen than in the (naturally smaller) Virus menus. SoundDiver's library functions let you build up sound libraries of any size for the Virus, and store these on your computer's hard disk. You can sort some or all the sounds in a library according to several criteria, you can search for sounds, audition them and send several library sounds at the same time to the Virus (via drag and drop) etc. etc. It is even possible to connect several Virii to SoundDiver and feed them with sounds from a single, central library. Selectively swapping sounds between two Virii could hardly be more comfortable. Double-clicking on a sound in SoundDiver's Memory Manager loads the sound into an editable graphic display of all parameters and values. Although there is nothing in this editor you cannot do on the Virus itself, the attractive onscreen graphics give you an instant and complete overview of all parameters and their values, so this is a practical alternative to the Virus user interface ­ especially when your unit is not very accessible (e.g. when built into a 19" rack). SoundDiver communicates via MIDI with the Virus and requires two-way connections i.e. both the MIDI INs and OUTs must be connected between the Virus and the computer running the software. SoundDiver has an integrated Help system, which includes extensive information about the program itself as well as about the Virus parameters. For further information about the full version of SoundDiver, as well as any questions you may have about the program, please contact Emagic (www.emagic.de). í MORE TO COME We have come to the end of these detailed instructions for novices. We hope we were able to help you become a bit more familiar with your new synthesizer and gain some confidence in how to handle it. As we mentioned earlier, this is just an introduction and does not cover all the functions and features of the VIRUS, only the basic components and how they affect the sound of the VIRUS. You should now be able to come to terms with the in-depth look at the VIRUS in the following section. 40 CHAPTER 4 Introduction Concept and Operation 42 CHAPTER 5 Concept and Operation í OPERATING MODES In the VIRUS you can select from two basic operating modes, SINGLE MODE and MULTI MODE. In SINGLE MODE, the VIRUS is able to generate a single sound program only. All 32 voices, all effects and most importantly, all control features (with the exception of the MULTI button) function in conjunction with this one sound program. You might say a SINGLE program is a combination of all functions and effects that determine the sound of the VIRUS. In other words: A SINGLE program is a "sound" of the VIRUS, that can be stored and recalled. The VIRUS provides access to up to 1024 SINGLE sounds. Next to the 256 RAM sounds (Bank A and Bank B), you have six banks available with a total of 768 factory sounds. These banks, C-H, are stored in the FLASH ROM and can not be overwritten via STORE. The upper four Banks E-H are not loaded by the Factory; instead they have to be loaded by the user. By that procedure, the demosong will be overwritten. The MIDI receive channel in SINGLE MODE is the Global Channel. You can change the Global Channel in the SYSTEM menu. In MULTI MODE, the VIRUS can combine up to sixteen (SINGLE) sound programs, among which the maximum available number of 32 voices are allocated dynamically. All simultaneously available sounds can be manipulated in real-time; for this purpose the control panel enables you to switch among the sixteen socalled PARTS. In MULTI MODE, the actual sound parameters are augmented with other functions that deal with how the involved SINGLE programs are structured or organized. These include the volume levels of the single programs, their MIDI channels, output assignments, etc. THE MULTI-SINGLE MODE Activate MULTI SINGLE mode by pressing the MULTI and SINGLE buttons simultaneously. The name of the selected MULTI program will disappear and instead you'll see the name of the SINGLE program for the selected PART. Now you can page or scroll through the 16 PARTs using the PART buttons and select a SINGLE program for every channel. Now you can process the currently selected PART. You'll always see the number of the selected PART on the upper left in the display. The PART buttons don't actually change sounds, they simply set the user interface of the VIRUS to the desired PART. Irrespective of the given setting, all PARTs can be controlled simultaneously via MIDI. Consequently, MULTI SINGLE mode, which makes handling so much easier, is the ideal choice when you're working with a connected sequencer. Please bear in mind that MULTI SINGLE mode is really just another view of the normal MULTI mode. MULTI SINGLE mode doesn't offer a unique data type for storing sounds, it always works with the MULTI program currently selected in normal MULTI mode. All of the normal MULTI mode parameters (keyboard zones, etc.) remain intact and in force even though you can't view or vary them in MULTI SINGLE mode. You can set the device to normal MULTI mode at any time by pressing the MULTI button. To return to the MULTI SINGLE mode view, simply press the MULTI and SINGLE buttons simultaneously. When you're working with a sequencer, start with a MULTI program that features neutral settings for its "administrative" parameters, for example, the MULTI program M0 Sequencer. Here ACCESS VIRUS OS5 Operating Modes 43 the PART numbers are identical to the MIDI channels of the PARTs. Now when you work in MULTI SINGLE mode, the VIRUS responds as if it were in SINGLE mode, except that you have 16 sounds available simultaneously on 16 MIDI channels. Use the PART buttons to select these sounds. You only need to exit MULTI SINGLE mode when you want to store the MULTI program, for example, to save the current global delay/reverb setting. In MULTI mode, these settings are not stored along with SINGLE sounds. In addition, you can activate another complete MULTI program in MULTI mode only. In MULTI mode, you have one MULTI edit buffer and 16 SINGLE edit buffers for the PARTs at your disposal. When you activate another a MULTI program, its data is copied from the MULTI bank to the MULTI edit buffer. The MULTI program in turn contains address information for the SINGLEs involved, in other words, the bank and program numbers. These addresses are also copied from the SINGLE banks into the 16 SINGLE edit buffers for the PARTs. When you store a MULTI program, only the addresses of the SINGLE programs' original slots are saved, but not, however, the sound data in the 16 SINGLE edit buffers. These must be stored separately in the SINGLE program banks. This type of edit buffer is used in most synthesizers; its advantages are many: MULTISINGLE UNDO · It lets you edit copies of sounds without sacrificing the original sounds. + STORE MULTI SINGLE SOFT KNOB 1 · Edit buffers can be stored in a sequencer and sent from it to the VIRUS independently of the sounds stored in the device (see "Arrangement Dump - The Sound in the Song" on page 145). · In MULTI-Mode (or MULTI-SINGLE-Mode) the same SINGLE-program can be recalled and edited on different parts. In this case all involved EDIT-buffers contain variations of the same original sound. EDIT BUFFERS Whenever you play or edit a SINGLE program, its current data is stored in an edit buffer. This is an individual memory slot for SINGLE programs that has nothing to do with the memory slots in the sound banks. When you activate a new SINGLE, its data is copied to the edit buffer. There you can edit it as you see fit while the original remains unchanged in the bank. When you activate STORE (more on this in a bit), the content of the edit buffer is copied back to the original slot in the bank (or, if you so desire, to another memory slot). 44 CHAPTER 5 Concept and Operation í MASTER CLOCK AND MIDICLOCK The VIRUS has a global clock generator which can be used to synchronize the LFOs, the arpeggiators and the delay/reverb effects to a common tempo. The internal clock generator either works at a definable rate or slaves automatically to any MIDI clock signal (e.g. from a sequencer) arriving at the MIDI IN socket. Internal clock speed is controlled by the CLOCK TEMPO parameter, which can be set to any value beween 63 und 190 BPM (Beats Per Minute). Beats are displayed by a dedicated LED to the immediate left of the UNDO button. When the device is synchronized via MIDI clock, the clock generator automatically accepts the speed dictated by the connected sequencer; the internal tempo setting is in this case meaningless and thus disabled. The individual sections of the VIRUS are synced up to the clock generator at rhythmic intervals such as 1/16, 1/4 and so forth. These values may be assigned individually for every section. (ARPEGGIATOR CLOCK, CLOCK LFO 1, CLOCK LFO 2, CLOCK LFO 3, DELAY CLOCK, see the respective sections). GRAMs are ignored. Instead, all involved SINGLE PROGRAMs are controlled via the same clock generator. Its CLOCK TEMPO is saved in the MULTI PROGRAM (as are the settings for the global delay effect). This feature lets you control the LFOs and arpeggiators of several MULTI PARTS in a common rhythmic context. í A small "c" will appear in the display when the VIRUS is receiving MIDI Clock data. If you're sure you do NOT want the device to be synchronized automatically to MIDI clock, set MIDI CLOCK RX to Off (in the SYSTEM menu).) To avoid confusion, please keep in mind that MIDI Clock is not the same thing as MIDI Time Code. The latter doesn't deal with tempo at all but with time-related information structured in hours, minutes, seconds, etc. which is of no benefit to you in this context. í HANDLING PARAMETER SELECTION AND DATA ENTRY -2 -1 0 +1 +2 TRANSPOSE PANIC In SINGLE MODE, CLOCK TEMPO pertains to the current SINGLE PROGRAM and is stored along with it. In MULTI MODE, the CLOCK TEMPO settings for the involved SINGLE PRO- In the VIRUS, we distinguished between two types of parameters. On the one hand, it features parameters that are essential in generating or synthesizing sounds, on the other hand it has sound parameters and organizational parameters that are more of a peripheral nature. This distinction is apparent in handling and operation of the VIRUS: All essential sound parameters feature a dedicated knob or button so ACCESS VIRUS OS5 Handling 45 that you can access these directly - especially while you are playing!. In just a few cases the control features have dual functions. EDIT GLOBAL / RANDOM MULTI EDIT Peripheral parameters, on the other hand, are compiled in menus. Among these menus are above all the EDIT main menu in the display section as well as the six local EDIT-menus in the individual function blocks. The EDIT menus contain parameters that you will require less frequently, but some of these are nonetheless indispensable for programming sounds. The local EDIT menus are there for a purpose ­ to help you distinguish clearly between the various parameters. Here you'll find parameters that affect directly the given functional section, but are not equipped with dedicated control features. In the SYSTEM menu, you'll find ­ irrespective of the given operating mode ­ a number of global parameters. These are called MIDI, SYSTEM and so forth and are not stored with a SINGLE or a MULTI program. Located next to some of these parameters, you'll see the abbreviations "ENA" and "DIS". The option ENA means enable and DIS means disable. Call up a menu by simply pressing the corresponding button. Once you have opened the menu and it appears in the display, you can scroll through its parameters one after another using the PARAMETER buttons and edit them using the VALUE buttons and knobs. If you press the PARAMETER buttons briefly, you can scroll through the parameters contained in any given menu step by step in the desired direction. If you press and hold one of the parameter buttons for a bit longer, the display will automatically scroll through the list of parameters in the given menu. When you press and hold one PARAMETER button and then press the other PARAMETER button, the display will scroll through the menu in parameter groups in the direction of the button that you are holding down. This handy feature lets you swiftly go from one parameter type to another, for instance, from all chorus-related to all delayrelated parameters. If you also hold the second parameter button down, the menus will automatically scroll in the selected direction. Once you've scrolled to the desired parameter group, simply select the desired parameter by pressing the button briefly. You can also step through the parameters by repeatedly pressing the same menu button. The menus, particularly the EFFECTS menu, contain parameter groups that are related by virtue of their function, for instance, all parameters that are used to control the phaser. When you switch the phaser off (PHASER Dry/Eff = OFF), all Phaser parameters are of course irrelevant and will no longer appear in the menu. In other words, when the phaser is disabled, you can't view its parameters. The reason for this is to make menus clearer and less cluttered. The VALUE +/- buttons let you change the value of a parameter in steps. When you hold one of these buttons down, the value changes automatically and the longer you hold the button, the faster the pace of the value change. You can increase this pace even further by pressing and holding one VALUE button and simultaneously pressing the other VALUE button. If you press and release both VALUE buttons simultaneously, the parameter is set to its default value 46 CHAPTER 5 Concept and Operation (mostly zero). This pertains to unipolar parameters (value range of 0 to 127) as well as bipolar parameters (value range of -64 to +63). You can also use the VALUE knob to change the value of the selected parameter. The VALUE knob responds to the KNOB MODE settings as described in the paragraph below. The triangular icon located next to the parameter value indicates in which direction you have to change a value if you would like to reset the parameter to the value that has been stored to date. The previously stored parameter value as well as the current value are displayed for parameters that feature a dedicated knob. - ISNAP The modal controls (for instance those whose functions apply to one oscillator or LFO at a time) will be in SNAP mode, whereas all the others will be in JUMP mode. The iSNAP mode is there to prevent sudden changes in value after switching over to a different oscillator or LFO etc. - RELATIVE When you adjust a knob in RELATIVE Mode, the parameter is affected immediately but not absolutely. In other words, the value change from the original value to the value reflects precisely the amount you adjusted via a given control. Generally this operating mode allows you to adjust a parameter immediately, without radical jumps. However, the down side is that in an unfavorable configuration - the worst-case scenario being a maximum parameter value and a knob position at the minimum value - you do not have the full control range of the knob at your disposal. To counteract this situation, you have to turn the knob in the opposite direction to adjust the physical knob position so that it is equivalent to the actual parameter value. In RELATIVE Mode, the triangle to the right of the number indicates if the VALUE knob coincides with the parameter value () or not (). - IRELATVIE The modal controls (for instance those whose functions apply to one oscillator or LFO at a time) will be in RELATIVE mode, whereas all the others will be in JUMP mode. 01111111111111111112 KNOB MODES For all knobs with the exception of MASTER VOLUME, you can select from four operating modes in the SYSTEM menu. These are located under the menu item KNOB MODE: - OFF The knobs are inactive. - JUMP In Jump Mode, the parameter jumps directly and absolutely to the value determined by the current position of the knob. - SNAP When you adjust a knob In Snap Mode, the original setting determines the value until the point where the movement of the knob passes beyond this position. In other words, the parameter does not jump to the value as in JUMP Mode. However, keep in mind that your adjustments have no effect on the parameter until the knob "snaps" on at the position equivalent to the original value. In SNAP mode, an ®-symbol appears to the right of the number. It indicates in which direction the VALUE knob must be turned to exceed the current parameter value. 61111111111111111154