TerraTec Producer KOMPLEXER VST English manual Version 1.00, from: July 2006 The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded for any purpose without prior written permission by TerraTec Electronic GmbH. The information in this document is subject to change without notice and shall not be deemed as a warranty by the seller. No warranties, express or implied, are given with regard to the quality, suitability or accuracy of this document. The manufacturer reserves the right to change the contents of this document and/or the associated products at any time without the provision of prior notice to specific persons or organizations. The manufacturer shall not be held liable for damages of any kind arising from the use, or the inability to use this product or its documentation, even if the possibility of such damage is known. The information in this document is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express written permission of the copyright holders. Product and brand names contained in this document are used for identification purposes only. All registered trademarks, product designations or brand names used in this document are the registered property of their respective owners. ©TerraTec® Electronic GmbH, 1994 - 2006. All rights reserved (10.07.2006). 2 KOMPLEXER Manual EN Contents: Welcome! ............................................................................................................................ 4 From opening the package to installation............................................................................ 5 Scope of delivery ............................................................................................................. 5 Windows installation--step by step..................................................................................... 6 Which operating system? ................................................................................................ 6 Installing the KOMPLEXER VST ..................................................................................... 6 Starting the KOMPLEXER VST........................................................................................... 7 Playing sounds ................................................................................................................ 7 Sound architecture .............................................................................................................. 8 General operation................................................................................................................ 8 The HEADER ...................................................................................................................... 9 OPTIONS menu .................................................................................................................. 9 MIDI controller ................................................................................................................... 10 KEYBOARD screen........................................................................................................... 11 Waldorf microQ import................................................................................................... 12 MAIN screen...................................................................................................................... 13 OSCILLATOR 1+2 ......................................................................................................... 13 OSCILLATOR 3+2 ......................................................................................................... 15 MIXER ........................................................................................................................... 15 FILTER 1+2 ................................................................................................................... 16 Other parameters on the main screen ........................................................................... 18 ENV/LFO screen ............................................................................................................... 19 LFOs .............................................................................................................................. 20 MATRIX screen ............................................................................................................. 21 ARITHMETIC................................................................................................................. 21 MACRO controller.......................................................................................................... 22 Application example....................................................................................................... 23 ARP/FX screen.................................................................................................................. 23 Mode.............................................................................................................................. 24 Direction......................................................................................................................... 24 FX1 ................................................................................................................................ 24 FX2 ................................................................................................................................ 25 Automation..................................................................................................................... 26 KOMPLEXER Manual EN 3 Welcome! We're pleased that you've chosen the TerraTec Producer KOMPLEXER VST for your musical endeavors and would like to congratulate you on your decision. With the KOMPLEXER VST, you've purchased an exceptional synthesizer--and we're convinced this innovative development will prove extremely useful to you in the coming years and, above all, provide you with a great deal of entertainment. We hope that this brochure is helpful to you while using the product. It is designed to illustrate technical aspects of sound programming. This brochure is not only designed to help beginners with this complicated subject--advanced musicians will also find the occasional bit of useful information. We hope you find this manual both informative and entertaining to read, and hope you find lots of pleasure in the KOMPLEXER VST. Sincerely, Your TerraTec Producer Team Worlds of sound. The KOMPLEXER VST--a high-end synthesizer "made in Germany". With the fantastic possibilities this synthesis engine provides, you are unlikely to need any other synthesizer. In addition to classic virtual analog synthesis, wavetable oscillators and FM synthesis provide you with additional powerful sound sculpting tools. With four envelope curves, three LFOs, two multimode filters and a 16x modulation matrix, the sound possibilities of the KOMPLEXER VST are unlimited. Perfect integration. The KOMPLEXER VST integrates perfectly into every VST host system. The KOMPLEXER VST processes both important tempo information and external MIDI controllers. The arpeggiator automatically synchronizes with the host, all parameters can be automated and all settings are saved together with your project. Waldorf microQ import. The KOMPLEXER VST is the only VST plugin in the world to have an import function for Waldorf microQ sounds. Even now, with the first version of the KOMPLEXER VST, you have access to a huge library of sounds. 4 KOMPLEXER Manual EN From opening the package to installation Before using the KOMPLEXER VST on your computer, take note of any special points pertaining to your computer's configuration. Also refer to the manuals of your computer and other software programs for their settings. The installation should run without any problems, especially in recent systems. If you are experiencing difficulties all the same, please review carefully the relevant chapter in this manual. If you are still having problems, please call our service hotline. You can find our contact information on the Internet at www.terratec.net. Scope of delivery Start by making sure that the contents of the package are complete. The KOMPLEXER VST package should include at least the following items: 1 KOMPLEXER VST installation CD 1 user manual 1 service request form 1 registration card Please fill out and return the registration card enclosed in the package to us at your earliest convenience or register online at www.terratec.net/register.htm. This is important for support and hotline services. We can only provide support if you are properly registered. KOMPLEXER Manual EN 5 Windows installation--step by step Please follow the steps in the exact order they are listed and ensure that Windows is correctly installed on your computer. Which operating system? The TerraTec Producer KOMPLEXER VST can be used in Windows only. Macintosh computers are not yet supported. Installing the KOMPLEXER VST 1. Before you start, ensure that your Windows version is up to date. Right-click the "My Computer" icon and choose "Properties" from the context menu. If you're still using the default XP wallpaper, you can access this menu item by clicking: Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System. Please contact Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) to obtain an update for your system. The service pack is generally free of charge. 2. Insert the KOMPLEXER VST installation CD provided and wait for the autorun application to launch. If you have disabled autorun, start the installation manually by double-clicking the file "Install_KOMPLEXER VST.exe". 3. Then, proceed through the windows of the installation routine, clicking "Next" to go to the next window. During the installation, you will be prompted to enter your name and the accompanying serial number. Enter this information very carefully and do not pass on your registration data to third parties. Installation is possible from the original KOMPLEXER VST CD only. Install the KOMPLEXER VST into the directory that also contains your other VST plugins. In addition to the conventional KOMPLEXER VST.dll file, a KOMPLEXER VST.exe file is installed, which you can use to start the standalone version of the KOMPLEXER VST if you do not have any VST-compatible host software (or do not want to use it). 4. Now, all important files, including the manual, are in the Windows Start menu. The sound banks provided are located in the KOMPLEXER VST folder. 6 KOMPLEXER Manual EN Starting the KOMPLEXER VST After connecting a suitable keyboard to your computer via MIDI or USB, check to make sure that your audio hardware is working properly. The KOMPLEXER VST can either be used as a VST instrument (VSTi) within a host (such as Cubase, Live or Sonar) or called up as a standalone program. Where applicable, refer to the documentation for the respective host software for additional information about loading VST instruments. To call up KOMPLEXER VST as a standalone program, in the Windows Start menu, open KOMPLEXER Standalone. Then, under DEVICES MIDI, set the MIDI port to which your keyboard is connected. Under DEVICES WAVE, select the corresponding driver of your audio system. If you have an audio interface with ASIO driver, set the correct audio channels under ASIO CHANNEL SELECTION. Playing sounds Go to the KEYBOARD screen of the KOMPLEXER VST. When you start it for the first time, a preset bank consisting of 128 sounds is loaded. Play these sounds via your keyboard's MIDI channel 5. You can also play the sounds via MIDI channel 1, but some sounds consist of multiple layers (refer to the section on "Sound architecture"). All layers are addressed at the same time via MIDI channel 5. The sounds are displayed in groups of 16, between which you can switch using the buttons to the left. The eight large MACRO controllers are always allocated to different parameters of one sound; you can use these to change sounds quickly while playing. The MACRO controllers can be addressed via both MIDI controllers and the host automation. You can acquire additional high-quality sounds. The About screen (which you can reach by clicking the KOMPLEXER VST logo) includes links to the online stores of providers of these sounds. KOMPLEXER Manual EN 7 Sound architecture The KOMPLEXER VST offers a sound structure with four layers. All four layers are always saved for each sound. For each bank, 128 sounds with two wavetables are saved. The four layers can be controlled either together via MIDI channel 5 or separately via MIDI channels 1, 2, 3 or 4. Each layer has its own stereo output. In the OPTIONS menu, you can mix all layers together to one stereo output. You can also use this architecture to generate a multimode or surround sound with up to eight channels. Effects FX1 a ...