The Rate/Tap Section
Rate/Tap
The Tap Semaphore offers 4 options for controlling the rate
of tremolo, each offered to provide the best fit for the indi-
vidual musicians' needs.
The Rate control
, provides traditional control for the speed
of the tremolo. On the Semaphore this knob’s characteristics
is affected by the position of the Tap Divide knob which
behaves as a rate range control. Set the Tap Divide knob to a
whole note then the Rate knob range goes from 0.05Hz to
13Hz, set the Tap Divide knob to 1/16 note the Rate knob
range is now 0.11Hz to 50Hz.
Tap Tempo
footswitch over-rides the Rate knob setting.
The expression pedal
nullifies the rate knob when plugged
in, providing a fluid sweep of rates. The Roland EV-5 is an
example that works great for this purpose.
The Tap In
input over-rides the Rate knob settings. This jack allows the Semaphore to be controlled via another
Tap Tempo device .
TAP TEMPO &TAP DIVIDE
As explained before, the Tap Divide works in conjunction with the Tap Tempo function of the Semaphore. Below
is a graph showing how the various positions on the tap divide interact with a 4/4 timed tap. For example,
120 BPM in WHOLE note means your modulation is at 60BPM, in 1/8 note 240BPM.
h
q
e
x
e3
q 3
As you can see, once a tap tempo has been tapped out, the tap divide can work as an in-time rate control,
allowing the player to speed up or slow down the tremolo, while still staying in the original time signature. This
function, along with the other three methods of controlling the rate, make the Semaphore an invaluable tool,
no matter how you use it.
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