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E-Mu EMAX, Owner'S Manual

The E-Mu EMAX is a renowned vintage sampler that revolutionized music production in the 1980s. Unlock the full potential of this iconic instrument with the comprehensive and free Owner's Manual available for download from manualshive.com. Discover endless creative possibilities and take your music to new heights with this classic piece of gear.

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Emax Owners Manual  

© 1986 E-mu Systems, Inc.                  Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001                         Page 35 

GUIDED TOUR #7: MANAGING THE BANK 

 
BACKGROUND AND SETUP 

The following functions don’t necessarily do glamorous things, but they are very useful. This Guided Tour 
acquaints you with these utilities. 
 
Begin by write-protecting (

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 2

), and then loading, the Arco Strings disk. 

 
 

ERASING A PRESET 

1.   Refer  to 

PRESET MANAGEMENT 4

 and erase Preset 01. Don’t worry; this is just gone from the 

Bank, not the disk. And we can get it back anyway by... 

 
 

LOADING A PRESET 

1.   See 

PRESET MANAGEMENT 1

 and load Preset 01. Now it’s back in the Bank again. 

 
 

OTHER BANK MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS 

1.   The other functions--copy, rename, create, and Preset size-- are pretty much self-explanatory. Refer 

to 

PRESET MANAGEMENT 5, 6, 3, and 7

 respectively. Try these various functions to get a feel for 

how they work. 

PRESET MANAGEMENT 2

 lets you save the Bank to disk, but you probably don’t 

want to do that right now and besides, the Arco Strings disk is write-protected anyway so you can’t 
save to disk. 

 
 

GUIDED TOUR #8: THE SEQUENCER 

 

The Emax sequencer is a “scratchpad” for musical ideas, and is not intended to be a sophisticated do-all 
whiz-bang. However, you can create sequences on a fancy computer and, using Super Mode, download 
these sequences via MIDI into the sequencer (

SEQUENCER SETUP 6). 

 

For now, we’ll check out how the sequencer works as a scratchpad, so load the Arco Strings disk, 
activate 

SEQUENCER MANAGE, 

and let’s go. 

 
1.   Key in 1 to set the tempo. While you’re at it, activate 

SEQUENCER MANAGE 2

 and make sure that 

the Emax clock is on Internal. The other Sequencer Manage options--Load, Erase, Copy, and 
Rename--are described under 

SEQUENCER MANAGE

 

3 

through 6. 

 
2.   Now press 

SELECT

. There will only be one sequence, 00, which is untitled. Enter 01 and the display 

will show 01 as an “Empty Seq.” This is the sequence into which we will record. 

 
3.   Press 

RECORD,

 then 

PLAY. 

Start playing the keyboard immediately when you press play. When 

you’ve played enough, press 

STOP. 

 
4.   To play back the sequence, press PLAY. Varying the data slider will change the tempo. The display 

will show this is an untitled sequence; practice renaming it with 

SEQUENCER MANAGE 6.

 

 
5.   To stop the Sequence at its end, press 

STOP

 once. To stop it immediately, press 

STOP

 twice. 

 
6.   Now dig into the Sequencer portion of the manual and check out all the various functions if you so 

desire. Bouncing tracks is fun, as is overdubbing . . . and Super Mode . . . .in fact; sequencers in 
general are a lot of fun. 

 
 

GUIDED TOUR #9: MAKE YOUR OWN 

 

These Guided Tours cover only the basics; to cover every possibility of how to use the instrument would 

Summary of Contents for EMAX

Page 1: ...By Craig Anderton Version 2 0 1986 By E mu Systems Inc Scotts Valley CA All Rights Reserved Enhanced By The Emulator Archive 2001 www emulatorarchive com ...

Page 2: ...SICS HOW EMAX ORGANIZES SOUND SAMPLING BASICS THE EMAX MAP THE BANK SAMPLES and VOICES MAKING A PRESET THE CURRENT PRESET THE CURRENT VOICE MORE ABOUT SAMPLES THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SAMPLE MODULE FUNCTION ACTIVATING A MODULE THE MODULE IDENTIFIER VELOCITY SENSITIVE KEYBOARD PRESSURE SENSITIVE KEYBOARD OTHER DEFINITIONS The Disk Archives The Keyboard The Channel Outputs Booting Default Cursor Da...

Page 3: ... MODULE 1 MASTER TUNE 2 MEMORY REMAINING 3 VELOCITY CURVE 4 ERASE ALL MEMORY 5 FORMAT DISK 6 COPY DISK 7 BIRD RUN 8 SPECIAL FUNCTIONS 1 Copy Software 2 MIDI Overflow 3 Disable Channel 4 Recalibrate 5 Audition Note 6 MIDI Analyzer 7 Software Revision SAMPLE MODULE 1 VU MODE GAIN 2 PLACE SAMPLE 3 SAMPLE RATE 4 SAMPLE LENGTH 5 THRESHOLD 6 ARM SAMPLING 7 FORCE SAMPLING 8 STOP SAMPLING 9 CHANGE CURRENT...

Page 4: ...OCESSING MODULE 00 CHANGE CURRENT VOICE S 11 VOICE ATTENUATION TUNING and DELAY 12 VCA ENVELOPE 13 FREQUENCY Q ENVELOPE AMOUNT TRACKING 14 FILTER ENVELOPE 15 LFO SETUP RATE DELAY VARIATION 16 LFO TO VIBRATO TREMOLO FILTER Fc PANNING 17 VELOCITY TO LEVEL FILTER Fc FILTER 0 PITCH 18 VELOCITY TO VCA ATTACK FILTER ATTACK PANNING 19 PANNING 20 CHORUS 21 KEYBOARD MODE SOLO NONTRANSPOSE 22 CONTROL ENABLE...

Page 5: ...ATING THE SAMPLE SIGNAL PROCESSING WITH EMAX MIDI SUPPLEMENT BASICS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT MIDI TYPICAL MIDI APPLICATIONS ABOUT THOSE MIDI CONTROLLERS FINDING OUT ABOUT OTHER SYNTHESIZER S MIDI CAPABILITIES DEALING WITH MIDIOSYNCRACIES SMPTE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS SAMPLANALOG SYNTHESIS FIX IT IN THE MIX WITH A SAMPLING KEYBOARD PART 5 APPENDIX VELOCITY CURVES DEFAULT SETTINGS MIDI IMPLEMENTAT...

Page 6: ...g plug The plug must be plugged into an appropriate outlet that is properly installed and grounded in accordance with all local codes and ordinances DANGER Improper connection of equipment grounding conductor can result in a risk of electric shock Check with a qualified electrician or service personnel if you are in doubt as to whether the product is properly grounded Do not modify the plug provid...

Page 7: ...nd headphones and speakers may be capable of producing sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss Do not operate for a long period of time at a high volume level or at a level that is uncomfortable If you experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears you should consult an audiologist 5 The product should be located so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ...

Page 8: ...or B Objects have fallen or liquid has been spilled into this product or C The product has been exposed to rain or D The product does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance 12 Do not attempt to service the product beyond that described in the user maintenance instructions All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel SAVE THESE INSTRUCTION...

Page 9: ...uencer start stop Velocity sensitive keyboard where keyboard dynamics can control any or all of the following VCA level VCA attack VCF cutoff VCF attack and VCF 0 The keyboard can play up to eight notes simultaneously however in some cases each note can contain two different sounds Note that like standard analog synthesizers there is a complete set of modifiers for each note Therefore when we refe...

Page 10: ... the bottom of the drive see Fig GENINS 2 in GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 2 remove the disks or packing materials and put them in a safe place 7 Turn on power Emax will do a self test then the display will say Please Insert Disk 8 Select one of Emax factory disks and insert it label side up with the label going in last into the disk drive see GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 2 The display will say Loading Software an...

Page 11: ...finitions so study it carefully The Guided Tours section describes several guided tours you can take through the manual s Reference Section to help learn the instrument s operation Each tour gives any necessary background information and then directs you to particular parts of the Reference Section where these concepts are further developed By taking these guided tours in the order presented subje...

Page 12: ...quire fewer samples Note The sampling rate can be altered for reasons which we will get into later Just like tape a sound can be manipulated once it has been recorded Playing back the samples in the reverse order from which they were stored plays the sound backwards Playing back the samples at a faster rate than the rate at which they were stored raises pitch playing back at a slower rate lowers p...

Page 13: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 14 ...

Page 14: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 15 ...

Page 15: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 16 ...

Page 16: ... usually gives the most realistic sound Individual Presets including their Voices and samples can be loaded from disk Making a Preset is a three step process 1 Create the Preset and give it a number and name The Bank can hold up to 100 Presets 2 Assign Voices to different ranges of the keyboard for example with five Voices you could assign each Voice to cover one octave of the keyboard This is rep...

Page 17: ...wo ways to select a function within the module Those just getting started can move the data slider until the display shows the desired function then press ENTER As you work with Emax though you will start to memorize the function numbers and will probably find it faster to simply key in the appropriate function number using the numeric keypad Example if the manual says to activate MASTER 2 you wou...

Page 18: ...log Signal Processors are tied to keyboard dynamics for example playing harder can alter the loudness attack time filter cutoff etc as are some Preset assignment characteristics i e playing louder assigns a different Voice to a particular key The Channel Outputs The Central Computer assigns sounds to the output channels For example when you play a key that key s sound is assigned to Output Channel...

Page 19: ...ll be available to save you the hassle of starting from scratch Note that individual Presets and the Voices they contain can also be saved to disk THE BIG RE CAP One more time A Sample is a raw sound that is recorded into the Bank Upon being processed or otherwise modified we call the Sample a Voice To create a new Preset make sure you have all the Voices required for the Preset in the Bank number...

Page 20: ...pecific sounds on that disk Occasionally during a tour you will be told to refer to something like PRESET DEFINITION 4 SAMPLE 2 or some other name This means that you will find more information in the specified section of the manual s Reference Section For example PRESET DEFINITION 4 indicates that the information is in the Preset Definition chapter under section 4 SAMPLE 2 indicates that the info...

Page 21: ...urrent Preset use the keypad underneath the display Note that leading zeroes must be entered for Preset numbers i e type 0 and 2 not just 2 to call up Preset 02 Now type 0 then 2 on the keypad these will replace the numbers indicated by the flashing cursor 2 The display says P02 NarrowStereo Play the keyboard hey check out those string sounds 3 Now call up more Presets refer to GENERAL INSTRUCTION...

Page 22: ...ve master tune erase all format disk and copy disk This also contains the ever popular Bird Run and Special commands which are explained in the Reference section Sample This recording studio module records sounds from the outside world into the Bank Features include adjustable preamp gain variable threshold setting and adjustable sample rate and length Digital Processing With this powerful module ...

Page 23: ... a module function requires keying in its associated number with the keypad We will shortly give an example of how this all works De activating When you re finished with the module either press its button again to de activate or simply activate a new module Hint Any time you make a mistake get confused or otherwise get lost in the module and need to bail out simply de activate the module Then re a...

Page 24: ...n will be used frequently during this and most subsequent tours Identifying which keyboard keys belong to which Voice 1 Once the Arco Strings disk is loaded the display should show 01 as the Current Preset Activate the Analog Processing Module its LED will light after a few seconds If a Current Voice has not been previously selected it shouldn t have if you just loaded in the disk the display will...

Page 25: ... to specify that Voice 2 The display now shows the highest note of the Voice in which E2 resides Don t press ENTER yet but if you did this highest note would set the upper limit of the Current Voice Instead let s make the Current Voice cover a somewhat wider range Press C4 the display will show this as the new high note and press ENTER As with selecting the lowest Voice selecting any key within th...

Page 26: ...bers under Fc change Lower numbers mean a lower filter cutoff frequency less high frequencies Higher numbers mean a higher filter cutoff frequency more high frequencies Observe how only the notes within the Current Voice are affected by the slider setting Note You must re trigger a note to hear any changes Holding down a note and playing the slider will not change the sound you must play a note af...

Page 27: ...non inverting envelope in the sense that the envelope increases the filter cutoff frequency above the initial cutoff To select an inverting envelope where the cutoff decreases below the initial cutoff exit Function 14 by pressing ENTER this puts you back at the Module Identifier then key in 13 6 We re back at the familiar Filter Setup screen Move the cursor under Env and select 40 to invert the en...

Page 28: ...ss the ANALOG PROCESSING button 2 Let s make the entire keyboard the Current Voice Press the ANALOG PROCESSING button again which selects the entire keyboard 2 Key in 17 and read over ANALOG PROCESSING 17 The velocity to level setting should be 06 move the slider to select different values and note the effects Emax plays softer as you play softer In other words Emax equates harder play with the no...

Page 29: ...WHEEL DESTINATIONS Note Emax offers two vibrato options Pre programmed which adds a constant selectable amount of vibrato and real time where the player adds in vibrato by using one of the wheels Each Emax wheel can be assigned to a particular destination For example if the left wheel is assigned to pitch then rotating the wheel bends pitch If assigned to the filter rotating the wheel varies the c...

Page 30: ...d Key in 3 and the left wheel will affect overall volume If you feel adventurous check out the other control destinations Note that if you select a destination that is already specified for one of the other control sources the old assignment will be de selected and that control source will be turned off 0 3 Think about it for a bit the left wheel can control a destination the right wheel can contr...

Page 31: ... keyboard C1 B1 to hear the results of your sampling 6 Now experiment with more sampling Try setting a particular sample length SAMPLE 4 using forced sampling instead of threshold sensitive sampling SAMPLE 7 assigning the sampled sound to other portions of the keyboard SAMPLE 2 and also practice terminating the sampling process SAMPLE 8 As long as you do not de activate the module new samples will...

Page 32: ... the range assigned to the current Voice Notice the start of the Voice will disappear Use this technique to get rid of silence at the start of a Voice or for effects 3 Move the cursor using the arrow keys to the End display Use the Data Slider to truncate any undesired part off the end of the sample 4 When you get tired of truncating press ENTER When Emax asks if you want to Make Truncation Perman...

Page 33: ...ning mixes two samples together digitally into a single sample whose length equals that of the longer sample Assuming you still have two samples on the keyboard follow the instructions in DIGITAL PROCESSING 7 and combine them If not first clear the Bank memory and record two samples as instructed at the beginning of this section FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS The Digital Processing module is very powerful...

Page 34: ...ate sequences on a fancy computer and using Super Mode download these sequences via MIDI into the sequencer SEQUENCER SETUP 6 For now we ll check out how the sequencer works as a scratchpad so load the Arco Strings disk activate SEQUENCER MANAGE and let s go 1 Key in 1 to set the tempo While you re at it activate SEQUENCER MANAGE 2 and make sure that the Emax clock is on Internal The other Sequenc...

Page 35: ...k Try to spend some time not playing with but rather practicing with the instrument After you re a little more familiar with Emax read through the Reference Section and delve deeply into a particular function or module Emax is like an audio construction set where sounds can be captured held processed mutated spliced sped up slowed down and lots more so take advantage of what it is has to offer The...

Page 36: ...any time de activate any active modules and look at the display 2 EXITING A FUNCTION After modifying a Current Voice or Preset by adjusting any of its parameters you have three options on how to proceed 1 If the Enter LED is lit steadily pressing ENTER will return you to the Module Identifier 2 De activate the module Emax returns to Current Preset 3 Activate another function within the module or a...

Page 37: ...e damaged during transit When active the drive s LED will light Do not try to operate Emax when the LED is on The mechanism will occasionally make clunking sounds these are normal Labeling disks Write on an adhesive label which you then attach to the disk Always label your disks so that you don t confuse blank and recorded disks Write protecting disks Write protecting a disk turns oft the disk dri...

Page 38: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 39 Fig GENINS 1 Fig GENINS 2 FUNCTION BUTTONS ...

Page 39: ...osition Release TRANSPOSE its LED stays lit to remind you Emax is transposed 4 To cancel the transposition Press and hold TRANSPOSE press C2 and then release TRANSPOSE its LED should now be off Note Transpose transposes the key number rather than the voice assignment This means that selecting the current voice and any other use of the keyboard will show the transposed key number In short you shoul...

Page 40: ... To choose which Current Preset will be active when you load a Bank select the desired Preset just before saving the Bank to disk see PRESET MANAGEMENT 2 Save All The Emax will default to that Preset whenever you load the Bank Module FUNCTION Function ENTER DATA ENTER is a something that Emax rather than you activates Just as you can activate a module to tell Emax something you want to do Emax can...

Page 41: ... to Select Preset Module MASTER 2 Function MEMORY REMAINING How close are you to filling up the Emax memory with Samples and Presets This command puts a dipstick in the memory to find out 1 Activate MASTER 2 With an empty memory bank the display says These figures show the number of bytes of available memory 2 Press ENTER to return to the module identifier or de activate the module to return to Se...

Page 42: ... data it first must be told how to record this data called formatting the disk Run the following formatting procedure on new disk or on recycled disks previously used with other systems such as home computers since these will not be formatted correctly for the Emax Formatting not only formats the disk but also writes Emax s operating system the software that tells the system how to operate Note Fo...

Page 43: ...e the newly formatted disk from the drive insert the next disk to be formatted in the drive then press YES Otherwise press NO whereupon the display returns to the Module Identifier Module MASTER 6 Function COPY DISK As you build up a collection of disks remember that they are not indestructible E mu recommends copying backing up any disk that contains material you don t want to lose Preferably kee...

Page 44: ...tion aligns Emax s internal stabilizers and prevents excessive gyrocosmic relativation 1 Activate MASTER 7 2 Carefully observe the display for any signs of destabilization eg gravitational warps apparent speeding up or slowing down of time objects in mirrors appearing closer than they really are If Emax returns to the Module Identifier after a few seconds all is well Note Occasionally a small emu ...

Page 45: ...ic Emax Make sure that the slave Emax is set to MIDI Overflow Off otherwise the 17th note will not be played 3 Disable Channel If an Emax channel should fail activate MASTER 8 and select SPECIAL 2 Press the number s that correspond to the channel s to be disabled The display will confirm your choice After finding the bad channel press ENTER to disable the channel and return to the Module Identifie...

Page 46: ...s Moving the Data Slider changes the analyzer from analyzing MlDl IN to analyzing MIDI OUT Press ENTER to select The display now says When MIDI data is received or sent the data will be displayed The analyzer recognizes most MIDI messages but does not display System Exclusive or Active Sensing messages 7 Software Revision This shows the operating system version number in the display MIDI Data In U...

Page 47: ...d Adjust the data slider and possibly the output control of the device being sampled if present so that peaks are below this overload point Note The optimum gain level setting for Emax is 0dB While other gain settings produce good results bear in mind that increasing gain tends to increase noise while attenuation could cause distortion In any case trust your ears Module SAMPLE 2 Function PLACE SAM...

Page 48: ...ry 1 Activate Sample 3 The display shows This represents a good compromise between memory use and fidelity bandwidth is approximately 14kHz 2 Use the data slider to choose from six different sample rates between 10 kHz medium quality DDL sound to 42 kHz almost the same rate used with Compact Disks Press ENTER to return to the Module Identifier Module SAMPLE 4 Function SAMPLE LENGTH Once sampling i...

Page 49: ...ing but a signal that exceeds the threshold will Hint Set the lowest possible threshold If the beginning of a sound is cut off the threshold is too high If there s a delay before the beginning of a sound the threshold is too low and was probably triggered by some noise prior to the actual signal Note Once sampling has begun Emax will continue sampling even if the signal falls below the threshold l...

Page 50: ...ple length if set with SAMPLE 4 being stopped manually SAMPLE 8 or when Emax runs out of memory the display will return to the Module Identifier 3 If you are satisfied with the sample de activate the module Module SAMPLE 8 Function STOP SAMPLING You can end sampling at any time by keying in 8 After sampling the display will return to the Module Identifier Module SAMPLE 0 Function CHANGE CURRENT SA...

Page 51: ...ow the Voice number and its original pitch After selecting the Voice to be processed press ENTER 3 If the sample to be processed is used in other Presets processing the sample will process the sample in those other Presets Therefore the display asks Press NO and any processing will affect other Presets containing that sample To avoid affecting other Presets containing the sample press YES to copy ...

Page 52: ......

Page 53: ...th the cursor buttons Adjust the coarse value with the data slider and fine value with the increment and decrement keys or enter a six digit number Example Adjusting these sliders so that the bottom line indicates Trun Start 028000 cuts one second off the beginning of the sample see Fig DIGPROC 1 at the nominal sample rate 4 After setting the desired truncation points press ENTER The display asks ...

Page 54: ...ion produces interesting rhythmic effects 1 Activate DIGITAL PROCESSING 2 The display shows The six digits under Start indicate in number of sample points the Start of the Loop in relation to the beginning of the Voice A higher number moves the Start point closer to the end of the sample Example If Start reads 028000 the Start point is located one second at the nominal sample rate into the sample ...

Page 55: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 56 ...

Page 56: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 57 ...

Page 57: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 58 ...

Page 58: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 59 ...

Page 59: ...ective with short sustained samples 3 The display now asks if you want to Autoloop Press YES to autoloop NO if you have a good loop and want to continue Note Sometimes Emax will choose the correct splice point from a technical standpoint not a musical one Therefore if you find a good splice point write down the S and L numbers before invoking Autoloop Should Autoloop produce an inferior splice poi...

Page 60: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 61 ...

Page 61: ... A higher number increases the loop Length Select the parameter to adjust with the cursor buttons Adjust the coarse value with the data slider and fine value with the increment and decrement keys or enter a six digit number 3 Remember L sets the Length not the end point of the loop When S moves the loop end point as determined by the loop Length moves in tandem with S After finding a good loop pre...

Page 62: ......

Page 63: ...lease Loop you can loop the final portion of the sample so that the loop will keep playing even after you lift your finger off the key for as long as the VCA release lasts Backwards reads the Voice out of memory in the reverse order from which it was stored Note that Backwards mode uses the Sustain Loop for its release and the Release Loop for its sustain Applications Backwards tape effects simula...

Page 64: ...s are Ignored Fig DIGPROC 10 summarizes how splicing works Please note You will not hear the effects of splicing until the splice is made permanent Always make sure you have a backup of anything that you splice in case the splice does not turn out well Applications Splice an unusual attack to one Sample or unusual decay on to another 1 Activate DIGITAL PROCESSING 6 This Voice provides the first pa...

Page 65: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 66 ...

Page 66: ...two Samples together When splicing is complete the first Sample of the splice with be replaced with the spliced sound Hint Before doing a splice copy the first Voice of the splice during the Voice selection process Thus if you make the splice permanent but don t like the results you can always retrieve the original Voices Note Remember splicing ignores all analog parameters Take care that the orig...

Page 67: ... to combine the two Samples Depending on the Sample length this can be a very long process if you need to catch up on your reading now is a good time Or you can send out for pizza Module DIGITAL PROCESSING 8 Function CROSSFADE LOOP This virtually eliminates a loop s splicing glitch by cross fading the end and beginning of the loop 1 Activate DIGITAL PROCESSING 8 The display will say If you don t m...

Page 68: ... options Select with the slider and press ENTER or key in 1 from the keypad 2 The display shows where XX is a two digit number Use the slider to select the desired amount of attenuation down to 40 dB or gain up to 40 dB then press ENTER Emax tells you this Changes Data OK If you can handle that press YES The display will say Computing during the time the level is changed 3 Those who enjoy ugly fuz...

Page 69: ...ant to overwrite the existing Preset 4 It the load was successful the display will give you the chance to rename the Preset Name the preset as described in Preset Management 6 and then press ENTER to return to the Module Identifier Note If you load a Preset that uses Samples already present in the bank new copies of the Samples will not be loaded This technique saves a great deal of memory space H...

Page 70: ...nd then press ENTER to return to the Module Identifier Module PRESET MANAGEMENT 4 Function ERASE PRESET Here s how to erase an unneeded Preset 1 Activate PRESET MANAGEMENT 4 The display says where XX is the Preset to be erased this defaults to the Current Preset Select the Preset to be erased then press ENTER 2 The display will ask To erase Preset XX press YES or press NO to return to the Module I...

Page 71: ...ta slider moving the slider all the way to the bottom of its travel produces a space or the keyboard keys You can also use the numeric keypad to enter any numbers that are part of the name When the naming process is complete press ENTER to return to the Module Identifier Module PRESET MANAGEMENT 7 Function PRESET SIZE Memory space Is precious so you ll want to use this function to find out how muc...

Page 72: ...the copying process step 7 4 The display says where XX defaults to the lowest note of the lowest Voice whether Pri or Sec Press the lowest key of the range you want to copy or to quickly select the lowest note of the available Voices use the data slider While selecting the low key the lower display line will show the Voice number and its original pitch When the display shows the desired low key pr...

Page 73: ...ss the low key of the desired range in the destination Preset The lower display line will show the Voice number and original pitch in the destination Preset Attempting to place the low note in such a way that the range cannot be assigned produces an Illegal Asgnment display 8 After specifying the range s low note press ENTER The display will warn you if this assignment either modifies the existing...

Page 74: ... and select the desired value Then move the cursor over to the second Chs number and select the desired value The Voice will appear over all channels between and including these two values Press ENTER and Emax will return to the Module Identifier Hint The number of channels assigned Polyphony of any given voice Module PRESET DEFINITION 3 Function ERASE VOICE S Use this function to erase a Voice s ...

Page 75: ...age that controls the envelopes LFO s filter and pan parameters This mode allows eight note polyphony With Dual Voice off the Primary and Secondary Voice parameters are totally independent and no sharing of functions occurs This mode allows only four note polyphony when using a primary and secondary voice for each note In Dual Voice mode you must decide whether the Primary Voice will share the Sec...

Page 76: ...Emax Owners Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 77 Emax Dual Voice Mode 8 note polyphony Primary and Secondary Voices share Analog Parameters ...

Page 77: ...imilar however there is a threshold above which one Voice plays and below which the other Voice plays Where two Voice s keyboard assignments overlap Positional Crossfade alters the level balance mix between the two Voices depending on where you play within the overlap range Rather than spend a lot of time explaining this in words please refer to Fig PDEF 2 Velocity XFade Application Fade between c...

Page 78: ...g in this range if the Secondary Voice equals Hard then the Primary Voice becomes progressively softer and the Secondary Voice becomes progressively louder as you strike a key with increasing force When playing from left to right across this range Primary Voice fades out as Secondary Voice fades in ...

Page 79: ...rce than the mid point of the velocity range one Voice will play if you strike a key with less force than the mid point of the velocity range the other Voice will play Positional XFade As you play from low to high over the Current Voice one Voice will fade out as the other Voice fades in This is a useful technique for maintaining an even tone quality over the keyboard when using multi samples Real...

Page 80: ...lay says Select the desired arpeggiator status with the ON or OFF buttons To jump back to the Module Identifier press ENTER otherwise press the right arrow cursor key to continue the setup 3 The next display says Use the data slider or the numeric keypad to adjust the tempo through the range from 40 240 Beats Per Minute Press the right cursor key to to do fine adjustment to the tempo Use the data ...

Page 81: ...rpeggiation stops auto When you release your fingers from the keys arpeggiation continues When you press down new keys the old notes stop arpeggiating and the new ones arpeggiate instead extend Same as auto except that new notes are added in with old notes thus all played notes arpeggiate To jump back to the Module Identifier press ENTER otherwise press the right arrow cursor key to continue the s...

Page 82: ...ER otherwise press the right arrow cursor button to continue the setup Note that you can change the interval in real time hot dog for some really nifty arpeggiation effects 10 But wait there s more The next great option is Harmony 1 This option plays a second note at the chromatic interval from the base note specified on the display The interval is adjustable from a minor second up to a major tent...

Page 83: ...arrow cursor button to continue the setup 13 Moving right along the next option is Use the data slider or numeric keypad to set the arpeggiator velocity value The lowest possible value obtained by entering 000 gives the following display Each note will arpeggiate at a volume level determined by the velocity with which the note was played Use the data slider to select the range of MIDI velocity val...

Page 84: ...e default setting and indicates that arpeggiation will occur in the range of A 1 to C7 the full MIDI range of notes Play the key that corresponds to the lowest note in the range you want arpeggiated or use the data slider and then press the RIGHT ARROW key The cursor will move to the second note in the display which now says where XX is the note you just selected Now play the note that corresponds...

Page 85: ...ta slider or the numeric keypad To jump back to the Module Identifier press ENTER otherwise press the right arrow cursor button to continue the setup 3 The next display says The MIDI Out connector can be set to provide one of two functions MIDI Out i e data you play on the keyboard flows out the MIDI port or MIDI Thru i e the MIDI Out port echoes what s being received at the MIDI In port To select...

Page 86: ... the Emax Press ON if you want the Emax sequences to start and stop under control of another MIDI instrument press OFF if you want to start and stop sequences exclusively from Emax To jump back to the Module Identifier press ENTER otherwise press the right arrow cursor button to continue the setup 7 Moving right along we see If you press ON the default setting the Emax keyboard controls the Emax s...

Page 87: ...el was being moved To return to the Module Identifier press ENTER otherwise press the right arrow cursor button to continue the setup 10 The next screen says You may now assign a controller number to the Right Wheel in exactly the same manner as you assigned a controller number to the Left Wheel in step 9 To return to the Module identifier press ENTER otherwise press the right arrow cursor button ...

Page 88: ...oller transmitting data from a MIDI unit into Emax For more information on controller numbers see the MIDI supplement Controller numbers are assigned in exactly the same manner as you assigned a controller number to the Left Wheel in step 9 To jump back to the Module Identifier press ENTER otherwise press the right arrow cursor key to continue the setup 14 The next display shows Assign a controlle...

Page 89: ...inted in the upper part of the right hand column located in the Preset Definition module can be controlled by control sources 1 through 4 Each destination can be controlled by only one of the 4 Emax controllers In addition to being controlled via Emax s controllers these destinations can alternatively be controlled via MIDI These MIDI control sources are given controller numbers see PRESET DEFINIT...

Page 90: ...signed to the Pedal for wa wa effects turn up the Q to simulate the most commonly used wa wa sound Note This function interacts with the filter module frequency and envelope settings If the wheel does not seem to be working correctly check these settings Example If the filter cutoff is already at maximum you will not be able to use the wheel to increase the cutoff frequency Therefore for the Right...

Page 91: ...on overrides the equivalent Analog Processing module function Also LFO to FILTER Ec interacts with the filter module frequency and envelope settings If this function does not seem to work check these settings Example If the filter cutoff is already at maximum you will not be able to modulate it to any great degree Destination number 6 Function LFO to LEVEL 1 This function controls the extent to wh...

Page 92: ... sounds e g strings can fade out while brass fades in or vice versa Note This function must also be enabled under Preset Definition function 5 Velocity XFade Following is a description of the footswitch destinations Destination Footswitch 0 Function OFF 1 To turn off the footswitch first select the footswitch then select 0 Destination Footswitch 1 Function ARP CTRL 1 To start and stop arpeggiation...

Page 93: ...trolled switching between the primary and secondary Preset Voices first select the footswitch then select 5 Pressing the footswitch will alternate between the two samples Note This function must also be enabled under Preset Definition function 5 Velocity XFade Destination Footswitch 6 Function ADVANCE PRESET 1 To advance via footswitch from one Preset to the next higher numbered Preset i e from Pr...

Page 94: ...he display now says Where XX is the previously selected low note and HH is the highest note of the Voice that contains the lowest note Press a key in the range of the high Voice that you want to process or to quickly select the high voice use the data slider After selecting the high Voice press ENTER to complete the Current Voice selection and return to the Module Identifier Note lf the range incl...

Page 95: ...fter making your selections press ENTER to return to the Module Identifier Module ANALOG PROCESSING 12 Function VCA ENVELOPE This function sets the attack hold decay sustain and release characteristics of the VCA s AHDSR envelope generator Application Change a Voice s dynamics with respect to time 1 Activate ANALOG PROCESSING 12 The display will say where XX is a two digit numeral between 01 and 3...

Page 96: ...ms Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 97 level A H D R S key down key released Figure ANALOG 1 time level A H R key down If key is released during the Hold H phase the Release R phase begins time key released Figure ANALOG 2 ...

Page 97: ...ff the keys This is like the HOLD function found on standard synthesizers The sound will continue to sustain unless you play more notes than there are available channels in which case previously assigned channels will be assigned to newly played notes Module ANALOG PROCESSING 13 Function FREQUENCY 0 ENVELOPE AMOUNT TRACKING This function determines the filter s Initial cutoff frequency and 0 sharp...

Page 98: ... Manual 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 99 higher filter cutoff initial frequency cutoff lower filter cutoff 50 maximum inverted envelope 50 maximum positive envelope 0 no envelope ...

Page 99: ...te muted line in the lower registers 2 After making your selections press ENTER to return to the Module Identifier Module ANALOG PROCESSING 14 Function FILTER ENVELOPE This function sets the attack decay sustain and release characteristics of the filter AHDSR envelope generator Application Change the filter cutoff frequency dynamically with respect to time 1 Activate ANALOG PROCESSING 14 The displ...

Page 100: ... adjustable amount This simulates an effect often used by string players where the vibrato is brought in only after the initial note pitch has been clearly established Application LFO variation adds a randomized quality to ensemble sounds by providing slightly different vibrato rates for each key being held down This can make orchestral Voices sound truly polyphonic 1 Activate ANALOG PROCESSING 15...

Page 101: ...ulation Fc filter cutoff Determines the extent to which the LFO modulates the filter cutoff frequency Range is from 00 to 15 with higher values giving more modulation Pan Determines the extent to which the LFO modulates the stereo placement Range is from 00 to 15 with higher values giving more drastic motion between the left and right channels 3 After making your selections press ENTER to return t...

Page 102: ... matter how hard or soft you play the Q stays constant With positive values up to 15 playing more forcefully increases the Q With negative values down to 16 playing more forcefully decreases Q Note that overall volume levels can change with changes in Q this is normal Note The Fc and Q settings interact with the Fitter controls ANALOG PROCESSING 13 You will probably need to tweak the Fitter module...

Page 103: ... 1986 E mu Systems Inc Enhanced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 104 Dynamic Range Bar Chart LOUD SOFT 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Keyboard Dynamic Range as a function of slider setting Slider Figure ANALOG 5 ...

Page 104: ...anced by The Emulator Archive 2001 Page 105 Filter Dynamic Range Bar Chart HIGH LOW 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Extent to which filter cutoff changes according to keyboard dynamics as a function of slider setting Slider Figure ANALOG 6 ...

Page 105: ...set in ANALOG PROCESSING 19 Panning Increasing the value causes the signal to pan in the opposite direction of the current spatial placement the higher the value the greater the difference in stereo spread between soft and forceful keyboard playing Example With the Voice panned slightly to the left and a high pan velocity value playing softly leaves the Voice slightly to the left which playing for...

Page 106: ...oughout Its assigned keyboard range but at its original pitch only there will be no transposition Solo application Produce more realistic effects when working with monophonic instrument sounds i e solo trumpet flute sax etc since this mode does not allow you to play a chord Simulate the keying action of monophonic synthesizers Non transpose application Determine the original note at which a Voice ...

Page 107: ...tivate ANALOG PROCESSING 22 The display will say 2 Press the right cursor key The cursor keys scan through the various real time control destinations see PRESET DEFINITION 9 in the following order Pitch LFO to Pitch LFO to Filter LFO to VCA Filter cutoff frequency Level Attack and Pan 3 The default setting for all destinations is ON To exempt the Current Voice from a particular control destination...

Page 108: ...rd ready mode Play a key to actually start the recording process it is not necessary to hold down record as you press play The lower display line will show the tempo at which are recording This may be varied in real time with the data slider Yes you can slow down tempo for the hard parts and speed up for the easy ones If you wish to start recording before any notes are played For example To begin ...

Page 109: ...ys 2 Use the data slider to choose the desired clock option Your choices are internal Emax s sequencer syncs to the internal clock at the tempo chosen in SEQUENCER MANAGE 1 MIDI Emax s sequencer syncs to MlDl clock signals coming in over the MIDI IN port click 24 Emax s sequencer syncs to 24 pulses per quarter note signals appearing at the Clock Input jack click 48 Emax s sequencer syncs to 48 pul...

Page 110: ...f you don t want to rename this returns you to the Module Identifier Otherwise name the sequence as described in SEQUENCER MANAGE 6 Module SEQUENCER MANAGE 4 Function ERASE SEQUENCE This function erases a sequence In the Emax memory It does not erase a sequence from disk To erase a sequence from disk you must first load the disk erase the sequence and then save the bank to disk PRESET MANAGEMENT 2...

Page 111: ...ied sequence will have in Emax s bank destination sequence this defaults to the first available empty sequence Use the slider or numeric keypad to select one of the 50 sequences in Emax 3 Press ENTER after choosing the desired sequence and the sequence will be copied If you have chosen to copy into a non empty sequence the display will prompt you with Press ENTER to append SXX to the end of SYY SY...

Page 112: ...UP Module SEQUENCER SETUP 1 Function TRACK STATUS Emax s sequencer has 16 tracks If the track is unrecorded its status can be set to Record If it is recorded its status can be set to Play Mute or Record to re record 1 Select the Current Sequence see SEQUENCER SELECT 2 With the Sequencer Setup module active select 1 If the sequence is unrecorded the display shows where XX is the track number whose ...

Page 113: ... EXTEND Auto Extend lets you extend the length of a previously recorded sequence Care should be used with this function to prevent confusion 1 Select the Current Sequence you want to extend 2 With the Sequencer Setup module active select 3 The display shows Use ON to select Auto Extend OFF to de select After making your choice press ENTER 3 Assuming that you have selected Auto Extend you are now r...

Page 114: ...on BOUNCE TRACK You may bounce a track to any other sequencer track or even bounce several tracks one at a time into a composite track 1 Select the Current Sequence whose track you want to bounce 2 With the Sequencer Setup module active select 5 The display shows where XX is the track number that s about to be bounced source track Select the source track data slider increment buttons or keypad the...

Page 115: ...r example if you want to download five tracks MIDI channels place the five Emax tracks corresponding to each of the MIDI channels into record 4 Press RECORD then PLAY on Emax then put your fancy sequencer into Play mode In theory the sequencer will start Emax and send Its MIDI data through the MIDI OUT into the Emax MIDI IN Emax should be set for MIDI clock in Either stop Emax manually to terminat...

Page 116: ...o the external sequencers MIDI OUT 4 Activate the SEQUENCER SETUP module and select 6 The display shows Press ON to enable Super Mode Remember to make sure Super Mode is off press OFF button when you ve finished with Super Mode Emax will now respond to multiple MIDI channels and route them to the preset specified in the map Super Mode off Select on off ...

Page 117: ...notes off Poly mode ignores mode turn all notes off Song position pointer Song select X X Tune request Timing clock X X Start sequence X X Continue sequence Stop sequence X X Active sensing System reset System exclusives X X Call for documentation Supermode Supermode is an Emax MIDI mode designed to enhance the Sequencer MIDI interface It is basically equivalent to Poly Mode On for all 16 MIDI cha...

Page 118: ...FF Source What you Hear What the Sequencer Records What is Transmitted over MIDI MIDI Channels 1 16 Current Preset Single Enabled Track Nothing Emax Keyboard Current Preset Single Enabled Track Current Preset s Basic Channel Sequencer Track 1 Sequencer Preset 1 Nothing Sequencer Track 2 Sequencer Preset 2 Nothing etc Sequencer Track 16 Sequencer Track 16 Nothing Each track transmits over the basic...

Page 119: ...Swift FUNCTIONAL DESIGN Marco Alpert Bill Aspromonte Donna Murray MECHANICAL DESIGN Ken Provost Dave Rossum Michael Wise INDUSTRIAL DESIGN Max Yoshimoto PROJECT MANAGEMENT Donna Murray Jim Rosenberg SOUND PROCESSING Dan Borba Janis Chaff in Dana Massie Kevin Monahan TECHNICAL SUPPORT Steve Davies Paul Lanagan Dan Meador Brian Monahan Wes Swift MANUAL Craig Anderton MANUAL PRODUCTION EDITING Bill A...

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