Sound Parameters – Modulation Speed Levels
Waldorf microQ User´s Manual
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assigned to parameters through the Modulation Matrix and influence these parameters to
alter a sound. In addition, the Modifier unit can process various mathematical operations
and functions on the modulation signals.
Modulation Speed Levels
The microQ offers three levels of modulation speeds: FM, Fast Modulation and Standard Modulation.
This separation assures maximum flexibility in sound generation while keeping the amount of
processor power needed to calculate a voice as low as possible. You will find separate descriptions of
how to access the different modulation types in the chapters below. The three modulation speed
levels are categorized as follows:
FM (Frequency Modulation)
This is the fastest modulation speed level. These calculations are performed for each generated
sample or, in other words, 48000 times per second (48kHz). Five modules of the microQ’s sound
generation offer FM - the three oscillators and the two filters. When you browse the list of available
sources for this type of modulation, you will find almost exclusively those sources that make sense to
modulating the destination with sample speed. This includes the oscillators, noise, the LFO, the
envelopes and so on. You won’t find sources like modwheel or velocity, because their values change
incredibly slowly, compared to an oscillator playing at a pitch of i.e. 10kHz. The following table
shows all available FM Sources:
FM Sources
Description
Off
No modulation
Osc1
Oscillator 1 Signal
Osc2
Oscillator 2 Signal
Osc3
Oscillator 3 Signal
Noise
Noise Generator Signal
LFO1
LFO 1 Signal
LFO2
LFO 2 Signal
LFO3
LFO 3 Signal
FilterEnv
Filter Envelope Signal
AmpEnv
Amplifier Envelope Signal
Env3
Envelope 3 Signal
Env4
Envelope 4 Signal
Table 3:
FM Sources
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FM
needs a lot of CPU Power which leads to less polyphony.
Fast Modulation
Though not calculated in
sample
speed, the Fast Modulation calculations are performed in
audio
speed: more than 5000 times per second (>5kHz). Most of the modulations in the microQ are
performed at this speed level. The following table lists all pre-routed Fast Modulation destinations:
