44
The SYNTHESISER module provides the means of creating and editing the
sounds used in the EDITOR and KEYBOARD Modules. It also features a
real time sequencer which allows tunes to be played back while changing
or editing the sounds.
Each sound is controlled by a set of parameters collectively called an
envelope. The basic parameters consist of waveform (including pulse width
where appropriate) and amplitude shape. The initial pitch and duration of
the sound can also be edited so that the sound produced in the SYNTHE-
SISER exactly mirrors the sound of notes on the staves in the EDITOR or
KEYBOARD. There are 15 resident envelopes in the current sound set
which may be used together with an optional filter. The filter parameters
consist primarily of filter type, resonance and filter frequency.
Apart from the basic envelope and filter parameters the sounds may be
controlled by the optional use of Dynamic Response Envelopes (DREs).
The two DREs can transform the sound by independently modulating the
frequency and/or pulse width and the filter frequency. The DRE is one of
the more complex features of the SYNTHESISER and as such is left until
the section ‘More on creating sounds’.
Any of the envelope and filter parameters may be changed and the result-
ing sound heard instantly. The SYNTHESISER also allows you to give a
name to each of the 15 envelope sounds eg piano, violin or bass. These
names may be used within the KEYBOARD and EDITOR to provide a
useful description of the sound.
The sequencer can play up to 3 voices or tracks from the resident music
file. Particular envelopes can be selected for each voice together with an
optional filter. Apart from playing whole tunes, the sequencer is designed to
utilise loop sections. At any time these short sequences, bass riffs, drum
patterns etc may be selected for each voice and set playing. They will
continue to play until stopped. This allows creative experimentation with
rhythm and sounds using tunes or loop sections entered from the EDITOR,
KEYBOARD or MIDI modules.
SYNTHESISER
