Operation Manual

4.2 The Engine Module 30

4.2 The Engine Module

The Engine module is used to display the selected engine. The

different types of sounds produced by the engines have been divided

in the following categories: basses, leads, pads and poly synths.

Each of these factory preset is saved in the Engine folder appearing

in the browser. The different engines can be viewed by clicking on

the View Engines button appearing on this module. One can switch

from one engine to the other by double-clicking on the associated

icon in the browser as for any other preset appearing in the browser.

4.3 The Keyboard Module

The Keyboard module controls how the synthesizer voices

respond to the events coming from an external MIDI keyboard or

from a MIDI sequencer.

The reference pitch of the keyboard can be adjusted using

the Tune knob. When in its center position (green LED on), the

reference note of the keyboard is A4 set at 440 Hz. Turning this

knob counter-clockwise will lower the pitch of this reference note

while turning it to the clockwise will increase it. The maximum

increase or decrease of the pitch of the keyboard is one semi-tone. Note that the

Tune knob can be set directly to its center position by clicking on the green LED.

Also, tuning is treated as a global parameter and is therefore not saved with a preset.

The keyboard can be monophonic, allowing one to play only one note at a

time, or polyphonic, allowing one the play chords. This behavior is adjusted by

switching on or off the Mono button. In Mono mode, the keyboard follows a last-

note-played priority.

A portamento effect can be added when the Keyboard module is in Mono

mode. Portamento is used to make the pitch slide between notes instead of chang-

ing by step when a new note is played. The Glide knob controls the time during

which the pitch glides between notes. The portamento effect is present only when

the keyboard is played legato, this means that portamento will only occur between

two notes if the second note is played before the ﬁrst one is released.

Note that the sustain pedal (MIDI controller number 64) is always active on the

Keyboard module.