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Table Of Contents
Modulation
Without modulation, sounds tend to be boring and fatiguing to the ear. They also sound
synthetic, rather than natural, in the absence of some type of sonic modulation. The most
obvious type of modulation is vibrato, which is used by orchestral string players to add
animation to an instrument’s pitch.
To make sounds more interesting, you can use various synthesizer controls to modulate
basic sound parameters.
Modulation Routing
Many synthesizers, including the ES1, ES2, and EXS24 mkII sampler, feature a modulation
router.
The router allows you to direct one or more modulation sources to one or more
modulation targets—or destinations, if you prefer. For example, you can change
modulation targets, such as the oscillator pitch or filter cutoff frequency, by using
modulation sources that include the following:
Velocity modulation: The impact of your keyboard playing (harder or softer).
Key scaling: The position you play on the keyboard.
Use of controls: These can include the modulation wheel, ribbon controllers, or pedals
attached to your keyboard.
Automatic modulation: You can use envelope generators or LFOs to modulate signals
automatically.
Modulation Routing in the ES1 and ES2
The ES1 and ES2 provide an easy way to route a control—a modulation source—to part
of the sound engine—a modulation target. For details on the use of the modulation
facilities and other parameters, see the ES1 and Oscillator on/off buttons.
You can do modulation routing n the ES1 by selecting a modulation target in the left or
right column of buttons in the Router section. You use the left column to set a modulation
target that can be controlled, in amount, via the modulation wheel of your keyboard. The
target you choose in the right column will dynamically respond to keyboard velocity. The
amount, or range, of this modulation is determined by the two arrows shown in the sliders
(Int via Whl and Int via Vel). The upper arrow determines the maximum amount of
modulation, and the lower arrow determines the minimum amount of modulation.
363Appendix Synthesizer Basics