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Chapter 3 ES2 47
Set the ES2 keyboard mode
A polyphonic instrument, such as an organ or a piano, allows several notes to be played
simultaneously. Many older analog synthesizers are monophonic, which means that only one
note can be played at a time, much like a brass or reed instrument. This shouldn’t be viewed as a
disadvantage; instead, it allows playing styles that are not possible with polyphonic instruments.
Change the keyboard mode
m Click the Poly, Mono, or Legato button.
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In Mono mode, staccato playing retriggers the envelope generators every time a new note
is played. If you play in a legato style (play a new key while holding another), the envelope
generators are triggered only for the rst note you play legato, then they continue their curve
until you release the last legato played key.
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Legato mode is also monophonic, but with one dierence: the envelope generators are
retriggered only if you play staccato—releasing each key before playing a new key. If you play
in a legato style, envelopes are not retriggered.
Note: On several monophonic synthesizers, the behavior in Legato mode is referred to as single
trigger, while Mono mode is referred to as multi trigger.
Use unison and voices in ES2
One of the great strengths of polyphonic analog synthesizers is unison—or stacked voices—
mode. Unison mode in polyphonic analog synthesizers is typically monophonic, with all voices
playing simultaneously when a single note is struck. Because the voices of an analog synthesizer
are never perfectly in tune, the result is an extremely fat chorus eect with great sonic depth.
Use monophonic unison mode
1 Click the Mono or Legato button, depending on the keyboard mode you want to use. See Set the
ES2 keyboard mode.
2 Click the Unison button.
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The intensity of the unison eect depends on the number chosen in the Voices parameter
eld. Increase the Voices value for a fatter sound. See Global parameters overview.
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The intensity of detuning (voice deviation) is set with the Analog parameter. See ES2
emulation of detuned analog oscillators.
Use polyphonic unison mode
m Click the Poly and Unison buttons.
In poly/unison mode, each played note is eectively doubled—or, more correctly, the polyphony
value chosen with the Voices parameter is halved. These two voices are heard when you trigger
the note. Poly/unison has the same eect as setting the ES2 to mono/unison (Voices = 2), but
you can play polyphonically.