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Introduction: ! ! Thank you for purchasing Basic, our subtractive-synthesis mono-synth. This instrument, like the name suggests, is designed with simplicity in mind, for ease of understanding and speed of use. Its three anti-aliased oscillators provide the traditional analog synthesis waveforms, created from high-quality samples of vintage hardware, along with the “Digigrit” wave lifted directly from the ROM of an early digital synth.
Overview: ! ! Basic is designed to be easy to understand. For veterans of analog and digital synthesis, we assume this manual won’t be necessary at all, since Basic follows standard design conventions. In that light, we have written the manual with an eye to the person that is new to synthesis, and with some explanations of the common terms one would find in most synthesizers.
Oscillators And Noise:! ! ! The three oscillators in Basic are the source of the audio signal. They are all identical, with the exception that OSC 2 and OSC 3 can be synced to OSC 1. We’ll talk about that in a bit. ! ! The oscillators are of a type commonly referred to as “wavetable” oscillators. In a traditional oscillator in a synthesizer, either analog or digital, the different waveforms are created as needed via mathematical methods.
Tune & Level: ! ! Each oscillator has, in addition to the waveform selector, a control labeled “TUNE” and another labeled “LEVEL.” The TUNE knob controls the relative pitch of that oscillator. The absolute pitch is controlled by the MIDI note input from your DAW or controller, and the TUNE knob is offset from that. Say, for instance that you play a C3 note on your controller. The TUNE knob is capable of adjusting the relative pitch of the oscillator up or down a maximum of one octave.
Filters: ! ! Basic has two filters, in a configuration known as “cascaded” or “series.” This means that the mixed signal from the oscillators passes through Filter 1, and then through Filter 2. Nominally, when one sees a cascaded filter design like this in “the real world,” for example on the Korg MS20, the filters are fixed states. In the MS20, the first filter is a highpass topology, meaning that it attenuates low frequencies, while the second filter is a lowpass that attenuates high frequencies.
The LFO works slightly different. It is bi-polar, meaning that it can also subtract value from the Frequency control. So you’ll get the best results when the Frequency is set towards the middle of its range. Once you learn the interaction, this will become more obvious. We suggest experimentation is the best teacher in this regard. ! ! ! ! Envelopes: ! ! The two envelopes in Basic are of the attack/decay/sustain/release variety, or “ADSR,” as they are known.
the theoretical maximum. This is, perhaps, a somewhat nonsensical description, but put the slider full, and play the notes on your controller at varying levels of velocity, and you’ll rapidly see how it works. ! ! The RETRIG control is used to facilitate staccato (as opposed to legato) playing. If this button is on, the envelope will begin its Attack cycle every time a note is played, whether the preceding note was held down or not.
LFO. When it is fully on, you will hear whatever the sliders are set to. The AFTERTOUCH switch works in the same way. When it is on, the LFO’s amplitude is controlled by the MIDI aftertouch value coming from your keyboard. When both the MOD WHEEL and AFTERTOUCH switches are active, the LFO’s full amplitude will only be achieved when both aftertouch and mod wheel values are at their maximum. ! ! The SYNC switch puts the LFO in to host sync mode, and the value display changes from Hz to note values.
Presets: ! ! Basic comes with a selection of 48 presets to get you started. We’ve tried to show the full range of abilities of the synth, while providing some useful and/or amusing sounds. In the VST versions of the synth, these presets are “baked” in to the software, so you never have to worry about overwriting them. In the AudioUnit version, hosts that utilize AU’s “factory preset” feature (like Logic and Live 8) will show the “baked” presets as Factory Presets.
