User guide

7 Programming -Oscillators
OSCILLATOR SYNC
Normally, the two oscillators are free running (simulated); they operate independently. This means
that when you press a key multiple times, the resulting sound may not be exactly the same each time,
because the oscillators will interact with each other differently each time.
However, when Oscillator Sync is turned on, the 2nd oscillator will be forced to reset to the
start of its wave-cycle, every time the 1st oscillator naturally works round to the start of its
cycle.
If your new to synthesis and this sounds complex - don’t worry. Simply try it out - you will
recognise the kind of sounds sync’ing can produce since they appear everywhere in
popular recorded music.
The important characteristic of oscillator synchronising is that changing VCO 2’s pitch will change the
timbre of the oscillator section but the pitch of both oscillators will track the pitch setting for VCO 1.
Syncronisation off / on switch
POLYPHONIC SECTION
VCO 1 & VCO2 (defined above) make up what can be described as the ‘Synthesizer Section’ of the Gigmate.
It is monophonic - can only play one note at any given time.
In addition, the Gigmate v2 has a third oscillator. This one is polyphonic (8 note) and so can be described
as the ‘Polyphonic Section’ of the Gigmate.
The Polyphonic oscillator doesn’t have its own section on the Gigmate’s front panel, but two controls,
located in different places on the front panel, give you control of it’s pitch and waveform:
TUNING->POLYPHONY - controls the pitch
of the Polyphonic Section ( independently
from the synthesizer section. )
POLY WAVE - located above the MANX logo,
pressing this button switches between square
and pulse waveforms.
Both the synthesizer section and polyphonic section feed into the filter and then onto the VCA.
Modulation sources (other than key position) will only affect the synthesizer section, NOT the polyphonic
section.
The following diagram illustrates the Gigmate v2’s signal flow:
Polyphonic
Section
VCO1
VCO2
Mixer
Filter
(VCF)
Amp
(VCA)
Modulation
Sources
Control Signal
Audio Path
Pitch bend
LFO