User Manual

BV512 VOCODER
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“Playing” the vocoder from a MIDI keyboard
If you have routed MIDI to the BV512, playing notes from C1 and up will control individual filter bands. For example,
in 16 band mode, C1 controls band 1, C#1 band 2 and so on up to D#2 (which controls band 16).
• The level of the bands is proportional to key velocity (how hard you play).
• A band will be “open” until you release the corresponding key.
• Bands to which you have connected a CV signal (using the individual band level inputs on the back panel) will
not respond to MIDI keys.
Note that with this function, you “play the modulator bands”. However, you still need both a carrier and a modulator
signal to get any sound. Typically, you would first record the notes or chords for the carrier device in the sequencer,
then create a sequencer track for the vocoder and “play” it from your MIDI keyboard while playing back the recorded
carrier notes and at the same time inputting a signal on the Modulator input.
q An interesting application of this is to patch the vocoder as an insert effect for the whole mix (the output of the
main mixer connected to the carrier input), and “play the vocoder” while inputting a signal on the Modulation
input. Only the frequency bands for which you press keys will be attenuated. Use the FFT (512) mode for best
results.
Using the BV512 as a reverb
This is a very special trick which can be quite cool. Proceed as follows:
1. Create a Redrum device.
The “vocoder-reverb” is best suited for drums, even though nothing stops you from using it on other sounds.
2. Create a Subtractor and a vocoder.
The Subtractor will automatically be routed to the carrier input. We don’t need a dedicated modulator device in this
setup.
3. Flip the rack around and connect Aux send 1 on the Mixer to the modulator input on the vocoder.
4. While you’re there, re-route the vocoder output to Aux return 1.
This way, our vocoder-reverb will be connected as a regular send effect.