Operation Manual
Matthias Klag, Michael Ruf Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Lillie Harris, Christina Kaboth, Insa Mingers, Matthias Obrecht, Sabine Pfeifer, Benjamin Schütte, Marita Sladek This PDF provides improved access for vision-impaired users. Please note that due to the complexity and number of images in this document, it is not possible to include text descriptions of images.
Table of Contents 4 5 8 9 13 15 17 17 18 19 Anima Oscillator Pages Sub Page Mod Page Voice Page Filter Section Amplifier and Amplifier Envelope Env 3 Section LFO Section Arp Page 3
Anima The Anima synth is a wavetable instrument using HALion’s wavteable synthesis which crossfades the waves smoothly in real time based on an integrated wavetable envelope. This envelope makes it very easy to control the playback of the wavetable, because no further modulation settings are required. All you have to do is set up the Speed parameter.
Anima Oscillator Pages If a page button itself contains an On/Off button, which is the case for the Arp page button, for example, you can use this to activate/deactivate the corresponding element without having to open the page first. Oscillator Pages The Osc 1 and Osc 2 pages contain the settings for the two main oscillators. ● To show the settings for oscillator 1 or oscillator 2, click the corresponding button.
Anima Oscillator Pages Main Tab Legato If Legato is deactivated, each note starts playback from the position cursor. If Legato is activated, the first note starts playback from the position cursor, and any following notes start from the current playback position for as long as the first note is held. Sync to Host Allows you to sync the wavetable to the beats and measures of your host application.
Anima Oscillator Pages Form Tab Formants are harmonics within the spectrum of a note which are pronounced and help to define the character of an instrument. The positions of the formants in the spectrum mainly depend on the construction of an instrument, such as the body of a guitar, the form of the vocal tract in a human body, the filter settings for electronic instruments, etc. These conditions lead to specific frequency ranges that are emphasized regardless of the pitch of the note.
Anima Sub Page Sub Page The Sub page contains the settings for the sub oscillator and the noise oscillator. Sub Oscillator Section Type The wave shape of the sub oscillator. You can choose between Sine, Triangle, Saw, Square, Pulse Wide, and Pulse Narrow. Retrigger Mode ● If Free Phase is selected, the behavior of analog synthesizers is emulated. The oscillator is running freely and continuously.
Anima Mod Page Follow Pitch If Follow Pitch is activated, zone pitch settings like Octave, Coarse, and Fine, as well as modulations like Glide, Pitchbend, or other pitch modulations, affect the duration length. A higher sample pitch leads to a shorter duration. If Follow Pitch is deactivated, the duration is independent of the zone pitch and determined by the Duration settings. Loop Activate this button to play the noise sample in a loop. If this button is not activated, the sample is played once.
Anima Mod Page 3. Optional: Specify whether you want the Source and Modifier parameters to be unipolar or bipolar. 4. Set the modulation intensity with the Depth parameter. 5. Click in the modulation Destination field and select the parameter that you want to modulate. Modulation Matrix Parameters Modulation Sources and Modulation Modifiers The following options are available as modulation sources and as modulation modifiers. LFO A/B The LFOs A and B produce cyclic modulation signals.
Anima Mod Page Unipolar vs. Bipolar Sources The polarity of a modulation source specifies the value range that it produces. Unipolar sources modulate between 0 and +1. Bipolar sources modulate between -1 and +1. ● To change the polarity of a modulation source or modifier from unipolar to bipolar, activate its Bipolar button. Modulation Destinations Pitch Modulates the pitch. For example, assign one of the LFOs to create a vibrato effect. If Pitch is selected, the modulation depth is set in semitones.
Anima Mod Page WT 1/2 Direction Modulates the Direction parameter of the corresponding wavetable oscillator. WT 1/2 Speed Modulates the Speed parameter of the corresponding wavetable oscillator. WT 1/2 Formant Shift Modulates the Formant Shift parameter of the corresponding wavetable oscillator. WT Sub Pitch Modulates the Pitch parameter of the wavetable sub oscillator. WT Sub Level Modulates the Level parameter of the wavetable sub oscillator.
Anima Voice Page Filter Env Release Modulates the release time of the filter envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts. Env 3 Start Level Modulates the start level of the user-definable envelope 3, that is, the level of the first envelope node. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts. Env 3 Attack Modulates the attack time of the user-definable envelope 3.
Anima Voice Page Polyphony If Mono mode is deactivated, you can use this parameter to specify how many notes can be played simultaneously. Mono Activates monophonic playback. Retrigger This option is only available in Mono mode. If Retrigger is activated, a note that was stolen by another note is retriggered if you still hold the stolen note when you release the new one. This way, you can play trills by holding one note and quickly and repeatedly pressing and releasing another note, for example.
Anima Filter Section Distribution Allows you to specify how unison voices are spread in pitch. Changing the unison voice distribution will create different modulations between the unison voices. ● If this is set to 0, the distribution is linear, that is, all voices have an equal distance in their pitch offset. ● Raising the value stretches the distribution using an exponential curve, so that the first unison voices have a smaller pitch offset than the second and third.
Anima Filter Section ● HP 6+BR 12 and HP 12+BR 12 are combinations of a high-pass filter with 6 and 12 dB/oct and a band-reject filter with 12 dB/oct. Frequencies below and around the cutoff are attenuated. ● AP is an all-pass filter with 18 dB/oct. Frequencies around the cutoff are attenuated. ● AP+LP 6 is an all-pass filter with 18 dB/oct plus a low-pass filter with 6 dB/oct. Frequencies around and above the cutoff are attenuated.
Anima Amplifier and Amplifier Envelope Sustain Controls the sustain level of the filter envelope. Release Controls the release time of the filter envelope. Amplifier and Amplifier Envelope On the right of the Env F/A tab, you can make settings for the amplifier and the amplifier envelope. Amplifier Parameters Level Controls the overall volume of the sound. Velocity Controls the level modulation from velocity. At 0, all notes are played with the same level.
Anima LFO Section ● L0 sets the start level. ● A sets the attack time. ● L1 sets the attack level. ● D sets the decay time. ● S sets the sustain level. ● R sets the release time. ● L4 sets the end level. ● Vel determines how much the envelope intensity depends on the velocity. If this fader is set to 0, the envelope is fully applied. Higher values reduce the intensity for lower velocities. LFO Section In the LFO section, you can make settings for the two included LFOs.
Anima Arp Page Sync If Sync is activated, the frequency is set in fractions of beats. Freq Controls the frequency of the modulation, that is, the speed of the LFO. Phase Sets the initial phase of the waveform when the LFO is retriggered. Rnd (Random Phase) If this button is activated, each note starts with a randomized start phase. NOTE The Phase control cannot be used if Rnd is activated. Arp Page This page contains the integrated arpeggiator. Arpeggiator On/Off Activates/Deactivates the arpeggiator.
Anima Arp Page Sync Synchronizes the phrase to the tempo of your host application. NOTE In addition, you can set Restart Mode to Sync to Host. This aligns the phrase with the beats and measures of your host application. Mute Mutes playback. The phrase still plays in the background. If you deactivate Mute, playback resumes immediately. Hold Allows you to prevent the phrase from stopping or changing when the keys are released. ● If Off is selected, the phrase changes as soon as you release a key.
Anima Arp Page NOTE The phrase does not restart upon notes that are played legato. ● New Note restarts the phrase with each new note that you play. ● Sync to Host aligns the phrase with the beats and measures of your host application each time that you start the transport. RstVar (Restart on Variation Change) This option is available for new chords and new notes. If this button is activated, changing a variation restarts the arpeggiator, even if no new notes or chords were triggered.
Anima Arp Page Velocity Range The Low Vel and High Vel parameters determine the velocity range that is used to trigger phrase playback. Key Range The Low Key and High Key parameters determine the key range that is used to trigger phrase playback. User Mode Parameters Save Phrase/Delete Phrase The two buttons on the right of the phrase field allow you to save/delete your phrases. Mode Determines how the notes are played back.
Anima Arp Page Key Replace With this parameter, you can deactivate the Key Select function or specify how missing keys are replaced. For example, if Key Select is set to 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 and you play a chord with 3 notes, key 4 is considered missing. ● Off deactivates Key Replace and Key Select. The selected arpeggio plays back normally. ● Arp replaces the missing keys with the note that the arpeggio would normally play. ● Rest does not replace any missing keys. The arpeggio plays a rest instead.
Anima Arp Page ● P (Phrase) plays the note of the user phrase, according to the selected mode, for example, Up, Down, Up/Down 1, etc. ● The settings 1 - 8 play the corresponding keys from the note list. Which key is played depends on the Key Mode setting. For example, if Key Mode is set to Sort, the setting 1 plays the lowest key. ● L (Last) always plays the last key from the note buffer. Depending on the Key Mode, this is the highest note or the last note in the note buffer.
Anima Arp Page 2. Repeat this procedure for all the variations that you have created. User Phrases The user phrase has up to 32 steps. Each step has an adjustable Velocity, Gate Length, and Transpose value. By adding steps, adjusting their length, or leaving pauses, you define the rhythm of the user phrase. Consecutive steps can be combined to create longer notes. By selecting a Mode, you define how the notes play back.
Anima Arp Page ● To introduce a legato between two steps, click the number below the first of these steps, so that a small arrow is shown. If Legato is activated, the Gate Scale parameter is not taken into account. ● To transpose a step, click in the field below it and enter the number of semitones for the transposition. NOTE You can only transpose steps if Show Transpose or Key Select is set to show the transpose values.
