User Guide

Waves Element 2.0 User Guide
4
1.3 Concepts and Terminology
Element 2.0 is powered by Virtual Voltage™ technology, which connects its various
generators, transformation filters, envelopes and modulators. Element 2.0 therefore uses
many of the same concepts used by its hardware forerunners: VCF (Voltage Controlled
Filter), VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier), and so on.
Anyone acquainted with synthesis – especially classic ’80s-style polyphonic subtractive
synthesis – should feel right at home with Element 2.0. You’ll be able to dive right in and
start programming immediately. For novice synthesists, Element 2.0 is an ideal place to
learn the basics of synthesis theory. The learning curve will pay off when encountering
other synthesizers, whether software or hardware, analog or digital.
All users can partake in the instant gratification of Element 2.0’s vast selection of factory
presets. Element 2.0’s team of experienced preset developers created hundreds of
presets, sorted by category, so you can quickly find just the sound you need: leads,
pads, basses, sound effects, sequences, gated rhythmic lines and motions. Or simply
browse until something catches your ear – or imagination.
Whether in the studio or live on stage, many musicians like to control synthesizer
parameters in real time for enhanced creativity and expression. Element 2.0 supports
the basic automation features of plugin hosting technologies like VST, but it also
supports MIDI Learn. Assigning an Element 2.0 control to a knob on your MIDI controller
is as easy as right click > Learn, knob turn, done!
Analog modeling and sound quality do come at a price. Element 2.0 can be rather CPU-
hungry compared to other software synthesizers. During the days of analog hardware,
less expensive oscillators were often considered “dirty,” while accurate oscillators cost
more than was practical for music making. Ironically, in today’s digital world, creating a
pristine oscillator is comparatively easy; it’s the “dirtiness” that takes more CPU
calculations to recreate.
To conserve CPU power, Element 2.0 lets you select the maximum number of
simultaneous voices.