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ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

AMPLIFIER - volume

The last major process that makes up a sound is it’s “Volume”. The “Volume” of sounds vary as time goes by & so an Organ has very different volume characteristics than that of a Piano or String section. See the following diagrams for details.

Volume

Time

"Organ" Type Volume Responce Curve

The “Organ” can be seen to go to full volume instantly when a key is pressed & then stay there until the key is released at which point the volume drops instantly to zero.

Volume

Time

"Piano" Type Volume Responce Curve

The “Piano” can be seen to go to full volume instantly when a key is pressed & then gradually fall back down to zero over several seconds.

Volume

"String Section" Type Volume Responce Curve

The “String section” can be seen to go to full volume gradually over several seconds when a key is pressed & then stay there until the key is released when gradually over a couple of seconds the volume drops to zero.

These curves are called “Envelopes” & in an Analogue synthesiser “Envelope Generators” are used to recreate them. Envelope Generators have 4 parameters which are used to adjust the shape of the envelope, see the diagram below

Volume

Sustain level

ADSR Type Volume Responce Curve

Attack time is used to adjust the time it takes when the key is pressed for the envelope to go from zero to full value ( Fade in ).

Decay time is used to adjust the time it takes for the envelope to go from full value to the value set by the Sustain level ( Piano like decay of volume ).

Sustain level is used to set the level that the envelope remains at while the key is held down.

Release time is used to adjust the time it takes when the key is released for the level to go from the sustain value to zero ( Fade out ).

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ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

An Analogue Synthesiser can be broken down into three main elements.

1 - The Oscillator is the part of a synthesiser that generates “Waveforms” at a certain “Pitch”.

2 - The type of “Waveform” selected in the Oscillator & the settings of the “Filter” determine the “Tone” of the sound.

3 - The sound is then passed through an “Amplifier” which is controlled by an “Envelope Generator”. These alter the “Volume” of a sound over time.

All of these three main elements can be controlled by various methods for example:

The “Pitch” of a note can be played on a keyboard or a synthesiser & additionally it can be manipulated in real time using the “Pitch Bend Wheel” to create “Slides” & “Bends” in pitch. LFOs ( Low Frequency Oscillators ) can be used to “Wobble” the pitch of a note at a specific rate creating a “Vibrato” effect. An Envelope Generator can also be used to “Slide” the pitch automatically.

The Filter can be manipulated by LFOs to vary the “Tone” of a sound at a specific rate creating a “Wah Wah” type of effect. An Envelope Generator can also be used on the Filter so that the “Tone” of a sound changes over time. A feature called “Keyboard Tracking” can also be used on the Filter so that the “Tone” of a sound changes depending on the note being played.

The Amplifier can be manipulated by Envelope Generators so that changes in the “Volume” of a sound over time can make the sound short & percussive, or more like a piano or even like an organ. Additionally the “Velocity” at which you hit the keys can also be used to manipulate volume making a sound more “expressive”.

The elements that manipulate these three main synthesis elements are called “Modulation Sources”.

The Nova features 3 Envelope generators & 2 LFOs ( Low Frequency Oscillators ) as Modulation “Sources”. In addition to this Velocity ( The dynamics of your keyboard playing. i.e. ppp to fff ), Aftertouch ( Pressure on the keyboard while note(s) are held ) & the Modulation Wheel are included in a as additional “Sources” of modulation signals in a “Modulation Matrix”. This allows almost any “Source” to modulate a given parameter. It is even possible to have combinations of different “Sources” modulating one parameter. In the Nova this has been neatly arranged on the front panel so that accessing all the possible combinations of modulation is quick & easy. Below is the Modulation Matrix for the Oscillator section.

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ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

Oscillator Modulation Matrix

This is where most synthesisers end, however the Nova features a very powerful Effect section. It could be said that effects are as much “part” of a sound as the raw sound itself, some of the larger old Analogue systems had built in spring reverb, & with the development of DSP technology digital effects have become available in modern synthesisers. However when in a “Multimbral” application all the sounds generally are passed through one set of effects.

In the Nova a block of 7 effects is part of the “Program” & can be considered to be part of the synthesis engine. These include Distortion, EQ, Reverb, Chorus/Flanger/Phaser, Delay, Panning & Comb Filter effects. These can simulate “Real World” effects like Echo & Room Reverberation etc. Or they can be used to do really weird things to your sound! For details on what each effect does & how best to use them refer to the About Effects section part of this manual on page 16 for details.

The best thing to do is just get in there & tweak those knobs, after all that’s why we put them there! Experiment & you’ll soon be creating your own sounds. Don’t worry about erasing the factory sounds in the memory. If you want, the factory sounds can be recalled. To do this refer to page 40 for details.

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ABOUT EFFECTS

The Nova’s effect section is arguably one of the most powerful in a synthesiser of this type today. With all this power it is possible to obtain a level of production that was previously unattainable.

Effects can be “Effects” or they can be “Acoustic Simulations”. Both are useful in the production of modern music, in fact they are almost essential. Clever use of effects can enhance a track beyond compare. However, slapping loads of effect on everything can do the reverse.

In the Nova there are 7 effects units per Program. They are: Distortion, EQ ( Equalisation ), Comb Filter, Reverb, Chorus/Flanger/Phaser ( This is one effect that can be a Chorus or a Flanger or a Phaser ), Delay & Panner/Tremolo. Lets look at all of these effects one by one.

Distortion. ( This is found in the “dist/EQ/config” Menu of the Effects Section )

This is usually an effect reserved for Guitar players. As the name suggests, this has the effect of distorting the incoming signal as can be seen in the diagram below.

This effect not only gives the sound a hard edge & a dirty kind of quality, it also has several other characteristics that are worthy of note. Firstly, low level harmonics within the waveform are exaggerated. “Resonant” waveforms & indeed any resonance or additional harmonics will jump out if this effect is used. Secondly, as can be seen, the maximum level that comes out of the distortion effect is relatively constant so there is a definite compression effect as well. This can be useful for mixing, as the level of the sound is the same. The Distortion parameter as its name implies introduces Distortion.

EQ. ( This is found in the “dist/EQ/config” Menu of the Effects Section )

This effect is not normally found on most synthesisers, but is found on mixing desks & is very useful for fine tweaking the individual sounds to make them “fit” together in a mix. Very often a sound may be too “muffled” sounding or a bass too “twangy” sounding. This is where EQ comes in. Muffled sounds have insufficient treble, so adjusting the Treble EQ will either boost or reduce the treble. Similarly, the Bass EQ will either boost or reduce the bass. In the Nova there is a Treble EQ control & a Bass EQ control.

Comb Filter. ( This is found in the “dist/EQ/config” Menu of the Effects Section )

This effect is a filter that generates many peaks in the frequency response of the signal. This can be seen in the frequency response curve below.

Boost

Level

Comb Filter Frequency Responce at a low "Freqency" setting

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ABOUT EFFECTS

Boost

Level

Comb Filter Frequency Responce at a high "Freqency" setting

As can be seen there are many peaks & they look like a “comb” hence the name Comb Filter. There are two parameters associated with this effect. Comb frequency controls the “frequencies” at which the peaks occur & Comb boost controls how high the peaks are. The effect is to alter the timbre of the sound. Although similar to EQ, this effect can produce effects not possible using a standard EQ. The resulting sound tends to be quite “Metallic” sounding especially when large “Boosts” are applied.

Reverb.

This is an “Acoustic Simulation of a room. Why does singing sound good in the toilet? Reverb that’s why. The Reverb Effect is a computer model of the acoustics of a room. The type of room is up to you, anywhere from the toilet to the local Concert hall is possible. Below is a simplified diagram of the reflections of sound in a room. Note there are many reflections from all directions.

When the Reverb button is pressed, the knob in the effect section controls how much Reverb there is. Anticlockwise there is little effect. This can be thought of as being very close to the sound source within the hall. Fully clockwise there is lots & this can be thought of as being at the other end of the hall from the sound source. Basically one way of looking at this parameter is “where you are & where the sound source is in the hall”.

Different types of rooms & halls have different acoustics. For this reason Nova features several different Reverb types. These range from very, very small rooms like the “Dry Chamber” setting to the very large hall like the “Large type 2” setting. Additionally “special” types have been included. These are “Gated” types & are an artificial type of reverberation that sustains for a period & then typically dies away suddenly rather than smoothly decaying away as reverb does naturally. These types can be used as a special effect, especially on drums.

Most rooms have dominant large reflective surfaces ( Larger walls typically ) & these create dominant echoes in the reverberated signal. Early ref ( reflection ) level simulates these reflections. Large amounts of Early ref level will produce strong signal at the beginning of the reverb.

Decay Time is the time it takes for the Reverb to die away after the sound has stopped. This can be thought of a “what the hall is made of”. Very acoustically reflective rooms tend to have long decay times & very non reflective rooms have short ones.

HF damp is short for High Frequency Damping. This controls the “tone” of the decaying Reverb. This can be thought of as the amount of carpet & drapes in the hall. Carpet & drapes tend to absorb high frequencies as a sound “bounces” around the hall , giving you your Reverb effect. With each bounce the sound looses a little treble. No HF Damping is a little unusual in the “real” world but can be used to emphasise sibilant or trebly sounds. Normally a little HF Damping is applied to give the Reverb a natural kind of sound.

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ABOUT EFFECTS

Chorus/Flanger/Phaser.

This is one effect that can be a Quad Chorus or a Chorus / Flanger or a Phaser.

Chorus - an overview.

This is an effect originally designed to simulate the effect when many people sing together as opposed to one person or the sound of a 12 string guitar as opposed to a 6 string guitar. Chorus is an effect that is produced by detuning the signal slightly & mixing it back together with the original signal. The characteristic Chorus swirling effect is produced by an LFO that controls the amount of detuning the chorus performs.

Quad Chorus.

This is a effectively 4 Choruses running at once from one LFO but in different phases. This creates a particularly “thick” Chorus effect suitable for String Ensemble & other “Lush” sounds.

Chorus/Flanger.

Normal Chorus & Flanger effects are quite similar. Using this effect as a Chorus provides a Stereo effect with a smooth swirling sensation that fattens up sounds & provides a stereo image. This type of Chorus differs from the Quad Chorus in the sense that although not as “thick” sounding, this Chorus retains the “definition” of the effected sound making it more suitable for basses, organs & percussive sounds. The Flanger effect is similar to a chorus but tends to use more detuning & feedback to produce an effect with a pronounced swirling sensation that emphasises the harmonics in the sound as it sweeps through them.

Phaser.

This effect is almost the reverse of a Flanger. A small amount of phase shift is applied to the signal via an LFO. When this is added back together with the original signal a pronounced swirling effect is produced that cancels out harmonics in a sound as it sweeps through them.

Speed. This parameter controls how fast the LFO for this effect is going. Generally a fairly slow speed is used. Higher speeds tend to induce a vibrato like quality to the sound.

Mod Depth controls the amount of detuning or phase shift that the effect’s LFO produces. Again large amounts of modulation from this parameter will produce a more noticeable effect. Generally moderate amounts are used but you will find that bass sounds benefit with more Mod Depth than normal. Feedback controls how much of the treated signal is fed back into the input. Subtle effects like chorus benefit from low levels of feedback. Flangers & Phasers on the other hand sound better with more feedback. Feedback emphasises the harmonics in a Flanger & emphasises the cancellation of harmonics in a Phaser.

The Type parameter determines if this effect is going to be a Chorus or a Flanger or a Phaser. Select the one you want.

NOTE:

The effects LFO should not be confused with the front panel Program LFOs.

Delay.

This effect is normally a single acoustic reflection of a sound. This is commonly called Echo. This effect can be heard naturally anywhere where there is a large flat surface, like a concrete wall. A “Stereo” version can be considered to be two concrete walls & this is the type that the Nova uses. The distance from the walls determines the delay time & as can be seen in the example below the distance between the left wall & left ear of the listener is different to the distance between the right wall & the right ear of the listener. This creates a Stereo “staggering” effect of the echoes & is normally referred to as “Multi Tap Delay” or “Tap Delay”.

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ABOUT EFFECTS

Delay Time. This parameter controls the amount of time it takes for the delayed signal to be heard after the original signal. In the example given above this is the same effect as the distance you are from the wall. A large distance produces a long delay & a short distance produces a short delay. In the Nova, the Delay time is the time of the Longest delay. The shorter delay will be a percentage of this value ( See “Ratio” below ).

Feedback. This parameter controls how much of the delayed signal is fed back into the delay’s input. No feedback produces a “Slapback Echo” effect, that is just one delayed signal with no repeats. Small amounts of feedback produce “repeated” signals giving the “Echo” effect. This can be thought of as standing in-between two parallel concrete walls. The sound bounces back & forth between them. In this case the Decay Time represents the distance between the walls.

HF Damping. HF Damping is short for High Frequency Damping. This controls the “tone” of the decaying Echo. This can be thought of as the amount of drapes on the walls. Drapes tend to absorb high frequencies, so as a sound “bounces” from wall to wall giving you your Echo effect, with each bounce the sound looses a little treble. No HF Damping is a little unusual in the “real” world but can be used to emphasise sibilant or trebly sounds. This characteristic was found in older “Tape” based echo units. Higher values of this parameter simulates the effect of worn out tape or heads in a tape echo. Normally a little HF Damping is applied to give the Echo a natural kind of sound.

Ratio. The Ratio parameter automatically adjusts the “Ratio” of the longest Delay time & the shorter Delay time into timings that are useful for Musical use. This parameter does not effect the Delay Time parameter but does alter the shorter Delay time so that it works well with the Delay Time setting.

Width is the Stereo spread between the long & shorter Delay times. When set to 0 width both delays appear in the middle of the stereo field (Mono). At a width of 127 the long delay will appear on one output & the shorter delay on the other producing a dramatic stereo effect.

Pan.

This effect controls where the sound “sits” in the stereo field. In the Nova this performs exactly the same function as Pan does on a Mixing console. It can be used to statically position a sound anywhere from Left to Right in the stereo field. This ( as everything else on Nova ) can be controlled via MIDI controllers.

Pan Type determines if the Pan is set to Pan automatically. If set to “Autopan” the sound will swing from side to side of the stereo field at a rate determined by the Speed parameter. If set to “Tremolo” the sound goes up & down in volume at a rate determined by the Speed parameter.

Speed determines the speed of the Autopan & Tremolo effects.

Depth determines how much the Autopan & Tremolo effects control the Volume of the sound, small amounts produces subtle movements & full amount produces change from no sound to full volume.

Vocoder.

The Vocoder effect allows your Nova to speak. What it actually does is it transfers the spectrum of any incoming signal from either Audio Input onto any internal or external sound. A typical use is to use a Microphone signal as the “Modulator” ( that is the sound the spectrum will be copied from ) & place the same characteristics onto an internal sound. ( this sound is called the “Carrier” )

When the Vocoder button is pressed, the knob in the effect section becomes an elegant Balance control between the Un-vocoded “Carrier” when fully anticlockwise, the Vocoded “Carrier” in the mid position & the “Modulator” in the fully clockwise position. This allows a variety of mixes to be achieved.

A special High Pass Filter is included in the vocoder to transfer harmonics that are rarely found in normal keyboard type sounds from the “Modulator” to the “Carrier”. The level of the output of this filter is controlled with the “Sibilance level” parameter & when this is turned up, the Sibilant ( Trebly ) elements of the “Modulator” are added to the “Carrier” signal.

Sibilance can be further modified using the “Sibilance type” parameter. This either filters the sibilant elements from the “Modulator when set to H ( High ) Pass or artificially uses Noise to do this job if set to Noise. When this is set to Noise, the Sibilance can not only be Trebly but also Bassey. This can be very effective when using things like Drum Loops as the “Modulator”.

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