Modular Synthesis

Tips

• start with only the fundamental plugins
• Omri Cohen’s playlist: oscillators and modulation

Terminology

CV – control voltage
VCF – voltage controlled filter

• filter / attenuate

Filter – remove certain frequencies

• high-pass
• low-pass
• resonance – a feedback control emphasizing the center or cutoff frequency

Attenuator

• provides loss, opposite of amplifier
• reduces the power of a signal without appreciably distoring its waveform

VCO – voltage controlled oscillator

• always outputting signal
• bipolar (-1 +1 V)
• needs amplifiers and envelope controls
• square wave
  • duty cycle / pulse width – ratio between the two levels
  • square only if the ratio is 1:1, otherwise becomes pulse wave
• FM – frequency modulation
• SYNC
• PWM – pulse wave modulation
• Bifaco evenVCO
  • octave knob
  • even wave form: emphasis on even harmonics

Audio-rate frequency modulation

• when pulse wave modulation input signal is too high frequency?

V/OCT – volts per octave

• usually where pitch signal goes in
• 1 V / 1 octave

LFO – low frequency oscillator

• oscillator with very low frequency
• unipolar by default (at least VCV’s VFO-1)
• usually 0–10 V for unipolar LFOs

EG – envelope generator

• ADSR envelope
• attack
• decay
• sustain – not time-related, but level-related
• release – how long it will take signal to reach zero after the gate closes

VCA – voltage controlled attenuator!

• for gating the oscillators
• contrlling and modulating levels
• VCA-2 and VCA fundamental plugins

Sequencer

• fundamental SEQ-3
• JW: GRID SEQ
  • has randomizer

Sequential switchers

• fundamental: SS-1, SS-2

Mutes

• fundamental: MUTES

Quantizer

• JW Quantizer
  • scale and tonic

Clock

• JW Clock
  • multiplying

Synthesizer

• impromptu semi-modular synthesizer

Effects

Delay effect

Reverb

• Bifaco: SPRING REVERB

Instruments

• audible instruments