Cro n o X 3 & Sophis t r y Us e r Guid e

Transcription

1 Cro n o X 3 & Sophis t r y Us e r Guid e Co py ri g h t Li n P l u g V i r t u a l In s t r u m e n t s Al l ri g h t s r e s e r v e d. Gmb H,

2 Concept by Instrument by Graphics by Sounds by Peter Linsener Peter Linsener and Pavol Markovič Branislav Pakić and Sean Evans Dubhad, Frank Xenox Neumann Junebug Marco Lehmann Nico Herz - Philippe Favre Sophistry Sounds exclusively by Frank Neuman of Particular Sounds Manual by Chris Share Many thanks to the helping hands of David Albone, Fabio D. García, Richard Hider, Jacky Ligon, Joakim Fahlström, Matthew Tyas, Kelvin Russell, Michael Kjeldgaard, Patrick Anglard and Patrick Robert! All technical specifications of the products specified in this manual may be subject to change without notice. The documents may not be changed, especially copyright notices may not be removed or changed. LinPlug and all LinPlug product names are trademarks of LinPlug Virtual Instruments GmbH. Mac and the Mac logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The Build for Mac OS X graphic is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., used under license. The Audio Units logo and the Audio Units symbol are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Cubase and VST are registered trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2

3 Welcome Thank you for purchasing the CronoX 3 or the Sophistry Sample Synthesizer. For this manual we always talk of CronoX though almost everything is identical applicable to Sophistry. The CronoX 3 is a fully professional, highly-flexible, easy-to-use, thirdgeneration VST (Virtual Studio Technology) software sample-synthesizer designed for creating music on your personal computer. Sophistry is basically the same instrument but with a large exclusive sound library by Particular Sounds. In this manual we only speak of CronoX but everything applies to Sophistry as well. The CronoX 3's key features include a selection of high quality presets in a wide range of styles, an easy-to-use interface, highly flexible generators which include time sampling and loop sampling options, two userprogrammable stereo filters, an enormous range of processing and modulation options including a powerful arpeggiator, as well as a sophisticated effects section. This manual describes all aspects of the CronoX 3 Sample Synthesizer and is designed so that your use of this software is as efficient and as painless as possible. We feel that the CronoX 3 is an exceptional instrument because of its unique audio processing capabilities. We hope you get a lot of pleasure using the CronoX 3 sample synthesizer and that it becomes an integral part of your music-making. The LinPlug team, May

4 Table of Contents Welcome... 3 Installation... 7 Features... 9 Main Generator Filter Effects 1/ Effects 3/4/5/ Preset Browser/File Glide Miscellaneous Chord (Chord Memory) ECS (Easy Controller Setup) Volume Keyboard ( Keys ) Gen and Gen Generator Output Oscillator Generator Time Sampler Generator Schrader Generator Loop Sampler Generator Settings Window Waveform Window Filters Filter Type S Filter F Filter

5 Cutoff / Resonance Filter Envelope Effects Delay St ( Stereo ) Delay Ping Pong (Delay) Chorus Phaser Filter Reverb Flanger Gator Stereo Enhancer Parametric EQ Crusher Modulation Envelopes LFO Arpeggiator Mode Retrigger Step Display Length Swing Velocity (Vel) Step Octave Modulation Matrix Settings Registration

6 Library Location / Startup Patch Global Signal Flow Optimizing CPU Usage Glossary MIDI Implementation Chart Appendix A: Delay Sync Settings Appendix B: Stereo and Ping Pong Delay Sync Settings Appendix C: Flanger Sync Settings Appendix D: LFO Sync Settings Appendix E: Arpeggiator Clock Settings Appendix F: Modulation Matrix Sources and Destinations Modulation Sources Modulation Destinations Appendix G: Using TUN files in the CronoX

7 Installation Installation on PC The CronoX 3 comes with its own Installer. On the CronoX 3 CD you will find a file named "CronoX3Installer.exe". Double-click on this file to begin the installation process. The Installer will guide you through the installation process. Make sure you choose the right directory, so your host software finds the CronoX 3 instrument. Refer to your host software's manual if you are unsure about where the host software plug-in directory is located. The instrument file "CronoX.DLL" and the sounds will be placed in the chosen directory. The next time you start your host software the CronoX 3 will be listed in the VST Instrument list. Installation on Mac The CronoX 3 comes with its own Installer. On the CronoX 3 CD you will find a file named "CronoX 3 Installer.dmg". Double-click on this file to open the image, then double-click the installer program to begin the installation process. You will be guided through the installation process. The instrument files "CronoX 3.vst" and CronoX 3.component and the sounds will now be placed in the appropriate directories on your Mac. The next time you start your host software the CronoX 3 will be listed in the VST or AU Instrument list. 7

8 Common to Mac and PC After you've installed and opened the full version of the CronoX 3, go to the instrument's Settings panel. The Serial Number section is located in the top left corner. The Serial Number edit box will read "Enter here". Enter the serial number you have received via or which is printed in your manual into the Serial Number edit box. If the serial number has not been entered or it has been entered incorrectly, the full version of the CronoX 3 will not play any notes. If you have any questions regarding the installation of CronoX 3 please contact our support team at 8

9 Features The CronoX 3 contains a range of features designed to make your musicmaking more efficient and enjoyable. These features include: 4 Generator modules with 4 types of Generator. Generator modules include Oscillator, Time Sampler, Schrader and Loop Sampler. FM modulation and AM modulation options. Analogue-modeled Oscillator Generator for analog-style synthesis. Time Sampler Generator with real-time control, separate timestretching and pitch-shifting. Schrader Generator, a unique Generator that offers wavetable-like operation using any sample. Loop Sampler Generator with individually modulatable loop points and start point. 2 analog-style multimode stereo filters with modulatable cutoff frequency and resonance. ADSFR-type envelope for controlling Amplitude and Filter Cutoff as well as two freely assignable Modulation Envelopes. 4 independent LFOs with various waveforms and midi-sync capabilities. LFO Waves have adjustable delay, attack and decay time and waveform-symmetry. Modulation Matrix which includes 10 routings with 30 sources and 56 destinations. Fully recognizes Velocity, Aftertouch, Pitch bend, Modwheel and various other MIDI controllers A sophisticated effects section containing 12 effects including various Delays, Chorus, Phaser, Filter, Reverb, Flanger, Gator, Stereo Enhancer, Parametric EQ and Crusher. Mono/Polyphonic Portamento/Glide featuring Fingered mode, switchable constant Time/constant Rate and Auto-Bend Modes. 32-voice polyphony (CPU dependent). Adjustable voice limit (1...12, all). Onscreen keyboard incorporating control of MIDI velocity. Operates under all AU and VST 2.0 hosts on PC and Mac OS X. Supported audio formats include WAV and AIFF up to 24bit/96kHz. Sample accurate timing, full automation and settings are saved with your song. Modular design for both Generator, Filter and Effects sections. 9

10 Overview The CronoX 3 is a 32 note-polyphonic VST sample synthesizer with some extraordinary features. The instrument has a modular design that includes various Generator, Filter, Effects and Modulation modules. In order to understand how the CronoX 3 works it s important to know how the instrument s various modules relate to one another. The block diagram below shows the audio signal flow within the CronoX 3 sample synthesizer: The design of the CronoX 3 can be divided into 4 main sections: Generator, Filter, Effects and Modulation. The Modulation section contains the instrument s Envelopes, LFOs, Arpeggiator and Modulation Matrix. Audio signals are created by a Generator that gets pitch information from the synthesizer's MIDI input (either externally or from the onscreen keyboard). The CronoX 3 has 4 independent Generators offering a choice of 4 different Generator modules Oscillator, Time Sampler, Schrader and Loop Sampler. The output of the various Generators can be combined in any one of several ways. The signals can be mixed together proportionately or the outputs of Generator 1 and 3 can be used to modulate the frequency and amplitude of Generators 2 and 4 respectively. This latter option increases 10

11 the harmonic spectrum of the modulated Generator producing very interesting, harmonically-rich results. At this point the signals can also be detuned and thickened using the Spread control. The output of the Generator section is then routed through the Filter section. The filter modifies the harmonic spectrum of the output signal. The Filter section includes an ADSFR envelope for controlling its cutoff parameter. Following the Filter section is the CronoX 3's Effects section which contains 6 independent effects processors (Effects 1 and 2 are in parallel, with Effect 1 following Filter 1 and Effect 2 following Filter 2, while Effects 3, 4, 5 and 6 are in series). A wide range effects processors are available including a modulatable delay, a stereo delay, a ping pong delay, a chorus, a phaser, a filter, a reverb, a flanger, a gate, a stereo enhancer, a parametric EQ and a bit-reduction/sample-rate reduction distortion. Each effects processor is described in detail later in this manual. The audio outputs of the CronoX 3 are automatically connected to the input of your host software's mixer. Here you can set the overall pan position of the CronoX 3's output. If you are working in 5.1, and using a host program such as Cubase SX3 or Nuendo, you can connect the output directly to a 5.1 channel. At various points throughout the CronoX 3 s signal path you can modulate the audio signal using the various controls found in the instrument s Modulation section. Available modulation controls include 5 envelopes, 4 LFOs, a Modulation Matrix patchbay and an arpeggiator. MIDI Controllers can also be used to modulate any of the CronoX 3 s parameters. If at any stage you are unsure about the internal structure of the CronoX 3, a signal flow diagram is provided in the upper-right section of the Settings panel. Hopefully, this chapter has given you a brief overview of how the CronoX 3 works. More detailed information can be found in the following chapters. 11

12 Controls Most controls are changed by clicking and moving the mouse either upwards to increase the parameter s value, or downwards to decrease it. Please note that even horizontal controls (like those used in the Effects section) are operated vertically. Holding down the ALT key while clicking on a control changes the selected control's value a minimum step upwards (when clicking in the upper half of the control) or a minimum step downwards (when clicking in the lower half of the control). Holding down the CTRL key while clicking on a control sets the control to its default value (e.g. for Volume controls it sets the control's value to -6 db). The CronoX 3 features an X-Y type control. This control allows you to vary 2 different parameters simultaneously. One parameter (X) is controlled by the horizontal position of the intersection of the two indicator lines. The other parameter (Y) is controlled by the vertical position of the intersection of the two indicator lines. The CronoX 3 also includes a Circular Slider type control. This control operates in the same way as a conventional slider, however it moves along an arc of a circle. All Controls can be controlled using external MIDI messages. To do this you need to use the CronoX 3's Easy Controller Setup (ECS) which is described in detail later in this manual. 12

13 Main The user interface of the CronoX 3 has been redesigned in order to make using it easier and more streamlined. A major difference between the user interface of the CronoX 3 and that of its predecessor the CronoX 2 is that several of the most commonly used controls for the instrument s various sections have been grouped together on a single Main easy edit page. The idea behind this is to give the user direct access to the instrument s most commonly used controls. It is important to remember however that each section can still be edited in detail on its own respective panel. The CronoX 3 s Main panel can be divided into 7 sections: Generator, Filter, Effects 1/2 ( FX 1/2 ), Preset Browser/File, Effects 3/4/5/6 ( FX 3/4/5/6 ), Glide and Miscellaneous. 13

14 Generator The Generator section is located on the upper left of the instrument s Main panel. The Generator section contains the most important controls for each Generator. This section contains the following controls: X-Y Editor, Cent, Power and Edit. The X-Y Editor control is used to set the Filter-Balance (X) and the Generator Volume (Y). The Cent control is used to set the Generator's pitch in cents (a semitone is equal to 100 cents). A range of -100 to +100 cents is available. Inside the Cent control is the Power button which is used to set the status of the Generator. This can be either On or Off. When the Generator is On, the button is green. Clicking on the button switches the Generator on and off. Clicking on the Edit button opens the Panel for the respective Generator. This enables quick access to the Generator s various parameters for more detailed editing. 14

15 Filter The Filter section is located on the upper middle of the instrument s Main panel. The Filter section contains the most important controls for each Filter. This section contains the following controls: Cutoff, Resonance, Power and Edit. The Cutoff circular slider is used to set the frequency of the filter. The Resonance circular slider is used to set the amount of emphasis around the filter s cutoff frequency. Inside the Cutoff/Resonance control is the Power button which is used to set the status of the Filter. When the Filter is On, the button is green. Clicking on the button switches the Filter on and off. Off means that any signal routed to the respective filter passes through the section without filtering being applied. Clicking on the Edit button opens the Panel for the respective Filter. This enables quick access to the Filter s various parameters for more detailed editing. In the case of Filter 1, the output signal is sent to Effect 1, while in the case of Filter 2 the output signal is sent to Effect 2. 15

16 Effects 1/2 The Effects 1/2 ( FX 1/2 ) section is located on the upper right of the instrument s Main panel. The Effects 1/2 section contains the most important controls for the first two effects processors. The Effect Type display shows the currently loaded effects processor and also enables you to change the current effect. To change the current effect click on the effect type and then select another effect from the pop-up list that appears. For more information about the available effects processors please see the Effects Panel section of this manual. The Send circular slider is used to set the amount of signal sent to the input of the respective effects unit. Inside the Send controls is the Power button which is used to set the status of the Effects processor. This can be either On or Off. When the Effects processor is On, the button is green. Clicking on the Edit button opens the Panel for the respective Effects processor. This enables quick access to the Effect processor s various parameters for more detailed editing. 16

17 Effects 3/4/5/6 The Effects 3/4/5/6 ( FX 3/4/5/6 ) section is located on the lower middle of the instrument s Main panel. The Effects 3/4/5/6 section contains the most important controls for the last four effects processors. This section contains the following controls: Effect Type, Send, Power and Edit. These are described below. The Effect Type display shows the currently loaded effects processor and also enables you to change the current effect just like for Effect 1 and 2. The Send circular slider is used to set the amount of signal sent from the output of the filter to the input of the respective effects unit. At the top of each Effect is the effect s Power button which is used to set the status of the Effects processor to either On or Off. Clicking on the Edit button opens the Panel for the respective Effects processor. This enables quick access to the Effect Processor s various parameters for more detailed editing. 17

18 Preset Browser/File The Preset Browser section is located on the bottom left of the Main panel. It consists of three separate control sections: the Preset Browser/File section, the Voices section and the Precision section. The Preset Browser consists of a two-part display. The upper part shows the bank and the lower one shows the preset. Whenever a preset is loaded using the file controls below these displays, the preset name is updated with the name of the loaded preset and the bank name with the name of the folder from which the preset is loaded. By default the Preset Browser points to the factory presets installed with the CronoX 3. Presets can be changed in four ways. A new preset can be loaded with the file controls, either by clicking the load button or by clicking the prev/next buttons located to the left and right of the load button. You can select the desired preset from the lower display, which turns into a menu when you click it. And you can send a MIDI program change command to CronoX 3. The current bank can be changed in three ways: by loading a preset from a different folder; by selecting the desired bank from the upper display, which 18

19 also turns into a menu when you click it; and by sending the instrument a MIDI Bank Select message. The File Controls are used for all File-related operations. The Load button opens a dialog that lets you select a file for loading. The Previous and Next buttons allow you to traverse a list of CronoX 3 presets. The Save button allows you to save the current preset settings. The settings of all sections are saved with the preset. The CronoX 3 loads and saves all of its presets directly to hard disk so your computer's RAM does not limit the number of available presets. The Voices control is used to set the number of voices ("polyphony") available. The maximum polyphony is 32. A variety of settings are available for polyphony. These include "mono", "2" to "12" and "all". One thing that may be confusing is the "mono" setting. It can be explained as follows. Say that you hold down one key and then press and release a second key. In the case of the "mono" voice setting, the first note will sound, and then the second note sounds. When the second note is released the first note sounds again. This creates a "pedal tone" effect. The "Precision" control can be used to set the accuracy of the CronoX 3's signal generation. When the "Precision" control is set to less than 100% small inaccuracies are introduced into the waveform at various points in the CronoX 3's signal chain. This is useful if you're trying to replicate the warmth of an old analog synthesizer. Precision can be set in a range from 85% to 100%. Glide The Glide or "portamento" section allows you to set the CronoX 3's portamento parameters. "Glide" continuously changes the pitch from one note to the next, connecting the notes and letting you smoothly "glide" from one to the other. The Glide section has three controls: the Glide button, the Auto Bend control, and the Time/Rate control. The Time/Rate control has two settings: Time and Rate. These settings determine the manner in which the pitch of one note moves to that of the next note. When set to "Time", it takes a constant amount of time to move from one note to the next. In this case it will take the same amount of time to reach the destination pitch regardless of whether the preceding notes are 19

20 a semitone apart or an octave apart. When set to "Rate", the amount of time it takes to move from one note to the next depends upon how far apart the two notes are. The further apart the notes, the longer it will take for the pitch of the first note to reach that of the following note. The Glide button has 4 values: Off, Bend, Held and On. The On and Off functions turn "Glide" on and off. When "Glide" is on, the Time/Rate circular slider is used to set the length of time it takes for the first note to reach that of the second note. The "Held" setting works as follows. If notes overlap then Glide is applied, however if they don't then the notes are played without Glide. This makes it possible to apply Glide only to selected notes. "Bend" allows you to apply a predetermined pitch bend to each note. The bend range is set using the Auto Bend control. A bend range of -48 to +48 semitones is available. Miscellaneous The CronoX 3 contains several controls that perform general functions within the instrument. These controls are located along the lower part of the instrument s user interface and are available from any of the instrument s panels. The controls include: Chord, ECS, Volume, 5.1 Mix/Keys, Keyboard and LinPlug/CronoX logos. 20

21 Chord (Chord Memory) The Chord (Chord Memory) function allows you to record chords and include them with the current preset. To access the Chord section click on the Chord button which is located on the lower left of the CronoX 3 s front panel. Clicking the Chord button opens a popup menu where you can choose from the following options: Off (Chord memory is switched Off and has no effect), Learn (Chord memory stores any notes (up to a maximum of 8) that you play) and Play (any single note played will trigger the whole chord that was entered in Learn Mode). The Chord memory function is very useful when combined with the CronoX 3 s Arpeggiator. Note that the order in which notes are played in Learn Mode is important: the first note is taken as the root or basic note and all successive notes are stored by interval relative to this first note. For example, if you "learn" the chord C-E-G by actually playing the E first, the C is stored as -4 semitones and the G as +3 semitones. This means that if you play a C note when in Play mode, the resulting chord will be G#-C-D#. 21

22 ECS (Easy Controller Setup) The ECS (Easy Controller Setup) section makes it simple to control the CronoX 3 from an external MIDI controller (either hardware or software). To access the ECS section click on the ECS button which is located on the lower left of the CronoX 3 s front panel. Clicking on the ECS button opens a popup menu containing the following items: Off, Learn, Clear, Clear All, Load and Save. To use the CronoX 3 s ECS feature, proceed as follows. Click on the ECS button and then select Learn from the popup menu. Select a CronoX 3 parameter with the mouse and then send some MIDI messages to the CronoX 3 from your MIDI source. Then click on Off. That's all there is to it! From now on you can change the selected parameter with the chosen controller. In addition to this, more than one controller can be defined to change a particular parameter. In fact, you can define up to 128 parametercontroller-combinations. This does not depend on the type of controller you have nor the particular MIDI Control Change messages it sends. ECS settings can be saved and restored using the "Load" and "Save" functions found in the menu that pops up when you click the ECS button. In addition, a single controller assignment can be cleared using the "Clear" menu entry. To do this, select Clear from the ECS popup menu (the ECS light goes on) and move control that you wish to be cleared (de-assigning it from the MIDI Control Change message it is currently controlled by). Don't forget to switch off the Clear function by clicking the Off button after you have finished! The Clear All menu item clears all controller-parameter assignments at once. Volume The "Volume" control sets the overall CronoX 3's volume. Volume can be set in a range from -oodb to +6dB Keyboard ( Keys ) The CronoX 3 gives the user the option of displaying either the keyboard or the control section for its 5.1 mixer.the CronoX 3 features a built-in 61-note 22

23 piano keyboard that you can use to play the instrument if a hardware controller is not available. The keyboard is displayed at the bottom of the instrument when the Keys button is selected. The keyboard is Velocity Sensitive. The lower (in the vertical screen direction) the position of the mouse click on the keyboard note, the higher the note velocity. 5.1 Mix The CronoX 3 contains a dedicated 5.1 Mixer that can be used in host programs that support 5.1-format audio mixing. The 5.1 Mixer is displayed at the bottom of the instrument when the 5.1 Mix button is selected. The mixer enables 7 different signal sources to be positioned within the 5.1 sound stage. The available signal sources are: Generator 1, Generator 2, Filter 1, Filter 2, FX 1, FX 4 and FX 6. The 5.1 Mixer contains the following sections: Source, Volume, Left/Right, Front/Rear, Center, LFE (Low Frequency Effects) and Display. The heart of the 5.1 Mixer is the Display section located on the right of the mixer. It shows a virtual room in which the source signals can be positioned. Each source signal appears in the Display as a number which can be moved left and right, and forwards and backwards within the room. To show the current position of a signal source select the source in the Source section at the far left of the 5.1 Mixer. The selected source will then appear as a number in the Display. Signal sources can be positioned in two ways. The first way to reposition the signal source is to click on its number in the Display and then drag it to a new position. The second way to reposition the signal source is to use the Left/Right and Front/Rear sliders to the left of the Display. The overall volume of the source signal can also be set using the Vol ( Volume ) slider. This control acts independently of the other controls. The Center control is used to set the signal level of the Center channel. 23

24 The LFE ( Low Frequency Effects ) control is used to set the signal level of the Low Frequency Effects channel. This channel is specifically designed to handle low frequency signals. Mixing for 5.1 audio systems is a complex topic, far beyond the scope of this manual. For further information the following two books are recommended: Spatial Audio by Francis Rumsey 5.1 Surround Sound: Up and Running by Tomlinson Holman When the 5.1 Mixer is used in a stereo environment only the X-axis (Left/Right) is of relevance in terms of placing a signal in the stereo panorama. The Center and LFE parameters should not be used in pure stereo environment. Presets which are designed for 5.1 environments will also play in a pure stereo environment. In this case, the Center and LFE channel will be mixed to both left and right outputs. HINT: When you are automating parameter changes it s best to tweak parameters from the main screen. This is because the amount of automatable parameters may be limited in your host program. For example, if you want to automate Filter 1 Cutoff, it s best to do so from Main panel rather than Filter panel. 24

25 Gen and Gen The CronoX 3 contains 4 separate sound sources: Generator 1, 2, 3 and 4. These can be used to produce a wide variety of sounds. The controls for Generators 1 and 2, and Generators 3 and 4 are located on two separate panels labeled Gen and Gen The panels can be accessed by clicking on the respective tab at the top of the instrument. As these two panels are essentially the same, their descriptions have been grouped together. The only difference between Gen and Gen is that the Loop Sampler option is not available in Generators 3 and 4. Four sound source types are available within the CronoX 3: "Oscillator", "Time Sampler", "Schrader" and "Loop Sampler". In the case of the first Generator, we've used the term "Oscillator" to describe waveforms that are created in real-time much as in true analog synthesizers. To change Generators click on the menu to the right of the Generator section's label. Each Generator also has its own On/Off switch located to the left of the module's menu. 25

26 If you don t want to use one of the Generators it's best to switch it off as this conserves CPU resources. However, make sure that at least one Generator is switched on, otherwise the instrument will not produce any output. Each Generator operates in a different way and has a different set of controls, however some Generator controls operate the same way in all Generators. The controls that are common to all Generators are described first, followed by those that are unique to their respective Generator. Generator Output The Generator Output section of the CronoX 3 is where the mixing and output destination of the synth's four Generators is controlled. This section is located on the left of each Generator section. Generators 1 and 3 contain five controls: Mix, AM and FM buttons as well as Filter Balance and Volume circular sliders. Generators 2 and 4 contain two controls: Filter Balance and Volume circular sliders. The Mix, AM and FM buttons determine the output destination of Generators 1 and 3 (these buttons are only found on Generators 1 and 3). When the Mix button is selected the output of both Generators 1 and 2, and Generators 3 and 4 is combined. The AM (Amplitude Modulation) button enables the amplitude of Generator 1 to be modulated by Generator 2. This 26

27 type of modulation can be used to produce rich and complex waveforms. The FM (Frequency Modulation) button allows the frequency of Generator 1 to be modulated by Generator 2. This type of modulation is great for producing metallic, bell-like tones. If a stereo sample is used in the Loop Sampler Generator as modulation source, then only the left channel is used. The setting of the Bal ( Filter Balance ) circular slider determines the proportion of the signal that is sent to Filter 1 and Filter 2. Turning the Bal circular slider all the way to the right sends all of the oscillator's output to Filter 2, while turning it all the way to the left sends all of the output to Filter 1. The Volume circular slider is used to set the output level of the Generator. If the Generator is being used for either AM or FM then this also controls the intensity of the modulation. Oscillator Generator The CronoX 3's Oscillator Generator module creates its waveforms in realtime. The Generator uses 64-bit internal resolution and allows full control over all waveform parameters including pulse width. You can morph between waveforms and use the continuous Pulse Width control. This gives a wide range of classic analogue sounds. The CronoX 3's Oscillator Generator contains the following controls: Waveform, Symmetry, Spread, FreeRun, Track, Octave, Semitone and Cent. These are described below: The Waveform circular slider sets the Generator's waveform shape. When turned all the way to the right it outputs a pulse wave. When turned all the way to the left it outputs a sawtooth wave. In intermediate positions it outputs a waveform that is a combination of the two. Range: Sawtooth...Pulse. 27

28 The Symmetry circular slider affects the waveform's shape, expanding and contracting it, as in the case of pulse width modulation. In this case however, the waveform reshaping can be applied to any available waveform. Range: 5%...100%. It's quite common for synths to offer a Unison mode in which several or all of the oscillators are simultaneously detuned to create extremely fat, rich sounds. However, on most synths this mode has a major drawback: the synth becomes monophonic. A special feature of the CronoX 3 is that it allows polyphonic unison. That is, the detuning of Generators without the loss of polyphony. The Spread circular slider is used to set the CronoX 3's level of polyphonic unison. When moved from the leftmost position the slider gradually detunes five of the currently selected Generators to produce a thick and fat sound. This does not affect polyphony (however it does use more CPU resources). Range: Off, cent. The FreeRun button is used for setting the starting point in the waveform s cycle when a MIDI note-on message is received. When the FreeRun button is switched off, the waveform always begins from the starting point of the cycle. For example, if the Oscillator is producing a sine wave then the waveform generated will always begin from 0. When the FreeRun button is switched on, the Oscillator runs continuously, so that the phase of the waveform when a note-on message is received will be at a random point is the cycle, not necessarily at the start of the cycle The Track button determines whether the Generator tracks the pitch of incoming MIDI messages. If Track is switched off the frequency of the Generator depends on the Octave, Semitone and Cent settings. The Oscillator Generator module contains several controls for generator tuning. These include: Octave, Semitone, and Cent. Octave sets the Generator pitch in octaves. A range of -2 to +7 octaves is available. Semitone sets the Generator pitch in semitones. A range of -11 to +11 semitones is available. Cent sets the oscillator pitch in cents (a semitone is equal to 100 cents). A range of -100 to +100 cents is available. Time Sampler Generator The Time Sampler Generator is one of the key features of the CronoX 3. In some ways, the Time Sampler Generator is like a conventional sampler: you load a WAV or AIFF file into the Generator and then trigger it. However, the Time Sampler Generator is no ordinary sampler. 28

29 It holds just one sample and there are no velocity splits or key regions. Although only one sample is used as basic waveform for the Time Sampler Generator, what you can do with this one sample is unique. You can timestretch it in real-time (time is available as modulation destination!). You can pitch-shift it without affecting the duration. And you can use key tracking to control the Time parameter, allowing you to create really weird samplebased sounds! Of course you can also reverse the sample, as well as use it for amplitude and frequency modulation. The CronoX 3's Time Sampler Generator contains the following controls: Sample, Start, Reverse, Track, Spread, TimeTrack, Time, Octave, Semitone, Cent and Root. These are described below: The Sample control is used for loading and unloading samples. The Load button (folder symbol) opens a dialog that lets you select a file for loading. The Previous and Next buttons allow you to traverse a list of samples. The Clear button (X symbol) is used to remove a sample from the Generator. The Start control is used to set the start point of the sample. If set to 0 the sample starts right from the file s original start point. Higher values set the start point to later in the file. Range: 0 99%. The Reverse button enables you to play the sample in reverse so that it plays from the end to the beginning. Range: On/Off. The Track button determines whether the Generator tracks the pitch of incoming MIDI. If Track is switched off the frequency of the Generator depends on the Octave, Semitone and Cent settings. Range: On/Off. It's quite common for synths to offer a Unison mode in which several or all of the oscillators are simultaneously detuned to create extremely fat, rich sounds. However, on most synths this mode has a major drawback: the synth becomes monophonic. A special feature of the CronoX 3 is that it allows polyphonic unison. That is, the detuning of Generators without the loss of polyphony. The Spread circular slider is used to set the CronoX 3's level of polyphonic unison. When moved from the leftmost position the slider gradually detunes five of the currently selected Generators to produce 29

30 a thick and fat sound. This does not affect polyphony (however it does use more CPU resources). Range: Off, cent. The TimeTrack control enables you to set the duration of the sample independently of its pitch. Let s say for example, your sample's root note is C3 and that it is 4 seconds in duration. What happens to the duration of the sample when you play a C4? This is where Time Tracking comes into play. If you set the Time Tracking control to 0, the sample duration remains at 4 seconds. If you set the Time Tracking control to 100%, the sample duration will be reduced to 2 seconds (a doubling of the frequency results in a halving of the duration, just as in the case of a conventional sampler). If you set the control to 50%, the duration will be about 3 seconds, while with a setting of -100% the sample is reversed and has a duration of 8 seconds. Range: -100%...100% The Time control enables you to continuously time-stretch the loaded sample in real-time. As a result, you can shorten or lengthen the sample independently of its pitch. For example, a value of 133 means that the sample is 133% of its original length. If it was originally 3 seconds in duration it becomes four seconds in duration. Range: The Octave, Semitone and Cent controls are used to set the Generator's pitch. Octave sets the Generator pitch in octaves. A range of -3 to +3 octaves is available. Semitone sets the Generator pitch in semitones. A range of -11 to +11 semitones is available. Cent sets the oscillator pitch in cents (a semitone is equal to 100 cents). A range of -100 to +100 cents is available. The Root control enables you to set the unity note of the loaded sample. If, for example, you set Root to "C1" and play a C2 the sample will be played one octave above its original frequency. In the case of the Time Sampler Generator, if you wish to obtain the most natural sound then it's essential that the sample's root note is set to the same note as the one at which the sample was initially recorded. Otherwise the Generator will produce unusual effects. In many cases however, it is precisely these effects that give the CronoX its interesting and unique sounds. Range: CO...C6. 30

31 Schrader Generator The CronoX 3's "Schrader" Generator module uses a sample to generate a wavetable. This Generator works best with samples that are both exactly in tune and without regions of silence. The CronoX 3's Schrader Generator contains the following controls: Sample, Start, End, Track, Spread, Speed Track, Speed, Octave, Semitone, Cent and Root. The Sample control is used for loading and unloading samples. The Load button (folder symbol) opens a dialog that lets you select a file for loading. The Previous and Next buttons allow you to traverse a list of samples. The Start and End controls (located below the Sample control) enable a fraction of the sample to be selected as a basis for the wavetable. Range %. The Track button determines whether the Generator tracks the pitch of incoming MIDI. If Track is switched off the frequency of the Generator depends on the Octave, Semitone and Cent settings. Range: On/Off. It's quite common for synths to offer a Unison mode in which several or all of the oscillators are simultaneously detuned to create extremely fat, rich sounds. However, on most synths this mode has a major drawback: the synth becomes monophonic. A special feature of the CronoX 3 is that it allows polyphonic unison. That is, the detuning of Generators without the loss of polyphony. The Spread circular slider is used to set the CronoX 3's level of polyphonic unison. When moved from the leftmost position the slider gradually detunes five of the currently selected Generators to produce a thick and fat sound. This does not affect polyphony (however it does use more CPU resources). Range: Off, cent. The Speed Track circular slider determines whether the playback speed gets faster with higher notes (positive tracking) or slower (negative tracking). This can be used for achieving an effect similar to that found on 31

32 conventional samplers where playback gets faster as pitch increases. Range: The Speed circular slider determines the playback speed of the wavetable where 1.0 is the approximate speed of the original sample. Interesting results are usually achieved with slower playback, rather than with faster playback. Range: The Octave, Semitone and Cent controls are used to set the Generator's pitch. Octave sets the Generator pitch in octaves. A range of -3 to +3 octaves is available. Semitone sets the Generator pitch in semitones. A range of -11 to +11 semitones is available. Cent sets the oscillator pitch in cents (a semitone is equal to 100 cents). A range of -100 to +100 cents is available. The Root control enables you to set the unity note of the loaded sample. If, for example, you set Center to "C1" and play a C2 the sample will be played one octave above its original frequency. In the case of the Schrader Generator, to obtain clean wavetables it's essential that the sample's root note is set to the same note as the one at which the sample was initially recorded. Otherwise the Generator will produce rough, harsh sounds. Range: CO...C6. Loop Sampler Generator The CronoX 3's "Loop Sampler" Generator is ideally suited to looping samples. But again in a more creative way as you used to do. The user interface for this Generator is divided into two parts: the Settings window on the left and the Waveform window on the right. These two sections contain a range of controls which are described below: 32

33 Settings Window The Settings window contains the following controls: Track, Release Loop, Sample Bank Selector, File, Key, Velocity, Volume, Octave, Semitone, Cent and Smooth. The Track button determines whether the Generator tracks the pitch of incoming MIDI. If Track is switched off the frequency of the Generator depends on the Octave, Semitone and Cent settings. Range: On/Off. The setting of the Release Loop button determines what happens in terms of sample playback after a note is released. When the Release Loop button is on, sample playback continues from within the loop even after a Note Off message is received. This means that the segment of the loop after Loop-End point never gets played. When the Release Loop button is off, sample playback ends with the segment of the loop after Loop-End point. The Sample Bank Selector button array is located on the left of the Settings window. It consists of 8 small square vertically-aligned buttons labeled from A to H. These buttons allow you to choose between 8 screens, each of which displays 8 sample "slots". The screen A displays "slots" one to eight, while screen B displays slots nine to sixteen, and so on. If you're using a multisampled instrument you may need more than eight "slots". In this case you can switch to screen B to see "slots" nine to sixteen and so on up to "slot" sixty-four on the eighth screen. The File display shows the name of the currently loaded sample/s. The Key setting is used to determine which note triggers a sample. If you want the Loop Sampler Generator to play more than one sample, use a different Key for each separate sample. In this way you can have sixty-four different samples triggered by sixty-four different notes within one Loop Sampler Generator. If you use velocity-split samples the Key for all samples will be the same, however a different velocity range (see below) will trigger each sample. The Velocity setting determines the velocity range in which a particular sample is triggered. Setting different velocity ranges for individual samples allows you to create expressive multisampled instruments that respond dynamically to MIDI input. For example, imagine that you have three samples assigned to a single key. If you set the sample velocities so that sample 1 is triggered in the 1 to 59 velocity range, and sample 2 is triggered in the 60 to 89 velocity range you have what is known as hard velocity 33

34 switching. If however, you overlap the two samples' velocities (for example, sample 1 is triggered in the 1 to 80 velocity range while sample 2 is triggered in the 50 to 100 velocity range) you create what is known as a velocity crossfade. In the crossover region (50 to 80) the volume of one sample is successively reduced, while the volume of the other sample is successively increased until only one sample is heard. The Vol (Volume) setting adjusts the volume of samples. This parameter is useful when the samples used in a multisampled instrument have different volume levels. Adjusting the Vol setting enables multisamples to be matched to each other thereby producing a more realistic Instrument. The Vol setting can also be used to adjust the volume of individual samples within layered Instruments in order to make them sound smoother. The Octave, Semitone and Cent controls are used to set the Generator's pitch. Octave sets the Generator pitch in octaves. A range of -3 to +3 octaves is available. Semitone sets the Generator pitch in semitones. A range of -11 to +11 semitones is available. Cent sets the oscillator pitch in cents (a semitone is equal to 100 cents). A range of -100 to +100 cents is available. The Smooth ( Smoothing ) setting determines the degree of loopsmoothing when loop points are used. The maximum setting is 99.9%. A setting of 50% means that half of the loop's length is used for smoothing. Depending on the loop length, a typical setting is between 5 and 20%. It's best to use higher smoothing settings for shorter loops. Smoothing cannot be applied when the loop start point is the same as the sample start point. Range: Waveform Window The Waveform window is used to load a sample as well as to control the sample s playback parameters. It contains the following controls: Waveform Display Selector, Sample, Snap, Reverse, Root, Waveform Display, View Slider and Magnification. The Waveform Display Selector consists of a vertical series of triangular arrows pointing to the right. It is located to the left of the Waveform display. Each arrow displays the waveform for the corresponding sample slot. The Sample control is used for loading and unloading samples. The Load button (folder symbol) opens a dialog that lets you select a file for loading. The Previous and Next buttons allow you to traverse a list of samples. Once 34

35 loaded, the sample s name is displayed to the right of the Next button. The Clear button (X symbol) is used to remove a sample from the Generator. The setting of the Snap button determines whether sample loop points are restricted to zero crossing points or not. When switched on, (the default setting) sample loop points can only be set to a zero-crossing point within the sample. This produces a smoother, more natural sound. When the Zero Crossing button is switched off, sample loop points can occur from any point within the waveform. This can be used to produce aggressive or "clicky" sounds. The "Reverse" setting determines the direction in which the sample is played back. Normally, samples play from start to end. However, by clicking on the R button sample playback is reversed. The Root control enables you to set the unity note of the loaded sample. If, for example, you set Center to "C1" and play a C2 the sample will be played one octave above its original frequency. Range: C-2...G8. The Waveform Display window shows the currently selected sample as well as the loop's startpoint marker (a bright red vertical line), endpoint marker (a darker red vertical line), and the sample's startpoint marker (a green vertical line). The sample data in the loop region is also drawn in a light green colour. To adjust these markers click on or near the vertical line. The degree to which the Loop Startpoint and Loop Endpoint can be modulated is adjusted by clicking near the top of the loop's startpoint marker (the first red vertical line). The width of the small horizontal rectangle indicates the maximum modulation range. These four parameters can also be adjusted directly using the Start, Loop S, Loop E and Loop M numerical displays below the Waveform Display window. The scrollbar at the bottom of the display allows you to scroll the sample sideways when it is too long to be displayed in the window. This, of course, depends on the current magnification setting. The Waveform display's magnification is set using the plus/minus buttons at the bottom right of the display. The number to the left of the plus/minus buttons shows the number of samples compressed into a single pixel's width. For example, if the magnification is 1, then one sample is displayed per pixel. If the display shows 16, then 16 samples are compressed into a single pixel thus creating a display of the waveform that is compressed 16 times. 35

36 Filters The CronoX 3 contains two independent multi-mode filters. The controls for Filters 1 and 2 are located on the panel labeled Filters. The panel can be accessed by clicking on the tab at the top of the instrument. The CronoX 3 s two filters are identical so they have only been described once in this manual. The CronoX 3 has 2 filter modules, each of which can be set to one of two filter types: S and F. Both are multi-mode filters, each having a different design. A lot of care and attention has been paid to the CronoX 3's filter design in order to make them especially "musical" and to ensure that they use very little CPU resources. To turn a filter module on or off, select the "On/Off" button to the right of the Filter 1/2 label. An important point to note is that when a filter is turned off no filtering is applied so that the audio signal passes straight through it without being affected. The Filter section is divided into 3 parts: Filter Type, Filter and Filter Envelope. These are described below. 36

37 Filter Type The Filter Type section is located in the middle of the Filter module s user interface. The currently selected filter type is shown by the status of the S ( Standard ) and F ( Free ) buttons which are located on the top-right and bottom-right of the Filter Type section. To change the filter type click on either the S or F button. S Filter The CronoX 3's S or Standard filter contains 4 filter types: LP 12 db (Low Pass 12 db/oct), LP 24 db (Low Pass 24 db/oct), HP (High Pass 12 db/oct) and BP (Band Pass 24 db/oct). The filter type can be selected by clicking on the respective filter-type button. F Filter The CronoX 3 s F or Free filter is unique in that it is continuously adjustable over a 360 degree range using a circular slider. The slider has four guide points ( 12.00, 3.00, 6.00 and 9.00 ). When in the position, the filter operates as a Band Pass filter. Moving the circular slider 90 degrees in a clockwise direction to the 3.00 position changes the filter type to High Pass. Continuing a further 90 degrees in a clockwise direction to the 6.00 position changes the filter type to Band Reject. Continuing a further 90 degrees in a clockwise direction to the 9.00 position changes the filter type to Low Pass. Finally, moving a further 90 degrees in a clockwise direction restores the filter to its original Band Pass setting. The CronoX 3's F or Free filter contains 2 filter types: 12 and 24 db. The filter type can be selected by clicking on the respective filter-type button. Cutoff / Resonance This section is located on the left of the Filter module s user interface. Controls are available for the following parameters: Sat (Saturation), Cutoff and Resonance. 37

38 Each filter has its own "Sat" (Saturation) circular slider located on the far left of the filter section. The Sat circular slider is used to overdrive the CronoX 3's filters creating a warm, distorted sound. Cutoff is used to set the frequency (in Hz) above which frequencies are filtered out of the signal. When using the Low Pass filters higher settings produce brighter sounds while lower settings result in darker sounds. When using the High Pass filters higher settings produce thinner, brighter sounds, while lower settings produce fatter, darker sounds. The value of the cutoff frequency can be changed in any one of three ways: by changing the X parameter of the X-Y controller, by moving the Cutoff circular slider, and by clicking and dragging on the value in the Cutoff display. Resonance is used to set the amount of emphasis around the cutoff frequency. Higher settings create a more pronounced peak in the signal while lower settings produce a flatter response. The value of the Resonance can be changed in any one of three ways: by changing the Y parameter of the X-Y controller, by moving the Resonance circular slider, and clicking and by dragging on the value in the Resonance display. Filter Envelope The Filter Envelope section is located on the right of the Filter module s user interface. The Filter Envelope section contains several parameter controls. These are: KeyTrack ( Key Tracking), Env Amt (Envelope Amount), Envelope Direction, ADSFR controls for each envelope parameter, a Lin/Log control, a Pan control and a Volume control. Clicking on the Env label at the top right of Filter Envelope section opens a popup menu containing the following functions: Copy, Paste and Init. The Copy and Paste functions allow current Envelope settings to be copied and pasted into any Envelope module. The Init ( Initialization ) function restores the Envelope module to its default values. Key Tracking is used to control the degree to which the filter tracks the MIDI note's frequency. Envelope Amount is used to set the degree to which the filter's envelope affects the signal. Setting Env Amt to 0.00 means that the envelope has no effect on the filter while 1.00 means that the filter is modulated by the envelope's full range. 38

39 The Envelope Direction button is used to set either a positive or negative envelope shape. This can be used for a range of effects including opening the filter when a note is released (this is impossible with a non-inverted envelope). The CronoX 3's filter cutoff frequency can be controlled via an ADSFR envelope which consists of controls for Attack, Decay, Sustain, Fade and Release. The Attack slider setting determines the length of time (in seconds) it takes for the filter cutoff frequency to reach the full envelope depth. For example, if the Attack slider is set to seconds, the filter cutoff frequency will move from zero to full volume within 100 milliseconds. Range: seconds...10 seconds. The Decay slider setting determines the length of time (in seconds) that the filter cutoff frequency takes to move from the Attack peak frequency to the Sustain frequency. Range: seconds...10 seconds. The Sustain slider setting determines the filter cutoff frequency after the initial Attack/Decay phase has been completed. Range: The Fade slider is used to set the rate at which the filter cutoff frequency moves from the Sustain frequency to either 0 (for negative Fade values) or full range (for positive Fade values). A Fade setting of 0 means that the filter cutoff frequency remains at the Sustain level until the key is released. Higher values result in a faster fade towards the respective destination. Range: The Release slider is used to set the length of time (in seconds) that the filter cutoff frequency takes to move from the current level to 0 after the key is released. Range: seconds...10 seconds. The setting of the Lin/Log buttons determines the way that the envelope moves from one value to the next. In the case of Lin ( Linear ), the envelope follows a straight line while in the case of Log ( Logarithmic ), the envelope moves from one value to the next following a logarithmic curve. Each filter also has its own Pan circular slider. This is used to position the filter's output signal within the stereo field. Finally, the output volume of the respective filter can be adjusted with the Vol ( Volume ) circular slider. The output from Filter 1 is always sent to Effect 1 and the output from Filter 2 is always sent to Effect 2. 39

40 Effects The CronoX 3 has 6 independent, simultaneously-available stereo effects modules. Effects modules 1 and 2 can be set to one of 12 different effects, while Effects modules 3 to 6 can be set to one of four different effects from these 12 (the same effect cannot be used twice in effect modules 3 to 6). All 6 effects modules are identical so they will only be described in this manual once. The Effects panel can be accessed by clicking on the tab at the top of the instrument. Each effects module can act as many possible effects: Delay, Stereo Delay, Ping Pong Delay, Chorus, Phaser, Filter, Reverb, Flanger, Gator, Stereo Enhancer, Parametric EQ and Crusher. To change the effect type click on the menu to the right of the Effect label. All effects modules can be set to either "On" (Green) or "Thru" (Grey) using the button to the left of the effecttype menu. To the right of each effect module is an Effect Send slider labeled W ( Wet ). This is used to set the amount of signal sent to the input of the respective effects module. For example, the setting of the Effect Send slider to the right of effect module 1 determines the amount of signal that is sent 40

41 to the input of effect module 1. The Wet control has no meaning for the Parametric EQ effect which functions as an insert effect. The CronoX 3 s effects are connected as follows: Effects modules 1 and 2 are in parallel, while effects modules 3, 4, 5 and 6 are in series. Effect module 3 is directly after effects modules 1 and 2. If you are unsure about the signal flow in the effects modules, a diagram on the CronoX 3 s Settings Panel shows how the effects modules are connected. Each effect's controls differ. All effects are described in detail below. 41

42 Delay The Delay effect can be used to create "echoes" and other related effects. It features controls for Time, Feedback, Filter, Mod Rate, Mod Depth as well as 2 S ( Sync ) controls. The Time slider is used for setting the delay time (in milliseconds). This can range from 1 ms to 680 ms. The upper Sync popup menu can be used to sync the delay time with the current tempo (see Appendix A for the range of possible sync settings). The Feedback slider allows you to set the number of times the signal repeats or "echoes". Also included in the Delay section is a variable low pass/high pass 6dB/Oct filter which is adjusted with the Filter slider. Negative values means a low pass filter is applied, while positive values mean a high pass filter is applied. The higher the absolute value of the Filter slider, the more the filter will modify the delayed signal. The Mod Rate sets the rate (in Hz) at which modulation takes place. As an example, when you set the Mod Rate to 0.5Hz you get a complete sweep from 50ms (using the example below) to 150ms and back to 50ms in 2 seconds. The lower Sync popup menu can be used to sync the modulation rate with the current tempo (see Appendix A for the range of possible sync settings). 42

43 The Mod Depth slider is used to set the depth to which the delayed signal is modulated, while the Rate slider determines the modulation speed. For example, if you set a delay time of 100ms and a depth of 50%, the amount of modulation is 50% of 100ms (50 ms). In this case you'll get a delay time that varies from ms (50ms) up to ms (150ms). When modulation is applied a stereo effect is created because both channels are modulated in opposite directions. St ( Stereo ) Delay The St ( Stereo ) Delay features controls for: Time Left, Time Right, Feedback, Highpass, Lowpass, Link L+R, and S1/S2. The Time Left and Time Right sliders are used for setting the left and right channel delay times (in milliseconds). This can range from 1 ms to 1300 ms. The "Feedback slider allows you to set the number of times the signal repeats or "echoes". The "Highpass" (High Pass Filter Cutoff Frequency) slider is used to set the frequency (in Hz) below which frequencies are filtered out of the signal. Higher settings produce thinner, brighter sounds, while lower settings produce fatter, darker sounds. The "Lowpass" (Low Pass Filter Cutoff Frequency) slider is used to set the frequency (in Hz) above which frequencies are filtered out of the signal. Higher settings produce brighter sounds while lower settings result in darker sounds. 43

44 The Link L+R button (located beneath the Lowpass slider) is used to automatically match the feedback amount of the shorter delay to that of the longer delay. For example, if you set the left channel delay time to 10 ms, the right channel delay time to 100 ms and feedback to 90%, you will hear the left channel delay fade out much more quickly than the right channel delay (this is what you would expect!). However, when you press the Link button the feedback of the channel with the shorter delay time is adjusted so that the signal fades out in the same amount of time as the longer delay (thus the feedback for the shorter time is increased). The left and right channels of the delay's output can be independently synced to the song's current tempo using the Sync menus located beside the Time Left and Time Right sliders (see Appendix B for the range of possible sync settings). Ping Pong (Delay) The Ping Pong (Delay) features controls for: Time Cen, Time Left, Time Right, Feedback, Bal Cen/LR, Pan Left, Pan Right, and S1/S2/S3. The Ping Pong (Delay) functions as follows: the input signal is first delayed by Time Cen amount, then it s delayed by Time Left amount and finally by the Time Right amount. If Feedback is applied the Time Right signal is fed back into the left delay line, so that an alternating left-right delay is produced. The Time Cen, Time Left and Time Right sliders are used for setting the centre, left and right channel delay times (in milliseconds). This can range from 1 ms to 1300 ms. The "Feedback slider allows you to set the number of times the signal 44

45 repeats or "echoes". The Bal Cen/LR slider is used to set the balance between the centre delay and the left and right delays. The Pan Left/Pan Right sliders are used to set the pan position of the left and right delays. Hint: If you want the delayed signal to appear on the right side first, use the Pan controls to exchange left and right positions. S1/S2/S3: The left, centre and right channels of the delay's output can be independently synced to the song's current tempo using the Sync menus located beside the Time Cen, Time Left and Time Right sliders (see Appendix B for the range of possible sync settings). Chorus The Chorus effect can be used to "thicken" a single sound creating the impression that it contains multiple voices. The Chorus works by mixing delayed signals with the original signal. The CronoX 3's Chorus features controls for "Time", "Rate", "Time Spread", "Rate Spread", Dry and Stereo. The Time slider is used for setting the delay time (in milliseconds). Longer times produce a "chorusing" effect while shorter times create a "flanging" effect. The Rate slider sets the rate at which the signal is modulated. A unique feature of the CronoX 3 s Chorus are its Time Spread and Rate 45

46 Spread parameters. Basically, "Spread" makes the chorus sound fatter by adding random deviations to the Time and Rate parameters. The degree of "randomness" depends on the spread Time and Rate parameters; setting the Spread Time and Rate to 0 cancels the effect; increasing the value of the Spread Time and Rate parameters adds additional richness and fullness to the sound. It can also make the effect sound more natural. The Dry slider allows you to reduce the level of the original unprocessed "dry" signal. This is sometimes useful in achieving a fatter sound. The Stereo slider is used to adjust the width of the stereo image. To create the maximum stereo effect move the slider all the way to the right. Note that when used in combination with other stereo enhancing effects (such as the ping pong delay) it might be desirable to set the Stereo slider to a lower value. Phaser The CronoX 3 s Phaser can be used to create "swirling" dynamic movement in sounds. The Phaser effect is created by automatically sweeping a series of equally spaced frequency notches up and down the audio spectrum. The CronoX 3's Phaser features controls for "Rate", "Depth", "Feedback", "Center", "Stages", "Stereo" and "Inv" (Invert). The Rate slider sets the rate at which the signal is modulated. The Sync popup menu can be used to sync the modulation rate with the current tempo (see Appendix A for the range of possible sync settings). The Depth slider is used to set the depth to which the signal is modulated. 46

47 The "Feedback slider is used to set the amount of internal feedback employed within the phaser. More internal feedback produces increasingly pronounced resonant peaks. The Centre slider is used to set the frequency around which modulation occurs. The "Stages" slider sets the number of stages in the phaser. Each phaser stage shifts the signal's phase by 180 degrees. The higher the CronoX 3's Stages setting, the more frequency notches there are in the signal and so the more pronounced is the phasing effect. Use the Stereo control to widen the stereo image. If it's set full left the modulation on the left and right channel will be in perfect synchronization. At full right setting the left and right channel will be completely out of phase, creating an extreme stereo effect. The best (rather subtle) stereo effect is achieved with settings around the mid mark. The Inv (Invert) button allows you to invert the signal that is used to create the phasing effect. Filter The CronoX 3 s Filter features controls for: Drive, Cutoff, Resonance, Mod Depth (Cutoff-Mod Depth), Mod Rate (Cutoff-Mod Rate) and Filter Type. The Drive slider (Saturation) enables you to set the amount of filter drive or distortion. This can be used to create a warmer, fatter sound. The Cutoff slider is used to set the frequency (in Hz) above which 47

48 frequencies are filtered out of the signal. Higher settings produce brighter sounds while lower settings result in darker sounds. Range 40 Hz...20 khz. The Resonance slider is used to set the amount of emphasis around the cutoff frequency. Higher settings create a more pronounced peak in the signal while lower settings produce a flatter response. Range: 0%...100%. The filter's cutoff frequency can be controlled using the Mod Depth (CutoffMod Depth) and Mod Rate (Cutoff-Mod Rate) controls. The Mod Depth (Cutoff-Mod Depth) control is used to set the depth to which the filter's cutoff frequency is modulated. A setting of 0% means no modulation occurs. The Mod Rate (Cutoff-Mod Rate) slider allows you to set the rate (in Hz) at which the filter's cutoff frequency is modulated. Range: Depth (Cutoff-Mod Depth) 0%...100%, Rate (Cutoff-Mod Rate) 0.04 Hz Hz. The Sync popup menu can be used to sync the modulation rate with the current tempo (see Appendix A for the range of possible sync settings). The Filter Type button allows you to select one of four 12 db filter types: LP12 (Low Pass 12 db), HP12 (High Pass 12 db), BP12 (Band Pass 12 db) and BR12 (Band Reject 12 db). Reverb The Reverb effect is used to add ambiance to sounds. It features controls for: Roomsize, Predelay and Damp (Damping). The Roomsize slider is used to set the size of the simulated room. The Roomsize varies from a small chamber up to a huge hall. Range:

49 seconds...10 seconds. The Predelay slider enables you to delay the processed signal by a given amount (in milliseconds) so as to achieve a more natural reverberation. Normally, shorter predelay times are applied in the case of smaller room sizes while longer predelay times are applied in the case of larger room sizes. Range: 0 ms ms. The Sync popup menu can be used to sync the predelay time with the current tempo (see Appendix A for the range of possible sync settings). The simulated room's wall materials can be adjusted with the Damp (Damping) slider. This parameter ranges from practically loss-free reflecting walls (0% damping) up to very absorbent walls (90% damping). In practical terms, the amount of damping determines the amount of higher frequencies that are contained in the processed signal: The higher the Damp (Damping) setting, the more that higher frequencies are removed from the processed signal. Range: 0%...90%. Flanger The CronoX 3 s Flanger can be used to create the classic flange effect produced by using two analog tape machines playing back the same signal but with small (and changing) differences in the playback speed of the machines. The CronoX 3's Flanger features controls for "Time", "Feedback", Invert, Mod Rate, Mod Depth", and "Pan Depth" and Sync. 49

50 The Time control defines the length of the delay line, representing the delay between the original (tape machine 1) and the delayed / wet signal (tape machine 2). The Feedback control feeds the processed signal back to the input of the effect producing a more pronounced and richer effect. The Invert control inverts the processed signal's phase against the original signal, giving a subtly different sound. The Mod Rate control sets the speed of the flange effect (the speed of the cyclic changes of the two tape machines). This setting can be either made with the slider or set as a fraction of the song tempo using the Sync popup menu. The Mod Rate can be synced to the song tempo using the sync popup menu (see Appendix C for the range of possible sync settings). The Mod Depth control is the key parameter for determining the depth of the flange. The higher the setting, the more pronounced the effect. The Pan Depth control is unique to the CronoX 3 and not normally found on flanger effects. This control allows the stereo position of the flanged signal to be modulated according to the setting of the Rate parameter. Gator Gator effect is a step-controlled audio gate that can be used to create rhythmic, stuttering and pulsing effects. The effect is unique in that it separates the input signal into left and right components, each of which can be gated independently. 50

51 The Gator effect contains five controls: These are: "Smooth", "Steps", "Link" and "Sync. These controls are described below: The Smooth control sets the envelope shape of the gate for each step value. A lower setting of the Smooth control creates a sharper envelope shape that produces a more pronounced gating effect. Increasing the value of the control smoothes the envelope creating a more pulsing, tremolo-like sound. The Steps control consists of two rows of sixteen buttons, one for each rhythmic step of the pattern. When a button is on, the signal is passed through the effect. Alternately, when a button is off, the signal is gated. The duration of each step depends on the setting used in the Sync control (described below). The Link control is used to set the way that the Gator s step buttons respond to user input. This control has three settings: Off, Link and XLink. When set to Off, each step button can be switched on and off independently of any other button. When set to Link, the step buttons for the left and right patterns are linked together so that switching either button turns both buttons on or off. When set to XLink, the step buttons for the left and right patterns are linked together, however in this case they work in a complementary manner when one button is on, the other will be off. In this case only one of the two left and right channel buttons can be switched on at the same time. The Sync control sets the duration of each step. For example, a setting of 1/16 means that each pattern step is equivalent to a 16th note. Note that the overall tempo at which the Gator effect operates is set in the host software. 51

52 Stereo Enhancer The CronoX 3 s Stereo Enhancer can be used to increase the width of the instrument s stereo image. The processor features two controls: Room and Width. The Stereo Enhancer s Room parameter operates somewhat like a reverb adding depth to the sound. This is a difficult effect to describe so try it and see what effect it has on the sound. Width increases the instrument s stereo separation, widening the signal. Hint: The Stereo Enhancer works best with natural stereo samples. If applied to a signal with very strong stereo separation (for example, a signal processed with the Ping Pong delay) the Stereo Enhancer may not widen the stereo image but instead may narrow it. 52

53 Parametric EQ The CronoX 3 s Parametric EQ ( Equalizer ) effect contains 2 independent parametric equalizers. Each equalizer contains the following 3 controls: Freq ( Frequency ), Gain and Q ( Quality ). The Freq 1/Freq 2 ( Frequency 1/Frequency 2 ) controls are used to set the frequency at which the EQ operates. A range of 20 Hz to 11 khz is available. The Gain 1/Gain 2 controls set the amount of gain that is applied to the selected frequency. Note that the gain can be positive or negative. A positive gain corresponds to boosting the signal while a negative gain corresponds to cutting the signal. A range of -18 db to +18 db is available. The Q 1/Q 2 ( Quality 1/Quality 2 ) controls set the bandwidth of the boost/cut. A large value means that a wider bandwidth is affected by the filter. A range of 0.33 to 12 is available. The two equalizer stages are in series with the second equalizer stage ( Freq 2, Gain 2 and Q2 ) located after the first equalizer stage ( Freq 1, Gain 1 and Q1 ). 53

54 Crusher The CronoX 3 s Crusher is a distortion effect that combines bit-depth and sample-rate reduction with smoothing algorithms allowing the resolution of the signal to be decreased, thereby making the sound rougher and noisier. This effect processor also includes a filter. This effect has the following controls: Bits, Cutoff, Filter Type, Resonance, Divider, Divider Type, Fil Post Div and Smoother. The Bits (BitCrusher) control enables you to reduce the bit depth of the output signal from oo bits (the signal is not changed) to 1.00 bits. Reducing the bit depth adds a harsh, noisy quality to the sound. The Cutoff slider is used to set the frequency (in Hz) above which frequencies are filtered out of the signal. Higher settings produce brighter sounds while lower settings result in darker sounds. Range 40 Hz...20 khz. The Filter Type popup menu allows you to select one of four 12 db filter types: LP12 (Low Pass 12 db), HP12 (High Pass 12 db), BP12 (Band Pass 12 db) and BR12 (Band Reject 12 db). The Resonance slider is used to set the amount of emphasis around the cutoff frequency. Higher settings create a more pronounced peak in the signal while lower settings produce a flatter response. Range: 0%...100%. The Divider slider controls a sample-rate divider that divides the current sample-rate by the current slider setting. For example, if the current sample-rate is 44.1 khz, then setting the Divider slider to 2, halves the sample-rate to khz. Ranges from 1 to

55 When the Divider slider (described above) is set to a value other than 1, a new output sample value must be created for each group of samples in the input audio stream. For example, if the Divider slider is set to a value of 4, then four (possibly different) samples in the input stream are replaced by four samples with a single value in the output audio stream. The Divider Type popup menu determines how the output sample value is created from the input samples. Three options are available: AVG, STP and SLD. The AVG ( Average ) option calculates the average of the input samples and uses this as the output sample value for each of the input samples. The STP ( Step ) option takes the first sample in each group of input samples and uses this as the output sample value for each of the input samples. The SLD ( Slide ) option takes the first sample in each group of input samples, interpolates between them and uses the interpolated value as the output sample value for each of the input samples. The Fil Post Div ( Filter Post Divider ) button is used to set the position of the Crusher s Filter with respect to the Divider. By default, the Filter is before the Divider in the signal path. Switching this button on moves the Filter to after the Divider in the signal path. The Smoother button allows a compressor/expander to be switched into the signal path. This reduces the overall effect of the Crusher making the sound less harsh and more musical. 55

56 Modulation One of the key features of the CronoX 3 is its sophisticated modulation capabilities. The instrument contains 5 independent ADSFR envelopes, 4 independent LFOs (low frequency oscillators), an Arpeggiator, and a Modulation Matrix that is used to control modulation routing. The Modulation panel can be accessed by clicking on the Modulation tab at the top of the instrument. The Envelope, LFO, Arpeggiator and Modulation Matrix modules are described below. 56

57 Envelopes The CronoX 3 s Envelope module is located on the top-left of the instrument s Modulation panel. To select one of the Envelopes click on one of the five tabs ("Gen 1", "Gen 2", "Mod 1", "Mod 2", Amp ) in the top-left of the Envelope section. Clicking on the Envelopes module s title opens a popup menu containing the following functions: Copy, Paste and Init. The Copy and Paste functions allow current Envelope settings to be copied and pasted into any Envelope module. The Init ( Initialization ) function restores the Envelope module to its default values. Each of the five envelopes modulates a different point in the CronoX 3 s audio signal path. The "Gen 1" and "Gen 2" envelopes control the amplitudes of Generators 1 and 2 respectively. The Mod 1 and Mod 2 envelopes are general-purpose modulation sources that can be used to modulate a range of destinations which can be set using the CronoX 3 s Modulation Matrix (see below for more information about the CronoX 3 s Modulation Matrix). The "Amp" envelope controls the overall amplitude of the instrument. 57

58 The CronoX 3's envelope parameters are set using an ADSFR envelope which consists of controls for Attack, Decay, Sustain, Fade and Release. The Attack slider setting determines the length of time (in seconds) it takes for the envelope parameter to reach the full envelope depth. For example, if the Attack slider is set to seconds, the envelope parameter will move from zero to full value within 100 milliseconds. Range: seconds...10 seconds. The Decay slider setting determines the length of time (in seconds) that the envelope parameter takes to move from the Attack peak level to the Sustain level. Range: seconds...10 seconds. The Sustain slider setting determines the envelope parameter after the initial Attack/Decay phase has been completed. Range: The Fade slider is used to set the rate at which the envelope parameter moves from the Sustain level to either 0 (for negative Fade values) or full range (for positive Fade values). A Fade setting of 0 means that the envelope parameter remains at the Sustain level until the key is released. Range: The Release slider is used to set the length of time (in seconds) that the envelope parameter takes to move from the current level to 0 after the key is released. Range: seconds...10 seconds. The setting of the Lin/Log buttons determines the way that the envelope moves from one value to the next. In the case of Lin ( Linear ), the envelope follows a straight line from one value to the next. In the case of Log ( Logarithmic ), the envelope moves from one value to the next using logarithmic interpolation. In general, a logarithmic envelope will sound more natural, particularly for note releases. 58

59 LFO The CronoX 3 s LFO ( Low Frequency Oscillator ) module is located on the top-right of the instrument s Modulation panel. An LFO is an oscillator that generates low frequency signals that can be used to modulate another signal. The CronoX 3 contains 4 separate LFOs each offering 9 user parameters. These are: Wave, Freq (Frequency), Sym (Symmetry), Phase, Delay, Attack, Decay, Sync and Mono. To select one of the LFOs click on one of the four tabs ("1", "2", "3", "4") in the top-left of the LFO section. Each of the four LFOs can be used to modulate a range of destinations which can be set using the CronoX 3 s Modulation Matrix (see below for more information about the CronoX 3 s Modulation Matrix). To select one of the LFOs waveforms click on one of the waveform buttons at the bottom left of the LFO section. Six LFO waveforms are available: Sine, Triangle, Ramp, Square, Noise and Sample and Hold. It should be noted that when the Noise and Sample and Hold waveforms are synced to tempo, they run at a faster tempo than the other LFO waveforms. For 59

60 example, if you set sync to 1/1, use a tempo of 120 bpm and play a whole note (4 beats), the duration of one cycle of the regular waveforms (Sine, Triangle, Ramp, Square) will be 2 seconds. However, the Sample and Hold and Noise waveforms will change their state within 1/8 of 2 seconds or 0.25 seconds. The "Freq" (Frequency) parameter determines the LFO's frequency (in Hz). This parameter has no function if Sync is used (see below). The "Symmetry" parameter can be used to distort the waveform's shape, stretching it or compressing it as required. The "Phase" parameter sets the point in the waveform cycle at which modulation begins. You can also apply an envelope to the LFO using the Delay, Attack and Decay dials. Hint: The Phase, Delay, Attack and Decay parameters do not function if the LFO is set to Mono mode (this is because it s permanently running). The "Delay" parameter sets the amount of time (in seconds) before the LFO begins modulating the signal. A Delay setting of 0 means that the LFO begins operating immediately. The Attack dial setting determines the length of time (in seconds) it takes for the LFO to reach the full modulation depth. This can be used to slowly increase the amount of modulation applied to the signal. A setting of 0 means that modulation commences immediately. The Decay dial setting determines the length of time (in seconds) that the LFO modulation depth takes to move from the Attack peak amount to 0. Setting this parameter to oo (infinite) means that modulation is applied for an infinite amount of time, that is, the full duration of the signal. Finally, you can use the Sync menu to sync LFO triggering with the current tempo (see Appendix D for the range of possible sync settings). The Mono button enables one LFO waveform to be applied to all synth voices simultaneously. When the Mono button is off the LFO waveform is applied to each voice individually. Alternatively, when the Mono button is on, a single LFO is used for all voices and runs permanently. 60

61 Arpeggiator The CronoX 3's Arpeggiator allows you to create user-defined arpeggios. Arpeggios are chords that are played as separate successive notes or "broken chords". With the CronoX 3's Arpeggiator you can control the way the arpeggio is played in numerous ways. Clicking on the Arpeggiator module s title opens a popup menu containing the following functions: Load, Save, Copy, Paste and Init. The Load function allows saved Arpeggiator settings to be loaded into the Arpeggiator module. The Save function allows current Arpeggiator settings to be saved. The Copy and Paste functions allow current Arpeggiator settings to be copied and pasted into the Arpeggiator module. The Init ( Initialization ) function restores the Arpeggiator module to its default values. The Load and Save functions make it easy to transfer Arpeggiator settings to other CronoX 3 presets. You can even build an entire library of your own Arpeggiator presets if you wish. The parameters available with the CronoX 3 s Arpeggiator are: Mode 61

62 The Arpeggiator Mode defines how the Arpeggiator functions. Several options are available: Off: Switches the Arpeggiator off. Mod-Only: In this mode the Arpeggiator is Off and does not influence chords (or single notes) being played. However, the Arpeggiator is available as a Modulation Source in the Modulation Matrix as if it were switched on. Using the Arpeggiator in the Modulation Matrix is like having an LFO with up to 32 individually definable steps. Up, Down, Up/Down, Up/Down+, Down/Up, and Down/Up+: These modes play typical arpeggiator patterns or arpeggios which, as described above, are the notes of the chord played successively instead of simultaneously. In Up mode the chord notes are played in ascending order starting from lowest note. In Down mode, the playback sequence is reversed with chord notes being played in descending order starting from highest note. In UpDown mode chord notes are played from lowest to highest and then from highest to lowest. In DownUp mode this pattern is reversed. A + sign after the mode type indicates that the highest and lowest notes of the chord are played twice. For example, in the case of UpDown mode the chord C-E-G would be arpeggiated as C-E-G-E and then repeated. In the case of Up/Down+ mode, the chord would be arpeggiated as C-E-G-G-E-C and then repeated. Random: In this mode the notes of the chord are played in a random order. Chord: In this mode the Arpeggiator does not play the chord as separate notes but instead plays the chord in rhythmic phrases defined by the other parameters. AsPlayed: In this mode notes are played by the Arpeggiator in the order that the Note On messages were received by the instrument, or more simply, in the way that the chord was actually played. As MIDI data is transmitted sequentially, MIDI Note On messages are always received sequentially. This order determines the order that the notes are played by the Arpeggiator. Clck (Clock) The Clck ( Clock ) popup menu allows you to set the note subdivision of the individual arpeggiated notes. For example, when Clck ( Clock ) is set to 62

63 1/16, playing a C-E-G chord in Up mode will play all the chord s notes at 1/16th note subdivisions. See Appendix E for a list of all possible Clock settings. Retrigger The setting of the small Ret ( Retrigger ) switch to the right of the Clck ( Clock ) popup menu determines whether or not a new chord will restart the Arpeggiator. If Retrigger is activated and there is a gap between two consecutive chords, the Arpeggiator will restart when the second chord is played. If Retrigger is deactivated the Arpeggiator will continue onto the next step when a new chord is played. Step Display The Step Display contains the Arpeggiator s 32 step values and is the heart of the module. This is where the rhythmic patterns of the Arpeggiator are defined. As we said above, the CronoX 3 s Arpeggiator breaks a chord into separate notes of equal length (defined by the Clck ( Clock ) parameter) and plays them sequentially. In the Step Display each note step can be given a different velocity value, rests can be inserted into the pattern and notes can be tied together to form notes with a different length. Within the Step Display, each step can have its own velocity value ranging from 1 to 127. The values "Off" and Tie are also available. Off means that no note value is defined for the step so that a gap or rest is created in the arpeggiator pattern. "Tie" means that consecutive steps are bound together creating a longer note duration. Returning to the C-E-G chord example presented above, step values of 127, 127, Off, 100, Tie, 30, Off, Tie would result in the following sequence of notes (assuming a 1/16 Clck ( Clock ) setting and the Arpeggiator being in Up mode): Firstly, note C would be played with maximum velocity and duration 1/16th. Then note E would be played with the same parameters as the previous note. Next there would be a 1/16th duration rest, followed by the note G played with a velocity of 100 and a note duration of 1/8th (as the following step is tied to this step). Then the note C would be played with a velocity of 30 and a duration of 1/16th length. Finally, there would be a 1/8th pause. Note that a "Tie" after an "Off" is the same as placing an "Off" behind an "Off". Both result in a longer pause. 63

64 Also note that the arpeggio will vary so that when it returns to step one it will now play an E with velocity of 127 and 1/16th duration; that's because the chord has 3 notes while the pattern contains 4 steps. In this case the arpeggiator will play C-E-G-C followed by E-G-C-E and then G-C-E-G before starting with the first pattern again. Length The setting of the Length circular slider defines the actual duration of each note. As described above, the Clck ( Clock ) setting determines the time subdivision of each arpeggiator step. The Length parameter determines how much of this time subdivision that the note is on and how much it is off. For example, with the Len circular slider turned fully clockwise the note duration is the full step length. A middle setting means that the note plays for half of the Clck time (for example if the Step parameter was set to 1/16th then in this case the note would have an actual duration equivalent to a 1/32nd note). The more the circular slider is turned in an anti-clockwise direction, the shorter the note duration. The effect is most prominent with sounds that have a short release time. Swing The Swing control adds a rhythmic swing effect to the arpeggiated notes, lengthening the odd steps and shortening the even ones (or vice versa depending on the setting). This creates a shuffle rhythm that is based on dotted-note durations and an underlying triplet rhythm. The effect is difficult to explain but becomes readily apparent when heard. Try creating a pattern of 4 1/8th notes and then varying the Swing parameter. The effect will be quite clear. Velocity (Vel) Above it was said that the Step setting determines the velocity at which a particular arpeggiator steps are played. However, this is only half the story. In most cases, each note within a chord will have different velocity. The Vel ( Velocity ) control enables the velocities of individual chord notes to be retained, so that the arpeggiated notes are played with their original velocity. 64

65 This is achieved by setting the Vel ( Velocity ) circular slider fully clockwise (the K stands for keyboard), in which case the velocity of each step in the arpeggiator is overridden (but Off and Tie keep their meaning). Alternatively, when the Vel ( Velocity ) circular slider fully anticlockwise the velocity of the notes is determined only by the arpeggiator settings. Intermediate settings combine the velocity variations of the steps with the expressive characteristics of the chord as it was played. Step The Step circular slider allows you to define how many of the available 32 steps are actually used for a particular arpeggio. Octave The 4 Octave buttons to the left of the Step Display extend the arpeggiated note range regardless of the octave in which the note was originally played. For example, setting the Octave to 2 means that the notes of the chord will be played in the octave in which the chord was originally played, and also in the octave above. This can be extended up to 4 octaves. 65

66 Modulation Matrix The CronoX 3's Modulation Matrix allows you to create 10 user-defined modulation routings. 56 modulation destinations are available for modulation by 30 modulation sources (see Appendix F for a listing and description of all modulation sources and destinations). Modulation sources are shown in a column on the left of the display, while the destinations are shown on the right. The modulation amount is displayed in the middle. To change a routing click on the source or destination that you want to change. A menu will appear which lets you select the new source or destination. To remove a modulation source or destination select the "- - -" entry in the menu. Each modulation routing can be switched on and off by double clicking on the modulation depth. To change the modulation depth click on the amount display and move the mouse (while keeping the mouse button pressed) upwards or downwards (increasing or decreasing the value) until the desired amount has been reached. A negative modulation depth inverts the waveform of the modulation source. The modulation of Main Pitch has a special display for modulation depth. The example below shows a modulation depth of "0:42" (see last row of the Modulation Matrix). This means that the main pitch is modulated to a depth of 0 semitones and 42 cents (or 0.42 semitones) more than usual by the LFO 1 when the Modulation wheel is turned all the way up. This is also a good example of indirect modulation as this line refers to the modulation depth of slot 1 (the topmost modulation slot). In this slot the main pitch is 66

67 modulated by LFO 1 with a depth of 2 cents. The three circular sliders on the left of the Modulation Matrix are used to determine 3 default modulation settings: the Amplitude ("Amp") by the MIDI key velocity, the Filter 1 Cutoff Frequency ("Filter 1") by MIDI key velocity and the Filter 2 Cutoff Frequency ("Filter 2") by MIDI key velocity. The two buttons ("WHL" and "CH VOL") on the bottom of the Modulation Matrix are used to select two default modulation settings: pitch modulation by the pitch wheel ("WHL"), and Patch volume by the MIDI channel volume ("CH VOL"). The amount of pitch change caused by the pitch wheel can be set on the CronoX 3's Settings panel (see below for more information about the CronoX 3's Settings panel). 67

68 Settings The CronoX 3 s Settings panel can be accessed by clicking on the Settings tab at the top of the instrument. The Settings panel contains various controls for setting global parameters as well as several other miscellaneous controls. Several master controls have been located here to make the other panels less crowded, and also so that they are not changed accidentally while the CronoX 3 is in use. The Settings panel contains 3 modules: Registration, Global Settings and Signal Flow. These are described below. 68

69 Registration The Registration module is located at the upper left of the Settings panel. The Registration module is used during the instrument s registration process. This module displays the version of the instrument and provides an edit box into which the instrument s serial number is entered. Once the instrument is registered the serial number edit box is no longer editable but shows Valid as in the example above. Note: For security reasons the serial number is not displayed after the serial number has been accepted. Please keep your serial in a safe place as it s your primary proof of ownership and may be required for updates and special offers. If you purchase the CronoX 3 from a music store please register at 69

70 Library Location / Startup Patch When you install CronoX the Library (presets consisting of the parameter settings and the samples) are placed in a default location. On PC that's in the same folder where you installed CronoX, on Mac its /Library/Application Support/LinPlug. However. If you for some reason want to place the library in a different location you can do so and point CronoX to the library manually by choosing a preset from the new location: Click on the Load button next to the Startup preset name and navigate to a preset that CronoX should load upon startup. This not only defines your initial patch that is loaded when you open a new CronoX but also defines at which location CronoX should look for the rest of the factory library. 70

71 Global The Global module is located in the upper middle of the Settings panel. The Global module contains several controls used to set global parameters. Statup is used to define a preset that is loaded upon startup of CronoX. This can also be used to point CronoX to a different location for its sound library. Attention: It is not recommended to use this features after you already made some songs as it might break existing songs to move around the preset library. Master Tune is used to set the overall tuning of the CronoX 3 if no microtuning file is loaded. Tuning can be set from 415 Hz to 466 Hz. Bend Range Up is used to set the CronoX 3's response to pitch bend messages in the upwards direction. Bend Range can be set from 0 to 24 semitones. Bend Range Down is used to set the CronoX 3's response to pitch bend messages in the downwards direction. Bend Range can be set from 0 to 24 semitones. Note that if the link setting is chosen, the Bend Range for downwards bending is the same as for upwards bending. 71