COS Advanced subtractive synthesizer with Morph function user manual 2 multi-wave oscillators with sync, FM 1 AD Modulation Envelope with 9 destinations LCD panel for instant observation of the changed value Polyphonic Morph function for every pot of the front panel 2 Lfo's with 9 destinations each Oscillator Modulation section permits filter FM, osc Distortion, Linear FM, Phase Modulation, Ring mod powerful filter section with 12 different filter, including poly-filter modes and experimental shaping
INTRODUCTION First we would like to thank you for purchasing the COS advanced performance synthesizer for the Creamware Scope Platform. We think that this synthesizer design extends the sound programming possibilities of Scope Fusion platform to a higher degree. The sound programmer armed with the Morph function technology has the ability to control all pots of COS front panel. Including the morphable pots of modulation dest amount the morphable pots are 50! With that function the creation of rythmic, controllable, changing sounds is a matter of seconds. Every pot can be morphed by 4 modulation signals. These include Velocity, Keyboard note value, Modulation wheel and Aftertouch. So it's easy to make for example cutoff "open" with velocity pressure, "close" with modulation wheel and follow the keyboard at the same time with different controllable amounts of "morph" for each one. Check that the morph function is fully polyphonic which means that we can program sounds that change in a dramatic way with only a single key distance! or with just a bit harder key pressing... Further we have included some experimental filtering and a clear interface. Plus the synthesizer is fully optimized so it's easy to open a lot of instances (depends on the DSP configurations). This manual covers every aspect of the synthesizer. Please be sure to read it thoroughly so to take benefit of all the included functions. We wish you an enjoyable music creation trip!
manual index Specifications... page 3 Installation... page 6 Front panel... page 8 Preset list... page 9 Global options...page 10 Panel reference - Morph Function... page 11 Panel reference - Oscillators... page 13 Panel reference - Oscillator Modulation...page 16 Panel reference - Filter section... page 17 Panel reference - LFO's... page 19 Panel reference - Modulation Envelope... page 20 Panel reference - Amplitude Envelope and Part Level... page 21 Preset names listing... page 22
specifications Voices: 16 max, 12-16 in general systems. Lower in smaller systems. (depends on the DSP's) Sound generators: 2 main oscillator featuring 6 wave types and 2 modes each to choose from: Triangle sync- Tri shaped, Pulse Sync - Pulse width, Saw sync - saw, sine sync - sine shaped, noise filtered - noise comb filtered, 2sines added, 2sines fm 'ed. - There are specific functions according to oscillator wave selection. Refer to panel reference sections for detailed info. Morph function: Every pot of the front panel can be modulated in a polyphonic manner and different amounts with four controllers. Available controllers are Velocity (with curve modifier), Keyboard note (with key modifier), Aftertouch, Modulation wheel. Oscillator modulation section: Here you can further shape the oscillators timbre or perform other actions. Modulation modes include: Filter FM, Osc distortion, a distorted ring modulation type, Frequency modulation, Phase Modulation, Ring Modulation. 3
Envelope generators: There are 3 envelopes in COS. One ADSR for the amp, one ADSR for the filter, and an AD envelope for modulation purposes. LFO's: 2 multi-wave Lfo's with rate, 6 waves to choose (sin-square-saw up-saw down-triangle-random), key-retrigger, offset Filters: The filter section is quite extensive. There are single or poly filter modes. The filters included are: - LP 12-24db/octave - HP 12-24db/octave - BP 12-24db/octave - a 12db filter followed by 12 highpass filter - a Comb filter - an experimental config with a Bandpass filter followed by a shaper - a Lowpass filter followed by a tube simulation. - an LP filter followed by a sample rate decimator - an experimental config with a Lowpass filter followed by a shaper - an LP and a BP filter in parallel - 2 bandpass filter in parallel - a lowpass filter and a highpass filter added together 4
Part specific options: - Key range assignment for keyboard split sounds. - Velocity modifier (7 curves: linear, lin. inv., fixed, logarithmic, log. inv., exponential, exp. inv). Intensity. - Keyboard modifier - Aftertouch modifier Programs: 1 bank *141 presets User banks: Unlimited. Requirements: Creamware Scope platform hardware and software. * Pentium 3-4 for optimal use. ** "Classic" screen mode is recommended for better behaviour (SFP provides better graphics performance in "classic" and elimination of jerky edges of the panel * minimum requirement 6 DSP's for 2-3 voices. 12 DSP's will handle 2-3 instances with 3-4 voices each. In a 21 system you can have 16 voices, or 5-6 instances with 2-3 voices each. Best experience 12+ DSP's. ** A fast PC is needed to avoid bad panel behaviour. -Not tested for MAC OS. It will be tested soon to check general behaviour. 5
device installation Copy COS.dev in your devices folder. (normally c:\scope\devices\) Copy the provided COS.pre file in your preset files folder (normally in c:\scope\presets\). Drag the device from the File browser or windows explorer (or use Live bar menu) in project window and connect midi in and the outputs as necessary. That s all. 6
front panel Part preset list Part options page 12 Global tune Midi-in data indicator "Data" pot Use this to change modulation destinations and some other values Modulation Envelope page 22 LCD panel Lfo's page 21 Morph function page 13 Master Volume Pot Oscillator modulation page 18 Oscillators page 16 Filters page 19 Amp Envelope and part output page 23 8
Preset List handling COS synthesizer allows you to save the parameters you program in preset lists. Open the preset browser with the deticated button, select the "factory" bank or create a new one and the press "preset-store", name your sound and save the preset list from the "file" menu. When you press the preset browser button, the LCD screen will inform you for the currently selected preset name. The time required for the preset change to take place is hardly influenced by the active voices. For example a 1 voice preset change happens instantly, but a 10 voice change may take a while (5-10 seconds). Main preset list Second preset list drag that border for the 2nd preset list to appear 9
Global options Glide button will let you set the type of portamento (or set inactive) and the portamento time. The keysplit buttons will let you assign the range of notes the part will receive so to split your keyboard and play 2 (or more sounds) from one keyboard. 10
Panel reference - Morph function Morph function is a way to control every pot on COS front panel with four modulation sources. To assign a morph range proceed as follows: 1. Move the pot to the value you want as value A. (pic 1) 2. Press one time the black "M" button so to turn it to yellow. Now as you move the pot further (both directions allowed) a second red indicator appears. When you reach value B press the "M" button again so to be colored as orange. (pic 2-3) 3. Now if you move the pot again you will change the whole range position. (pic 4) 1. unassigned pot 2. Assigned value A and clockwise move until reach the desired value B. 3. Assigned Morph range 3. Assigned Morph range with range re-position Below the Master Volume Pot their are 4 buttons named Velocity, Keyboard, Aftertouch and Mod Wheel. These are the modulators. The button which is lit informs the selected morph controller. If a morph range is assigned the little LED left of the controller buttons will be lit so to inform that there is an active modulation. That is very useful when we have assigned a morph on a modulation destination amount pot cause there are not always visible so to see the "M" state. 11
Panel reference - Morph function If you press the little green button at the right of the velocity button then it will appear a panel that will let you modify the velocity curve, set the intensity amount and any offset you may want. There are 7 curves available: -Linear, linear inversed, -fixed, -logarithmic, - log. inversed, -exponential, exp. inversed By pressing the little green led at the right of the keyboard button then it will appear a panel that let you modify the key note value.grab and move the vertical lines (left-right) or grab and move the blue dots (up-down) so to get it work as you like. With keyboard morph function you can create custom filter key follow, and any other keyfollow action you like. By pressing the little green led at the right of the aftertouch button then it will show a panel that let you modify the aftertouch curve, set the intensity amount and any offset you may want. Aftertouch also has a dezip knob. 12
Panel reference - Morph function Morph function is fully polyphonic and here hides a power that you have to hear to undestand it's potential. It is a way to shape differently each voice. For example in COS the amplifier envelope hasn't got any velocity sensitivity panel or something like that. So how to make it respond to different velocity pressure? Simply by assigning a velocity morph to amplifier level! Further you can make more detailed assigning by morphing Attack, Decay, Sustain or Release. The morph ranges can be positive or negative. That can be set with the actual red indicators, or (and) through the modifier panels for keyboard and velocity. 13
Panel reference - Oscillators COS offers 2 oscillators. Each of them provides 6 different waveshapes with 2 modes each. To change the active waveshape press the wave selector button below the graph and then use the Data wheel to set the timbre you want. The easiest way to make the selection is to select the DATA wheel with the mouse and the press a number on the keypad or use pgup-pgdn. We will first discuss oscillator 1. The available timbres are: 1. Triangle sync- Tri shaped, 2. Pulse Sync - Pulse width, 3. Saw sync - saw, 4. sine sync - sine shaped, 5. noise filtered - noise comb filtered, 6. 2sines added, 2sines fm 'ed. wave selector oscillators level Sync (or 2nd) mode Shape pot Now according the selected wave the shape pot has a different role. For the sync modes it controls the synced oscillator frequency (the sync effect). For other modes the amount of shaping, the pulse width, the noise filter's cutoff frequency, or for the 2 sines mode in case of the first mode how much sine 1B is added to 1 A, or for the fm mode how much osc 1B fm's 1A (the modulation index). The pitch of oscillator 1 can be changed in octave range by using the part transpose button above the oscillator area. 14
Panel reference - Oscillators Oscillator 2 offers the same waveforms as oscillator 1 with some minor changes. First the noise wave is more powerful as you can select the type of filtering you want by using the Fine pot. In 2-sines FM mode, the Fine pot controls osc 2B coarse tune. Further osc 2 can be set to not follow the keyboard by pressing the KBT off led. Please notice that osc B coarse and fine pots are the only pots at COS that morph function is monophonic. When that button is lit osc 2 doesn't follows the keyboard wave selector osc B level Sync -2nd mode Global pitch bend range Shape pot Fine tune pot or in noise waveform selector of noise filter type (LP, HP, BP) and in 2sines fm mode the 2B oscillator coarse tuning pot 15
Panel reference Oscillator Modulation Oscillator 1 and 2 pass through some modules that allow further modification of their timbre. To change the type of oscillator modulation press the modulation selector button and use the DATA wheel to set the desired modulation. There are 6 types of modulation: - Filter FM - Osc distortion - a distorted ring modulation type - Frequency modulation - Phase Modulation - Ring Modulation Modulation amount pot The modulation pot controls the amount of the modulation. Modulation type selector Oscillator mix selector - In Filter Fm the amount osc 2 will modulate filter 1 cutoff frequency - In Dist mode, the amount of distortion - In Distorted RM, the hidden oscillator coarse tune - In FM the amount osc 2 will modulate osc 1 frequency - In PhaseM the amount osc 2 will modulate osc 1 phase - in RM, the level of osc B 16
Panel reference - Filter section The filter section in COS is quite extensive. There are single and poly filter modes. The 3 first filters allow poles of 12 and 24db/octave The filters available with some explanation: - LP (12-24db Lowpass filter) - HP (12-24db Highpass filter) - BP (12-24db Bandpass filter) - a 12db filter followed by 12 highpass filter [filter 2 pot controls highpass, filter 2 - not modulated by sources] - a Comb filter [filter 2 pot controls Comb filter dampen, not modulated by sources] - an experimental config with a Bandpass filter followed by a shaper [filter 2 pot controls shaping amount, filter 2 (shaper) -modulable as filter 2 dest]. Careful of extensive levels! - a Lowpass filter followed by a tube simulation. (filter 2 pot controls tube gain, filter 2 -not modulated by sources) - an LP filter followed by a sample rate decimator (filter 2 pot controls s/r decimating amount, filter 2 (decimator) -modulable as filter 2 dest). - an experimental config with a Lowpass filter followed by a shaper [filter 2 pot controls shaping amount, filter 2 (shaper) -modulable as filter 2 dest]. Careful of extensive levels! - an LP and a BP filter in parallel - 2 bandpass filter in parallel - a lowpass filter and a highpass filter added together Press the filter selector button and use the DATA selector to the desired filter type. 17
Panel reference - Filter section Filter has it's deticated ADSR envelope. The amount can be positive or negative. By modulating the filter(s) with the 3 modulation sources + the ability of morph function the possibilities are endless. When that button is lit Filter envelope is velocity sensitive (fixed amount) Filter envelope inverted Pole selector for filters 1-3 Filter type selector Press that button and use Data wheel to set Filter Key follow When that button is lit Filter 2 gets modulated by Filter envelope 18
Panel reference - Lfo's There are 2 Lfo's which are identical in functions with the only difference a couple of destinations. Each one offers 6 waves to choose (sine-square-saw up-saw down-trianglerandom) Also if the wave will restart on each key press and offset amount (a DC level added to the lfo signal) To send the Lfo to a destination press the destination selector button and then use the DATA wheel. The LCD panel will inform you about available destinations and also shows the different amounts. Each Lfo can modulate 9 different destinations in parallel with different amounts that can be positive or negative (selectable for each dest). Lfo wave selector Offset Use DATA Key sync on/off wheel Destination selector Also all 9 "amounts" of each LFO are morphable. 19
Panel reference - Modulation Env COS has a deticated AD envelope for modulation purposes. It's operation is identical to the Lfo's. Press the destination selector button and use the DATA wheel to select the desired destinations. All destinations can be modulated by a different amount which can be positive or negative and again all the amounts are morphable. 20
Panel reference - Amplifier Env and Level COS has a deticated ADSR envelope for controling the overall sound level. It has vintage characteristics and the VCA has exponential responce. 21
Preset List COS