Gotharman's PolySpaze Model B
4 voice polyphonic/multi-timbral synthesizer/sampler with analog and digital filters, granular effects and sequencer
Details:
Oscillators/Samplers:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 2 oscillators. 8 oscillators in total.
Oscillator 1
For oscillator 1, oscillator or sample playback mode is selectable.
In oscillator mode it generates a waveform that is morphable between sine, triangle, saw, pulse and feedback waves. Pulse width are adjustable for all waveform types. Oscillator 1 outputs both an audio range signal and a low frequency version of this at the same time, so the oscillators functions both as audio range sound and low frequency modulation, at the same time.
Oscillator 2 can frequency modulate Oscillator 1 (FM). Pitch, PW, wave and FM amount can be modulated.
In sampler mode it plays back any of the 255 storable samplings, and any of the 64 possible chop samplings within a sampling. Pitch, start point and length can be adjusted and modulated. Samples are chromatically tuned, and has a pitch range of 4 octaves above and 5 octaves below the original sample pitch. Loop mode can be set to Off, On or Free. In Free mode the sampling is constantly playing back, and is never re-trigged. Like in oscillator mode, the samples also outputs a low frequency version of itself, so samples can be used as low frequency modulation.
The samplers can load and playback Little deFormer samples and use the chop points. It is also possible to create chop points in the PolySpaze sample editor, and use these, and to load all samples from a directory as chops within a sampling, via USB. Chops can be detected by level peaks or by single wavecycles. Single wavecycle chops are an easy way to make loops.
Both oscillators and samplers has a portamento control.
Oscillator 2
Oscillator 2 generates a waveform that is switchable between sine, triangle, saw, square, noise, input L and input R. Pulse width are adjustable for triangle, saw and square, but sounds different from oscillator 1, to have a wider sound range. Pitch and PW can be modulated.
Portamento is shared with oscillator 1.
Analog Filters:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 1 analog filters. 4 in total.
This filter is a 24dB resonant lowpass filter. Cutoff and resonance can be adjusted. Oscillator 2 can also modulate the cutoff frequency of it (FFM - Filter FM). Cutoff, resonance and filter FM amount can be modulated.
On the analog filters edit page, the level of oscillator 1 and oscillator 2 can be adjusted.
In connection with the filter, a special G-ray (Gotharman-Ray) circuit can be found, that will add grit and noise. G-Ray intensity, mode, and feedback can be adjusted, and feedback can be modulated.
Digital Filters:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 1 digital filter, 4 in total.
This is a multi-mode filter, with 16 different filter modes: LPF1-5, BPF1-4, HPF1-3, Fat1-2, Lofi and Destruktion. Each filter mode gives the filter different characteristics, and some mode can selfoscillate, while other modes can't. Cutoff and resonance can be adjusted and modulated. The digital filter can be placed either pre, post or in parallel to the analog filter. A split mode can also be selected, where Osc1 goes to the analog filter, and Osc2 to the digital filter.
When different filter types are selected for Morph layer A and B, it will morph between these, imstead of just switching, when turning the morph knob.
VCA's:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 1 VCA. 4 in total.
In poly, mono and multi-timbral play modes, the output signal from the filters goes directly to the VCA. In filter bank and stereo bank modes, the output signals of the oscillators goes to the VCA.
The VCA can output to either audio output 1 and 2 or EFX 1/2. A pan control adjusts the levels of the audio signals sent to each output or effect.
An ADSR envelope are attached to the VCA. The VCA envelopes can either be in linear or logarithmic mode. A Drone parameter are available, for opening the VCA without the envelope needing to be trigged. VCA pan, attack, decay and release can be modulated.
ADSR Envelopes:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 1 VCA envelope and 1 modulation envelope. 8 in total.
With linear/logarithmic charateristics and the modulation envelopes has an additional offset control. Both the VCA envelopes and the modulation envelopes appears as modulation souces.
LFO's:
PolySpaze B has 4 LFO's. These are global, and can modulate any voices.
Waveform is morphable from triangle to saw to square to high speed FM waveforms. Rate can be adjusted. Both the rate and the wave parameters can be modulated.
Random Generators:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 1 random generator. 4 in total.
Changes to a new random value every time they are trigged. Trigger sources can be note and LFO 1-4.
Effects Processors:
PolySpaze B has 4 effects processors. 2 of these can either be placed as a voice insert effect or as an output send effect, while the other 2 can only be placed as voice inserts.
All effects has a bypass switch and a mix parameter. Many parameters, including Freeze, can be modulated.
Effects can be linked for true stereo effects processing.
Effects present at the moment:
As Insert Effects:
-Chorus - Gotharman's special chorus with an added Deep parameter, that adds space to the chorus.
-Pitch-Shifter - +/- 1 octave, +/- 2 octaves or +/- 4 octaves. Adustable sense.
-Stretcher - Tries to time stretch the input signal, while at the same time keeping up with it. Impossible? -Yes, indeed :-)
-FM - Adds self-FM to the input signal in +/- 1 octave, +/- 2 octaves or +/- 4 octaves ranges.
-Resonator - Adds space to the sound.
-Distortions - 4 types: Valve, Sine, Fuzz, Xdis.
-Pitch Shaper - 1 input version of Gotharman's special Pitch Shaper, that forces an audio signal to play back at a specific pitch, determined by an adjustable frequency.
-Glitch Shifter 1 and 2 - Imperfect pitch shifters.
-Wave Shaper - Re-shapes the input signal.
-FAT - Adds up to 3 layers of the input sound on top of it. The Phaze of the added layers can be adjusted.
As Output Effects:
-Granulator - Cuts the input signal up in grains, that can be re-arranged. The anAmoNo X granulator can sync to the sequencer.
-Variator. Creates new variations of the input signal. Both pitch and rhythmic variations.
-Delay - Delay with time and feedback controls, plus Gotharman's Deep, Size, Beam and Xfade controls. Deep adds space to the delay, Size makes the playback range more narrow than the input recording range, and beam beams the delay to previously unknown places. The Xfade control on this delay, creates valleys between the delay taps. The more it is turned up, the more time the valleys takes up.
-Roto Delay - New Gotharman delay! This is a 2 tap delay, that is constantly crossfading between the 2 taps. When the Xfade control is turned down, the crossfading is rough, the more it is turned up, the more smooth the crossfading gets. Other controls are the same as the first delay.
-Bright Delay - First delay, but with a brighter sound, created by a resonator.
-Bright Roto Delay - Roto delay, but with a brighter sound, created by a resonator.
-Reverb - Synthetic reverb.
-Filters 2 - Some new digital filters. 6 Types.
Sample Recorder:
-Samples are kept in NOR FLASH RAM, that is much more stable than the widely used NAND FLASH, and that does not get any bad blocks.
-Samples are kept even after a power off.
-Total recording time: 22 minutes mono/11 minutes stereo.
-Single sampling max length: 12 minutes mono/6 minutes stereo.
-Max. 256 samplings/16.384 chop samples.
-Recording sources: Audio input and output, USB import of .wav files.
Audio Input:
It is possible to record samplings from the stereo audio inputs, and they can be routed to the filters and the effects processors.
4x 64-step Note sequencers with MIDI Out:
Each Note track has 3 subtracks:
-Note: Note input by touch or by realtime record. Octave and bar selected by knobs. Steps on/off selected by touch.
-Gate Time: Values inputted by touch. Bar selected by knob. Steps on/off selected by touch.
-Delay Time: Values inputted by touch. Bar selected by knob. Steps on/off selected by touch.
8x 64-step control sequencers with MIDI Out:
Each Controller track has 2 subtracks:
-Control Values: Values inputted by touch. Bar selected by knob. Steps on/off selected by touch.
-Slide Time: Values inputted by touch. Bar selected by knob. Steps on/off selected by touch.
Play Modes:
-Poly: The 4 voices polypnonic.
-Poly Bank: The 8 filters forms a filter bank, which the 8 oscillators plays paraphonic into.
-Mono: Complete control of all 8 oscillators and 8 filters in one huge mono synth!
-Multi-timbral: Complete control of each of the 4 voices. Key range and MIDI channel settable for each voice.
-Stereo Bank: Play back stereo samplings through a dual filter bank, formed by 2 x 4 analog filters.
Morphing System:
-Each preset holds 2 sets of sound parameters. By using the Morph knob, or by assigning modulation to this, when morph mode is "Synth" or "Both", it is possible to morph between the 2 sets of parameters. Pushing the "Morph Settings" button on any edit page, will reveal the second set of parameters.
-The sequencer also has 2 sets of parameters. Turning the Morph knob, when set to "Seq" or "Both" mode, will morph between the 2 sets of parameters -Morph from one tune to another.
Touch Screen Keyboard:
-Included!
-On the Preset Select screen, a large touch keyboard with Y-mod is represented. On the synth edit pages, a small touch keyboard without Y-mod is represented in the bottom of the pages.
USB:
-Import/export samples as .wav files.
-Import of Little deFormer 2 and FX deFormer samplings.
-Import/export presets and songs.
-Backup/restore of PolySpaze's user memory.
-Updating of firmware.
4 CV/trigger inputs (optional).
Accepts up to +/- 15 volts. Internally scalable to work in +/- 12 volts, 0-12 volts, +/- 5 volts or 0-5 volt ranges. Intput sample rate: 5 KHz.
4 CV/trigger ouputs (optional).
Can output all modulation sources and triggers in the range of 0-5 volts. Output sample rate: 11 KHz.
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 2 oscillators. 8 oscillators in total.
Oscillator 1
For oscillator 1, oscillator or sample playback mode is selectable.
In oscillator mode it generates a waveform that is morphable between sine, triangle, saw, pulse and feedback waves. Pulse width are adjustable for all waveform types. Oscillator 1 outputs both an audio range signal and a low frequency version of this at the same time, so the oscillators functions both as audio range sound and low frequency modulation, at the same time.
Oscillator 2 can frequency modulate Oscillator 1 (FM). Pitch, PW, wave and FM amount can be modulated.
In sampler mode it plays back any of the 255 storable samplings, and any of the 64 possible chop samplings within a sampling. Pitch, start point and length can be adjusted and modulated. Samples are chromatically tuned, and has a pitch range of 4 octaves above and 5 octaves below the original sample pitch. Loop mode can be set to Off, On or Free. In Free mode the sampling is constantly playing back, and is never re-trigged. Like in oscillator mode, the samples also outputs a low frequency version of itself, so samples can be used as low frequency modulation.
The samplers can load and playback Little deFormer samples and use the chop points. It is also possible to create chop points in the PolySpaze sample editor, and use these, and to load all samples from a directory as chops within a sampling, via USB. Chops can be detected by level peaks or by single wavecycles. Single wavecycle chops are an easy way to make loops.
Both oscillators and samplers has a portamento control.
Oscillator 2
Oscillator 2 generates a waveform that is switchable between sine, triangle, saw, square, noise, input L and input R. Pulse width are adjustable for triangle, saw and square, but sounds different from oscillator 1, to have a wider sound range. Pitch and PW can be modulated.
Portamento is shared with oscillator 1.
Analog Filters:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 1 analog filters. 4 in total.
This filter is a 24dB resonant lowpass filter. Cutoff and resonance can be adjusted. Oscillator 2 can also modulate the cutoff frequency of it (FFM - Filter FM). Cutoff, resonance and filter FM amount can be modulated.
On the analog filters edit page, the level of oscillator 1 and oscillator 2 can be adjusted.
In connection with the filter, a special G-ray (Gotharman-Ray) circuit can be found, that will add grit and noise. G-Ray intensity, mode, and feedback can be adjusted, and feedback can be modulated.
Digital Filters:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 1 digital filter, 4 in total.
This is a multi-mode filter, with 16 different filter modes: LPF1-5, BPF1-4, HPF1-3, Fat1-2, Lofi and Destruktion. Each filter mode gives the filter different characteristics, and some mode can selfoscillate, while other modes can't. Cutoff and resonance can be adjusted and modulated. The digital filter can be placed either pre, post or in parallel to the analog filter. A split mode can also be selected, where Osc1 goes to the analog filter, and Osc2 to the digital filter.
When different filter types are selected for Morph layer A and B, it will morph between these, imstead of just switching, when turning the morph knob.
VCA's:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 1 VCA. 4 in total.
In poly, mono and multi-timbral play modes, the output signal from the filters goes directly to the VCA. In filter bank and stereo bank modes, the output signals of the oscillators goes to the VCA.
The VCA can output to either audio output 1 and 2 or EFX 1/2. A pan control adjusts the levels of the audio signals sent to each output or effect.
An ADSR envelope are attached to the VCA. The VCA envelopes can either be in linear or logarithmic mode. A Drone parameter are available, for opening the VCA without the envelope needing to be trigged. VCA pan, attack, decay and release can be modulated.
ADSR Envelopes:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 1 VCA envelope and 1 modulation envelope. 8 in total.
With linear/logarithmic charateristics and the modulation envelopes has an additional offset control. Both the VCA envelopes and the modulation envelopes appears as modulation souces.
LFO's:
PolySpaze B has 4 LFO's. These are global, and can modulate any voices.
Waveform is morphable from triangle to saw to square to high speed FM waveforms. Rate can be adjusted. Both the rate and the wave parameters can be modulated.
Random Generators:
Each voice of PolySpaze B has 1 random generator. 4 in total.
Changes to a new random value every time they are trigged. Trigger sources can be note and LFO 1-4.
Effects Processors:
PolySpaze B has 4 effects processors. 2 of these can either be placed as a voice insert effect or as an output send effect, while the other 2 can only be placed as voice inserts.
All effects has a bypass switch and a mix parameter. Many parameters, including Freeze, can be modulated.
Effects can be linked for true stereo effects processing.
Effects present at the moment:
As Insert Effects:
-Chorus - Gotharman's special chorus with an added Deep parameter, that adds space to the chorus.
-Pitch-Shifter - +/- 1 octave, +/- 2 octaves or +/- 4 octaves. Adustable sense.
-Stretcher - Tries to time stretch the input signal, while at the same time keeping up with it. Impossible? -Yes, indeed :-)
-FM - Adds self-FM to the input signal in +/- 1 octave, +/- 2 octaves or +/- 4 octaves ranges.
-Resonator - Adds space to the sound.
-Distortions - 4 types: Valve, Sine, Fuzz, Xdis.
-Pitch Shaper - 1 input version of Gotharman's special Pitch Shaper, that forces an audio signal to play back at a specific pitch, determined by an adjustable frequency.
-Glitch Shifter 1 and 2 - Imperfect pitch shifters.
-Wave Shaper - Re-shapes the input signal.
-FAT - Adds up to 3 layers of the input sound on top of it. The Phaze of the added layers can be adjusted.
As Output Effects:
-Granulator - Cuts the input signal up in grains, that can be re-arranged. The anAmoNo X granulator can sync to the sequencer.
-Variator. Creates new variations of the input signal. Both pitch and rhythmic variations.
-Delay - Delay with time and feedback controls, plus Gotharman's Deep, Size, Beam and Xfade controls. Deep adds space to the delay, Size makes the playback range more narrow than the input recording range, and beam beams the delay to previously unknown places. The Xfade control on this delay, creates valleys between the delay taps. The more it is turned up, the more time the valleys takes up.
-Roto Delay - New Gotharman delay! This is a 2 tap delay, that is constantly crossfading between the 2 taps. When the Xfade control is turned down, the crossfading is rough, the more it is turned up, the more smooth the crossfading gets. Other controls are the same as the first delay.
-Bright Delay - First delay, but with a brighter sound, created by a resonator.
-Bright Roto Delay - Roto delay, but with a brighter sound, created by a resonator.
-Reverb - Synthetic reverb.
-Filters 2 - Some new digital filters. 6 Types.
Sample Recorder:
-Samples are kept in NOR FLASH RAM, that is much more stable than the widely used NAND FLASH, and that does not get any bad blocks.
-Samples are kept even after a power off.
-Total recording time: 22 minutes mono/11 minutes stereo.
-Single sampling max length: 12 minutes mono/6 minutes stereo.
-Max. 256 samplings/16.384 chop samples.
-Recording sources: Audio input and output, USB import of .wav files.
Audio Input:
It is possible to record samplings from the stereo audio inputs, and they can be routed to the filters and the effects processors.
4x 64-step Note sequencers with MIDI Out:
Each Note track has 3 subtracks:
-Note: Note input by touch or by realtime record. Octave and bar selected by knobs. Steps on/off selected by touch.
-Gate Time: Values inputted by touch. Bar selected by knob. Steps on/off selected by touch.
-Delay Time: Values inputted by touch. Bar selected by knob. Steps on/off selected by touch.
8x 64-step control sequencers with MIDI Out:
Each Controller track has 2 subtracks:
-Control Values: Values inputted by touch. Bar selected by knob. Steps on/off selected by touch.
-Slide Time: Values inputted by touch. Bar selected by knob. Steps on/off selected by touch.
Play Modes:
-Poly: The 4 voices polypnonic.
-Poly Bank: The 8 filters forms a filter bank, which the 8 oscillators plays paraphonic into.
-Mono: Complete control of all 8 oscillators and 8 filters in one huge mono synth!
-Multi-timbral: Complete control of each of the 4 voices. Key range and MIDI channel settable for each voice.
-Stereo Bank: Play back stereo samplings through a dual filter bank, formed by 2 x 4 analog filters.
Morphing System:
-Each preset holds 2 sets of sound parameters. By using the Morph knob, or by assigning modulation to this, when morph mode is "Synth" or "Both", it is possible to morph between the 2 sets of parameters. Pushing the "Morph Settings" button on any edit page, will reveal the second set of parameters.
-The sequencer also has 2 sets of parameters. Turning the Morph knob, when set to "Seq" or "Both" mode, will morph between the 2 sets of parameters -Morph from one tune to another.
Touch Screen Keyboard:
-Included!
-On the Preset Select screen, a large touch keyboard with Y-mod is represented. On the synth edit pages, a small touch keyboard without Y-mod is represented in the bottom of the pages.
USB:
-Import/export samples as .wav files.
-Import of Little deFormer 2 and FX deFormer samplings.
-Import/export presets and songs.
-Backup/restore of PolySpaze's user memory.
-Updating of firmware.
4 CV/trigger inputs (optional).
Accepts up to +/- 15 volts. Internally scalable to work in +/- 12 volts, 0-12 volts, +/- 5 volts or 0-5 volt ranges. Intput sample rate: 5 KHz.
4 CV/trigger ouputs (optional).
Can output all modulation sources and triggers in the range of 0-5 volts. Output sample rate: 11 KHz.