Moog Music Taurus 3 Bass Pedals - Manual (Page 59)

Page 60
Taurus 3 User’s Manual - Glossary
Page 61
Taurus 3 User’s Manual - Glossary
Taurus 3 – A monophonic analog bass synthesizer that is an updated re-creation of the original Taurus bass
synthesizer.
Timbre – Pronounced ‘tamber’, it refers to the quality of a sound by its overtones. An unprocessed sawtooth
wave has a bright timbre, while a triangle wave has a mellow timbre.
Tremolo – Technically a form of low frequency amplitude modulation, tremolo is a smooth audible pulsing of
volume. In synthesizers, tremolo is produced when a 5-6Hz LFO triangle or sine wave signal is applied to a
voltage controlled amplifier.
Waveform – The shape of an oscillator’s vibration. This determines its timbre. Commonly used waveforms
in subtractive synthesis are sawtooth, triangle, square, or rectangular. Different waveforms have different
timbres. A sawtooth has the greatest number of harmonics, and sounds bright and buzzy. A square wave
has only odd harmonics, and sounds bright, but hollow, like a clarinet. A rectangular wave can vary in shape,
but typically has a bright but thin sound, and a triangle wave’s harmonics are so low in amplitude that it
sounds muted and flutelike.
VCA – Abbreviation for ‘Voltage Controlled Amplifier’. A VCA is an amplifier circuit where the gain is a function
of the control voltage. In the Taurus 3, the VCA is paired with the Volume Envelope Generator to specify
the articulation of a sound. Another CV source for the VCA in the Taurus 3 is the Volume CV Input.
VCF – Abbreviation for ‘Voltage Controlled Filter’. A VCF is a filter circuit where the filter cutoff frequency is a
function of the control voltage. A VCF is used to control the timbre of a sound. In the Taurus 3, the VCF is
paired with the Filter Envelope Generator for dynamic control. Other CV sources for the VCF include the
Keyboard Amount, Modulation Matrix and Filter CV Input.
VCO – Abbreviation for ‘Voltage Controlled Oscillator’. A VCO is an oscillator circuit where the oscillator
frequency is a function of the control voltage. In the Taurus 3, the VCO is primarily controlled from the
pedalboard. Other CV sources for the VCO include the LFO and Pitch CV Input.
Vibrato – Technically a very low frequency modulation, vibrato is a smooth, mild pitch warble. In synthesizers,
vibrato is produced when a 5-6Hz LFO triangle or sine wave signal is applied to a voltage controlled
oscillator, causing the pitch to deviate slightly above and below the base frequency.