FXpansion DCAM Synth Squad Operation Manual - Manual (Page 39)

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5:6 Mixer / Amplifier stage
Synth & Ens. (Synth Amp and Ensemble Amp)
The mixer/amplifier stage features separate Amp controls for the Synth and Ens.
(ensemble) sections of the voice. Since the paraphonic notes have already been summed
to single signals by the time they reach this stage, the
Synth and Ens. controls effectively
mix the levels of the two sections within the voice. Note that the actual mixing stage occurs
after the chorus – the
Ens. control sits between the formant filter and chorus in the circuit.
There is a waveshaping stage between the Synth/Ens. and Level controls, which is
capable of distortion when its components are driven hard.
If you want a cleaner sound, keep the
Synth and Ens. controls at low settings and
increase the Level.
If you want to overload the amp by increasing the Synth and Ens. controls, remember to
turn down the Level control. Otherwise, the output of Amber may clip.
Syn Route
The Syn Route control allows the Synth section to be routed through the Ensemble section’s formant filter or chorus if
desired. This routing occurs after the Synth Amp stage.
Pan
The Pan parameter exists after the Synth and Ensemble sections are summed – therefore if you need to pan the 2
sections separately you must use unison voices and appropriate TransMod modulation.
Level
This parameter sets the final Level of each voice before it is summed with all other active voices at the final output of the
synth.
Analogue
The Analogue parameter simulates the effect of noise and mains hum in certain parts of the audio and control signal
paths, something that always occurs in real analogue synth circuits. At lower settings, it leads to a subtly gritty and slurring
character, while higher settings create a more unstable and noisy sound.
5:7 Perform controls
These controls allow you to change the playing behaviour of the Synth and
Ensemble sections.
Range
The Range control represents a method of splitting the keyboard range of the
Synth and Ensemble sections. Either section can be set to ‘Low’, ‘High’ or ‘All’.
All: C2 to B9
Low: C2 to G4
High: G#4 to B9
Mode
The Performance Mode settings allow both the Synth and Ensemble sections to follow one of several behaviours
– paraphonic, monophonic notes, monophonic envelope attack or monophonic envelope release.
‘Paraphonic’ emulates the playing style of string machines such as those by Logan and Korg, featuring an individual VCA
for each note on the keyboard.
The ‘MonoAtk’ and ‘MonoRel’ modes each involve a different style of single-VCA paraphonic playing response. Single-
VCA synths, such as the Solina and Omni series, possessed their own feel and sound due to their limitations heavily
influencing the way they had to be played.
Setting both sections to ‘MonoNote’ results in Amber responding like a conventional polyphonic synth: each voice can
generate only 1 note for both sections.
Paraphonic Every key triggers each note’s individual amp envelope
MonoNote Only the highest priority note is heard. The priority is set using the Priority control in
the Keying controls. If Priority is set to ‘Lowest’ and this mode is selected for the Synth
section you can play a monophonic bassline to accompany your string chords.
MonoAtk All notes share a single attack amp envelope, allowing you to play a part with the
volume slowly swelling over all the notes.
MonoRel All notes share a single release envelope, allowing chords to slowly release until new
notes are played, whereupon the old notes are muted.