Alesis A6 P

Chapter 2: Playing the A6

ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 29

CHAPTER 2:

PLAYING THE A6

Possibly the best way to get acquainted with the A6 is to dig in and start playing.

Feel free to skip around this Chapter if you need to get specific information quickly.

This Chapter deals specifically with functions you’re most likely to use when playing

the instrument:

• getting around the front panel

• understanding and using the display

• selecting Programs and Mixes

• setting up splits and layers

• using the Master controls

• exploring the various keyboard modes

• using the performance wheels and ribbon controller

• using pedals and footswitches

• the Clock section: using the sequencer and arpeggiator

Quite possibly the most fundamental skill you’ll need to acquire in using the A6

successfully is understanding the display. The essentials of operating the display are

covered in this Chapter, and as you use the display on a regular basis, its operation

will become much clearer. Once you get a hold of the concepts and procedures laid

out in this section, you’ll be ready to undertake the remaining tutorials in this book.

The one glaring omission of this Chapter – which is intentional, by the way – is a

tutorial on MIDI. If you need an explanation of this technology now, go to Chapter

12. The first half of Chapter 12 is devoted to the MIDI Specification, which serves as a

good starting point for those new to this system. Real-world applications with

numerous examples in connecting the A6 to other MIDI devices were covered in the

previous Chapter.

Contents

Main Page Your shipping carton should contain the following items: Alesis contact information: Page C Page Page Page I MPORTANT S I SAFETY SYMBOLS USED IN THIS PRODUCT PLEASE FOLLOW THESE PRECAUTIONS WHEN USING THIS PRODUCT: Page INSTRUCTIONS DE SCURIT IMPORTANTES (FRENCH) S V LUTILISATION DE LAPPAREIL: Page B EIM B ENUTZEN DIESES P SIE BITTE DIE FOLGENDEN SICHERHEITSHINWEISE: (GERMAN) INSTRUCTIONS TO THE USER Page Page I H OW TO U SE THIS M S T YPOGRAPHIC C K EY T Page Page GETTING STARTED W HAT Y OU LL N UNPACK IT S ET I T U H OOK I T U A UDIO C P EDALS AND F MIDI C Page Page QUICK START: PLAYING YOUR FIRST PROGRAM A UTO T To tune the Andromeda's voices automatically: SELECTING PROGRAMS To select Programs and Mixes: M ASTER V C P A B RIEF T OUR OF THE F RONT P H OW F UNCTIONS ARE G Program-Specific Functions Mix-Specific Functions Global Functions INTERACTING WITH THE DISPLAY D ISPLAY F B ASIC D ISPLAY F Soft Controls Modes of Operation Data Banks: How the A6s Sounds Are Organized GlobalMixProgram Memory Functions LOCK Function and Arrows CONTRAST Control The MIX SELECT Button Group Chapter 2: Playing the A6 Table of Display Functions The following table summarizes the functions of the displays knobs and buttons: NAME FUNCTION S ELECTING P ROGRAMS AND M PROGRAM M PROG and DIR Page Parameters MIX M MIX Page Parameters KBD Page Parameters PROG Page Parameters CNTL Page Parameters SOLO function S TORING E DITED P ROGRAMS AND M STORE M T O STORE A P ROGRAM OR M DIR Store Procedure COPY Page Parameters COPY Procedure INIT Procedure Storing Programs and Mixes using the SYSEX Page CARD Page T NAME Page Parameters S ETTING U P S PLITS AND L T O SET UP LAYERS OF P ROGRAMS IN M S T O SPLIT THE KEYBOARD IN M B EYOND S PLITS AND L USING GLOBAL MODE GLOBAL M KEYBD Page Parameters Page PEDAL Page Parameters MIDI Page Parameters CC MAP Page Parameters PANEL Page Parameters VOXMON Page MASTER CONTROLS V T AUTO TUNE Button T HE K EYBOARD AND K EYBOARD M K EYBOARD S Properties Note Range P ERFORMANCE F KBD MODE Controls Keyboard Mode Parameters Page Additional Keyboard Functions P P ORTAMENTO C TIME Knob MOD Button ON/OFF Button Portamento Parameters Page Page Page Page T HE P ERFORMANCE W R IBBON C B P ROGRAMMING THE W HEELS AND R PITCH ASSIGN Parameters MOD ASSIGN Parameters CROUTES (Control Routes) Ribbon HOLD Buttons Page T CLOCK PARAMETERS S Layout START/STOP Button VIEW Button Sequencer Parameters Page Page Page Page Page A START/STOP Button VIEW Button Arpeggiator CONFIG Parameters C BASICS OF ANALOG S A N O VERVIEW OF S A NALOG AND D IGITAL T A L ITTLE H A L ITTLE T W FUNDAMENTALS AND HARMONICS SOUND DYNAMICS Envelopes Page Page LFOs COMPONENTS OF AN ANALOG SYNTHESIZER Page Page Page Page C O A MAKING SENSE OF ALL THIS THEORY: AN OVERVIEW OF THE A6 A F EW B ASIC C Program Mode Mix Mode External Memory A6 F UNCTION L Page A6 F UNCTIONS AT-A-G Memory Audio Sources Tone Modifiers Ring Modulator Modulation Sources Audio Mixing Controllers Effects Display Master Controls Rear Panel Inputs & Outputs Audio MIDI O C P ROGRAM FUNCTIONS P OSCILLATORS AND FILTERS O O SCILLATOR P ARAMETER D OSC 1 Parameters OSC 2 Parameters TUNE Page Parameters: OSC 1 and OSC 2 WAVE Page Parameters VCO M ENV 1 AMOUNT, OSC 2 FM and NZEXT Using the ENV 1 AMOUNT Page Page OSC 2 FM Parameters Page NZEXT Oscillator Modulation Parameters MOD 1, MOD 2 and MOD 3 Buttons and MODS Page Page PWMOD/PWM Parameters FMMOD Parameters SYNC Parameter: OSC 2 Only F W HAT F ILTERS D H OW F ILTERS A RE D Filter Modes Page Page Slope Resonance Key Track Modulation H OW F ILTERS W Page Page Page Page FILTER PARAMETER DESCRIPTIONS Filter 1 Parameters Filter 2 Parameters Main FILTER Parameters Page MOD Parameters C P ROGRAM FUNCTIONS P M ODULATION AND E M B What It Is Why We Use It Common Modulations Hardware and Software Modulation Default Modulation Paths E ENVELOPE PROPERTIES ENVELOPE PARAMETER DESCRIPTIONS Page TIME Page Parameters Page Page Page LEVEL Page Parameters TRIG and RETRIG Pages Parameters Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page DYN Page Parameters Page LOOP Page Parameters Page Page Page MOD Pages E NVELOPE E Page Page Page Page Page C P ROGRAM FUNCTIONS P LFOS, SAMPLE & HOLD AND PROCESS LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATORS LFO P WAVE Page Page Page TRIG Page SYNC Page MOD Page U SING LFO S AS A T RIGGER S SAMPLE AND HOLD Page PROCESS M TRACKING GENERATOR (TGEN) Track Gen Level and Track Gen Step T RACKING G ENERATOR P ARAMETER D ENGINE OPTIMIZER ENGINE OPTIMIZER PARAMETERS C P ROGRAM FUNCTIONS P T HE A NDROMEDA S M IXING S PRE FILTER MIX/POST FILTER MIX PRE FILTER MIX O OSC and SUB OSC Controls RING MOD Control NOISE/EXTERNAL Control Page Signal Routing through the Filters Page POST FILTER MIX O FILTER 1 Controls FILTER 2 Control PRE FILTER Output Control FILTER BYPASS Button V OICE M MAIN and AUX outputs Setting Levels in Mix Mode Individual VOICE OUTPUT C C USTOM M MOD F UNCTIONS O A VOID DUPLICATION WITH HARD - P U SING THE M ODULATION M Page The different ways to modulate a parameter Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 195 Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix 196 ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL A F EW G ROUND R THE CONTROL ROUTES SECTION TO CHANGE THE SOURCE OF A CONTROL ROUTE: A BOUT S IGNAL F A BOUT M ODULATION S Page C U SING E I SIGNAL FLOW B ASIC C A NALOG D Digital Effects E DITING D IGITAL E TO SELECT A DIGITAL EFFECTS CONFIGURATION TYPE: E DITING E FFECT P C HOOSING A P ARAMETER P C HANGING AN I NDIVIDUAL P MOD: MODULATING EFFECTS SEND/OUTPUT T UTORIAL : HOW TO E DIT A R S ET THE T YPE AND A UDIO L S ET THE R EVERB S D ECAY AND T S ET THE R EVERB P C HANGE THE T ONE OF THE R EVERB D ADJUST THE MIX Setting Input Levels Setting Output Levels To SOLO the Effects D IGITAL E FFECTS A T HE S IGNAL F LOW T HROUGH THE E FFECTS S S DUAL EFFECTS: PARALLEL DUAL EFFECTS: MONO M ULTI C CONFIGURATIONS & PARAMETER DESCRIPTIONS R Reverb Configurations Reverb Parameters Page Page Page D Delay Configurations Delay Parameters P ITCH E Pitch Configurations Page Pitch Parameters FLANGER SHAPE INPUT SIGNAL Page ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 227 T ABLE OF D IGITAL E FFECTS P 228 ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 229 230 ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 231 232 ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 233 234 ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 235 236 ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 237 238 ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 239 240 ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL 241241 A NDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE M Table of Digital Effects Parameters (continued) C M IX M WHAT IS A MIX? M IX C COMMON MIX SETTINGS FOR MIDI SEQUENCERS TO MAKE A CUSTOM MULTITIMBRAL MIX: MIDI PROGRAM CHANGE MESSAGES E DITING P ROGRAMS FROM M IX M M TO COPY A MIX CHANNEL FROM ANOTHER MIX: E FFECTS IN M IX M TO SET EFFECT SEND LEVELS FOR DIFFERENT MIX CHANNELS: TO COPY AN EFFECT FROM ANOTHER PROGRAM OR MIX: C MIDI F MIDI B MIDI H MIDI M Channel Messages: Voice Messages Page Chapter 12: MIDI Functions 250 ANDROMEDA A6 REFERENCE MANUAL Channel Messages: Mode Messages System Messages: Real-Time Messages System Messages: Common Messages System Messages: Exclusive Messages T O SEND AN INDIVIDUAL P ROGRAM OR M IX OUT AS A MIDI S E T O SEND AN ENTIRE P ROGRAM OR M IX B ANK OUT AS A MIDI S E ABOUT RECEIVING SYSEX DUMPS: MIDI AND THE A6 A A6 C HANNEL MESSAGES : M ULTITIMBRAL S SETTING MIDI PARAMETERS IN GLOBAL MODE MIDI Page Parameters CC MAP Page Parameters PANEL Page Parameters G Page M OD S Page Page Page T T HE A UTO -T UNE D T IPS AND T RICKS ABOUT T Auto Tune Parameters H OW TO U T O CHECK FOR AN OUT - OF - T UPGRADING THE OPERATING SYSTEM T POWER UP MODES T ROUBLESHOOTING C Page CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE S MIDI I MPLEMENTATION C Function Transmitted Recognized Remarks S W REFER ALL SERVICING TO ALESIS OBTAINING REPAIR SERVICE