Alesis QuadraSynth Plus manual About Modulation, Amp

Editing Programs: Chapter 6

Static (non-changing) filter settings can be useful, but varying the filter cutoff dynamically over time often produces more interesting effects. Modulating with velocity produces brighter sounds with louder dynamics, which produces a more accurate acoustic instrument simulation. Modulating with an envelope can create a pre-defined change in harmonic structure, such as having a brighter attack and bassier decay.

Amp

Each voice/filter combination is followed by an amplifier whose level can be controlled by a variety of modulation sources. This allows for creating sounds with percussive or slow attacks, particular types of decays, tremolo, etc.

Filter and amp settings can interact. If the filter cutoff is extremely low, then no signal will get through, no matter how the amp is set. Similarly, setting the amp for a short decay won’t let you hear any filtering set for a longer decay. This is because the volume will reach zero before the filter decay finishes.

About Modulation

Modulation modifies some aspect of a sound over time. Since oscillators make static sounds (unlike acoustic instruments, whose timbre and dynamics change— often radically—over the duration of a note), modulation is the key to making rich and expressive sounds. The vibrato of a flute, the expression pedal of an organ, a wah-wah pedal on a guitar--all of these are examples of modulation. You're probably familiar with the mod wheel of a synthesizer, that typically adds vibrato to a Program as it is raised. But in synthesizer programming, modulation is used to control even the basic characteristics of a voice: its attack, decay, and release times, for example. Every box in the signal diagram on page 51 pointing

QuadraSynth Plus Piano Reference Manual 74