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The Oscillators
Osc [edit]: Waveform
Page:
1
Soft Button:
1
Range:
sine, tri/saw, pulse
Default:
tri/saw
This is an oscillator's most important parameter. It determines the type
of waveform that the oscillator produces, which is directly responsible
for the fundamental character of the sound you hear. Each waveform
type really represents a family of sounds; you will use the Osc Shape
parameter, described below, to tell the Ion exactly what wave you want.
Sine waves have a smooth, pure sound to them. Tri/saw can represent
a triangle wave, a sawtooth wave, or anything in between. A triangle
wave has a fuller sound than a sine wave, whereas a sawtooth wave has a
harsh sonic character. Pulse is harmonically the richest of the three, and
can range from a very full-sounding square wave to a sharp, nasally
impulse wave. You can also adjust this parameter by pressing the button
to the right of the Osc [edit] button.
Osc [edit]: Shape
Page:
1
Soft Button:
2
Range:
-100 - 100%
Default:
0
Once you've selected your Osc Waveform, this parameter lets you bend
the wave into just the sound you're listening for. How exactly it behaves
depends on which waveform you've chosen. For the sine oscillator, a
shape of zero gives you a pure tone. As you increase the shape, the sine
wave deforms to add higher harmonics. Mathematically, the waveform is
being raised to a continuously variable power, with 100% giving you what
an engineer would call "sine to the fifth." But unless you're a
mathematician, you probably care more about the sound than the
equations, so grab the shape knob and take a listen. For the tri/saw
oscillator, a shape of zero results in a triangle wave. As you adjust the
shape, the wave leans left or right, ultimately becoming a down-saw or an
up-saw at -100% or 100% respectively. With the pulse wave, the shape
parameter controls the pulse width. A shape of zero gives you a square
wave, and decreasing or increasing the shape will make your wave
skinnier or fatter respectively.
Program Parameters
The Ion's three oscillators have the same
basic characteristics and mostly the same
parameters. However, there are a few extra
parameters that deal with interactions
between the oscillators, and these are found
in Oscillator 1's parameter section. We'll
go over the parameters common to all of the
oscillators before taking a look at these
cross-oscillator features.
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