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4. Basic functions
S S S S
I I I I G G G G N N N N A A A A L L L L S S S S I I I I N N N N T T T T H H H H E E E E P P P P A A A A T T T T C C C C H H H H
D D D D
E E E E F F F F I I I I N N N N I I I I T T T T I I I I O O O O N N N N S S S S
Just as in a traditional analog system, modules and parameters in Nord Modular interact with each other
by means of signals being patched from one place to another. In a typical analog system, these signals are
represented by voltage ranging from e.g. -10 to +10 volts. The signal levels in the Nord Modular system
are represented by "units". These units have nothing to do with the internal resolution of the Nord Mod-
ular system which is 24-bit, but is used to more easily indicate levels in the system. Nord Modular uses
four types of signals in its patches:
• bipolar audio signals (-64 to +64 units)
• bipolar and unipolar control signals (-64 to +64 units, 0 to +64 units or 0 to -64 units)
• logic (high or low) control signals (0 or +64 units)
• slave module control signals (fix the coarse pitch between master and slave modules)
The illustration below shows the levels and the polarity of the signals from the keyboard, an LFO, an
envelope, an audio signal and a logic signal.
The LFO is an example of a bipolar modulator. Bipolar means that it sends both positive and negative
levels (peak to peak –64 to +64 units). The keyboard is another example of a bipolar modulator. The key
E4 (MIDI note number 64) represents 0 units in the Nord Modular system.
The ADSR envelope generator is an example of a unipolar modulator. It will only modulate in one di-
rection, either positive or negative. In the case of Nord Modular ADSR envelopes, they range from 0 to
+64 units.
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Envelope (unipolar)
units
+64
G9
E4
0
C-1
-64
Audio (bipolar)
NORD MODULAR V3.0
Logic
time
LFO (bipolar)
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