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Modal 008R User Manual

8 voice polyphonic analogue synthesiser
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Modal Electronics 008R
8 voice polyphonic analogue synthesiser
User Manual
OS Version -
1.01-00
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Summary of Contents for Modal 008R

  • Page 1 Machines for Musicians Modal Electronics 008R 8 voice polyphonic analogue synthesiser User Manual OS Version - 1.01-00...

  • Page 2: Important Safety Information

    If you are unsure how to operate this apparatus in a safe manner, please seek appropriate advice on its safe use. Please ensure you read this Modal 008R ‘Quick Start Guide’ before attempting to operate this apparatus.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Index 00. Introduction 01. I just want to play this thing... Power on Screen Controls Patch Screen Load Patch Patch storage 02. Connections 03. Synthesis Engine Oscillators Mixer Filter Filter Envelope Amplitude Envelope LFO’s Modulation 04. Keyboard and Quick Recall Key Modes Keyboard Quick Recall...

  • Page 4: Introduction

    4.3” LCD screen. Among the many connections, Modal 008R features an ethernet port to connect your synth to your network and enable updates via the internet (no need for MIDI sysex dumps) and also access to the Modal cloud features and HTML Web User Interface.

  • Page 5: I Just Want To Play This Thing

    Power on I just want to play Connect the power lead to your 008R then connect the output of the 008R to your mixer, or this thing... if you prefer connect your headphones. Also connect an ethernet cable from your router to the 008R.
  • Page 6 The Modal 008R interface is designed to be extremely intuitive and easy to use, so that all the Keypad can be used to shortcut to specific Keypad can be used to type parameter most important parameters are easily accessible and tweakable.

  • Page 7: Power On

    C with octave and transpose applied. Midi Channel - the current midi channel 008R recieves and sends on. This can be changed in the Settings > MIDI menu.
  • Page 8 Patch storage Now feel free to have some fun with your 008R: find a patch that you like and tweak some knobs to modify the sound characteristics. Then if you would like to save that sound: • Press the 4th ‘menu button’ (D) - the LCD will display the storage page. You can save many different types of data (including Performances, Sequences, etc.), but since you are...
  • Page 9 With the standard version of the Modal internet features. The USB port is to 60 Hz. Connect the cord included 008R, six voices are hard-wired to the currently not operational. with your 008R, then press the power left, six voices to the right. The option...
  • Page 10 In this section we are going to have an in-depth look at every section related to the sound engine of the 008R. Synthesis engine PB + PB -...
  • Page 11 Oscillators 008R features two 100% analogue oscillators per voice (Voltage Controlled Oscillators - VCO) identified by VCO-1 and VCO-2 labels, each one with its own Squarewave Sub-Oscillator. 008R’s VCOs are a traditional sawtooth integrator circuit using carefully selected components for stability and accurate temperature compensation. Analogue wave shaping provides triangle and variable pulse waveforms simultaneously.

  • Page 12: Screen Controls

    Mixer You can easily mix the signals coming from the oscillators in the Oscillator section on the front panel or the Mix section on the LCD: Mix VCO1: This parameter controls the volume coming from Oscillator 1. Mix VCO2: This parameter controls the volume coming from Oscillator 2. Sub1: This parameter controls the volume coming from the Sub-Oscillator linked to Oscillator 1.
  • Page 13 Filter Modal 008R uses a unique and novel 15 multi-mode analogue filter design providing extreme flexibillity in terms of filter types and responses. The VCF processes the signal coming from the oscillators (or from an external source). The resonance network is carefully designed to allow smooth and predictable sine wave tones on demand.

  • Page 14: Filter Envelope

    Filter Envelope Modal 008R envelopes have true exponential slopes on all curves. All envelope parameters are ‘voltage controlled’ allowing dynamic modulation of the curves and levels by any of the internal modulation sources. The deep modulation capabilities of the envelopes allow multiple sources to modulate the curves by unique and independent amounts and even recursive modulation.

  • Page 15: Amplitude Envelope

    Amplitude Envelope Modal 008R provides a classic 4-stage ADSR contour generator for the amplifier, whose parameters can be controlled in the VCA-EG front panel section. This envelope modulates the amplitude level of the voice, if a value different from zero is set for the filter Amount parameter.
  • Page 16 LFOs The two LFOs provided on the Modal 008R are extremely flexible providing both envelope and LFO functions, both with identical parameters. The LFOs have individually adjustable delay and release controls allowing the fade in and fade out of modulation to be musically controlled. In single shot mode, this allows the LFOs to be a true exponential Attack-Release envelope generator with the wave set to square, and an Attack-Decay envelope generator with the wave set to saw.
  • Page 17 Modulation The Modal 008R has extremely comprehensive and flexible modulation capabilities. A total of 11 modulation sources are available to modulate every variable parameter on the synth by its own unique depth at a super smooth sample rate of 10 kHz.
  • Page 18 In order to quickly see what modulation is routed where, we have made a Modulation Matrix Select Destination page that allows you to quickly navigate, visualise and edit all the modulation for 008R. Once you have selected a source you can scroll down a list desitinations. The available The Modulation Matrix page is split into two main sections.
  • Page 19 Stack: special ‘poly/unison’ mode, where you can decide how many notes you can play together (polyphonic keyboard) and also how many voices the Modal 008R uses for each note. E.g. with a Size of 4 voices, you can play up to 2 notes simultaneously, with each note using 4 voices, because you have 8 voices available.
  • Page 20 Keyboard Modal 008R has several options for the keyboard in order to transpose, control glide and manipulate different voices. Octave: this parameter controls the octave shift of the keyboard, allowing you to transpose the whole keyboard by up to 2 octaves up or down Glide: this parameter controls the speed with which the oscillators change their pitch, ‘sliding’...
  • Page 21 To enable Quick Recall’s on the front panel of 008R push the button labelled Recall in the There are 6 different types of Quick Recall Slot: bottom right. This enables the first 8 modulation source buttons to act as Quick Recall buttons instead.
  • Page 22 In this section we are going to explain three very important features of the Modal 008R: first of all, our very powerful 12 row, 32 step Sequencer; secondly, a unique tool called Animator, a note-triggered sequencer for parameters that allow you to create complex modulations;...
  • Page 23 Sequencer Sequencer rows The Modal 008R Sequencer allows you to create up to 12 simultaneous sequences of up In the top menu after the page title ‘SEQUENCER’ the current step position of the screen and to 32 Steps, each of which allows you to create up to 12 rows of notes or parameter/CC front panel is shown.

  • Page 24: Patch Storage

    Steps: each step has an inner little box on its bottom-left corner with a letter ‘S’ on note/CC when you save/load a new patch, 008R will not save/load a sequence together with it: to do rows or ‘J’ on the step length row. This option allows you to edit secondary values: that, you need to save both in a Performance (see ‘Performance Storage’...
  • Page 25 Relative/Absolute mode: Also, exactly as in the normal Sequencer, you can have 12 rows running simultaneously and they can control almost any parameter available in the 008R. This makes the Animator a very powerful and flexible modulation source.
  • Page 26 • Backward2 (‘bck2’): like Back1, but in note-order unique feature of the 008R, and allows you to easily access other parameters of the synth while the arpeggiator is running, as well as have more control over the pattern of notes, i.e.
  • Page 27 Dual and Split Dual and Split Modal 008R features a ‘Performance Mode’: in ‘Patch Mode’, (i.e. the mode we have discussed so far) you can load 1 single sound preset and use all the 8 voices available for it. In ‘Performance Mode’ you can load 2 sound presets (called ‘parts’ from now on) and either have them both spread across the whole keyboard in Dual mode or select a key to seperate them in Split Mode.

  • Page 28: Performance Edit

    Performance edit Once you select the Part Setup page from the main Performance page you are shown the page below: Along the bottom of this main Performance page, you will find: • Performance Number/Name: these two boxes show the current performance slot number and name (see end of the chapter for a detailed explanation), which can be used to load performances in the same way that patches are loaded.
  • Page 29 Performance storage When you save a patch in Patch Mode, you store all the synth engine parameters, together with Arpeggiator settings and a link to an Animation (if any used) and Sequencer (if link is on). See Patch Storage section in chapter 1 for further details on how to save a patch. Same thing applies if you store a patch while you are editing a part (not a performance) in Performance Mode.
  • Page 30 Snapshot Snapshot Snapshot is a feature that allows you to compare your edited sound with the sound that is saved in the currently loaded patch. When a sound has been edited an asterisk (*) will appear at the beginning of the name to let you know that there are unsaved changes.

  • Page 31: Connections

    ‘master’ stereo pairs (either with or without effects) over USB at up to 192KHz / 24 bits. Additionally, it provides a stereo input from a DAW, pre-filter stage on the 008R, allowing external audio to be processed by the 008R analogue VCF and VCA (again at either 48, 96 or 192KHz / 24 bits)
  • Page 32 Digital Input/Output Board Diagram CHORUS SEND LEVEL LEFT OUTPUT ECHO LEFT SEND LEFT ECHO REVERB CHORUS CHORUS/ RETURN RETURN ECHO RETURN LEFT LEFT LEFT LEFT PERFORMANCE REVERB PART GAIN LEVEL INPUT PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE STEREO STEREO STEREO FROM VOICES PART MUTE PART PAN CHORUS ECHO...
  • Page 33 Please configure the ASIO4ALL settings to setup the input/output devices you want to use allows you to merge the available audio channels on your 008R Digital Card with the ones on within your DAW. For example, to use your 008R Digital Card as an audio input device (while your main studio audio interface into a unique audio device.
  • Page 34 Effects Main FX Page The Modal Digital I/O Card features a digital effects section, which contains three fully controllable FX: Chorus/Flanger, Stereo Echo/Delay, Reverb. There are 1000 FX presets, and each preset is a combination of the three effects. The FX main page is accessible either as last option in the Parameters Menu (third button below the LCD) or, more simply, by clicking the ‘Assign’...
  • Page 35 FX Performance mode FX Parameters There are some differences in the routing of the FX section between Patch and Performance CHORUS mode. • Delay: delay time of the Chorus effect In Performance mode, the linked FX preset number, as well as the Dry/Wet amount, are ‘global’...
  • Page 36 Settings Settings In this section we are going to have a look at the settings page of the Modal 008R. You can access this page by pressing the sixth ‘menu button’ (F). You can access the nine available sub-menus by pressing the corresponding number on the...
  • Page 37 The update procedure of the Modal 008R operating system is very easy. To enter the Update Before turning the Modal 008R on, be sure to connect it to your local router via ethernet section from the settings page, just press number ‘1’ on the keypad: the main area in the cable: as soon as you turn the synth on, the OS will automatically establish an internet centre of the screen will show the current OS version.
  • Page 38 Local: this option allows you to turn on/off the communication between the keyboard messages and the internal sound engine. As 008R has no keyboard, this option is disabled in the software. AfterTouch: this option enables / disables processing MIDI Aftertouch messages Clock: this option allows you to toggle between internal and external MIDI clock.

  • Page 39: Midi Out

    In this page you can individually enable or disable 6 different categories of internal MIDI Coming soon. messages sent from the MIDI Out port on the back of 008R. Notes: this parameter enables / disables processing MIDI Note messages (Note On, Note...

  • Page 40: Oscillators

    BEGINNING AUTOTUNE as loud noises will be made from the synthesiser during the whole tuning process. Tune: This parameter allows you to tune your 008R in fractions of a semi tone, where the max value (+63) equals a one semi tone offset above the standard tune and min value (-63) equals a one semi tone offset below the standard tune.

  • Page 41: Mixer

    Auto Gain: this enables an algorithm to prevent digital clipping. Please bear in mind either wet stereo pair output or dry stereo pair output that the sum of the 8 008R’s analogue voices outputs can be very hot and this can cause •...

  • Page 42: Filter

    If you experience any odd behavior on your 008R (see Troubleshooting section), you can If you experience any odd behavior on your 008R (see Troubleshooting section), you can reset reboot the machine with this command: if the rest of the front panel stops responding, you parts of the operating system with the 3 options in this page.
  • Page 43 MIDI CC Implemention Chart Appendix Function Values Mod Wheel 0 - 127 VCO1 - PW 0 - 127 VCO1 - Square OFF = 0 - ON = 127 VCO1 - Note 0 - 48 (-24 OFFSET) KEYB - Glide 0 - 127 NRPN MSB VCA - Amount 0 - 127...

  • Page 44: Lfo's

    MIDI CC Implemention Chart Function Values Function Values VCA-EG - Sustain 0 - 127 VCA-EG - Release 0 - 127 VCO2 - Note 0 - 48 (-24 OFFSET) VCO1 - Fine 0 - 127 (-63 OFFSET) LFO2 - Sngl OFF = 0 - ON = 127 LFO1 - Rate 0 - 127 LFO1 - Depth...
  • Page 45 MIDI CC Implemention Chart Function Values Function Values KEYB - Spread 0 - 63 KEYB - Octave 0 - 4 (-2 OFFSET) VCF - Mode 0 - 15 ARP - Mode 0 - 11 ARP - Note Length 0 - 96 NRPN - Parameter NRPN - Bank KEYB - Mode...
  • Page 46 Troubleshooting FAQ’s Appendix My synth doesn’t boot Please do not power cycle your unit: always allow 60 seconds before switching the unit back on. If you don’t wait long enough, you might experience some erratic behaviors, including unusual voice detuning or synth not booting. If your synth doesn’t boot, please leave it off for few minutes, then try again: if the issue persists after 3-4 attempts, please contact support@modalelectronics.com.

  • Page 47: Key Modes

    If in the Network Settings you can’t get any IP address, please press ‘5’ to re-‘Apply’: you might need more than a couple of attempts before getting a result. If this doesn’t help, try to disconnect and re-connect the Ethernet cable to the 008R socket, then go to Settings and trigger a soft Reboot.

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