Signals - Make Noise 0-Coast Manual

GeTTING STARTED : SIGNALS
Every element of the 0-Coast exists with
signals in mind, whether creating,
modifying or sending them. Signals
interacting with one another is the heart
of the way modular syntheisizers work.
Signals appear at outputs and can be
patched to inputs. They take the form of
voltage at various levels within the range
of +/-10V.
There are several basic signal types. Each
input tends to "expect" a particular type,
but since they all take the same form
(+/-10V) there are many cases where
using the "wrong" type is just as musically
useful as the "right" one. Don't get too
hung up on it. There are quite a few "gray
areas" where a signal could be interpreted
as more than one type depending on its
use, so again, experimentation is
paramount. Here are some basic signal
types, accompanied by graphical
representation of voltage over time:
Audio:
Audio signals change voltage levels, or oscillate, in
the frequency range that is audible to human
beings. This is the type of signal that you can
actually hear when you send it to your monitoring
system. In some cases, Control signals can also
oscillate at audio rate.
Example:
Triangle and Square Waveform OUTputs
CV: LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator):
The term "control voltage" refers to any continuous
signal that you use to control a parameter. In many
cases, CV moves at too low a frequency to be
audible if ampli ed. Instead, you will hear the
results of a CV changing an audible parameter.
Example:
SLOPE OUTput
Figure 22: Stepped Random Voltage
+10V
0V
0 1 2 3
4
Number of Clock Pulses
Gates and Clocks:
Triggers, Gates, and Clocks are used to initiate events and switch between states. Instead of being continuous like CV,
they have only two states, Gate High and Gate Low. "Gate High" is usually a +8V signal whose length (in time) is variable
(Figure 23). "Gate Low" is 0V (or no signal at all).
There are a lot of similarities between these signal types. Keep in mind, the 0-Coast responds to like signals in similar
ways. A Gate; however, is longer, anywhere from a few milliseconds to "always on. " The length of the Gate (in time) is
referred to as the Gate's Width. Similarly, Clock Signals are like Gates that go High" at regular intervals (Figure 24). Gate
and Gate Outputs are specially made to patch such inputs, but most such inputs will respond to any signal that moves
from 0V to 2V or higher.
Examples:
Gate Outputs: EON Gate Output
Clock Outputs: CLOCK OUTput
Figure 23: Typical Gate Signal
Gate High
+8V
Gate Low
0V
Time
5 6 7 8 9
Figure 20: An Audio Rate Triangle Wave
+5V
-5V
6 KHZ = ~G8
Figure 21: A Low Frequency Oscillator
One Cycle = 5 Seconds
+8V
0V
Time
CV: Random Voltage
Random Voltage, as you might have expected, is not
predictable. In a more subtle use, Random Voltage can
liven up a patch, creating shades of unpredictability. It
may be used to generate unpredictable timbral shifts
in predictable melodies, or it could generate unpredict-
able melodies with timbral and rhythmic shifts created
by gestural control of the performer. It provides some
voice for the synthesizer's "Id, " thus allowing you to jam
with the machine. At the extreme, with creative
patching it can be used as the hub of self-contained
generative music systems.
Example: Stepped Random Output
Figure 24: Typical Clock Signal
+8V
0V
Time
16
One Cycle = 0.166 mS