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The Spectral Multiband Resonator from 4ms Company is a versatile resonant filter with six bandpass
resonators/filters having variable frequency quantized to scales or 1V/oct tracked, and variable Q/resonance.
Stereo inputs/outputs and a host of unique features allows for many uses:
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Create beautiful moving chord structures, quantized to selectable scales
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Process audio like a classic filter bank/EQ
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Pluck/ping/strike to ring like a marimba, gong, or membrane
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Beat-sync to an audio track, triggering modular sounds in sync with original audio
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Vocode, outputting spectral data to a second SMR
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Re-mix tracks
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Harmonize to audio
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Quantize audio to built-in or custom programmed scales
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...and much more
Spectral Multiband Resonator
from 4ms Company
Eurorack Module User Manual v1.0.1b (October 2015)
Check 4msCompany.com for updates to the manual
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Summary of Contents for 4ms Company Spectral Multiband Resonator
- Page 1 4ms Company Eurorack Module User Manual v1.0.1b (October 2015) The Spectral Multiband Resonator from 4ms Company is a versatile resonant filter with six bandpass resonators/filters having variable frequency quantized to scales or 1V/oct tracked, and variable Q/resonance. Stereo inputs/outputs and a host of unique features allows for many uses: •...
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Page 2: Basic Features
Basic features: • Six resonator/filter channels • Variable "Q" (Resonance) ranges from classic band-pass to highly resonant ringing • Ring of 20 full-color lights displays the channel frequency • Channel frequencies move about the scale using Rotation and Spread ° Rotation "spins"... -
Page 3: Advanced Features
Advanced features: • Program your own scale: ° The frequency of each of the 20 notes can be assigned by setting the octave, the semi-tone, and coarse and fine micro-tone. ° Up to 11 scales can be saved permanently in the user bank •... - Page 4 Getting started: your first patch TO MIXER The easiest SMR patch is making droning chords. Only one cable is needed! Set up the SMR as shown: • Turn all the Lock buttons off (press any button that's lit to turn it off) •...
- Page 5 Patching percussion: Marimbas, gongs, and wood blocks TO MIXER Trigger source #1 Trigger source #2 This is a great patch for creating resonant percussive sounds. You need a trigger or gate source. A clock module such as the Quad Clock Distributor (QCD) or RCD or SCM from 4ms works well. In a live setting, you could use manual trigger/gate sources such as the FSR-4 from Synthwerks, or the Pressure Points from Makenoise.
- Page 6 Filtering audio: basic re-mixing TO MIXER Audio track Re-mixing audio tracks often involves highlighting certain instrumentation and getting rid of others. This can be done by boosting and cutting frequency bands with the SMR. Note that if you're using a line level signal, you need to first boost it to modular level.
- Page 7 Beat syncing: advanced re-mix techniques TO MIXER Audio track This patch idea is a powerful way to sync your modular system with an external audio source-- whether it's a pre-recorded track or a feed from other instruments being played live. The basic idea is to convert different frequency bands into trigger outputs, with the rhythm of the triggers matching the rhythm of the original audio's instrumentation.
- Page 8 Vocoding and other spectral transfers Speech To mixer To mixer (carrier) (modulator) (monitor) (main out) Using two SMR's, you can create spectral transfer effects. One type of spectral transfer is known as Vocoding, which is classically used with human speech and a sawtooth oscillator. Patch a human speech audio signal into the first SMR's odds IN.
- Page 9 The evens IN jack is normalized to the signal on the odds IN jack. When just the odds IN jack is patched, it feeds all six channels. When both jacks are patched, the odds jack feeds channels 1, 3, and 5, while the evens jack feeds channels 2, 4, and 6.
- Page 10 Q (Resonance) FFT (Spectral Plot) of SMR output with white noise input Narrow Q: RES knob at 100% Wide Q: RES knob at 10% Each channel has a resonance setting (Q). When the Q/resonance parameter is set high, the six channels act more like resonators rather than what we normally think of as “filters”, in that they produce a somewhat pure tone or pitch in the presence of even a tiny bit of that frequency on the audio input.
- Page 11 ROTATE (SCALE) knob Push knob ROTATE mode: Press the button to switch between ROTATE SCALE mode: Turn knob to rotate channels mode and SCALE mode Turn knob to change scale Changing the Bank: Push ROTATE knob down and while still pressing down, turn the knob. The bottom six lights will change color.
- Page 12 flash between all the colors of the channels assigned to that scale. When in Scale mode, turning the ROTATE (SCALE) knob will change the scale of all the unlocked channels. Turning it one click to the right moves all unlocked channels up one scale, and when they hit the 11 Scale, they stay there.
- Page 13 Spread is also used to reset the position of the channels on the light ring. During normal usage of locking, unlocking, rotating and spreading, the channels can be mixed up in any imaginable order. The easiest way to get them back to a known starting place is to unlock them all and turn the Spread knob.
- Page 14 (see example patch). It's also useful for patching the SMR to itself (Env Out → Rotate Trigger jacks and Lock jacks) Pre | Post The Pre | Post switch selects whether the signal to be analyzed is taken from the raw audio input, or if it's attenuated by the channel's slider.
- Page 15 When you've set the pitch you want, press any lock button to lock it, or turn the ROTATE knob to select a new note and it will be automatically locked. You can rotate around all the notes to verify the scale sounds how you like it. When you want to save your changes, press and hold the ROTATE button for five seconds.
- Page 16 • Channel Freq Nudge setting • Color Scheme selection • Filter type • Additionally, the following global settings are saved whenever a setting slot is saved: • Default Settings Slot (which Slot the SMR starts up in) • Custom scales •...