Instruo harmonaig User Manual
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Instruo harmonaig User Manual

Diatonic harmonic quantiser
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harmonàig
Diatonic Harmonic Quantiser
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  • Page 1 harmonàig Diatonic Harmonic Quantiser User Manual...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Contents Description / Features Modal Scales Installation / Specifications Programming Custom Chords Overview Patch Examples Tuning Modal Music Theory and Implementation Chord Quality Global Modes Inversion and Voicing Deriving Chords from a Scale Pitch Control Modal Scales Tranposition Ionian Modes Harmonic Minor Modes Outputs Harmony...
  • Page 3 Description harmonàig is a four voice voltage quantiser designed with intuitive harmonic capabilities. It brings the possibility of composing and performing chord progressions, and harmonising in a polyphonic manner, to what is traditionally a monophonic instrument. No deep understanding of music theory is needed! Quickly sweep through modalities and chord voicings on-the-fly, and explore a vast array of harmonic tones and colours.
  • Page 4 Installation 1. Confirm that the Eurorack synthesizer system is powered off. 2. Locate 18 HP of space in your Eurorack synthesizer case. 3. Connect the 10 pin side of the IDC power cable to the 2x5 pin header on the back of the module, confirming that the red stripe on the power cable is connected to -12V.
  • Page 5 harmonàig 'hɑ:məni | noun (musical tone) an overtone accompanying a fundamental tone at a fixed interval, the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect 1. Keybord Buttons 1 1. Slew 2. CV Input 12. Gate Output 3.

  • Page 6: Tuning

    Tuning harmonàig can be set Unison Mode to easily tune all of the controlled oscillators. This disables the harmonisation functionality so that R CV Output, 3 CV Output, 5 CV Output, and 7 CV Output generate the same voltage. To enter Unison Mode, press and hold both the...

  • Page 7: Global Modes

    Global Modes To switch between Quantiser Mode Performance Mode, press and hold the Transpose Button and then tap the Diatonic Button. Hold Inversion, Voicing, Chord Quality, Transpose controls are available in both modes. Quantiser Mode: harmonàig The default behavior of the is as a Quantiser Mode, a single control voltage...

  • Page 8: Pitch Control

    Pitch Control Keyboard Buttons: Keyboard Buttons will enable and disable chromatic voltages available in the desired quantised scale. • Keyboard Buttons as the C, C#/D , D, D#/E We will refer to the E, F, F#/G , G, G#/A , A, A#/B Buttons.
  • Page 9 Transposition Transpose Button: Transpose Button will cycle through three Transpose fader control settings. • Transpose Button Transpose If the is unilluminated, the fader is disabled. • Transpose Button Quantised Offset If the is illuminated amber, Mode is selected. • Transpose Button Global Quantised If the is illuminated soft white,...
  • Page 10 • Global Quantised Offset Mode will automatically time out to avoid accidental detuning. Global Fine Tune Mode Transpose is selected, the fader will globally offset the quantised voltages between a -/+1V range (two octaves). • The offset is unquantised and affects all four CV Outputs simultaneously.

  • Page 11: Outputs

    Outputs There are three ways to change voltages: Input. 1. A change in voltage at the The change in voltage must be enough to latch to an enabled quantised note. 2. Moving the Transpose fader when set Quantised Offset Mode. In Quantiser Mode this will move -/+2 octaves within...
  • Page 12 Slew: Slew knobs set the duration of time it takes for the control voltage signal to reach its final voltage level. • This is also known as Portamento, Slide, or Glide. • Slew parameters individually affect their corresponding control voltage outputs. •...

  • Page 13: Harmony

    Harmony Chord Quality: Chord Quality parameter designates the type of chord that is selected, raising or lowering the voltage present at at the 3 CV Output, 5 CV Output, and 7 CV Output. Turning the knob from anticlockwise to clockwise will switch through the following chord qualities: •...
  • Page 14 Inversion: Inversion parameter allows for selection between four degrees of chord inversion. A chord inversion is a reordering of the notes within a chord. The collection of chord tones remains the same, but the order (from lowest to highest in pitch) will alter. Turning the knob from fully anticlockwise to fully clockwise will switch through...

  • Page 15: Modal Scales

    Modal Scales The implementation of the modes in harmonàig allows for quick exploration of different scales and harmonic centres. Modal Scale Menu, press and hold the Transpose Button. To enter the • The selected modal scale indicated by the corresponding illuminated soft white Keyboard Button, while the other modal scale...

  • Page 16: Programming Custom Chords

    Programming Custom Chords To program custom chords, press the Diatonic Button to enable manual/CV control over the Chord Quality parameter. Select the desired custom chord slot. It’s best to ensure there is no control voltage present at the Chord Quality CV Input to avoid unintended deselection of the custom chord slot.

  • Page 17: Patch Examples

    Patch Examples East Coast Chords: Summary: The incoming CV signal gets quantised and harmonised via the harmonàig. The harmonàig sends voltages to all oscillators while simultaneously triggering the envelope generator. The CV output of the envelope generator opens the filter and VCA, allowing the mixed oscillator signals to pass through.
  • Page 18 Audio Path: • Connect the desired waveform outputs of four separate oscillators to a mixer. • Connect the output of the mixer to the audio input of a filter. • Connect the audio output of the filter to the audio input of a VCA. •...
  • Page 19 Western Chordal Keyboard: Summary: harmonàig sends voltages to all oscillators while simultaneously triggering the envelope generator. The CV output of the envelope generator opens the filter and VCA, allowing the mixed oscillator signals to pass through. More traditional East Coast patches would incorporate separate envelope generators for the filter and VCA.
  • Page 20 Audio Path: • East Coast Synth Voice Create an audio path. Control Path: • Create an East Coast Synth Voice control path. • Ensure that the Diatonic Button is unilluminated. • Enter Performance Mode by pressing and holding the Transpose Button and then pressing the Diatonic...
  • Page 21 Audio Rate Swarm: Summary: The incoming audio rate signal gets quantised and harmonised via the harmonàig. The harmonàig sends voltages to all oscillators simultaneously. More modulation is added when other audio Inversion CV Input Voicing rate signals are present at the and the Input.
  • Page 22 • Connect all CV Outputs harmonàig to the 1V/Oct inputs of all four oscillators. • Enabling and disabling the Keyboard Buttons will change the timbre of the sound. • For further modulation, send different audio rate signals to the Inversion CV Input Voicing CV Input.

  • Page 23: Modal Music Theory And Implementation

    Modal Music Theory and Implementation Chord Quality: The harmonic engine behind the harmonàig allows for diatonic harmonisations within the Ionian modal system and the modes of the Harmonic Minor scale. There are 8 available four part chords (7th chords) that can be derived from these scales: •...

  • Page 24: Inversion And Voicing

    Inversion and Voicing Inversion: An inversion is a reordering of the notes in a chord. For example, a C major 7th chord contains its Root (C), a major third (E), a perfect fifth (G) and a major seventh (B). As this chord is inverted, the lowest note in the voicing is moved up an octave.
  • Page 25 In the Drop 3 voicing, the third highest note is dropped down an octave. The Open voicing is a variation on the Drop 2 voicing. One other chord tone of the inversion is shifted by a further octave to add more musically relevant distance between the notes of the chord.

  • Page 26: Deriving Chords From A Scale

    Deriving Chords From A Scale: The following is a brief overview of how chords are derived from scales/modes, and how a scale degree defines its quality within the context of particular scales/modes. To begin, we will consider the major scale as our starting point. We will begin with C major as our key signature for the first example.
  • Page 27 Four part 7th chords use the Root/1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th degrees in their makeup. This process can be used to create chords for any degree of the scale. Simply skip tones in-between the notes of the chord. The first chord of our scale is made up of the notes C, E, G, B. C to E is a major 3rd interval (4 semitones, which determines this will fundamentally be a major chord).
  • Page 28 E as the root gives us E, G, B, C. Another minor 7th chord. –7 minor 7th perfect 5th minor 3rd F is back to a major 7th chord with F, A, C, E chord tones. major 7th perfect 5th major 3rd G results in a new 7th chord type.
  • Page 29 A returns to another minor 7th chord. A, C, E, G. –7 minor 7th perfect 5th minor 3rd B is our final scale degree which, like G, has a new 7th chord type. The notes are B, D, F, A. B to D is a minor 3rd (3 semitones).

  • Page 30: Modal Scales

    Modal Scales: Much of western music is based upon the Modal system. The modes are very easily derived. The following will outline a method for deriving the modes of a scale. We successfully constructed a scale of 7th chords for the C major scale/C Ionian mode.
  • Page 31 They are derived from the 7 degrees of the first mode. Ionian has the formula Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semitone (T, T, S, T, T, T, S). This can be applied to any starting note and will result in that Root’s major scale/Ionian mode.
  • Page 32 Starting on and playing to the new formula: T, S, T, T, T, S, Now things look a little different. We have 2 flats. B That gives us the key signature for Major. Which makes perfect sense! If we go down a tone from our first degree we hit , which if Dorian, we get Ionian!
  • Page 33 When using the bare minimum and constructing a Root degree triad or even 7th chord, we get a minor chord. C, E , G = minor triad C, E , G, B = minor 7th chord With the minor 3rd degree and the at the end of the scale, we are very close to a pattern that is generally considered as the...
  • Page 34 Chord 2 D, F, A, C Root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th –7 minor 7th perfect 5th minor 3rd Chord 3 E , G, B , D Root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, major 7th major 7th perfect 5th major 3rd Chord 4 F, A, C, E Root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th...
  • Page 35 Chord 5 G, B , D, F Root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th –7 minor 7th perfect 5th minor 3rd Chord 6 A, C, E , G Root, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, minor 7th Ø minor 7th diminished 5th minor 3rd Chord 7 B , D, F, A...
  • Page 36 This process is simply repeated for every degree of the Ionian mode and gives a range of scales each with their own distinct tonal characteristics. We’ll refrain from going through every mode in this way. Trust us, it works! Non-diatonic Notes: Each mode has 7 notes in it, however one octave contains 12 notes...

  • Page 37: Ionian Modes

    Not all non-diatonic notes of all modes have appropriate parallel chords that can be borrowed. Due to this, many of them were chosen through less ‘scientific’ means. A combination of choices between ‘most harmonically relevant,’ i.e. choosing chord qualities that contained the most chord tones diatonic to the mode, and more simply, what sounded best.
  • Page 38 Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian...
  • Page 39 Harmonic Minor Modes Aeolian #7 Locrian #6 Ionian #5 Dorian #4 Phrygian #3...
  • Page 40 Lydian #2 Super Locrian Manual Author: Jason Lim / Collin Russell Manual Design: Dominic D’Sylva This device meets the requirements of the following standards: EN55032, EN55103-2, EN61000-3-2, EN61000-3-3, EN6231 1.

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