Lexicon Vortex Basic Operation

LVL OVL
INPUT
TM
A M P
UDIO ORPHING ROCESSOR
Presets and Registers
Vortex is loaded with 32 permanent
presets, arranged in two banks,
and numbered 1A-16A and 1B-
16B. Vortex also has 32 memory
locations, called registers, where
you can store your own effects.
Each preset and register has an A
and a B version. In the presets, A
and B versions are matched into
specific effect pairs. You can set up
your own pairing system in the reg-
isters.
Editing Effects
Each Vortex effect consists of mul-
tiple modulation and delay func-
tions, and each has its own distinc-
tive sonic signature. All 32 effects
share a common set of 16 param-
eters which allow you to access
dimensional, rhythmic, and dy-
namic aspects of each effect.
Select a parameter.
PEDAL/TAP
FEEDBACK 1
FEEDBACK 2
ECHO 2
RATE 1
ECHO 1
ENVELOPE DEPTH 1
RESONANCE 1
MORPH A/B
RATE 2
ECHO FX LVL
MOD FX LVL DEPTH 2
RESONANCE 2
OUTPUT
MIX
Parameter values (1-64) will be
displayed when VALUE is turned.
The decimal point indicates changes have
been made since the last store operation.
TAP and Echo Rhythms
Vortex allows you to set the tempo
for all effects, simply by pressing
TAP twice. You can tap with a
footswitch, or with the front panel
TAP button.*
To set tempo in Vortex, just press
TAP twice in rhythm to establish the
tempo you want. The front panel
LED will light on your first press of
TAP to indicate a tap interval is
being calculated. Your second TAP
defines the tap interval and turns off
the LED. Now, any effect you select
will be synchronized to your tempo.
To select a new tempo at any time,
just TAP twice. Vortex will update
the tempo throughout the box on
receipt of the second TAP.
Copyright 1994, Lexicon Inc.
PEDAL/TAP STORE
FEEDBACK 1
ECHO 2 FEEDBACK 2
ECHO 1 RATE 1
DEPTH 1
ENVELOPE
CLEAR
RESONANCE 1
MORPH A/B
ECHO FX LVL RATE 2
DEPTH 2
MOD FX LVL
RESONANCE 2
OUTPUT
MIX
Vortex has 32 presets and 32 registers for
storing your customized effects. Pressing
the REGISTER/PRESET button ...
REGISTER/PRESET
DUO 8
MAZE 7
MOSAIC 6
AEROSOL 5
CENTRIFUGE 4
ORBITS 3
ATMOSPHERE 2
REFLEXION 1
LED indicates
register selection.
To adjust a parameter, select it with
the PARAMETER knob, then turn
the VALUE knob. The first turn of
VALUE will display the current pa-
rameter setting and light the
VALUE LED. Subsequent adjust-
ments will increment or decrement
parameter values along their entire
range (1-64).
Use the VALUE knob to adjust the
selected parameter.
A/B
A
B
VALUE
The VALUE LED lights whenever
parameter values are displayed.
Vortex has two independent delay
lines which are configured in a va-
riety of ways to create rhythmic
effects. The ECHO 1÷ and ECHO
2÷ controls allow you to set inde-
pendent rhythms, which will always
be related to the tap interval, for
each of Vortex's two delay lines.
For example, if you tap in a whole
note interval (4 beats between
taps), the parameter value 4 corre-
sponds to quarter-note echoes, the
parameter value 8 corresponds to
eighth-note echoes...64 to sixty-
fourth-note echoes.
* If you have a footpedal connected to Vortex,
you must select one of the ECHO÷ parameters
in order for the button to function as TAP —
footswitch TAP function is always active.
A/B
A
B
VALUE
The front panel A/B button determines which version of an effect will be
loaded. When this button is pressed with an effect running, it will initiate a
dynamic transition, or morph from one effect to the other.
9 DEJA VU
10 CHOIR
11 SHIMMER
12 SWEEP
13 SHADOW
14 CYCLOID
15 BLEEN
...determines whether presets
16 FRACTAL
(REFLEXION ... FRACTAL),
or registers (1 ... 16) will be
selected by the knob.
Storing Effects
Vortex presets cannot be erased or
overwritten by parameter changes;
the original version will always be
restored when loaded. If you make
changes to a preset and want to
save the changes as a custom ef-
fect, or if you want to match certain
effects as A/B pairs, you must store
your new versions into registers.
You can store any effect you want
into any register space. To store the
currently running effect:
VALUE
1. Press STORE.
2. If you were in preset mode, the
register LED will go on, indicat-
ing that Vortex has automatically
switched to register mode — se-
lecting whatever register is indi-
cated by the position of the REG-
ECHO
1 2 3
Rhythmic Divisions
1
2
3
1
3
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
3
6
Tap intervals can be as long as 28 seconds,
allowing long phrases of music, rather than
single beats, to determine tempo. Whenever
Vortex is turned on, the tap interval will return to
the default value. (1=a quarter-note at 65 bpm)
Basic Operation
REGISTER/PRESET
VALUE
DUO 8
MAZE 7
MOSAIC 6
AEROSOL 5
CENTRIFUGE 4
ORBITS 3
ATMOSPHERE 2
REFLEXION 1
The setting of A/B determines whether the A or B
versions of presets and registers will be loaded.
ISTER/PRESET knob and the
A/B button.
3. Releasing STORE will store the
currently running effect into the
register indicated on the display,
overwriting the effect previously
stored there. The display will
flash briefly to indicate the store
operation was successful.
4. Store operations are executed
on release of the STORE but-
ton. If you want to store to a
different register, or to a differ-
ent register bank, than the one
displayed, turn the REGISTER/
PRESET knob to the register
number you want, and check the
setting of the A/B button before
releasing STORE.
The ability to set different rhythmic
Value
4 5 6 7 8
divisions for Vortex's two echoes
• • •
allows you to set up some very
interesting patterns. For example:
5 6 7
1. Load preset 8. DUO B.
7
5 6
2. Tap in a whole note interval (4
beats between taps).
5:4 7:4
3. Turn the Parameter knob to
5 6 7
ECHO 1÷, and set the VALUE
knob to 16. This will give ECHO
5:4 7:4
1 a sixteenth-note rhythm.
4. Select ECHO 2÷, and set its
5 6 7
VALUE to 8, giving ECHO 2 an
eighth-note rhythm.
5:4 7:4
Now, you can tap any interval, and
ECHO 1 will always have a rhythm
which is twice as fast as that of
ECHO 2.
9 DEJA VU
10 CHOIR
11 SHIMMER
12 SWEEP
13 SHADOW
14 CYCLOID
15 BLEEN
16 FRACTAL
A/B
A
B
VALUE
LEDs indicate A/B selection.
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