Related Manuals for u-he Beat beatzille
Summary of Contents for u-he Beat beatzille
- Page 1 FM & PD synthesizer user guide version 1.0.2, 22. July 2021 u-he • Heckmann Audio GmbH • BERLIN...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
Introduction Bazille vs BeatZille ..............Resources ................GUI Components ..............MIDI Specialities ..............The Control Bar ..............The Oscilloscope ..............GUI Size ................Preset Browser Overview ................Directory Panel ..............Presets Panel ..............Preset Info ................Installing Soundsets ............. Search ................. - Page 3 Mapping Generator Multiplex MIDI & More Modulation Sequencer Divide, Time and Trigger ............Snapshot Dial / Rotate ............Snapshot Values ..............How to Trigger Envelopes ............ Delay Configuration MIDI Control ................. Preferences ................. Tips & Tricks General Tips ................ Oscillator Tricks ..............
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Page 4: Introduction
BeatZille is a functionally reduced ‘magware’ version of the mighty Bazille, courtesy of the German music technology magazine BEAT (see link on the next page). Here are the main differences between the full version available from the u-he website, and BeatZille: Bazille... -
Page 5: Resources
• For downloads, news articles and support, go to the u-he website • For lively discussions about u-he products, go to the u-he forum • For friendship and informal news updates, go to our facebook page • For video tutorials and more, go to our... - Page 6 INTRODUCTION Selectors orange-on-black text fields contain a list of options. Click on a selector to open the list, or roll your mouse wheel to scroll through the values or options. Sockets and cables BeatZille modules are connected together (‘patched’) using virtual cables. The sockets are colour-coded: inputs are grey while outputs are red –...
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Page 7: Midi Specialities
INTRODUCTION Computer keyboard The following modifier keys are used in the mapping generators and the patch browser: Mac / macOS PC / Windows shift = shift, ⇧ shift = shift, ⇧ opt = option, ⌥, alt, alternate ctrl = control cmd = command, ⌘, apple…... -
Page 8: The Control Bar
INTRODUCTION The Control Bar Along the top and in both side panels are several ‘global’ elements… Page switches In the lefthand side-panel are two vertical buttons used for selecting the following views: SYNTH for sound design, with access to all parameters on a single page ...... -
Page 9: The Oscilloscope
INTRODUCTION The u-he badge Clicking on the u-he badge at the top right opens a popup menu containing direct links to this user guide, to our homepage, to our support forum, and to various social networks. The Oscilloscope Check and adjust waveforms, monitor the effects of modulation or filtering, view envelope shapes etc.. -
Page 10: Preset Browser
PRESETS Preset Browser Overview You can load presets in the current folder by clicking on the data display and selecting from the menu, and step through them by clicking on the triangles next to the data display. However, BeatZille also has a powerful browser – click the vertical [PATCHES] button on the far left… Most of the GUI is replaced by a set of three connected panels: Folders appear on the left, presets in the centre and information about the currently active preset on the right. -
Page 11: Directory Panel
PRESETS Directory Panel Local BeatZille’s factory presets are sorted into 5 category folders. We recommend that you don’t add to or remove any presets from Local, but save all your creations in the User folder (see below). MIDI Programs Local also contains a folder called ‘MIDI Programs’. All presets (up to 128) present in this folder will be loaded into memory when the first instance of BeatZille starts. - Page 12 Preset Info a few pages down. Banks are (or will be) predefined for factory presets as well as u-he soundsets. You can even create your own custom banks: Drag & drop one or more presets onto the ‘Bank’ folder then enter a suitable bank name into the dialogue box.
- Page 13 PRESETS Directory context menu Right-click on any folder within ‘Local’ or ‘User’ to open this menu: Refresh Create New… Rename… Open in Finder * Move to Trash On Open Expand to Show Folder Icons Refresh Update the contents of the browser. Create New…...
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Page 14: Presets Panel
PRESETS Presets Panel The central, unlabelled area of the browser displays all presets in the current folder. Click to select. Presets context menu Right-click to open a menu containing functions that can be applied to individual presets. Mark as Favourite 1 Mark as Junk Show Junk Select All... - Page 15 PRESETS Restore While in the browser you can audition presets without losing track of the one that was previously loaded: Click the [RESTORE] button to get back to where you were before entering the browser. Scan / ready In the top right of the presets panel is a dark rectangle normally labelled ‘ready’. Whenever you use the refresh function (see the Directory context menu on the previous page), this turns into a progress indicator while the preset database is being refreshed.
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Page 16: Preset Info
Alternative Method Soundsets in .uhe-soundset format can also be installed by clicking on the u-he badge, selecting Install Soundset… from the menu and navigating to the .uhe-soundset file. This option is especially useful for Linux, as the browser version for that platform does not support drag &... -
Page 17: Search
PRESETS Search The field at the top of the Directory panel lets you find presets according to a text string. The search normally looks into the preset name, author name, DESCRIPTION and USAGE (see the PRESET INFO panel). The search is not case-sensitive. Quotes are not required unless you need to include spaces. -
Page 18: Oscillators
OSCILLATORS Oscillators Although the filters are traditional analogue models, the oscillators are unashamedly digital: They combine two technologies that made digital synthesis affordable in the 1980s – FM (frequency modulation, more correctly ‘phase modulation’) and PD (phase distortion). Also included is another unusual process we call Fractalize (fractal resonance), which can create very ‘cutting’... -
Page 19: Pitch
OSCILLATORS Pitch Together, the knobs labeled Tune and Modify control the oscillator’s basic pitch. Both have mode selectors that make the oscillators suitable for a wide variety of functions e.g. as FM operators, undertone generators or even as host-synchronized LFOs… Tune A value between 0.00 and 24.00 –... -
Page 20: Phase / Fm
OSCILLATORS Phase / FM BeatZille’s oscillators are capable of all kinds of ‘FM’ sounds by plugging an audio-frequency source into the phase modulation input. ‘FM synthesis’ is a bit of a misnomer, as this technology was actually based on phase modulation (see Wiki articles about FM synthesis Yamaha DX7). -
Page 21: Phase Distortion
OSCILLATORS Phase Distortion Like FM, Phase Distortion (PD) is another method of skewing sine waves developed during the 1980s. If you’re interested in the technical details, you could start by reading these articles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_distortion_synthesis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_CZ_synthesizers Whenever you start a fresh instance of BeatZille, the initialize patch is automatically loaded. In this patch, oscillator 1 is already connected to one of the outputs so you can at least hear a sound. -
Page 22: Fractal Resonance
OSCILLATORS Fractal Resonance Fractal resonance is similar to Res (see Wave Selectors above), but acts on the composite wave. Multiple cycles of the waveform are ‘packed’ into another wave (specified by the selector) which serves as a ‘window’. Watch the effect of fractal resonance in BeatZille’s oscilloscope. For example, here is a square wave packed into a triangular window: Fractalize The righthand knob controls the number of cycles (of the original wave) in the window. -
Page 23: Lfo
The low frequency oscillator has 3 parallel outputs, and is also responsible for vibrato. Unipolar (+) Activating the button at the top left causes the LFO’s waveform to be shifted upwards so that it only delivers positive values instead of oscillating around zero. LFO amplitude is halved. Tip: If you are using the LFO for typical vibrato, you would usually want this switched off. - Page 24 Wave This knob affects the basic LFO waveforms in the following ways: triangle ... from falling saw though triangle to rising saw pulse ....pulse width from 1% through 50% to 99% (approximate values) random ..smoothness control For more LFO waveforms, try self-modulating the LFO’s amplitude. Phase This adjusts the phase position at which the waveform will start whenever a note is played.
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Page 25: Filter
FILTER Filter BeatZille’s filters have several properties normally associated with analogue hardware. Close to where self-oscillation starts (50 to 55), there are surprising opportunities for weird-and-wonderful sound design. Note that all filter types are resonant and can self-oscillate. Inputs / Gain Like the main OUT, the filter has two audio inputs which are simply summed. -
Page 26: Envelopes
ENVELOPES Envelopes BeatZille has 2 identical envelope generators that can be selected as “amp envelope” in the output modules and/or connected to any parameter that can be modulated. A D S R BeatZille’s envelopes are based on the familiar ADSR type i.e. they have the standard parameters Attack time, Decay time, Sustain level and Release time. -
Page 27: Outputs
OUTPUTS Outputs At the end of the synthesis chain there’s always an amplifier unit (otherwise you wouldn't hear much). Large analogue modular synthesizers usually have separate VCA (voltage controlled amplifier) modules, while those in polyphonic synths are integrated into ‘amp envelopes’. Being a polyphonic stereo modular system, BeatZille offers what is practically an intermediate solution: two output channels with selectable envelopes and pan controls…... -
Page 28: Processors
PROCESSORS Processors The panel immediately below the LFO contains various signal processors. They accept any kind of signal, whether control or audio rate: The processor panel Quantizer Signals are effectively forced towards discrete, equally-spaced steps. The central knob controls the number of those steps. Tip: Experiment with fairly low values first. Sample &... -
Page 29: Voice, Pitch And Glide
VOICE, PITCH, GLIDE Voice, Pitch and Glide On the far right is an area divided into three sub-panels… Voice The upper panel contains five options that affect the creation of each voice: Drift Causes all voices to be slightly detuned against each other for e.g. less static-sounding chords. Soft Attack Softens the first few milliseconds of both envelopes in order to minimize clicks. -
Page 30: Pitch
VOICE, PITCH, GLIDE Pitch The middle panel specifies pitchbend ranges, vibrato depth and global transposition: PB up / down Most MIDI keyboards include a performance control called a ‘pitch bender’ (often a centre- sprung wheel) which is used for bending the overall pitch up and down. BeatZille’s PB up and down selectors specify the up and down ranges independently, from 0 to 24 semitones. -
Page 31: Glide
2 than for oscillator 1, turn Amount up and Offset down. Range Glide ‘strength’, a u-he speciality. Lower values shift the start of each glide closer to the target note, which can cause unusual or subtle intonation effects. ... -
Page 32: Mapping Generator
MAPPING GENERATOR Mapping Generator BeatZille’s mapping generator is a list of up to 128 values which can process modulation sources or even serve as an oscillator waveform via the TapMap option. Mode The Mode selector specifies the basic function: ..... 128 MIDI notes, like a programmable key follow. - Page 33 MAPPING GENERATOR Drawing and Selection To edit a map, draw in the window by clicking and dragging. If you want to draw straight lines, hold down ctrl (Win) or alt (Mac) beforehand. To select a region, hold down the SHIFT key and draw. The functions (see below) are applied to the selection if one exists, otherwise to all steps.
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Page 34: Multiplex
As BeatZille’s output sockets can accommodate several cables, the humble multiple underwent a serious redesign at u-he, emerging as something so flexible that we had to rename it MULTIPLEX. - Page 35 MULTIPLEX Amplitude modulation (AM) / fade out Another classic synthesizer effect like RM – use inputs 3 and 4 instead of 1 and 2. In addition to the RM sidebands, the AM output also contains the amplitude-modulated original signal. The knob on the right crossfades from the original to the AM signal.
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Page 36: Midi & More
MIDI & MORE MIDI & More This panel contains nothing but sockets – it includes noise sources, MIDI control sources etc.. White / Pink Two differently coloured noise sources: White is a full-range random audio signal suitable for bright percussion or ‘steam’ sounds etc.. ModW / PitchW / Breath / Xpress / Velo / Press As well as generating MIDI note messages (which include Velocity), most MIDI keyboards also have a pitch bender (PitchW) and a general-purpose modulation control (ModW). -
Page 37: Modulation Sequencer
SEQUENCER Modulation Sequencer At the bottom centre of BeatZille’s window is a panel containing a dial and 16 sliders. It’s a good old step sequencer, isn’t it? Well, not quite – though it can be made to behave like one... the control sequencer, with two of the outputs (‘taps’) in use BeatZille’s sequencer is quite different from the usual step sequencer. -
Page 38: Snapshot Dial / Rotate
SEQUENCER Snapshot Dial / Rotate The large dial is the ‘snapshot control center’. It combines several functions and indicators: Snapshot selectors 1 to 8 currently selected snapshot realtime snapshot position indicator snapshot position pointer snapshot position control rotation modulation input rotation modulation amount if socket used, auto-rotate speed if socket unused Clicking on one of the 8 snapshot selectors in the outer rim activates that snapshot for editing via the 16 sliders. -
Page 39: Snapshot Values
SEQUENCER Snapshot Values To the right of the dial are 16 sliders used for editing the contents of each snapshot: tap speed factor 4 taps (output sockets) 16 bipolar sliders 16 sliders Select a snapshot with the dial, then edit its values using the sliders. Tip: The easiest way to use the sequencer for precise semitones is to set the oscillator pitch modulation amount to 50.00 and the sliders to double the transposition you want –... -
Page 40: How To Trigger Envelopes
SEQUENCER How to Trigger Envelopes Although the sequencer was conceived primarily as a complex modulation source, it would have been a shame not to have allowed it to trigger envelopes somehow... here’s how: ModSeq The list of envelope Trigger options includes two ModSeq entries: ModSeq1 means the first used tap, ModSeq2 means the next used tap. -
Page 41: Delay
DELAY Delay BeatZille only has one of the four effects available to Bazille, but it’s probably the most useful one: A host-synchronized stereo delay with ‘tape wow’ and filtered feedback… Center / Left / Right Delay times relative to host tempo, separate for each stereo channel. Precise integer values are semiquavers (16ths). -
Page 42: Configuration
CONFIGURATION Configuration Click on the cogwheel icon at the top right to open the global configuration pages where you can adjust the UI size and brightness as well as connect BeatZille parameters to MIDI controllers (CC). A column of 4 buttons will appear: Close [X], MIDI Learn [L], MIDI Table [≣] and Preferences [tools]. - Page 43 CONFIGURATION MIDI Table Click on the configuration button and select the triple bar ≡ MIDI icon to open an editable list of all current MIDI CC assignments: Parameter The first field displays/selects one of BeatZille’s many parameters. Click on the ‘Add’ button at the bottom and experiment with this option.
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Page 44: Preferences
CONFIGURATION Preferences Click on the cogwheel then the ‘tools’ icon to open the Preferences window: CONTROLS Mouse Wheel Raster If your mouse wheel is rastered (you can feel it clicking slightly while you roll the wheel), set this to ‘on’ so that each click increments the value in sensible steps. - Page 45 CONFIGURATION PRESETS Auto-Versioning If this option is switched on, a numeric index is appended to the preset name and automatically incremented each time you save under the same name. Save Presets To Choosing the user folder option causes all saved presets to land in the User folder instead of the currently selected one.
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Page 46: Tips & Tricks
TIPS & TRICKS Tips & Tricks General Tips Less CPU Go easy on your CPU, use legato or mono mode unless you really need polyphony, or e.g. set Voices to only 4. Keeping the maximum polyphony low also means you can set longer envelope release times without overtaxing your system. -
Page 47: Filter Tricks
TIPS & TRICKS PWM etc The classic ‘Minimoog™’ method requires both oscillators set to sawtooth, one of them inverted and detuned. Instead of (or as well as) detuning, you can use phase modulation for a wide variety of PWM-type effects. If you don’t want the start of each note to sound exactly the same, make sure that at least one oscillator’s Phase mode is set to either random or catch. -
Page 48: Mapping Tricks
TIPS & TRICKS Mapping Tricks 2-step maps Even tiny maps can be useful. For instance, if you want the output of your modulation wheel to suddenly jump in the middle of its throw, set 2 steps, switch the mode to Map Quantize and the source to ModWheel. -
Page 49: Multiplex Tricks
TIPS & TRICKS A similar trick also works for audio signals. Keep the attack and/or release values low – anything above 2.00 is probably too high. Such a primitive lowpass filter is good enough to tame the higher frequencies of signals used as modulators (for e.g. FM or fractal resonance) or to add some fundamental back in to a bandpassed bass. -
Page 50: Sequencer Tricks
TIPS & TRICKS Sequencer Tricks See also How to Trigger Envelopes. Precise pitches When you are using the sequencer for conventionally tuned patterns, getting all the steps tuned correctly can be tricky at best, and downright tedious at worst. The following method (already mentioned in the chapter about the sequencer) ensures that you only need to integers...
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