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Motas -6 User Manual

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User Guide
document version 1.31 (non-printed)
for screenreaders
for firmware version 0602011A
June 12, 2021

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Summary of Contents for Motas Motas-6

  • Page 1 User Guide document version 1.31 (non-printed) for screenreaders for firmware version 0602011A June 12, 2021...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Foreword Proper use and maintenance. Document conventions Introduction Top and rear panel Quick-start Control Overview Parameter pages Parameter page display overview Modulation. Global Modulation Sources Low-Frequency Oscillator (LFO) waveforms Global Low-Frequency Oscillators (LFOx) Dedicated Low-Frequency Oscillators (LFO) Envelope Generators (EG) Editing parameters with rotary knobs Parameter pages - in depth 10.1...
  • Page 4 10.5 Mixer section 10.6 Low-pass filter 1 10.7 High-pass filter 10.8 Low-pass filter 2 10.9 Output stage Patch summary 11.1 Parameter mapping Load, Save and Copy/Reset/Randomise 12.1 Load patch 12.2 Save and erase patches 12.3 Copy/Reset/Randomise Vector morphing Arpeggiator 14.1 Main arpeggiator settings 14.2 More arpeggiator...
  • Page 5 17.4 Advanced modulation 17.5 Parameter mapping 17.6 MIDI channels 17.7 Modulators. 17.8 EG Triggers 17.9 Morph/patch change 17.10 CV/Gate inputs 17.11 CV/gate offset and scaling. 17.12 Tuning 17.13 SysEx data backup 17.14 Param map control 17.15 NRPN / SysEx/ THRU 17.16 Poly chain 17.17...

  • Page 6: Foreword

    (gratefully received) please email support@motas-synth.uk. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that this guide is as accurate as possible Motas Electronics Limited will not be liable for any erroneous information. This manual may be updated at any time without prior notice. Please check the website for updates.

  • Page 7: Proper Use And Maintenance

    [WARNING!] Please read the following in- sound. Any other use is prohibited. Motas Electronics structions carefully and keep them with the appa- Limited is not liable for damages due to incorrect use.

  • Page 8: Document Conventions

    Document conventions You will find many screenshots taken from MOTAS-6 throughout this guide. An example is shown be- low: The following document formatting conventions are used: • Link (blue text) is a weblink or a link to another part of this document.

  • Page 9: Introduction

    Vector morphing • Vector morphing between patches MOTAS-6 has a unique ’vector morphing’ feature. This al- • Fully analogue audio signal path lows blending of the parameters for the active patch in a 2-D space from a set of 4 patches using the morph-x and •...
  • Page 10 MOTAS-6 has traditional MIDI input and MIDI output con- nectors in addition to USB MIDI. USB MIDI allows faster data transfer to and from a PC and MOTAS-6 is recognised as a standard MIDI device (no special drivers should be needed).

  • Page 11: Top And Rear Panel

    Top and rear panel volume oscillator monitor modulation master pitch pitch oscillator note velocity pitch velocity time duration m-tune patch lfo x phase pitch frequency frequency oscillator notes params params-c mods envelope generator phase pitch mixer low-pass filter high-pass filter arpeg.

  • Page 12: Quick-Start

    MIDI keyboard and set it up to send MIDI notes as you play. Alternatively connect MOTAS-6 to your PC with a USB cable – it should appear as a standard MIDI device (once powered on). Use your sequencer or other soft- ware to send note data.

  • Page 13: Control Overview

    Patch parameter editing MOTAS-6 has a parameter mapping feature that can be The sound generated by MOTAS-6 is controlled by the set- used to send and receive simple MIDI CCs to control up to tings on 33 parameter ’pages’ – each parameter has its own 24 patch parameters.

  • Page 14: Parameter

    Parameter pages The sound generated by MOTAS-6 is controlled by the set- phase modulation level [KNOB-PHASE MOD] tings on 33 parameter ’pages’ – each parameter has its own overall volume level [KNOB-LEVEL] ’page’ shown on the display. These are listed below and...

  • Page 15: Parameter Page Display Overview

    Use the buttons to jump set [BUTTON-UP] [BUTTON-DOWN] Although controlling the sound in MOTAS-6 may appear amounts in offset. to be rather daunting at first given the number of param- eter pages and the large number options on each page,...
  • Page 16 Active patch MOTAS-6 has 5 fast-access patch slots. The current active patch for editing is shown as a number in the bottom left corner (patch 1 in this case). In addition a corresponding fast-access patch LED will be brightly lit. When the arpeg-...

  • Page 17: Modulation

    NOTE MIDI/CV note-on value VELOCITY/ACCENT MIDI/CV note velocity MOTAS-6 is different – every parameter has its own dedi- global modulation M1 cated LFO and dedicated EG in addition to dedicated mod- global modulation M2 ulation amount settings from velocity, pitch, 4 global LFOs,...

  • Page 18: Global Modulation Sources

    Press simultaneously to re- [BUTTON-UP] [BUTTON-DOWN] [INFO] The modulation amount dis- set the primary and secondary modulation amounts to zero. played shows the modulation peak-to-peak max- imum change. For example, if the modulation [INFO] Positive modulation amounts are amount for LFO on the oscillator 1 pitch parame- shown by a solid bar whilst negative amounts are ter page is set to 12.00s then the modulation of the shown with a hollow bar.
  • Page 19 Response BIPOLAR – in this mode when the modulation signal is at the example shown is the LPF-1 cut-off frequency) or how its mid-way value there is zero modulation effect. note-on signals affect other modulations for this page (if the secondary destination is used). UNIPOLAR –...

  • Page 20: Low-Frequency Oscillator (Lfo) Waveforms

    or from the analogue CV/gate signal inputs or even global sine SIN LFOs or EGs. The source is stored with the patch but can be SIN-90 sine phase-shifted by overridden by a global modulation source setting. See sec- 90 degrees SIN-90 tion 17.7 for how to setup these global modulation sources.

  • Page 21: Global Low-Frequency Oscillators (Lfox)

    CHROMATIC chromatic increasing CHROM major chord triad MAJOR MINOR minor chord triad MINOR augmented chord triad AUG diminished chord triad DIM DIM7 diminished 7th chord DIM7 2DIM7 half-diminished seventh 7th chord 2DIM7 MIN7 minor seventh 7th chord MIN7 MINMAJ7 minor major 7th chord MINMAJ DOM7 dominant 7th chord DOM7 MAJ7...
  • Page 22 simultaneously to reset the LFO single-shot [BUTTON-UP] [BUTTON-DOWN] frequency to 1Hz. The icon displayed is F. OFF the LFO runs continuously. In pitch-tracking mode the frequency can be offset from ON the LFO will do one cycle of oscillation -40.96 semitones to + 40.96 semitones in steps of 2 cents. (however this is only active when the LFO is Press simultaneously to re-...

  • Page 23: Dedicated Low-Frequency Oscillators (Lfo)

    cal LFO and then use [ROTARY ENCODER] or [BUTTON-UP] [BUTTON-DOWN] [ADVANCED-INFO] Use pitch-tracking to apply a range of AM and FM effects (depend- In non pitch-tracking mode the frequency can be set from ing where the LFO is appled). Offset the pitch- 0.001Hz –...

  • Page 24: Envelope Generators (Eg)

    [TIP] Modulate the MASTER PITCH with the [TIP] Try setting the dedicated LFO to mod- dedicated LFO and use the modulation option LFO- ulate the phase modulation amount (oscillators 2 MOD-EG to create a vibrato effect that is delayed or 3) with LFO frequency modulation from a global and builds in amplitude as a key is pressed, accord- LFO and/or the EG for some really complex sound ing to the EG setting for that parameter page.
  • Page 25 NORMAL EG gate/trig on first note-on event, release phase starts when all notes are released. 1ST NOTE EG gate/trig on 1st note-on event, release phase starts when that note is released. 2ND NOTE EG gate/trig on 2nd note-on event (when multiple keys held down), release phase starts when that note is released.

  • Page 26: Editing Parameters With Rotary Knobs

    [INFO] EG keytrack mode HIGHEST means [TIP] Use the EG reset feature on percus- that whenever there is a new ’highest’ note played sion sounds where you want the EG cycle to always the EG will trigger. This means that the EG will restart from zero and use the TRIGGER mode so trigger when a first note is played (as this is a new that the length of time a gate/trig source is active...
  • Page 27 LFO1 frequency [KNOB-MASTER PITCH] OSC-2 global LFO2 frequency [KNOB-PHASE MOD] OSC-3 global LFO3 frequency [KNOB-PHASE MOD] MIXER global LFO4 frequency [KNOB-NOISE LEVEL] The figure below shows the same information overlaid onto the MOTAS-6 panel. page 22 User Guide v1.31 [FOR SCREENREADERS]...

  • Page 28: Parameter Pages - In Depth

    This chapter describes each parameter page in detail. The OSC-1LEVEL settings on each parameter page control the sound [KNOB-LEVEL] MOTAS-6 makes. To access a particular parameter page This parameter page sets the overall volume level of the turn the appropriate rotary knob . The active parameter waveforms from oscillator 1 into the mixer.
  • Page 29 LAST pitch set to the last note on. 1ST pitch set to the 1st or earliest [TIP] MOTAS-6 can play paraphonically – you note on. can play up to 3-note chords where each note of 2ND pitch set to the 2nd note on the chord is generated by each oscillator.

  • Page 30: Oscillator 2

    OSC-2LEVEL [KNOB-LEVEL] The sawtooth wave has a rising and then This parameter page sets the overall volume level of the abruptly falling shape giving a tone very rich in harmon- waveforms from oscillator 2 into the mixer. ics (odd and even). Use for many sounds including strings, with appropriate filtering.

  • Page 31: Oscillator 3

    LAST pitch set to the last note on. OSC-2TRIANGLE 1ST pitch set to the 1st or earliest [KNOB-TRIANGLE] note on. This parameter page sets the volume level of the triangle 2ND pitch set to the 2nd note on wave output of oscillator 2. 3RD pitch set to the 3rd note on.
  • Page 32 [BUTTON-LEFT] [BUTTON-RIGHT] basic offset. [INFO] Since MOTAS-6 has real analogue os- Note track cillators even at a setting of zero pitch offset the oscillators will still drift in tune slightly producing When multiple notes are held down at the same time the a naturally rich sound.

  • Page 33: Mixer Section

    This waveform can be phase-modulated to distort the wave- form from a pure triangle. [TIP] Use an EG to modulate the noise level to give a short burst of noise at the start of each OSC-3SAWTOOTH note press to simulate percussive sounds. [KNOB-SAWTOOTH] This parameter page sets the volume level of the sawtooth wave output of oscillator 3.

  • Page 34: Low-Pass Filter 1

    harmonics are pased through with corresponding brighter sound. [WARNING!] When using the internal feed- back be careful as self-oscillation can occur (when LPF-1 input options the gain around the loop from the mixer, through This parameter page also allows control of which audio the filters and to the output and back in again is signal is input to the filter.

  • Page 35: High-Pass Filter

    HPFFREQ [INFO] The filter will self-oscillate at offset [KNOB-HIGH-PASS FILTER FREQUENCY] values around 70 (assuming no modulations are This parameter page sets the cut-off frequency. The higher present) the setting the more of the input signal at low frequencies is attenuated. LPF-1OUTPUT HPF input [KNOB-LEVEL]...

  • Page 36: Output Stage

    At higher settings more of the input where the level of the outputs of the filters are mixed and harmonics are pased through with corresponding brighter sent out of the MOTAS-6 audio out connectors (mono sig- sound. nal [MAIN AUDIO OUT] and headphones [HEADPHONE SOCKET]).

  • Page 37: Patch Summary

    Patch summary When not called upon for other functions, pressing [1], 11.1 Parameter mapping [2], [3], [4] or [5] changes the active patch (from 1 – 5) and shows a summary page of the patch settings similar to are both en- [BUTTON-PAGE LOCK] [BUTTON-VALUE LOCK] that shown in the screenshot below.

  • Page 38: Load, Save And Copy/Reset/Randomise

    Load, Save and Copy/Reset/Randomise MOTAS-6 allows up to 500 individual patches to be saved [INFO] The load/save page remembers and loaded (in addition to the patches saved with sequences) which patch you last accessed so when you load or and these are arranged into 10 ’folders’ or ’banks’.

  • Page 39: Copy/Reset/Randomise

    Press [5] to erase the selected patch (you will be asked to confirm by pressing [1]). [TIP] A fast way to zero a modulation on all pages is to set the values to zero and then do a copy-to-all pages operation 12.3 Copy/Reset/Randomise Reset page Press...
  • Page 40 [TIP] Start from a patch that you like in slot #1. Copy this patch to slot #2 and then use the ran- domise patch feature to explore new sounds. Re- peatedly applying the randomise will take the pa- rameters on a ’random walk’. Press [BUTTON-LEFT] randomly deviate back to the original in slot #1.

  • Page 41: Vector Morphing

    VM XX-XX-XX-XX where the xx values are the blend amounts in percent from the patches in slots #1–#4. MOTAS-6 has a unique ’vector morphing’ feature. This al- lows blending of the parameters for the active patch from the patches in slots #1–#4, in a 2-D space, using the morph- [INFO] In vector morph mode the patch x and morph-y modulators (set these in section 17.9).

  • Page 42: Arpeggiator

    Arpeggiator The arpeggiator feature allows MOTAS-6 to automatically • UPDN plays in ascending and then descending order of play notes from a chord in succession with adjustable di- pitch rection, number of octaves, pattern etc. The tempo is de- • UP2 plays in the order of the keys as played within each...

  • Page 43: Internal Arpeggiator Settings

    [TIP] Use the internal hold arpeggiator mode to play the arpeggiator when you don’t have a MIDI controller keyboard around, to hear MOTAS-6 play on its own. 14.3 Internal arpeggiator settings Page 3 has the settings for the arpeggiator relevant in INT or H-INT modes only.

  • Page 44: Pattern Sequencer

    [BUTTON-RIGHT] [BUTTON-PATTERN] . To delete the current item press bol R flashes on the display. MIDI input to MOTAS-6 as well [BUTTON-LEFT] [BUTTON-DOWN] and to insert a new item press as live patch changes (from rotary knobs...
  • Page 45 PATCH] pattern for a rhythm track. MOTAS-6 can change sounds very rapidly (< 1ms) and so you can enjoy quite complex multi-sound patterns. You can also edit the sounds as you play!

  • Page 46: Load/Save/Copy Patterns

    PATTERN NAME pattern to play at that slot REPEATS set number of repeats TRANSPOSE transpose in semitones PATCH change patch for the pattern T-OFFSET shift the timing of the pattern in units of 6 clock ticks (0 – 8) 15.3 Load/save/copy patterns 15.5 Load/save sequences Patterns can be loaded and saved in much the same way as for patches (see section 12).

  • Page 47: Monitor

    To leave monitor mode press another control button or turn a parameter control (when ’page-lock’ is not enabled). When monitor mode is enabled again the last selected mode is recalled. [TIP] MOTAS-6 can generated very strong au- Press to navigate the dif- [BUTTON-LEFT]...

  • Page 48: Oscilloscope

    MIDI device correctly, or a cable is not connected, dio signal. The timebase is synchronised to the or MOTAS-6 is set to the wrong MIDI receive chan- waveform as far as possible in order to prevent a nel.
  • Page 49 Using the [ROTARY ENCODER] the range of frequency displayed can be zoomed in or out. [ADVANCED-INFO] Internally the spectrum analyser feature works by digital sampling of the Press [2] to pause/unpause the display (pause shown by audio signal over a fixed time period. Then an FFT P on the screen).

  • Page 50: Setup

    Setup The setup pages allow setting of a variety of operating set- TRACK NOTE-OFF sets whether the tings arranged over 22 pages. Press the but- pitch of the oscillators can update and the envelope gen- [BUTTON-SETUP] ton to enter the setup pages. erators can re-trigger after note-off events.

  • Page 51: Tempo Settings

    buttons again to select which of the 4 custom waveforms LFOs, the arpegiator and the pattern/ sequencer. Choose to edit. EXT MIDI for external MIDI (incoming on USB or MIDI in), EXT CLK for gate pulses on the CV/Gate inputs or INTER- Each custom waveform has up to 32 steps in time.

  • Page 52: Midi Channels

    (which is saved with the patch) and in addition LPF2:OUTPUT EG1 SHAPE LFO DEPTH HPF:FREQUENCY EG1 RESPONSE LFO OUTPUT MODE as a global setting. MODE sets whether MOTAS-6 responds HPF:OUTPUT EG2 DELAY LFO SINGLE-SHOT OUTPUT EG2 ATTACK LFO SYNC/RESET...

  • Page 53: Eg Triggers

    TRIG-2 from note C#, TRIG-3 from note D…and so on. At the bottom of the display a longer name for the cho- sen source is displayed (MIDI mod wheel in the screenshot shown above) and whether the EG trigger is activated or not.

  • Page 54: Cv/Gate Inputs

    17.10 CV/Gate inputs value (after offset and scaling). 17.11 CV/gate offset and scaling MOTAS-6 has 4 analogue CV/gate inputs [CV/GATE INPUTSD]. Each input can be configured independently and set to one of the following 11 options: Here the offset and scaling of the input signals on the CV/- gate inputs [CV/GATE INPUTSD] can be independently set.

  • Page 55: Tuning

    204, 355, 498, 702, 853, 996 DORIAN MODE 7 133, 316, 498, 702, 835, 1018 OFFSET sets the master tuning of MOTAS-6 from -100 to TOMOS-33 7 108, 224, 551, 625, 702, 1049 +100 cents (-1 semitone to +1 semitone).

  • Page 56: Sysex Data Backup

    Here the response to NRPN (Non-Registered Parameter Number) MIDI data and SysEx (System Exclusive) MIDI data is configured. NRPNs are used by MOTAS-6 to send and re- ceive parameter changes in real-time. MIDI IN sets which data is processed on the MIDI in con-...

  • Page 57: Poly Chain

    17.16 Poly chain 17.18 Custom settings Here you can setup multiple MOTAS-6 devices to play poly- phonically together. Each device must be connected in a This page allows a start-up message to be displayed, press chain using MIDI from OUT [MIDI OUT SOCKET] of each [1] to enter your custom message.

  • Page 58: Calibration Values

    This page shows (at the top left) a set of 3 unique serial numbers for your MOTAS-6 product, UI and main PCB ver- [INFO] Since MOTAS-6 has real analogue os- sions, as well as the firmware version and the firmware cillators and filters these will drift a small amount build date.

  • Page 59: A Audio And Modulation Routing

    Audio and modulation routing A.1 Audio signal routing The figure below shows a graphical representation of the audio signal routing from the oscillators via mixers, routing switches and filters to the final audio output. Some key control signals and options are also shown. LOW-PASS FILTER #1 BYPASS LPF2...

  • Page 60: Bmidi Messages And Implementation

    B.1 Real-time patch change recording MOTAS-6 can send and receive MIDI NRPN messages to allow full resolution external recording and control of patch settings – see 17.15. A less comprehensive but often more convenient and easy alternative is to use MIDI CCs – see section 17.5.

  • Page 61: C Specifications

    Specifications Input power connection ....... 12 V DC (± 10 %) on 2.1 mm socket (positive centre pin) Power/current consumption .

  • Page 62: Deu Declaration Of Conformity

    Standards to Which Conformity Is Declared: (for DIRECTIVE 2014/30/EU ) EN 55032:2012 and EN 55103-2:2009 Signed for and on behalf of Motas Electronics Limited: Place of issue: Cambridge, United Kingdom. Date of issue:...

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