Dynamic Processing; Background - E-Mu ESI-32 Operation Manual

Background

Sampled Waves
Sound
Memory
Floppy
Drive
SCSI Sample
L R
Hard
MIDI
Disk
This block diagram illustrates the general architecture of the ESI-32. The dotted lines show how realtime controllers, envelopes and LFOs can be routed to
modulate the sound.
The Dynamic Processing section of the ESI-32 provides you with all the
intuitive control options of an analog synthesizer. But since you are
starting with complex, digitally sampled sounds instead of simple square
or sawtooth waveforms, the possibilities are multiplied dramatically.
Each of the 32 channels contains three AHDSR type envelope genera-
tors, one multi-waveform LFO with delay and variation, one 24 dB/
octave low pass filter (VCF) with resonance, one level VCA, one stereo
panning network, and an extremely flexible routing scheme which ties
everything together. The diagram below illustrates the layout of an
ESI-32 channel.
Pitch
Sound
Generator
Sample
Q
Start Pitch
Auxiliary
Envelope
Depth
Pitch Control
Velocity
Mod Control MIDI Key
Each key on the keyboard can contain two zones (primary and second-
ary, just like samples), and each of these can have completely different
sets of analog parameters applied to it. The zone concept makes the
programming and modifying of parameters quite straightforward.
The Zone Concept
A zone is simply a selected range of the keyboard. That's it! Nothing
mysterious about it. Dynamic processing parameters can be programmed
for any range of the keyboard (zone) regardless of where the samples lie.
For instance, a completely different pan, LFO rate, and VCA envelope
can be set for each individual key, or range of keys.
Tone Volume
Filter
VCA
(VCF)
Cutoff
Filter Volume
Envelope Envelope
Generator Generator
Attack Attack
MIDI A
MIDI B
Stereo
Position
L
Pan
R
LFO
Freq.
Pedal
Pressure
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Dynamic Processing