The User Wave Section - Arturia FARFISA V User Manual

6.6. The User Wave section

This is a special addition in the software version of the Farfisa, a way for you to draw your
own waveform to generate sound.
The User Wave switch lets you choose between:
OFF (center position): This position gives you the original Farfisa Compact
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waveform on the upper keyboard, which is like a blend between a sawtooth and
a pulse wave and is slightly different for each note because of the oscillator/
divider tone generator technique of the analog hardware. In this mode the sliders
do nothing (unless you have selected Additive/Shape for the bass).
ADDITIVE: In Additive mode you can mix harmonics (sine waves) using the
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48 sliders. If you use only the first few you will get classic tonewheel organ-
like sounds (because its drawbars also mix in harmonics/sine waves). As you
mix in more harmonics you will get increasingly harsher sounds. Note that to
hear all harmonics you will have to select a voice filter that passes lots of high
frequencies, e.g. All Booster or the Strings voices.
SHAPE: In Shape mode you can use the 48 sliders to freely draw a waveform
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(see for example the Organ > Square Wave preset).
In Additive or Shape mode the waveform is the same for all notes (although output levels
still vary per note), so it's much more like a synth. Note that when you switch User Wave
modes the sliders are saved, i.e. if you draw a nice shape while in Shape mode, and then
temporarily switch to Additive mode, and then switch back to Shape again, your shape will
still be there.
Also note that the bass can also use the Additive/Shape waveforms. However, the bass
doesn't have its own set of User Wave sliders, so it reuses the treble User Wave sliders.
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Note that the BASS WAVE can play the User Wave even if the USER WAVE switch is OFF. When
the BASS WAVE rotary knob on the left corner is set to #6 ADDITIVE or #7 SHAPE, and you'd like to
change the bass tone, turn the USER WAVE switch up for additive, or down for shape, move the faders
as desired, then set USER WAVE to OFF (center position) so the upper keyboard is playing the Farfisa
tones again. As long as the BASS WAVE knob is still set to ADDITIVE or SHAPE, it doesn't matter that the
USER WAVE switch is set to OFF.
The OFFSET knob is a 12 dB/octave low-pass filter that is applied only when USER
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WAVE is set to either Additive or Shape. When the Offset knob is at 100% you
hear all harmonics, at 50% you only hear about half of them, and at 0% you only
hear the first harmonic (the fundamental tone).
Arturia - User Manual Farfisa V - Advanced Panel 66