Effects / Arpeggiator / Hypersync Section - Novation KS4 User Manual

MAIN FEATURES AND OPERATION

Effects / Arpeggiator / Hypersync Section

The Effects, Arpeggiator and Hypersync features are grouped together in
one section on the front panel. This is convenient since all of these fea-
tures can be synchronised together and controlled by the TEMPO knob.
Effects
Seven different Effects which may be used simultaneously are provided.
These effects are saved as an integral part of a sound when writing it to
memory. In Performance Mode, each of the four Parts has its own com-
plete set of Effects settings.
Adding Effects to a sound can dramatically enrich the overall sound tex-
ture. Some types of Effect are particularly useful in giving a sound a per-
ceived position in three-dimensional space. Adding such sounds to final
mix of a piece of music gives a much greater sense of 'depth'.
Each type of Effect has several settings associated with it which give fine
control over how the Effect interacts with a sound. These settings may be
changed using the various Effects menus. See Page 41 in the Advanced
Features section for more details.
Effects SELECT Buttons
These two buttons are used to select which of the seven Effects is cur-
rently being edited. The seven types of Effect available are :
Delay
This Effect simulates the echoes which would be heard when a sound is
reflected off of a hard, flat surface such as stone wall. The KS 4 / KS 5
actually incorporates a stereo version of this echoing effect.
To visualize a stereo echo, imagine a sound being produced between two
stone walls. The echoes of the sound would bounce off each wall in turn
until the echoes eventually dies away.
Use the EFFECTS LEVEL knob to introduce the Delay effect.
Reverb
The Reverb Effect simulates the acoustic properties of a room. In every-
day life, the materials that a room is made of and its size determine how
sound waves are reflected from the room's walls. Consider as an exam-
ple, how different a sound is when heard in bathroom with tiled walls.
Singing in particular can be dramatically improved !
Chorus
This is a swirling, stereo Effect, often useful for 'fattening up' a sound, cre-
ating an impression that several synthesizers are being played in unison,
rather than just one.
This effect is actually achieved by slightly detuning the sound and adding
it back to the original signal.
A similar, related effect to Chorus is the Phaser. Phasers phase-shift cer-
tain frequencies of a sound and add them back to the original signal. This
gives a sound passed through a Phaser, a distinctive swishing quality. At
save hyper
Effects / Arpeggiator / Hypersync Section
extreme settings, this can sound similar to jet plane passing overhead!
In the Chorus Menu, it is possible to select whether the KS 4 / KS 5's
Chorus Effect behaves as a standard Chorus or as a Phaser.
Use the EFFECTS LEVEL knob to introduce the Chorus or Phaser effect.
Distortion
As its name suggests, the Distortion Effect distorts a sound signal.
Imagine how a sound recorded onto tape sounds when it has been
recorded with the record level far too high. Much loved by guitarists, dis-
torted sounds have a very gritty, dirty quality to them. This is especially
effective when applied to aggressive lead sounds.
The Distortion Effect also exaggerates any low-level harmonics present
within the sound. Sounds using a level of RESONANCE in the Filter will
especially benefit from added Distortion.
Use the EFFECTS LEVEL knob to introduce the Distortion effect.
EQ
The EQ (short for Equalization) Effect provides a way of diminishing or
emphasizing a specific frequency range within the final sound. It is in fact,
a form of Filter similar to the one found in the KS 4 / KS 5's Filter section.
It performs a similar function, but it cuts or boosts certain frequencies.
The actual frequency range which will be cut or boosted is determined by
the EQ Frequency Point (the EQ Frequency setting) which is set within
the Effects Menu. See Page 45 in the Advanced Features chapter for
details on how to set this.
The amount of cut or boost applied will depend on the position of the
Effects LEVEL knob. When set to the 12 o'clock position, no cut or boost
is applied. As the knob is turned anticlockwise from the 12 o'clock position
frequencies below the EQ Frequency point will be boosted and frequen-
cies above the point will be attenuated. As the knob is turned clockwise
from the 12 o'clock position, frequencies above the EQ Frequency will be
boosted and those below attenuated.
Volume
Boost
Volume
Cut
10hz
In the above example, The EQ Frequency point has been set to 50 and
the EQ LEVEL set to -10. This has the effect of gently boosting the lower
(bass) end of the frequency spectrum and cutting the higher (treble) fre-
quecies.
EQ Frequency Point EQ Frequency Point
Volume
Boost
Volume
Cut
10hz
In this example, the EQ LEVEL has been set to its maximum possible
positive setting of 63. This results in a dramatic boost in the higher (treble)
frequencies and a reduction in lower (bass) frequencies.
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EQ Frequency Point
EQ Frequency Point
(50)
(50)
Unchanged Volume Level
Unchanged Volume Level
500hz 1Khz 5Khz 20Khz
EQ LEVEL set to -10
(50)
(50)
Unchanged Volume Level
Unchanged Volume Level
EQ Amount (-63)
500hz 1Khz 5Khz 20Khz
EQ LEVEL set to +63