Related Manuals for Motas Electronics MOTAS-6
Summary of Contents for Motas Electronics MOTAS-6
- Page 1 User Guide document version 1.28 (non-printed) for firmware version 06020118 December 20, 2020...
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Page 2: 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 3 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 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 4 17.4 Parameter mapping 17.5 MIDI channels 17.6 Modulators. 17.7 EG Triggers 17.8 Morph/patch change 17.9 CV/Gate inputs 17.10 CV/gate offset and scaling. 17.11 Tuning 17.12 SysEx data backup 17.13 Param map control 17.14 NRPN / SysEx/ THRU 17.15 Poly chain 17.16 System settings 17.17...
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Page 5: Foreword
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 6: Proper Use And Maintenance
Please read the following instructions care- sound. Any other use is prohibited. Motas Electronics fully and keep them with the apparatus. Do not op- Limited is not liable for damages due to incorrect use. -
Page 7: Document Conventions
Document conventions You will find many screenshots taken from throughout this guide. An example is shown below: The following document formatting conventions are used: • Link (blue text) is a weblink or a link to another part of this document. •... -
Page 8: Introduction
Introduction is a paraphonic vector-morphing synthesizer • High-resolution OLED graphic display with classic analogue subtractive synthesis and powerful • Compact high-quality tabletop case digital control. Vector morphing • Vector morphing between patches has a unique ’vector morphing’ feature. This • Fully analogue audio signal path allows 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 9 User interface Integration with external software Free software including DAW plugin software is available Dedicated analogue rotary potentiometers are used to download from www.motas-synth.uk/downloads.html. to access the basic analogue parameter pages and to al- This allows live control between and your low fast ’tweaking’...
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Page 10: Top And Rear Panel
Top and rear panel † sound editing ’parameter’ knobs with LEDs [x 33] rotary encoder and buttons [x 4] for data entry/options buttons to access other features [x 9] quick-access patch-change buttons with LEDs [x 5] OLED display (monochrome yellow or white), main †... -
Page 11: Quick-Start
Quick-start 1. Firstly ensure that the power button is off and the on loading sounds see chapter 12. Adjust the volume main volume control is set to minimum. level control to a suitable listening level. 2. Plug a MIDI cable from your MIDI keyboard to the MIDI IN connector . -
Page 12: Control Overview
Control Overview To access the settings (parameters) that determine the sound page turn the appropriate rotary knob . The active you turn a rotary knob corresponding to the setting parameter page is shown by the adjacent flashing LED. that you want to change. Each rotary knob is associ- Patch changing ated with it’s own ’parameter page’. -
Page 13: Parameter
Parameter pages The sound generated by is controlled by triangle waveform the settings on 33 parameter ’pages’ – each parameter has volume level its own ’page’ shown on the display. These are listed below sawtooth waveform and explained in detail in chapter 10. To access a particu- volume level lar parameter page turn the appropriate rotary knob square waveform... -
Page 14: Parameter Page Display Overview
• pages: low-pass filter 2 cut-off frequency and input routing options resonance amount output volume level and routing options • page: output output volume level and Page title clipping options Each page has a ’destination’ i.e. what aspect of the syn- thesizer it controls, and this is labelled at the top left of the display. - Page 15 encoder to change the value. Press When the parameter page displays simultaneously to jump to the first option. Press modulations not active again, or press simultaneously the current value will follow the basic offset, since to return to the main parameter page. all the modulations amounts are set to zero.
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Page 16: Modulation
Modulation Modulation means changing parameter values from a mod- MIDI/CV note-on value ulation source. This could be a freely-changing modula- MIDI/CV note velocity tion with time, such as from a low-frequency oscillator (LFO) global modulation M1 that is not synchronised or modulation that is synchronised global modulation M2 to the start of a key press, such as from an envelope gen- global modulation M3... - Page 17 second row. Each modulation source has two amount settings. The first (primary) sets the amount of the modulation signal to add or subtract to the parameter page basic offset e.g if set on the parameter page it would directly lpf-1 :freq increase or decrease the cut-off frequency of low-pass fil- ter 1 as the modulation signal increases or decreases.
- Page 18 On the main parameter page the amount of secondary mod- ulation is shown as a small vertical bar on the right-hand side (next to the bar for the the primary destination). The secondary modulation destination is shown as a number as listed above.
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Page 19: Low-Frequency Oscillator (Lfo) Waveforms
very fast burst burst fast burst burst2 sine + sine at twice frequency sin+2 sine + sine at three-times frequency sin+3 half sin and half triangle combo sintri half triangle, half constant combo tri/2 modulated sine beat modulated sine variation beat2 The next 17 waveforms are primarily aimed at pitch modu- lation of the oscillators to play tuned notes (but of course... - Page 20 is unique to each page. In non pitch-tracking mode the frequency can be set from 0.001Hz – 452Hz (time period from 1000s to 2.2 ms). Press On the fourth row down on the display, on the left hand simultaneously to reset the frequency to side the settings for LFOx are shown.
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Page 21: Dedicated Low-Frequency Oscillators (Lfo)
global4 Use pitch-tracking to apply a range of AM and FM effects (depending where the LFO is ap- LFO single-shot pled). Offset the pitch-tracking frequency to give characteristic noisy/complex tones. Since the LFOs cannot run at high audio rates (due to hardware the LFO runs continuously. - Page 22 In non pitch-tracking mode the frequency can be set from 0.001Hz – 452Hz (time period from 1000s to 2.2 ms). Press Modulate the with master pitch simultaneously to reset the frequency to the dedicated LFO and use the modulation option 1Hz.
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Page 23: Envelope Generators (Eg)
Amount Key pressed Key released Try setting the dedicated LFO to modulate 100% the phase modulation amount (oscillators 2 or 3) with LFO frequency modulation from a global LFO and/or the EG for some really complex sound ef- Sustain fects! Time Delay Attack... - Page 24 Gate/Trig This sets the source of the gate or trigger for the EG. Use the EG reset feature on percussion EG gate/trig on first note-on event, normal sounds where you want the EG cycle to always release phase starts when all notes are released. restart from zero and use the mode trigger...
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Page 25: Editing Parameters With Rotary Knobs
LFOx waveform osc-3 EG keytrack mode highest LFOx frequency/tempo osc-3 pitch means that whenever there is a new ’highest’ note LFOx level osc-3 played the EG will trigger. This means that the EG will trigger when a first note is played (as local LFO waveform osc-3 this is a new ’highest’... -
Page 26: Parameter Pages - In Depth
Parameter pages - in depth This chapter describes each parameter page in detail. The Although each waveform from oscillator 1 has it’s own level settings on each parameter page control the sound parameter page you can easily apply offset and modula- makes. - Page 27 pitch set to the last note on. last pitch set to the 1st or earliest can play paraphoni- note on. cally – you can play up to 3-note chords pitch set to the 2nd note on where each note of the chord is generated pitch set to the 3rd note on.
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Page 28: Oscillator 2
osc-1 :sawtooth Phase-modulation is a form of waveform distortion where the phase of the waveform is This parameter page sets the volume level of the sawtooth changed over time. It is very similar to frequency wave output of oscillator 1. modulation but does not have the problems of pitch stability that can occur with frequency mod- The sawtooth wave has a rising and then... -
Page 29: Oscillator 3
pitch set to the last note on. last osc-2 :triangle pitch set to the 1st or earliest note on. This parameter page sets the volume level of the triangle pitch set to the 2nd note on wave output of oscillator 2. pitch set to the 3rd note on. - Page 30 pitch set to the last note on. osc-3 :phase mod last pitch set to the 1st or earliest phase mod note on. This parameter page sets the phase modulation depth for pitch set to the 2nd note on oscillator 3. The triangle, sawtooth and pulse waveforms pitch set to the 3rd note on.
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Page 31: Mixer Section
This waveform can be phase-modulated to distort the wave- form from a pure triangle. Use an EG to modulate the noise level to give a short burst of noise at the start of each note osc-3 :sawtooth press to simulate percussive sounds. This parameter page sets the volume level of the sawtooth wave output of oscillator 3. -
Page 32: Low-Pass Filter 1
LPF-1 input options This parameter page also allows control of which audio signal is input to the filter. When using the internal feedback be careful as self-oscillation can occur (when the gain View and edit the additional options by pressing around the loop from the mixer, through the filters when the active item is the basic offset. -
Page 33: High-Pass Filter
View and edit the additional options by pressing lpf-1 :output when the active item is the basic offset. This parameter page sets the level of the audio signal pass- Choose the input signal to the filter from the following op- ing into the final mixer stage. -
Page 34: Output Stage
View and edit the additional options by pressing analogue diode clipping circuits. when the active item is the basic offset. Output options This parameter page also allows control of which audio output of the main mix signal is input to the filter. (normal setting). -
Page 35: Patch Summary
Patch summary 11.1 Parameter mapping When not called upon for other functions, pressing changes the active patch (from 1 – 5) and shows a summary page of the patch set- are both enabled page lock value lock tings similar to that shown in the screenshot below. The and parameter mapping is on (see section 17.4) then the patch selected is shown in the bottom left-hand corner of rotary knobs... -
Page 36: Load, Save And Copy
Load, save and copy allows up to 500 individual patches to be The load/save page remembers which patch saved and loaded (in addition to the patches saved with se- you last accessed so when you load or save again quences) and these are arranged into 10 ’folders’ or ’banks’. you will return to the same patch location. -
Page 37: Copy/Reset/Randomise
Reset page Press to reset all parameters to default values on Press to erase the selected patch (you will be asked the current parameter page. to confirm by pressing Reset patch Press to reset the parameter settings to default val- 12.3 Copy/Reset/Randomise ues on every parameter page. -
Page 38: Vector Morphing
Vector morphing mode only the continuously variable parameters are ad- justed (e.g LFO amount, offsets, EG attack), the discrete patch settings are not changed. To exit the vector morphing mode press . The blend at that point is automatically stored into slot #5. The name of the patch in slot #5 will be changed to where the xx values are the VM xx-xx-xx-xx... -
Page 39: Arpeggiator
Arpeggiator The arpeggiator feature allows to automat- • plays in ascending and then descending order updn ically play notes from a chord in succession with adjustable of pitch direction, number of octaves, pattern etc. The tempo is • plays in the order of the keys as played within determined from the current active clock setting see sec- each octave, but ascending octaves (when the range... -
Page 40: Internal Arpeggiator Settings
arpeggiator to automatically change patch presets on each • dominant 7th chord (C ,Cdom dom7 new note: • major 7th chord (CM major7 • augmented 7th chord (C+ ,Caug aug7 • patches are not changed M7+5 • augmented major 7th chord (C+ m7+5 •... -
Page 41: Pattern Sequencer
Pattern sequencer features a ’pattern sequencer’ which allows nominally 1 bar patterns to be created, edited and played. Each pattern can contain a series of notes, parameter changes and controller events. There are 96 time-steps per pat- tern. The start-time, pitch, velocity, duration, micro-tune and patch of each note can be adjusted. - Page 42 edit the note’s duration and To create new discrete or continuous events to edit the microtune (from 0 – 98 cents). micro-tune enter record mode and adjust the patch settings Press to edit the patch preset setting of the patch as the pattern plays.
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Page 43: Load/Save/Copy Patterns
pattern to play at that slot pattern name set number of repeats repeats transpose in semitones transpose change patch for the pattern patch shift the timing of the pattern t-offset 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 44: Monitor
Monitor Press to enter monitor mode. There are 4 monitor types of monitor mode: Volume level, MIDI, Oscilloscope and Spectrum Analyser. 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. -
Page 45: Oscilloscope
2.5 ms (i.e. 2 thousandths of a second) per division. Press to pause/unpause the display (pause shown on the screen). Press to auto-scale the verti- cal display (shown by an on the screen). Note that the rescaling is limited and so for weak signals rescaling may not cause the waveform to fully fit the display. - Page 46 Press to pause/unpause the display (pause shown Internally the spectrum analyser feature on the screen). Press to auto-scale the verti- works by digital sampling of the audio signal over a cal display (shown by an on the screen). Note that the fixed time period.
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Page 47: Setup
Setup The setup pages allow setting of a variety of operating set- sets whether the track note-off tings arranged over 16 pages. Press the button pitch of the oscillators can update and the envelope gen- setup to enter the setup pages. erators can re-trigger after note-off events. -
Page 48: Tempo Settings
sets the active clock source for any these buttons again to select which of the 4 custom wave- clk source forms to edit. synced LFOs, the arpegiator and the pattern/ sequencer. Choose for external MIDI (incoming on ext midi Each custom waveform has up to 32 steps in time. At each USB or MIDI in), for gate pulses on the CV/- ext clk... -
Page 49: Midi Channels
17.5 MIDI channels Global/Page/Patch Global Destination Page Destination Patch Dest. LFO1 WAVEFORM OFFSET PORT MODE GLOBAL PARAMS LFO1 FREQUENCY PAGE OPTION 1 PORT TIME/RATE MASTER PITCH LFO1 TEMPO PAGE OPTION 2 PORT VALUE OSC-1:LEVEL LFO1 SINGLE-SHOT NOTE DEPTH NOTE OFF TRACK OSC-1:PITCH LFO1 SYNC/RESET NOTE 2ND DEST... -
Page 50: Eg Triggers
17.7 EG Triggers EGs 1–4. At the bottom of the display a longer name for the chosen source is displayed. sets the modulation source to control the morph-y morphing in the y-direction (in exactly the same way as for morph-x If your MIDI keyboard has a joystick then that There are 8 independent EG trigger sources which can be could be a perfect controller for the morphing x... -
Page 51: Cv/Gate Offset And Scaling
following 11 options: put from -9.999 to 9.999. sets the input scaling scale from -5.000 to 5.000. ignored (except for control of M1–M4, morphing etc.) signal routed to control cv pitch Use the offset and scale values to match your master pitch external analogue CV/gate generating equipment signal routed to control... -
Page 52: Sysex Data Backup
equal 12 In addition, a further 32 user-specified tunings can be re- 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100 ceived via the standard MIDI 3-byte tuning dump command pythagorean 12 which can be sent using 3rd party tools such as the Scala 114, 204, 294, 408, 498, 612, 702, 816, 906, 996, 1110 werkmeister 12... -
Page 53: Nrpn / Sysex/ Thru
When is set in a mode that allows send- midi out ing of internal MIDI sysex data then pressing sends out those global settings that can affect the sound (for ex- ample the assignments of M1..M4). sets which incoming data is processed on the usb in USB connector with the same options as for... -
Page 54: Custom Settings
– when set to the display dims screensaver (to contrast level 0) after a certain period of inactivity. – when set to means ext.page change that the displayed page may change to match that corre- sponding to the incoming external MIDI controller NRPN data. -
Page 55: System Status
17.20 System status This diagnostic page shows a series of bar charts repre- senting the current settings of the 33 potentiometers, the approximate CPU temperature, the number of power cy- cles of the unit and the rotary encoder signal. 17.21 Version info This page shows (at the top left) a set of 3 unique serial numbers for your product, UI and main PCB... -
Page 56: Real-Time Patch Change Recording
Real-time patch change recording can send and receive MIDI NRPN messages global source (such as a shared EG or LFO) then the data to allow full resolution external recording and control of value is zero. patch settings – see 17.14. A less comprehensive but often In the case of a page-related parameter changing (i.e. - Page 57 Global data NRPN LSB data LFOx 1 frequency LFOx 2 frequency LFOx 3 frequency LFOx 4 frequency EGx 1 delay EGx 2 delay EGx 3 delay EGx 4 delay EGx 1 attack EGx 2 attack EGx 3 attack EGx 4 attack EGx 1 decay EGx 2 decay EGx 3 decay...
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Page 58: I Signal Path Diagram (Simplified)
Signal path diagram (simplified) page 54 User Guide v1.28... -
Page 59: Midi Implementation Chart
Key-based Instrument Ctrl (Yes/No) Master Fine/Coarse Tune (Yes/No) Other Universal System Exclusive Manufacturer or Non-Commercial System Exclusive Motas Electronics Ltd ID# : 00H 21H 2FH NRPNs (Yes/No) RPN 00 (Pitch Bend Sensitivity) (Yes/No) RPN 01 (Channel Fine Tune) (Yes/No) RPN 02 (Channel Coarse Tune) (Yes/No) - Page 60 MIDI Implementation Chart v. 2.0 (Page 2 of 3) Manufacturer: Motas Electronics Limited. Model: Motas 6. Date: March 2020. Control # Function Transmitted (Y/N) Recognised (Y/N) Remarks MIDI Bank Select (MSB) 17.6 Modulation Wheel (MSB) 17.4 & 17.6 Breath Controller (MSB) 17.4...
- Page 61 MIDI Implementation Chart v. 2.0 (Page 3 of 3) Manufacturer: Motas Electronics Limited. Model: Motas 6. Date: March 2020. Control # Function Transmitted (Y/N) Recognised (Y/N) Remarks Sustain Pedal 17.6 Portamento On/Off 17.6 Sostenuto 17.6 Soft Pedal 17.6 Legato Footswitch 17.6...
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Page 62: Midi Sysex Messages
Global data 0x2D – 0x2F Motas Electronics identifier Patch 0x32 A = 0x7E 0x06 product id (6 = motas-6) B = current preset# MIDI channel byte ’X’ Patch bank 0x33 A = bank# 0x00 reserved B = index# SysEx command byte ’CB’... -
Page 63: Specifications
Specifications Input power connection ....... 12 V DC (± 10 %) on 2.1 mm socket (positive centre pin) Power/current consumption . -
Page 64: Veu 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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