1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. Black Corporation Manuals
  4. Synthesizer
  5. XERXES MK2
  6. Operation manual

Black Corporation XERXES MK2 Operation Manual

8 voice polyphonic synthesizer
Hide thumbs Also See for XERXES MK2:
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
OPERATION MANUAL
XERXES MK2
8 VOICE POLYPHONIC SYNTHESIZER

BY BLACK CORPORATION

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the XERXES MK2 and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Related Manuals for Black Corporation XERXES MK2

Summary of Contents for Black Corporation XERXES MK2

  • Page 1 OPERATION MANUAL XERXES MK2 8 VOICE POLYPHONIC SYNTHESIZER
 BY BLACK CORPORATION...
  • Page 2 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. EUROPEAN UNION REGULATION COMPLIANCE STATEMENT This product complies with the Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC and the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 2004/108/EC.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS INITIAL SETUP FRONT PANEL SYSTEM MEMORY AND CONTROL PANEL PANEL MODE SELECTING BANKS RECALLING PATCHES SAVING PATCHES OSCILLATOR 1 AND 2 MULTIMODE FILTER LFO TUNING DRIFT OSC 2 SYNC NOISE EG CONTROLS PORTAMENTO / GLIDE CHORUS EFFECTS...

  • Page 4: Introduction

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL INTRODUCTION XERXES is an 8-voice polyphonic synthesizer with two numerically controlled analog oscillators per voice. Its analog voice architecture is inspired by the Elka Synthex. While Xerxes can produce very similar sounds, its sonic palette and capabilities have been significantly enhanced.

  • Page 5: Features And Specifications

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS Polyphony: 8 voices Oscillators: 16 (2 per voice) Oscillator Type: Hybrid digitally controlled analog oscillators Oscillator Frequency Range: 0.1Hz to 20kHz Oscillator Waveforms: Triangle, Saw, Square, and adjustable Pulse Oscillator Controls: Octave (1’-16’), Transpose, Pulse Width, Volume Oscillator ModulaXons: Pulse Width (PWM), Pulse Amplitude (PAM), Ring Mod Low Frequency Oscillators (LFO): 2 MIDI syncable, independent LFOs with frequency synchronizaXon...

  • Page 6: Initial Setup

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL INITIAL SETUP Xerxes requires an external MIDI controller to produce sounds. It may be necessary to adjust settings appropriately to match the synthesizer to the type of MIDI controller used. To enter Settings, press SHIFT + BACK. Use the Encoder to select an item in the list, press the Encoder to enter a submenu or save a new setting, press the Back button to exit the submenu and Settings.

  • Page 7: Front Panel

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL FRONT PANEL Xerxes is designed to be intuitive and straightforward. Most of the functionality can be easily controlled in real time using the buttons and knobs on the front panel. For some buttons, the current selection is indicated with a row of lights next to the button. Others serve multiple functions as indicated by a combination of lights on that button.
  • Page 8 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL ● EG CONTROLS: Enables/disables note hold and release envelope functions. ● PORTAMENTO / GLIDE: Controls note pitch movement at the beginning or from note to note. ● CHORUS EFFECTS: Selects 3 different types of chorus effects that are applied to the audio output.

  • Page 9: System Memory And Control Panel

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL SYSTEM MEMORY AND CONTROL PANEL This section allows patch saving and recall, system settings changes, setup, and calibration functions. The Enter, Back, and Shift buttons together with the encoder knob allow for easy navigation. Depending on function, the display will show the current functionality for each button as applicable.

  • Page 10: Recalling Patches

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL SELECTING/RECALLING PATCHES To select a patch in the selected bank, turn the encoder. The selected patch number is shown in the display. To select a certain patch without scrolling through the patches, press the Back button (shows LOAD on the display button image), use the Encoder to select the patch, and then press the Encoder or ENTER button.

  • Page 11: Oscillator 1 And 2

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL OSCILLATOR 1 AND 2 Xerxes has 16 advanced digitally controlled, analog oscillators, two of which are used for each played note. The oscillator waveforms are free-running, however oscillator 2 can also be synced to oscillator 1, where oscillator 2 is reset at the beginning of each cycle of oscillator 1, and the Phase can be adjusted between them for some complex sonic results.
  • Page 12 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL Certain cross-modulation combinations can also cause self-resonance when additional high frequency components are generated within a single waveform cycle via electronic feedback in the oscillator circuit, not in the filter. Oscillator self-resonance, created purely in analog hardware, is one of the unique features responsible for the unique sound of Xerxes. OCTAVE Selects the octave in feet (16’, 8’, 4’, 2’, 1’), which transposes the keyboard up or down in octaves.
  • Page 13 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL Selects Pulse Width Cross-ModulaXon, where the pulse width of the current OSC x PWM oscillator is modulated by the waveform amplitude of the other oscillator. If this bufon is pressed, Pulse waveform is automaXcally selected. PWM can produce very rapid change in overtones that depends on the frequency and waveform segngs on the other oscillator.
  • Page 14 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL Selects Ring ModulaXon, which inverts the waveform of the current oscillator with RING MOD. the amplitude of the other oscillator. This is especially useful when used in combinaXon with the Oscillator 2 Sync and Glide funcXons where it can generate sounds with harsh overtones that vary over Xme, such as metallic, laser, and bell-like sounds.

  • Page 15: Multimode Filter

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL MULTIMODE FILTER The filter controls the harmonic content of the raw audio output from the oscillators by changing the frequency ranges of the audio signal. Xerxes has a four mode filter which defines which frequency bands are being shaped. Additionally, the note envelope and keyboard tracking can be changed dynamically based on velocity and keyboard position.
  • Page 16 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL KEYBOARD Keyboard knob allows the filter cutoff to track the note’s pitch played on the keyboard. When it is turned clockwise from 0, higher pitches have a higher cutoff frequency, and lower pitches have lower cutoff. This results in higher notes on the keyboard having a brighter Xmbre than lower notes.

  • Page 17: Lfo

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL The Low Frequency Oscillator on Xerxes is used to modulate pitch, filter, amplifier, pulse width, and oscillator 2 sync phase with adjustable speed, intensity, and delay. There are two independent LFOs selected by the A/B switch, and their frequencies can be either independent or synchronized with the Sync button.
  • Page 18 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL DEPTH Adjusts the amplitude (intensity) of the waveform for the selected LFO A or B. Depth control remains independent for each LFO even if SYNC is enabled. Depth can also be modulated by A\ertouch Amount segng. NOTE: When the LFO Amount Mode is set to Individual in segngs, the Depth can be applied individually to each desXnaXon.
  • Page 19 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL PHASE Selects the LFO to modulate oscillator 2 sync phase. Phase control must be enabled in the OSC 2 SYNC secXon for this to have any effect. AFTERTOUCH Keyboard a\ertouch (either channel or polyphonic) can be used to control the AMOUNT Depth of the currently selected LFO A or B.

  • Page 20: Tuning

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL TUNING The Tuning section is used to control the master tuning for the entire instrument. MASTER Adjusts the global tuning for the enXre instrument with a conXnuous range of 2 semitones up or down, with 0 represenXng A4 = 440Hz thanks to its digitally controlled oscillators.

  • Page 21: Drift

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL DRIFT This is another unique function of Xerxes. While the synthesizer uses analog oscillators, the pitch is controlled digitally, which never drift or go out of tune. While this is certainly an advantage when chromatic precision is necessary, it can also sound too static and lifeless. The controls in the Drift section can be used to simulate analog oscillators by introducing tiny amounts of random but continuous pitch changes independently to each oscillator.

  • Page 22: Osc 2 Sync

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL OSC 2 SYNC The controls in this section can be used to synchronize oscillator 2 with oscillator 1. When enabled, oscillator 2 waveform will restart when oscillator 1’s waveform is restarting. Variable phase control allows for adjusting the phase of oscillator 2 by introducing a delay to the phase starting point with respect to oscillator 1.
  • Page 23 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL DEGREES When PHASE is enabled, the Degrees knob adjusts the oscillator 2 synchronizaXon to a specific phase in oscillator 1 waveform over a range from 0 degrees to almost 360 degrees. If both oscillators are using the same frequency, a mid-point in the knob represents the oscillator frequencies 180 degrees out of phase.

  • Page 24: Noise

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL NOISE Noise can be added and mixed with the oscillator outputs before they are mixed and routed into the filter section. Two types of noise are available with a level control. WHITE/PINK Selects the type of noise. White noise contains a full spectrum from lowest to highest audible frequencies.

  • Page 25: Portamento / Glide

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL PORTAMENTO / GLIDE This section assigns glide, portamento, and glissando functionality to one or both oscillators. OSC 1/2 Selects the oscillator(s) that will be affected by Glide, Portamento, or Glissando. Select OFF, Oscillator 1, Oscillator 2, or both 1 and 2. GLIDE Selects the Glide effect.

  • Page 26: Chorus Effects

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL CHORUS EFFECTS The Xerxes synthesizer has a stereo analog Bucket Brigade Device (BBD) chorus circuit built-in with 3 different fixed chorus settings. When enabled, this effect is added to the sound before the final output. A single button controls all 3 settings, plus an OFF setting when both LEDs are off.
  • Page 27 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL VELOCITY Adjusts how note velocity affects the filter envelope. Turning the knob clockwise from 0 will produce a posiXve effect; when note is struck faster it causes the filter FILTER envelope to have a sharper, brighter tone than slower notes. Turning the knob counterclockwise from 0 will have the opposite effect;...

  • Page 28: Amplifier Envelope

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE Amplifier Envelope knobs adjust the amplitude and timing of individual sections of the volume curve from the moment each note is played. ATTACK Adjusts the Xme it takes for the note’s volume to reach a full level a\er a note is played.

  • Page 29: Filter Envelope

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL FILTER ENVELOPE Similar to the Amplifier Envelope section, the Filter Envelope knobs adjust the filter cutoff and timing of individual sections of the filter cutoff curve from the moment each note is played. ATTACK Adjusts the Xme it takes for the note’s filter cutoff frequency to reach maximum a\er a note is played.

  • Page 30: Special Voice Modes

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL SPECIAL VOICE MODES POLYPHONY MODE There are 3 different modes that select the polyphonic and monophonic voice modes. These are selected under VOICE > MODE in Settings. ● MONOPHONIC: Only one voice is active at all times, effectively turning it into a monosynth ●...

  • Page 31: Special Performance Modes

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL 1&2, and Phase) are still affected monophonically, synchronized with the first note played in the chord. SPECIAL PERFORMANCE MODES Xerxes synthesizer includes several special performance modes that do not have dedicated panel buttons. They can be used to fine-tune the synthesizer’s responsiveness to external MIDI controllers and to allow more intuitive control, which are especially useful when performing live.

  • Page 32: Monophonic Modes

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL MONOPHONIC MODES Xerxes synthesizer has 3 different monophonic modes. These modes control how note transitions affect the ADSR envelope when playing connected notes (legato). They are only available if the voice mode is set to Monophonic. The 3 modes can be changed under VOICE > MONO MODE setting.

  • Page 33: Microtuning

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL MICROTUNING Microtuning allows for usage of an extended range of tuning beyond standard musical scales familiar in Western music. It allows for an expansion of creative expression with a broader range of tunings. Xerxes is designed to encourage exploration in this area, which is why it has been designed with microtuning setting.

  • Page 34: Calibration

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL CALIBRATION There may be occasions when the knobs on Xerxes may not behave as expected or Filter self oscillation tuning is not as precise as desire. On these occasions, we visit the CALIBRATION menu in settings. The CALIBRATION section simply sets knob positions and tunes the filters. KNOBS This selection calibrates the physical position of the knobs in relation to the values which they are controlling.
  • Page 35 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL FIRMWARE UPDATES Xerxes 1.1.1 (April 7, 2023) release notes: 1. Knob values displayed on the screen along with an indicator displaying which direction the original value of the preset is in. 2. Microtuning capability with Oddsound MTS software. https://oddsound.com/ 3.

  • Page 36: Menu Structure

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL MENU STRUCTURE MIDI MODE ● POLY AFTERTOUCH ● MPE CHANNEL ● ALL, 1-16 ● ON CC RECEIVE ● OFF ● NONE CC 74 REPLACE* ● LFO A FREQ ● LFO A DEPTH ● LFO B FREQ ● LFO B DEPTH ●...
  • Page 37 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL ● 1-99 SEMITONES PITCHBEND RANGE* ● 48-72 KBRD TRACKING CENTER* ● 1-24 SEMITONES TRANSPOSE ● LINEAR VELOCITY CURVE ● LOGARITHMIC ● EXPONENTIAL ● STYPE ● NTYPE ● LINEAR AFTERTOUCH CURVE ● LOGARITHMIC ● EXPONENTIAL ● STYPE ● NTYPE VOICES ●...
  • Page 38 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL ● -6 DB - +6DB PRESET VOLUME* LFO* ● 1-100 HZ LFO MAX ● 0.01-0.10 HZ LFO MIN ● OFF LFO 1 SYNC ● ON ● OFF LFO 2 SYNC ● ON ● COMMON AMMOUNT MODE ● INDIVIDUAL ●...
  • Page 39 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL ● NEVER SCREENSAVER ● 5 MINUTES ● 10 MINUTES ● 30 MINUTES ● 1 HOUR ● DISPLAYS SYSTEM INFORMATION ABOUT 
 * NOTE: Settings that are saved with each patch are marked with an asterisk...

  • Page 40: Cc List

    XERXES OPERATION MANUAL CC LIST CHANNEL 1 KNOB LFO A FREQUENCY CC40 KNOB OSC 2 SYNC PHASE DEGREES CC41 KNOB OSC 1 GLIDE AMOUNT CC42 KNOB DYNAMIC VELOCITY AMPLIFIER CC43 KNOB FILTER ENVELOPE ATTACK CC44 KNOB DYNAMIC AFTERTOUCH FILTER CC45 KNOB FILTER ENVELOPE DECAY CC46 KNOB DYNAMIC AFTERTOUCH AMPLIFIER...
  • Page 41 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL KNOB OSC 1 PULSE WIDTH CC67 KNOB TUNING MASTER CC68 KNOB FILTER FREQ CC69 KNOB AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE SUSTAIN CC70 KNOB DRIFT DENSITY CC71 KNOB FILTER RESONANCE CC72 KNOB OSC 1 VOLUME CC73 CC74 KNOB AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE RELEASE CC75 KNOB DRIFT SPEED CC76...
  • Page 42 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL BUTTON NOISE CC49 BUTTON OSC 1 OCTAVE CC50 BUTTON OSC 2 OCTAVE CC51 BUTTON OSC 1 WAVEFORM CC52 BUTTON OSC 2 WAVEFORM CC53 BUTTON OSC 2 PWM CC54 BUTTON OSC 2 PAM CC55 BUTTON OSC 1 RINGMOD CC56 BUTTON OSC 1 PWM CC57...
  • Page 43 XERXES OPERATION MANUAL Ando Pilve, Aleksandr Kholenko, and Bob Akber, Black Corporation G.K., All Rights Reserved 2023.

Table of Contents