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Speak & Glitch GND-1 User Manual

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Speak & Glitch GND-1 User manual
Key points
• Faithful emulation of the classic vintage Speak and Spell speech chip
• Digitally circuit bent and capable of so much more than in hardware
• Synthesis: formant / vowel / glottal / speech / rhythm / groove / circuit
bent / glitch / complex oscillator
• Expansive / feature rich / sophisticated / deep architecture allows you to
get inside the speech synthesis chip and explore this highly unique
synthesiser. (This ain't your dad's spelling machine)
• Over 100 real time parameters
• Complete standalone control of all parameters.
• MIDI control of all parameters via USB and/or 5-pin DIN
• Syncs to MIDI Clock with highly unique, individually configurable PPQN
scalers for tempo, drum rate, LFO speed and loop length.
• Powerful Expression Matrix* with all parameters as destinations
• Unique modulation architecture for key parameters and expression
Matrix
• Automation capabilities that enable parameters to drift and mutate
patches, and morph between patches
• Explore circuit bending and controllable chaos like never before
• Extensive randomisation (with undo) possibilities
• Advanced / sophisticated and dynamic MIDI Rhythm generator that
improvises new grooves along with the speech synthesis engine
• Audio rate modulation of amplitude, pitch and filter
• Store up to 1000 presets with seamless preset switching and morphing
• Stereo audio output
• Touch Sensor and rotary encoder assignable to expression matrix
The following pages provide a short guide to using the GND-1 and a summary of commands and
parameters. Further information is provided in the appendices and user manual.
* The GND-1 expression matrix specifies how strongly every GND-1 parameter responds to controllers such as
modwheel, note-on velocity, breath control, aftertouch, and the internal expression LFO, as well as MIDI-note
number, and both the rotary encoder and touch sensor built into the GND-1.
(Rev 1.19, September 19, 2023)
1

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Summary of Contents for Speak & Glitch GND-1

  • Page 1 • Stereo audio output • Touch Sensor and rotary encoder assignable to expression matrix The following pages provide a short guide to using the GND-1 and a summary of commands and parameters. Further information is provided in the appendices and user manual.
  • Page 2 1. GND-1 (Glitch ‘n Drum) Quick start guide • The GND-1 can be powered from 5V USB power sources using a standard USB-B cable. After power up the display shows a single preset number describing the bank (100s digit) and patch number (0—99). In total 1000 user patches can be stored in 10 banks.
  • Page 3 Pitch parameter, and double click to activate the Steady Pitch extension that imposes A-440Hz tuning on the GND-1 when Pitch is set to 80, and Tune is set to 64 (see section 2/3).
  • Page 4 Undo the last randomization hold the L button and use two quick R button presses. This also resets drifting to zero if active. Revert to last saved values use two quick L button presses Mute (unmute) the Drum triggers hold the L button and tap the touch sensor. The display shows “D off”...
  • Page 5 > to >>>>. If RUN is not active but midi notes are sent to the GND-1, progress continues only whenever a note is active. If the target is reached when time-morphing, the audio keeps running and the Led turns green to indicate morphing is switched off.
  • Page 6 (Random) DRIFT parameters hold the L button and briefly press the R to toggle DRIFT on/off. If the audio is running, the audio LED turns red. The mode led flashes*, and the display shows “DRIFT”. Use the drift depth parameter in edit mode to limit the extent of the drift. Use Randomize-undo or adjust DRIFT depth to 0 to reinstate undrifted parameters, or Revert to the last saved ones.
  • Page 7 Drum source, Drum rate, and Drum Volume. It is also essential that the MIDI drum notes are defined in the GND-1’s three drum maps. Switching between drum maps can be automated by setting the drum map expression values, or depend on the level of the underlying audio according to the drum map sensitivity parameter (set using NRPN).

  • Page 8: Extension Options

    Table 1. Stand-alone Parameter Edit Mode lists (see section 2 for further details) TEMPO LIST PITCH LIST LOOP LENG LIST • • • Tempo (speech rate) Pitch Loop length • • • T mod Pitch mod LPleng mod • • Pitch mod mix LFO1 rate LP mod mix...
  • Page 9 Drum map sens (access via NRPN CC 98 = 32) allows automated switching between the three drum maps in the GND-1 in resonse ot the audio level. Set this to 0 (power up default) to use only the drum map selected by the Drum map parameter (and optionally its expression modulation).
  • Page 10 ROM are already high, applying more DRIVE may not produce large changes. Filter Because speech already contains inherent resonant filtering, the GND-1 uses a cross filtering technique to shift and enhance resonant frequencies. Leave the filter at 0 to retain original speech resonances.
  • Page 11 Flux Usually a somewhat more subtle circuit bending control well suited to loop variations. Warp A grungy bend that produces a combination of distortion, auto-pitch bending, and often wild wailing effects depending on the underlying audio being fed into it. Multi-modulator parameters (M depth, mix, mod1 wav, mod2 wav) specify a (bipolar) offset to be added to all the LFO modulator blocks simultaneously.
  • Page 12 3. Parameter extensions (in edit mode) • The parameters marked with a dot in Table 1 have extension options. They are switched on/off by double-clicking on the parameter in edit mode. If an option is active, it is usually indicated by a letter or symbol next to the parameter value.
  • Page 13 INIT command values of Pitch=80, and Tune=64 causes Midi note on events sent to the GND-1 to play in tune re A-440Hz tuning regardless of the selected word or ROM loop address. However, sounds for which the filter resonance sets the pitch, this won’t usually be the case.
  • Page 14 4. GND-1 LFO modulation architecture The LFO modulation architecture employed throughout the GND-1 is shown in Fig. 2. The inputs to all modulation blocks include the system wide rates LFO1 and LFO2, slow SLFO, chaotic CLFO, and the AHDSR (envelope) signal.
  • Page 15 Multi-mod parameters simultaneously apply an offset to the modulation depth, mix and waveshapes W1 and W2 (see section 4) of the modulation blocks in the GND-1. They are saved and recalled along with a patch as separate parameters from the individual modulators, and therefore fully reversible at later times.
  • Page 16 CC, the parameters are initialized as described in appendix II, and the expression matrix and all modulators are set to zero. From this state, you can use the word and wordbank parameters, or random word function to have the GND-1 speak words and phrases.
  • Page 17 > to >>>>. If RUN is not active but midi notes are sent to the GND-1, progress continues only whenever a note is active. If the target is reached when time-morphing, the audio keeps running and the Led turns green to indicate morphing is switched off.
  • Page 18 Block morphing allows continual morphing between the patches in a specified block within a bank. Set the start of the block using the usual patch select. Hold the R button and briefly press the L. The audio starts if not already running, and the audio LED turns red. Whenever the GND1 encounters a blank patch in a morph block, it temporarily creates a new random target.
  • Page 19 Pause is activated automatically to avoid the patch changing during the save procedure. Upon completion of the save the GND-1 does not switch to the saved patch as it does in normal save operations. Instead, it returns to the originating patch, remaining in pause. Release the pause to continue morphing towards the previous target.

  • Page 20: Appendix I: Summary Of Button Functions

    Appendix I: Summary of button functions (A) Global functions (patch display + parameter edit mode) LEFT BUTTON: short press Run/Stop audio, or turn of morphing/drifting if active 2x short press Revert to saved patch if not morphing/drifting Hold during Powerup Assign touch sensor to expression controller RIGHT BUTTON: Single short press *...
  • Page 21 SysEx Dump: Sends the current patch if the switch is up, or all patches if the switch is down ** The GND-1 must be in parameter edit mode ** HOLD RIGHT + CLICK ENC clear parameter manual override when block-morphing...
  • Page 22 Appendix II: GND-1 MIDI CC reference CC Function Range Comments Bank select Breath control 0-127 Plasma 0-127 Modifies the effect of Gravity DRIFT depth 0-127 Portamento 0-127 NRPN data MSB Channel Volume 0-127 Amplitude ADSR depth 0-127 Expression param select...
  • Page 23 Pitch mod depth 0-127 Additive Pitch mod mix 0-127 Pitch mod wav1 0-16 See Table 2 Pitch mod wav2 0-16 See Table 2 NRPN DATA LSB Additive Plasma bend mod depth 0-127 Filter 0-127 (see also CC 73) Filter mod depth 0-127 Additive with folding Filter mod mix...
  • Page 24 Drum trig sens mod 0-127 Multiplicative Drum trig sens mod mix 0-127 Drum rate 0-127 Drum rate mod 0-127 Additive Drum pattern 0-127 Drum pattern mod 0-127 Additive with folding Drum rate+pat mod mix 0-127 Drum mod wav1 0-16 See Table 2 Drum mod wav2 0-16 See Table 2...
  • Page 25 1 = both on with Attack from last val 2 = key restart Loop off 3 = key restart Loop on 4 = key restart AHDSR off 5 = key restart Attack from last val 6 = key restart Attack from 0 Xpression Freeze Thresh 0-127 High Freq Cut...
  • Page 26 CLFO 1 CC OUTPUT CC 119 AHDSR OUTPUT * CC 121 “Initialize” reset state Issuing the initialize command sets most GND-1 parameters to 0, with the following exceptions: Tempo (CC 19) = 82 S Vol = 127 Pitch (CC 33) = 80...
  • Page 27 Table 2. GND-1 waveshape select values for oscillator and modulation blocks Voiced Oscillator waveform values Vocal glottal pulse (from Speak & Spell) Square Pitched Noise (LFO) Modulator waveform values Triangle Square Pulse 25% low Pulse 25% high Falling Exponential Rising Exponential...
  • Page 28 Table 2 (continued) MFO waveform values Stand alone ‘mfo W’ and external CC 127 (MFO MODE CONTROL) waveform numbering Stand alone CC 127 description Sinusoid (default) Sinusoid raised to the power 3 (narrow lobes) Broken Sinusoid (negative part of the sinusoid is shifted positive, positive part is shifted negative) resulting in a sharp transient where sin 0-crossings normally occur Ramp down...
  • Page 29 CC 98=0, CC6=1 CC 98=1, CC6=4 CC 98=2, CC6=1 (save rather than delete) On power up, the GND-1 initializes CC 99 to 0, so setting CC 99 to 0 can often be omitted unless it has been changed via external control.
  • Page 30 Table 3. GND-1 NRPN functions listing function CC 6 data Comments (+CC 38 if specified) Bank number (for delete or save) Patch number (for 0-99 delete or save) Save/ delete 0=delete, else save specified patch Save/delete current 0=delete, else save...
  • Page 31 ABS/REL CC mode 0=absolute (default) Relative mode is only available else relative for unipolar 0-127 continuous parameters Morph time 0 = fastest morph (immediate) Applies to single morphed 127 = slowest morph patch changes, and block- (minutes) morphing Wait Time 0 = negligeable ‘patch hold’...
  • Page 32 0 = use varying speech Pitch=80, and Tune=64 causes ROM pitch contour Midi note on events sent to the GND-1 to play in tune re A-440Hz else use steady pitch tuning regardless of the selected word or ROM loop address.
  • Page 33 CC 38 = sign (0 = positive) mod W2 in the range CC6 = 0-99 -99 to +99 Note that in addition to the status output (NRPN CC6 = 6) the GND-1 outputs midi active sensing at 250ms intervals when mid output (e.g. drums) is inactive.
  • Page 34 Upon receiving the XPlfo block, the GND1 saves the complete patch to SD, on the assumption that the previous blocks have already been received. GND-1 Sysex requests In additon to manual sysex patch dumps instigated from the GND1, the GND1 responds to sysex...
  • Page 35 It is also possible to request (1) The saved preset parameters for the patch number the GND-1 is currently set to (2) The currently active patch parameters (3) The current morphing parameters in the GND-1 The sequence in this case requires no patch/bank number:...
  • Page 36 Acknowledgements Having spent many years circuit bending hardware Speak and Spell games, the idea for the GND-01 arose from my desire for more extensive control over the unique sounds produced by the speech synthesis chip in those games. This was made possible by using an accurate software emulation of the chip’s workings as well as speech data in those games.