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Trax RetroWave R-1 Owner's Manual

Midi-controlled analogue synthesizer
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TRAX
RetroWave R-1
MIDI-Controlled
Analogue Synthesizer
Owner's Manual

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Summary of Contents for Trax RetroWave R-1

  • Page 1 TRAX RetroWave R-1 MIDI-Controlled Analogue Synthesizer Owner’s Manual...
  • Page 2 TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual < 2 >...

  • Page 3: Important Safety Instructions

    R-1, or attempt to repair the unit - there are no user serviceable parts inside. Opening up the unit may invalidate the guarantee. Please refer all servicing to Trax Controls, who offer after sales service at reasonable rates – see the Guarantee and Service Information page.

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Contents Introduction The Analogue Revolution Analogue Versus Digital Classic Techniques Computer Control So How Does an Analogue Synth Work? The Problem of Patching Let’s Get Connected What’s in the Box? Other Equipment Required A Word About Your Ears...

  • Page 5: The Analogue Revolution

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Introduction The Analogue Revolution What do you think of when you hear the word “synthesizer”? If you are under a certain age, you probably associate the word with techno, drum and bass, or dubstep. If a little more mature, you may think of Tangerine Dream, Rick Wakeman, Kraftwerk or The Human League.

  • Page 6: Computer Control

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Computer Control Connect the R-1 to a computer via a USB to MIDI converter cable, and the possibilities are endless. Controlling the synth from a music program, you can create dazzling sequences that would be impossible to play by hand, with the freedom to adjust filter, modulation, glide and other attributes “on the fly”, without having to concentrate on playing the music itself, which is already pre-programmed.

  • Page 7: Let's Get Connected

    Let’s Get Connected What’s In the Box? Inside the packaging you should find: 1. The RetroWave R-1 Synthesizer, 2. A universal mains power adapter, 24V dc. 3. 1 x long ¼” (6.35mm) jack to jack output cable, 4. 2 x short ¼” jack to jack patch leads, 5.

  • Page 8: Power Supply

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Keyboard or sequencer with MIDI OUT socket Amplifier or mixer Speaker Computer with USB to MIDI converter lead Supplied jack lead Supplied power adapter 24V dc Basic set-up Power Supply The RetroWave comes complete with its own regulated 24V dc power supply adapter. It will work on all international line voltages from 100-240V ac, and has an interchangeable plug top –...

  • Page 9: Midi Input

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Bear in mind that the raw waveforms generated by the RS-1 can be powerful, and can damage your speakers or amp if the latter’s volume control is set at a very high level for a long period. We recommend that you use the Aux, Tuner or Line input if using a domestic hi-fi amp, keeping the volume control at a low to medium setting, and the RS-1’s output level control low.
  • Page 10 TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Initial positions of controls and switches Channel Your Creativity Select the MIDI channel you wish to use by means of the MIDI CHAN. switch. Set the external MIDI device you are using to transmit on the same channel.
  • Page 11 TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual The Magic of Modulation Now, let’s see how the Low Frequency Oscillators LFO 1 and LFO 2 can make a contribution. Play another note and keep it sounding, then turn the VCO - FM SOURCES - LFO 1 control slightly to the right;...

  • Page 12: Noisy Noodling

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Filter Free-for-All Next, we come to one of the most important modules in the R-1, the Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF). The filter works best with square, reverse sawtooth and triangle waveforms; sine waves, having no harmonics, will come out of the filter in much the same way as they went in! At the moment, the filter is set to pass all frequencies without attenuation.

  • Page 13: The Sections In Detail

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Try setting the ADSR controls to Attack – 0 (fully anti-clockwise), Decay – 6, Sustain – 0, Release – 0. Play some notes, and the sound will have a envelope reminiscent of a plucked instrument, the sound starting abruptly but decaying more slowly, even when the key is held down.

  • Page 14: Glide Control

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual GLIDE Control The setting of the GLIDE control determines the amount of time it takes for the pitch of one particular note to glide up (or down) to the pitch of another played immediately after it. The R-1 uses a linear glide circuit, which gives particularly good effects in keyboard performances.
  • Page 15 TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual LFO Triangle Wave Output and Variations The triangle wave, obtained with SHAPE control in its central position, gives the smoothest vibrato, as its shape is symmetrical. The reverse sawtooth (obtained by turning SHAPE control fully anticlockwise) produces a VCO tone with a rapid rise and gradual fall in pitch, because the rise and fall times of the wave shape are unequal.

  • Page 16: Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (Vco)

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) The Voltage-Controlled Oscillator is the heart of any synthesizer system, as it generates the basic waveforms that are eventually shaped by other modules into useful musical sounds. As its full title is a bit of a mouthful, we will refer to it from now on as the VCO.
  • Page 17 TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Triangle The triangle wave has only odd harmonics, and sounds much less harsh to the ear than either the square or reverse sawtooth. It is very useful for flute-like sounds and whistle effects. Sine The sine wave has no harmonics at all, and is consequently the blandest of all the waveforms the RS-1 offers.

  • Page 18: Voltage-Controlled Filter (Vcf)

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Random noise signal Command pulses derived from LFO 1 Random voltage output How the Sample and Hold section works ADSR receives a one-shot waveform from the ADSR generator, to provide a variable amount of pitch shifting when each new note is played. This effect is often heard in panpipes, train steam whistles, and human whistling (synth maestro Isao Tomita used this effect a lot on his studio albums).
  • Page 19 TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual subtle and interesting. It is really worth getting to know how it operates, as the number of sonic possibilities is greatly increased, once you know how to dial in the required parameters. The VCF is known as a low-pass filter, because it allows all frequencies below a certain “cut-off point” to pass, filtering out all signals that are above it.

  • Page 20: Adsr & Voltage-Controlled Amplifier (Vca)

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual to be processed by the VCF, ADSR and VCA modules. For example, an autowah effect could be set up by setting the VCA MODE switch to Bypass, turning the VCF RESONANCE control to near oscillation, and modulating the filter with a slow triangle wave from LFO 2.
  • Page 21 TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual level then follows the contour of that waveform, to give the final sound its envelope, or dynamic shape. The same waveform (or an inverted version of it) can also be used to control the VCF cutoff frequency.
  • Page 22 TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual With musical sounds, the sustain of notes is prolonged, in much the same way as a guitar’s sound is modified by a fuzz unit. N.B. background noise and hum may be more noticeable using this effect, because of the high gain involved in the distortion process.

  • Page 23: Troubleshooting

    TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Troubleshooting Got a problem? Take a look at these possible solutions before contacting Trax for service. Some of the tips may seem obvious, but it can be very easy to overlook the simple things…. I cannot hear anything after switching the machine on Is the power supply connected and switched on at the mains? If the yellow LFO LEDs are flashing, it may just be a matter of setting the controls –...
  • Page 24 TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual Blank Patch Sheets Scan these and print them out, then mark the control settings and assign a name for each sound you wish to keep a record of. Patch Name: _________________________________ Patch Name: _________________________________ < 24 >...
  • Page 25 Although great care has been taken to ensure that this manual is free from error, responsibility cannot be accepted for any incorrect information given. Trax Controls cannot be held responsible for any damages, either physical or financial, brought about by the failure of this product, or the inability to use this product.
  • Page 26 TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual System Block Diagram < 26 >...

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