Common Oscillator Parameters - Novation MiniNova Owner's Manual

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Instructions manual (41 pages)

Table Of Contents

Table of Contents

O1VSync can be also adjusted directly from Row 6 of the PERFORM section of

the control panel with Tweak Control RC1.

O2VSync can be also adjusted directly from Row 6 of the PERFORM section of

the control panel with Tweak Control RC3.

To get the best out of Vsync, try modulating it using an LFO. Alternatively, select Row

6 in the PERFORM section, and vary it while playing with Tweak Control RC1.

Parameter:

Oscillator Waveform

Displayed As:

O1Wave

Default value:

Sawtooth

Range of adjustment:

See Waveforms table on page 34.

This selects the oscillator's waveform from a range of 72 options. As well as analogue synth

type waveforms like sine, square, sawtooth, pulse and 9 ratios of sawtooth/pulse mix, there

are various digital waveforms and 36 wavetables consisting of nine individual waveforms

per wavetable, plus two audio input sources.

Two audio sources are included in the Waveform table; although the MiniNova only

has a single audio input (AudInL/M), AudioInR is included for compatibility with

UltraNova Patches.

If audio input sources are selected, then any additional oscillator parameters will

have no effect on the sound. The audio input will be used as the source for

subsequent manipulation (e.g., filters, modulation, etc).

When the external input is selected as an oscillator source it is really being selected in

place of that oscillator and fed through the synth's signal path from this point. To hear the

audio input when selected as an oscillator source, a note must be played on the keyboard.

It is possible to create a MIDI gate effect on vocals using audio inputs as the

source.

Parameter:

Pulse Width/Wave Table Index

Displayed As:

O1PW/Idx

Default value:

Range of adjustment:

-64 to 63

This control has two functions, depending on the waveform selected by O1Wave. With

pulse waveforms, it varies the pulse width of the oscillator output. This basic effect can

most easily be heard by adjusting this parameter with O1Wave set to PW; you will note

how the harmonic content varies and at high settings the sound becomes quite thin and

metallic. A pulse wave is essentially an asymmetric square wave; when set to zero, the

waveform is a normal square wave. (See page 9.) This parameter has a different

function if the oscillator waveform is set to be one of the 36 Wave Tables (see O1Wave

above). Each Wave Table consists of nine related waveforms, and the setting of O1PW/

Idx determines which is in use. The total parameter value range of 128 is divided into 9

(approximately) equal segments of 14 value units, so setting the value to anything between

-64 and -50 will generate the first of the 9 waveforms, -49 to -35 the second, and so

on. See also the Wave Table Interpolation parameter (O1WTInt), which can be used to

introduce further variation in the way wavetables are used.

VSync = 0

VSync = 5

VSync = 16

Parameter:

Hardness

Displayed As:

O1Hard

Default value:

127

Range of adjustment:

0 to 127

The Hardness parameter modifies the harmonic content of the waveform, reducing the level

of the upper harmonics as the value is decreased. Its effect is akin to that of a lowpass

filter, but operates at oscillator level. You will note it has no effect on a sine waveform, as

this is the one waveform with no harmonics.

Parameter:

Density

Displayed As:

O1Dense

Default value:

Range of adjustment:

0 to 127

The density parameter effectively adds copies of the oscillator waveform to itself. Up

to eight additional virtual oscillators are used for this, depending on the value of the

parameter. This produces a "thicker" sound at low to medium values, but if the virtual

oscillators are detuned slightly (see O1DnsDtn below), a more interesting effect is

obtained.

O1Dense can be also adjusted directly from Row 6 of the PERFORM section

of the control panel with Tweak Control RC2.

O2Dense can be also adjusted directly from Row 6 of the PERFORM section

of the control panel with Tweak Control RC4.

Parameter:

Density Detuning

Displayed As:

O1DnsDtn

Default value:

Range of adjustment:

0 to 127

This parameter should be used in conjunction with the Density control. It detunes the

virtual density oscillators, and you will notice not only a thicker sound, but the effect of

beating as well.

The Density and Density Detune parameters can be used to "thicken" the

sound, and simulate the effect of adding additional Voices. The Unison and

Unison Detune parameters in the Voice Menu can be used to create a very

similar effect, but using Density and Density Detune have the advantage of not needing

to use additional Voices, which are finite in number.

Parameter:

Pitch Wheel Range

Displayed As:

O1PtchWh

Default value:

+12

Range of adjustment:

-12 to +12

The pitch wheel can vary the oscillator pitch by up to an octave, up or down. The units

are in semitones, so with a value of +12, moving the pitchwheel up increases the pitch of

the notes being played by one octave, and moving it down takes them down an octave.

Setting the parameter to a negative value has the effect of reversing the operating sense

of the pitch wheel. You will find that many of the factory patches have this parameter set

to +2, allowing a pitch wheel range of ±1 tone. It is worth noting that (like all per-oscillator

parameters) the value can be set independently for each oscillator.

Parameter:

Wave Table Interpolation

Displayed As:

O1WTInt

Default value:

127

Range of adjustment:

0 to 127

This parameter sets how smooth the transition is between adjacent waveforms in the same

wavetable. A value of 127 will create a very smooth transition, with the adjacent waveforms

blending together. With a value of zero the transitions will be abrupt and obvious. With a

high 01WInt value set, it is possible to retain a mix of adjacent waveforms if the modulation

value remains fixed. When modulating the wavetable Index (via LFO, etc.), the wavetable

interpolation parameter sets how smooth (or not!) the transition is.