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Neuron User`s Manual - Neuron Files Page

1. Octave button Continued from previous page The amplifier envelope defined in the shaper is always active for the entire resynator regardless of the contour control setting in the resynator To find out how to define an envelope please read the section starting on page 110 e Stick Animation The stick movement previously recorded via record stick is played back as a 1shot or in repeat mode depending on the stick animation setting in the resynator menu see page 80 Manual stick movements have no effect on the current parameter level while stick animation is activated The pitch for the given model can be edited in octaves Note also in this context the pitch menu options semi and cent in the resynator menu see page 82 Table 6 Resynator control features cont Resynator Menu Press the model select menu button to access the resynator menu The most recently edited resynator menu option appears in the main display Press this button again to access model loader The resynator menu is a matrix Stick up down to scroll through the main menu options as well as through related options in a submenu Example Stick down takes you from lt L3 scape 4 gt directly to lt L3 sphere 4 gt and Stick up leads to lt L2 sphere 4 gt The rotary knob adjusts numeric values or scrolls through predefined settings The model select menu button takes you to this menu as do diverse other resynator cont
2. Copying within a sound You have two selection lists offering options for copying within a sound The What list see menu diagram offers resynator data shaper and controller settings etc It is followed by the Where list which lets you select the destination Where offers only those destinations that are meaningful in connection with the previously selected data Current settings are always copied when copying data within a sound irrespective of whether or not the settings have been stored gt Example How to copy data in the current sound from resynator 1 to resynator 2 In the following example we will copy resynator 1 s current settings to resynator 2 within sound 010 Copy Paste Sound 010 All Settings Resynator 2 Sound 010 All Settings Resynator 1 e Press copy paste in programmer The copy paste menu s most recently edited option appears in the display If necessary scroll to the copy within menu option Twist the knob to select data to be copied from the What list Neuron book Seite 57 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt e Stick right to access the Where selection list Select the destination within the current sound via knob in our example this is resynator 2 e Press enter All data is copied from resynator 1 to resynator 2 within the current sound Thenyoucancopythesamesource datatoanother destination if possible using the knob or
3. Limits the keyboard range for every sound Key low defines the lower limit key high the upper limit The parameters represent note numbers A sound is triggered only when notes higher than or equal to the key low value default C 2 and lower than or equal to the key high value default G8 are played Value range C 2 to G8 0 bis 127 Default MIDI assignment C3 60 Defines a velocity window for each sound A sound is audible only if the velocity key pressure lies within the boundaries defined here The default for each sound is 1 for velo low and 127 for velo high Value ranges 1 to 127 Table 5 Setup parameters cont Silver Delay Defines the silver mix amount for the individual sounds This is best explained by an example Say individual silver settings are stored for each of the four sounds within a setup Say also that you are satisfied with each sound when you hear it in isolation but in the context of the entire setup you find a given effect too puny or too mighty The setup menu offers these mix parameters so you can determine the level of silver effects separately for each sound and adjust the desired balance between them Value range 0 to 127 0 silver effects are switched off 127 silver effects are rendered at the level determined in the sound meaning they are not amplified Determines the delay send amount for the individual sounds The master effects module p
4. Neuron book Seite 105 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Shaper 1 2 Control features Wheels A D S R or L T 1 4 Depth knob Input wheels for the envelope parameters The LED bar display indicates the parameter value The more LEDs light up the longer the defined time or in the case of a level the higher the level The LEDs reveal the status of an envelope at a glance When you move a wheel the current parameter also appears in numeric form in the main display and can be edited using the knob Every shaper defines a complete curve for ADSR envelopes The curve for the free 4 levels 4 times envelope available only in shaper status free is entered using the eight wheels of the two shapers Shaper in par level status Determines the intensity of the envelope s influence on the current parameter The knob affects the currently selected parameter level The defined depth value is retained when you select another level or another region scape sphere in the resynator Depth is also adjustable via menu Continued on next page Shaper 1 2 status button Shaper in amp status In this mode the envelope does not have a depth parameter However to make programming easier we have assigned the given resynator s volume to the knob Shaper in free status Determines the overall depth of the free envelope When using free envelopes please bear in mind the relevance of t
5. Before launching a data transfer make sure that Neuron s device identification as defined in the basic settings SysExDeviceID agrees with the setting entered to the connected MIDI device When in doubt enter a value of 7F omni for SysExDeviceID see page 179 Controller list Control no Type O i da eane Bank Select T adhered Control 1 Up EEE Control 1 Down EPEE Control 2 A aira Control 3 Di irei Reserved TEE Data Entry MSB T eread Channel Volume Sound in Setup B sciw nas Blender Mix Oh as scien Blender Type 10 sccesed Pan a E eerie Control 4 Teresi Resynator 1 Volume 13 hee bode Resynator 2 Volume VG ee eens Resynator1 L1 Scape Parameter 1 3 15s csc nh ia Resynator1 L1 Scape Parameter 2 4 a ee er Resynator1 L1 Sphere Parameter 1 3 Dh ease te acas Resynator1 L1 Sphere Parameter 2 4 st eeererenes Resynator1 L2 Scape Parameter 1 3 i A eee Resynator1 L2 Scape Parameter 2 4 20 6nd aie Resynator1 L2 Sphere Parameter 1 3 PA ERE Resynator1 L2 Sphere Parameter 2 4 12 EEA Resynator1 L3 Scape Parameter 1 3 23 EEES Resynator1 L3 Scape Parameter 2 4 A EEA Resynator1 L3 Sphere Parameter 1 3 Ve AEE Resynator1 L3 Sphere Parameter 2 4 AEETI Resynator1 Octave 7 re Resynator1 Semi Controller list 28 ios a anges Resynator1 Detune 29 ost oe Slicer Type 80h amp snte Slicer Depth Spread BA oe esos Slicer Rate eee Reserved Irne Resynator2 L1 Scape Parameter 1 3 e re Resynator2 L1 Scape Parameter 2 4
6. velocity modulation destinations are determined via the respective velo depth parameter at the destination Velocity is the modulator when velo depth is set to a value other than zero You have the following routing options e Resynators Volume default depth 63 otherwise no response to velocity and all cross x parameters see the section starting on page 78 e Shaper 1 2 for parlevel and free envelopes Depth of the envelope see page 109 e Silver Cutoff frequency velo depth parameter see page 139 e Shaper 3 Depth of the envelope see page 152 How does the depth value work The effect of the depth value is explained using aftertouch as an example The same principle applies to every depth value in the modulation matrix The following rule applies to every modulation Maximum modulation is possible only if the destination parameter is set to its minimum value All free controller depth parameters can also accept negative values Think of depth values as percentages The indicated value of 63 is equal to 100 32 50 and so forth The value of a controller is multiplied by the given depth value The result of this multiplication is added to the current value of the defined destination On to our aftertouch example Say we select blender amount as our aftertouch destination and set aftertouch depth to 63 and the current blender amount to 60 A light aftertouch generates a value of 30 At a depth of 100
7. 1B i ae FX Reverb HF Damp ot eae Reserved 120 05 docs All Sound Off Controller list Neuron book Seite 184 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Controller list MIDI implementation chart Function Transmitted Recognized Basic Default 1 1 Channel Changed 1 16 1 16 Default 3 3 Mode Messages X X Altered kkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkk Note 0 127 0 127 Number True Voice 0 127 0 127 Velocity Note ON 0 0 Note OFF Pitch Bend Control Change Prog 0 Change True KRKKKKKKK System Exclusive System Song Pos Common Song Sel Tune System Clock Real Time Commands Local on off Aux All Notes Off Messages Active Sense Reset All Sound Off Notes Remarks oo o 0 0 0 Refer to controller list for details 1 100 1 100 0 n00 n99 Bank Select LSB sets 100s Offset n e Ox KX KOK KKK XxX CoOoOK OO KK X X X Issued by Panic Mode 1 OMNI ON POLY Mode 3 OMNI OFF POLY Mode 2 OMNI ON MONO Mode 4 OMNI OFF MONO Neuron book Seite 185 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 T lt NEURON gt Updates and Backups A word on the USB interface The USB interface is a baby born to the mother of home data processing the PC This I 0 interface was begat by the desire to put an end to the confusion of connectors fostered by all the peripheral junk 1 0 devices external disk drives scanners speakers cameras etc suffering users have to deal with USB is foolproof because it connects all de
8. Sound loader 49 50 Sound mode Copy paste 54 Editing asound 50 General facts 32 Loading asound 50 Menu 49 Naming asound 51 Parameter table 49 Play compare 52 Programming 49 Snapshots 52 Start 50 Storing asound 51 Sounds Load 188 SP_warp 130 Speed chorus 145 Speed flanger 143 Speed phaser 144 Speed ring mod 141 Speed SP_warp 142 Sphere 71 Spread 122 Square 118 Srnd sub Hz 41 SrndCenterWeight 64 174 Standard accessories 8 Standard values Reset 57 Status shaper 1 2 105 Status shaper 3 151 o Stereo blender type 96 Stereo phase chorus 145 Stereo phase flanger 144 Stereo phase phaser 145 Stereo setup 10 Stereo spread 131 Stick 73 Calibrating 26 42 Filter parameter editing 127 General facts 26 Model parameters editing 71 87 Silver 133 Stick mode enabling 28 Surround panning 175 Stick animation 80 89 91 In silver 148 Surround mode 177 Surround settings setup 63 Stick controller see stick Stick mode 37 Stick recording 89 91 Defining triggers 41 In silver 148 Surround mode 177 StkRec start 41 Store 46 51 Style conventions 3 Subwoofer Cutoff frequency 41 176 Function 171 Surround 169 171 is lt NEURON gt Neuron book Seite 203 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Assessing sound 172 BkRight in a setup 64 Definitions of terms 170 Frleft in a setup 63 FrRight in a setup 63 Menu 174 Panning 173 Positioning sounds 174 ReLeft in a setup
9. The FrLeft value front left also appears in th main display At the same time positioning the stick determines the amount of the center channel See note on page 64 e After making a rough adjustment using the stick controller you can fine tune all values To this end scroll with the navigation stick stick up down to the given menu options and use the knob to define the values e Repeat these steps for the other sounds in the setup e Start by priming each sound In the surround menu navigate to the parameter surround sub mix and boost or cut the subwoofer signal for each sound value ranges from 0 to 127 values gt 63 boost values lt 63 cut Surround settings are stored for each sound with the setup Surround handling in Neuron How to position a sound via the setup menu in the surround sound field Activate setup mode and switch on surround mode see above In the setup menu stick down to scroll to the menu option Twist the knob to determine the amount of sound 1 routed to the left front channel Stick down to scroll to the other menu options Surround FrRight Surround BkRight Surround BkLeft and define each value using the knob Note that the response of the cross x channels is inverted or opposite and that the sum of their parameter values is always 127 Stick down to scroll to the other menu options SrndCenterWeight Surround sub mix and define each value using the knob The foll
10. The following blender types can be selected via the type parameter Mix Scape 1 plays through sphere 1 scape 2 plays through sphere 2 The results are mixed in the blender and sent to the output Amount controls the balance between the two results Out Left A A Right Blender Mix Balance g gt A A Blender type Mix Stereo Scape 1 plays through sphere 1 scape 2 plays through sphere 2 Each result is sent to a separate output channel Amount determines the panorama position Blender Out Left T Out Right 14 X A A Blender type Stereo Mix singlesphere Scape 1 and scape 2 play and are mixed in the blender The composite signal is routed through sphere 1 to the output Amount controls the balance between scape 1 and scape 2 Out Right lt Out Left S Blender Mix Balance g gt Blender type Mix singlesphere MIZ A Neuron book Seite 97 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Chromophonic Scape 1 plays through sphere 2 scape 2 plays through sphere 1 The results are mixed in the blender and sent to the output Amount controls the balance between the results Out Left A A Out Right Blender Mix Balance gd X ZR Blender type Chromophonic Velo chrome Dual sphered Scape 1 and scape 2 are mixed proportionally in the blender sent through sphere 1 and sphere 2 consecutively and then routed to the output Amount controls the balance bet
11. Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Footswitch SustainPed Switch Off Software Version Calibration Defines the type of footswitch connected to the pedal switch port see page 11 Normally Neuron identifies the connected switch on its own If it fails to do this you can enter the type using this parameter Your options are open and close MIDI controller number 66 Defines the type of footswitch connected to the pedal sustain port see page 11 Normally Neuron identifies the connected switch on its own If it fails to do this you can enter the type using this parameter Your options are open and close MIDI controller number 64 Determines how Neuron powers down Options Ask Neuron s query must be confirmed with enter exit cancels the operation or quick no query We recommend that you stick with the default setting ask To learn more about this read the section Switching off starting on page 15 Indicates the software version that Neuron is currently running Compare version numbers to find out if an update for your Neuron is ready and waiting on the Hartmann home page www hartmann music com Serves to calibrate all stick controllers and keyboard aftertouch After you have pressed enter another prompt appears Calib Move sticks or press aftertouch that lets you start calibrating Good to know background stuff The sticks can be calibrated to compensate for mechanical manufacturing tolerances The process o
12. Record stick silver 134 Reverb 157 Select scape sphere 73 Setup 47 Shaper 1 2 status 105 Snapshot 46 Sound 1 to sound 4 47 65 Store 46 51 Surround 135 Tap 157 Time FX 135 Type blender 94 Up 46 50 65 c Calib move sticks or press aftertouch 42 Calibration 42 Aftertouch 28 Sticks 26 Calibration 42 Care 7 Carrier frequency ring mod 129 CE Declaration of conformity 194 Cent 82 Chan delay stereo spread 142 Chorus 133 Chromophonic blender type 97 Clip crv distortion 140 Clipper 128 Compare function 52 Compressor 128 140 Connecting Digital In Out 13 External controllers 11 Footswitches 11 Headphones 10 MIDI setup 12 PC MAC 186 Pedals 11 S PDIF 13 Stereo setup 10 Surround setup 10 USB 13 186 Connector panel 9 Continuous controllers 11 Contour control 74 88 89 102 Contour control silver 135 Contrast Main display 41 Control 1 Calibrating center position 28 Destinations 165 Control 4 Connecting 11 Destinations 165 Control unit see programmer Controller free 162 Depth 168 Destination selecting a 164 Menu 163 Modulation matrix 164 Controllers button 47 Copy paste 54 Copy paste button 47 CopyFromSnd 54 Couch potatoes 4 Cross x displays 26 73 Current load dump 188 Cutoff frequency 124 138 0 D Damping SP_warp 142 Data input wheels see Wheel Decay 99 105 108 Decay filter env 150 152 Decay time rev master FX 159 Decimator 130 Declaration o
13. UI Soft Bios Josef Pogadl Management Jiirgen Fornoff UI Hard Bios Puschmann Engineering Marcus Werner Hardware implementation Schlafhorst Electronics GmbH Dr Hans Georg Nowak Management Project Management Josef Pogadl Axel Hartmann Arnd Kaiser Design Axel Hartmann Design Box Sound design Arnd Kaiser Bernhard Bouch Ray Legnini Christian Ledwig Peter Gorges Yellow Tools Uwe Zahn Peter Kuhlmann Housing Component Construction Frank Schneider Management Klaus Weber Werner Bernd User Manual Volker Fischer bfj document partner Illustrations Design Box Shaun Ellwood Translation Tom Green o Thanks to In alphabetical order Werner Bernd Melisande Bernsee Bernhard and Heidi Bouch Thad Brown Charlotte Clare the Design Box Team Wolfgang D ren Joachim Flor Gerd Gehrke Detlef Gli amp meyer Uli Gobbers Andreas Hafen Christian Hellinger Martin Herbst Russ Jones Joachim Keil Tony Kostanjsek Lothar Krell Stephan Leitl Heiko Meerz Drew Neumann Jorg Pauly Susanne Pennewiss the Prosoniq Team Stefan Rapp Rapp Architekten Peter Ries all the comp dsp regulars Frederic Bo Schelling the Schlafhorst Electronics Team Boris Schneider Dieter Strobel Terratec Manfred Tillmann the TSI Team Drazen Wanzinn kuhl tm Vlahovic Hans Zimmer Copyright No part of this operating manual may be reproduced published or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mech
14. at its original velocity Neuron treats velocity like an internal controller The modulation destinations for velocity are determined at the destination via the depth parameter Example Resynator volume is modulated via velocity when the menu option volume velo depth in the resynator menu is set to a value other than 0 For more on this read the section Velocity as an additional controller starting on page 168 Table 1 Basic settings cont Fundamentals Basic settings 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Aftertouch scale MIDI Glb Ch Defines a factor threshold value for the aftertouch scale As the name would imply aftertouch is the pressure applied to a key once it has been pressed The keyboard determines how much force is applied converts this value into an aftertouch command and sends it to predefined destinations This data may be employed to shape tone for example to generate vibrato or modulate the filter frequency see below The harder you bear down on a key after striking it the higher the aftertouch value and the more intense its influence on the given sound In Neuron and via MIDI aftertouch is monaural meaning that the aftertouch modulation affects the entire sound rather than individual voices Value range 0 to 127 0 deactivates the function At low values aftertouch is less responsive a value of 127 gives you the full dynamic range Neuron treats aftertouch like an internal cont
15. back to the original signal via a feedback loop Superimposing one signal over the other generates frequency cancellations In other words certain frequencies are wiped out of the sound which is clearly audible The filter frequency determines which frequencies are cancelled out This special filter causes phase shifting so if you change its center frequency the effect changes and you will hear other frequencies being cancelled out This is where the aforementioned periodic modulation comes into play If you modulate the filters center frequency via an LFO the phase shifting and frequency cancellation driven by the LFO oscillation changes periodically The LFO s frequency amplitude and waveform are variable creating different filter frequency modulations and thus very different sonic results Flanger Though flanging is also delay based unlike the phaser it manages without phase shifting Incidentally do not confuse this with Neuron s stereo phase parameter used to spread the signal in the flanger phaser and chorus But back to the issue at hand The incoming audio signal is delayed in the flanger regardless of its pitch The delay time remains constant and the wet signal is mixed to the original dry signal at the effect s input via a feedback loop Even if you listen very closely to a flanged sound you will not hear any echoes despite the delay This is explained by a very short delay time which usually rang
16. stick left to return to the What selection list Back to the roots The reset function The copy paste menu boasts a special feature called reset see page 54 It lets you set selected data records back to their default settings The reset selection list offers the same data records as the copy selection list Press copy paste in programmer The copy paste menu s most recently edited option appears in the display sceatitee Stick down to access the reset function The selection list appears in line 2 Select the desired data record using the knob Press enter The values of the selected data record are reset In the case of stick recordings all corresponding tracks are erased Then you can reset another data record immediately using the knob or stick up to go to the copy function You can also use the enter button to reset just the current parameter rather than entire parameter sets to the default setting Module Programmer Programmer Programming setups Before we dive right into programming look at the following chart It recaps basic information on the topic of Operating mode Setup mode starting on page 32 Sound4 a Mana SN gt oH Reverb al gt On Off On Off SF Mix Mix Resynator 2 1Left Right Digital Out K Headphones 3 Left Right Effects Surround Front L Front R BackL Back R Stickcontroller Fixed Positioning You can combine up to fou
17. they are similar but unlike the one off effect of a Normal mode ADSR envelope modulating a sound see page 101 the mod module s effect is periodic continuing for as long as the note is played In Neuron you can generate amplitude modulation by routing mod to the resynators volume In addition to amplitude you can also modulate the frequency of the audio signal Frequency modulation changes pitch rather than varying volume When this is done slowly by way of a low frequency modulating oscillation the result is the ever popular vibrato effect Again there is some similarity to the shaper In Normal mode the shaper imitates the initial transient response reminiscent of the gradually swelling tone of a wind instrument However ultimately it does not generate vibrato because this requires a periodic modulation In order to create frequency modulation in Neuron route mod to the resynators pitch IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 115 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 J lt NEURON gt To simplify matters we will call your third option sound modulation Mod changes simultaneously if desired e the values of model cross x parameters at any of both resynators scape and sphere levels Every modulated parameters value changes in accordance with the LFO depth values of 0 to 127 setting in the mod menu and the LFO depth defined at the modulation destination 64 to 63 following the LFO oscillation c
18. whose values you can adjust via knob see the menu diagrams starting on page 136 e Stick left returns you to the freq FX type selection list Stick up to go from there to the filter settings and stick down to the time based effects gt Stick recording and animation in the silver Remember the rules on recording resynator stick movements The same applies to the silver stick The procedure for recording and playing animations is also identical The only difference is that the silver module s parameter levels do not contain scape and sphere parameters Instead a filter is defined on level 1 level 2 contains a freq effect and level 3 offers the parameters for the selected time FX The silver menu gives you the option of playing back one track per level stick animations once ishot or repeatedly repeat For details on recording and playing stick animations please read the section starting on page 89 2 Neuron book Seite 149 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Module Shaper 3 In the section Dynamic filtering via envelope stick LFO and velocity starting on page 127 you read about how Neuron s filters can be made to sweep dynamically A filter earns the descriptive modifier dynamic if its parameters can steadily accept new values and this modulation of values can also be automated For example say you want all frequencies to initially pass whenever a key is pressed bu
19. 1 You will find an in depth explanation of resynators and all their parameters and control features as well as a bunch of tips on all key how to s starting on page 69 Storing snapshots and sounds Neuron s stick controllers are highly responsive tools making it easy for you to manipulate parameters very subtly Often very different sounds are just a figurative hair or nudge apart so you may find that a touch too much relegates the desired sound to some digital hell But help is near in the form of the snapshot function Best try it out now and use it frequently e After you have discovered a hip variation on a sound simply press the snapshot button located in the programmer module Presto the current panel settings are assigned a number and stored You can store up to 50 snapshots e To retrieve a stored snapshot press the play compare button and twist the knob next to the display to select the desired snapshot number Use enter press the knob to load the snapshot Snapshots and the play compare function are described in detail on page 52 Please bear in mind that snapshots are not stored with the sound and that they are deleted when you change sounds For this reason make a habit of storing hip sounds immediately Press the store button to save a sound Then twist the knob to select the desired memory slot or sound number Scroll to the second line of the display using navigation stick right Fiddl
20. 127 4L 4T 4 levels 4 times envelope generated by Depth lt 0 Amount decreases in accordance Depth shaper 1 and shaper 2 and thus the intensity with the LFO oscillation Note in this context the global LFO depth which is defined directly in the mod module page 116 Global LFO depth is offset against this modulation destination s depth value of its influence on the blender amount Value range 0 to 127 Depth 0 Amount is not modulated Depth gt 0 Starting at the current value the amount increases in accordance with the envelope up to the maximum value Free Env Determines the modulation depth of the free ADSR 1 ADSR envelope generated by shaper 1 or depth shaper 2 and thus the intensity of its effect Unlike ADSR depth 4 L 4 T depth does not allow negative values because the envelope itself can accept negative levels and on the blender amount Note in this context the global depth of the pret Value range 64 to 63 envelope which is defined directly in the ep Depth 0 Amount is not modulated Depth gt 0 Starting at the current value the shaper page 108 This global depth is offset against the Free Env Depth value determined at the modulation destination amount increases in accordance with the envelope up to a max value of 127 Table 9 Blender parameters cont Continued in next column Table 9 Blender parameters cont Module Blender Blender Types
21. 14 Shaper 3 Control features Wheels A D S R Depth knob Input wheels for the envelope parameters The LED bar display indicates the parameter value The more LEDs light up the longer the defined time or in the case of a level the higher the level When you move a wheel the current parameter also appears in numeric form in the main display and can be edited using the knob Determines the intensity of the envelope s influence on the filter Depth is also adjustable via menu Status button Determines which parameters are adjusted via wheels e Silver The displayed parameters define the filter envelope which in turn determines the sweep of the filter cutoff frequency e Efx mix The delay and reverb wheels adjust the mix of the two master effects respectively S and R are inactive in this case Continued on next page Table 20 Control features Shaper 3 Good to know stuff The shaper status button has no influence on whether or not parameters are active It serves only to select the desired parameters so that they can be manipulated using the wheels or via the depth knob in silver status The filter envelope is activated at the silver module s filter level via the contour contr button Table 20 Control features Shaper 3 cont Shaper 3 Menu The following illustration shows the menu for the shaper status silver The parameters of these menus are summarize
22. 187 Master effects 158 Mod 116 Navigation 30 Resynator 75 Setup 59 Shaper 1 2 106 Shaper 3 151 Silver 136 Slicer 122 Sound 49 Surround 174 Time FX 137 MIDI Basic settings relevant 178 Channel no for sounds setup 61 179 Dump SysEx 189 General facts 178 Local basic settings 41 178 Local setup 61 179 Setup settings relevant 179 MIDI global channel 40 178 MIDI setup 12 Mix blender type 96 Mix chorus 145 Mix Decimator 141 Mix delay master FX 159 Mix flanger 143 Mix LR delay 143 Mix phaser 144 Mix rev master FX 159 Mix ring mod 141 Mix SP_warp 142 Mix singlesphere blender type 96 Mod Control features 116 Functionality 114 LFO basics 114 Menu 116 Parameter table 116 Routing 115 Mod freq ring mod 141 Mode 110 Model 70 Dump via ftp 190 Editing 87 Generating with ModelMaker 192 Load via ftp 190 Load dump 188 Loading 86 Standard values 38 Model database 33 71 Model Hi Lo velo switch 84 Model loader 86 Model parameters 70 Envelope 104 Keytrack 79 LFO Depth 79 Velocity depth 80 Model select menu 73 Model size key track 81 Model size offset 82 ModelMaker 8 192 Models Load 188 Modulation 4L 4T to blender amount 95 4L 4T to pitch 83 4L 4T to resynator pitch 101 ADSR to filter 127 150 ADSR to Model parameters 102 ADSR to resynator pitch 101 ADSR to resynator volume 101 ADSR1 to blender amount 95 ADSR1 to pitch 83 Controller destinations 165 Envelopes destinati
23. 2 i Aftertch D Continued on next page lt gt Contr 4 Dest 3 lt gt Aftertch Dest 3 oe gt Aftertch Dest 4 lt gt Contr 4 Dest 4 Footswitch Dest Aftertch Dest 4 Depth d f AH gt Free controllers gt How to select a destination The controller menu lists potential destinations in groups as shown in the following lists A group is indicated by a gt symbol following its name Use the navigation stick to scroll to the desired controller Twist the knob to select the desired group Stick right to open the group Select the destination using the knob Stick left to exit a group Example Say you want to define slicer rate as destination 3 for control 2 Press the controller button Stick down to scroll to control 2 Stick right to select destination 3 H Twist the knob to the right to select the group of slicer destinations Stick right to access the first destination slicer depth in this group Select our desired destination rate via knob Stick right to access the corresponding depth parameter directly and define as usual using the knob Stick left repeatedly to return to the selection list for destination numbers is Neuron book Seite 165 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 _ Controllers Route planning Double destination assignments are allowed And often desirable Control 1 to control 4 and aftertouch Destinations for the
24. 2 Status e Free Env Level 2 Free 4L4T Envelope Shp 1 2 Slicer e Free Env Time 2 Free 4L4T Envelope Shp 1 2 e Free Env Level3 Free 4L4T Envelope Shp 1 2 e Switch On Off e Free Env Time3 Free 4L4T Envelope Shp 1 2 Programmer e Free Env Level 4 Free 4L4T Envelope Shp 1 2 e Up sound or setup depending on mode e Free Env Time 4 Free 4L4T Envelope Shp 1 2 Down sound or setup depending on mode e LevelTime EnvDpt 4L4T Envelope Depth Silver Shaper 3 e Switch On Off e Filter Env Att Attack Filter Envelope Shp3 e Par Level e Filter Env Dec Decay Filter Envelope Shp3 e Contour Contour Contr e Filter Env Sust Sustain Filter Envelope Shp3 e Surround e Filter Env Rel Release Filter Envelope Shp3 e Filter e Filter Env Depth e Freq FX or Footswitch Switch Destinations Sh H PA PA A aper nly on nation for the f h Only one aesti atio is possible for the footswitc SSA Shaper 3 Status None footswitch is not used Master FX LFO Mod e Switch On Off e LFO Switch On Off e Delay Resynator 1 e Reverb e Switch On Off e Para Level e Contour Contour Contr e Octave e Scape Sphere Select Free controllers Neuron book Seite 168 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Velocity as an additional controller As discussed previously velocity can also be viewed as an internal controller and used as a modulation source Unlike aftertouch whose modulation destinations are defined in the controller menu
25. Birdos eicnens Resynator2 L1 Sphere Parameter 1 3 36 64 eecetes Resynator2 L1 Sphere Parameter 2 4 BT ek abe Resynator2 L2 Scape Parameter 1 3 oi EEE TE Data Entry MSB eee Resynator2 L2 Scape Parameter 2 4 AQ EEE Resynator2 L2 Sphere Parameter 1 3 i Resynator2 L2 Sphere Parameter 2 4 G2 eaeie s Resynator2 L3 Scape Parameter 1 3 G3 is asda Resynator2 L3 Scape Parameter 2 4 1 ae Resynator2 L3 Sphere Parameter 1 3 HA a EE EE Resynator2 L3 Sphere Parameter 2 4 A ENNA Resynator2 Octave GE AEE Resynator2 Semi 4B chews Resynator2 Detune A re LFO depth BOs amp deat dee LFO Rate Ly eae Silver Filter Type B ect aes a Silver Filter Cutoff ee Silver Filter Resonance BA ise ete als Silver Frequency FX On Off Eese Silver Frequency FX Parameter 1 la AE Silver Frequency FX Parameter 2 o REE EN Silver Time FX On Off ys eee Silver Time FX Parameter 1 59 Silver Time FX Parameter 2 605 cde ets Silver surround On Off Oli sanasa Silver surround Position X TAE Silver surround Position Y e AS Silver surround Sub Mix 64 saad Sustain pedal G5 dee cond Reserved 66 086 4 Switch Pedal Tears sas LFO On Off o sets se Resynator1 On Off serene Resynator2 On Off Ao eee Shaper 1 Amp Attack y flere ener Shaper 1 Amp Decay TO vs Secs Shaper 1 Amp Sustain E Shaper 1 Amp Release ee Shaper 2 Amp Attack yf eee Shaper 2 Amp Decay TEETE Shaper 2 Amp Sustain TE Shaper 2 Amp Release TB sae 5 00 te Shaper 1 Parameter Attac
26. Computer Midi Interface Thru This port receives the same signal as the in port You can patch MIDI data thru to another MIDI device via this output Out All MIDI data generated in Neuron is sent to other MIDI enabled devices via this MIDI output Connect a MIDI device that you want to control via Neuron here You will find a detailed description of Neuron s Sound Module FX Synthesizer Master Keyboard MIDI control mechanisms starting on page 178 ists Neuron book Seite 13 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Digital inputs outputs USB connection Digital In Out Digital audio input and output Designed for loss free audio data transfer these are S PDIF channels in coaxial format with a fixed sampling rate of 44 1 KHz 24 bits The serial transfer format consists of the actual audio data as well as various other info and status bits some of Digital Mixing Console Digital Recording Device which enable copy protection For example you could use a suitable coaxial cable 75 ohms RCA connectors to connect Neuron to a hard disk recording system DAT recorder or digital mixer Note that the content of the digital signal sent via this port is identical to the analog signal routed out via stereo output 1 USB Standard USB interface for connecting a PC MAC via USB network adapter For details see page 185 Digital inputs outputs USB connection Let the games begin Set up your
27. Modulation via ADSR env 103 Volume resynator 77 Volume depth 72 Volume in the setup 61 w Warranty 8 Wave chorus 145 Wave flanger 143 Wave Mod 117 Neuron book Seite 204 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Wave phaser 144 Wave ring mod 141 Wave slicer 122 What To Copy 54 Wheel Blender 94 Delay 157 General facts 29 Reverb 157 Shaper 105 Shaper 3 151 X X Dly Fdbk ring mod 141 Xover delay ring mod 141 Xover Time ring mod 141
28. Press the menu button while the menu is active to access the top level of the menu for example model loader in the resynators Or e Manipulate any of the module s knobs or buttons The main display will immediately display the appropriate menu option You can then scroll through that module s menu using the navigation stick on the central control unit in order to edit other parameters Total recall Neuron remembers menu options When you begin designing sounds you are sure to work with several Neuron modules simultaneously For this reason Neuron remembers the most recently edited option of every menu So if you exit a menu and return to this menu later by pressing the menu button you will arrive at exactly the same point In order to jump to the top level of the menu from there press the menu button once Navigating menus After you retrieve the menu of a given module you can edit using the navigation stick and knob located to the left and right of the main display respectively e Stick down and stick up to scroll through the main menu options Stick right and stick left to jump to and scroll through submenus if on hand e The rotary knob edits the current parameter Depending on the parameter you can either select among predefined settings or adjust a numeric value 2 Neuron book Seite 31 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 T lt NEURON gt Neuron s enter button F
29. The 5 1 multi channel format provides the technical underpinning for the encoding and transmission format Dolby Digital widely used for DVDs Dolby Surround Dolby Digital and Virtual Surround which is achieved by phase and frequency shifting without requiring additional speakers are not multi channel formats They are the names of CODECs the proprietary coding decoding algorithms of Dolby Labs and as such do not necessarily refer to the number of channels ist 7 a Fe Neuron book Seite 171 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Subwoofers bottom end bliss In 5 1 format the low bass channel serves to expand the low end and in home movie theater applications render effects In the latter case the bass channel is also called the low frequency effects LFE channel Low bass frequencies are filtered out of the remaining channels and transmitted exclusively via the frequency limited subwoofer channel As a result the volume of the five main speakers or satellites can be reduced significantly In Neuron you can determine the subwoofer s upper frequency limit via menu Excerpts from recommendation ITU 775 for studio and home multi channel audio productions Note that all parameters relate to a very small sweet spot Though the requirements for a studio environment are more demanding the parameters translate reasonably well to home use Requirements for a surroun
30. The store function in setup mode works like the save as command commonly used on computers You can either store the setup under the current number or put the setup some other place within the setup database e Press the red programmer store button while in setup mode Now you can select what you want to store Press enter to select the setup Module Programmer The current setup number or name appears in the main display Twist the knob to select the number under which you want to store the setup The name of the setup currently stored under this number appears Note that this setup will be overwritten Name the new setup Stick right the navigation stick to access the first character in the display s second line The name of the currently stored setup appears in the display and you can now overwrite it see the example display Twist the knob to select the desired character Tip Stick up stick down to select uppercase and lowercase Use the navigation stick and the knob as described above to change each character in the name line e After you have named the setup confirm the storage process by pressing the rotary knob The display reads Saving fora moment and returns to the most recently active menu at the end of the storage process You can cancel the store operation at any time with the exit button before you send the setup off to its new address This returns the display to the most recent
31. Tune the resynator up or down using the octave e To edit a model s parameter values first select button Go to the menu option pitch and scroll the parameter region select button then the to thenahtto det h deli desired level parameter level button O tne rignt to detune tne moden semitone or e Edit the current level s parameters using the cent steps see the menu diagrams starting on stick controller The four displays surrounding fra If dul the stick indicate the current values RNO vn ee ae volume or individual cross x parameter values via key pressure define the given velo depth i U parameter in the resynator menu see page 78 e Key tracking If desired define volume key tracking for the entire resynator see page 78 or key tracking for individual model parameters page 79 e Once you have touched a parameter level with the stick the first parameter also appears LFO If you want to modulate the model via an LFO oscillation first define the oscillation in the mod module page 117 then define the modulation depth for pitch volume or individual parameter values in the resynator see parameter descriptions starting on page 77 Contour control Use the contour contr button to activate stick animation for the resynator or to modulate model parameters via envelope shaper 1 LED lights up You must activate stick animation or the shaper envelope specifically for every scape a
32. add delay at the beginning of the curve set level 1 and level 2 to 0 The delay time is determined by the time 1 setting The 4L4T envelope makes it very easy to define how the modulated parameter responds In Neuron the 4 levels 4 times curve is available in shaper status free only Modulating volume via an ADSR envelope Say you opt to use the aforementioned ADSR envelope to modulate the amplitude of a sound In Neuron the shapers amplifier mode serves this purpose It elicits the following amplitude response You press a key the attack phase begins The note swells to its peak volume in the defined attack time The lower the attack parameter the faster the note responds to your key pressure After attaining maximum volume the note drops to sustain level within the defined decay time This means that the sustain parameter determines the level at which the note is held The release phase begins as soon as you release the key The note fades during this phase until it is no longer audible at the end of the phase In Neuron this modulation is available in two versions The ADSR curve defined in shaper 1 influences resynator 1 Shaper 2 is routed to resynator 2 The contour control of the respective resynator has no influence on the amplifier envelope Amplifier envelopes are always active Modulating pitch via an ADSR or 4 levels 4 times envelope In the shapers you can define free ADSR envelopes to modulate either of t
33. behind Neuron Contemporary music productions have benefited from computer assistance for years now Though computers have assumed the role of the actual recording equipment they come in many other musical guises Case in point Where in the past synthesizers and samplers were made up of discrete electronic components today they run as programs on a DSP digital signal processor The past five years have seen the advent of a technology so powerful that it allows emulations of musical instruments to be integrated into computer assisted music systems in the form of software plug ins This lets you enjoy the convenience of accessing virtual instruments right there on your computer The instruments appear on a graphical interface on your screen alongside the actual recording software This view depicts the various control features faders knobs buttons switches and so forth that serve to play a virtual instrument such as a sampler or synthesizer It is safe to say that today this technology is the industry standard However despite the unassailable convenience ever more users are voicing their dissatisfaction with the ergonomic shortcomings of playing an instrument via screen computer keyboard and mouse Musicians and producers alike feel that this uninspiring working method is an encumbrance hampering creativity and the all important impelling force of musical intuition The growing success of specialized remote contro
34. cuts the center channel for each sound Note that the effect of this value is relative to the value determined by stick Value range 0 to 127 Default 63 Values lt 63 Cuts the center channel s level Values gt 63 Boost Surround Boosts or cuts the subwoofer channel for sub mix each sound Value range 0 to 127 Default 63 Values lt 63 Cuts the subwoofer channel s level Values gt 63 Boost Table 5 Setup parameters cont Table 5 Setup parameters cont The values of the surround pan parameters FrLeft to BkLeft and implicit Center can be adjusted via silver stick controller when surround mode is active and the given sound is primed within the setup Please note that SrndCenterWeight is a separate parameter in addition to the implicit center value Surround mode is described in detail starting on page 169 Neuron book Seite 65 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt gt How to start setup mode necessary preceded by zeros e g 003 The All the procedures described in the following section setup is loaded immediately after the third require that Neuron is running in setup mode digit is entered You can only do this when setup loader is displayed e Dial in the setup number by twisting the knob next to the display and confirm with enter by pressing the knob The setup number continues to flash until the selected setup is loaded When you load a setup all m
35. envelope generated by shaper 1 2 and thus the intensity of its effect on resynator pitch Value range 0 to 127 Depth 0 The free envelope does not modulate pitch Depth gt 0 Starting at the current value the pitch rises in accordance with the 4L 4T curve Unlike ADSR depth 4 L 4 T depth does not allow negative values because the envelope itself can accept negative levels Note in this context the global depth of the envelope which is defined directly in the shaper page 108 This global depth is offset against the Free Env Depth value determined at this modulation destination Table 7 Resynator parameters cont Table 7 Resynator parameters cont Neuron book Seite 84 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Module Resynator Model Hi Lo Velo Switch Heads up This parameter is enabled only when the model loaded in the resynator distinguishes between low and high velocity zones This property is determined when the model is created in ModelMaker The parameter defines a velocity threshold value If the pressure applied to the key exceeds the threshold value the high velocity zone plays If the force of your key attack falls short of the defined threshold value the model s low velocity zone sounds That way you can address two sound components within a model by simply varying key pressure Value range 1 to 127 Table 7 Resynator parameters cont Ne
36. establishing technical standards without undermining audio engineers creativity and willingness to experiment 3 2 Main recommendation for discrete multi channel stereophony with three front speakers Left center right and two rear channels LS left surround and RS Standard according to BS ITU R 775 5 1 A variation on the 3 2 recommendation that extends the standard to include a frequency limited subsonic bass channel low frequency effect LFE Sweet spot The best possible listening position The ITU recommends a specific speaker array for every multi channel audio type the goal being to achieve the largest possible listening area with the highest possible fidelity The array recommended for the 5 1 format is depicted on page 171 Audio shoptalk revealed Surround Dolby Surround Dolby Digital Neuron supports surround format 5 1 a digital multi channel format with six discrete channels see definition The 5 1 format is not to be confused with the first commercial multi channel technology Dolby Surround It is based on a matrix comprising two analog transmission channels A frequency limited center channel and a frequency limited rear surround channel are encoded into a two channel stereo signal The rear channel is delayed and sent to two speakers The center channel is either distributed in equal parts to the left and right front channel or rendered via a dedicated center speaker depending on decoder
37. gear as follows Connect stereo output 1 L R to the inputs of your mixer or audio interface For purposes of MIDI control connect the MIDI In Out ports in the standard manner used for other synthesizers To learn more about Neuron s connections and interfaces see page 8 Powering up finally The on off switch is the Hartmann logo located at the rear of the housing e While the Neuron is booting that is loading all data required for operation the main display reads Then Neuron s software is initialized This launching process can take some time When Neuron comes on line it is in sound mode with sound 0 loaded The switch lights up continuously when Neuron is up and running Is Neuron book Seite 15 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Switching off To switch off Neuron though we re keen to know what reason you might have to ever shut Neuron down briefly press the handsome mains power switch If you have defined the option ask for the switch off parameter which is the default setting in the basic settings the following question appears in the display Press enter that s the knob next to the main display in order to shut Neuron down This process takes several seconds and is indicated by the display reading Switching off If you reconsider at the last moment very sensible of you press the exit button so that Neuron remains powered up If the basi
38. is divided into three diagrams The first diagram depicts the main branch in which you can select the desired filter type and set up one frequency and time based effect each You will find the effects submenus in the following two diagrams Menu y gt silver Filter gt Silver Filter Filter Type Cutoff lt gt Resonance A lt gt LFO Depth Freq FX v gt Silver FreqFX p Silver FreaFX 4 Submenu of the selected Switch Type frequency effect Time FX A v gt lt p Submenu of the selected Switch Type time based effect A Accessed also via v Contour Contr Silver Stk anim lt qp Stick Animation Filter and subsequently lt gt VeloDepth Silver Stk anim Freq FX D lt gt Stick up stick down lt gt Stick left stick right A Submenus of the individual frequency effects FreqFX EQComp lt p FreqFx ParamEQ ParamEQ On Off LowShelf On Off lt gt lt gt lt gt only when ParamEQ on Off leads directly to Comp only when LowShelf on lt gt peran only when B1 on lt gt B1 Freq p lt gt lt p Band 2 On Off lt gt only when B2 on lt gt B2 Freq lt gt FreqFX ParamEQ only when HighShelf on lt A gt HighShelf on off like Low Shelf lt p FreqFX EQComp FreqFX Comp Compressor On Off lt gt Threshold only when Compressor on gt lt gt Response Continued on
39. knob located next to the main display The same applies to the destinations resynator 2 pitch blender and slicer You will find further information on page 104 Module Shaper 1 2 Neuron book Seite 114 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Module Mod You will find a polyphonic freely routable low frequency oscillator LFO in the mod module located to the left of resynator 1 It generates a periodic low frequency oscillation that you can use as the modulation source for the following destinations Volume pitch and model parameters of both resynators the amount of the blender module and the cutoff frequency of the filter currently selected in the silver module If you cannot quite recall the meaning of some of these terms up next is a primer on LFO basics The output signal of an LFO low frequency oscillator is not audible as such Instead this slowly oscillating signal whose frequency and waveform you can define is used to shape an audible audio signal This process is called modulation The signal can be influenced in various ways depending on the defined modulation destination In an amplitude modulation the mod signal shapes the amplitude which is the volume of the audio signal The volume envelope of the played note s is determined by the mod oscillation A slow mod oscillation generates a tremolo effect Can you see the similarity to the shaper and the ADSR envelope You are right
40. left and stick right to move the cursor so that you can load sounds to the other positions in the setup gt How to prime a sound for editing within a setup The aforementioned sound 1 to 4 buttons also serve to do this When you press a button repeatedly the assigned sound is activated LED lights up primed LED flashes or deactivated LED extinguishes If you want to mute an activated sound without priming it first press and hold the appropriate sound button until the LED extinguishes one second should do An activated sound is played with the setup while a deactivated sound is muted A primed sound can be edited by means of the module s control features while the current setup is being performed All changes for example parameters edited via stick in the resynators or in slicer or silver always apply to the primed sound and are audible in the setup without having to first store the edited sound or load the edited sound into the setup gt How to store edited sounds in a setup Sounds are reference by or linked into a setup If you edit a sound s parameters within a setup because you want it to sound a bit different in the setup than it does in sound mode you must store these changes specifically Simply storing the setup will not save these changes Setup mode offers an enhanced store function for this very purpose e Press the red store button You can now select in the display what you want to
41. modulation destination s depth value Table 7 Resynator parameters cont Table 7 Resynator parameters cont Neuron book Seite 83 Montag lt NEURON gt 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Pitch Key track Pitch FreeEnv ADSR 1 Depth and ADSR 2 Depth Determines the key tracking for the resynator s pitch Value range 64 to 63 Default 63 0 Pitch remains constant over the entire keyboard C3 Positive values The pitch of notes above the center key C3 rises 63 pitch standard keyboard assignment Negative values The pitch of notes above the center key C3 drops 64 inversion of the standard keyboard assignment See also the illustration on page 85 Determines the modulation depth of the free ADSR envelope generated by shaper 1 or shaper 2 and thus the intensity of its effect on resynator pitch Value range 64 to 63 Depth 0 The free envelope does not modulate pitch Depth gt 0 Starting at the current value pitch rises in accordance with the ADSR envelope Depth lt 0 Pitch drops in accordance with the envelope Continued on next page Pitch FreeEnv 4L 4T Depth Note in this context the global depth of the envelope which is defined directly in the shaper page 108 This global depth is offset against the Free Env Depth value determined at this modulation destination Determines the modulation depth of the free 4 levels 4 times
42. module a list of control features and menu diagrams for quick reference plenty of stuff to ponder even for the synthesizer expert Our Quick Start Guide starts on page 16 Its purpose is to give the eager synthesist who wants to dive right into the Neuron pool a friendly shove and for not quite so professional pros In the event that you are an absolute beginner or are not quite sure what an envelope is good for and what a chorus does this manual offers an explanatory and hopefully enlightening introduction for every module with an index to boot We invested considerable effort into referencing terminology in the index starting on page 195 so that you can access any desired information in a hurry Style conventions Most of us are creatures of habit That is why in this manual we have opted to use distinctive typeset to denote control features parameters and displays Control features such as buttons knobs wheels and stick controllers appear in bold Parameters that can be selected or edited in a module as well as LEDs appear in italics Display read outs are shown in typescript o LAA t In order to describe how to use the navigation stick located next to the main display in as few words as possible we use the following shortcuts Stick down means that you should move the stick down once in order to perform the given operation Stick up left right means move the stick in the given directio
43. next page 14 gt Neuron book Seite 137 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Continued from previous page Frequency effects FreqFX Dist lt p FreqFX Dist In Drive Pre filt cut EN lt gt gt FreqFX RingMod gt FreqFX RingMod Mix Mod Freq lt gt M S amp H factor E gt FreqFX Decim Ds FreqFX Decim ix lt gt FreqFX SP_warp Frequency lt gt lt gt Damping lt p Speed lt gt Pre filt cut FreqFX SP_warp lt p Mi f Submenus of time based effects TimeFX StSpread lt gt TimeFX StSpread Chan delay Feedback a ae Mix TimeFX Flanger Mix lt gt Feedback TimeFX Flanger gt lt gt aa lt gt TimeFX Phaser Mix TimeFX Chorus Mix lt p gt Wave lt p Stereo phase lt gt ee Module Silver Neuron book Seite 138 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Silver Parameters In the following tables parameters are described separately according to effect category filter freq FX and time FX The stick icon indicates parameters that can be adjusted using the silver stick provided that the given level has been selected via parameter level Filter parameters Type Cutoff Resonance Defines the type of filter Your options are three low pass filters 24 dB 12 dB 6 dB a 6 dB high pass filter and a band pass filter Filter ty
44. note It tells both Neuron s internal workings as well as the MIDI setup to shut up After rebooting Neuron comes back on line in the same mode that it was in before the panic attack occurred All settings remain intact Operating modes Neuron distinguishes between two operating modes sound mode and setup mode The latter you are probably familiar with it has the same underlying concept as multimode Neuron comes on line in sound mode Operating mode Sound mode As its name would indicate in sound mode you can play individual sounds edit and store them You are also free to create new sounds by loading models into the resynators editing their parameters and doing other fun stuff like defining envelopes or piling on silver effects Since this operating mode pertains to a single sound it is also called single mode gt How to enter exit sound mode Sound mode and setup mode are mutually exclusive To access sound mode quit setup mode by pressing the setup button The LED above the button does not light up when Neuron is set to sound mode You will find out how to store load and edit sounds in the section starting on page 50 Operating mode Setup mode In setup mode or multimode sounds created in sound mode are combined into setups A setup may contain up to four sounds that can be played simultaneously Sound mode and setup mode are mutually exclusive To access setup mode quit sound mode by pre
45. of sound waves when they arrive at our ears Do not let the terminology baffle you the explanation is actually quite simple Our ears are accustomed to hearing sounds first in one ear and then with a slight delay in the other in closed venues That gives us the impression of space Picture a concert hall with a very high ceiling The acoustic waves first reflect off the walls Because you are not standing equidistant from each wall the sound waves arrive at your right ear earlier or later than at the left ear If the venue s ceiling was very low the sound waves would be reflected off it first and both your ears would hear them simultaneously o 2 Neuron book Seite 157 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Back to the synthesizer world The reverb effect simulates the acoustic properties of a room A dry signal without any reflections sounds unnatural For reasons of budget venue and time we do not always have the pleasure of playing in a concert hall or acoustically commensurate room so we lay the Reverb Switches the reverb effect on off Note in button this context the mix parameter page 159 Menu Activates the most recently edited menu button option or if you are already working in the master effects menu the top level of the A menu desired type of reverb type parameter see page 159 over the signal Shaper3 If shaper 3 is in efx mix status you can Delay define both mix
46. of the latest developments and system updates You too will enjoy this wonderful service after you fill in the warranty card and send it to your local distributor or to the address printed on the card Once we receive your registration we will send you ModelMaker a software application that lets you create your own models from samples Setting up Place your Neuron on a clean smooth surface making sure the device resides on a firm stable base When choosing a location suitable for setting up read and heed the notes on safety on page 5 IZZ Ki lt NEURON gt Neuron book Seite 9 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Neuron s connectors and ports The connector panel is located on the left side of the device That is a nice touch because your audience can admire the handsome Hartmann trademark a very distinctive on button rather than a rat s nest of cords The ports are shown in detail in the illustrations on the following pages Before cabling up e switch off all devices in the signal chain e read the guidelines on the following pages first and heed the notes on safety on page 5 e turn the volume on the connected amp mixer all the way down A word on audio quality To allow your Neuron to unleash all the awesome might of its sonic powers and our innovative resynthesis technology to work its magic be sure to use premium audio devices amps mixers speaker In other words plug into the be
47. oscillator A resyn ator also performs similar functions Like an oscilla tor it provides the basic material for sound generation Module Resynator The idea behind Neuron models While the classic analog synthesizer offers just a few basic waveforms for purposes of sound generation the resynator features a sophisticated sound model at this bottom line level of sound shaping The underlying principle is comparable to that of many modern day PCM synthesizers that use samples rather than basic waveforms However Neuron s models are far more advanced and versatile than the fixed sound bite that is a sample which does not allow invasive sound sculpting Neuron sound models are created via adaptive sound analysis and linked to individual parameter sets And as parameter names like small warm cold and torsion would attest every parameter addresses some kind of tonal property Model parameters A model s parameters are a combination of musically meaningful values As discussed above accessing the key musical attributes of a sound poses tremendous obstacles Courtesy of adaptable algorithms resynthesis has the power to blast through this performance barrier Following a basic classification the neural synthesis engine detects the formative parameters of a sound categorizes them in groups and assigns them to one of two parameter levels that we call scape and sphere more on this later How freely or abstractly t
48. parameters our flute is assigned at one of the three levels wide narrow and clear rough This means that you can edit the breadth and roughness of the flute s sound on the fly The two resynators in Neuron Neuron features two resynators of identical design Models may be selected freely for each resynator Envelopes and stick recording animation Editing within the scape and sphere parameter levels can be performed at each level via a hard wired ADSR envelope The envelope defined in shaper 1 modulates resynator 1 likewise shaper 2 serves as the envelope generator and resynator 2 In addition the two shapers offer freely routable envelopes either two ADSR envelopes or one 4 levels 4 times curve for controlling resynator pitch The curve parameters are defined in the respective shaper the depth or intensity of the curve and therefore its routing is determined in the menu of the given resynator FreeEnv Pitch see page 83 To learn how to handle the shaper read the section Module Shaper 1 2 starting on page 99 As an alternative stick movements can be recorded in real time and applied selectively to control the parameters of each scape sphere level We call this process stick animation and have de dicated a separate section to it starting on page 89 Pitch volume and parameter modulation The volume of every resynator output as well as pitch and every scape and sphere level s opposite parameter pair
49. parameters conveniently Master effects Control features reverb using the shaper wheels wheels On Off Switch the master effects on off Note in this button context the two mix parameters for delay and reverb page 159 Table 22 Control features of the master effects Delay Switches the delay effect on off Note in this button context the mix parameter page 159 Tap Neuron measures the time in ms that button elapses between the last two taps and uses this value to compute tempo In other words press the button repeatedly while locked into the groove of the song and the delay time will be in sync Whether or not you are locked into the band s groove of course depends entirely on you You can then adjust L time and R time independently via menu Table 22 Control features of the master effects 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Module Master effects Master effects Menu The dotted arrow pointing to the menu options R time and L time indicates that the two values can be defined via the tap button On Off Menu Shaper 3 Mast FX N Delay Master FX Delay gt Master FX Delay lt gt Switch Mix EA Shaper 3 Wheel Reverb N Reverb Master FX Reverb gt Master FX Reverb PS Switch Mix lt gt lt gt gt Master FX Reverb Type lt gt Decay time lt gt lt gt aster FX Delay W M L Time After pressing it a second t
50. paste lets you copy data to other sounds or other modules within the current sound Press the programmer copy paste button to enable the copy function Here is its menu structure CopyFromSound No PM Soundname A Yy CopyWithin What Data selection A v Reset to default Data selection What To Copy Data selection CopyWithin Where gt Target selection 1 Selection list data to be copied from one sound to another 2 Selection list What data to be copied within a sound 3 Selection list Where destination within a sound 4 Selection list data to be reset to default values Select options by twisting the knob Enter starts the copy reset operation Copy paste mode is ended automatically when you change a parameter in any module If you exit the copy paste menu by pressing the copy paste button again Neuron jumps to the most recently edited menu In both cases the device recalls the most recently edited copy paste menu option and displays it immediately when you access the copy paste menu again o Neuron book Seite 55 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Copying from one sound to another When copying from one sound to another data is always copied from the selected source sound to the currently loaded sound If the source and destination numbers are identical Neuron loads data stored in the sound database overwriting the current s
51. selection menu Stick down from there to access effects gt How to select define an effect If you are having problems navigating the menu check out the diagrams starting on page 136 They will show you the way A frequency effect serves as the example in the following description Proceed accordingly for time based effects The time FX menu option is located directly below freq FX Bear in mind that only one frequency effect and one time based effect can be active at any given time e Switch silver on on off button e Switch the freq effect group on so that you can hear the effects of parameter changes immediately while editing freq FX button J e Stick right using the navigation stick next to the main display to scroll to the effects selection list Twist the knob next to the main display to dial in the desired effect For our example we will choose Sp_warp Press the silver parameter C Time FX level button repeatedly so that the freq FX LED lights up You can move the stick to edit Parameter the two most important Lanei parameters of the selected effect In our example using Sp_warp these are mix and frequency You can adjust the two parameters using the knob next to the main display The first parameter that you just edited via stick appears in the main display To define the remaining effect parameters stick right to scroll to the effect s remaining menu options
52. sizes depending on complexity But there is no reason to fret about hard disk real estate there is plenty of acreage reserved for files In the section The idea behind Neuron models starting on page 70 you will find out everything worth knowing about models Note that when editing sounds via resynator the actual model data stored in the model database is not edited A model is loaded into the resynator as a reference in other words another instance of the original model is generated and the settings that you dial for its parameters are stored at the sound level rather than the model level This explains why the sound level is the third stage of our hierarchy Every sound is the sum of wildly diverse information including everything from the employed models to silver effect settings When you load a sound all settings pertaining to this sound are loaded from the sound database into the appropriate modules Every new sound that you store wanders into the sound database accompanied by all this data Unlike many other synthesizers Neuron has no sound banks because the 1 000 potential sounds are stored sequentially For purposes of MIDI addressing consider sounds 0 to 99 to be a virtual first bank sounds 100 to 199 a second bank and so forth So what kind of information is stored at the sound level e The name and number of the sound e References or links to the employed model numbers of both resynators e Th
53. sound waves spread determine reverb In Neuron we do this via the type parameter A measurable quality of reverb is decay time This is the time it takes the sound pressure level to drop 60 dB from the original level decay parameter So reverb and delay would seem to be two birds of the same feather Not so even if a delay effect is able to generate regularly repeating echoes it lacks an essential quality of reverb Though reverb also consists of echoes there is a distinction between early and late reflections Early reflections arrive shortly after the direct sound In physical terms these are clearly defined highly focused waves Because they have not been diffused by multiple reflections they provide a more direct and accurate impression of the sound source and shape and size of the room in relation to the position of the listener Late reflections arrive much later and in far greater numbers These late reflections are almost random so they do not leave you with much of an impression of the physical properties of the room This is why they are also called diffuse reflections diffusion parameter Diffuse reflections or the lack thereof are crucial in determining the acoustics of a room A good concert hall for example absorbs these reflections so well that they decay exponentially Level Early reflections Late diffuse reflections Decay Another important property of reverb is the incoherence
54. store Use the knob to select the setup specific parameters or one of the four sounds to be stored IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 67 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt For example say you have edited sound 3 and want to store sound 3 under another name and number e Select sound 3 using the knob e Confirm your selection via enter The rest of the procedure is the same as the procedure for storing a sound in sound mode e If necessary dial in a new number with the knob and assign a new name to the sound For details on how this is done please read the description on page 51 e Confirm the storage process by pressing enter the rotary knob The display reads Saving fora moment and then returns to the most recently edited menu option After you have stored the sound under another number and with a new name the new sound automatically takes the place of the old sound in the setup gt How to program a setup You have two options for programming a setup either load a previously programmed setup and change the settings as desired or generate a new setup by loading a fresh number and begin assigning the sounds After you have loaded the desired sounds toggle the navigation stick to scroll through the setup menu see page 59 and define the various parameters for each sound All parameters are described in the table starting on page 61 gt How to store a setup
55. than color a sound Today the equalizer ranks among the most important tools for shaping sound and compensating for environmental conditions A parametric EQ lets you zero in on specific frequency bands individually by defining the cutoff or center frequency slope or bandwidth Q and gain for each band and filter To this end Neuron offers two shelving filters low shelf and high shelf as well as two peaking filters B1 and B2 The individual frequency bands can overlap Gain determines the amount of amplification letting you compensate for volume changes resulting from your sound shaping efforts The compressor It condenses the dynamic range of an audio signal by cutting high signal levels and boosting low signal levels You can define the level at which the compressor kicks in via the threshold parameter The response time of a compressor is crucial When the input level exceeds the threshold a certain amount of attack time elapses before the signal arrives at the output The same principle applies to release time after the compressor no longer receives an input signal Neuron offers a parameter called responsiveness it controls response as a function of a combination of program driven attack and release time Distortion The input signal is boosted to a level exceeding the clip threshold which generates distortion Neuron s distortion effect is based on the principle of soft clipping a kind of overdrive for the fa
56. the interface between Neuron s models and your creative powers 2 The blender is the arbitrator between the two resynators see the description on page 93 3 Shaper 1 and 2 are flexible envelope generators page 99 4 The programmer is Neuron s command and control center and administrative headquarters page 45 5 Lurking beneath the mod s unassuming exterior is a powerful LFO generator serving as a freely assignable modulation source page 114 6 The slicer is an unusual variation on an LFO page 119 7 The silver module is a multi effect sporting a top flight multimode filter page 123 It is also the home of the surround controls 8 Shaper 3 lets you define a filter envelope page 149 9 Master effects put pro quality delay and reverb at your fingertips page 154 10 And finally we give you free controllers for free thinking citizens page 162 IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 17 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 T lt NEURON gt If you cannot wait to find out the order and hierarchy of modules in the signal flow check out page 43 44 where you will find a detailed diagram that should answer all your questions And now back to our guided tour The following Quick Start Guide caters for seasoned keyboardists and producers who have plenty of experience with synthesizers Follow along with these steps and you will gain an initial impression of Neuron s powers without delving into det
57. warp makes for a great effect sound for soundtracks or experimental music __ Neuron book Seite 131 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Time based effects time FX Alongside frequency modulating effects Neuron features another effect processor offering various time based effects time FX This effects group is equipped with a dedicated on off switch the time FX button Like for freq FXs the two most important effect parameters are variable via stick if you set the parameter level to time FX Time FX parameters are explained on page 142 Stereo spread This effect delays one of the two stereo channels to create a wider stereo image LR delay Delay is a variable time based parameter used to start an event in this case a signal only after a predetermined amount of time You can vary delay time within the defined limits Delayed signals are routed back into the effect s input This is called a feedback circuit or loop The signal is then routed back to the output with a variable number of repetitions or echoes contingent upon the amount of feedback signal as determined by the feedback parameter Phaser A phaser colors the sound of a signal and modulates it periodically Here is a somewhat simplified explanation The incoming audio signal is doubled and one signal is put out of phase using special filters Then the out of phase signal is delayed ever so slightly and added
58. you switch this module off Mix Defines the amount of processed signal in relation to the original signal wet dry mix Value range 0 to 127 L Time Determines delay time for the left and right R Time channels The value is defined in milliseconds Time is varied smoothly rather than in audible increments To avoid the Type Offers different types of reverb simulating different room sizes and properties SmallRoom Plate MedRoom Hall1 Hall2 dreaded clicking noise when setting values Decay Defines the decay time for the reverb effect the delay time is adjusted gradually time see the illustration on page 156 Value range 0 to 1000 ms Value range 0 to 127 Press the tap button twice or several times to set the delay times of both channels intuitively see also page 157 Then you can fine tune the channel settings separately via menu Table 24 Master effects Reverb parameters Table 23 Master effects Delay parameters Diffusion HF damp Detune amnt Detune speed Determines the spread of late reflections This parameter effects the density of the reverb signal A high diffusion value evokes a softer fuller reverb effect Be aware though that overlapping reflections can muddy the soundscape A low value generates audible echoes For this reason strings tend to handle higher diffusion settings better than percussive sounds Value range 0 to 127 Adjusts high frequenc
59. 4Time gt Shp1 2 4Lvl4Time Shp 1 Mode Level 1 Shp1 Par Levels gt Shp1 Par Levels Depth A lt gt Time 1 L2 Dp Scal 3 L2 Dp Sca2 4 A Shaper1 2 M gt ccess Depth a depending on SPS shp1 2 4Lvl4Time Select Depth k 7 Shp1 Par Levels gt Shp1 Par Levels Par p lt gt F Wheel Time 4 L2 Dp Sph1 3 L2 Dp Sph2 4 Level i to Shp1 2 4Lvl4Time lt a Shp1 2 4Lv14T VeloDepth Time 4 A Note also the depth v parameter at the desired Shp1 Par Levels gt Shp1 Par Levels modulation destinations L3 Dp Sph1 3 L3 Dp Sph2 4 A v Shp 2 Mode Attack Decay Sustain Release lt Shaper2 Wheels A D S R Same as Shaper 1 VeloDepth same as Shp 1 Depth for each scape sphere parameter pair same as Shp 1 lt 4 Shaper 2 Depth Shp1 Par Levels L3 Dp Scal 3 Shp1 Par Levels L3 Dp Sca2 4 ine lt gt Module Shaper 1 2 Module Shaper 1 2 Shaper 1 2 Status Free Shaper 1 2 Status Free v Shaper 1 2 Free Type Shaper1 Wheel A Free 4 Levels 4 Times Free 2ADSR Wheel D Mode Attack Wheel R Shaper1 ae Depth gt gt Shp1 FreeADSR Depth lt p Release Shp1l FreeADSR fi j iI i VeloDepth Shaper2 Wheel A Wheel D Shp2 FreeADSR 4 Shp2 a Meers Mode Attack Wheel R lt gt Shaper2 y Depth Shp2 FreeADSR Depth Shp2 FreeADSR H VeloDepth Note also the depth A parameter at the desired y Stick up stick down modulation destination
60. 59 Rate LFO parameter 116 Rate slicer knob 121 Rate slicer 122 Record stick resynator 74 Record stick silver 134 Reduction decimator 130 Registration card 8 Release 100 105 108 Release filter env 150 152 ReLeft surround panning 64 Repair 7 Repeat envelope 99 103 110 Repeat filter envelope 150 Reset to default 57 Resonance 124 138 Response comp 140 Resynator 89 Control features 73 Envelope 72 Functionality 69 Loading a model 86 Menu 75 Model editing a 87 Modulation sources 72 Parameter table 77 is lt NEURON gt Neuron book Seite 201 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 _ Stick animation 72 80 Resynator parameters see model para meters ResyParReset 38 86 Return FX 161 Reverb 63 155 Ring modulator 129 Routing Mod 115 S S amp H factor decimator 141 S PDIF 13 Sample amp hold decimator 130 Samples into models converting 192 Sampling rate decimator 130 SawDown 118 Sawtooth 118 SawUp 118 Scape 71 Select scape sphere 73 Semi 82 Send FX 161 Setting up 8 Setup Dump via ftp 190 Load master FX settings 160 Load via ftp 190 Setup button 47 Setup Load 188 Setup level 35 Setup loader 65 setup mode 32 General facts 58 Load Dump 188 Loading a setup 65 Loading a sound 65 Menu 59 MIDI relevant settings 179 Overview 58 Parameter table 61 Priming a sound 66 Programming a setup 67 Send for delay 62 Send for reverb 63 Silver Mix 62 Start 65 Storing a setu
61. 64 Speaker array 171 SrndCenterWeight in a setup 64 Stick anim settings in a setup 63 Stick animation start 177 Stick recording 177 Sub cutoff frequency 41 Surround sub mix ina setup 64 Switching on 174 Surround setup 10 Surround Stk Ani 63 Surround sub mix 64 174 Sustain 100 105 108 Sustain filter env 150 152 Sustain ped basic settings 42 Sustain pedal Connecting 11 Switch Off 42 Switching off 15 Switching on 14 SysEx commands 179 System exclusive data 179 SysXDeviceID 41 179 T Tap 157 TCP IP protocol 186 Technical data 193 Threshold comp 140 Tilt SP_warp 142 Time LR delay 143 Time 1to4 105 Time FX 131 Menu 137 Settings 147 Time based effects see time FX ToNeuron 187 Transp setup 61 Transposing in a setup 61 Triangle 118 Type blender button 94 Type envelope 110 Type filter 138 Type Freq FX 139 Type rev master FX 159 Type Time FX 142 U Unpacking 8 Up 46 50 65 Update 8 185 Uploading via ftp Load 189 USB interface 185 USB connecting 13 Use specified 5 Vv Velo chrome 98 Velo crossmorph blender type 98 Velo high setup 62 Velo low setup 62 Velocity 87 162 Definition in basic settings 39 Destinations 168 Velocity depth envelope 102 Velocity depth filter cutoff 139 Velocity depth filter envelope 150 VeloCurve 39 VeloDepth Shaper 109 Shaper 3 152 VeloDepth model param 80 Vertical mode slicer 119 Vol setup 61 Volume Key tracking 78 LFO Depth 77
62. 9 Setup parameters 61 Table of contents Module Resynator 69 The philosophy behind resynators 69 The idea behind Neuron models 70 Resynator Control features 73 Resynator Menu 75 Resynator Parameters 77 Resynator Handling 86 Module Blender 93 Blender Control features 94 Blender Menu 94 Blender Parameters 94 Blender Types 96 Module Shaper 1 2 99 Normal or repeat 103 Shaper 1 2 Control features 105 Shaper 1 2 Menu 106 Shaper 1 2 Parameters 108 Shaper 1 2 Handling 110 Module Mod 114 Mod Routing 115 Mod Menu 116 Mod Control features 116 Mod Parameters 116 Mod Handling 117 Mod Waves Available LFO waveforms 118 Module Slicer 119 Slicer Control features 121 Slicer Menu 122 Slicer Parameters 122 Module Silver 123 Filter basics 124 Silver Control features 133 Silver Menus 136 Silver Parameters 138 Silver Handling 146 Module Shaper 3 149 Shaper 3 Control features 151 Shaper 3 Menu 151 Shaper 3 Parameters in silver status 152 Shaper 3 Handling 153 Module Master effects 154 Master effects Control features 157 Master effects Menu 158 Master effects Parameters 159 Master effects Handling 160 Free controllers 162 Controllers Menu 163 Controllers Route planning 165 Surround mode 169 Surround basics 169 Surround menu in Neuron 174 Surround handling in Neuron 174 o Neuron book Seite iii Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt MIDI control 178 MI
63. DI relevant basic settings 178 MIDI relevant setup settings 179 SysEx commands System exclusive data 179 Controller list 181 Updates and Backups 185 A word on the USB interface 185 The load dump function 187 Load dump Menu 187 Load dump Options 188 Just feed it 192 Converting samples into Neuron models 192 Technical data 193 CE Declaration of conformity 194 Index 195 Table of contents 23 Dezember 2002 _2 28 14 Neuron book Seite 1 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 L lt NEURON gt Welcome to the family Thank you for purchasing this groundbreaking electronic musical instrument To this day I recall the thrill that reading words much like these gave me when I brought my brand new synthesizer home I devoured the pages that followed in that first manual it would become my bedside bible for many days after acquiring that cherished machine Years have passed since as a musician I owned many instruments and as a designer I contributed to the making of many more With Neuron I was able to make my personal dream come true an aspiration that would not have been attainable without the close cooperation of one of the brightest minds in the music business Neuron s synthesis engine embraces the imagination and comprehensive knowledge of Stephan Sprenger who in March 2000 set out with me on an adventure of designing what is certainly the most powerful new development in synthesizers in recent years Before y
64. Hz Speed Determines the LFO oscillation frequency Ring mod for modulating the carrier frequency mod freq Value range 0 0 to 20 0 Hz in 0 1 Hz steps Depth Determines the modulation depth of the Ring mod carrier frequency mod freq via the LFO oscillation Value range 0 to 127 Table 18 Silver Freq FX parameters cont Wave Determines the LFO oscillation s waveform Ring mod The same waveforms are available as in the mod menu You will find a list of all available waveforms on page 118 Xover delay Determines the amount of delayed signal Ring mod sent back to the ring modulator s input from its output via feedback loop Value range 0 to 127 Xover Time Determines the delay time for the signal Ring mod sent back to the ring modulators input from its output via feedback loop Value range 0 to 1000 ms X Dly Fdbk Determines the amount of the signal sent Ring mod back to the ring modulators input from its output via feedback loop Value range 64 to 63 Mix Determines the amount of wet signal in Decimator the effect s output signal the mix of the original signal and the down sampled signal Value range 0 to 127 S amp H factor Determines to which extent the original Decimator signal is reduced by the sample amp hold circuit Value range 0 to 127 Table 18 Silver Freq FX parameters cont o t Neuron book Seite 142 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Pre fil
65. Neuron book Seite i Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Neuron book Seite ii Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Neuron book Seite i Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Table of contents Welcome to the family 1 Neuron basics 22 The Neuron Team 2 The philosophy behind Neuron 22 Copyright 2 A look at control features in general 25 The manual 3 Stick controller 26 Style conventions 3 Data input wheels wheels 29 Icons 4 Knob 29 Specified use 5 Menu navigation in the main display 29 Safety first notes on safety 5 Operating modes 32 Get yourself connected 8 Operating mode Sound mode 32 Unpacking standard accessories 8 Operating mode Setup mode 32 Setting up 8 Hierarchies The Neuron memory model 33 Neuron s connectors and ports 9 Master volume 35 Before cabling up 9 Fundamentals Basic settings 36 A word on audio quality 9 Neuron s modules 43 Mains cord 9 Signal Flow 43 Stereo setup surround setup headphones 10 Module Programmer 45 External controllers Footswitches amp pedals 11 Programmer Control features 46 MIDI setup 12 Programmer Programming sounds 49 Digital inputs outputs USB connection 13 Sound menu 49 Let the games begin 14 Sound parameters 49 Powering up finally 14 Snapshots amp the play compare function 52 Switching off 15 Neuron s copy paste function 54 Quick Start Guide 16 Back to the roots The reset function 57 Programmer Programming setups 58 Setup menu 5
66. Phaser modulation depth The higher the value the stronger the phaser effect Value range 0 to 127 Speed Defines the frequency of the modulating Phaser LFO oscillation The higher the LFO frequency the faster the frequency cancellations are repeated and the faster the effect changes Value range 0 0 to 20 0 Hz in 0 1 Hz steps Wave Determines the waveform of the Phaser modulating LFO oscillation The same waveforms are available as in the mod menu You will find a list of all available waveforms on page 118 Table 19 Silver Time FX parameters cont Table 19 Silver Time FX parameters cont Neuron book Seite Montag lt NEURON gt 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Stereo phase Phaser Delays the modulation effect in the stereo image for spreading the left and right channels For example if the effect attains its highest frequency on the left channel this value determines the distance of the effect s sweep from the left channel to the right channel Value range 64 to 63 The maximum values of 63 and 64 shift the phase of the two channels by half of an LFO periodic oscillation The sign preceding the value determines the direction of shift between the left and right channels Mix Chorus Feedback Chorus Depth Chorus Defines the amount of delayed signal added to the original signal thus determining the output signal s wet dry mix Value ra
67. PreFltCutoff SpWarp Mix SpWarp Frequency SpWarp Tilt SpWarp Damping SpWarp Speed SpWarp Depth Silver Time FX gt Ringmodulator Decimator Sp_warp StereoSp ChanDly Stereo Spread StereoSp Feedbk L R Delay Mix L R Delay Time L R Dly Feedback Flanger Mix Flanger Flanger Depth LR Delay Flanger Speed Flanger Feedback Flanger StereoPh Phaser Mix Phaser Depth Phaser Speed Phaser Feedback Phaser StereoPh Chorus Mix Chorus Depth Chorus Speed Chorus Feedback Chorus StereoPh Chorus PreDelay Shaper 1 gt S1 Resy Env Att S1 Resy Env Dec S1 Resy Env Sust S1 Resy Env Rel S1 Amp Env Att S1 Amp Env Dec S1 Amp Env Sust S1 Amp Env Rel S1 Free Env Att S1 Free Env Dec S1 Free Env Sust S1 Free Env Rel S1 Free EnvDepth Shaper 2 gt see Shaper 1 Phaser Chorus Attack Shap 1 Status ParLevel Decay Shap 1 Status ParLevel Sustain Shap 1 Status ParLevel Release Shap 1 Status ParLevel Attack Shap 1 Status Amp Decay Shap 1 Status Amp Sustain Shap 1 Status Amp Release Shap 1 Status Amp Attack Shap 1 Status Free Decay Shap 1 Status Free Sustain Shap 1 Status Free Release Shap 1 Status Free Depth Free Envelope Shaper 1 MIZ A Neuron book Seite 167 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt 4Level 4Time gt Resynator 2 like Resynator 1 e Free Env Level1 Free 4L4T Envelope Shp 1 2 Shaper 1 2 e Free Env Time 1 Free 4L4T Envelope Shp 1 2 e Stat Shaper 1
68. Reverb hall Upon reading or hearing the term reverb most electronic instrument playing musicians picture the knobs and switches on effect devices or amps bearing that label Many are unaware of the physics of reverb though a deeper understanding of the phenomenon would certainly be beneficial in handling reverb parameters when creating electronic music As sound spreads in a room it is reflected off many surfaces walls ceiling etc Though there is one direct path to the ear of the listener from every sound source it is not the only path that sound can take We know that the shortest distance between two points is the direct route and by extension that any detour like a reflection takes longer Consequently sound waves arrive at the ear of the listener with various delays But delay is not the only side effect of reflected sound The energy of sound waves dissipates slightly with every reflection that bounces off a surface because every reflecting material also has an absorbing effect that dampens the signal In addition this attenuation is contingent upon frequency because high frequencies are soaked up more readily than low frequencies see the HF damp parameter So the things that please or displease our ears consist of the direct signal and all reflected sound waves We call the sum of the delayed and dampened signals reverb In the real world the shape size and physical properties of the room in which
69. Software on Neuron s internal hard disk see page 187 Press the load dump button Twist the knob to select the software option for the menu item load e Press enter The load dump function After Neuron has copied the update from the software folder the following message appears After some three seconds the new software version is initialized and started Then Neuron deletes the data in the ToNeuron Software directory gt How to load models sounds and setups The following walks you through the procedure for loading models Proceed accordingly to load sounds and setups Note that data must be stored in the corresponding ToNeuron subdirectory Copy the desired models from a connected computer into the ftp directory ToNeuron Models on Neurons hard disc see page 187 Press the load dump button Twist the knob to select the models option for the menu item load gt Press enter Neuron loads the models into the model database and indicates the copying operation in the display Existing models archived under the same numbers are overwritten After Neuron has copied the models the display reads Done Then Neuron deletes the data in the ToNeuron Models directory How to dump data The following takes you through the procedure for exporting the current sound including models therein Proceed accordingly to dump all models sounds and setups Switch Neuron to sound mode we want to dump the curr
70. ZA e Neuron book Seite 51 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt e Then load other models into the resynators see page 86 and change their parameters page 87 e Use the blender page 93 e Use envelopes page 110 e Shape the sound using the mod module page 117 the slicer page 119 or the effects in the silver unit page 123 e Vary the sound s pan settings or define the pan keytrack parameter in the sound menu see page 49 gt How to store a sound If you like your new creation store it There is plenty of room Neuron sleeps 1 000 sounds comfortably All parameters pertaining to a sound are stored with the sound as properties To find out which parameters and settings are stored at the sound level read the section Hierarchies The Neuron memory model starting on page 33 The store function in sound mode works like the save as command commonly used on computers You can either store the sound under the current number or put it to some other place within the sound database Press the red programmer store button The button s LED lights up the sound number flashes and the current sound name appears in the main display anri m Twist the knob to select the number under which you want to store the sound The name of the sound currently stored under this number appears Note that this sound will be overwritten Name the new sound Stick right to access the first charact
71. ZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 139 Montag lt NEURON gt 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 VeloDepth Neuron can imitate this phenomenon if filter parameter weighting is modulated by key tracking values Value range 64 to 63 Key Track 0 No weighting meaning that the cutoff frequency is not shifted Key Track gt 0 The cutoff frequency increases for notes above the center key C3 The frequency decreases for notes below C3 Key Track lt 0 The cutoff frequency decreases for notes above the center key C3 The frequency increases for notes below C3 See also the illustration on page 85 Determines velocity modulation depth and thus the intensity of its effect on the selected filter s cutoff frequency Value range 64 to 63 VeloDepth 0 No frequency modulation VeloDepth gt 0 Starting at the current level the frequency increases in accordance with velocity up to a max value of 127 current frequency velo depth x velocity value VeloDepth lt 0 The frequency decreases in accordance with velocity Freq FX parameters Type Defines the effect type Your options are EQcomp distortion ring modulator decimator and Sp_warp Effects are described in the section starting on page 127 LowShelf EQ Comp Table 17 Silver Filter parameters cont The parameters are only visible when ParamEQ on and LowShelf on Frequencies below the LS freq setting are booste
72. a 300 Hz carrier frequency and a 100 Hz audio signal The ring modulation generates a non sine signal containing the two frequencies 200 Hz and 400 Hz The higher the carrier frequency the greater the spread between output frequencies and the further apart the outgoing notes will be The incoming audio signal in our example the 100 Hz sine wave is lost in the modulation but you can dial it back in at the effect s output via the mix knob But a sound consists of an entire frequency spectrum rather than a single oscillation so in the real world ring modulation generates two frequency bands called sidebands rather than the sum and difference frequencies The lower sideband contains all the difference frequencies described above the upper band contains the sum frequencies Sidebands can be added to the original signal in any desired mix This adds largely non harmonic overtones to the initial sound which depending on effect intensity can sound like anything from very weird to very dissonant Sound like fun Certainly but not half as much fun as with a variable rather than a fixed carrier frequency which is why the effect offers an LFO designed to animate the soundscape The low frequency LFO oscillation variable via the speed and depth parameters modulates the ring modulator s carrier frequency as a function of time Note that this shifts the sideband frequencies contingent upon the LFO oscillation Your best bet
73. absorption factors and the like are determined here Each of the two regions contains three parameter levels At every level the parameters are positioned crosswise as polar opposites as depicted in the picture on page 69 The Neuron library contains models of classical instruments after all bending the commonplace sounds of instruments such as the piano strings oboe or even a Minimoog bass promises truckloads of fun However if you restrict yourself to merely manipulating these oft encountered sounds you will not tap into the true potential of the awesome powers of neural synthesis The first time you fire up the synthesis engine it will dawn on you what astonishing sound shaping possibilities the stick controllers in the resynators offer Manipulating scape and sphere The actual editing of a model that is invasive sound sculpting is performed in real time using the stick controller The stick morphs between two opposite sonic attributes and it does this selectively by scape or sphere and parameter level In this context the verb morph means to change over seamlessly from parameter to another This process is best explained using an example Say resynator 1 contains a model called flute The neural process assigned the following sphere parameter sets among others to this sound metal wood and Large small The woodiness and size of the flute can be varied on the fly by moving the stick For its scape
74. ag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Exit panic button Navigation stick and rotary knob Basic settings button Calls up the menu offering basic settings that let you set up the device according to your wishes and preferences Basic settings have a bearing on the device as a whole rather than a single sound or setup You will find a list of basic settings as well as instructions on how to define them on page 36 This button has two functions e The exit function facilitates navigation in the menus In sound mode pressing exit briefly returns you to the top level of the sound menu sound loader In setup mode pressing exit either jumps to the most recently edited menu option of the setup menu or if you are already working in the setup menu to setup loader In some cases exit also serves to cancel the operation that is currently underway for example when storing a sound setup or when Neuron asks you if you really want to switch it off e Ifyou press and hold the button until the LED extinguishes three seconds should do you will activate the panic function This generates an all notes off command and that spells immediate silence say in the event of a hung note It tells both Neuron s internal workings as well as the MIDI setup to shut up After rebooting Neuron comes back on line in the same mode that it was in before the panic attack occurred All settings remain intact After you retrieve the menu of a given module you can ed
75. ail So let us get down to some hands on fun and leave the theory for later Local on off You will find the Local on off MIDI parameter in Neuron s basic settings To adjust it e Press the basic settings button located below the main display The display reads e Use the navigation stick at the left of the display to scroll down we call this little exercise stick down until the Local parameter appears in the display e Readjust the parameter value by twisting the knob at the right of the display You will find the purpose use and handling of all basic settings parameters described in the section starting on page 36 You will learn more about MIDI control on page 178 Loading and playing sounds You have three options for loading sounds e Type in the three digit sound number on the numeric keypad the sound loads immediately after entering the third digit e or press the up down buttons to load the next previous sound e or dial in the sound number by twisting and then pressing the knob located next to the display pressing enter For more insight on sound mode check out Programmer Programming sounds starting on page 49 Exit panic If you get lost in a menu simply press the exit button located at the bottom right of the main display Sound loader will reappear Pressing and holding it activates the panic function which restarts Neuron The device reports back with the most recent
76. and intuitive way imaginable using the stick controller in the silver module Alternatively you can position sounds via the setup menu in the main display Read page 174 to learn more about this The stick recording function lets you define the position of every sound in the sound field on the fly This is done by recording the movement of the stick controller and playing this animation back during a performance You will find out the details of how this works in the section starting on page 177 Neuron book Seite 174 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Surround menu in Neuron The surround menu is part of the setup menu To access it press the surround button or move the silver stick while surround mode is active Surround Mode On Off v Surround Stk Ani Sound 1 On Off lt gt Surround Stk Ani Sound 2 On Off und 3 On Off So A Silver Stick 7 Px when qa Surround Mode on Surround PrLeft ap Surround FrLeft and Sound 1 63 Sound 2 63 Sound 1 primed A gt vy S Sound 4 Ee likewise Surround FrRight lt gt sie Sounds 1 to 4 A v likewise Surround BkRight Sounds 1 to 4 A v likewise Surround BkLeft Sounds 1 to 4 Sounds 2 to 4 A v SrndCenterWeight lt gt SrndCenterWeight Sound 1 63 Sound 2 63 i A v lt gt Sound 4 Surround Sub Mix Sound 1 63 Surround Sub Mix Sound 2 63 lt gt Sound 4 63 Surround handling in Neuron Surround sound is possible only in setu
77. andards 73 23 EEC 89 336 EEC EMC directive EN 60065 EN 55103 1 Low Voltage directive EMC directive Electromagnetic compatibility Safety requirements for audio video and similar electronic devices Product family standard for audio video audio visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use Part 1 Emission e EN 55103 2 Product family standard for audio video audio visual and entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use Part 2 Immunity e EN 55013 Limits and methods of measurement of radio disturbance characteristics of broadcast receivers and associated equipment EN 55020 EN 50081 EN 50082 EN 61000 4 2 EN 61000 4 3 EN 61000 4 4 EN 61000 4 5 EN 61000 4 6 EN 61000 4 11 The development and manufacturing facilities of Schlafhorst Electronics GmbH are certified according to the evaluation standards ISO 9001 1994 and ISO 9002 1994 Quality Management for management systems Axel Hartmann General Manager Joachim Flor General Manager Ravensburg 2002 Electromagnetic immunity of broadcast receivers and associated equipment Generic standards for emission requirements Generic standards for immunity requirements ESD electrostatic discharges Radiation Burst Surge Radio electric fields Decreases in voltage AAI Neuron book Seite 195 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 _ lt NEURON gt Index Numerics 10 s hold 46 1Shot stick an
78. anical photocopying recording or otherwise without the express written permission of Hartmann GmbH Contents are subject to change for technical reasons and due to amendments The greatest care and diligence has been taken in compiling this manual However there is always the chance of an oversight We apologize for any inconvenience should you come across an error We are not liable for changes made to Neuron after this manual went to print 2002 Hartmann GmbH 88214 Ravensburg Germany All rights reserved AIA Neuron book Seite 3 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt The manual If all you had needed was more reading material you would have bought Bukowski s collected works or Keith Emerson s biography but not a neural synthesizer We are well aware that reading operating manuals is a pain So the question begs Who should read what in this manual for pros If Neuron is the latest in a long line of synthesizers owned by you if you re a seasoned sound programmer and if you re familiar with the theory behind envelopes and filters you will need this book merely as a reference for individual parameters for guidance in navigating the menus or because you want to look up something about this or that control feature Not so Even if you are a bona fide synthesizer expert its controls are sure to be new to you This manual also offers a parameter table for every Neuron
79. animation In 1shot mode the animation runs through once while in repeat mode it is re triggered from the top for as long as you hold the note The first note that you play triggers every stick animation While the animation is running any notes played thereafter have no effect on the animation Unlike multi triggering in envelopes stick animation is limited to a single trigger If stick animation is activated for a parameter level contour contr then this level responds exclusively to the animation No other type of manipulation say moving the stick controller manually or starting a previously defined parameter envelope has an effect on this level If a stick animation is activated for a specific level the parameters of all levels for which no animation has been activated can be manipulated in real time by moving the stick even if the respective shaper is activated for purposes of contour control The stick record start parameter in the basic settings menu see page 41 defines the trigger conditions for starting a recording the options being move the stick or press a key The maximum duration of a recording is contingent upon the number of recorded tracks and the intensity of stick movements No worries though under normal conditions you are unlikely to hit any boundaries Stick recordings are stored at the sound level Surround tracks are an exception Surround data is generally stored in connectio
80. ant basic settings To access the basic settings press the basic settings button located below the main display Scroll to the desired parameter using the navigation stick e MIDI Glb Ch Determines the global send and receive channel for MIDI data MIDI global channel for sound mode In sound mode Neuron responds to incoming MIDI data only when the defined MIDI global channel and send channel numbers are identical Value range 0 to 16 0 denotes omni meaning that Neuron processes incoming messages on all MIDI channels In setup mode the individual sound related MIDI channel settings in the setup menu apply see page 61 Local Deactivates activates Neuron s synthesis engine via the keyboard as well as via controls 1 to 4 the footswitch the sustain pedal and aftertouch Local Off Neuron s keyboard is disabled It cannot address the internal synthesis engine all controls are deactivated Neuron can play incoming MIDI data or serve as a MIDI master keyboard Local On The internal synthesis engine can be controlled using Neuron s keyboard as well as via incoming MIDI data Neuron can also serve as a master keyboard All controls see above are enabled Note in this context the function of the local setup parameter which serves the same purpose for every sound within a setup see page 61 If the global local parameter is set to off the setup parameters of the same name are overruled meaning that all four so
81. applications Handling is easy simply move the silver unit s stick A setup contains up to four sounds and you can pan the sounds in a setup independently and to any position in the surround field Beyond that you can record stick movements creating three dimensional sweeps and store these modulations as a component of a sound within a setup For more details on surround mode go to page 169 Module Silver Neuron book Seite 124 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Filter basics Geared toward synthesizer newbies the following section offers introductory explanations on the basics of filtering Seasoned keyboardists and sound designers may prefer to continue reading on page 127 Filters alter sounds by cutting also called dampening and attenuating certain ranges of their frequency spectrum A filter enables infinite variations on the same sound material anything from subtle changes to total metamorphosis Musicians distinguish between two filter types both of which are found in Neuron One is called a shelving filter This type of filter kicks in at a specific frequency and achieves maximum effect at the edge of the audible range High pass and low pass filters are shelving filters The other basic filter type is called a peaking filter The shape of its curve inspired the name Peaking filters address the frequencies surrounding a specific frequency as band pass filters and band stop filters are wont to do N
82. arameters using the stick controller To this end modified in real time using the stick You can silver s parameter level must be set to freq FX O also use key tracking to sync up the intensity of You will find the parameters of freq FX listed in frequency modulation to different keyboard table 18 on page 139 zones and thus different pitches e The movement of the stick can be recorded and used to modulate filter parameters during a performance either in 1shot or in repeat mode see page 148 e Shaper 3 lets you define an ADSR envelope This filter envelope controls the filters cutoff frequency creating a time based filter sweep For more on this read page 153 e You can use the LFO oscillation generated in mod to modulate the filter which also creates a time based filter sweep For more on this read page 115 e You can modulate the filter s cutoff frequency via your attack dynamics Velocity depth is The following effects are available for each sound Neuron book Seite 128 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 EQComp This dual purpose effect consists of a parametric equalizer and a compressor The equalizer Equalization is the process of selectively boosting or cutting specific frequency ranges The term has its roots in the effect s initial purpose which was to achieve linear frequency response for example to restore upper range frequencies that are lost when an analog signal is routed through a long cord rather
83. ated in the picture on the right A brief excursion on the subject of LFOs Most contemporary synthesizers are equipped with several LFOs that serve as modulation sources and can be routed to the most diverse destinations within the instrument The drawback is that patching connections between lots of different modules to animate a sound is a time consuming task requiring lots of brainwork Slicer in 3D mode Let s be honest Apologies to the sound designers of this world but how many people actually create entirely new extremely complex sounds on the synthesizers available to date by spending hours connecting modules dialing in values and tweaking parameters We hold that the majority of users of synthetic sound generators restrict their efforts to primary functions like determining filter cutoff and resonance selecting a basic waveform or sample defining the octave register and the basics of shaping envelopes and their depth o E Neuron book Seite 121 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt This is a pity because contemporary synthesizers particular offer tremendous sound sculpting possibilities Even more the pity that their design is an ergonomic nightmare They re too unwieldy and their sound shaping options are so intricately linked that it takes a degree in rocket science to understand them Here too Neuron blazes a new trail The awesome powers of neural synthesis make it p
84. brating stick controllers Owing to their physical makeup the resynators and silver module s three stick controllers and control 1 pitch stick have certain mechanical manufacturing tolerances The sticks must be calibrated to compensate for these small deviations The process of calibration adjusts the stick s mechanical travel to match the value range it is designed to cover 2 Neuron book Seite 27 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 T lt NEURON gt oe 3 e Stick down the navigation stick located next to When is calibration necessary the main display to scroll to the basic settings All sticks and aftertouch are factory calibrated so menu option you do not have to do this under normal z circumstances However we recommend that you re calibrate as described below if eee e you are unable to access all parameter values via stick parameter values jump when you move sticks the center position of the pitch bend control At this point you can cancel the calibration process by pressing exit or by operating any other module 1 is no longer true to pitch e The following prompt appears e the keyboard aftertouch value peaks out despite the fact that the basic settings parameter aftertouch scale see page 40 is J adjusted properly e Rotate the first stick that you want to calibrate several times stirring like you would sugar into gt How to calibrate stick controllers and coffee Be s
85. c settings parameter switch off is set to quick Neuron will switch off without further inquiry We recommend that you have Neuron prompt you before it powers down that is set switch off to ask We endowed Neuron with this option to prevent it from being switched off inadvertently say because in his on stage frenzy your easily excited vocalist tends to mow down everything in his path Emergency off In the unlikely event that Neuron refuses to power down in the normal orderly fashion you can always use the emergency off function Do this by pressing and holding the mains power switch for five seconds This option is your last resort It is comparable to pulling the mains plug So use it in emergencies only Oh and that telltale popping noise that indicates a connected device has been switched off while the sound reinforcement system remains You will hear it in all its sonic glory through the audio outputs Beyond that there is the possibility of data integrity problems on the hard disk though chances of this occurrence are remote Neuron book Seite 16 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Quick Start Guide Have you set up your gear at least in a rudimentary configuration connected Neuron and switched it on Good now let us take you on a whirlwind tour First let s take a peek at Neuron s modules 1 Resynators see the description on page 69 This is where the sonic revolution starts Resynators are
86. ctions and fundamental settings The graphics of secondary functions incorporating several control features are homogenous denoting their common ground and shared purpose Stick controller The resynators and silver module s principal control features are stick controllers Every stick is surrounded by four cross x displays showing individual parameters and current settings Parameter value changes are indicated directly Opposite parameters for example big and small are arrayed diametrically Logic dictates that the sum of their values is always equal to the peak value Parameters that are not opposite each another can be edited independently The jaw dropping power and finesse of this unprecedented set of control features is definitely unmatched They enable everything from the subtlest to the most drastic modulations The sticks mushroom like contours facilitate handling A stick may be gripped with the thumb and index finger or guided by inserting a finger into a trough like groove on its surface When you move a stick the first of the parameters that you have just edited generally at the top left appears in the main display Use the rotary knob and navigation stick located next to the main display to edit the values directly and in numeric increments Experience has shown that this method of using the stick intuitively to make a rough adjustment and then fine tuning the setting numerically works well Cali
87. cy response 20 Hz to 20 kHz Total harmonic distortion THD lt 0 006 Conversion 24 Bit Linear PCM Encoding P e E EE ora Soke Gate 44 1 kHz sampling rate Headphones output stereo signal same as stereo 1 Class A headphones amp Analog audio input 1 x Stereo Peak level mestaa Seed sea stn ttt atin nna hese denen 4 dBu Signal to noise ratio S NR 100 dB A Frequency response 20 Hz to 20 kHz Input impedance typ 10 kOhms unbalanced Total harmonic distortion THD lt 0 002 Digital inputs outputs Standard S PDIF ports 44 1 kHz 24 bits EWS N EWS Technology is a trademark of TerraTec Electronic GmbH Dimensions and weight Dimensions WxHxD 952 mm x 98 mm x 373 mm Connections for footswitches Switch pedal sustain pedal continuous controller pedal 10 to 100 kOhms recommended MIDI ports 5 pin DIN connectors one each for MIDI IN MIDI out and MIDI THRU Basic data 32 bit internal signal path 32 bit 64 bit digital signal processing high end CPU with 256 Mbytes RAM internal 20 Gbytes hard disk Technical data CE Declaration of conformity Pursuant to directive EN 45014 the manufacturer Hartmann GmbH Tettnanger Strafse 311 88214 Ravensburg Germany declares at its own risk and based on an examination of its design that the product Neuron Synthesizer complies with the following directives laws and st
88. d in Table 21 Shaper 3 Status Silver Shaper 1 2 Status Silver y Shaper 3 Env Mode Shaper3 Wheel A Wheel D Wheel S Shaper 3 gt Env Attack Wheel R Shaper 3 A y Depth Shaper 3 Env depth y Shaper 3 VeloDepth Neuron book Seite 152 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Shaper 3 Parameters in silver status Env Mode Env A D S R Env depth Defines the envelope mode e Normal Playing a note triggers the envelope once only e Repeat Like in Normal mode the envelope is triggered by your key attack A new cycle s attack phase is launched after the release phase ends For more on this read page 150 The parameters of an ADSR envelope are described on page 99 Defines the intensity of the envelope s effect on the filter cutoff frequency Value range 64 to 63 Depth 0 No modulation Depth gt 0 Starting at the current frequency the cutoff frequency increases Depth lt 0 The cutoff frequency decreases accordingly A positive filter modulation is only audible if the cutoff frequency is low Ditto for negative modulations vice versa that is Table 21 Shaper 3 parameters VeloDepth The env depth parameter see the description on the left determines the intensity of the envelope s effect on the filter The velo depth parameter lets you manipulate env depth manually by varying your attack There you have it a modulation of a
89. d or cut in accordance with the LS gain setting LS slope defines the steepness of the shelf s slope Value ranges LS Gain 24 to 24 dB 0 5 dB steps LS Freq 13 Hz to 20 2 kHz in semitone steps LS Slope 0 1 to 10 in 0 1 steps Table 18 Silver Freq FX parameters Module Silver Neuron book Seite 140 Montag B1 Gain B1 Freq 23 Dezember 2002 _2 28 14 Band 1 EQ Comp The parameters are only visible when Band 1 on Frequencies within the band defined by Q and surrounding the center frequency determined by B1 freq are boosted or cut in accordance with the B1 gain setting Q defines the cutoff slope The steeper the slope the narrower the band pass filter s band Value ranges B1 Gain 24 to 24 dB 0 5 dB steps B1 Freq 13 Hz to 20 2 kHz in semitone steps B1 Q 0 1 to 10 in 0 1 steps Compressor EQ Comp The parameters are only visible when Compressor on Levels above the defined threshold are boosted to the out gain level Response controls compressor reaction time as a combination of program driven attack and release value Value ranges Threshold 48 to 0 dB in 1 dB steps Out Gain 0 to 12 dB in 0 1 dB steps Response 0 to 127 Band 2 see Band 1 HighShelf EQ Comp The parameters are only visible when HighShelf on frequencies above the HS freq setting are boosted or cut in accordance with the HS gain setting HS slope defines the st
90. d room Aea e A gt 25 m Room volume er eiecctentieraenseas gt 300 m Reverberation time 0 2 0 4 s 200 Hz 2 5 kHz Early reflections 10 dB to the direct sound Speaker array Reference array in accordance with 3 2 recommendation L C R and LS RS with five identical speakers LFE channel The most common extension of the 3 2 recommen dation using a subwoofer Narrow bandwidth Neuron lets you adjust the subwoofer s upper frequency limit see page 176 The standard does not mandate a fixed position for the subwoofer because the human ear has trouble pinpointing the source of low fre quencies Surround basics Neuron book Seite 172 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 The quality of surround sound Our perception of sound is a function of personal bias It is so very subjective that there will never be universal agreement on the definitive sound However there are some criteria designed to introduce dispassionate standardized parameters for assessing sound quality rather than the emotional yardstick we usually use to gauge sound my how beautiful oh that s just brilliant These criteria must be met to compete with the best of em in the professional sound sculpting league The European Broadcasting Union EBU founded in 1950 and based in Geneva has published its evaluation criteria for multi channel recordings We took some excerpts adapted them to the Neuron and came up with
91. defined here in the mod module is offset against the LFO depth setting at the modulation destination Frequency of the LFO oscillation Value range 0 0 to 20 0 Hz in 0 02 Hz steps Table 13 Mod parameters Neuron book Seite 117 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Mod Handling Del Delay time that allows th dulation effect to ai E ae ys A mee e Switch on the LFO generator mod on off fade in and out softly Because mod works with voices delay is applied to every note you play by pressing a key Value ranges from 64 to 63 Delay 0 The LFO oscillation attains its peak amplitude in the first period and continues to oscillate at this amplitude This means that the modulation effect is present from the start and retains this intensity Delay 63 The amplitude rises slowly with each oscillation The modulation effect gradually grows stronger until it reaches full intensity at peak amplitude contingent upon depth Delay 64 The LFO oscillates at peak amplitude right away meaning that the modulation effect is present from the start The amplitude decreases over time until the modulation effect is no longer audible Waveform of the modulating oscillation All waveforms are pictured on page 118 Table 13 Mod parameters cont button LFO Switch On appears in the main display Route the LFO oscillation to the desired modulation destinations by setting a value othe
92. del is loaded Options e Yes Models are always loaded into the resynator with the default parameter values stored in the model database e No No models are loaded into the resynator with the default values The currently defined values are retained in the newly loaded model e Ask When loading a model the device asks if you want to take over the parameter values or load the default values The display reads Use Defaults Use the knob to select yes or no before you load the model via enter The option of loading existing parameter values into another model can come in handy Case in point You can load a similar model into the resynator and use the existing values as a starting point for your sound sculpting efforts Table 1 Basic settings cont o P 9 8 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt VeloCurve Determines the dynamic response of the keyboard Attack dynamics vary according to the selected velocity curve Your options are e Log2 Log1 Various types of logarithmic curves 127 e Linear default setting Linear curve that is the pressure you apply to the key dictates dynamic response 96 e xp1 Exp2 Various types of exponential curves e Fix32 Fix64 Fix96 and Fix127 No attack dynamics instead response is fixed The higher the fixed value the higher the output volume The velocity value is computed for every voice 32 In other words every note you play is rendered
93. duce the size of the model notes above the root key enlarge it Good to know background stuff Neuron s approach to transposing models differs from that of a sampler or ROMpler a synthesizer featuring sample playback or sample ROM While in a sampler not only the pitch but also the apparent sample size changes in accordance with the played note the size of a Neuron model remains largely unchanged when it is transposed This yields a more natural organic sound Continued on next page Table 7 Resynator parameters cont When working with multi models models derived from a multisample and consisting of several scape sphere pairs an audible jump or gap in the soundscape may occur because virtually every zone brings its own model size to the sonic equation You can counter this effect by taking advantage of the model size key tracking parameter and if necessary the model size offset parameter see the next line of the table When you enter a suitable setting Neuron transposes much like a sampler The model size can even be inverted in relation to pitch if you enter negative values which makes for interesting effects Model size key track and offset cannot be modulated In order to change the size of the model on the fly you must modulate the given model parameter directly usually this will be sphere level 1 All modulation sources and controllers may be used for this purpose Table 7 Resy
94. e e 1Shot The first note you play triggers the recorded stick movement for the given sound single trigger and the animation continues to shape the sound regardless of how many notes you play thereafter Continued on next page Once the animation has run its course it is not re triggered until you release all keys and then press a new key Tip You can opt to use envelopes for this purpose The shaper offers multi trigger functionality meaning that unlike stick animation the envelope is triggered every time you press a key This starts the envelope separately for every note you play e Repeat The first note you play triggers the animation and then unlike when the 1shot setting is enabled it is repeated in cycles for as long as you continue playing notes To learn how to record stick controller movements read the explanation starting on page 89 Table 7 Resynator parameters cont Table 7 Resynator parameters cont gt aa Neuron book Seite 81 Montag lt NEURON gt 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Model Size Key track Model Size Key track determines how keyboard transposition affects the size of the model Value range 64 to 63 0 the size of the model remains the same across the entire keyboard Positive values Notes above the root key reduce the size of the model notes below the root key enlarge it Negative values Notes below the root key re
95. e developing Neuron it came to us that the capability of blending or mixing two models could offer tremendous creative potential And that notion prompted us to build the blender module It enables dynamic cross fading between two resynators and lets you manipulate one resynator using another Say resynator 1 contains the model of a flute Resynator 2 provides a piano like model Neural synthesis allows specific parameters of one model to influence the other model In this configuration it would be entirely feasible to impose the sound generating properties of the piano model that is the elements of the sound that we classify as scape parameters the vibration of strings the dimensions or the material the strings are made of on the sound shaping environment of the flute model for example the material or size of the flute body These in turn are represented by the flute model s sphere parameters What does a strings pad sound like when chopped up rhythmically by a drum loop This could generate freakish alien sounding rhythm clusters How about a choir made to sing through the body of a grand piano or a snare striking the strings of a guitar what would that sound like Practically the only boundary is your zeal for experimentation especially when you consider the complex intra resynator routing options that various blender types see page 96 put at your disposal The more abstract models in particular offer wholly u
96. e newly born effect a name IZZ 5 Neuron book Seite 133 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Chorus Silver Control features Imagine two identical instruments playing in On Off Silver on off switch When silver is unison but the groove is not quite in the pocket The button switched off all effects including the filter timing varies somewhat so that the two instruments are ever so slightly out of tune This is the effect simulated by the chorus Chorus duplicates the input signal two instruments delays it a few milliseconds that are not quite in sync varies the pitch slightly and minimally detuned and adds it back to the original signal at its output The chorus section is equipped with an LFO low frequency oscillator Its oscillation modulates the input signal according to its frequency amplitude and waveform This means that dialing in a chorus effect is tantamount to defining the LFO s waveform Mixing the original and duplicate signal creates regularly recurring fluctuations called beats They make the signal sound bigger or fatter or like the two instruments in the example above Feedback is not essential However it can add lovely looped echoes to the signal The delay line is integrated into the effect so the choice is all yours unit are bypassed You read earlier that intuitive handling and fast results were our top priority in designing the r
97. e only e Repeat Playing a note triggers the envelope In the case of ADSR curves a new cycle s attack phase is launched after the release phase ends A 4L 4T curve goes from level 4 to level 1 within the time defined for time 4 For more on this read page 103 The parameters of a 4 levels 4 times envelope are described on page 100 The type parameter is available only in free shaper status It lets you select the desired type of free envelope e 2ADSR An ADSR envelope is defined for each shaper which can then be routed to different modulation destinations For more on this read page 104 e 4L4T The two shapers are combined to define a 4 levels 4 times envelope which can also be assigned to different destinations For detailed information on the 4L4T curve check out page 100 Table 11 Shaper 1 2 parameters cont Shaper 1 2 Handling How to define an amplifier envelope Press repeatedly if necessary the status shaper button so that the amplifier LED lights up Status Amp appears in the main display Stick down the navigation stick to access the menu option mode which lets you select the envelope mode Adjust ADSR parameter values by turning the wheels Once you move a wheel you can also define the given value in the main display using the knob Alternatively you can navigate via stick right left back and forth among individual envelope parameters How to define a parameter envelope Act
98. e settings of all scape and sphere parameters of both resynators see page 77 Blender settings see page 94 Envelope settings see page 108 Mod settings see page 116 Slicer settings see page 122 Silver settings see page 138 with the exception of the surround settings these belong to the setup Controller settings see page 165 e Sound related pan values page 49 e Master effect settings are stored at the sound level and at the setup level Back in the section Operating modes starting on page 32 you learned that up to four sounds can be combined into a setup IZA e Neuron book Seite 35 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 T lt NEURON gt This brings us to the very top of our hierarchy Multimode specific data is stored at the setup level Each of the up to 512 setups that the setup database can hold contains the following information Name and number of the setup Numbers of the four sounds Volume level for every sound Transpose setting for every sound Detune setting for every sound MIDI channel for every sound Local on off setting for every sound The selected audio output for every sound Pan setting for every sound Key low and key high for every sound Low and high velocity for every sound Silver mix value for every sound Delay send for every sound Reverb send for every sound Surround settings for every sound The four sounds contained in the setup are n
99. e with the knobs and navigation stick to assign a name stick up down changes between uppercase and lowercase Conclude the storage process by pressing enter the knob that is You have 1 000 memory slots available for storing sounds To learn more about this read the section Programmer Programming sounds starting on page 49 Loading and playing setups Setup mode is Neuron s multimode Four sounds can be played on four MIDI channels or assigned to the keyboard in the form of a split layer 512 memory slots are available for setups Activate setup mode by pressing the setup button then load stored setups using the same three methods used to load sounds stored in the sound mode via the numeric keypad up down or rotary knob see section above Setting and assigning MIDI channels Assign MIDI channels to the individual sounds of a setup in the setup menu e Neuron is in setup mode e Press the exit button twice briefly to activate the setup loader SERUEHREEREEIHGE e Stick down repeatedly to scroll to the MIDI menu option The MIDI channels of the four sounds in the current setup are listed side by side Stick right left moves the cursor lt from one sound to the next The name and number of the sound you just edited appear in the first line of the display e Twist the knob to set the channel number for each of the four sounds A value of 0 denotes omni IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Se
100. eepness of the shelf slope Value ranges HS Gain 24 to 24 dB 0 5 dB steps HS Freq 13 Hz to 20 2 kHz in semitone steps HS Slope 0 1 to 10 in 0 1 steps In Drive Distortion Pre filt cut Distortion Clip Crv Distortion Determines the input signal s volume The higher the level the more distortion Value range 0 to 127 Corresponds roughly to infinite to 48 dB Determines the input low pass filter s cutoff frequency Clipper is located right after this filter s output Value range 0 to 127 covers the entire frequency range Determines how the incoming oscillation is cut when the amplitude exceeds the clip point You have various types of curves to choose from Table 18 Silver Freq FX parameters cont Table 18 Silver Freq FX parameters cont IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 141 Montag lt NEURON gt 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 TF a Out Vol Determines the distorted signal s output Distortion level This parameter can be used to compensate for the signal level boosted by In Drive Value range 0 to 127 Corresponds roughly to infinite to 0 dB Mix Determines the amount of wet or effects Ring mod signal in the output signal the mix of the original signal and the ring modulated signal Value range 0 to 127 Mod Freq Determines the ring modulator s carrier Ring mod frequency Value range 0 to 127 Corresponds to 0 Hz to 5 k
101. ent sound Press the load dump button Twist the knob to select the Current option for the menu item Dump ieee Press enter Neuron exports the current sound into the ftp subdirectory FromNeuron Sounds and Neuron book Seite 191 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 _ lt NEURON gt the models referenced linked therein into the folder FromNeuron Models Existing models or sounds archived under the same numbers are overwritten e You can transfer data from there to the connected computer using the ftp client software By the way we recommend that you delete data in Neuron s ftp directory after transferring it to your personal computer When you export all stored sounds via the all sounds option the models contained therein are not exported along with the sounds Note that models are referenced by number in the sounds When you re import sounds via load all sounds later make sure that the referenced models have not been edited or deleted in the meantime To be on the safe side you may prefer to export and re import the constituent models as well The same applies to dumped setups containing references to sounds The load dump function Converting samples into Neuron models Just feed it Converting samples into Neuron models Hartmann developed a special software called ModelMaker so you can create Neuron models from your own sample material and load them into Neuron via USB inte
102. er in the display s second line As soon as the name of the currently stored sound appears in the display you can overwrite it Twist the knob to select the desired character Tip Stick up stick down to select uppercase and lowercase Neuron book Seite 52 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Use the navigation stick and the knob as described above to change each character in the name line its e After you have named your baby confirm the storage process by pressing the rotary knob The display reads Saving fora moment and returns to the most recently active menu at the end of the storage process S option You can cancel the store operation at any time with the exit button before you send the sound off to its new address This returns the display to the most recently edited menu Snapshots and the play compare function As you may have already discovered you can search for the ultimate sound in Neuron with the delicate touch of a neurosurgeon or the harsh hand of a butcher The reason for this is that the resynators in combination with the fantastic control features are so versatile And they invite you to discover the joys of experimentation Occasionally you may go too far perhaps attempting to give an almost perfect sound a final polish only to rub off its sonic sheen Use the snapshot function it can fix that problem It lets you take pictures of every stop along your auditory journey so that y
103. ers of the same name are overruled SysEx commands System exclusive data SysEx commands are channel independent MIDI messages meaning that the information conveyed therein apply to the entire MIDI device This data is called exclusive because it cannot be interpreted by any other device type it is in a language only Neuron can speak For this reason SysEx commands require special identification Called a SysEx device ID you can define it via the basic settings parameters SysXDeviceID The value range for the ID is 00 to 7F A value of 7F denotes omni meaning that Neuron accepts incoming SysEx commands with any SysEx device ID This setting is recommended if you encounter problems during data transfer o LMA t A SysEx data transfer lets you upload and download data to and from Neuron that are not addressed by any other MIDI command for example complete sounds or setups see the following sections In addition to SysEx loading dumping Neuron enables ftp loading dumping For more on this see the topic Updates and Backups starting on page 185 gt How to send SysEx data A SysEx dump is launched in the Jiga load dump menu Open the menu by pressing the programmer load dump button Load You will find the dump SysEx item below the ftp load dump Dump FTP f i k options Twist the knob to determine which data you want to Dump SysEx dump You have the following options e Current W
104. es somewhere around 10 ms The human ear is said to begin perceiving echoes at delay times of around 70 ms but certainly no lower than that So instead of the echoes you might expect to hear when the original and delayed signals are mixed you get destructive interference causing frequency cancellations and changes in the amplitude of uncancelled frequencies The greater the flanger s depth mix parameter the more distinct the cancellations that is the more dramatic the changes in the frequency spectrum of the wet signal The trademark dynamic flanger sound is produced when delay time is modulated by an LFO oscillation rather than remaining constant Then the frequency cancellations sweep across the frequency spectrum as determined by the LFO oscillation The timbre of this flanged composite signal is colored resulting in anything from majestic sounding sweeps to nausea inducing detuning Rumor has is that the flanger was discovered accidentally by the Beatles no less The scene of the crime was a studio the means a tape machine and the motive to create delay Supposedly one of the mop tops inadvertently knocked one of the tape reels changing the pitch of the delayed signal Legend has it that the boys fiddled with the reels until they could replicate this random effect and laid it over a few tracks here and there Thus the typical flanger sound was born The projecting rim of the tape reel is called a flange which gave th
105. esynators The same can be said of silver The two most important parameters of the selected silver effects can also be controlled via the stick For the filters these are the cutoff and resonance frequencies You will find more on this in the parameter tables The parameter level button determines which settings filter freq FX or time FX parameters are assigned to the stick Tip As you manipulate the stick to get a coarse parameter setting the main display shows the current parameter Twist the knob to fine tune the setting The displays surrounding the stick indicate the currently selected parameters and their values If an effect category is switched off freq FX or time FX button all four displays read Off Table 16 Silver control features Menu button Parameter Level button If you are working outside the silver menu you can access the most recently edited silver menu option by pressing this button If you press the button while in the silver menu it jumps to the menu option filter type You will find a description of the menu on page 136 This button determines which parameters are assigned to the stick Example If filter is the defined parameter level you can move the stick to edit the selected filter s two most important parameters which are cutoff frequency and resonance The button does not activate or deactivate an effect category Its purpose is to let you edit parameters using the s
106. ettings e compare mode in turn renders the original sound as it is stored in the sound database An LED indicating the current mode is located above the button If this LED lights up you are working in compare mode otherwise play mode which offers the current sound and settings is active The main display also indicates compare mode Compare mode Play mode Press the button repeatedly to conveniently A B two sound settings that is switch back and forth between them You cannot edit any sound parameters when in compare mode To do this you must play the current settings Beyond that you can select any snapshot in compare mode and compare the initial sound with any of the edited sounds that you have saved temporarily To do this first activate compare mode LED lights up then twist the knob to step through the o LAA ia snapshots and load the desired shot by pressing the knob Neuron exits compare mode automatically LED extinguishes and the current sound setting data is overwritten by the stored snapshot data Make a habit of shooting an up to date snapshot before loading an earlier snapshot to avoid losing the fruits of your labors If while comparing sounds you decide to cancel all changes and continue working with the initial sound simply load this sound again from the sound database see page 50 All snapshots are erased when you do this Neuron s copy paste function Copy and
107. ettings This lets you cancel changes that have not been stored The selection list offers data parameter sets from all modules whose settings are stored at the sound level This includes e Resynators model parameter values or the complete resynator configuration envelope parameters of all shapers mod blender and slicer settings the silver module s effect parameters master effects settings aftertouch settings free controller assignments the resynators and the silver module s stick recordings gt Example How to copy parameter values from one sound to another In the following example we will copy the resynator 1 settings of sound 010 to sound 032 Copy Paste Sound 010 All Settings Resynator 1 Sound 032 All Settings Resynator 1 e Prerequisite Sound 010 is programmed and stored The current sound is sound 032 e Press copy paste in programmer The copy paste menu s most recently edited option appears in the display e Twist the knob to dial in number 10 because that sound is where we want to copy data from gegarane 1e e Stick right to access the list of data that can be copied e Twist the knob to select the desired source data e Press enter All resynator 1 source data is copied from sound 010 into resynator 1 of the current sound Then you can immediately copy another data record using the knob or stick left to select another source sound
108. euron currently offers four shelving filters and one peaking filter which are described in detail on page 125 Further filter types are in the works Filter parameters Every filter regardless of type is defined by three parameters The cutoff frequency is the frequency at which the filter starts working Frequencies are dampened or cut above or below the cutoff frequency depending on the filter type high low or band pass page 125 In Neuron you can vary the cutoff frequency in real time by moving the stick controller in silver or modulating it via a filter envelope LFO oscillation or velocity The cutoff frequency sweeps through a specific frequency range which is why this process is called a filter sweep e Resonance One property of filters is that they boost the frequencies in the immediate vicinity of the cutoff frequency The higher the resonance the more the frequencies surrounding the cutoff frequency or the center frequency in the case of band pass filters are boosted in relation to other frequencies This makes the filter s characteristic effect more prominent than at low resonance values If the resonance of a filter is very high the filter begins oscillating on its own that is without an input signal at the cutoff frequency ist 7 a Fe Neuron book Seite 125 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt The waveform generated at the cutoff frequency isasine wave whichis excelle
109. evel 1 and Scape T3 gscape de Level 1 Scape p A y R1 Param Value L3 lt Sphere 1 gt like Level1 Sphere A v Stick up stick down lt gt Stick left stick right v A v A v A y A v A v A v A A Y Continued on next page 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Continued from previous page A v R1 Model Size ms R1 Model Size Key track offset A y Octave F 5 R1 Pitch gt R1 Pitch Octave Semi a A v lt gt R1 Pitch lt gt gt LFO Depth R1 Model Hi Lo Velo Switch gt R1 Pitch Free Env ADSR 1 Depth lt gt ADSR 2 Depth lt gt lt gt 4L 4T Depth Resynator Parameters Volume Determines the volume of the resynators This lets you adjust and balance the relative levels of the two resynators Value range 0 to 127 Volume Determines the modulation depth of the LFO Depth mod generated LFO oscillation and thus the intensity of its effect on resynator volume Value range 64 to 63 Depth 0 No mod generated volume modulation Depth gt 0 Starting at the current level the volume increases in accordance with the LFO oscillation up to a max value of 127 Depth lt 0 Volume decreases in accordance with the LFO oscillation Note in this context the global LFO depth which is defined directly in the mod module page 116 Global LFO depth is offset against this modulation destination s de
110. f calibration adjusts the stick s range of travel to match the value range it is designed to cover To learn how to calibrate sticks and aftertouch refer to page 26 Table 1 Basic settings cont __ Neuron book Seite 43 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Neuron s modules Signal Flow The following two charts depict the Neuron s signal The gray arrows signify audio data control data is white Amplifier 1 Resynator 1 lt I ime Shaper 1 ADSR Stick Animation Off Parameter Level 3 Parameter Level 2 Parameter Level 1 Shaper 1 PAL o S R em Ife ae Shaper 1 ADSR Stick Animation Off Parameter Level 2 Depth Normal Repeat Parameter Level 1 Type Amount Amplifier 2 Signal flow part I Resynator 2 Sphere Parameter Levels 1 3 a C Control Octave Model Scape CAES lt 1 Shaper 2 ADSR Stick Animation Off Signal Flow Neuron book Seite 44 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Signal Flow Frequency FX Filter Analog Digital Out FX Headphones Surround ae Ae lt I fe 24dB LP 12dB HP Shaper 3 ADSR Special magi ana off in SetUp Mode only Free Envelope Shaper 1 2 Free Controllers 2XADSR 4 Levels 4 Times Sources d We T CHEE Pitch Blender Slicer Control 1 up down up to 4 slots per Controller Control 2 3 4 Foot Swi
111. f conformity 194 Default values reset 31 57 Delay 62 Delay LFO parameter 117 Delay master effect 154 Depth 4L 4T to blender amount 95 4L 4T to resynator pitch 83 ADSR to blender amount 95 ADSR to resynator pitch 83 Chorus 145 Effect function 168 Filter envelope 152 Flanger 143 LFO filter cutoff 138 LFO parameters 116 LFO to blender amount 95 LFO to model parameters 79 LFO to resynator pitch 82 LFO to resynator volume 77 LFO general facts 115 Phaser 144 Ring mod 141 Shaper 108 is Neuron book Seite 197 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt SP_warp 142 Depth spread slicer 122 Depth spread slicer knob 121 Destination selecting a 164 Destinations for control 1 to 4 165 Detune setup 61 Detune amnt rev master FX 160 Detune speed rev master FX 160 Detuning in a setup 61 Diffusion rev master FX 160 Distortion 128 Down 46 50 65 Dspl Contrast 41 Dual sphered blender type 97 Dump 187 ftp directory structure 187 Menu 187 Models sounds setups 190 Options 188 Dump ftp 188 Dump SysEx 189 Dynamic crossmorph blender type 98 Dynamic transsphere blender type 98 E Efx Mix shaper 3 status 151 Enter button 31 Env depth 152 Env Mode 152 Envelope 4L 4T or 2 x ADSR 104 4L 4T general facts 100 ADSR general facts 99 Amplitude modulation 101 Basics 99 Blender modulation 95 Filter env defining 153 Filter modulation 150 Free 104 Frequency modulation 101 Modulatin
112. functions of time and one of level After a note is played the envelope rises to its peak value within the defined attack time The decay parameter determines the amount of time it takes for the curve to drop to the sustain level after the attack phase ends decay fade However sustain does not actually determine the period it defines the level at which the curve remains until the key is released The last phase of the curve is defined by the release parameter This is the time the curve Module Shaper 1 2 Neuron book Seite 100 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Module Shaper 1 2 takes to return from the defined sustain level to a 4 levels 4 times envelope 4L4T value of zero after the key is released This is the second type of envelope available in addition to the ADSR curve It is defined by four paired values Every paired value consists of a level and a time You can determine at which level the envelope starts and how long it takes to achieve the next level T Attack Time 0 127 Decay Time 0 127 Sustain Ph Release Time 0 127 ADSR envelope in normal mode In shaper modes amplifier and par levels always an ADSR envelope is used Release Time 4 levels 4 times envelope in normal mode The phase indicated in gray level 4 in the illustration is comparable to an ADSR curve s sustain phase As you can gather from the picture the 4L4T curve can also accept negative levels To
113. g a filter 127 Modulating model parameters 102 Normal repeat 103 Pitch modulation 83 EQComp 128 Equalizer 128 Exit 31 48 F Fdbk damp delay master FX 159 Feedback chorus 145 Feedback delay master FX 159 Feedback flanger 143 Feedback LR delay 143 Feedback phaser 144 Feedback stereo spread 143 Filter Band pass 126 Basics 124 Dynamics 127 Envelope 150 Envelope defining 153 High pass 126 Low pass 125 Menu 136 Parameter table 138 Parameters 124 Quality 125 Resonance 124 Settings 146 Flanger 132 Footswitch Basic settings parameters 42 Connecting 11 Destination selecting a 167 Free shaper status 106 Free controllers see controllers Free Env 4L 4T depth blender 95 Free env ADSR 1 depth blender 95 Free envelope 104 111 112 FreeEnv pitch 4L 4T depth 83 FreeEnv pitch ADSR 1 depth 83 Freq FX 127 Menu 136 Settings 147 Frequency SP_warp 142 Frequency modulation envelope 101 Frequency cutoff 124 FrLeft surround panning 63 FromNeuron 187 FrRight surround panning 63 Neuron book Seite 198 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 ftp client 186 ftp directory in Neuron 187 Function subwoofers 171 FX return 161 FX send 161 G Gain Compressor 140 EQ B1 140 EQ B2 140 EQ high shelf 140 EQ low shelf 139 H Hall see reverb Headphones 10 HF damp rev master FX 160 High pass filter 126 HighShelf 140 HS freq 140 HS gain 140 HS slope 140 I In drive di
114. gt How to select define a filter depth Value range 0 to 127 See also the menu diagram on page 136 Filter types Corresponds to roughly 0 to 250 ms and parameters are described on page 124 You will 7 find explanations of the parameters in table 17 on Table 19 Silver Time FX parameters cont page 138 e Switch silver on on off button Sa e Select a filter type pressing E Special the filter button 12dB 24dB repeatedly The special LED has multiple assignments 6dBLP 6dBHP and band pass You can also step through the special filters by pressing the filter button repeatedly ALl filters can also be selected in the filter menu Example abe PPS i a ists Neuron book Seite 147 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Press the silver parameter level button repeatedly so a that the filter LED lights up E Move the stick controller to Parametr edit the cutoff frequency Level and resonance The two parameters can also be defined in the main display using the knob The cutoff frequency that you just edited via stick appears in the main display Stick right left to scroll among the different menu options for resonance the depths of the modulation options available via LFO oscillation and velocity as well as the key tracking setting Set each parameter to the desired value using the knob The individual parameters are described on page 138 Stick left to return to the filter type
115. hannels This tells us that stereo sound reproduction is not limited to the left and right channels that the casual listener associates with it A stickler for accuracy would insist that the audio experience commonly known as stereo be called two channel stereo This is unlikely to become idiomatic so even the professional world has accepted this misinterpretation at face value Though four channel quadraphonic stereo blazed the trail back in the early 70s it never took off More recently the emergence of a multi channel technology necessitated a new term Surround was chosen because it seemed to capture the vibe of 3D audio The fact remains though that this new aural experience comes courtesy of multi channel stereo The purpose of every multi channel stereo technology is to render the natural sound field of a given environment the point usually being to reproduce the natural sound of the room in which the signal was recorded rather than using artificial reverb effects to simulate it That certainly makes sense One cannot help but note the irony in suppressing the sound of the room Neuron book Seite 170 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 when recording only to simulate it again later using reverb effects A few definitions of terms The following definitions are derived from the recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union ITU Each of these technical writings is a recommendation geared toward
116. he neural synthesis engine defines the parameters of a sound is determined during the process of model generation This analysis yields parameter sets that are loaded into the resynator along with the sound which in the process of model generation is transformed into a model and placed at your fingertips The stick controller lets you modify these parameters in real time That is tantamount to performing open heart surgery on the very essence of what makes a sound sound like it does And that makes Neuron the first synthesizer to parameterize audio source material on the fly Because this base material can be any conceivable audio event you have an inexhaustible supply of sonic goods at your disposal at this early stage of sound generation IZZ 7 5 Neuron book Seite 71 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 L lt NEURON gt Scape and sphere Every model is subdivided into two parameter regions called scape and sphere A scape puts all parameters associated with the formative qualities of a sound at your disposal for example the vibrations of vocal cords or a string A scape serves to determine inherent attributes for example whether the sound is the product of a chaotic disharmonic or harmonic oscillating system By sphere we mean extrinsic sound shaping factors that is the environmental conditions a piano case a guitar body in which the sonic event occurs Spectral processes formants resonance
117. he depth value determined at the modulation destination You will find further information about this topic on page 104 Determines the type of envelope that is adjusted via the Wheels e Par Levels The adjusted parameters define the ADSR envelope that modulates the currently selected scape or sphere parameter level of the given resynator shaper 1 gt resynator 1 shaper 2 gt resynator 2 The defined values are retained when you switch to another level or region Continued on next page Table 10 Control features of Shaper 1 2 Table 10 Control features of Shaper 1 2 cont Neuron book Seite 106 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Continued from previous page e Amplifier The wheels define the ADSR envelope that modulates the amplitude of the given resynator here too the shaper gt resynator routing is hard wired e Free In free mode you can a select between the envelope types ADSR and 4 levels 4 times and b define different modulation destinations You will find further information on page 104 An appropriate shaper menu appears in the main display for the selected shaper status and thus the envelope type Good to know stuff The shaper 1 2 status button does not activate or deactivate an envelope It serves solely to select the envelope level par level amplifier free addressed by the wheels or depth knobs The par levels envelope is activated via the resynator s conto
118. he keyboard you will find e Control 1 implemented as the pitch stick controller s Y axis four destinations each for up and down stick movements e control 2 in the form of a data input wheel with bar display e and control 3 a rotary encoder Connections for external controllers e Control 4 for a continuous pedal e and switch for a footswitch of any polarity Bar a few exceptions this switch can execute the function of virtually every button on Neuron Page 11 offers information on connectable pedals The potential destinations for all controls are listed from page 165 Although strictly speaking they are not true hardware controllers there are two more control signal sources to be found in Neuron s keyboard aftertouch and velocity You may recall that aftertouch is the pressure applied to a key once it has been pressed An aftertouch message is generated in response to the force of your post attack key pressure its value increases as you bear down harder on keys Aftertouch data may be used to modulate other sound parameters You can define up to four destinations that can then be controlled simultaneously You can select these parameters and determine the intensity or depth of the aftertouch message s influence on the parameter selected in the controller menu In Neuron and via MIDI aftertouch is monaural meaning that the aftertouch modulation affects the entire sound rather than individual voices Velocit
119. he two resynators pitches The free ADSR curve s modulation depth is defined via an overall depth which is adjusted in the respective shaper and via the menu option free env pitch ADSR1 ADSR2 depth in the respective resynator menu see page 83 The same applies to a 4 levels 4 times envelope used for modulating a resynator s pitch The resynator menu option freeEnv pitch 4 L 4 T Depth defines the modulation depth Neuron book Seite 102 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Modulating model parameters An envelope can modulate not only the amplitude and frequency pitch of a signal but also other parameters Neuron s two resynators and the sound models loaded into them offer infinite sound shaping without adding envelopes to the equation so imagine what mind boggling possibilities envelopes give you for modulating the model s parameters Hard to envisage Then call to mind the aforementioned amplitude modulation and try to picture what this kind of process could do to a model parameter Perhaps this will make the possibilities more tangible Take for example metallicity The note gains a metallic edge in the defined attack time dropping to sustain level during the decay phase that defines how metallic the timbre will remain for as long as you hold the key down After you release the key the metallic sheen fades during the release phase The parameter value defined in the resynator determines the limits of
120. he up button to load the next higher sound or setup All stored data is loaded into Neuron s modules just as if you type in a sound setup number on the numeric keypad Activate this button LED lights up to freeze the tens numeral of the currently selected number The idea is to make it easier to enter a sound setup number directly Example Say sound 082 is loaded Press 10 s hold The 08 is held in place until you deactivate the function by pressing the button again Then you can press say 9 to switch to 089 Stores the current sound see page 51 and setup see page 67 The snapshot function stores a snapshot of all modules current settings In combination with the play compare button you can audition your snapshots and A B or compare the edited sound to the original You will find detailed information and a description of how to proceed on page 52 Table 2 Programmer control features E Neuron book Seite 47 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 T lt NEURON gt Sound 1 to Sound 4 buttons Buttons for switching a sound on and priming it within a setup The LED for the given sound button indicates its status You can change the status by pressing the buttons repeatedly LED lights up steadily The sound is played with the current setup LED off The sound is muted in the current setup LED flashes The sound is primed meaning that it can be edited in real time using the control features o
121. hear the two front channels in your headphones The volume of all analog audio outputs and the headphones output is controlled via the master volume knob Whenever you work with headphones be sure to check the volume before you strike any keys 2 Neuron book Seite 11 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt External controllers Footswitches and pedals Control 4 You can connect a continuous controller of any type and polarity here In the controller menu you can define up to four functions for the pedal see page 165 In the default setting control 4 adjusts the volume of both resynators MIDI controller number 11 expression Continuous Controller Switch Port designed to take a footswitch of any type opener or closer and polarity You can define functions for the switch in the controller menu see page 167 MIDI controller number 66 Sustain Connect a standard sustain pedal here MIDI controller number 64 Sustain Pedal Neuron automatically identifies the type of connected footswitch and sustain pedal when it is powered up If this is not the case you can provide that information to Neuron via the basic settings parameters footswitch and sustain ped ternal controllers Footswitches and pedals MIDI setup MIDI setup In MIDI input Neuron receives MIDI data from the MIDI output of a computer MIDI keyboards sequencer or other MIDI controller via this input
122. hen you choose this option in sound mode Neuron sends the currently loaded sound to the MIDI out in setup mode it sends the currently loaded setup to the MIDI out The models and sounds used therein are also exported e All Sounds All stored sounds are sent to the MIDI out Models contained therein are not exported e All SetUps All stored setups are sent to the MIDI out Sounds and models contained therein are not exported Example The following example takes you through a SysEx dump of all setups Proceed accordingly to dump other SysEx data e Ensure that the MIDI device connected to Neuron s MIDI out port is ready to receive MIDI data e Check if Neuron s device identification SysExDeviceID is set correctly in the basic settings see page 179 e Press the load dump button Stick down to scroll to the menu option e Twist the knob to select the option CD e Press enter Neuron sends the parameters of all setups to the MIDI out interface IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 181 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 _ lt NEURON gt gt How to receive SysEx data During a SysEx load Neuron receives system exclusive data from another MIDI device connected to the MIDI in port Data transfer is launched at the connected device Neuron processes the incoming MIDI commands autonomously If the data transfer process is bound to be lengthy a message appears in Neuron s display indicating as much
123. hich an original exemplar is artificially replicated in this case creating a digital mirror image of a sonic event with all its characteristic features remaining intact We applied the principles of an adaptive program that has evolved and been refined over many years Now for the first time in the history of synthesizers it is possible to access resynthesized sounds with astonishing accuracy and radically reshape them to dramatic even spectacular effect Like a sentient being Neuron recognizes a sound But more than that its intelligence is such that it puts at your disposal parameters whose structures are adapted dynamically to suit this sound And that makes Neuron the first synthesizer with a brain full of responsive synapses that is variable rather than fixed parameter assignments IZZ wa e 5 T lt NEURON gt Neuron book Seite 25 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 A new sonic dimension in the age of the remix Neuron is an instrument of the remix era Contemporary pop music no longer clings to the notion that musical sounds or themes must be newly developed or composed Instead music makers mine the rich seam of our musical heritage for material good ideas are recycled and developed further A drum loop is sampled to create another the fact that the first drum loop was already sampled from an old record notwithstanding And so it goes ad infinitum Neuron captures the musical spirit of the time Ra
124. i lt gt Sound 1 On Off Sound 2 On Off A lt gt Sound 3 On Off d 4 ff Silver Stick y lt gt Soun O0n 0 when F A Surround Mode on Surround FrLeft lt p Surround FrLeft and Sound 1 63 Sound 2 63 Sound 1 primed gt Same lt gt Sound 4 63 applies to Sounds 2 to 4 Surround FrRight Sound 1 63 A v Surround BkRight Sound 1 63 A v Surround BkLeft Sound 1 63 A v SrndCenterWeight Sound 1 63 A lt gt Surround sub mix Sound 2 63 lt gt lt gt v Surround sub mix gt Sound 1 63 Sound 4 Neuron book Seite 61 Montag T lt NEURON gt 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Setup parameters Snd Vol Transp Detune MIDI Numbers of the sounds contained in the current setup Sets the volume levels for the individual sounds within the setup Value range 0 to 127 Transposes the individual sounds within the setup in semitone steps Value range 48 to 48 Detunes individual sounds within the setup in cent increments Value range 99 to 99 Determines MIDI data send and receive channel for sounds in setup mode A sound responds to incoming MIDI data only when the defined MIDI channel and send channel numbers are identical Value range 0 to 16 0 denotes omni meaning that the sound responds to incoming messages on all MIDI channels see page 178 In sound mode the global MIDI channel settings defined in the basic settings apply see
125. ic instruments were incapable of producing these musical modernists spawned devices that would inspire many great tunesmiths and composers of film scores The driving force behind this crusade was the desire to explore the great sonic frontier That would change over the course of the coming decades Commercialization and corporatization changed the way music was perceived and made Technological advances particularly strides made in the past 30 years made it possible to produce entire compositions using electronic instruments called synthesizers and samplers The new market paradigm for instrument builders was to fashion authentic sounds timbres and tones as close as possible to those produced by traditional instruments Imitation gave way to innovation in the last decade or so when musicians began to see the tremendous creative potential that the all but forgotten classic synthesizers harbored Concurrently a new musical style emerged that celebrated the sound of electronica as such Today contemporary productions are for all practical purposes musical hybrids in which synthesizer sounds typically share sonic space with the time honored instruments of pop music That explains the modern day renaissance of archetypal synthesizers albeit in the guise of the aforementioned digital emulations rather than as a box full of complex discrete circuits In every era of sound synthesis half mad audio scientists toiled away in their
126. imation 80 3D mode slicer 120 4L 4T envelope 104 112 A ADSR envelope 110 111 ADSR envelope filter 150 Aftertouch 162 Calibrating 28 Calibration 42 Destinations 165 Scale 40 Aliasing 130 All Models Dump 188 All notes off command 31 All setups Dump 188 All Sounds Dump 188 Amount blender 94 Amount Knob Mod 116 Amplifier shaper status 106 Amplifier envelope 104 110 Amplitude modulation envelope 101 Amplitude modulation LFO 114 Attack 99 105 108 Attack filter env 150 152 Audio output in the setup 61 Available LFO waveforms Flanger 143 Mod 118 Phaser 144 Ring modulator 141 Slicer 122 B B1 Freq 140 B1 Gain 140 B1Q 140 B2 Freq 140 B2 Gain 140 B2Q 140 Backup 185 190 Band 1 140 Band 2 140 Band pass 126 Basic settings Defining 36 General facts 36 MIDI relevant 178 Parameter table 37 BkRight surround panning 64 Blender Control features 94 Functionality 93 Menu 94 Parameter table 94 Type menu option 94 Types 96 Blender wheel 94 Button 10 s hold 46 Basic settings 36 48 Contour control 89 Contour control resynator 74 Contour control silver 135 Controllers 47 Copy paste 47 Delay 157 Down 46 50 65 Enter 31 Exit panic 31 48 Filter 135 Freq FX 135 Load dump 47 Menu Master effects 157 Menu silver 134 Model select menu 73 Octave 75 Parameter level resynator 74 Parameter level silver 134 Play compare 46 Record stick resynator 74
127. ime L time appears in the main display The mix values of both effects can also be changed in shaper 3 if efx mix status is enabled in it fan Scroll with the navigation oOo stick and select the desired v k parameter setting with the knob The master effects parame ters are described in the following table Feedback Fdbk damp lt gt Detune amnt lt gt DetuneSpeed Neuron book Seite 159 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Master effects Parameters Mix Defines the amount of processed signal in Feedback Determines the amount of feedback for the relation to the original signal wet dry mix delayed signal The higher the feedback value the higher the number of repetitions Value range 0 to 127 Value range 0 to 127 In sound mode if you switch the master effects module off when mix 127 100 wet Fdbk Determines the amount of dampening in the signal the audio signal will no longer be Damp feedback loop The higher the attenuation audible Why Because in this setting no dry the weaker the repetitions become over time or unprocessed signal is routed through the Value range 0 to 127 effects unit In setup mode the sounds effect send values also play a role delay and Table 23 Master effects Delay parameters cont reverb If the send amount is in each case set to 100 and the master effects mix is set to 100 the sound of silence is what you will hear when
128. in the left front surround channel Value range 0 to 127 0 means that the given sound is not audible in the left front speaker 127 means the sound is routed in the maximum amount or level to the left front surround channel Note that this parameter is the inverse of the parameter for the right rear channel For more on this see the comments following the table Determines the amount or level of each sound in the right front surround channel Value range see above Note that this parameter is the inverse of the parameter for the left rear channel Surround FrRight Surround BkLeft 127 For more on this see the comments following the table Table 5 Setup parameters cont Table 5 Setup parameters cont Module P 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Surround BkRight Surround BkLeft Srnd Center Weight Determines the amount or level of each sound in the right rear surround channel Value range see above Note that this parameter is the inverse of the parameter for the left front channel Surround BkRight Surround Frleft 127 For more on this see the comments following the table Determines the amount or level of each sound in the left rear surround channel Value range see above Note that this parameter is the inverse of the parameter for the right front channel Surround BkLeft Surround FrRight 127 For more on this see the comments following the table Boosts or
129. int hearted Instead of cutting all the peaks of the distorted signal beyond the clip point hard and at the same level it backs these levels off gently The higher the input level and the greater the amount of distortion the more radically the oscillation s peaks are cut Taken to extremes this transforms an incoming sine wave oscillation into a square wave Located in front of the distortion generating clipper in the signal chain is a low pass filter with a user definable cutoff frequency ILZ a Fe Neuron book Seite 129 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 This effect boosts the incoming level You can adjust the wet outgoing level separately to compensate for this The effect adds additional overtones to the input signal Ring modulator This type of modulation is excellent for generating bell like and noisy sounds as well as for mangling sounds with ruthless efficiency It can also generate subtle effects like tremolo as soft as the beating of butterfly wings In ring modulation the audio signal is multiplied by a carrier wave whose frequency can be defined via the mod freq parameter If you patch in an input signal that is a single pure sine wave oscillation the frequency spectrum at the modulator s output would be composed of the difference between the original signal and the carrier as well as the sum of the two the mirror image of the difference so to speak Example Say we are dealing with
130. is retained IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 161 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt gt FX send and return In sound mode you can control the delay and reverb amount via the two mix parameters either in the master effects menu or via shaper 3 wheels In setup mode you also have the option of controlling effect intensity individually for each sound In this case the master effects delay and reverb mix parameters should be viewed as the return values and the sound related amounts as the send values How to set send values in the setup menu e Activate setup mode e Stick down in the setup menu to scroll to the menu option pseerateatty Define the delay send amount for sound 1 via knob e Stick down to scroll to the send parameter reverb e Stick right and stick left to access the parameters of sounds 2 to 4 Module Master effects Neuron book Seite 162 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Pitch lt v Control 1 gt Pitch Control 2 Control 3 Free controllers For purposes of performance based sound shaping Neuron offers freely definable continuous controllers whose destinations can be defined via the controller menu Controller settings are stored at the sound level so they can vary from sound to sound When you change or reload a sound controller values are reset to 0 Stored links are of course retained Located at the left next to t
131. is to simply try it out Decimator Decimator does what its name would indicate it decimates the sampling rate The higher the sampling rate at which a sound was digitized the richer it is in signal quality but the poorer in character Also called down sampling this sampling rate reduction degrades the signal to create a grainier rawer sound The sample amp hold section of this effect samples a value from the signal and routes it to the output for the amount of time defined by the S amp H factor parameter after which a new sample is taken A low pass filter guards the effect s input It prevents undesirable distortion generated by the S amp H circuit s sampling activities Called aliasing this distortion is attributable to input signals containing frequencies equal to or greater than half the sampling rate You can also influence the aforementioned rawness of the signal by changing the cutoff frequency of this input low pass filter in relation to the sampling rate Sp_warp Sp_warp is an extremely sophisticated stereo modulation effect It is perfect for generating or refining atmospheric sounds If you lay this effect over strings or pads a dense ambient cloud that lends the sound a distinctive spacey sci fi vibe surrounds them If you use very direct sound material like voices or drum percussion sounds SP warp generates interesting but very strange counterpoint melodies A percussive sound enriched with SP
132. it using the navigation stick and knob located to the left and right of the main display respectively Stick down and stick up to scroll through the main menu options Stick right and stick left to jump to and scroll through submenus if on hand The rotary knob edits the current parameter Depending on the parameter you can either select among predefined settings or adjust a numeric value For certain menu options pressing the knob is tantamount to pressing the enter button see page 31 Table 3 Control unit control features cont IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 49 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Programmer Programming sounds This section discusses all procedures required to program sounds in sound mode Be sure also to read about the topic Operating mode Sound mode starting on page 32 We will get into setup mode on page 58 First though let us look at a short description of the sound menu Sound menu We call the top level of the sound menu sound loader e If setup mode is active you can access it by starting sound mode by pressing the setup button e If sound mode is already active press exit Setup gt Sound No R1 Modelno Name e Soundname R2 Modelno Name A M Sound No Pan A v Sound No Pan Keytrack Sound parameters Sound Number and name of the current sound sound loader Used models This menu option shows the curren
133. ite 21 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt In Neuron the MIDI global channel as defined in the basic settings applies exclusively to sound mode The aforementioned settings apply in setup mode You will find a detailed description of Neuron s MIDI control mechanisms starting on page 178 Storing setups Setups are stored in the same way as sounds Note that actual sound data is not stored in the setup Instead the system stores references or links to the sounds contained therein If a sound is edited moved or deleted all setups in which this sound is used change accordingly For a closer look at all parameters and the handling of setups please refer to the section Programmer Programming setups starting on page 58 Creating your own models You can load additional models or make your own models from samples to add to Neuron s 200 factory models This is done on an external computer Mac or personal computer rather than on Neuron You will require a software application called ModelMaker to do this It analyzes samples or multisamples and converts them into Neuron specific resynthesis models These are transferred via USB to Neuron s internal hard disk To learn how this works and which software and hardware are required read The load dump function starting on page 187 You will find further information on ModelMaker on page 192 Quick Start Guide Neuron basics The philosophy
134. ivate the parameter envelope by pressing the contour contr button repeatedly if necessary in the given resynator so that the shaper LED lights up Press repeatedly if necessary the status shaper button until the par levels LED lights up Status ParLevel appears in the main display IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 111 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 e Stick down the navigation stick to access the gt How to define a free ADSR envelope menu option mode which lets you select the e Press repeatedly if necessary the status envelope mode shaper button until the free LED lights up e Adjust ADSR parameter values by turning the Status Free appears in the main display wheels Once you move a wheel you can also e Stick down the navigation stick to access the define its assigned value in the main display menu option type Here you can choose using the knob Alternatively you can navigate between two free ADSR envelopes or one 4 via stick right left back and forth among levels 4 times envelope see also page 100 individual envelope parameters Twist the knob to select 2ADsR e If you want to modulate all of the envelope s e Define the mode the ADSR parameter values of depth parameters via key pressure velocity the envelope as described for the amplifier define the velo depth parameter see envelope page 110 page 109 e If you want to modulate the depth of the e Now define the intensity of the envelope s en
135. iven modulation destination with the LFO depth adjusted in mod via the amount knob To distinguish between the two we call the mod module s LFO parameter discussed in the descriptions of the modulated target parameters global LFO depth Potential modulation destinations for the LFO e Resynators pitch volume and all cross x parameter pairs of every scape and sphere parameter level described in table starting on page 77 e Blender amount see page 95 e Silver cutoff frequency of the current filter LFO depth parameter see page 138 Mod Menu eee Afteryou have pressed on off ments Switch the mod menu appears in the Agi M f 7 ount LFO main display gt Twist the amount knob to A access the menu option Rate A depth ry Scroll with the navigation stick and choose the pery parameter setting using the v LFO Mod Control features On Off Switches the modulator on off button Amount Controls the LFO parameter depth that is the knob amplitude of the LFO oscillation see below Table 12 Mod control features Mod Parameters Depth Rate Amplitude of the LFO oscillation The higher the amplitude the more pronounced the modulation effect You can also set the depth directly using the amount knob Value range 0 to 127 Heads up In this context be sure to keep in mind the parameter LFO depth at the respective modulation destination The global LFO depth
136. k V9 esas eee Shaper 1 Parameter Decay Beira Shaper 1 Parameter Sustain fe MERIR aus Shaper 1 Parameter Release 82 sty Shaper 2 Parameter Attack BB aise esau Shaper 2 Parameter Decay Bh oases te Shaper 2 Parameter Sustain Bi deter Shaper 2 Parameter Release BO cece Reserved TARER Reserved Ba lnii FX Delay On Off 89 eects FX Reverb On Off is 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Le OE FX Delay L Time A E Reset All Controllers Ol essees FX Delay Mix VO ee se ess Local Control 92 oe a ited FX Delay R Time 123 24g hale All Notes Off 03 ose eee FX Reverb Mix LAA coe de Omnimode Off 94 A NE FX Delay Feedback 125 erii Omnimode On OD E FX Delay Feedback Damp T26 ieii Monomode On 9G it ihe Gace Data increment 127 seen Polymode On SY ee Data decrement OB 3s arabia NRPN LSB Serer rae NRPN MSB 10029 egcncdss RPN LSB laseia RPN MSB TOs Shaper 1 Free Attack Level 1 103 a Shaper 1 Free Decay Time 1 104 iieis Shaper 1 Free Sustain Level 2 105 reres Shaper 1 Free Release Time 2 Wicriass Shaper 2 Free Attack Level 3 107 s ds6 ac3 Shaper 2 Free Decay Time 3 108 Shaper 2 Free Sustain Level 4 109 Shaper 2 Free Release Time 4 110 de2ns Shaper 3 Silver Attack Hileris Shaper 3 Silver Filter Decay Terenas Shaper 3 Silver Filter Sustain VAS SORPO Shaper 3 Silver Filter Release Morres Shaper 3 Silver Filter Depth 115 eed FX Reverb Type 116 oeie FX Reverb Decay Time IIZ ee ees FX Reverb Diffusion
137. l function of protecting you and the device Failure to heed the guidelines below can lead to the damage or destruction of the device Connect Neuron to alternating current power supplies rated from 100 to 240 V and with a frequency of 50 to 60 Hz Do not operate Neuron in extremely dusty or dirty environments and only up to an altitude of 2 000 meters above mean sea level Do not operate Neuron near heat sources Do not expose the device to direct and intense sunlight Do not operate it outside an ambient temperature range of 15 and 35 C Always ensure air can circulate freely around the device for purposes of heat dissipation Never cover or obstruct the ventilation ducts on the side and particularly on the bottom panel of the enclosure Do not expose the device to powerful vibrations or mechanical shocks Unplug audio cords and connectors by pulling the plug rather than the cord CAUTION Danger of damage or destruction E Neuron book Seite 7 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Safety during operation Ensure the device is set up in a stable level position Make sure that no objects make their way into the device s interior If this does occur switch the device off immediately and pull the mains plug Do not open the device Take it to an authorized service center and have a qualified technician remove the foreign object In combination with a connected amp mixer
138. labs concocting all manner of approaches to synthesis Key technologies emerged and held sway over the synthesizer market for many years Hordes of companies embraced them and incorporated them in proprietary products A handful of technologies prevailed to this day they provide the coordinates by which every manufacturer charts his synthesizers course A case can be made for the point that a trailblazing technology arrives every 15 to 20 years and equally important spawns generations of commercially successful products e Subtractive synthesis Pioneers Moog EMS Buchla Sequential Circuits Oberheim ARP e Additive synthesis Pioneers Fairlight Synclavier PPG Technos e Hybrid synthesis digital synthesis Pioneers PPG e FM frequency modulation PD phase distortion synthesis Pioneers Yamaha Casio e Virtual sound synthesis physical modeling Pioneers Yamaha e Sampling Pioneers Fairlight EMU Systems Synclavier and today Neuron We are convinced that with Neuron we have created a technological force sure to drive a sonic revolution of the same order Neuron employs a technology that in the near future will reshape the perceptions of the entire computer industry Adaptable computer algorithms power it Its sound generation system is rooted in the overwhelming potential of resynthesis The term is easily defined resynthesis is a process by w
139. lay Basic parameter stick mode While on the subject of sticks let us look at the stick mode parameter in the basic settings When you switch to another parameter level or load another sound model the four cross x displays indicate the stored values but the stick will rarely be in a position that corresponds to these values Using the stick mode parameters you can determine how the sticks respond when this is the case You will find a detailed description of the parameter on page 37 Stick animation You can record the stick controllers movements and play this stick animation back to manipulate parameter values on the fly For a detailed description of stick animation check out page 89 2 o LAA Neuron book Seite Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 ia lt NEURON gt Data input wheels wheels Envelopes are controlled using rotary encoder wheels and adjacent bar displays This enables effective hands on tweaking and swift access to all parameter values of entire groups of control features What s more this approach to handling is ideal for ascertaining envelope settings Note that several wheels can be operated simultaneously The wheels value ranges are scaled on the fly This means that the faster you turn a wheel the greater the range of values it steps through Knob The pentagon at the top morphs into a circle below This five sided design affords a sure g
140. llers outboard gear sporting real control features attests to the fact that many musicians miss the touchy feely vibe of a real instrument The irony of this retro yearning is that most virtual instruments are computer generated emulations of what were once real instruments But the allure of the corporeal is compelling and savvy users have come to appreciate that tactile sensations play a part in making music and that hands on handling of an electronic instrument s man machine interface gets the creative juices flowing Though this bias towards the palpable assisted in the birth of Neuron tactility is just one of many aspects Taken in its entirety it is nothing short of the next logical step in the ongoing development of synthesis engines And thus its man machine interface is an organic extension of the synthesizer s heart and soul the synthesis engine and a remote control designed specifically to afford direct access to its formidable powers ILZ p i Fe Neuron book Seite 23 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 J lt NEURON gt A short trip down memory lane An explanation of the true breadth and depth of the concept behind Neuron requires a trip down memory lane to recap the history of electronic musical instruments and synthesizers Almost a century ago the pioneers of electronic music began experimenting with colossal synthesis engines powered by electricity On a quest for new sounds that class
141. loading sounds e In order to step through all sounds successively press the up or down button in programmer In each step the next sound is loaded and indicated in the main display You can only do this when sound loader is displayed e Type in the three digit sound number using the numeric keypad whenever necessary preceded by zeros e g 003 The sound loads immedia tely after typing the third digit You can only do this when sound loader is displayed e Dial in the sound number by twisting the knob next to the display and confirm with enter by pressing the knob The number continues to flash until the selected sound is loaded When youloadasound allmodulesaresettothestored values A tremendous amount of model and sound related information has to be loaded with every sound so the process may take a while gt How to edit a sound The technology that powers Neuron offers an unprecedented spectrum of tonal variety Consider just the possibilities afforded by dynamic parameter assignment and you can appreciate that there simply is not enough room in this manual to explore all the sound shaping variants The following list can give you no more than a general idea Follow the cross references to learn more about each sound processing operation The signal flow in Neuron is depicted on page 43 e If you want to use an existing sound as the starting point for creating a new sound then load it as described above I
142. ls remain dry Before we turn to the master effects parameters and control features a few words on reverb and delay effects Delay In simple terms a delay copies an audio signal and mixes it to the original after a defined delay time has elapsed thereby creating an echo of the original signal When the delayed signal is fed back into the effect s input via feedback loop the echo is repeated until the signal fades The number of repetitions is determined by the amount of feedback and dampening Fdbk damp parameter in the feedback loop Delays are great for fattening up instrument sounds For a rather subtle doubled effect you can emulate two identical instruments playing in unison by dialing in short delay times 50 to 100 ms Longer delay times create intriguing rhythmic patterns which can be especially compelling when synced up to a song s groove Neuron features a genuine stereo delay that is a dedicated delay line for each channel This of course means that signals are delayed in true stereo you o __ o LAA Neuron book Seite 155 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 ia lt NEURON gt can define delay times separately for the left and right channels And you can create ping pong effects by dialing values with a fixed relation to one another say a ratio of 2 1 for the right and left delay times The signal then bounces back and forth between the two stereo channels
143. ly edited menu option is Neuron book Seite 69 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Module Resynator The philosophy behind resynators You are sure to be familiar with the term resynthesis It has certainly been on E musicians and sound designers minds for many years For good reason This brand of synthesis harbors tremendous sound design potential The problem to date has been that no one had found a feasible solution to the interface pro blem How can all this sonic potential be handled intuitively E The solution to this problem is intelligence a quality that conventional sound generating machines lack But Neuron is a breed apart its synthesis engine s nerve system is endowed with artificial intelligence Happily for users it handles very much like a classic synth though the approach to shaping sound is completely different Whereas it takes all kinds of complicated connec tions between the various modules to generate in teresting sounds on a classic synth Neuron holds a treasure trove of great sounding source material B Resynator 1 E right there in the heart of its synthesis engine You can tailor this material to suit your taste with ease some might even say in style The dynamo that drives classic subtractive synthesi zers the oscillator inspired the resynator Its name expresses that kinship The term resynator is an amalgam of resynthesis and
144. ly selected sound or setup activated Something old and something new You will find that though Neuron features many new and different things its structure is largely familiar and certainly very clear Filters though in the Neuron the silver module does the filtering and envelopes that would be the Shaper are old acquaintances as is the LFO called mod in Neuronese However instead of conventional oscillators Neuron features two resynators One or two models provide the source material for every sound They can be processed in a variety of ways in the resynators Sound processing options are so extensive that you will seldom use the filters and effects In fact many factory sounds do without filters altogether Effects on off silver effects master effects e There are two effect units in Neuron Located in the silver module freq FX and time FX are available for every sound They remain assigned to each sound even in setup mode You can switch them on and off separately via the freq FX and time FX buttons You can also opt to switch the entire silver module on and off via the on off button e Master effects delay and reverb are global which means they are available once only for each sound setup You can switch them on and off via the effects on off button For a detailed description of the silver module see page 123 For more on master effects see page 154 A controller for every season Neuron s free co
145. me latency in its attack is typical It takes a moment for the full frequency spectrum of the tone to become audible The attack parameter of the ADSR envelope is perfect for imitating this property The filter envelope changes the sweep of the cutoff frequency thus shaping the signal s timbre Velocity driven envelope effects Velocity can be used to shape the depth parameter that controls the filter envelope s modulation intensity To do this you must enter a value other than zero for shaper 3 s velo depth parameter see the parameter description on page 152 Normal or repeat As described for shapers 1 and 2 in Normal mode the envelope runs through once only every time a key is pressed After the release time elapses it takes a new note to re trigger the envelope The envelope is cycled when you select the repeat mode However the envelope does not run its full course because the sustain phase is truncated After the decay time elapses the envelope jumps directly to the release phase which in repeat mode runs its course even whilst holding the key down issues a note on command Then the curve re enters the attack phase This cycle continues for as long as the key is held down Once the key is released the envelope ends after the release phase On page 103 you will find an illustration of an ADSR envelope in repeat mode IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 151 Montag lt NEURON gt 23 Dezember 2002 2 28
146. modulation Value range 64 to 63 VeloDepth 0 Env depth is not modulated VeloDepth gt 0 Env depth increases in accordance with velocity up to a max value of 127 current env depth velo depth x velocity value The harder you hit the keys the greater the depth of the envelope VeloDepth 63 Maximum effect of velocity on the depth of the envelope VeloDepth lt 0 Env depth decreases inversely to velocity The harder you strike the keys the weaker the envelope s influence A positive filter modulation is only audible if the cutoff frequency is low Ditto for negative modulations vice versa that is Table 21 Shaper 3 parameters cont E Neuron book Seite 153 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 _ lt NEURON gt Shaper 3 Handling How to use a filter envelope Shaper 3 must be activated in the silver s filter unit to allow the filter envelope to influence the filter curve Press repeatedly if necessary the silver parameter level button so that the filter LED lights up Then press contour contr until the shaper 3 LED lights up Press the shaper status button until the silver LED lights up Status Silver appears in the main display Stick down the navigation stick to access the menu option env mode which lets you select the envelope mode normal or repeat Adjust ADSR parameter values by turning the wheels Once you move a wheel you can also define the given value in the main dis
147. modulation matrix Controls 1 to 4 and aftertouch offer identical destinations For each control you can define up to four destinations that are controlled simultaneously In the default setting the pedal connected to control 4 continuous controller is routed to the volume of both resynators destination 1 and 2 None control is not used Pan gt e Sound Pan LFO gt Mod LFO Depth e LFO Rate e LFO Delay Resynator 1 gt e Volume e L1 Scape 1 3 Scape Parameter 1 3 Level 1 e L1 Scape 2 4 Scape Parameter 2 4 Level 1 e L1 Sphere 1 3 Sphere Parameter 1 3 Level 1 e L1 Sphere 2 4 Sphere Parameter 2 4 Level 1 e L2 Scape 1 3 e L2 Scape 2 4 L2 Sphere 1 3 L2 Sphere 2 4 L3 Scape 1 3 L3 Scape 2 4 L3 Sphere 1 3 L3 Sphere 2 4 Resynator 2 gt e see Resynator 1 Blender gt e Amount Slicer e Depth e Rate Silver Filter gt e Filter Cutoff e Filter Resonance Silver Freq FX gt EQ LowShelf Gain EQComp EQ LowShelf Freq EQ LowShelf Slope EQ B1 Gain EQ B1 Freq EQ B1Q EQ B2 Gain EQ B2 Freq EQ B2 Q EQ HighShelf Gain EQ HighShelf Freq EQ HighShelf Slope Free controllers Free controllers g 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Comp Threshold Comp Out Gain Comp Responsiveness Dist In Drive Distortion Dist Prefilter Dist Out Vol RingMod Mix RingMod Speed RingMod Depth RingMod ModFreq RgMd XoverDelay RgMd XoverTime RgMd XDlLFeedback Decim Mix Decim SH Factor Dec
148. n Icons Our couch potatoes will accompany you through this manual or offering valuable tips on good to know stuff like tweaking sounds or programming Neuron You will find couch potatoes lounging about all over the book They pop up wherever a need for further enlightenment arises marking passages containing a key fact cross referencing a related topic unclear Heads up if you see the couch potato and his friends listening intently If you take the hint and Listen up too you will discover an interesting or unusual fact The stick controllers are Neuron s hallmark features They enable effective intuitive and easy handling The stick icon appears wherever a stick is mentioned in the text The confused couch potato turns up because something discussed on that page seems amp lt NEURON gt Neuron book Seite 5 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Specified use Neuron is a neural synthesizer to be used exclusively for generating low frequency audio signals for creating sounds Any other use is improper and prohibited Hartmann GmbH is not liable for inappropriate or improper use of the device and such use voids the manufacturer s warranty Safety first notes on safety The following guidelines are crucial to your safety and the longevity of the device Read and heed Consider also the notes on safety printed on the device s connection panel Failure t
149. n Neuron s modules for example the shaper wheels or sticks You will find out how to load a sound into a setup on page 65 If you want to mute an activated sound without priming it first press and hold the appropriate sound button for several seconds until the LED extinguishes one second should do Control unit Table 2 Programmer control features cont Setup button Controllers button Copy paste button Load dump button Switches back and forth between sound and setup modes The LED above the button lights up when Neuron is in setup mode You will find basic info on the two operating modes starting on page 32 For a detailed explanation of the programming process read the section starting on page 67 Calls up the controller menu in which you can assign specific modules and functions to the free controllers To learn more about this read the section Free controllers starting on page 162 Serves to copy parameter sets from one sound to another To learn more about this read the section Neuron s copy paste function starting on page 54 Starts the function that writes or dumps and loads models sounds setups and Neuron software via the USB interface to and from a connected PC MAC It also serves to transfer system exclusive data To learn more about this read the section Updates and Backups starting on page 185 Table 3 Control unit control features Neuron book Seite 48 Mont
150. n a region using the select button this menu is where you determine the level to be processed via stick Again Neuron memorizes the current settings when you switch to another level The movements of the stick controller can be recorded and stored for every scape and sphere parameter level By activating stick animation you can play the recorded movement back see the next line in the table This lets you program extremely vigorous modulations as an integral component of a sound To learn how to record stick controller movements read page 89 Table 6 Resynator control features cont Contour control button An ADSR envelope or previously recorded movement of the stick controller can influence every scape and sphere parameter level The contour settings can be determined separately for every parameter level so you have six contour controls available for each resynator By pressing this button several times you can select between e Off no LED lights up An envelope or stick recording does not manipulate the selected parameter level e Shaper The par level ADSR envelope in the given shaper is assigned to the current scape or sphere parameter level Note that the par levels LED in the shaper must light up before you can define the envelope Continued on next page Table 6 Resynator control features cont Neuron book Seite 75 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt
151. n two modes In normal mode the envelope runs through once After the release time or time 4 elapses the envelope is not triggered again until a new note is played In repeat mode the envelope is repeated in cycles though the envelope does not run its full course The sustain phase falls by the wayside and the release phase is launched at the sustain level right after the decay phase ends Then the attack phase of the next cycle begins This cycle continues for as long as the key is held down Releasing the key stops the envelope immediately In repeat mode a 4L 4T envelope goes from level 4 to level 1during the release phase time 4 The repeat option lets you create LFO like effects among others Shaper Depth Sustain Level 0 127 T Attack Time 0 127 Decay Time 0 127 Release Time 0 127 ADSR envelope in repeat mode Shaper 1 2 routing Modulation destinations Now you know that you can use envelopes to influence the most diverse sound parameters To do this you must assign a destination parameter to the envelope In Neuron some of these routing options are predefined while others can be defined freely Module Shaper 1 2 Neuron book Seite 104 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Shaper 1 s amplifier envelope is hard wired to resynator 1 s amplifier and therefore modulates the signal s amplitude or volume The same applies to shaper 2 and resynator 2 In this mode you
152. n with a setup If you exit a sound without storing it any newly recorded tracks evaporate into the digital ether __ Neuron book Seite 91 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 gt How to record a stick movement A new recording on the same track at the same parameter level overwrites a previously recording without warning In the given module use select in the resynator only and parameter level to determine the parameter level at which you want to create an animation Press the record stick button to set the recording function to standby The LED above the button flashes Start the actual recording by satisfying the trigger condition defined for the basic settings parameter stick record start in other words move the stick or press any key on the keyboard The LED lights up continuously during the recording process Every movement of the stick controller is recorded y Stop recording by pressing the record stick button again The track is stored along with the other sound specific data in the sound database when the sound is stored If you do not store the sound the recording is lost when you change the sound setup or switch Neuron off How to start a stick animation In the given module use select in the resynator only and parameter level to determine the parameter level at which you want to play back an animation Press the contour contr button for this level repeatedly s
153. nator parameters cont Module Resynator 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Model Size Offset Pitch Determines the extent of the offset between the size of a model and the root key Value range 64 to 63 0 the model size remains constant meaning that it corresponds to the size of the original sample on the root key Values other than zero increase or decrease the size This means that you can play a model so that it behaves like a sample key track 63 see above and retains the pitch of the original sample even though it is smaller than the original sample Tunes the resynators The submenu contains the following menu options e Octave Value ranges from 2 to 1 Adjustable only via the octave button e Semi Value ranges from 24 to 24 The knob detunes in semitones e Cent Value ranges from 99 to 99 The knob detunes in cent steps Pitch LFO Depth Determines the modulation depth of the mod generated LFO oscillation and thus the intensity of its effect on resynator pitch Value range 64 to 63 LFO depth 0 Mod does not modulate pitch LFO depth gt 0 Starting at the current value pitch is modulated upwards in accordance with the LFO oscillation LFO depth lt 0 Pitch is modulated downwards in accordance with the LFO oscillation Note in this context the global LFO depth which is defined directly in the mod module page 116 Global LFO depth is offset against this
154. navigation stick to access the menu option type Here you can choose between two free ADSR envelopes or one 4 levels 4 times envelope see also page 100 Twist the knob to select 4Level4Time Stick down the navigation stick to access the menu option mode which lets you select the envelope mode Turn the wheels to dial in four levels and four times Once you move a wheel you can also define its assigned value in the main display using the knob Alternatively you can navigate via stick right left back and forth among the parameters Define the depth of the envelope by twisting one of the two depth knobs or using the menu option depth If you want to modulate the depth of the envelope via velocity define the parameter velo Depth see page 109 You are dealing with free envelopes so you must determine the various modulation destinations You can assign a module as the modulation destination by selecting the corresponding depth parameter in the menu of the desired module and defining a value gt 0 for it values range from 0 to 127 2 Neuron book Seite 113 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Example Say you want shaper 1 s 4L4T envelope to modulate resynator 1 s pitch Press the menu button in resynator 1 and use the navigation stick located next to the main display to scroll to the menu option Pitch FreeEnv 4L 4T Depth Now adjust the modulation depth in the resynator using the
155. nd pass s sound shaping properties are much like that of an acoustic instrument s body or housing Typically the housing emphasizes specific frequencies regardless of the pitch of the played note This property is decisive in determining the tone of an acoustic instrument These environmental resonances are called formants because they form the characteristic sound of the instrument A band pass filter with high quality and high resonance is called a formant filter It is an outstanding tool for emulating acoustic instruments for example strings and the human voice 2 Neuron book Seite 127 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Dynamic filtering via envelope stick LFO and determined via the velo depth parameter see velocity page 139 The filters in Neuron are how could it be otherwise dynamic After all our express goal was to make Frequency based effects Freq FX editing sounds as easy and effective as possible A In addition to the filter unit silver offers a multi filter earns the descriptive modifier dynamic if its effector for generating frequency based effects parameters can steadily accept new values and this called freq FX for short modulation of values can also be automated Neuron Effects are activated via silvers freq FX button You offers several dynamic filtering options can edit the selected effect s two most important e Cutoff frequency and resonance can be p
156. nd sphere parameter level This means that in order to modulate all levels you must the select the parameter levels via select and parameter level and define the modulation source using contour contr Stick animation is only available if a recording of the stick movement or track has been made for the given level For more on this read the section starting on page 89 If you want to use an envelope to modulate the model parameters at a given level you must define the ADSR envelope in the appropriate shaper and determine the desired depth see page 110 The setting contour control shaper 1 applies to the parameter envelope only The amp envelope which modulates resynator volume remains unaffected by this setting Neuron book Seite 89 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 T lt NEURON gt Copying parameter sets or reloading stored parameter values You have the option of copying parameter value settings or an entire resynator configuration from a stored sound into the current sound or from one resynator to another within the current sound It is also possible to reload the values stored in the sound database into the respective resynator and cancel all the previous changes made during editing You will find the copy function in the copy paste menu As well as copying resynator settings and parameter values it serves to copy many other data records for example effect settings or controller assignments The c
157. nge 0 to 127 Defines the amount of signal routed back to the effect s input via feedback loop Value range 64 to 63 Determines the LFO oscillation s modulation depth The higher the value the stronger the chorus effect Value range 0 to 127 Speed Chorus Wave Chorus Stereo phase Chorus Defines the frequency of the modulating LFO oscillation The higher the LFO frequency the faster the effect changes Value range 0 0 to 20 0 Hz in 0 1 Hz steps Determines the waveform of the modulating LFO oscillation The same waveforms are available as in the mod menu You will find a list of all available waveforms on page 118 Delays the modulation effect in the stereo image for spreading the left and right channels For example if the effect attains its highest frequency on the left channel this value determines the distance of the effect s sweep from the left channel to the right channel Value range 64 to 63 The maximum values of 63 and 64 shift the phase of the two channels by half of an LFO periodic oscillation The sign preceding the value determines the direction of shift between the left and right channels Table 19 Silver Time FX parameters cont Table 19 Silver Time FX parameters cont Module Silver PreDelay Defines the delay time of the effect s Silver Handling internal delay line incl delay th h Chans rere aE av ne One dev entog
158. ngs have a bearing on the device as a whole rather than a single sound or setup gt Defining basic settings e Press the basic settings button located below the main display The display should read as follows enaa e Stick down and stick up to scroll through the available global parameters see table 1 on page 37 e Use the knob to edit the currently selected parameter The device automatically quits the basic settings menu when you edit a parameter in any module When you quit the basic settings menu by pressing the basic settings button again Neuron jumps to the most recently edited menu In both cases the device recalls the most recently edited basic settings parameter and displays it when you call the menu back up again Table 1 explains all basic settings parameters ists 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt A look at basic settings Master tune Determines Neuron s overall tuning by adjusting the reference frequency A3 440 Hz The value indicated for this parameter is an absolute value that is it is not offset Value ranges from 400 to 480 Hz Stick mode Determines the operating mode of stick controllers in the resynators and silver module A bit of background on this menu option Neuron is not equipped with motorized sticks that retrieve the current parameter values when you switch to another parameter level or load another sound model and move to positions corresponding t
159. nprecedented approaches to synthesizing sound But there is more good news The blender is such a versatile feature that it offers options for shaping the blender amount or level on the fly You can modulate the amount via the mod module s freely definable LFO oscillations and or via the shaper s free envelopes The latter option gives you a choice of two ADSR envelopes or one 4 levels 4 times envelope Both modulation methods are defined via the given depth parameters in the blender menu see page 95 Neuron book Seite 94 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Blender Control features Type button Blender wheel Selector button for the blender type Press it to access the blender menu in the main display see below The blender wheel controls the relative amounts of the two resynator outputs or determines the times for dynamic cross fades How this amount or duration is defined depends on the selected blender type see the section Blender Types starting on page 96 The amount can be modulated via mod s LFO oscillation or the free envelopes of shaper 1 and 2 The menu offers depth parameters used for this purpose see page 95 Table 8 Control features of the blender Blender Menu The blender menu appears in the main display when you press the type button Turn the blender wheel to dial in the amount menu option Scroll with the naviga tion stick and choose the desired parame
160. nt for programming lead and electronic drum sounds This is called self oscillation Quality Quality has a formative impact on the sound shaping action of the filter This parameter determines to which extent frequencies are dampened at a specific distance from the cutoff frequency In other words it defines the cutoff steepness or slope of the filter curve The higher the quality the greater the filters effect on the sound This value is indicated in dB per octave Let us look at an example Say we have a filter with a quality of 12 dB and a cutoff frequency of 500 Hz An octave above the cutoff frequency that is at 1 000 Hz the filter dampens by 12 dB and at 2000 Hz by as much as 24 dB Low pass filter A low pass filter allows only frequencies below the cutoff frequency to pass Higher frequen cies that is the up per range frequencies responsible for bright ness are cut from the Cutoff soundscape The result is a softer sound Think of the low pass as the David Hamilton of filters 12dB filter _ 24dB filter Freq Though cutting high frequencies from the spectrum of a sound does not boost low frequencies it does increase the relative percentage of low frequencies When a low pass filter filters a signal we perceive the sound to be warmer and fuller Neuron offers three count em low pass filters The most commonly used low pass filters with 12 dB and 24 dB dampening are accessed direc
161. ntrollers are assigned to many of the preset sounds These are e the modulation wheel control 2 e the stick controller pitch bend and control 1 e and the rotary encoder control 3 IZA a Fe Neuron book Seite 19 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt When you are checking out sounds be sure to try on the controllers for size This will give you a first impression of their amazing sound shaping possibilities Read Free controllers starting on page 162 to learn how to integrate controllers into the modulation matrix Resynators scape sphere editing via stick The resynators are the heart of Neuron s synthesis engine A single model in a resynator offers astonishingly versatile sound sculpting possibilities Neuron s fundamental sound source the model is divided into a scape that s the sound generating section and a sphere the sound shaping section For a piano sound for instance the strings are represented in the scape and the body in the sphere There are six sound parameters distributed over three levels for each scape sphere Parameters differ from model to model and are provided with descriptive names and functions To experiment with resynator parameters first determine whether you want to edit the scape or the sphere using the scape sphere button Then select the desired parameter level by pressing the parameter level button Your best bet is to start with parameter level
162. nts via Pe po i In 3D Mode Spread spread of the effect in the control Depth spread Slicer features indicated gt Depth Spread the 3D soundscape in the illustration 4 Value range 0 to 127 v Select the slicer Sae Rate Frequency of the slicer oscillation type by pressing S Value range 0 0 to 20 0 Hz in 0 1 Hz steps the on off button silcer Wave Waveform of the modulating oscillation Slicer repeatedly offers the same waveforms as the mod LFO generator You will find a list of all available LFO waveforms on page 118 Table 15 Slicer parameters Neuron book Seite 123 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 _ lt NEURON gt Module Silver As its name would suggest Silver lets you put a lustrous shine on sounds In addition to a high quality multi mode filter it offers two multi effect processors Like the resynators it can be controlled via stick or silver menu The stick lets you do things like edit filter cutoff frequency and resonance simultaneously and at the same operating level You can manipulate the two most important parameters of the selected frequency or time based effect using the same method Thus the silver stick allows you to manipulate up to three two way parameter sets within the filters and frequency and time based effects that you have at your disposal Surround mode Neuron is the first and only synthesizer designed from the bottom up for surround mode 5 1
163. o heed the guidelines below can lead to fatal injuries through electrical shock or to the destruction of the device e Keep the device out of the rain and away from any other splashing water Under no circumstances allow water to seep into the housing Do not place any receptacle containing liquid on the device even if this means you must do without your traditional chill out drink during your combo s last number e Always set up a safe distance from water that means bathtubs and swimming pools too Bathers and swimmers are in danger of electrical shock e Do not operate the device in a moist environment Humidity may not exceed 75 e If you place the device on a stand or other platform make sure it and the floor you are standing on are dry CAUTION Lethal electrical shock hazard Safety first notes on safety CAUTION Lethal electrical shock hazard Never use faulty mains audio or other connecting cords If the included mains cord is damaged or lost use a suitable replacement cord only In countries in which the included mains cord cannot be used turn to a qualified specialist for help Never connect the device to a socket that is unsuitable damaged or improperly installed Always unplug the mains cord from the socket by pulling the plug and never the actual cord Do not touch the mains cord with wet hands Never sever the mains cord s green yellow earth or ground wire It serves the essentia
164. o that the stick animation LED lights up Repeat this step for every desired parameter level Module Resynator Go to the resynator menu and define stick animation mode for every scape and sphere parameter level Jshot or repeat see the parameter table on page 80 The exception in surround mode The silver module s contour contr is reserved for the filter and effects The surround menu offers an added option called off for the menu option stick animation that serves this purpose Activate a surround stick animation by selecting 1shot or repeat in the surround menu For more on this be sure to check out the chapter page 177 Surround mode starting on gt How to delete a track A new recording made at the same parameter level overwrites a track without warning In order to delete a track without overwriting it with a new recording proceed as follows Select the parameter level at which you want to delete a track in the given module using select in the resynator only and parameter Level Press and hold the record stick button until the LED above the button extinguishes three seconds should do ist 7s lt NEURON gt Neuron book Seite 93 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Module Blender Neuron features another breed of newfangled control unit that sweeps between resynators called blender We had originally intended to equip Neuron with just one resynator However as we wer
165. o these values After you switch over the four cross x displays indicate the currently stored values but it is an unlikely coincidence if the stick position actually tallies with these parameter values Three modes determine how the indicated parameter values respond to stick movements e Jump When a stick is toggled every parameter immediately takes over the value of the current stick position that is the value jumps e Snap The parameter values remain unchanged when a stick is toggled until the stick moves to about 10 value increments within the range of the stored value Then the value zeros in on the value determined by the stick s position and can be edited again In essence this mode simulates a motorized stick with the difference that the stick must be set manually to the correct position e Reltv relative The stick movement is relative to the stored value The physical distance from the current position to the furthest point of travel is superimposed on the range of values yet to be covered and the scale is adjusted accordingly Once the stick arrives at the maximum minimum value the stick position and the range of values are identical again We recommend that you select a preferred mode and stick ha ha with it Table 1 Basic settings Fundamentals Basic se Fundamentals Basic settings ResyParReset Determines if default values are loaded into a resynator or the current values are retained when a mo
166. odules are set to the stored values To start this mode press the setup button located below the main display The LED above the button lights up when Neuron is in setup mode gt How to load a setup Start setup mode as described above Setup loader appears in the main display along with the number and name of the currently loaded setup gt How to load a sound into a setup i k m Located above the main display you will find four buttons labeled sound 1 to sound 4 Every button If you are already working in setup mode call setup represents a sound stored in the current setup loader by briefly pressing exit once or twice depending on the currently active menu m m You have three options for loading a setup E E e In order to step through all stored setups Sound 1 Sound 2 Sound 3 Sound 4 successively press the up or down button in programmer In each step the next setup is If you press one of these buttons when the device is loaded and indicated in the main display You in setup mode the display jumps right to the menu can only do this when setup loader is option that lets you load sounds and the cursor displayed points to the desired position e Enter the three digit setup number using programmers numeric keypad whenever Neuron book Seite 66 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Example Press sound 2 Dial in the desired sound number using the knob and confirm with enter press the knob Stick
167. on page 58 provides detailed insight into how to program setups Hierarchies The Neuron memory model Like the food chain in the real world Neuron is ordered in hierarchies We distinguish between four levels that are stored separately The basic settings see page 36 define the device s basic properties All global parameters that you will use to tweak Neuron to suit your taste and needs are stored here All models that you will load into the resynators and use as the source material for sounds are stored at the model level Trust us The factory model database contains plenty of models Courtesy of Neuron s system architecture every model harbors the potential for thousands of tone shaping options which is why the actual number of models does not say much about Neuron s phenomenal range of tonal possibilities A model of understatement a notable British automaker likes to call the performance capacity of his lavishly appointed limousines muscular engines sufficient Sounds good to us Neuron ships with a sufficient range of interesting models In fact you will find it impossible to plumb the full depths of its powers of expression In the unlikely event that you find yourself hitting any boundaries you will be delighted to learn that the model level on its internal hard disk offers plenty of room to house many more models The model files containing all sphere and scape parameters come in different
168. ons 103 104 Filter frequency LFO 115 LFO basics 114 LFO to blender amount 95 LFO to filter 127 LFO to model parameters 72 79 115 LFO to resynator pitch 72 82 LFO to resynator volume 72 77 Matrix 165 Routing the LFO 115 Monitor matrix 173 Multimode see sound mode N Navigation Stick 29 48 Neuron modules Description 43 Overview 16 Normal envelope 99 103 110 Normal filter envelope 150 Notes on safety 5 Numeric keypad 46 50 65 0 Octave 75 82 87 Omni 40 178 Operating conditions 7 Out setup 61 Out gain comp 140 Out vol distortion 141 Outputs connecting 10 Overview of modules 16 P Pan setup 62 Pan sound mode 49 Pan keytrack sound mode 49 Panic 31 48 Panning surround mode 173 Par level envelope 110 Par Levels shaper status 105 Param value resynator 78 Parameter level resynator 74 Parameter level silver 134 Parameter level envelope 104 Parameter table Blender 94 Master effects 159 Mod 116 Resynator 77 setup mode 61 Shaper 1 2 108 Shaper 3 152 Silver 138 Sound mode 49 Parametric equalizer 128 Phaser 131 Philosophy 22 Pitch 82 Pitch depth 72 Play compare function 52 PosSine 118 PosSquare 118 PosTri 118 Pre filt cut decimator 142 Pre filt cut distortion 140 PreDelay chorus 146 Programmer Control features 46 Functionality 45 Programming setups 58 o Sound programming 49 Q Quality 125 R R time delay master FX 1
169. opy function is described in the section Copy paste on page 54 There you will find an example demonstrating how to copy the complete set of resynator settings from one sound to another Resetting model parameter resynator settings In the copy paste menu you will also find a reset option It resets resynator and other data to default values This function is described on page 57 Stick recording and animation When you move the stick controller to edit parameter values you can record these movements and play them back to manipulate parameter values on the fly We call this process stick animation In addition to envelopes stick animation is your other option for manipulating parameter values as a function of time Let us look at the rules for stick recording and animation e You can record one track for every parameter level This m 63eans that you can record six tracks per resynator one each for the three scape and three sphere parameter levels You can record three tracks in the silver module one track each for the selected filter time FX and freq FX e You can play back a stored track at the parameter level at which it was recorded You must press the contour contr button to specifically select an animation and play it back for each level see page 74 e The resynator menu s stick animation option lets you determine if a track is played once or 1shot or it is cycled repeat Playing a note triggers the
170. or o Om mo LW teis ipp Naine an button off on Select the desired effect in the envelope nor a stick recording silver menu page 136 manipulates the filter or freq FX timeFX e Shaper 3 The ADSR envelope in the Time FX Switches the time effects processor off on selected shaper is assigned to the current button Select the desired effect in the silver menu filter type Note that the Silver LED in the page 137 shaper must light up before you can Surround Strictly speaking surround mode is not a define the envelope To learn how to button define the envelope and adjust the intensity of its effect via the depth knob read page 153 e Stick animation The stick movement previously recorded via record stick see the previous line in the table is played back in 1shot or repeat mode depending on the stick animation setting in the silver menu see page 148 feature of the silver module However because the stick controller determines the position of the individual surround channels in the soundscape the silver stick is a dual purpose tool the surround button is located near the stick Beyond that surround mode also adds a lustrous sheen to your sonic creations so it is in a sense a sidekick of the silver To learn more about this read the section Table 16 Silver control features cont Surround mode starting on page 169 Table 16 Silver control features cont Silver Menus The silver menu
171. or some menu options pressing the knob has the same effect as pressing an enter key When loading models sounds and setups first select the number it appears in the display by twisting the knob and then pressing the knob to confirm the selection The desired data is then loaded The enter button is also required for operations such as storing calibration and loading dumping data The settings of typical value based parameters take effect without having to press enter While editing a parameter value you can reset the value to the given default value by simply pressing enter For parameters that can have both negative and positive values this is generally a value of 0 Exit But do not panic Press the exit button briefly to quit the current menu option In sound mode this returns the display to the top level of the sound menu which is sound loader In setup mode pressing exit either jumps to the most recently edited menu option of the setup menu or if you are already working in the setup menu to setup loader In some cases exit also serves to cancel the operation that is currently underway for example when storing a sound setup or when Neuron asks you if you really want to switch it off If you press and hold the button until the LED extinguishes three seconds should do you will activate the panic function This generates an all notes off command and that spells immediate silence say in the event of a hung
172. or speaker positions according to the ITU 775 recommendation illustrated on page 171 Monitor matrix If you are working in a studio you will need a suitable mixer as well as a monitor matrix to audition the individual channels in isolation When you are connecting Neuron to the console make sure each of its six channels is patched into the corresponding surround bus In addition you will only hear the surround panning in all its 3D glory if all channels of the Neuron are set to exactly the same level If you want to try out Neuron s surround powers at home be sure to work with a suitable system equipped with a surround amp or receiver It must offer a six channel input of the type used for connecting DVD video or DVD audio players If you opt to run Neuron in this kind of stand alone configuration note that the sound handling options within a setup serve the same purpose as a monitor matrix After all in Neuron surround sound is generated at the setup level This means that the four sounds of a setup can be positioned individually in the soundscape For more on this read the section starting on page 174 Surround panning Neuron works with surround sound exclusively in setup mode A setup comprises four sounds that can be positioned throughout the soundscape The process of positioning signal sources referred to here as sounds in the sonic image is called panning In Neuron panning is done in the most convenient
173. ossible to explore uncharted sonic frontiers Right there in the heart of the synthesis engine are sophisticated sounds with a range of tonal properties that can be manipulated directly and immediately Extremely powerful yet easy to handle slicer has the tools it takes to enrich and refine this source material In combination with the two resynators and the blender slicer makes complex internal networking of modules superfluous Some old school hardliners actually enjoy connecting modules so Neuron also offers a modulation matrix with many variable connection options Slicer Control features Button On Off Depth Spread Rate On off switch and selector button for slicer mode Select the mode pressing it several times Slicer is deactivated if both LEDs are extinguished Adjusts the intensity of slicer s effect on the resynators output signal in vertical mode In 3D mode the spread parameter controls the spread of the effect in the three dimensional soundscape Adjusts the frequency of the slicer oscillation Value range 0 0 to 20 0 Hz in 0 1 Hz steps Table 14 Control features of the slicer Module Slicer Neuron book Seite 122 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Module Slicer Slicer Menu Slicer Parameters h A 7 7 ka can access t p betas Depth In vertical mode Depth intensity of the i gS me va a Spread Slicer s effect on the resynators output signal ri i
174. ot copied into the setup they are referenced by their numbers The actual sound remains in the sound database Its data is copied from there when a setup is loaded Consequently every change made to a sound is automatically audible in the setup without having to be stored anew You will find in depth information on these settings in the parameter table on page 61 Master volume Adjust the overall volume of your Neuron using the red master volume knob located below shaper 1 The master volume knob controls the levels of all analog audio outputs stereo surround and head phones as well as the digital output S PDIF The current setting is not stored with a sound or setup Instead when Neuron comes on line it automatically dials in the volume level set when you last played the synth When you twist the master volume knob the current volume appears in the main display the value range is 0 to 127 At peak volume Neuron delivers maximum dynamic range with minimum converter noise Back off the volume on connected equipment and crank up Neuron s level That said though you don t want to max out Neuron s master volume leave a little reserve and depending on sound keep an eye or ear on levels You do not want any spikes to hurt your ears or gear Fundamentals Basic settings Neuron offers global parameters called basic settings that let you set the device up to suit your wishes and preferences Basic setti
175. ou can safely revisit the current sound setting In combination with the play compare button you can audition your snapshots and A B or compare the edited sound to the original If desired you can use a snapshot as the template for renewed experimen tation This lets you backtrack and find your way home if you lose your way in the sonic jungle Snapshot Play Compare E Neuron book Seite 53 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Up to 50 snapshots can be saved in a temporary buf fer Snapshots vanish into the digital ether when you switch sounds store the sound or switch Neuron off If you take more than 50 snapshots stored snapshots are overwritten automatically starting with number 1 The snapshot function is available in sound mode only gt How to shoot snapshots When you have arrived at a sound that you deem worthy of a snapshot press the snapshot button The current sound settings are stored as a snapshot A message appears briefly in the display in our example this is the first shot You can capture and temporarily save up to 50 settings using this method Every subsequent shot is automatically assigned the number following the most recently saved number Use the play compare function to audition a saved snapshot gt How to use the play compare function Press the play compare button to switch back and forth between two modes e Play mode applies to the current sound s
176. ou stands the hard won result of this shared vision I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked so hard sometimes to the limits of human endurance to blast through barriers and turn this vision into a product that satisfies your and our standards for quality As you get to know Neuron you will come across a range of innovative functions Many of these are the fruits of a Herculean development effort and a goodly share has been implemented for the first time in an electronic musical instrument I am certain that you will soon come to appreciate the depth and breadth of neural synthesis its sonic potential is in fact tremendous And its unique control features make it so easy to shape this instrument s jaw dropping sounds Here s hoping that you will become acquainted with your new instrument in no time at all This manual will help you understand this machine You will find familiar features in some areas and be confronted with completely novel features in others However in order to make the most of your synthesizer s potential I recommend that you make this manual your bedtime storybook in the days ahead just as I did years ago and still do today Thank you for the confidence in our product and in our new company Welcome to the family Axel Hartmann Neuron book Seite 2_ Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 The Neuron Team Software Engine Stephan Sprenger Prosoniq Products Software
177. owing applies to both parameters values lt 63 dampen the center sub for the current sound values gt 63 boost it Stick right and stick left to adjust the same channel for sounds 2 3 and 4 of the current setup The surround settings are stored with the setup gt How to change the subwoofer s limiting frequency The limiting frequency for the subwoofer channel is defined in the basic settings which means it is a global rather than a local setup parameter Press the basic settings button located below the main display Stick down to scroll through the global Neuron parameters to the menu option Values range from 13 Hz to 20 2 kHz The default setting for the limiting frequency is 125 Hz Define the desired frequency using the knob Exit the basic settings menu The value is stored automatically and is valid for every setup Note also in this context the surround sub mix parameter which you can use to boost values gt 63 or cut values lt 63 the subwoofer channel for every sound See page 64 IZZ 7 5 Neuron book Seite 177 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 gt How to record a stick movement A new recording overwrites a previous track without warning In the silver module press the record stick button in order to switch the recording function to standby The LED above the button flashes After the device starts recording a track as defined by the basic settings parameter stick
178. p 67 Storing a sound 66 Shaper 1 2 Amp status 100 Control features 105 Functionality 99 Menu 106 Modulating model parameters 102 Modulation destinations 103 104 Modulation resynator pitch 101 Modulation resynator volume 101 Par Levels status 100 Parameter table 108 Shaper 3 Control features 151 Efx Mix status 151 Functionality 149 Menu 151 Parameter table 152 Silver status 151 Sidebands ring mod 129 Signal flow chart 44 Silver Chorus 133 Control features 133 Decimator 130 Distortion 128 EQComp 128 Flanger 132 Freq FX 127 Functionality 123 LR delay 131 Menu 136 Mix in a setup 62 Parameter table 138 Phaser 131 Ring modulator 129 SP_warp 130 Stereo spread 131 Time FX 131 Silver shaper 3 status 151 Sine 118 Single mode see sound mode Slicer 3D Mode 120 Available LFO waveforms 122 Control features 121 Functionality 119 Menu 122 Vertical mode 119 Snapshot 86 Snapshot function 52 Snd setup 61 Software Load 188 Software Version Load dump 188 Software version Updating 189 Sound Compare sound mode 52 Dump via ftp 190 Edited sounds in a setup 66 Editing sound mode 50 Load via ftp 190 Load dump 188 Loading sound mode 50 Loading in a setup 65 Naming sound mode 51 Priming in a setup 66 Reset to default 57 Send delay 62 Send reverb 63 Silver Mix in a setup 62 Storing sound mode 51 Surround settings setup 63 64 Sound 1 to 4 buttons 47 65 Sound database 34 Sound level 34
179. p indicating the respective number and therein into the Models folder name which are separated by a tab stop Continued on next page After you confirm an option via enter Neuron copies the data into the corresponding subordinate ftp folder Table 25 Load dump options cont Neuron book Seite 189 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Dump The options available here are almost identical gt How to load a software update SysEx to those of the menu item Dump ftp Hartmann Music distributes software updates via However this operation is not a data transfer in Internet or music stores accordance with the FTP protocol Instead MIDI SysEx data is sent to the MIDI out interface To learn more about this read the section How to send SysEx data starting on page 180 Note that a SysEx data transfer takes a lot longer than an ftp load dump Hartmann Music will automatically inform you of new updates if you have sent your registration to us and indicated an email address You can tell if the version provided to you is newer than the one currently installed on your Neuron by comparing software version numbers basic settings Table 25 Load dump options cont An update can contain lots of great stuff including improvements to the system expansions of previously implemented features and new features e Copy the software update from a connected computer into the ftp directory ToNeuron
180. p mode Surround settings are stored for each sound at the setup level In surround mode the master effects of the left stereo channel are sent to the left front and left rear surround channels FrLeft and BkLeft The same applies to the right channel The center and subwoofer channels remain dry gt How to switch surround mode on e Activate setup mode e Press the red surround button in the silver module The LED above the button lights up In surround mode the silver stick controller no longer serves to manipulate filter or effect parameters instead it is used to position sounds in the surround sound field gt How to position a sound in the surround sound field via stick controller e Activate setup mode and switch on surround mode see above x Neuron book Seite 175 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Prime the sound that you want to position by pressing the appropriate sound button located above the main display repeatedly The LED of the primed sound flashes If you want to hear b Sound 1 Sound 2 Sound 3 Sound 4 the sound in isolation you can mute the other three sounds by pressing and holding their buttons for about half a second until the LED extinguishes Move the stick controller in the silver module to the desired position The four displays surrounding the stick show the current amounts of the primed sound for the two front and the two rear channels if it
181. page 40 Local Out Deactivates activates Neuron s synthesis engine via the keyboard as well as via controls 1 to 4 the footswitch the sustain pedal and aftertouch Local Off Neuron s keyboard is disabled for this sound so that it cannot control the internal synthesis engine the controls are deactivated However the sound can be played via incoming MIDI data and send MIDI data Local On The internal synthesis engine can be controlled for this sound via Neuron s keyboard as well as via incoming MIDI data All controls are enabled Note in this context the function of the local basic settings parameter see page 41 If this global parameter local is set to off the settings of the four setup parameters of the same name are overruled Defines the audio output for every sound in stereo mode Your options are ST1 stereo output 1 ST2 and ST3 The headphones output receives the same signal as ST1 See also the illustration on page 10 Table 5 Setup parameters Table 5 Setup parameters cont Neuron book Seite 62 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Pan Key Low Key High Velo Low Velo High Positions the sound in the stereo panorama Value range 64 to 63 The setup menu lists special surround parameters for defining the surround panorama see page 63 For more on the pan parameter see the explanation given for sound mode panorama settings starting on page 49
182. pes are described in the section starting on page 125 Cutoff frequency of the selected filter For more on this read page 124 Value range 0 to 127 covers the entire frequency range Resonance of the selected filter Value range 0 to 127 Table 17 Silver Filter parameters LFO Depth Determines the modulation depth of the Key track mod generated LFO oscillation and thus the intensity of its effect on the selected filter s cutoff frequency Value range 64 to 63 Depth 0 No frequency modulation Depth gt 0 Starting at the current level the frequency increases in accordance with the LFO oscillation up to a max value of 127 Depth lt 0 The frequency decreases in accordance with the LFO oscillation Note in this context the global LFO depth which is defined directly in the mod module page 116 Global LFO depth is offset against this modulation destination s depth Also called key follow key track is a form of keyboard control data When key tracking is activated the keyboard serves as a modulation source generating key track values in accordance with the position or pitch of the notes played on the keyboard In this context the parameter determines the effect of the selected filter for the various keyboard zones Good to know background stuff Many acoustic instruments sound brighter as pitch rises Continued on next page Table 17 Silver Filter parameters cont I
183. play using the knob Alternatively you can navigate via stick right left back and forth among individual envelope parameters Define the intensity of the envelope s effect on the filter by twisting the depth knob alternatively using the menu option env depth in the shaper 3 menu If you want to modulate the depth of the envelope via velocity define the parameter velo depth see page 152 Module Shaper 3 Module Master effects Besides silver Neuron features an effects unit offering delay and reverb in truly excellent quality A tap function lets you enter delay time intuitively manually that is Effects The delay precedes the reverb in the signal chain meaning every generated delay is embedded in the room simulation Both effects are available in sound and setup modes In setup mode the same delay and reverb settings apply to all four sounds The wet mix can be controlled for each sound separately meaning that the send values are stored for each sound at the setup level For this reason think of the mix settings for master delay and reverb in setup mode as the return values see page 161 Effects are routed out via stereo output 1 analog or digital stereo 2 and 3 are dry In surround mode the master effects of the left stereo channel are sent to the left front and left rear surround channels FrLeft and BkLeft The same applies to the right channel The center and subwoofer channe
184. pth at the modulation destination is of relevance when using free envelopes The two depth values are offset against each other You will find further information about this topic on page 104 You can also control depth via velocity see the following parameter velo depth Table 11 Shaper 1 2 parameters cont Neuron modules The velo depth parameter lets you manipulate depth manually by varying key pressure There you have it a modulation of a modulation Value range 64 to 63 VeloDepth 0 Depth is not modulated VeloDepth gt 0 Depth increases in accordance with velocity up to a max value of 127 current parameter value velo depth x velocity value The harder you strike the keys the greater the depth of the envelope VeloDepth 63 Maximum effect of velocity on the depth of the envelope VeloDepth lt 0 Depth decreases inversely to velocity The harder you strike the keys the weaker the envelope s influence A value of 64 denotes the maximum inverse effect of velocity on the depth of the envelope This parameter is not available for the amplifier envelope because it does not have a depth parameter Table 11 Shaper 1 2 parameters cont Neuron book Seite 110 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Mode Level time Type Defines the envelope mode The mode can be selected for every envelope type and in every status e Normal Playing a note triggers the envelope onc
185. pth value Table 7 Resynator parameters Module Resynator Neuron book Seite 78 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Volume Key track Also called key follow key track is a form of keyboard control data When key tracking is activated the keyboard serves as a modulation source generating key track values in accordance with the position or pitch of the notes played on the keyboard This parameter determines the relative or weighted volume of the various keyboard zones The notes of certain predefined keyboard zones sound louder or softer depending on the key track value Value range 64 to 63 0 No weighting Positive values Notes above the center key s pitch C3 are played louder than notes below C3 The higher the value the further this weighting is shifted to the right of the keyboard Negative values Notes below the center key C3 are played louder than notes above C3 The lower the value the further this weighting is shifted to the left See also the illustration on page 85 Volume VeloDepth Param Value L1 lt Scape gt to L3 lt Sphere gt Determines velocity modulation depth and thus the intensity of the effect on the resynator s volume Value range 64 to 63 VeloDepth 0 Velocity does not modulate the volume level VeloDepth gt 0 The harder you bear down on a key the louder the output level VeloDepth lt 0 The harder you bear down on a key the softer the o
186. r sounds in setup mode In stereo mode sounds can Stick Animation be routed freely to the three stereo outputs along with the wet or effects signal In surround mode L R stereo master effects are routed to the front L R and back L R outs while the center channel and sub remain dry Sounds can be positioned freely in the surround field via stick controller or on the fly in the soundscape via stick animation Cutoff Frequency 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Setup menu Stick down and stick up in the usual fashion to scroll through the various menu options The four sounds in the setup are displayed side by side for every menu option with the exception of the surround parameters The cursor lt indicates which sound you are currently editing with the knob The name of this sound also appears in the first line of the display Example Volume settings for the four sounds in the setup The same level 30 is set for each sound The cursor points to sound 2 Stick left and stick right to scroll among the sounds within a menu option The setup menu is a matrix If for example the cursor points to sound 2 and you stick up down to scroll to the next previous menu option the cursor remains in place that is it continues to point to sound 2 The menu diagrams on the following pages show the default settings of the individual setup parameters All parameters are described in table 5 on page 61 But
187. r than zero for the LFO depth parameter at every desired modulation destination All potential modulation destinations are listed on page 115 If you determine the routing before defining the LFO parameters wave rate and depth you will be able to hear every change made to the LFO oscillation and its influence on the modulation effect in real time provided that the depth setting in the mod menu is gt 0 Select a waveform in the mod menu and define the amplitude depth and frequency rate of the LFO oscillation Define an LFO delay if you want to shape the oscillation on the fly so that the modulation effect grows stronger or weaker while a note is held Neuron book Seite 118 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Module Mod Mod Waves Available LFO waveforms The wave menu option in the mod menu lets you select from the following waveforms Step Saw Up Step Saw Down Neuron book Seite 119 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Module Slicer the cutting machine If you surmised that slicer is a simple low frequency oscillator LFO you would not be far off the mark And like an LFO the slicer module generates cyclical oscillating signals These low frequency signals are used to animate sounds However slicer s performance power far exceeds the possibilities of conventional LFOs We distinguish between two slicer modes Slicer in vertical mode Vertical mode adds an o
188. record start the LED lights up continuously Every movement of the stick controller is then recorded Stop recording by pressing the record stick button again The recorded track is stored along with the other setup specific data when the setup is stored In order to delete a recording without overwriting it with a new track press and hold the record stick button until the LED extinguishes three seconds should do gt How to start a stick animation A stick animation within a setup is determined individually for each sound To this end the surround menu offers a parameter called surround stk ani for each sound e Press the surround or setup button to access the menu The surround menu is part of the setup menu see page 174 e If necessary stick down to scroll to e Twist the knob to choose one of the options off 1shot or repeat see page 63 e Stick right the navigation stick to access the animation settings for sounds 2 3 and 4 Surround settings are stored for each sound with the setup M Surround handling in Neuron MIDI control The illustration on page 12 shows how to use Neuron s MIDI connections to configure a MIDI set up Unlike many other synthesizers Neuron has no sound banks because the 1 000 potential sounds are archived sequentially For purposes of MIDI addressing consider sounds 0 to 99 to bea virtual first bank sounds 100 to 199 a second bank and so forth MIDI relev
189. rface that is store these models in the model database on Neuron s internal hard disk You will receive ModelMaker as soon as your Neuron user registration arrives at the Hartmann offices This software of course comes with detailed documentation It takes you step by step through the procedure for converting samples into Neuron models and loading your models onto Neuron How do you round up home made models and herd them into Neuron By e connecting a PC MAC to Neuron logging on to Neuron via network link see page 186 e copying the model data into the ftp subdirectory ToNeuron Models see page 187 e and loading the models from there into the database via load command see page 190 E ON ists Neuron book Seite 193 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Technical data Operating conditions Ambient temperature range 15 to 35 C Humidity 22000 tienda tarcGa ie max 75 Operating altitude up to 2000 m above mean sea level Power supply Mains voltage 100 V AC to 240 V AC Power frequency 22 000 47 Hz to 63 Hz Power consumption e ee eee 250 W Nominal current consumption max 4A Analog audio outputs 6 x mono or 3 x two channel stereo or 5 1 surround Peak level sisa aiice no aane ce teed ae typ 8 dBu 2 V RMS Signal to noise ratio S NR 109 dB A Output impedance typ 221 ohms unbalanced Frequen
190. ric keypad The model loads immediately after entering the third digit You do not have to press enter e The display reads Note in this context the basic settings parameter ResyParReset Use it to determine whether the model is loaded into the resynator with the default values stored in the database or if the current settings are retained A prompt may appear depending on parameter setting The basic settings parameter is described on page 38 Picture the following The ResyParReset parameter is set to yes ask You have run into a sonic dead end while editing the model but you do not want to or cannot use the snapshot function see page 52 to recall the initial parameter values In this case simply load the default model values back into the resynator and start over a Neuron book Seite 87 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt gt How to edit models in the resynator in the main display and can be fine tuned there using the knob mangn You have a function called snapshot at your disposal when editing It lets you save the current sound settings at any time In combination with the play compare button you can audition your e Stick right and stick left to access and edit snapshots and A B or compare the edited sound to the other parameters at the same level the original Stick up stick down takes you to the model s Snapshots are described on page 52 other parameter levels e
191. rip Though the visuals of this simple control feature are asymmetrical the knob s axis evinces symmetry The tug of war between the two signifies dynamism The knob lacks a pointer because it is a rotary encoder meaning that its range is infinite You will find that this control also responds on the fly so that you can adjust values in individual incremental steps as well as sweep across greater value ranges The knob next to the main display also serves the function of an enter button as found on the computer keyboard see page 31 Menu navigation in the main display The central control unit contains the main display two lines with 16 characters each the parameters of all Neuron modules appear in it If you activate a control feature on the device s panel the display also indicates the corresponding parameter changes This gives you the choice of editing parameters using the given module s dedicated control features or controlling the module via control unit The navigation stick lets you access all menu options swiftly and efficiently A rotary encoder with a built in button serves to input data and confirm entries enter Note that Neuron is not endowed with a master menu that starts at a common root and extends throughout the modules Instead each module has its own menu that is accessed like this e Press the menu button of the given module to call the most recently edited menu option into the main display
192. rocesses the composite signal of all four sounds meaning that the delay settings apply to all sounds within a setup This parameter lets you determine the send amount for each sound individually Table 5 Setup parameters cont IZZ wa e 5 lt NEURON gt 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Reverb Surround Stk Ani Determines the reverb send amount for the individual sounds The master effects module processes the composite signal of all four sounds meaning that the reverb settings apply to all sounds within a setup This parameter lets you determine the send amount for each sound individually Defines the playback mode for stick recordings in surround mode stick playback for each sound e Off Stick animation is disabled for the given sound e 1Shot The first note you play triggers the recorded stick movement for the given sound single trigger and the animation continues to shape the sound regardless of how many notes you play thereafter Once the animation has run its course it is not re triggered e Repeat The first note you play triggers the animation and then unlike when the 1shot setting is enabled it is repeated in cycles for as long as you continue playing notes To learn how to record stick controller movements read the topic Stick recording and animation starting on page 89 Surround FrLeft Surround FrRight Determines the amount or level of each sound
193. rol features For example when you move the stick controller the values of the currently edited model parameter appear directly in the display and can be edited via knob Though the following diagrams show resynator 1 s menu the display indicates R1 in line 1 only these illustrations serve as an example for both resynators Note also that the device shows the actual parameter names in line 2 rather than the dummies lt scape gt lt sphere gt shown here Neuron book Seite 76 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Module Resynator On Off Resynator 1 Switch Resynator 1 R1 Volume Volume gt LFO Depth gt Activating model loaders Model Edit Ri Load Model See within the Resynator menu press 1 x _ s Name without the Resynator menu press 2 x RI P Val aram alue gt L1 lt Scape 1 gt R1 Param Value L1 lt Scape 2 gt gt lt gt L1 lt Scape 4 gt R1 Param Value corresponding to R1 LFO Depth L1 Scape 1 3 Ll lt Sphere 1 gt Level 1 Scape lt gt Parameter matrix like gt Resynator 1 lt gt s structure Select Param Level of the menu 1 Param Value lt gt like Stick L2 lt Scape 1 gt Level 1 Scape Access the corresponding R1 Param Value lt p like menu option depending on L2 lt Sphere 1 gt Level1 Sphere selected level or Cont Region see LED Control Resynator 1 lt a Stick Anim gt cont Control Scape R1 Param Value like if L
194. roller for which you can define up to four simultaneous destinations Go to the controller menu to do this While you are there you can also define the depth for every destination In addition to the global scale value you can adjust aftertouch depth individually for each destination For more on this pore over page 165 Note also in this context the menu option for calibrating aftertouch see page 28 Determines the global send and receive channel for MIDI data MIDI global channel for sound mode In sound mode Neuron responds to incoming MIDI data only when the defined MIDI global channel and send channel numbers are identical Value range 0 to 16 0 denotes omni meaning that Neuron processes incoming messages on all MIDI channels For more on this pore over page 178 In setup mode the individual sound related MIDI channel settings in the setup menu apply see page 61 Table 1 Basic settings cont IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 41 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Local Deactivates activates Neuron s synthesis engine via the keyboard as well as via controls 1 to 4 the footswitch the sustain pedal and aftertouch Local Off Neuron s keyboard is disabled It cannot address the internal synthesis engine all controls are deactivated Neuron can play incoming MIDI data or serve as a MIDI master keyboard Local On The internal synthesis engine can be controlled using Ne
195. s lt gt Stick left stick right Shaper 1 2 Parameters The following table describes all shaper parameters regardless of shaper status A D S R The parameters of an ADSR envelope are described on page 99 The influence of the sustain level setting is like the depth setting relative to the defined target parameter value Depth Defines the intensity of the envelope s effect on the parameter that you want to modulate The greater the depth the more intense the influence on the parameter The amplifier envelope does not have a depth parameter The amplifier ADSR envelope is always active Continued on next page Table 11 Shaper 1 2 parameters 14 gt Neuron book Seite 109 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt The parameter envelope par levels shaper Velo The depth parameter page 108 defines the status can be defined selectively for every Depth intensity of the envelope s effect on other scape and sphere parameter level See also page 104 Value range 64 to 63 Depth 0 No modulation Depth gt 0 Modulation adds to target parameter values Depth lt 0 Modulation subtracts from target parameter values Depth is variable for each shaper when you use two free ADSR envelopes free gt 2ADSR If you opt for one 4 levels 4 times curve there is of course just one depth parameter adjustable via both depth knobs Good to know stuff The de
196. s can be modulated via the mod module s LFO The form and frequency of the modulating LFO oscillation are determined in the mod menu which also lets you define the basic depth as well as delay time You will find more on this on page 116 After you have defined the LFO oscillation in the mod module go to the resynator menu to assign the modulation to the resynator if desired and determine modulation intensity To this end the LFO depth menu offers the options pitch volume and L1 scape 1 3 to L3 sphere 2 4 These parameters are in described in table 7 starting on page 82 IZZ wa e 5 Neuron book Seite 73 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Resynator Control features On Off buttons Stick controller On off switch for the resynator Pressing this button can mute each resynator Neuron is a synthesis instrument designed specifically to let you get fast results That is why it affords swift efficient and intuitive access to parameters This is particularly evident in the resynator The stick controller lets you tweak up to four parameters simultaneously Though gamers will love its joystick like vibe it is nevertheless a very subtle sound sculpting tool And it is phenomenally powerful Though you may start with the sound of a conventional instrument in no time at all you will be exploring totally uncharted synthetic sonic territory Tip After you manipulate the s
197. s similar to chromophonic However the balance between the resynators is here controlled by velocity Amount 127 and weakest key attack 100 resynator 1 Strongest key attack 100 resynator 2 Amount 64 and strongest key attack sounds exactly between resynator 1 and 2 44 Z e RVA As Neuron book Seite 99 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Module Shaper 1 2 Each shaper is an extremely versatile envelope genera tor What makes it so flexible is that the envelope can in fluence different parameters and modulation destinati ons Beyond that it lets you choose between two types of envelopes in free mode Refresher course Envelope basics An envelope is a time based process Defined by several envelope parameters it modulates certain sonic properties for example volume or in the case of Neuron model parameters Playing any note triggers an audio signal modulation which means that the envelope influences each note separately and explains why the process is called multi triggering A modulation driven by stick animation is in contrast a single trigger function This means that after pressing the first key starts it it runs through once only normal or it is cycled repeat For more on this read page 103 ADSR envelope Like many classic synthesizers every Neuron shaper offers a handy four part ADSR envelope The envelope is defined by four parameters three are
198. scillation to the sound its frequency is adjusted using the rate knob and amplitude using the depth knob We call this mode vertical because resynators 1 s and 2 s output signals are modulated via cyclical oscillations as illustrated in the following picture Slicer in vertical mode Analogy time again Imagine as we do the resynators output to be a three dimensional sonic cloud similar to the image of a spectral model gained in a Fourier analysis Slicer is an animating force it generates down updrafts by way of the selected oscillation that change the altitude of this cloud Alongside frequency and amplitude you can also select the basic oscillation s waveform using the wave parameter in the slicer menu Module Slicer Neuron book Seite 120 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Slicer in 3D mode 3D mode is also related to the sonic scenario discussed above However in this case the cyclical oscillation is not strictly vertical Instead it sweeps the cloud crossways through the soundscape Words fail the auditory result is impossible to describe Fortunately you have Neuron right there in front of you so you can easily try out this effect In addition to modulating the sound this effect animates the stereo image or if you are playing the instrument in surround mode the 5 1 soundscape Rate controls the rate of the effect and spread defines the range of the modulation within the soundscape as illustr
199. software that controls communication at the computer s end must be installed on your computer Connect your PC MAC to Neuron s USB interface via the USB net adapter Configure a new LAN network link on your computer or open the properties options menu of an existing connection In the TCP IP Internet protocol properties options menu tell your computer to use the address entered by you rather than an automatically assigned IP address Enter an IP address that with the exception of the digits following the last dot matches Neuron s address Neuron s IP address reads 192 168 1 24 You could enter an address like 192 168 1 10 for your computer Launch the ftp client software on your PC Log on to Neuron using the client software To this end indicate Neuron s IP address and enter neuron lowercase as the user name and password You can create a server profile if your ftp client supports this option Then you will not have to log on to Neuron manually at every future network session After you log on the ftp root directory on Neuron s internal hard disk appears in the client software s file browser see below Copy your data to or from the given ftp subdirectories __ a lt NEURON gt Neuron book Seite 187 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 The ftp directory in Neuron The ftp directory tree on Neuron s internal hard disk 3 192 168 1 24 FromNeuron contains two folders
200. speakers or headphones Neuron can produce volume levels that may lead to irreparable hearing loss Always keep a close watch on volume settings and make sure you operate your setup at a reasonable level Notes on care maintenance and repair Do not open the device There are no user serviceable parts in the device s interior Users are prohibited from replacing the lithium batteries in the device Have an authorized service center do this Note that batteries may explode if not handled properly Users are prohibited from replacing fuses Have an authorized service center do this The mains cord must be disconnected before replacing fuses As a rule only qualified and authorized specialists may open the device strictly for repair purposes Use only a dry soft cloth or brush to clean the housing Do not clean the device with alcohol solvents or other chemicals Safety first notes on safety Get yourself connected Unpacking standard accessories After unpacking inventory the standard accessories The package should contain e Neuron e a mains cord suitable for your country s outlets e this operating manual sad stab at a joke e and the registration card with warranty Please turn to your authorized dealer if any of the standard accessories are missing We recommend that you keep the original packaging for future transportation purposes It is our solemn duty to keep all registered owners abreast
201. ssing the setup button The LED above the button lights up when Neuron is in setup mode Selecting sounds Located above the main display you will find four buttons labeled sound 1 to sound 4 Every button represents a sound stored in the current setup You can assign sounds to buttons in setup mode For more on this see page 65 When you press a button repeatedly the assigned sound is activated LED lights up deactivated LED extinguishes or primed LED flashes At the risk of belaboring the obvious an activated sound is played with the setup while a deactivated sound is muted But what does a primed sound do A sound has to primed before you can edit it It can be manipulated by means of the module s control features while the current setup is performed For example you can edit a primed sound s model parameters in real time using the sticks ILZ e EE NEVURON gt Neuron book Seite 33 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Further setup parameters A setup consists of more than merely four sounds It contains many other parameters for example the balance of levels between individual sounds surround settings and so forth Though these parameters have a bearing on the sounds contained in a setup they are only meaningful in the context of a setup All parameters that are stored along with a setup are listed in table 5 on page 61 Handling setups The section Programmer Programming setups starting
202. st gear you can reasonably afford Also be sure to run Neuron in stereo better yet in surround mode Read the comments on master volume on page 35 Mains cord Ensure both the mains cord and the given outlet are the right type and in a state of good repair before plugging the mains cord into the socket Read also the notes on safety starting on page 5 Neuron may be operated at mains voltages ranging from 100 V AC to 240 V AC only The device is not equipped with an 115 230V selector it automatically adapts to the mains voltage if available within the aforementioned range 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Outputs 3x Stereo L R or Surround Front Back Center Sub e Mono Use the right channel of stereo output 1 e Stereo Effects are routed through stereo output 1 only outputs 2 and 3 remain dry You can patch every sound of any setup to one of the three stereo outputs out setup parameter including the volume and pan settings for that sound See table 5 on page 61 e Surround Stereo output 1 carries the signals for the front channels L R and stereo output 2 carries the signals for the two back channels In surround mode the center channel signal is routed via output 3 left output 3 right sends a signal destined for the subwoofer The setup menu also contains sound related parameters for the surround channels table 5 on page 61 Headphones Class A stereo headphones output In surround mode you will
203. stortion 140 Info Dump 188 Intermorph blender type 97 IP address 186 ITU775 surround recommendation 171 K Key high setup 62 Key low setup 62 Key track parameter 79 Key track volume 78 Key tracking 85 87 KeyTrack filter 138 Knob 48 Amount Mod 116 Depth shaper 105 Depth spread 121 Enter 29 31 General facts 29 Rate 121 L L time delay master FX 159 Level 1 to 4 105 LFE channel 171 LFO Amplitude modulation 114 Available LFO waveforms 118 Basics 114 Filter modulating a 127 Modulating a filter 115 Modulating model parameters 115 Modulation blender amount 95 Modulation resynator 88 LFO depth blender amount 95 LFO depth filter cutoff 138 LFO depth model parameters 79 LFO depth pitch 82 LFO depth volume 77 LFO module see also MOD Load 187 188 ftp directory structure 187 Menu 187 Options 188 Load dump button 47 Local basic settings 41 178 Local setup 61 179 Low pass filter 125 LowShelf 139 LR delay 131 LS freq 139 LS gain 139 LS slope 139 M Main display 29 Contrast 41 Mains voltage 9 Maintenance 7 Master effects 154 Control features 157 Load from snd to setup 160 Menu 158 Parameter table 159 Send delay in a setup 62 Send reverb in a setup 63 Master tune 37 Master volume 10 35 MIZ S Neuron book Seite 199 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Memory model 33 Menu Blender 94 Controller 163 Filter 136 Freq FX 136 General facts 30 Load dump
204. t a little time later just the low frequencies to be allowed through In Neuron you can do this by modulating the cutoff frequency of the defined filter via shaper 3 s envelope generator Another dynamic modulation option is to change the filters cutoff frequency by moving the stick controller or playing back a stick animation see page 148 Shaper 3 offers an ADSR envelope that is hard wired to the silver s filter unit Please note that the status silver must be enabled before you can define the envelope in shaper 3 When the shaper status efx mix is enabled the wheels are used to determine the mix values of the master effects reverb and delay Shaper 3 must be activated in silver via contour control so that the envelope can modulate the selected silver filter see page 135 Module Shaper 3 Filter envelope You will find a basic description of an ADSR envelope s four parameters as well as a picture of its curve on page 99 A filter envelope shapes the sound far more perceptibly than for example an amplifier envelope This makes it ideal for emulating the response of acoustic instruments Take a note played on a stringed instrument It not only grows softer but also loses its brightness as it fades You can copy this effect using the sustain and release parameters of an ADSR envelope and decreasing the selected filter s cutoff frequency over the time that the note is held Now take a brass instrument So
205. t cut Determines the cutoff frequency of the Decimator low pass filter located in front of or pre S amp H circuit Serves to attenuate high frequencies to generate more harmonic less noise like distortion Value range 0 to 127 covers the entire frequency range Mix Sp_warp Frequency Sp_warp Tilt Sp_warp Damping Sp_warp Determines the amount of wet signal in the effect s output signal the mix of the original signal and the frequency inverted signal Value range 0 to 127 Center frequency at which the spectrum of the incoming audio signal is inverted Value range 0 to 127 Determines the down sampling factor The sampling rate and pitch decreases in accordance with this value Value range 0 to 127 6 dB low pass filter Value range 0 to 127 covers the entire frequency range Table 18 Silver Freq FX parameters cont Speed Sp_warp Depth Sp_warp Determines the frequency of the modulating LFO oscillation Value range 0 0 to 20 0 Hz in 0 1 Hz steps Determines the LFO oscillation s modulation depth Value range 0 to 127 Table 18 Silver Freq FX parameters cont Time FX parameters Type Defines the effect type Your options are stereo spread LR delay flanger phaser and chorus Effects are described in the section starting on page 131 Chan delay Stereo spread Defines the delay time for the dela
206. tag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Load dump Options Table 25 Load dump options in setup mode the loaded setup into the Load Loads data from the corresponding ftp SetUp folder the sounds contained in that subdirectory Use the knob to select among the into the Sounds folder and the models goa optione used therein into the Models folder e Software folder ToNeuron Software e All Models e Models folder TONeuron Models folder FromNeuron Models e Sounds folder ToNeuron Sounds e Setups folder ToNeuron SetUps j ie tee er Atter yoni conim E eee enter Neuron Unlike for the current option see above the loads all data held in the corresponding folder constituent models re not exported and stores it For models sounds and setups uploaded data is stored under the same number e All SetUps in the corresponding database Existing models folder FromNeuron SetUps sounds setups are overwritten Unlike for the current option see above the constituent sounds and models are not Dump Dumps data into the corresponding ftp exported ftp subdirectory Use the knob to select among the following options e Info Current FromNeuron folder FromNeuron Software i Copies the files named ModelNames mi option dumps SoundNames and SetUpNames Every info file Te Sound mode gt the c rrently loaded sound contains a separate line for each model sound into te SO CRA taller and the mode used setu
207. tch all Switches Foot Switch Normal Repeat Keytrack Signal flow part II E a ists Neuron book Seite 45 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Module Programmer Programmer is Neuron s command and control center It is your tool for managing sounds and setups Use the numeric keypad with the up and down button to select setup and sound numbers and the store button to save sounds and setups Programmer also offers extremely versatile snapshot and play compare functions which are described in detail on page 52 Located below programmer is the main display with its navigation stick and rotary knob which you are sure to be familiar with by now Let us take a closer look at its control features Programmer Module Programmer Neuron book Seite 46 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Programmer Control features Programmer Numeric keypad Down and Up buttons 10 s hold button Store button Snapshot and Play compare buttons Keypad for loading the desired sound in sound mode or setup in setup mode When you type in the three digit number where appropriate preceded by zeros all modules are set to the stored values When loading a model into a resynator see page 86 you can also type in the model number on the numeric keypad Use the down button to scroll through stored sounds in sound mode or setups in setup mode in descending order Press t
208. ter set ting using the knob All parameters are described in detail in the following table Blender Parameters Type Blender type Wheel Blender Amount Blender LFO Depth Blender free env ADSR 1 Depth Blender free env ADSR 2 Depth Blender free env 4L 4T Depth f i i i i 7 Blender Amount Defines the blender type and thus how the Type two resynators influence each other The available blender types are described and illustrated on page 96 Determines the weighting of the resynator output levels The value can be defined via the blender wheel The significance of the amount varies according to the blender type Table 9 Blender parameters Neuron book Seite 95 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 kf LFO Depth Determines the modulation depth of the Depth lt 0 Amount decreases in accordance mod generated LFO oscillation and thus the with the envelope intensity of its influence on the blender Note in this context the global depth of the amount envelope which is defined directly in the Value range 64 to 63 shaper page 108 This global depth is Depth 0 The blender is not modulated offset against the Free Env Depth value Depth gt 0 Starting from the current amount determined at the modulation destination lt NEURON gt the value increases in accordance with the Free Env Determines the modulation depth of the free LFO oscillation up to a max value of
209. that E Models hold various subordinate C SetUps folders Consider Neuron s a ounds IP address by which the pal device is identified to be E Models the root directory Setups Software Sounds Note that Neuron is able to process incoming data only if you store it in the proper directory Case in point Neuron searches exclusively the ToNeuron Models directory for the menu command Load Models and the Software folder for new software versions During a dump Neuron automatically writes data into the corresponding subdirectory in the FromNeuron folder The load dump function The load dump menu and the folders in the ftp directory on Neuron s internal hard disk are the gateway to the non neural world outside These are the tools required to upload and download data Load dump Menu Open the menu by pressing the Lee programmer load dump button Dump FTP Every menu item offers several options page 188 that you can select using the knob The selected option determines which data will be up downloaded Dump SysEx f i The load dump menu is exited automatically when you change a parameter in any module If you quit the load dump menu by pressing the load dump button again Neuron jumps to the most recently edited menu In both cases the device remembers the most recently edited load dump menu option and displays it immediately when you call the menu up later Neuron book Seite 188 Mon
210. the blender amount comes to 60 30 90 If depth is 32 50 30 x 50 15 resulting in a blender amount of 60 15 75 If you decide to use several controllers for the same destination all multiplication results are added to the destination The computed destination value cannot be greater than or less than the actual maximum and minimum values respectively In our example this means the blender amount will never exceed 127 no matter how many controllers we use o kf lt NEURON gt Surround mode Neuron is the first and only synthesizer designed from the bottom up for surround mode 5 1 applications Handling is easy simply move the silver unit s stick You can position sounds within a setup precisely in the soundscape Beyond that you can record stick movements to create animated sweeps through the soundscape and store these modulations as a component of a sound within a setup Before we get into the handling of Neuron s surround features we will clear up potential misunderstandings by discussing a few surround basics First two facts e Surround is also a stereo format e Surround does not necessarily equate to Dolby Surround If you are aware of or don t care about these two facts feel free to skip to page 174 Otherwise the following topics may be of interest to you Surround basics The definition of the term stereophonic refers to two or more audio c
211. the envelope s influence on the model parameter The minimum value is the currently selected parameter value the peak value is the maximum possible parameter value 127 In our example this means that at a metallicity value of 70 the envelope modulates the parameter within the value range of 70 and 127 So how is this modulation configured in Neuron The envelope defined in shaper 1 shaper status par level modulates the resynator 1 s model parameters shaper 2 influences resynator 2 s parameters As a prerequisite for the modulation the given resynator s contour contr button must be set to shaper The envelope s depth can be determined separately for every parameter level Velocity driven envelope effects Have you ever wished that you could define an envelope just once and have it modulate at different intensities in accordance with how hard you strike the keys Wish no more Neuron makes it happen The envelope s depth parameter is modulated via your key pressure when you enter a value other than zero for the velo depth parameter see the parameter description on page 109 IZA e Neuron book Seite 103 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Normal or repeat You have already learned that pressing a key triggers an envelope Let us look at it from another perspective pressing any key launches the time based process that is an envelope But what happens next Neuron distinguishes betwee
212. the following tips on rating sound quality Front image e Is the panorama narrow or wide e Do the signal sources sound realistic or artificial e Do the sources appear to be stable or unstable e Are signal sources easily localized that is pinpointed in the soundscape Rear side image e Is the rear soundscape balanced e Are signal sources easily localized e Is the sound of the rear soundscape homogenous Environment e Does the ambient environment match the audio content Is reverberation audible or is the sound dry e Is the size of the room in which the signal was recorded recognizable does the signal have spatial depth e Is the acoustic balance right Transparency of the overall sound e Are audio details easily heard Are they distinguishable as a function of time Distribution of signal sources e Are signal sources distributed realistically across the room e Are individual sources too loud or too soft e Are individual sources rendered too directly or too indirectly e Are the dynamics of every source appropriate to the signal 2 Surround monitoring We recommend that you monitor surround settings over a good monitor system to achieve the best possible results A standard stereo set up certainly will not do the trick see the section Monitor matrix To learn how to connect Neuron to the surround system please check out the illustration on page 10 You will find the best monit
213. ther than dipping into a single well a particular form of synthesis or sound source Neuron draws buckets full of musical material from every well It has the power to develop every sound further It does not matter if the source is a lone flute sound or an entire song What for the conventional synthesizer is the end of the sound generation chain is only the beginning for Neuron There are no more rules or boundaries Like the remix changed the face of pop music Neuron s unique powers of resynthesis open up a new dimension in creative musical endeavor offering unprecedented opportunities for individual expression to both musicians and non musicians A look at control features in general Neuron s extraordinary user interface is another crucial feature alongside its innovative synthesis engine Our philosophy dictates that every Hartmann instrument is easy to understand and use that it handles intuitively and that it makes discovering new technology fun To live up to that promise we were compelled to invent several new control features The tactile experience of generating sound via Neuron is something entirely apart from what you have encountered with conventional synthesizers The layout of the external operating panel mirrors Neuron s internal signal flow and provides a vivid visual reference to how individual modules interact Its control features are arrayed logically Striking visuals draw your attention to key fun
214. tick to get a coarse parameter setting the main display shows the current parameters To fine tune that setting toggle the navigation stick to scroll stick right left through the four parameters of the current level and use the knob to set the desired value Note also the basic settings parameter stick mode see page 37 Displays The nature of these parameters varies considerably depending on the type of model and its attributes For better orientation they are shown along with the respective values in the displays surrounding the stick controller Model When you are not working in the resynator select menu you can press this button to access menu the most recently edited resynator button parameter To use model loader to load a model into the resynator see page 86 press the button in the resynator menu You will find a description of the menu on page 75 Select The parameters of every model are scape subdivided into scape and sphere sphere parameters see page 71 This button lets button you select a parameter region for editing via the level button and stick The current parameter values of a region are automatically retained when you switch to the other region Table 6 Resynator control features Table 6 Resynator control features cont Parameter Level 1 2 3 button Record stick button Scape and sphere parameters are ordered in three levels each After you have chose
215. ticks Once you have defined the values for one category and change over to another category Neuron remembers the settings You do not have to store them Record stick button Stick controller movements can be recorded and stored By activating stick animation you can play the recorded movement back see the next line in the table Like in the resynators this creates very lively modulations To learn how to record stick controller movements read page 148 Note that in surround mode you will record stick movements controlling the surround channel positions rather than the silver effects Table 16 Silver control features cont Table 16 Silver control features cont is Neuron book Seite 135 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Contour The filter unit of the silver can be Filter Defines the filter type press repeatedly control modulated either by an ADSR envelope button e 12db 12 dB low pass filter button defined in shaper 3 filter envelope not e 24dB 24 dB low pass filter available for freq FX time FX or by a e Special 6 dB low pass or 6 dB high pass previously recorded movement of the stick or band pass filter adjustable via menu controller also available for freq FX time or by stepping through the special filter FX The special LED indicates all three By pressing this button several times you settings can select einean Freq FX Switches the frequency effects process
216. tly employed models of both resynators For info purposes only you cannot select models here Pan Positions the sound in the stereo panorama Note that the sounds within a setup are assigned individual or dedicated pan settings see page 62 Value range 64 to 63 from the far left to the far right Pan Keytrack Assigns pan settings to the keyboard This parameter lets you place the sound at different positions within the stereo panorama in accordance with the pitch of the note you play Value ranges from 64 to 63 0 no pan key tracking Positive values Lower notes are panned to the left higher notes to the right Negative values Lower notes are panned to the right higher notes to the left And on that note be sure to check out the picture on page 85 Table 4 Sound parameters Module Programmer gt How to start sound mode All the procedures described in the following section mandate that Neuron runs in sound mode To this end you may have to quit setup mode by pressing the setup button below the main display The LED above the button does not light up when Neuron is set to sound mode gt How to load a stored sound Start sound mode see above Sound loader appears in the main display along with the name and the number of the currently loaded sound If you are already working in sound mode call sound loader by briefly pressing the exit button You have three options for
217. tly via the silver button labeled filter The special LED has multiple assignments so that you can step through all filters by pressing the filter button repeatedly and find the remaining 6 dB filter this filter can also be selected in the menu High pass filter Level For the record the high pass filter is the inverted twin of the low pass filter It al lows frequencies above the cutoff frequency to pass Cutting low fre cata quencies makes the signal sound brighter and thinner our ear perceives it to be more strident with greater presence Neuron features a high pass filter with a quality of 6 dB You will find it in the type filter menu when the filter option special is ac tive You can also step through all special filters using the filter button Resonance Band pass taal A band pass filter s characteristic curve resembles the shape of a bell Its working frequency is a center band meaning that it allows frequencies in a narrow range below and above this frequency to pass cutting all others outside this frequency band Though a band pass filter actually works with a center frequency rather than a cutoff frequency the term cutoff is common usage The filtering action of a band pass with a very high quality that is an extremely steep slope works on specified narrow frequency bands Just a very narrow spectrum is allowed to pass and setting a high resonance parameter can boost it A ba
218. ton Setup SetUp No SetUp_name A v S nd 1 Soundname Pr 5 lt 0 0 0 lt Snd 2 Soundname 5 2 lt 0 0 gt Button Sound 1 Sound 2 Sound 3 Sound 4 A A A A A MA v v v v vol 1 Soundname gt vol 127 127 127 127 Vol 3 A Vol 4 Yy Transp 1 Soundname gt Transp 2 o 3 7 2 Transp 3 A Transp 4 7 P Detune 1 Soundname gt Detune 2 De N 4 2 Detune 3 A Detune 4 v MIDI 1 Soundname lt gt MDI PS ier 2r 4 MIDI 3 A MIDI 4 y Local 1 Soundname a gt Local 2 On lt On On On Local 3 A Local 4 y Out 1 Soundname lt gt Out2 Tis ST1 ST1 ST1 Out 3 A Out 4 y Pan 1 Soundname aout 0 lt 0 0 o Out 3 A Out 4 v Continued on next page Module Programmer Continued from previous page A v KeyLow 1 Soundname C 2 lt 2 U 23 2 A v KeyHigh 1 Soundname G8 lt G8 G8 A v VeloLow 1 Soundname 1 lt 1 i at a v VeloHigh 1 Soundname 127 lt 127 127 127 a Y Silver 1 Soundname 127 lt 127 127 127 A v Delay 1 Soundname 0 lt 0 0 0 A v Reverb 1 Soundname 0 lt 0 0 0 A v Continued on next page lt gt KeyLow 2 KeyLow 3 KeyLow 4 lt gt KeyHigh 2 KeyHigh 3 KeyHigh 4 lt gt VeloLow 2 VeloLow 3 VeloLow 4 lt gt VeloHigh 2 VeloHigh 3 VeloHigh 4 lt gt Silver 2 Silver 3 Silver 4 lt gt Delay 2 Delay 3 Delay 4 lt gt Reverb 2 Reverb 3 Reverb 4 Continued from previous page A M v Surround Stk Ani Surround Stk An
219. unds are off regardless of the respective local parameter setting IZZ 5 Neuron book Seite 179 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt e SysXDeviceID Defines the device identification for system exclusive MIDI messages Hexadecimal values range from 00 to 7F MIDI relevant setup settings e MIDI Determines MIDI data send and receive channel for sounds in setup mode A sound responds to incoming MIDI data only when the defined MIDI channel and send channel numbers are identical Value range 0 to 16 0 denotes omni meaning that Neuron processes incoming messages on all MIDI channels In sound mode the global MIDI channel settings defined in the basic settings apply see page 178 e Local Deactivates activates Neuron s synthesis engine via the keyboard as well as via controls 1 to 4 the footswitch the sustain pedal and aftertouch Local Off Neuron s keyboard is disabled for this sound so that it cannot control the internal synthesis engine the controls are deactivated However the sound can be played via incoming MIDI data and send MIDI data Local On The internal synthesis engine can be controlled for this sound via Neuron s keyboard as well as via incoming MIDI data All controls are enabled Note in this context the function of the local basic settings parameter see page 178 If this global parameter local is set to off the settings of the four setup paramet
220. unt of delayed signal LR delay routed back to the effect input via feedback loop The higher the value the higher the number of repetitions Value range 64 to 63 Mix Defines the amount of delayed signal Flanger added to the original signal thus determining the output signal s wet dry mix Value range 0 to 127 Feedback Defines the amount of signal routed back Flanger to the effect s input via feedback loop Value range 64 to 63 Table 19 Silver Time FX parameters cont Table 19 Silver Time FX parameters cont Stereo phase Flanger Delays the modulation effect in the stereo image for spreading the left and right channels For example if the effect attains its highest frequency on the left channel this value determines the distance of the effect s sweep from the left channel to the right channel Value range 64 to 63 The maximum values of 63 and 64 shift the phase of the two channels by half of an LFO periodic oscillation The sign preceding the value determines the direction of shift between the left and right channels Mix Ss Phaser Feedback 9 Phaser Defines the amount of delayed signal added to the original signal thus determining the output signal s wet dry mix Value range 0 to 127 Defines the amount of signal routed back to the effect s input via feedback loop Value range 64 to 63 Depth Determines the LFO oscillation s
221. ur control button the amplifier envelope is always active and the free envelope is activated via the respective depth knob Table 10 Control features of Shaper 1 2 cont Shaper 1 2 Menu The shaper menu s options vary in accordance with the selected shaper status shaper 1 2 status button The following illustrations depict the menus for every status The parameters of these menus are summarized in table 11 on page 108 Shaper 1 2 Status Amplifier Shaper 1 2 Status Amp Shaper 1 Amp Cae A v Shaper1 Wheel A lt gt Shp2 Amp Attack _ Wheel R lt gt lt P Release Stick up stick down lt gt Stick left stick right Neuron book Seite 107 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Shaper 1 2 Status Par Levels In free status the menu offers different parameters t depending on whether two ADSR envelopes or one 4 Shaper1 Wheel A ae ead levels 4 times curve has been selected Wheel S Shaper 1 2 Status Free Shp1 Par Levels Attack Shp1 Par Levels Wheel R A A A v A Shaper 1 2 Status Free Shp1 Par Levels VeloDepth Release Shaper 1 2 Free Type HE Shp1 Par Levels L1 Dp Scal 3 Shp1 Par Levels Free 2ADSR L1 Dp Sca2 4 lt gt Free Shaper1 2 Wheel Level 1 Shp1 Par Levels gt Shp1 Par Levels 4 Levels 4 Times Wheel Time 1 Ll Dp Sph1 3 Ll Dp Sph2 4 Wheel Level Shp1 2 4Lvl
222. ure to move it to the full range of aftertouch travel Do this until the values shown in the e Press the basic settings button The main main display no longer change This stirring display shows the menu offering Neuron s basic action serves to measure the stick s maximum settings range of travel These physical values are then mapped to the value range that is to be covered meaning that they are converted The display for resynator 1 could look something like this Move the two resynator sticks the silver module s stick and the stick labeled control 1 one after the other as described above Because the control 1 stick also serves as a pitch controller you can also calibrate its center position pitch 0 The idea is to prevent unintentional detuning when it is set to the zero position In order to determine the center position of control 1 move the stick very lightly around the center While Neuron is doing the calibration its display shows the values measured by the device Example CTH Here is how to calibrate aftertouch Strike any key on the keyboard and then bear down with increasing pressure until the measured maximum value appearing in the display does not change anymore Example e Once you have calibrated everything to your satisfaction confirm the values by pressing the rotary knob next to the main display enter The Neuron software s current version number appears in the main disp
223. uron s keyboard and as well as via incoming MIDI data All controls see above are enabled Note in this context the function of the local setup parameter which serves the same purpose for every sound within a setup see page 61 If the global local parameter is set to off the setup parameters of the same name are overruled meaning that all four sounds are off regardless of the respective local parameter setting SysXDeviceID Defines the device identification for system exclusive MIDI messages Hexadecimal values range from 00 to 7F To learn more about this read the section SysEx commands System exclusive data starting on page 179 Dspl Contrast Controls the brightness of the displays Values range from 1 dark to 4 bright StkRec start Determines the trigger that starts stick recording After you press a module s record stick button the recording function is set to standby and the button s LED flashes To actually start recording you must activate the defined trigger that is either move the appropriate stick or press any key on the keyboard You will find further details on this starting on page 89 Options Key or Stick Srnd Sub Hz Defines the cutoff frequency for the subwoofer channel in surround mode Frequencies below the defined sub cutoff frequency are sent to the subwoofer Options 13 Hz to 20 2 KHz in semitone steps Surround mode is described on page 169 Table 1 Basic settings cont 23
224. uron book Seite 85 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 lt NEURON gt Key tracking You can define key tracking performance for every resynator volume key track parameter page 78 key track parameter page 79 and pitch key track parameter page 83 as well as for the silver unit s filters page 138 A J t Center Key C3 Starting from the center key this parameter weights a module or a parameter with reference to pitch An analogy may explain this better Picture a set of scales The center key is the lever holding the two pans Key tracking is the weight placed in a pan Negative values weighted to the left side of the keyboard positive values weighted to the right of the keyboard Resynator and silver unit key tracking Module Resynator Neuron book Seite 86 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Resynator Handling If you are working in setup mode you must first prime the sound that you want to edit see page 66 or switch to sound mode gt How to load a model into a resynator e Activate the given resynator on off button e Press model select Model loader appears in the main display Here s an example using resynator 1 CE e Twist the knob to scroll through the model database until you find the desired model The model number flashes until the selected model is loaded Load the model via enter press the knob Alternative Type in the three digit model number on the nume
225. urve This value can be positive or negative depending on the depth setting What does this sound like Hear for yourself e the cutoff frequency of a filter setting defined in the silver The filter sweeps through a certain frequency range depending on the mod signal So the sound is shaped on the fly For the record modulating the amplitude of individual overtones creates this effect The most common example of this type of effect is a wah wah e The blender amount The weighting factor shifts between the resynators which creates completely different tonal results depending on the selected blender type The LFO oscillation s waveform has a significant influence on the modulation effect You can define it in the mod menu alongside the depth intensity and the frequency of the oscillation generated by mod Mod works with voices rather than sounds meaning that every played note is modulated specifically by the mod generated LFO oscillation Mod Routing The routing of a modulation to the desired destinations is determined by the modulation destination s LFO depth parameter rather than at the modulation source in the mod menu For example in order to modulate the pitch of resynator 1 via an LFO oscillation set the pitch parameter LFO depth in the resynator menu to the desired value A setting of depth 0 at a modulation destination of course means no modulation Do not confuse the LFO depth parameter at the g
226. utput level Model parameter values Value ranges 0 to 127 Model parameters can be set using the resynator s stick or the rotary knob located next to the main display The latter lets you dial in settings more precisely We recommend that you set coarse values using the sticks and fine tune them in the menu Table 7 Resynator parameters cont Table 7 Resynator parameters cont 2 lt NEURON gt 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 LFO Depth L1 Scape 1 3 to L3 Sphere 2 4 Determines the modulation depth of the mod generated LFO oscillation and thus the intensity of its effect on the opposite cross x scape and sphere parameter pairs 1 3 and 2 4 Value range 64 to 63 LFO depth 0 Parameters are not modulated LFO depth gt 0 Starting at the current value the parameter value increases in accordance with the LFO oscillation up to a max value of 127 LFO depth lt 0 The value decreases in accordance with the LFO oscillation Note in this context the global LFO depth which is defined directly in the mod module page 116 Global LFO depth is offset against this modulation destination s depth value Table 7 Resynator parameters cont KeyTrack L1 Scape 1 3 to L3 Sphere 2 4 Weights model parameters for different keyboard zones The higher the parameter s weight the greater is its influence and the more intense the effect of parameter
227. value changes Key tracking is defined separately for each scape and sphere parameter level Note that you can differentiate between the two cross x parameter pairs within a level Example Keytrack L3 sphere 2 4 weights the third sphere level s second and fourth parameter Value range 64 to 63 0 No weighting Positive values Notes above the center key C3 are weighted higher than notes below C3 The higher the value the further this weighting is shifted to the right of the keyboard Negative values Notes below the center key C3 are weighted higher than notes above C3 The lower the value the further this weighting is shifted to the left See also the illustration on page 85 Table 7 Resynator parameters cont Module Resynator 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 VeloDepth L1 Scape 1 3 to L3 Sphere 2 4 Stick animation L1 scape to L3 sphere Determines velocity modulation depth and thus the intensity of its influence on individual cross x scape and sphere parameter pairs Value range 64 to 63 VeloDepth 0 Parameters are not modulated VeloDepth gt 0 Starting at the current value the parameter value increases in accordance with velocity up to a max value of 127 current parameter value velo depth x velocity value VeloDepth lt 0 The value decreases in accordance with velocity Defines the playback mode for stick recordings stick playback Your options ar
228. velope via velocity define the parameter velo effect on every resynator parameter level To depth see page 109 this end first select the desired scape or sphere e You are dealing with free envelopes so you parameter level in the resynator module using must determine the various modulation the parameter level and select buttons Use destinations the depth knob in the shaper to determine the You can assign a module as the modulation depth for each parameter level f destination by selecting the corresponding Alternatively you can enter these settings to depth parameter in the menu of the desired the menu s depth options see menu diagram module and defining a value other than zero for it values range from 64 to 63 Neuron book Seite 112 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Example Say you want shaper 1 s ADSR envelope to modulate resynator 1 s pitch Press the menu button in resynator 1 and use the navigation stick located next to the main display to scroll to the menu option Pitch FreeEnv ADSR 1 Depth Now adjust the modulation depth in the resynator using the knob located next to the main display The same applies to the destinations resynator 2 pitch and blender You will find further information on page 104 How to define a free 4 levels 4 times envelope Press repeatedly if necessary the status shaper button until the free LED lights up Status Free appears in the main display Stick down the
229. vices using a uniform connector In Neuron the USB interface serves to connect the device to a computer network for the purpose of transferring data to and from a PC MAC Neuron is the host that s the big boss in the USB system Because Neuron s operating system does not allow a direct USB host to USB host link Neuron must be connected to computers via an USB network adapter Check out our home page at www hartmann music com for the scoop on recommended USB net adapters The Neuron USB interface devices can be plugged in and out without disconnecting Neuron a process that in computerese is called hot plugging Neuron has a fixed IP address used for identification purposes The USB interface does not require configuring The USB interface can be used e to load new models into Neuron via PC MAC Creating models based on your own sample material is always done on an external computer using the tool ModelMaker We will send the ModelMaker software to you when we receive your registration to load software updates see page 189 e to load dump sounds setups or models from and to the connected computer This lets you archive your fave sounds and make backups of your setup library see page 190 gt How to connect a PC MAC and log on to Neuron You need an USB net adapter and a suitable network cable to connect Neuron to a PC MAC via USB In addition the TCP IP Internet protocol and ftp client
230. ween scape 1 and scape 2 Out Left A A Out Right A A Sphere R1 Blender Mix Balance 4 gt Blender type Dual sphered is Intermorph Scape 1 and scape 2 are split up into complementary or opposite frequency bands for example one frequency band contains low frequencies the other high frequencies Then the bands are mixed cross x and proportionally in the blender and the signal is patched to the other sphere The result is sent proportionally to the output Amount controls the balance between scape 1 and scape 2 Module Blender Out A Out ex W Cem R1 Mix Balance ae Dynamic transsphere Scape 1 cross fades over to scape 2 within a definable time The resulting signal is patched through sphere 2 and then to the output Amount controls the cross fade time up to 20 seconds Blender type Dyn transsphere Blender type Intermorph Out Left A A Out Right A A Blender Time 0 20 sec gt gt gt gt Dynamic crossmorph Scape 1 and scape 2 are cross faded or morphed reciprocally within a definable time and assigned to the other sphere The result is mixed to create a composite signal which is then routed to the output Amount controls the cross fade time up to 20 seconds Out Left A A Out Right m CD type Dyn crossmorph Velo crossmorph Velo crossmorph und Velo chrome Velo crossmorph is similar to the dynamic crossmorph type velo chrome i
231. will always define an ADSR envelope in the shaper The parameter level envelope of a shaper is hard wired to its resynator s model parameters Again you will always be dealing with an ADSR envelope whose depth is determined separately for each of the resynator s three scape and sphere parameter levels This means that the modulation intensity can be varied selectively for every cross x parameter pair at the six parameter levels even though the same curve is used for all parameters Free envelopes flexible routing Unlike amplifier and par level envelopes free envelopes can be assigned to several modulation destinations for example to a resynator s pitch You can also select the more complex 4 levels 4 times envelope instead of the two classic ADSR envelopes If you opt for the two ADSR envelopes one curve per shaper you can assign dedicated modulation destinations to each envelope The two shapers are combined for defining a 4L 4T curve Use the depth parameter of the desired modulation destination to route free envelopes Every potential modulation destination offers the menu options ADSR1 depth ADSR2 depthand4 L 4 T depth they let you define the desired modulation intensity If a modulation destination s depth 0 the given envelope will not modulate it You can assign the following modulation destinations to free envelopes e Resynator pitch page 83 e Blender amount page 95 E
232. y dampening in the decay phase The amount of attenuation is a factor of time The longer the decay time the darker the signal becomes Value range 0 to 127 Determines the amount of detuning for the reflected signal Value range 0 to 127 Cyclical detuning of the reflected signal The amount of detuning is defined via detune amnt Value range 0 0 to 20 0 Hz in 0 1 Hz steps Table 24 Master effects Reverb parameters cont Master effects Handling gt How to load a sound s effect settings into a setup In sound mode if you have assigned effects to and stored them with a sound the effect settings are loaded into a setup when you load the sound from the sound database These settings are applied to all sounds within the setup if master effects are switched off for the setup at the time of loading This means you can easily configure the effect settings for your setup by simply loading a sound into a setup Then you are free to edit the settings Please bear in mind that you must define the send values for every sound delay and reverb in the setup menu because these settings do not exist in sound mode Rather than being referenced or linked a sound s master effects settings are actually copied from the sound database into the setup If you edit master effect settings within a setup these changes are not applied retroactively to the sounds contained in the setup The data held in the sound database
233. y handles somewhat differently as described on page 168 You can scale aftertouch and velocity in the basic settings For more on this read the descriptions of the aftertouch scale parameter on page 40 and velo curve parameter on page 39 IZZ Cr me Neuron book Seite 163 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 _ lt NEURON gt Controllers Menu F Continued from previous page To access the controller menu press the controller button located below the main display Contr 1Up Dest Da 1Up Dest 1 Neuron exits the controller menu automatically ae a when you edit a parameter in another module If 4 a al ieee it you exit the controller settings by pressing the gt controller button again Neuron jumps to the most TT recently edited menu In both cases the device lt gt each with Depth remembers the most recently edited controller and displays it immediately when you call the menu up later This makes it very easy to set up destinations CA Contr 1Dn Dest 1 gy like for Control 1 Up Dest 1 to 4 each with Depth Contr 2 Dest 1 PTS Contr 2 Dest 2 Controller Pitch Bend Range semi Aftertch Dest 1 gt Contr 2 Dest 3 Contr 2 Dest 4 Contr 3 Dest 3 lt gt Contr 3 Dest 4 lt gt Contr 3 Dest 1 lt gt Aftertch Dest 1 Depth gt Aftertch Dest 2 Aftertch Dest 2 lt gt lt gt lt gt Depth Contr 4 Dest 1 ap Contr 4 Dest
234. yed channel The two channels are spread as a function of time so that our ears perceive the stereo image to be wider Value range 64 to 63 Positive values delay the left channel negative values delay the right channel Table 19 Silver Time FX parameters 2 Neuron book Seite 143 Montag 23 Dezember 2002 2 28 14 Depth Flanger Speed Flanger Wave Flanger Determines the LFO oscillation s modulation depth The higher the value the stronger the flanging effect Value range 0 to 127 Defines the frequency of the modulating LFO oscillation The higher the LFO frequency the faster the frequency cancellations are repeated and the faster the effect changes Value range 0 0 to 20 0 Hz in 0 1 Hz steps Determines the waveform of the modulating LFO oscillation The same waveforms are available as in the mod menu You will find a list of all available waveforms on page 118 Feedback Defines the level of the delayed signal Stereo routed back from the delay line s output spread to its input thus determining the number of repetitions Value range 64 to 63 Mix Determines the amount of wet signal in LR delay the effect s output signal the mix of the original signal and the delayed signal Value range 0 to 127 Time Determines delay time The value applies LR delay to both stereo channels Value range 0 to 1000 ms Feedback Defines the amo

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