Analogue Solutions Telemark-k User manual

User Manual

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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................3
Brief Overview ..................................................................................................................................................3
Applications......................................................................................................................................................3
Safety Instructions............................................................................................................................................4
Initial Tuning.....................................................................................................................................................5
Circuit in Details................................................................................................................................................5
Voltage Controlled Oscillators VCO 1 ...............................................................................................................6
Voltage Controlled Oscillators VCO 2 ...............................................................................................................7
Sync ..................................................................................................................................................................8
Mixer ................................................................................................................................................................8
Voltage Controlled Filter VCF ...........................................................................................................................9
Filtering External Sound Sources ....................................................................................................................10
Envelope Generators ......................................................................................................................................11
Voltage Controlled Amplifier - VCA ................................................................................................................12
Low Frequency Oscillator - LFO ......................................................................................................................12
Pitch Bend and Mod Wheel ............................................................................................................................13
Rear Panel Audio Connections........................................................................................................................14
CV/Gate Jacks .................................................................................................................................................15
Patch Panel.....................................................................................................................................................15
No Signal?.......................................................................................................................................................16
Quick method for zero modulation ................................................................................................................16
Expansion .......................................................................................................................................................16
Internal Calibration of internal VCOs..............................................................................................................17
MIDI Data Editing ...........................................................................................................................................18
Parameters and Pages in More Detail ............................................................................................................19
Specification ...................................................................................................................................................20
Warranty ........................................................................................................................................................21

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Introduction
Congratulations on buying the Telemark synthesiser. Telemark is part of the Analogue Solutions
range of analogue music equipment. Telemark is a precision electronic musical instrument. It
combines all the often needed music electronic circuitry to make a music synthesiser in one
compact module.
No compromise has been made with the construction of Telemark. Cheaper options in parts have
not been used
Full rugged steel case - no plastic mouldings
Good quality smooth potentiometers, fully sealed against dust
Good quality knobs with spun aluminium caps
High grade double sided circuit board
All power and signal input/outputs have EM filters to remove external noise and improve immunity
High Quality DAC - 16bit! (others use 12 or even 8 bit)
Very stable MIDI to CV conversion
Very stable analogue oscillators
Expensive blue
Hand built by humans
Lasting quality and appeal with a life far longer than any software plug-in or DSP synth
Brief Overview
Telemark is a self-contained TRUE analogue synthesiser. The voice circuitry is entirely analogue,
using all discrete and op-amp components. There is no voice DSP happening!
Telemark has a similar sound and specification to the classic Oberheim SEM, but with many
improvements such as MIDI, Noise, more modulation. Note however, Telemark is not intended to be
and is not a clone of the SEM. If you want a true SEM sound, buy a SEM!
Applications
MONO SYNTHESISER
Telemark is for use any time you need analogue sound effects, fat basses, screaming leads, beeps,
tones, zaps, and all the other crazy sounds associated with analogue synthesis. Use in place of
your boring digital synths and DSP soft synths.
EFFECTS PROCESSOR
Telemark has an audio input socket, so you can feed external sounds into the on-board analogue
filters for analogue processing.

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Safety Instructions
Please read carefully before using:
Only use the correct power adaptor - 230V (or 115V whatever your country needs)
Never handle the adaptor with wet hands
Never excessivly bend the adaptor cable or get it trapped or place heavy objects on it. If the adaptor
cable becomes damaged, replace the adaptor.
Ensure the unit is disconnected from the mains before moving or cleaning.
Always disconnect the unit from the mains if there is lightning in your area.
Ensure the unit is on a stable surface, and never place heavy objects on top of it.
Never allow young children or animals to operate the unit or adaptor.
Do not use excessive force when using the controls or inserting cables to the connectors.
The unit should not be operated in the rain or near water and should not be exposed to moisture.
If the unit is brought from a cold environment to a warm one, the unit should be left to reach the
ambient temperature.
Keep Telemark away from heat sources, such as radiators, ovens, heaters etc.
Never allow Telemark to get wet. Do not operate it near water, like pools, sinks, bathrooms etc.
Do not place beverages on or near it.
Never open the case or attempt to make repairs. Refer any servicing to qualified service personnel.
Preventing damage to other connected devices;
Telemark has a very high dynamic range. It is capable of produce loud signals of very high and sub-sonic
frequencies that could blow inadequate speakers if played too loud. It is recommended that input levels to
external equipment (mixers, amp's etc.) is kept low when first connected, and then slowly increased to a
useable level.
Maintenance Instructions
Any cleaning of the Telemark case should be done with a clean lint-free cloth. DO
NOT USE SOLVENTS OR CLEANERS, as this will deteriorate the exterior appearance of the
equipment.
Mounting
Mounting does not mean 'place on the wall' or 'to make love to' in this instance. Place
Telemark soundly on any stable surface so he cannot fall off or over, causing it or your- self injury.
POWER
Possible sources of US voltage mains adaptors (not tested);
www.radioshack.com
p/n 273-1631 or 273-1690

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Initial Tuning
Once the MIDI and audio connections have been made it may be necessary to tune in the VCOs to
the rest of your music set-up. Allow a five minute warm up time.
First set up the controls of Telemark to make a simple sound. It is usually best to leave the VCA at
ON. Turn VCO2 to zero volume so you can only hear VCO1.
Play, say middle C on the keyboard. Using a digital keyboard as a reference, adjust the course or
fine tuning of VCO1 until it plays in tune with your reference.
Finally, turn up VCO2 so both VCOs can be heard. Using the tune controls of VCO2, tune it to VCO1.
Circuit in Details
Here follows details on all the sockets and controls, with brief simplified explanations of what the
circuits do. We have not gone into technical details on how and exactly what each circuit does but
tried to explain each control's function and effect.
Anyone who has used synthesisers before should be familiar with the terms used and therefore be
able to predict their behaviour and how they affect the sound. The best way to learn how to use
Telemark is to go straight ahead and play with it. Reading of this manual may only be necessary
for finer operational detail.

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Voltage Controlled Oscillators VCO 1
The voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs 1 and 2) produce the raw audio waveform usually used as the initial source
for sound creation. They provide cyclic audio waveforms that can be pitched. VCOs usually receive treatment from
the VCF to turn their basic tones into pleasant sounds.
FINE TUNE: Controls fine pitch adjustment of VCO1. Use this to
tune VCO1 to your other instruments or VCO2.
TUNE: Controls the course pitch of VCO1. Range is about +/- 2
octaves. Use this to tune VCO1 to your other instruments or to shift
the VCO pitch up or down an octave compared to VC02
MODULATION: This controls the amount of modulation to
either pulse width or pitch from the modulation source selected by
the SOURCE switch.
Turn this knob clockwise in increasing amounts to apply pulse width
modulation (PWM) to the square wave. This will have the effect of
thickening up the VCO sound. Extreme settings of modulation may
result in the sound cutting out.. Turn this knob anti-clockwise in
increasing amounts to apply frequency modulation (FM) to VCO1.
Use this for vibrato and trill effects on the pitch.
In a central position, there will be no modulation to either PW or
Frequency
MODULATION SOURCE rotary switch: This selects the
modulation source for either PWM or FM and is routed to the
control above.
The source options are;
EG2
for pitch sweeps. Good for percussion sounds
EXT2
for sound effects and additional modulation
LFO
for vibrato and trill effects
VCO1 Square wave
for frequency modulation effects
PULSE WIDTH: This control allows manual shaping of the pulse
wave output. It alters the pulse width (duty cycle) of the pulse wave.
In a central position a square wave is produced (50% duty cycle). Try
this control and listen to how the tone of the waveform changes.
When using Pulse Width Modulation, it is best to set the Pulse
Width control to centre, otherwise the sound may cut-out.

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Voltage Controlled Oscillators VCO 2
The voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs 1 and 2) produce the raw audio waveform usually used as the initial source
for sound creation. They provide cyclic audio waveforms that can be pitched. VCOs usually receive treatment from
the VCF to turn their basic tones into pleasant sounds.
FINE TUNE: Controls fine pitch adjustment of VCO2. Use this
to tune VCO1 to your other instruments or VCO1.
TUNE: Controls the course pitch of VCO1. Range is about +/-
2 octaves. Use this to tune VCO2 to your other instruments or to
shift the VCO pitch up or down an octave compared to VC01
MODULATION: This controls the amount of modulation to
either pulse width or pitch from the modulation source selected
by the SOURCE switch.
Turn this knob clockwise in increasing amounts to apply pulse
width modulation (PWM) to the square wave. This will have the
effect of thickening up the VCO sound. Extreme settings of
modulation may result in the sound cutting out.. Turn this knob
anti-clockwise in increasing amounts to apply frequency
modulation (FM) to VCO2. Use this for vibrato and trill effects on
the pitch.
In a central position, there will be no modulation to either PW or
Frequency
MODULATION SOURCE rotary switch: This selects the
modulation source for either PWM or FM and is routed to the
control above.
The source options are;
EG2
for pitch sweeps. Good for percussion sounds
EXT2
for sound effects and additional modulation
LFO
for vibrato and trill effects
VCO1 Square wave
for frequency modulation effects
PULSE WIDTH: This control allows manual shaping of the
pulse wave output. It alters the pulse width (duty cycle) of the
pulse wave. In a central position a square wave is produced (50%
duty cycle). Try this control and listen to how the tone of the
waveform changes. When using Pulse Width Modulation, it is
best to set the Pulse Width control to centre, otherwise the
sound may cut-out.
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Sync
Oscillator sync is where the master signal will reset the waveform of the slave signal each time the master
waveform starts a new cycle.
Try the different settings and listen to their effect. You may have to modulate the pitch of either VCO1 or VCO2 to
enhance the effect. There is a balancing act between the pitch of the two sound sources (usually the 2 VCOs) to get a
good effect, once found you'll know you've found it!
Mixer
The mixer is used to bring various audio source signals together for filtering. There are 3 mixer controls.
Saw/Pulse VCO1 level
Turning the control clockwise in increasing amounts sends VCO1s pulse signal to the mixer. Turning the control
anti-clockwise in increasing amounts sends VCO1s sawtooth wave signal to the mixer. In a central position no
signal is sent from VCO1 to the mixer.
Saw/Pulse VCO2 level
Turning the control clockwise in increasing amounts sends VCO2s pulse wave signal to the mixer. Turning the control
anti-clockwise in increasing amounts sends VCO2s sawtooth wave signal to the mixer. In a central position no
signal is sent from VCO2 to the mixer.
Noise/EXT4 Level
Turning the control clockwise in increasing amounts sends the signal (if any) coming in off the rear panel EXT4 socket
to the mixer.Turning the control anti-clockwise in increasing amounts sends white Noise to the mixer. In a central
position no signal is sent from the Noise generator or EXT4 to the mixer.
SYNC Switch: This switch selects the routings for oscillator
sync. The options are:
1>2 VCO2 slaved to VCO1
LFO>2 VCO2 slaved to LFO
OFF off no sync effect
2>1 VCO1 slaved to VCO2
NOISE GENERATOR: The noise generator produces white noise.
This is like the hiss you hear between radio stations. The signal
is available for filtering via the Noise/EXT4 mixer control.
Noise would be used for sound effects such as breath, wind,
percussion, etc
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Voltage Controlled Filter VCF
The voltage controlled filter (VCF) is used to alter the tone of the VCOs/Noise and is the heart of what gives
an analogue synth its character.
There are 4 types of filter available;
Low Pass
High Pass
Band Pass
Notch Pass (variable between Low/High)
- Frequency
This sets the cut-off frequency, the point at which
the VCF will start to filter-out harmonics.
- Resonance
Resonance is a feature of adding feedback to the
filter circuit. The output of the filter is fed back
into the filter input. Resonance sets the level of
feedback. As the control is increased to higher
levels the filter will self-oscillate. The oscillation
frequency is set by the frequency control. Use
Resonance to alter the tone of the filter effect. It
can be used to create squidgy sounds and pulse
hits
- Modulation Amount
Turning the control clockwise will increase the
amount that the modulation source selected by
the MOD.SOURCE switch (outlined below) will
modulate the cut-off frequency. Turning the
control anti-clockwise works just like clockwise
except that the modulation signal is inverted
(negative). In a central position the selected
modulation source will not affect cut-off
modulation.
- Notch
This sets the relative mix between the low pass
and high pass filters that is fed to the Filter Type
selection switch (6) Notch position.


- MOD SOURCE rotary switch
This selects the modulation source that will affect the
filter cut-off and is routed to the control above.
There are 4 modulation sources;
EG1
EG1 is used as a modulation source. Use for
tonal changes.
LFO
LFO is used as a modulation source. Use for
filter sweeps (wah-wah).
VCO2
Pulse wave of VCO2 is used as a modulation
source. Use for effects.
EXT2
Signal at the EXT2 socket is used as a mod
source. Use for external filter control.
Cont…
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Filtering External Sound Sources
External sound sources, such as vocals, guitars, mixer sends, samplers, etc. can be sent through the filter
for extra treatment. Note, mic's and guitars may need pre-amping use if the signal is too quiet.
Simply plug the sound source into the rear panel EXT1 socket.
Turn the mixer control Noise/EXT1 to EXT1, and up to a suitable level.
You may wish to return the VCO1 and VCO2 mixer controls to their centre positions so the VCOs cannot be
heard.
Turn the VCA mode switch to ON. This will leave the VCA open so a constant signal can be heard.
Finally, play around with the filter and modulation settings as neccessary.
The VCO signals can also be introduced, and use the various VCA modes and envelopes if you wish to
contour the sound level and add additional effects.
- Filter Type rotary switch
This selects the modulation source that will affect
the filter cut-off
LP
Low Pass: signals above the cut-off
frequency are attenuated 12dB/octave
BP
Band Pass: signals above and below the
cut-off frequency are attenuated 12dB/
octave.
HP
High Pass: signals below the cut-off
frequency are attenuated 12dB/octave.
Notch
Notch: signals at the cut-off frequency
are attenuated 12dB/octave
- CV1/2 MODULATION amount
Turning the control clockwise will increase the
amount that CV2 (MIDI controller/ velocity) will
modulate the cut-off frequency.
Turning the control anti-clockwise will increase
the amount that CV1 (MIDI note/pitch) will
modulate the cut-off frequency.
In a central position CV1 and CV2 will not affect
cut-off modulation