Arturia solina v User manual

USER MANUAL
_SOLINA V

Special Thanks
DIRECTION
Frédéric Brun Kevin Molcard
DEVELOPMENT
Pierre-Lin Laneyrie
(project manager)
Theo Niessink (lead)
Alexandre Adam
Stefano D'Angelo
Kevin Arcas
Baptiste Aubry
Maxime Audfray
Arnaud Barbier
Timothée Béhéty
Yann Burrer
Corentin Comte
Simon Conan
Matthieu Courouble
Raynald Dantigny
Geoffrey Gormond
Baptiste Le Goff
Valentin Lepetit
Samuel Limier
Loris De Marco
Florian Marin
Germain Marzin
Mathieu Nocenti
Marie Pauli
Pierre Pfister
Benjamin Renard
DESIGN
Glen Darcey
Shaun Elwood
Morgan Perrier
Sebastien Rochard
Greg Vezon
SOUND DESIGN
Glen Darcey
Boele Gerkes
Randy Lee
Theo Niessink
Erik Norlander
Pierce Warnecke
MANUAL
Tomoya Fukuchi
Randy Lee
Mike Metlay
Jimmy Michon
Gala Khalife
Minoru Koike
Charlotte Métais
Holger Steinbrink
SPECIAL THANKS
Adrien Bardet
Clément Bastiat
Chuck Capsis
Jeffrey M. Cecil
Denis Efendic
Ben Eggehorn
David Farmer
Ruary Galbraith
Simon Gallifet
Jeff Haler
Marco Correia
« Koshdukai »
Simon McDonnell
Lewyn Mitchell
Ken Flux Pierce
Fernando Manuel
Rodrigues
Daniel Saban
Chad Wagner
Stephen Wey
© ARTURIA SA – 2022 – All rights reserved.
26 avenue Jean Kuntzmann
38330 Montbonnot-Saint-Martin
FRANCE
www.arturia.com
Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of Arturia. The software described in this manual is
provided under the terms of a license agreement or non-disclosure agreement. The software
license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use. No part of this
manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any purpose other than
purchaser’s personal use, without the express written permission of ARTURIA S.A.
All other products, logos or company names quoted in this manual are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Product version: 2.10.1
Revision date: 9 August 2022

Thank you for purchasing Solina V!
This manual covers the features and operation of Arturia’s Solina V, one of our many
powerful virtual instruments.
Be sure to register your software as soon as possible! When you purchased Solina V, you
were sent a serial number and an unlock code by e-mail. These are required during the
online registration process.
Special Messages
Specifications Subject to Change:
The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing.
However, Arturia reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifications without
notice or obligation to update the hardware that has been purchased.
IMPORTANT:
The software, when used in combination with an amplifier, headphones or speakers, may
be able to produce sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. DO NOT operate
for long periods of time at a high level or at a level that is uncomfortable.
If you encounter any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should consult an audiologist.

Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of Arturia's Solina V!
We’d like to thank you for purchasing Solina V, a virtual instrument recreation of the famous
Solina string ensemble keyboard (also known as the ARP String Ensemble), a signature
sound of popular music in the 1970s.
We've carefully studied and modeled every nuance of the original Solina to fully recreate
the rich sound of this legendary string ensemble. We then took things one step further,
by adding expanded features for the modern studio, as well as entirely new sound
programming options that take the Solina experience to a new level.
As with all of our products, we believe in offering the best of both worlds in a single package
and letting you choose how you want to use it. You can choose to focus on the Main Panel
and get a (slightly improved) vintage Solina experience, or pop open the Advanced Panel
and discover a universe of sounds that the original Solina engineers could only dream of.
Here's to a beautiful blend of the old and the new – and the beautiful music you'll make with
it!
Peace, love, and music,
The Arturia team
Be sure to visit the www.arturia.com website for information about all of our other great
hardware and software instruments. They have become indispensable, inspiring tools for
musicians around the world.

Table Of Contents
1. Welcome to Solina V.................................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1. A History of the Solina......................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1.1. A string section for everyone ................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1.2. Meet the Solina (and its American siblings) ................................................................................................................................................ 4
1.1.3. String songs: a selected discography.............................................................................................................................................................. 5
1.2. Physical modeling synthesis......................................................................................................................................... 6
1.2.1. Music and math, issues and answers............................................................................................................................................................. 6
1.2.2. The endless revolution.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
2. Activation and First Start ......................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1. Register and Activate Solina V...................................................................................................................................... 8
2.2. Using Solina V as a plug-in............................................................................................................................................ 9
2.3. Initial setup for standalone use............................................................................................................................... 10
2.3.1. Audio and MIDI Settings: Windows.............................................................................................................................................................. 10
2.3.2. Audio and MIDI Settings: macOS .................................................................................................................................................................. 12
2.4. Playing Solina V for the First Time.......................................................................................................................... 12
3. The User Interface .................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.1. Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.2. The Upper Toolbar ............................................................................................................................................................. 14
3.2.1. The Solina V menu .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
3.2.2. Preset Browser ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
3.2.3. Advanced Panel Access........................................................................................................................................................................................ 19
3.2.4. Side Panel Settings .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 19
3.3. The Lower Toolbar........................................................................................................................................................... 20
3.4. The Side Panel...................................................................................................................................................................... 21
3.4.1. Settings Tab.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
3.4.2. MIDI Tab ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 23
3.4.3. Macro Tab...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
3.4.4. Tutorials ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
4. The Preset Browser .................................................................................................................................................. 31
4.1. Search and Results............................................................................................................................................................ 32
4.2. Using Tags as a Filter...................................................................................................................................................... 33
4.2.1. Types ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 33
4.2.2. Styles................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 34
4.2.3. Banks................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 34
4.3. Search Results window................................................................................................................................................. 35
4.3.1. Sorting the Preset Order....................................................................................................................................................................................... 35
4.3.2. Clearing Tags .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 35
4.3.3. Liking Presets ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 36
4.4. Sidebar ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
4.4.1. My Sound Banks ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
4.4.2. My Favorites ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 38
4.4.3. My Playlists .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39
4.5. Preset Info Section .......................................................................................................................................................... 40
4.5.1. Editing Info for Multiple Presets ....................................................................................................................................................................... 41
4.6. Preset Selection: Other Methods ............................................................................................................................. 42
4.7. Macro Knobs......................................................................................................................................................................... 43
4.8. Playlists.................................................................................................................................................................................... 44
4.8.1. Create your first Playlist....................................................................................................................................................................................... 44
4.8.2. Add a Playlist.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 45
4.8.3. Add a Preset ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 45
4.8.4. Re-order the Presets............................................................................................................................................................................................... 46
4.8.5. Remove a Preset....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46
4.8.6. New Song and Playlist Management........................................................................................................................................................... 47
5. The Main Panel........................................................................................................................................................... 48
5.1. Using the Onscreen Controls...................................................................................................................................... 48
5.2. The Main Panel and its Controls.............................................................................................................................. 49
5.2.1. Left of the keyboard................................................................................................................................................................................................ 49
5.2.2. Above the keyboard............................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
5.2.3. Right of the keyboard .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 50
5.3. Beyond the Solina.............................................................................................................................................................. 51

5.3.1. Humana............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 51
5.3.2. Ensemble ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 51
6. The Advanced Panel .............................................................................................................................................. 53
6.1. The Advanced Panel and its Controls................................................................................................................... 53
6.1.1. Master Section.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 54
6.1.2. LFO...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 55
6.1.3. Bass Section: Filter and Envelope controls................................................................................................................................................ 57
6.1.4. Bass Section: Arpeggiator.................................................................................................................................................................................... 58
6.1.5. Upper Resonator....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 60
6.1.6. Effects ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62
7. Software License Agreement............................................................................................................................ 69

1. WELCOME TO SOLINA V
Arturia would like to thank you for purchasing our modeling synthesizer, Solina V. We're
confident that it will become a valuable addition to your music production studio.
If this is the first Arturia product you have owned, we think you'll find it's an excellent way to
become acquainted with our stuff. If you’ve purchased our products before, you know we
take great pride in recreating the sound and feel of the original instruments – and then we
add 21st Century features these products might have had, if only the technology had been
available at the time!
The Solina, the original instrument upon which this virtual model is based, played an
important part in many hit songs of the 1970s and early 1980s. It was a perfect fit for the
various forms of symphonic rock and pop music that flourished in those days.
Since you obviously appreciate the Solina sound, we thought you might enjoy a brief look
backward at what it took to bring this marvelous instrument to life.
1.1. A History of the Solina
1.1.1. A string section for everyone
In the early days of rock music, having a string ensemble play on your tracks was an
impossible dream for any but the most famous musicians. While there’s something about
the sound of orchestral instruments that can take a sweet love song and turn it into a heart-
rending expression of the human condition, the fact remains that hiring a string section isn't
for everybody – and taking one out to bar gigs isn't for anybody .
Some venues might have a Hammond organ or a badly-beat-up piano, but most relied on
the keyboardist to bring his own gear: an electric piano, a portable (or not so portable) organ,
and maybe a monophonic synthesizer. There wasn't really room in the van or the budget
for a string section.
But technology has a way of answering musicians' prayers, so various ways to give a
keyboardist orchestral sounds had been in development for a while. The primary solution
in the early 1970s was the Mellotron: a keyboard with a strip of recording tape under each
key, that would play whatever was on the tape when the key was pressed. All manner of
recorded sounds could be played back that way (sampling before digital audio!) but the
Mellotron was big, heavy, unreliable, and expensive... a solution but not a great one.
1.1.1.1. From Freeman to Eminent – humble beginnings
The very first string machine was the Freeman String Symphonizer, invented by keyboardist
Ken Freeman as a potential alternative to the Mellotron. Freeman experimented with a
Clavioline (an electronic solo instrument available since the 1940s) and a 3-head delay with
different LFOs for each head, and discovered that the delays could make a single voice
sound like an ensemble. Unfortunately, the String Symphonizer never got off the ground for
financial reasons.
The Eminent 310 Unique was an organ sold by the Dutch company Eminent Orgelbouw BV
beginning in 1972. It was notable for containing a string ensemble section, somewhat similar
to Freeman's concept, that could be added to the organ sound. This pioneering design was
catapulted into worldwide fame as the foundation for French composer Jean Michel Jarre's
multi-million-selling albums Oxygène and Équinoxe .
Even before Oxygène became a worldwide hit in 1976, Eminent realized that the 310's string
section was something worthwhile on its own – it could be made into a standalone keyboard
that could fill a potentially huge market. And so, in 1974, the Eminent Solina was born.
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1.1.2. Meet the Solina (and its American siblings)
The Solina had a 4-octave keyboard and only offered a handful of sounds. But they were
important sounds, ones that many musicians longed for: warm ensemble strings that could
fill out the sound while the guitarist took a solo, or high string lines that could soar above the
song and make it sparkle. Perhaps most importantly, these sounds could be carried from gig
to gig by one person (even if the 50-pound Solina is a bit of a beast by modern standards).
The Solina's success was massively amplified by a sales and distribution agreement
between Eminent and the thriving American synthesizer company ARP Instruments, Inc.,
who "rebadged" the Solina and sold it as the ARP String Ensemble.

Note : the first production version of the ARP String Ensemble was actually named the “ARP Model
2100 String Ensemble SE-IV”. After this historical introduction, we'll stick to the name "Solina" – both to
reflect the name of our product and to give credit where credit is due.
1.1.2.1. Arrival of the fittest
The ARP String Ensemble became the most popular product ARP ever made, surpassing
the famed ARP 2600 and Odyssey synthesizers. Its unique sound carried an instantly
recognizable stamp of authenticity.
Even though the String Ensemble's sound was obviously synthesized, it beat out the
Mellotron in many ways. It was lighter and easier to store and carry, it could be easily
stacked on top of an organ or electric piano (and have another synthesizer stacked on its flat
lid), it was comparatively maintenance-free, and – unlike the Mellotron, whose taped notes
were only 8 seconds long and would stop abruptly at the end – it could sustain forever.
Added together, Ken Freeman's idea, Eminent's application, and ARP's worldwide reach
created a world-beating success story.
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1.1.2.2. A string of spinoffs
As is always the case in the business world, imitation is not only the sincerest form of
flattery, it's also the easiest way to steal the other guy's lunch money. The Solina, the String
Ensemble, and their successors held their own for quite a few years against a slew of
competitors, and it is amazing they did as well as they did. Here's a partial listing of what
they were up against:
Year ARP
Model Competition
1973 Logan String Melody
1974 Solina/
SE-IV Crumar Stringman, EKO Stradivarius
1975 Omni Roland RS-101
1976 Godwin String Concert S249, Jen SM2007 String Machine, Roland RS-202, Korg
PE-2000
1977 Omni 2 Crumar Orchestrator, Hohner K4 / Stringer (USA) / String Performer (Europe), Elgam
String Ensemble, Logan String Melody II, Multivox MX202, Oberheim Eight-Voice
1978 Quadra Farfisa Soundmaker, Roland RS-505
1979 Quartet* Crumar Performer, Korg Lambda, Roland VP-330, Yamaha SK-10/20/30/50D, Siel
Orchestra (*rebadged for ARP as the Quartet), Oberheim OB-X
1980 Godwin Model 749 String Concert, Korg Trident, Oberheim OB-Xa
1981 Roland Jupiter-8
With the rise of polyphonic synthesizers and the attendant waning of interest in string
machines, as well as other technological and financial pressures, ARP Instruments, Inc. was
forced to close its doors in 1981. Even so, the ARP legacy lives on in the 21st Century, as
synthesizer enthusiasts are once again paying top dollar for ARP synthesizers, including
the Solina and String Ensemble – and it is with the utmost respect for the history of the
technology and the music it inspired that we now offer to you the Arturia Solina V.
1.1.3. String songs: a selected discography
The Solina string sound has been used to great effect on many albums through the years.
Here's just a small sampling:
• Dream Weaver – Gary Wright
• The Grand Illusion – Styx
• Come Get It! – Rick James
• Thrust – Herbie Hancock
• Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
• I’m In You – Peter Frampton
• Captain Fantastic – Elton John
• Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
• The Age of Plastic – Buggles
• Premiers Symptômes – Air
We could go on and on; there are literally thousands of recordings where the Solina sound
played a major role. And now, with Solina V, we hope to see many thousands more!
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1.2. Physical modeling synthesis
When you want to create a sound, there are many methods of synthesis from which to
choose:
• Additive , which creates a timbre by adding many simple waveforms together;
• Subtractive , in which a raw audio waveform is passed through a filter to remove
frequencies and alter its harmonic content;
• Frequency Modulation (FM) , where waveforms are used in carrier/modulator
relationships and tuned according to the harmonic series to produce overtones
in the carrier waves;
• Wavetable , which offers a wide selection of digital waveforms and then allows
them to be layered, filtered, and/or crossfaded with an X/Y controller or a
looping envelope;
• Sample Playback , where recordings of a sound are triggered by a playback
device, and can be transposed by changing the playback speed;
• Granular , which splits samples into very short “grains” and allows them to be
manipulated through a myriad of playback options; and
• Physical modeling , where the output waveform is calculated according to a set
of equations and algorithms derived through extensive analysis of a physical
sound source or electrical circuit.
1.2.1. Music and math, issues and answers
A physical model attempts to codify the laws of physics that govern a particular form of
sound generation. A model typically will have many different parameters.
In the acoustic world, some of these parameters are constants that describe the physical
materials and dimensions of the instrument. Others are time-dependent components that
represent the player´s interaction with the instrument, such as bowing a string, pressing a
valve, changing breath pressure, etc.
In the electrical world, these parameters include the properties of different electrical
components and circuits and how they interact in complex ways. This is the basis for
Arturia's TAE® (True Analog Emulation) technology, which models the behavior of classic
electronic instruments down to the finest details.
This concept has been around for a long time, but development has been hindered until
recently, because processors that were powerful enough to handle the computational
complexity of physical models either didn’t exist or were too expensive. The first physical
modeling synthesizers from the 1990s were quite costly, and could only play a single note
at a time.
But that was then and this is now – if you’ve been watching the trajectory of computer tech,
you know those days are long gone. And we’re just as happy about that as you are.
The first big issue with physical modeling is that it involves a ton of math. To recreate the
sound of a drum, for instance, a formula must be in place to represent all of the ways
the collision between a drum stick and a drum head sends shockwaves through a two-
dimensional membrane. To recreate the sound of a synthesizer, each component must be
modeled, then they must be combined into subsystems, then into the full circuit board,
taking into account all the different ways these thousands of components can interact with
one another.
That's a huge challenge. A few years ago, a French scientist finally completed a
comprehensive modeling of all of the parameters necessary to recreate the sound of an
acoustic guitar – and the calculations took three days!
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The second big challenge of physical modeling synthesis is to simplify user's interaction
with the model wherever possible, without sacrificing the essential nature of the instrument
being modeled. It has to sound authentic, but it should be fun and easy for the user to take
on new creative paths through real-time interactivity – change a control setting, hear the
result, without waiting three days!
1.2.2. The endless revolution
There are several methods of physical modeling synthesis, but the main point here is
that physical modeling is capable of recreating the character of a “real” instrument during
performance, including its subtle nuances of expression, while using a thousand times less
hard drive space than a collection of sampled recordings of notes would use.
Not only that, but physical modeling algorithms don't have to strictly limit themselves to
existing instruments. They can combine "mismatched" parameters to create instruments
that have never existed, even instruments that couldn't exist in the real world. From playing
a 50-foot piano to bowing a drum made of glass – There's no limit to the types of sounds
physical modeling synthesis can produce!
So: when you gather a bunch of music fanatics who also possess a knowledge of the
pertinent laws of physics and an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of electronic
circuits, you wind up with Arturia.
And when Arturia decides to honor the history and beautiful sound of the string machine,
you wind up with our brainchild: the Solina V.
May it help you weave your own musical dreams!
7 Artur a - User Manual Sol na V - Welcome to Sol na V

2. ACTIVATION AND FIRST START
2.1. Register and Activate Solina V
Solina V works on computers equipped with Windows 8.1 or later and macOS 10.13 or later.
You can use it as a standalone version or as a plug-in for your favorite DAW, in Audio Units,
AAX, VST2, or VST3 format.
Before you install or register the software, you'll need to create a My Arturia account
here, using an email address and password of your choice: https://www.arturia.com/
createanaccount/
While it's possible to handle registration, activation, and other tasks manually online, it's far
simpler to download and use the Arturia Software Center app, which can be found here:
https://www.arturia.com/support/downloads&manuals
You'll enter your email address and password to set up Arturia Software Center, which acts
as a central location for all of your Arturia software registrations and activations. It also
helps you install and update your software by keeping tabs on current versions.
You can register, activate, and install your product inside Arturia Software Center by
pressing the Register a new product button, and clicking the boxes to Activate and then
Install your software. The registration process will require you to enter the serial number
and the unlock code you received when you bought your software.
You can also do this online by logging into your account and then following the instructions
here: http://www.arturia.com/register
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Once you've registered, activated, and installed Solina V, it's time to get it to talk to your
computer.
2.2. Using Solina V as a plug-in
Solina V comes in VST, Audio Unit (AU) and AAX plug-in formats for use in all major DAW
software such as Ableton Live, Cubase, Logic, Pro Tools, Studio One, and more. When
using Solina V as a plug-in, all audio and MIDI device settings are handled by your host
music software. Please refer to your host music software’s documentation if you have any
questions about loading or using plug-ins.
Note that when you load Solina V as a plug-in instrument inside your host software, its
interface and settings work the same way as in standalone mode (see below), with a few
small differences:
• Solina V will synchronize to your DAW’s host tempo/BPM when sync is desired
• You can automate numerous parameters using your DAW’s automation system
• You can use more than one instance of Solina V in a DAW project (standalone
mode can only launch one instance)
• You can run the output of Solina V through any additional audio effects available
to your DAW, such as delay, chorus, filters, etc.
• You can route Solina V’s audio outputs creatively inside your DAW, using the
DAW’s own audio routing system.
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2.3. Initial setup for standalone use
If you would like to use Solina V in standalone mode, you will need to ensure that MIDI input
and audio output are being routed properly to and from the software. You'll generally only
need to do this once, unless you change your MIDI controller or audio/MIDI interface. The
setup process is the same on both Windows and macOS.
! This section only applies to readers that plan to use Solina V in standalone mode. If you are only
going to use Solina V as a plug-in inside a host music software, you can safely ignore this section (your
host music software handles these settings).
2.3.1. Audio and MIDI Settings: Windows
At the top left of the Solina V application is a pull-down menu. It contains various setup
options.
Click on Audio Midi Settings to open the following window. Remember, this option is only
available (and needed) in the standalone version of Solina V.
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Starting from the top, you have the following options:
•Device selects which audio driver and device will handle playback of Solina V.
This can be your computer’s internal driver, or an external soundcard driver. The
name of your hardware interface may appear in the field below depending on
your selection.
•Output Channels lets you select which of your device's available outputs will be
used to route audio out. If you only have two outputs, this selection box will not
be shown. If you have more than two, you can select a specific pair of outputs.
• The Buffer Size menu lets you select the size of the audio buffer your computer
uses to calculate sound.
! A smaller buffer means lower latency, i.e. a shorter delay between pressing a key and hearing the
note, but loads your CPU more heavily and can cause pops or clicks. A larger buffer means a lower
CPU load, as the computer has more time to think, but can result in a noticeable delay between playing
a note and hearing it. A fast, modern computer should easily be able to operate at a buffer size of 256
or even 128 samples without clicks, but if you do get clicks, enlarge the buffer size until they stop. The
latency in milliseconds is displayed after the buffer size setting.
• The Sample Rate menu lets you set the sample rate at which audio is sent out of
the instrument.
! The options here will depend on what your audio device can support; nearly every device can
operate at 44.1kHz or 48kHz, which will be perfectly fine for most applications. If you have a specific
need to use a higher sample rate, up to 96kHz, Solina V will happily support that.
• The Show Control Panel button will jump to the system control panel for
whatever audio device is selected.
! Note that this button is only available in the Windows version.
•Test Tone sends a short test tone when you click the Play button, to help you
troubleshoot audio issues. You can use this feature to confirm that the instrument
is routed correctly through your audio interface and that audio is playing back
where you expect to hear it (your speakers or headphones, for example).
• The MIDI Devices area will display any MIDI devices you have connected to
your computer (if any). Click the check box to accept MIDI from the device(s)
you want to use to control the instrument; you can select multiple MIDI devices
at once with the checkboxes.
! In standalone mode, Solina V listens for all MIDI channels, so there’s no need to
specify a channel.
•Tempo sets a base tempo for features inside Solina V such as LFO and effects
sync. When using Solina V as a plug-in, the instrument gets tempo information
from your host software.
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2.3.2. Audio and MIDI Settings: macOS
The menu for setting up audio and MIDI devices for macOS is accessed in the same way
as for Windows, and the setup process is nearly identical. All options work the same way
as described above in the Windows section; the only difference is that all macOS devices,
including external audio interfaces, use the CoreAudio driver built into macOS to handle
routing. In the second dropdown menu under Device, choose the audio device you wish to
use.
2.4. Playing Solina V for the First Time
Now that you have Solina V up and running, let’s take it for a quick test drive!
If you haven't done so already, launch Solina V as a plug-in or as a standalone instrument.
If you have a MIDI controller set up, use it to play some notes on Solina V. If not, use your
mouse to play the on-screen keyboard.
The up and down arrows at the top of the instrument let you step through all of Solina V’s
available presets. Try playing a few and when you find one that you like, try adjusting some
of the other on-screen controls to see how they affect the sound.
Play freely with the controls — nothing is saved unless you specifically save a preset
(described later in this User Guide), so there is no chance of messing up any of Solina V’s
factory presets.
We hope this chapter has gotten you off to a smooth start. Now that you're up and running,
the rest of this guide will help you work your way through all of the Solina V features on
a section-by-section basis. By the time you reach the end, we hope you’ll understand all of
Solina V’s capabilities – and will be using this fantastic instrument to create equally fantastic
music!
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3. THE USER INTERFACE
Solina V combines the rich sound of the original Solina with a wide variety of extra features
not available on the vintage hardware. They're not hard to use, but there are a lot of them –
so in this chapter we’ll make sure you know what each one does. We think you’ll be amazed
by the huge range of sounds that can be made with this instrument.
While Solina V is very flexible, there’s nothing complicated about it. That will always be the
main focus of every Arturia product: to unleash your creativity while remaining easy to use.
Before we do anything else, let's take a look at the whole picture: a bird's eye view of the
Solina V interface.
3.1. Overview
The Solina V interface is dominated by the virtual instrument itself, but we also need to learn
about the functions surrounding it:
1. The Upper Toolbar: This is where you access global settings, work with presets, access
the Advanced features of Solina V, and open the Side Panel (see below).
2. The Main Panel: Here is where you will likely spend most of your time when playing with
Solina V. It contains a detailed reproduction of the original Solina front panel, with all of the
original hardware's controls (plus a few extras). We will go over this panel in the Main Panel
[p.48] section of this guide. Clicking on the lid reveals many more features that we'll cover in
the Advanced Panel [p.53] section later on.
The virtual keyboard in the Main Panel lets you play a sound without an external MIDI
device. Just click on a virtual key to hear the corresponding note, or drag the cursor across
the keys to hear a glissando.
♪Your computer's keyboard can also play Solina V. The top row of letters acts as the black keys on
a piano keyboard, the next row of letters acts as the white keys, and the first two keys on the bottom
row act as octave shift keys, down/up. Depending on your language, the actual keys may be different
– for example, on an English QWERTY keyboard, the octave down key is Z, but on a French AZERTY
keyboard it's W.
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3. The Lower Toolbar: This section provides quick access to several useful functions and
information displays, including CPU usage, Undo/Redo functions and history dropdown,
Macro controls, and a MIDI Panic button.
4. The Side Panel is normally hidden, and pops out to the right of the main window
when the gear icon in the Upper Toolbar is clicked. It contains four tabs to access low-level
settings, MIDI control assignments, the four Macro controllers, and a set of tutorials.
3.2. The Upper Toolbar
3.2.1. The Solina V menu
In the top left corner of the window, the icon of three horizontal lines labeled SOLINA V leads
to a drop-down menu for important global operations.
3.2.1.1. New Preset...
The first option sets Solina V to a basic Default preset, a "blank slate" from which you can
create your own sound. Note that if you haven't saved the previous preset first, any edits
you have made to that preset will be lost.
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3.2.1.2. Save Preset
The next option lets you save a preset. If you select this option, you are presented with a
window where you can enter information about the preset. In addition to naming it, you can
enter the author name, select a bank where it will be stored, give it a general preset type,
and select one or more tags that describe the sound.
Note that tags are read and filtered by the Preset Browser, so a wide selection of tags is vital for
effective searches later. You can click as many tags as you want, and when in doubt, click more rather
than less. If you skimp on tags, your patch might never come up in a search!
You can also enter your own notes in the Comments field, which is handy for more detailed
descriptions or performance notes.
3.2.1.3. Save Preset As…
This works in the same way as the Save command, but lets you save a copy of the
preset instead of saving over the original. It’s useful for creating variations on patches while
keeping individual copies of each one.
3.2.1.4. Import...
This command lets you import a preset file, which can be either a single preset or an entire
bank of presets. Both types are stored in the .solx format.
After selecting this option, the default path to these files will appear in the window, but you
can navigate to another folder if needed.
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