Arturia modular v User manual

ARTURIA –Modular V –USER MANUAL 1
USER MANUAL

ARTURIA –Modular V –USER MANUAL 2
Direction
Frédéric Brun Kevin Molcard
Development
Stefano D'Angelo
Baptiste Aubry
Corentin Comte
Baptiste Le Goff
Pierre-Lin Laneyrie
Valentin Lepetit
Samuel Limier
Germain Marzin
Mathieu Nocenti
Pierre Pfister
Benjamin Renard
Design
Glen Darcey
Yannick Bonnefoy
Morgan Perrier,
Sebastien Rochard
Greg Vezon
Sound Design
Glen Darcey
Goeff Downes
Clay Duncan
Clay Duncan
Celmar Engel
Boele Gerkes
Victor Morello
Chris Pittman
Klaus Peter Rausch
Klaus Schulze
Katsunori Ujiie
Manual
Jason Valax
Special Thanks
Alejandro Cajica
Denis Efendic
Ruary Galbraith
Dennis Hurwitz
Clif Johnston
Koshdukai
Joop van der Linden
Sergio Martinez
Shaba Martinez,
Miguel Moreno
Daniel Saban
Carlos Tejeda,
Scot Todd-Coate
© ARTURIA S.A. –1999-2016 –All rights reserved.
11 Chemin de la Dhuy
38240 Meylan
FRANCE
http://www.arturia.com

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Table of Contents
1INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 7
1.1 The birth of the Bob Moog’s modular systems.................................................................................. 7
1.2 A modular synthesizer, why?.............................................................................................................. 12
1.3 Arturia’s secret ingredient: TAE®........................................................................................................ 13
1.3.1 Aliasing-free oscillators ................................................................................................................... 13
1.3.2 A better reproduction of analog oscillator waveforms................................................................. 14
1.3.3 Direct Filter Circuit Modeling .......................................................................................................... 15
2ACTIVATION AND FIRST START ...................................................................................... 17
2.1 Register and Activate.......................................................................................................................... 17
2.2 Initial setup............................................................................................................................................. 17
2.2.1 Audio and MIDI settings: Windows................................................................................................. 17
2.2.2 Audio and MIDI settings: Mac OS X ............................................................................................... 19
2.2.3 Using Modular V in plug-in mode................................................................................................... 20
3USER INTERFACE .............................................................................................................. 21
3.1 The virtual keyboard ............................................................................................................................ 21
3.2 Toolbar.................................................................................................................................................... 21
3.2.1 Save Preset ..................................................................................................................................... 21
3.2.2 Save Preset As… ............................................................................................................................. 22
3.2.3 Import preset .................................................................................................................................. 22
3.2.4 Export preset................................................................................................................................... 22
3.2.5 Export bank..................................................................................................................................... 22
3.2.6 Resize window options ................................................................................................................... 22
3.2.7 Audio settings ................................................................................................................................. 23
3.2.8 Preset browser overview ................................................................................................................ 23
3.2.9 MIDI Learn assignment ................................................................................................................... 24
3.2.9.1 Assigning / unassigning controls .......................................................................................................................... 25
3.2.9.2 Min / Max value sliders .......................................................................................................................................... 26
3.2.9.3 Relative control option.......................................................................................................................................... 26
3.2.9.4 Reserved MIDI CC numbers ................................................................................................................................. 26
3.2.10 MIDI controller configuration.......................................................................................................... 27
3.2.11 The lower toolbar............................................................................................................................ 27
3.2.11.1 Current control value ............................................................................................................................................ 27
3.2.11.2 Midi Channel Setting ............................................................................................................................................. 28
3.2.11.3 Panic button and CPU meter .............................................................................................................................. 28
3.3 The Preset Browser................................................................................................................................ 29
3.3.1 Searching presets ........................................................................................................................... 29
3.3.2 Using tags as a filter........................................................................................................................ 29
3.3.3 The Preset Info section.................................................................................................................... 31
3.3.4 Preset selection: other methods..................................................................................................... 31
3.3.4.1 Selecting a preset by its Type .............................................................................................................................. 33
3.3.5 Playlists ............................................................................................................................................ 33
3.3.5.1 Add a playlist.......................................................................................................................................................... 33

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3.3.5.2 Add a preset........................................................................................................................................................... 34
3.3.5.3 Re-order the presets .............................................................................................................................................. 34
3.3.5.4 Remove a preset ................................................................................................................................................... 34
3.3.5.5 Delete a playlist...................................................................................................................................................... 34
3.4 Overview of the 4 sections of the Modular V ................................................................................. 34
3.4.1 The synthesis section....................................................................................................................... 35
3.4.2 The other three sections ................................................................................................................. 35
3.5 Modular synthesizer.............................................................................................................................. 36
3.5.1 Description of the synthesis section modules ................................................................................ 37
3.5.1.1 The oscillators.......................................................................................................................................................... 37
3.5.1.2 The white and pink noise generator ................................................................................................................... 38
3.5.1.3 The filters .................................................................................................................................................................. 38
3.5.1.4 The auxiliary ADSR modulation envelopes......................................................................................................... 39
3.5.1.5 The dual trigger delay ........................................................................................................................................... 39
3.5.1.6 The LFOs................................................................................................................................................................... 40
3.5.1.7 The VCAs ................................................................................................................................................................. 41
3.5.1.8 Mixers and amplifiers ............................................................................................................................................. 41
3.6 The other sections................................................................................................................................. 42
3.6.1 The sequencer................................................................................................................................ 42
3.6.2 The effects ...................................................................................................................................... 43
3.6.2.1 The fixed filter bank................................................................................................................................................ 44
3.6.2.2 The “Dual delay”.................................................................................................................................................... 45
3.6.2.3 The chorus ............................................................................................................................................................... 46
3.6.3 The keyboard controllers................................................................................................................ 46
3.6.4 The play modes .............................................................................................................................. 47
3.6.5 The sound design controllers.......................................................................................................... 48
3.6.5.1 The envelope control sliders................................................................................................................................. 49
3.6.5.2 The 2D Pads ............................................................................................................................................................ 49
3.6.5.3 The filter cutoff frequency controller .................................................................................................................. 50
4The modules in details................................................................................................... 51
4.1 Programming section .......................................................................................................................... 51
4.1.1 Description...................................................................................................................................... 51
4.1.2 Oscillators........................................................................................................................................ 51
4.1.2.1 Controller 921A....................................................................................................................................................... 52
4.1.2.2 Slave oscillator 921B............................................................................................................................................... 54
4.1.3 Filters................................................................................................................................................ 56
4.1.3.1 Low pass 24 dB/octave filter (904A) ................................................................................................................... 57
4.1.3.2 High-pass 24 dB/octave filter (904B) ................................................................................................................... 58
4.1.3.3 Band-pass 24 dB/octave filter (904C)................................................................................................................. 59
4.1.3.4 Multi-mode 12 dB/octave filter............................................................................................................................ 60
4.1.4 Modulation envelopes ................................................................................................................... 62
4.1.5 Output amplifiers (VCA)................................................................................................................. 64
4.1.6 Low frequency oscillators (LFO) ..................................................................................................... 66
4.1.7 Controlled amplifiers / Mixers ......................................................................................................... 67
4.1.8 Trigger delay................................................................................................................................... 68
4.1.9 Noise generator.............................................................................................................................. 70

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4.1.10 Sample and hold............................................................................................................................ 71
4.1.11 Envelope follower........................................................................................................................... 72
4.1.12 Ring modulator............................................................................................................................... 73
4.1.13 Formant filter................................................................................................................................... 74
4.1.14 Bode Frequency Shifter .................................................................................................................. 75
4.2 Second section..................................................................................................................................... 76
4.2.1 Description...................................................................................................................................... 76
4.2.2 Resonant filter bank........................................................................................................................ 76
4.2.3 Chorus............................................................................................................................................. 77
4.2.4 Phaser ............................................................................................................................................. 78
4.2.5 Stereo Delay ................................................................................................................................... 80
4.2.6 Sequence generator...................................................................................................................... 81
4.3 Third Section .......................................................................................................................................... 85
4.4 Fourth section........................................................................................................................................ 85
4.4.1 Keyboard follow management ..................................................................................................... 86
4.4.2 General settings.............................................................................................................................. 87
5The basics of subtractive synthesis .............................................................................89
5.1 The three main modules ..................................................................................................................... 89
5.1.1 The oscillator or VCO...................................................................................................................... 89
5.1.2 The filter or VCF............................................................................................................................... 93
5.1.3 The amplifier or VCA....................................................................................................................... 97
5.2 Complementary modules .................................................................................................................. 98
5.2.1 The envelope generator ................................................................................................................ 98
5.2.2 The low frequency oscillator .......................................................................................................... 99
6A few elements of sound design ..............................................................................102
6.1 Modular sound synthesis ...................................................................................................................102
6.1.1 Simple patch #1 ............................................................................................................................102
6.1.2 Simple patch #2 ............................................................................................................................104
6.1.3 Complex patch #1........................................................................................................................108
6.1.4 Complex patch #2........................................................................................................................111
6.2 The sequencer ....................................................................................................................................115
6.2.1 Sequence #1 .................................................................................................................................115
6.2.2 Sequence #2 .................................................................................................................................117
6.2.3 Sequence #3 .................................................................................................................................120
6.3 Bonus features..................................................................................................................................... 121
6.3.1 Creative use of key follows ...........................................................................................................121
6.3.2 Creative use of triggers and trigger delays ..................................................................................123
6.3.3 Stereo without the effects .............................................................................................................124
6.3.4 The Bode Frequency Shifter ..........................................................................................................126
6.3.4.1 More stereo width................................................................................................................................................ 126
6.3.4.2 Electronic percussion sequence ....................................................................................................................... 127
6.3.5 The Envelope Follower...................................................................................................................128
6.3.5.1 Trig by an external audio source....................................................................................................................... 129
6.3.5.2 Create your LFO form .......................................................................................................................................... 130

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6.3.6 The sample and hold.....................................................................................................................131
7END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT ................................................................................133

ARTURIA –Modular V –USER MANUAL 7
1INTRODUCTION
Arturia would like to thank you for purchasing our synthesizer model: the Modular
V. We are confident it will prove to be an extremely valuable addition to your music
production studio. If you’ve purchased our products before, you know we pride
ourselves in faithfully recreating the sound and feel of the original instruments, down
to the smallest detail. Modular V is no exception to this rule.
And if this is the first of our products you have owned, you are in for a treat! The
synthesizer upon which this model is based was the absolute pinnacle of analog
synthesizer technology at the time, light-years ahead of the competition.
1.1 The birth of the Bob Moog’s modular systems
Robert A. Moog was born in May 1934 in New York. A passionate for music (he took
piano lessons for 12 years), he was introduced to electronics by his father, an
engineer in this domain. During his adolescence, he discovered the Thereminvox
plan, invented during the 30’s by a Russian engineer, Leon Theremin (or more
exactly Lev Sergeivitch Termen). Seduced by this instrument with its never before
heard sounds, he began to produce his own models and founded his own
company in 1954.
Frequenting musical professionals, and in particular electronic and concrete music,
R. Moog realized that there was a real demand for electronic instruments of a
higher quality.
One of the first clients to come to Robert Moog, the professor of music Herbert A.
Deutsch, asked him to listen to a song he had composed. Bob Moog is immediately
convinced and they decided to associate their work. Their co-operation produced
the first voltage controlled oscillator (VCO).
In 1964, the first prototype of a synthesizer designed by Bob Moog was produced.
It was a modular system with a voltage controlled filter (VCF), an envelope
generator, a white noise generator, a trigger and two keyboards each with a
generator module (sawtooth, triangle and impulsion) as well as a voltage
controlled amplifier module (VCA).

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The first modular system by Bob Moog (1964) (Courtesy of Roger Luther,
MoogArchives.com)
Then other musicians helped Robert Moog in creating different modules:
Walter Carlos (who later became Wendy) helped for elaboration of a sequencer.
He also pushed Bob Moog to lend his name to his machines.
Vladimir Ussachevsky, who was one of the professors of de W. Carlos, specified the
4 parts of the envelope generator (ADSR), allowing the accomplishment of the
VCA and gave him the idea for the envelope follower.
Gustave Ciamaga helped with the creation of the first tension controlled low-pass
filter.
A second prototype, regrouping the all of the new modules, was built during the
summer of 1964 and was presented during the AES show (Audio Engineering
Society), where Bob Moog worked from an unused stand. This new product
generated a huge amount of interest, but he did not yet realize the commercial
punch of his machines. Two or three orders were obtained at AES and kept the
company busy for several months. In 1965, after the success at the show, Bob Moog
decided to release the 900 series for commercial sale.
The first client to buy the full modular system was choreographer Alwin Nikolais. Also
among the first users were composers Eric Siday and Chris Swansen. The first
commercial uses of the synthesizers were done in advertising. They were also used
for jingles and in recording studios.
In 1967, Bob decided to release different machines each with a certain number of
modules. This marked the birth of modular systems I, II and III. This same year, Paul
Beaver for the first time used a modular system of the brand on a record.

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The modular system III (1967)
(Courtesy of Roger Luther, MoogArchives.com)
In 1968, worldwide recognition came with the success of “Switched-On Bach” by
W. Carlos. This album, where classical music is played on a modular system, sold
over one million copies as it was bought both by classical music fans (it was in the
American “Classical” charts for 94 weeks) and fans of pop. It won three Grammy
awards.
“Switched-On Bach” by W. Carlos

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A little later, Keith Emerson, keyboard player for the groups Nice and ELP (Emerson,
Lake and Palmer), was he himself to become an ambassador for the brand. He
was one of the first to play a Modular on stage during a tour (A 3C system). Jan
Hammer was also one of the first users of modular systems. Big groups like Tangerine
Dream, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, would also become modular system
owners.
The 3C modular system (1969)
(Courtesy of Roger Luther, MoogArchives.com)
In 1969-70, the company which now has around forty employees was building up
to three modulars per week and the order book was always full. The modular had
5 years of high sales, and sold around 200 models in the United States.

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Construction and testing of a modular system
(Courtesy of Roger Luther, MoogArchives.com)
In 1969, Bob Moog received demands for a more compact instrument that could
be transported more easily, directed more to stage than studio. With the help of
an engineer from Berkley, Jim Scott, and the advice from numerous musicians he
was about to create another mythic synth: its famous 1971 monosynth…
System 55, the last version of the Modular (1974)
(Courtesy of Roger Luther, MoogArchives.com)

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1.2 A modular synthesizer, why?
Why create a modular synthesizer, that is to say comprised of independent
modules that we must connect ourselves, sometimes with difficulty, before
obtaining a sound?
The answer, as you can imagine, is very simple: the modularity brings immense
possibilities for the creation of sound.
To convince you, let’s look at some basic concepts
Sound synthesis is essentially based on the use of generators and filters. From these
components, the sound designer must create sounds that can be used by
musicians. To succeed, the different parameters that we have access to (height of
note, filter cut-off frequency, output volume, wave form…) must evolve in time.
And for this, we must link different modules between each other.
Let’s take an example: an oscillator, which has inputs to modulate each of its
parameters. Let’s connect the output of an envelope generator to the oscillator
frequency modulation input, and there we get a signal depending on the use of a
keyboard. Now we’ll connect a low frequency generator to the impulse width
modulation input and here we have the waveform, which will evolve in time.
But why not have internal cables, fixed from the start?
Here again, another example will help. Let’s take an envelope and two oscillators.
The latter possess three modulation inputs: a frequency modulation, an impulse
width modulation and a volume modulation.
Effecting every combination with fixed connections would oblige us to have six
independent buttons for the modulation of the parameters.
If we now take 9 oscillators, 6 envelopes, a modulation wheel and a velocity setting,
we would need… 216 setting buttons.
What can we therefore say for the Modular V, which on top of this has three filters,
a noise generator, a sequencer and two control pads?
Connections in a modular synthesizer can sometimes seem difficult, but the often-
unexpected results are always a source of great musical inspiration.
Either way, don’t worry, the presets created by experienced musicians will allow
you, if necessary, a gentle introduction to the art of sound creation.
This new version presents new modules and a notable improvement to the sound
quality and synthesis possibilities. As was the case with the previous versions, it
remains faithful to the original Modulars and offers the possibility to organize the
arrangement of certain modules. Ergonomically this version remains very close to
the previous so as not to lose time learning the different functions again.

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1.3 Arturia’s secret ingredient: TAE®
TAE®(True Analog Emulation) is Arturia's outstanding technology dedicated to the
digital reproduction of the analog circuits used in vintage synthesizers.
TAE®’s software algorithms result in spot-on emulation of analog hardware. This is
why Modular V offers an unparalleled quality of sound, as do all of Arturia’s virtual
synthesizers.
TAE®combines three major advances in the domain of synthesis:
1.3.1 Aliasing-free oscillators
Standard digital synthesizers produce aliasing in high frequencies, especially when
using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) or Frequency Modulation (FM).
TAE®enables the generation of oscillators which are completely free of aliasing in
all contexts (PWM, FM…), and at no extra CPU cost.
Linear frequency spectrum of a current well-known software synthesizer
Linear frequency spectrum of an oscillator modeled with TAE®
Aliasing

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1.3.2 A better reproduction of analog oscillator waveforms
The waveforms produced by the oscillators in analog synthesizers are affected by
the presence of a capacitor in the circuits. The discharge of a capacitor results in
a slight ‘bend’ in the original waveform (most notably for sawtooth, triangular and
square waveforms). TAE®reproduces the result of this capacitor discharge in
software.
Below is the analysis of a waveform from one of the five original instruments Arturia’s
software emulates, followed by one made by TAE®. They are both equally
deformed by the low-pass and high-pass filtering.
Temporal representation of the “sawtooth” waveform of a hardware synthesizer
Temporal representation of a “sawtooth” waveform reproduced by TAE®

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What’s more, the hardware analog oscillators were unstable. In fact, their
waveforms vary slightly from one period to another. If we add to this the fact that
the starting point for each period (in Trigger mode) can vary with the temperature
and other environmental conditions, we see why vintage synthesizers have such a
typical sound.
TAE®reproduces the instability of oscillators, resulting in a fatter and “bigger” sound.
1.3.3 Direct Filter Circuit Modeling
Due to advances in computer processing power, TAE® can now employ direct filter
modeling techniques to achieve unprecedented accuracy in the emulation of a
hardware synthesizer’s filter. By modeling the operation of the individual hardware
components of the filter circuit, the warm nuances synonymous with analog sounds
are recreated.
The following graph shows a single example of direct circuit modeling in action.
The peaks represent the generation of harmonics at multiples of the resonant
frequency when a particular filter is in self oscillation mode. These harmonics are
characteristic of hardware synthesizer filters and are due to the non-linear behavior
inherent to their analog circuitry. Anomalies such as these add to the richness and
warmth of the sound produced by the filter.
But you’ll notice there are two lines on the graph: Those are the superimposed
frequency domain plots for both one of Arturia's virtual instruments and the
hardware filter being emulated. They are practically indistinguishable, both on the
graph and to the human ear. The direct recreation of this analog circuitry causes
the same characteristics of the sound to be present, thus giving the user a truly
analog sound.

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Comparison of harmonics generated by the filter circuits in self-oscillation
of TAE®and a hardware synthesizer
So here’s the bottom line: when you bring together a bunch of music lovers who
also have a deep understanding of the characteristics of electronic circuits, you
wind up with Arturia. And Arturia now offers you our most impressive software model
yet, the Modular V.
We take great satisfaction in knowing this great synthesizer will help you explore
previously unknown musical territory.

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2ACTIVATION AND FIRST START
2.1 Register and Activate
Modular V works on computers equipped with Windows 7 or later and Mac OS
X 10.8 or later. You can use the stand-alone version or use Modular V as an
Audio Units, AAX, VST2 or VST3 instrument.
Once Modular V has been installed, the next step is to register the software.
The registration process will require you to enter the serial number and the
unlock code you received with the product.
In order to proceed, go to this web page and follow the instructions:
http://www.arturia.com/register
Note: If you don’t have an Arturia account yet, you will need to create one.
The process is quick, but it does require that you can access your email address
during the registration process.
Once you have acquired an Arturia account you will be able to register the
product.
2.2 Initial setup
2.2.1 Audio and MIDI settings: Windows
At the top left of the Modular V application is a pull-down menu. It contains
various setup options. Initially you will need to go to the menu and choose the
Audio Settings option to get sound and MIDI flowing in and out.

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Modular V main menu
You will then see the Audio MIDI settings window. This works in the same way
on both Windows and Mac OS X, although the names of the devices available
to you will depend on the hardware you are using.
Audio and MIDI settings window

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Starting from the top you have the following options:
Device lets you choose which audio driver you want to use to route
sound out of the instrument. This might be your computer’s own driver
like Windows Audio, or an ASIO driver. The name of your hardware
interface may appear in this field.
Output Channels lets you select which of the available outputs will be
used to route audio out. If you only have two outputs, only two will
appear as options. 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
between pressing a key and hearing the note. A larger buffer means a
lower CPU load as the computer has more time to think, but can result
in a small latency. Find the optimum buffer size for your system. A fast,
modern computer should easily be able to operate at 256 or 128 sample
buffer size without creating pops or clicks in the sound. If you are getting
clicks, try raising the buffer a little. The latency is displayed on the right
hand side of this menu.
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 the capability
of your audio interface hardware though even most computers’ own
hardware can operate at up to 48kHz which is perfectly fine. Higher
sample rates use more CPU power so unless you have a good reason to
go up to 96kHz, then 44.1k or 48k is usually fine. The Show Control Panel
button will jump to the system control panel for whatever audio device
is selected.
Play Test Tone helps you to troubleshoot audio issues by confirming
whether sound can be heard through the correct device.
Your connected MIDI devices will appear in the MIDI Devices area. Click
the check box to accept MIDI from the device you want to use to trigger
the instrument. In standalone mode, Modular V listens for all MIDI
channels so there’s no need to specify a channel. You can specify more
than one MIDI device at once.
2.2.2 Audio and MIDI settings: Mac OS X
The process is very similar to initial setup for Windows and the menu is accessed
in the same way. The difference is that OS X uses CoreAudio to handle audio
routing and the audio device selection is made in the second dropdown
menu. Apart from that, the options work the same way as described in the
Windows section.

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2.2.3 Using Modular V in plug-in mode
Modular V comes in VST, AU and AAX plug-in formats for use in all major DAW
software such as Cubase, Logic, Pro Tools and so on. You can load it as a plug-
in instrument and its interface and settings work the same way as in standalone
mode, with a couple of differences.
You can automate numerous parameters using your DAW’s automation
system.
You can use more than one instance of Modular V in a DAW project. In
standalone mode you can only use one at once.
You can route Modular V’s audio outputs more creatively inside your
DAW using the DAW’s own audio routing system.