EMU Ultra Proteus User manual

Chapter 1: Basic Setup 1
UltraProteus INTRO/BASIC SETUP

UltraProteus Operation Manual2

Chapter 1: Basic Setup 3
PHONES VOLUME
PRESETMASTER
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HOME/ENTER
DATA POWER
MIDI
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HYPERPRESETMIDIMAP COPY
UltraProteus
UltraProteus
UltraProteus is a new type of music synthesizer which upholds the legendary
Proteus tradition of crystal-clear sounds while significantly furthering the
evolution of electronic sound synthesis.
Many electronic instruments today involve the technology of sampling, where
sounds are digitally recorded and played back at different pitches. Sampling has
the advantage of highly accurate and realistic sound. One disadvantage of
sampling is that once the sounds are recorded, it is difficult to change them in
any significant way.
UltraProteus incorporates the E-mu Z-Plane filter, which has the ability to
smoothly change its function over time. This ultra-powerful device can accu-
rately simulate the resonance of musical instruments, the human voice or
create entirely new timbres. The Z-Plane filter is composed of up to eight
complex filters for unprecedented control over subtle aspects of the sound.
UltraProteus contains sixteen megabytes of Pop, Rock, Orchestral and World
samples from the Proteus family of instruments. In addition, it includes hot
new drum sounds, new waveforms, and the Proformance™stereo grand piano.
This amazing array of sounds can be combined or spliced, modulated and then
shaped through one of 288 Z-Plane filters. Sampled sounds can be re-shaped
and expressively controlled, allowing you to articulate the subtle nuances of
complex instruments.
The 16 bit sound samples are arranged into 256 preset locations, 128 of which
are user-programmable. 128 user-programmable Hyperpresets allow ultra-
flexible keyboard mapping of presets. The optional memory card lets you create
an expandable library of your favorite presets and hyperpresets.
UltraProteus features two studio-quality effects processors with 28 different
effects to choose from. Hyperpresets allow you to have up to 32 different sounds
on the keyboard at one time in any desired arrangement. Sounds can be placed
side by side or layered with velocity control. The ability to respond multi-
timbrally to all 16 MIDI channels makes UltraProteus ideally suited for multi-
track sequencing and composing using a MIDI sequencer.
Other features include 3 stereo outputs for individually processing sounds (also
configurable as 6 polyphonic submixes with fully programmable panning),
integral sends and returns to allow the addition of external effects units without
the need for a separate mixer, user definable alternate tuning, and of course, an
extensive MIDI implementation.
INTRODUCTION
THIS SYMBOL APPEARS
THOUGHOUT THE MANUAL TO
HIGHLIGHT ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION RELATING TO THE
OPERATION OF ULTRAPROTEUS.
THIS SYMBOL APPEARS
THOUGHOUT THE MANUAL
TO WARN YOU OF
POTENTIALLY CONFUSING
OPERATING PROCEDURES.

UltraProteus Operation Manual4
In its most basic form, UltraProteus is organized as shown in the diagram
below. Complete acoustic instrument samples and electronically created sounds
are used as raw material to form Presets.
The Preset is a complete set of all program functions and combinations for a
complete UltraProteus sound. Each preset consists of one or two Instruments.
An Instrument is a complete set of samples or a digital waveform which covers
the entire keyboard range. An instrument can be assigned to each of the Pri-
mary and Secondary layers of the preset.
• RAM PRESETS CAN BE
MOVED, ERASED OR MODIFIED
AS DESIRED.
• ROM PRESETS CANNOT BE
MOVED OR ALTERED UNLESS
THEY ARE FIRST COPIED TO A
RAM LOCATION.
• HYPERPRESETS ARE GROUPS
OF PRESETS ARRANGED ON THE
KEYBOARD TO FORM SPLITS OR
LAYERS.
• MEMORY CARD - ALLOWS
YOU TO EASILY LOAD AND SAVE
ADDITIONAL PRESETS AND
HYPERPRESETS.
The primary and secondary layers of the preset are essentially two instruments
with complete modulation controls. The memory is organized into banks of 128
programmable RAM presets, unalterable ROM presets and Hyperpresets.
INSTRUMENT
INSTRUMENT
PRESET
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
Preset Preset
Preset
Preset
Preset Preset
- Layer -
- Keyboard Split -
(3 Zones) (Zone) (Zone) (Zone)
Presets Placed
Adjacent to Each Other
Presets Assigned
to the same
Keyboard Range
O
1
2
3
4
RAM Presets
ROM Presets
RAM Hyperpresets
Card Presets
Card Hyperpresets
Bank Contents
-
-
-
-
-
A Hyperpreset is a combination of up to sixteen presets arranged either side by
side on the keyboard (to create a keyboard split) or on top of each other (to
create a denser sound). Each preset in a hyperpreset is assigned to a keyboard
Zone, with an associated key range, volume, pan, tuning and transpose setting.
In addition, each zone can be assigned to a velocity range so that different
presets can play depending on the key velocity. There are 128 Hyperpreset
locations available to store your own custom keyboard setups.
GETTING STARTED

Chapter 1: Basic Setup 5
IF ULTRAPROTEUS DOES NOT
SEEM TO BE RESPONDING
CORRECTLY, MAKE SURE THAT
BOTH ULTRAPROTEUS AND YOUR
MIDI CONTROLLER ARE SET TO
THE SAME MIDI CHANNEL.
THE HEADPHONE OUTPUT
MONITORS THE MAIN
OUTPUTS ONLY. THE SUBMIX
OUTPUTS DO NOT FEED INTO
THE HEADPHONE OUTPUT.
CONNECTION INSTRUCTIONS
SETUP #1 BASIC SETUP
MIDI In
UltraProteus is controlled by MIDI messages received at the MIDI In connector.
Connect the MIDI In of the UltraProteus to the MIDI Out connector of a MIDI
controller such as a MIDI keyboard, MIDI wind controller or MIDI guitar
controller.
Audio Outputs
UltraProteus is a high quality, stereo audio device. In order to reproduce its
wide dynamic range and frequency response, use a high quality amplification
and speaker system such as a keyboard amplifier or home stereo system. A
stereo setup is highly desirable because of the added realism of stereophonic
sound. Headphones can be used if an amplifier and speaker system is not
available. Plug stereo headphones into the headphone jack located on the left
side of the front panel. The Right Main output jack serves as a mono output
when the Left Main plug is not plugged in. The Left Main output jack serves as a
stereo output when the Right Main plug is not plugged in.
R - SUB2 - L R - SUB1 - L R - MAIN - L
MONO STEREO
THRUOUTIN
OUTPUTS
MIDI
Scotts Valley, California U.S.A.
100-250VAC 50/60 Hz ~
E-MU SYSTEMS, INC.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE
OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE
THIS PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
Main Outs to Mixer In
MIDI Controller
(MIDI Keyboard, Sequencer, etc.)
MIDI Out
Aux. or
Tape In
Male RCA plug
to
Male Phono Plug
To
Main Outs
Home Stereo
System
Home Studio
System
Speakers
Amp
Mixer
The Headphone
Output is located
on the Front Panel
Control
Pedal
MOST ULTRAPROTEUS FACTORY
PRESETS ARE PROGRAMMED TO
RESPOND TO PEDAL CONTROL.
SET YOUR KEYBOARD TO
TRANSMIT PEDAL ON
CONTROLLER #4, OR SEE “MIDI
REALTIME CONTROLLERS” IN THIS
MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION.

UltraProteus Operation Manual6
SETUP #2 STUDIO SETUP
CONNECTION INSTRUCTIONS
MANY OF THE ULTRAPROTEUS
FACTORY PRESETS HAVE BEEN
PROGRAMMED TO USE A FOOT
PEDAL CONTROLLER. TO USE
THIS EXCITING FEATURE, SET
YOUR MIDI CONTROLLER TO
TRANSMIT THE FOOTPEDAL ON
CONTINUOUS CONTROLLER
NUMBER 4. (This is the default
value, which can be be changed to
any controller number.)
MIDI In
In this setup, UltraProteus is controlled by MIDI messages received at the
MIDI In connector which have been routed by a MIDI switcher. The MIDI
switcher allows any MIDI controller such as a MIDI keyboard, MIDI wind
controller or a computer to be easily connected.
MIDI Out
The MIDI Out jack is normally used to transmit MIDI System Exclusive data to
a computer or other device.
Audio Outputs
UltraProteus has three sets of programmable stereo outputs; Main, Sub 1, and
Sub 2. Sub 1 is a non-effects output, Sub 2 is an effects-only output. Specific
UltraProteus presets (or MIDI channels) can be routed to one of these stereo
pairs in order to be further processed or mixed separately.
Effects-Only Dry-Only Main Outputs
MIDI Out
MIDI Controller
(MIDI Keyboard, Sequencer, etc.)
Computer
MIDI In
Additional
MIDI
Devices
MIDI Switcher
MIDI
Out
Out In
Out
OutInIn
R - SUB2 -L R - SUB1 -L R - MAIN - L
MONO STEREO
THRUOUTIN
OUTPUTS
MIDI
Scotts Valley, California U.S.A.
100-250VAC 50/60 Hz ~
E-MU SYSTEMS, INC.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE
OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE
THIS PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
MIDI
In

Chapter 1: Basic Setup 7
CONNECTION INSTRUCTIONS
SETUP #3 PERFORMANCE SETUP
R - SUB2 -L R - SUB1 -L R - MAIN - L
MONO STEREO
THRUOUTIN
OUTPUTS
MIDI
Scotts Valley, California U.S.A.
100-250VAC 50/60 Hz ~
E-MU SYSTEMS, INC.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE
OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE
THIS PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
Sub Output
Return
(To Main Output)
Tip Ring
To Effect From Effect
SEND/RETURN CABLE
Send/Return
Effect Device
Sub Outs 1 = NO Internal Effects
Sub Outs 2 = From Internal Effects
Main Outs to Mixer In
Additional
MIDI
Devices
MIDI Controller
(MIDI Keyboard, Sequencer, etc.)
MIDI Out
MIDI In
Send
Signal is sent out on tip of plug and
returned to main outputs via ring of plug.
MIDI In
UltraProteus is controlled by MIDI messages received at the MIDI In connector.
Connect the MIDI In of UltraProteus to the MIDI Out connector of a MIDI
controller such as a MIDI keyboard, MIDI wind controller or MIDI guitar
controller.
MIDI Thru
The MIDI Thru jack is used to connect additional MIDI devices onto the MIDI
chain. MIDI Thru transmits an exact copy of the messages received at the MIDI
In jack.
Audio Outputs
Each of the Sub 1 and Sub 2 output jacks on the UltraProteus are stereo jacks.
The tip of each jack (accessed when a standard phone plug is inserted) is the left
or right output of that group. If a stereo plug is inserted, the Ring of the stereo
plug serves as a signal Return which sums into the Main outputs. The Sub 1
outputs bypass the internal effects. Sub 2 are the outputs of the internal effects.

UltraProteus Operation Manual8
Therefore, the Sub 1 and Sub 2 jacks can serve as effect sends and returns in
order to further process selected instruments and then return them to the main
mix.
The diagram shows the Sub 1 and Sub 2 jacks being used as send/returns in
order to further process selected UltraProteus presets without using the effects
bus on the mixing board. In a pinch, the effect returns could also be used to
sum additional instruments into the main outputs.
The Sub 1 and Sub 2 jacks can be used as effect returns to the Main Outputs.
POWER UP!
The power switch is located on the right side of the front panel. UltraProteus
and its MIDI controller may be turned on in any order. When power is applied,
the liquid crystal display will light, indicating that UltraProteus is operating.
You may have noticed that there is no 110/220 Volt power selector switch on
UltraProteus.
UltraProteus automatically switches itself for 110 or 220 Volt
operation.
CONNECTIONS
Tip
Ring
Tip
Ring
Tip
Ring
Tip
Ring
Tip Tip
Ring
SUB 2 SUB 1 MAIN
RL RL RL
R Bus
L Bus
UltraProteus Output Section

Chapter 1: Basic Setup 9
ABOUT SAMPLING
UltraProteus utilizes digital recording of acoustic sounds for the basis of each
Instrument. This is similar to a tape recorder except that inside the
UltraProteus, the sounds are permanently recorded on digital memory chips.
Sound and instrument waveforms are first sampled into the Emulator III, our
top of the line, 16 bit stereo digital sampler. After the sounds and waveforms
have been truncated, looped and processed, they are permanently encoded into
the UltraProteus ROM (Read Only Memory) chips.
Conceptually, the sampling process is very simple, as shown in the Basic Sam-
pling System diagram. As a sound wave strikes the diaphragm of a microphone,
a corresponding voltage is generated. To sample the sound, the voltage level is
repeatedly measured over time and the corresponding data values are stored in
memory. To play the sound back, the numbers are read back out of memory,
modified by the Z-plane filter, converted back into voltages, then amplified and
fed to a speaker which converts the voltage back into sound waves. Of course,
playing back 32 channels at different pitches tends to complicate matters, but
this is basically how it works.
BACKGROUND
Memory
10100101001
01010010100
10101010100
10101001010
Digital/Analog
Converter
1011001
Z-Plane Filter Amplifier
Basic Sampling System
UltraProteus
Analog/Digital
Converter
1011001
-1V -2V3V-1V-2V3V1V
0V
3V
-3V

UltraProteus Operation Manual10