Frap Tools CGM User manual

!
MANUALONE
A Single, Comprehensive Guide!
to Frap Tools’ Modules

I’d like to thank a few precious friends for their support during these years, for the discussions we had, and for the precious feedbacks i received — in
alphabetical order: Caterina Barbieri, Sebastian Baumann, Alessandro Bonino, Marco Ciccotti, Enrico Cosimi, Tom Hall, René Margraff, Gianfranco
Marongiu, Chris Meyer, Giulio Saltini, Alessio Santini, Stephan Schmitt, Brian Smith, Trevor Tunnacliffe, Giona Vinti, Andreas Zhukovsky.
And thanks to the amazing people I’m working with — in alphabetical order: Fabrizio Benatti, Federico Foglia, Giovanni Grandi, Antonio Masiero.
Simone Fabbri"

SAFETY & WARRANTY 5
BEFORE STARTING 6
INTERFACES 7
1. ARROWS (INPUT, OUTPUT) 7________________________________________
2. SQUARE AND ROUND SHAPES 7_____________________________________
3. LINES (SOLID, DOTTED, DASHED) 7___________________________________
4. COLOR CODING 7____________________________________________________
5. COMBINATIONS 7___________________________________________________
CGM - CREATIVE MIXER 8
1. SYSTEM SETUP (LINKING) 8__________________________________________
1.1. Master to Group(s) 8...................................................................................................................................
1.2. Group to Channel(s) 8................................................................................................................................
2. GROUP JUMPERS CONFIGURATIONS 9_______________________________
3. CHANNEL 9__________________________________________________________
3.1. Main VCA & Direct Out 9.........................................................................................................................
3.2. Sends 9..................................................................................................................................................................
3.3. Pan, Fader and Other Controls 10.....................................................................................................
4. GROUP 10___________________________________________________________
4.1. Sends 10................................................................................................................................................................
4.2. Returns 10...........................................................................................................................................................
4.3. Group Output 10.............................................................................................................................................
4.4. Fader and Other Controls 10.................................................................................................................
4.5. The Safe Solo Function 10......................................................................................................................
5. MASTER 11___________________________________________________________
5.1. The PFL Function 11.....................................................................................................................................
6. CGM MIXER TIPS 11___________________________________________________
6.1. Stereo Inputs 11...............................................................................................................................................
6.2. More Than 2 Send/Returns Per Channel 11...............................................................................
6.3. Serial Send/Return (and Feedbacks) 11.........................................................................................
7. FLOW CHART 12_____________________________________________________
SAPÈL 13
1. PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN 13________________________________________
2. NOISE OUTPUTS 13__________________________________________________
3. STEPPED RANDOM VALUES GENERATION 13_________________________
3.1. Internal Clock and Clock Modulation 14.......................................................................................
3.2. External Clock 14............................................................................................................................................
3.3. Clock Interpolation 14.................................................................................................................................
3.4. Manual Sampling 14.....................................................................................................................................
3.5. Sampling via External Gate 14..............................................................................................................
3.6. Clock Outputs (Main and Random) 14...........................................................................................
4. RANDOM VOLTAGES 14______________________________________________
4.1. Non-Quantized Random Voltages 15............................................................................................
4.2. Quantized Random Voltages 15.........................................................................................................
4.3. Fluctuating Random Output and Global Rate of Change (random clock
density control) 15.........................................................................................................................................
5. PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION (STORED RANDOM VOLTAGES) 16______
6. FLOW CHART 16_____________________________________________________
FUMANA 17
1. PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN 17________________________________________
1.1. Panel Overview 17..........................................................................................................................................
2. AUDIO INPUTS 17____________________________________________________
3. AUDIO OUTPUTS 18_________________________________________________
4. AUDIO PROCESSING AND MODULATION PATH 18____________________
4.1. Faders and CV 18............................................................................................................................................
4.2. Global Spectral Editing: Tilt and Parametric Scanning 19...............................................
4.3. Spectral Transferring: Modulation Filters and Envelope Followers 19..................
4.3.1. The ‘unvoiced’ section 19.......................................................................................................................
4.3.2. Spectral transfer: a brief history 20................................................................................................
5. FILTER DESIGN 20___________________________________________________
6. PATCH EXAMPLES 21_________________________________________________
6.1. 16 Bands Spectral Transfer 21...............................................................................................................
6.2. Dual 8-Band Spectral Transfer 21......................................................................................................
6.3. Hybrid Spectral Transfer 21....................................................................................................................
6.4. Vocoder-Like Behavior 21........................................................................................................................
FALISTRI 22
1. PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN 22________________________________________
2. FUNCTION GENERATORS 22_________________________________________
2.1. Times 22...............................................................................................................................................................
2.2. Shapes 23.............................................................................................................................................................
2.3. Trig and Modes 23........................................................................................................................................
2.3.1. Green Alternative Retrig (On Rest) 23.........................................................................................
2.4. Outputs 23..........................................................................................................................................................
2.5. Additional Generator Features 24....................................................................................................
2.5.1. Quadrature 24................................................................................................................................................
2.5.2. Max 24..................................................................................................................................................................
3. FUNCTION PROCESSORS 24_________________________________________
3.1. Cascaded Frequency Dividers 24......................................................................................................
3.2. Four Quadrant Multiplier 25..................................................................................................................
3.2.1. Amplitude Modulation & Ring Modulation (2 vs 4 quadrants) 25..........................
3.2.2. Trimming 25.....................................................................................................................................................
3.3. Linear Slew Limiter 25................................................................................................................................
USTA 26
1. QUICK START 26_____________________________________________________
2. PHILOSOPHY 26_____________________________________________________
2.1. Architecture 27................................................................................................................................................
2.2. Tempo Management 27...........................................................................................................................

3. BASIC EDITING AND VISUAL FEEDBACK 28___________________________
3.1. Editing Projects - Project Menu 28...................................................................................................
3.2. Editing Tracks - Track Menu 28..........................................................................................................
3.3. Editing, Playing and Looping Patterns 28...................................................................................
3.4. Editing Stages 29...........................................................................................................................................
3.4.1. Length 30...........................................................................................................................................................
3.4.1.1. Maintain pattern length on variation 30....................................................................................
3.4.2. CV Layers 30....................................................................................................................................................
3.4.2.1. Red CV layer: value 30.............................................................................................................................
3.4.2.2. Green CV layer: variation index 31...................................................................................................
3.4.2.3. Blue CV layer: variation range 31......................................................................................................
3.4.3. CV Stage Colors 31......................................................................................................................................
3.4.3.1. USTA slide vs FALISTRI slew 31........................................................................................................
3.4.4. Gate Layers 31.................................................................................................................................................
3.4.4.1. Red Gate layer: value 32.........................................................................................................................
3.4.4.2. Green Gate layer: variation index 32..............................................................................................
3.4.4.3. Blue Gate layer: variation range 32.................................................................................................
3.4.5. Gate Stage Colors 32.................................................................................................................................
4. QUICK EDITING 33___________________________________________________
4.1. Set All and Shift All 33................................................................................................................................
4.2. Coarse and Fine 33.......................................................................................................................................
4.3. Combining the Buttons 33......................................................................................................................
5. CLONING 34_________________________________________________________
5.1. Clone a Stage 34............................................................................................................................................
5.2. Clone a Structure 34....................................................................................................................................
5.2.1. Clone a Layer 34...........................................................................................................................................
5.2.2. Clone a Pattern 34.......................................................................................................................................
5.2.3. Clone a Track 34...........................................................................................................................................
6. PERFORMING 35_____________________________________________________
6.1. Play/Pause, Reset and Master Track Settings 35.................................................................
6.1.1. Master Track 35.............................................................................................................................................
6.1.2. Play / Pause 35..............................................................................................................................................
6.1.3. Reset 35...............................................................................................................................................................
6.2. Stage Loop 35..................................................................................................................................................
6.3. Song Mode 36..................................................................................................................................................
6.3.1. Pattern to song while playing (and vice versa) 37...............................................................
6.4. Live Performance Tools: Pattern Recall 37................................................................................
6.4.1. Full pattern recall 37..................................................................................................................................
6.4.2. Pattern Mix 37.................................................................................................................................................
6.5. Mute 37..................................................................................................................................................................
6.6. Hold 37...................................................................................................................................................................
7. ADVANCED EDITING 38______________________________________________
7.1. Composition Mode 38................................................................................................................................
7.2. Use an External CV/Gate Keyboard 38.........................................................................................
7.3. Store Pattern: Last Played or Last Full 38...................................................................................
8. EXTERNAL CONTROLS 39____________________________________________
8.1. Clock Input 39...................................................................................................................................................
8.2. Auxiliary Trig/Gate Input 39..................................................................................................................
8.3. External CV 39..................................................................................................................................................
8.3.1. Pitch Shift 39...................................................................................................................................................
8.3.2. Root Shift 39....................................................................................................................................................
8.3.3. Gate Shift 39....................................................................................................................................................
8.3.4. Stage Shift 39..................................................................................................................................................
8.3.5. Vari Shift (Variation Shift) 40..............................................................................................................
8.3.6. Pattern Shift 40.............................................................................................................................................
8.3.7. Phase Shift 40................................................................................................................................................
9. ADDITIONAL OPERATIONS 40_______________________________________
9.1. Select CV Mode (Raw or Pitch) 40....................................................................................................
9.2. CV Range 40.....................................................................................................................................................
9.3. Gate Width % 40...........................................................................................................................................
9.4. Swing 40...............................................................................................................................................................
10. PLAYING IN TUNE 42________________________________________________
10.1. Root & Scale – Dynamic Quantization 42...................................................................................
10.2. Microtonalities 42..........................................................................................................................................
10.3. Custom Scales 43..........................................................................................................................................
10.4. Set the Reference Note 43.....................................................................................................................
10.5. Custom Temperaments 43....................................................................................................................
10.5.1. Absolute or Relative Temperaments 44....................................................................................
10.6. LED Pitch Tables 45....................................................................................................................................
10.6.1. 12-EDO 45..........................................................................................................................................................
10.6.2. 15-EDO 45..........................................................................................................................................................
10.6.3. 19-EDO 45..........................................................................................................................................................
10.6.4. 22-EDO 46.........................................................................................................................................................
10.6.5. 24-EDO 46.........................................................................................................................................................
11. ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE 47_____________________________________
12. Remove / Insert the SD Card 47..........................................................................................................
12.1. Analog Trimming 47....................................................................................................................................
12.2. Project Management and Backups 47..........................................................................................
12.3. Firmware Update 47....................................................................................................................................
13. CHARTS 48__________________________________________________________
13.1. Project Menu 48.............................................................................................................................................
13.2. Track Menu 48.................................................................................................................................................
13.3. Project Hierarchy 49...................................................................................................................................
14. SCALES 50___________________________________________________________
14.1. 12-EDO and other 12 tones per Octave Temperaments 50..........................................
14.2. 15-EDO and other 15 tones per Octave Temperaments 51...........................................
14.3. 19-EDO and other 19 tones per Octave Temperaments 52..........................................
14.4. 22-EDO and other 22 tones per Octave Temperaments 52.........................................
14.5. 24-EDO and other 24 tones per Octave Temperaments 55........................................
333 59
15. HOW IT WORKS 59__________________________________________________
321 60
16. HOW IT WORKS 60__________________________________________________
TECHNIQUES 61
TECHNICAL DETAILS 74
1. CGM CREATIVE MIXER VCA CURVES 74_______________________________
1.1. Channel Main VCA response curve to CV 74............................................................................
1.2. Sends VCA CV response curve to CV - Channel to group Send 74.........................
1.3. Returns VCA response curve to CV - Group Return 74....................................................
1.4. Pan 74.....................................................................................................................................................................
2. FUMANA TRANSFER FUNCTION 75___________________________________
2.1. All bands Output 75.....................................................................................................................................
2.2. Odd Bands Output 75................................................................................................................................

2.3. EVEN BANDS OUTPUT 75.....................................................................................................................
3. SPECIFICATIONS 76__________________________________________________
3.1. CGM - Creative mixer 76...........................................................................................................................
3.2. SAPÈL 76..............................................................................................................................................................
3.3. FALISTRI 77........................................................................................................................................................
3.4. FUMANA 78.......................................................................................................................................................
3.5. USTA 78................................................................................................................................................................
3.6. 333 78......................................................................................................................................................................
3.7. 321 79.......................................................................................................................................................................
4. WHAT’S IN THE BOX 80______________________________________________
LIST OF REVISIONS 81

SAFETY & WARRANTY!
The Frap Tools srls warranty covers the following products (here-
inafter ‘Frap Tools’), for two (2) years following the date of purchase.
This warranty covers any defect in the manufacturing of this product.
This warranty does not cover any damage or malfunction caused by
incorrect use as described in the following instructions.
The warranty covers replacement or repair, as decided by Frap Tools.
Please contact customer service at [email protected] for a return autho-
rization.
Frap Tools warrants that your new Frap Tools product, when pur-
chased from an authorized Frap Tools dealer, shall be free of defects in
materials and craft for a period of two (2) years from the original date of
purchase. Please contact Frap Tools for warranty and service outside of
Europe. During the warranty period, Frap Tools shall, at its sole option,
either repair or replace any product that proves to be defective upon
inspection by Frap Tools. Frap Tools reserves the right to update any
unit returned for repair and to change or improve the design of the
product at any time without notice. This warranty can be transferred to
anyone who may subsequently purchase the product provided that
such transfer is made within the applicable warranty period and that
Frap Tools is provided with all of the following items:
all warranty registration information for the new owner;!
proof of the transfer within thirty (30) days of the transfer purchase,
and a photocopy of the original sales receipt.
Frap Tools shall determine warranty coverage in its sole discretion:
this is your exclusive warranty. Service and repair of Frap Tools prod-
ucts are to be performed only by Frap Tools or an authorized service
company. Unauthorized service, repair, or modification will void this
warranty.
Please follow the given instructions for the use of the device because
this will guarantee the correct device operation. Since these instruc-
tions also include indications concerning Product Liability, they must be
read carefully. Any claim for defect will be rejected if one or more of the
following points is not observed. Any disregard of these instructions can
void the warranty.
The devices may only be used for the purpose described in this oper-
ating manual. Due to safety reasons, the devices must never be used
for purposes not described in this manual. If you are not sure about the
intended purpose of the devices, please contact an expert or Frap Tools
at the email address above.
Do not use or store the devices in humid places. Avoid contact with
any liquid.
Do not touch any component of the devices when it is power or
connected to any power source.
Do not place the devices on unstable carts, stands, tripods, tables, or
other surfaces, or on surfaces that are not perfectly plane. Such behav-
ior may cause the devices to fall, which could result in human injury,
property damage or improper functioning of the devices themselves.
The devices are designed for use only when safely and tightly
mounted in a proper eurorack case, made of non-flammable materials.
If you are not sure about the intended purpose of the devices, please
contact an expert or Frap Tools at the email address above.
Do not ever leave the devices switched on when not in use.
To prevent fire, never place any candle, flame, or other sources of
heat on or near the devices.
Transport the devices only in the original box with original packaging
or when safely and tightly mounted in a proper eurorack case, and
handled with care. Never let the devices fall or topple. Make sure that
during transport and while in use the devices and their case, have a
proper stand and do not fall, slip or turn over because of potential hu-
man injury to persons or property damage. Any damage from physical
abuse such as dropping the unit, impact from hard objects or damage
to external components as a result of negligence will void this warranty.
Never expose the devices to temperatures above +40°C or below 0°C.
Before any operation, also verify the operating temperature ranges of
all the modules and the power boards in use. Do not keep or leave the
case that hosts the devices, or the devices themselves near heat
sources.
Any modification must be carried out only by Frap Tools or an autho-
rized service company. The devices may not be modified in any way by
any parties not expressly authorized by Frap Tools. Any repair, modifi-
cation, tampering, or attempted repair made by unauthorized person-
nel will void this warranty.
Frap Tools can not be held responsible in any way for problems to
persons or property or to the devices themselves, if the devices are
installed improperly, or if they are improperly used, maintained, or
stored.
Any device shipped to Frap Tools for return, exchange, warranty
repair, update, or examination must be sent in its original packaging!
Any other deliveries will be rejected. Therefore, you should keep the
original packaging, and any technical documentation or manual provid-
ed. The device must be shipped only with the original packaging. As
specified on the product box, this box is not intended for shipment: if
you bought the device directly at a physical reseller’s shop, you should
put the device in the original packaging and put the packaging in a
properly larger box with proper packaging destined for shipping. If you
received the device via carrier or any post service, it should have come
with a proper double box packaging.
All non-warranty services are subject to a minimum fee of
€50.00+VAT (within the European Union). The customer must pay for
shipping to Frap Tools; Frap Tools will cover return shipping costs.
It is important to note that the front panel of our modules may get
warm, and may warm up the case where it is mounted. Please do not
be alarmed, as this is normal and is part of its standard operation.
Shut down your equipment immediately if it produces smoke, a
strange odor, or unusual noise. Continued use may lead to fire. Immedi-
ately unplug the equipment and contact your dealer or Frap Tools at
the address above for advice.!
Never attempt to repair this product yourself. Improper repair work
can be dangerous. Never disassemble or modify this product. Tamper-
ing with this product may result in injury or fire and will void your war-
ranty.
Do not allow foreign matter to fall into the equipment. Penetration by
foreign objects may lead to fire.!
If water or other liquid spills into this equipment, do not continue to
use it. Continued use may lead to fire. Unplug the power cord immedi-
ately and contact your dealer or Frap Tools at the address above for
advice.
WARNING: The internal components of our modules and power sup-
plies can get very hot. Do not touch any internal components while it is
connected and/or powered and after they completely cool down after
use for at least 30 minutes."
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
Page of5 81

BEFORE STARTING
I. Connect The Power
To connect the power cable, carefully follow these two rules:
•the power connector on the module is the keyed one in the top;
•the red line on the cable should be placed matching the -12V side
on your power board: please double check with your power boar
supplier that the marked side is the -12V.
WARNING: Frap Tools can not be held responsible in any way for prob-
lems or damage to persons or property or to the device itself, if the
device is not connected as indicated above.
II. Mounting The Module
After connecting the power as explained in the previous section,
install the module in your case using all the 2 or 4 screws provided.
Make sure that the module is safely and tightly connected to your
Eurorack case.
Frap Tools modules use the standard Eurorack orientation and color-
coding: the red line on the power cables is placed at the bottom and
stands for the -12V.. Please double check with the power system you
want to use that it adopts the same powering system.
WARNING: Frap Tools can not be held responsible in any way for prob-
lems or damage to persons or property or to the device itself, if the
device is not connected as indicated above.
III. Warm-up and working temperature
For best performances, we suggest to let the Frap Tools modules
warm up at least around 20 minutes prior to use it [tested at 25°C]. It is
absolutely normal that they feels warm when touched!"
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
Page of6 81

INTERFACES !
Here at Frap Tools, we put a lot of effort into designing a proper user
interface for each of our modules.
By “proper user interface” we mean essentially three things:
1. it must convey the module’s identity at a glance;
2. it must allow for a smooth creative workflow;
3. it must be pleasant to look at.
Moreover, we want our interfaces to be clear, but not self-explanatory
(or, in other terms, cryptic, but not chaotic).
The reason for doing so is that, in our vision, the
musician should master the “code” of her/his instrument!before!playing
it: a piano does not have the note names on its keys, a violin does not
have marks on its neck – it is up to the musician to practice and learn
how the instrument works.
In the same way, our modules do not have labels such as ‘frequency’
or ‘decay time’: instead, they are replaced with a system of symbols and
colors that try to be as consistent as possible. Moreover, a musician
approaching our modules through a “conventional” labeling system
might be tempted to assume that the module behaves in an ordinary
way, which sometimes is not completely correct.
The modules are explained in detail further in this manual. However,
to allow the musician to get acquainted with the overall symbol system,
we provide here a brief guide to “decode” the most recurrent elements
of the “Frap environment”.
1. Arrows (Input, Output)
An arrow can mean either an input or an output, according to its
position: if it points towards one or more jack sockets, it is an input; if it
points away from one or more jack sockets, it is an output.
2. Square and Round Shapes
All the modular world revolves around voltage. The most basic dis-
tinction is, conventionally, between voltage used for timing pulses (trigs
or gates) and audio signals or CV.
The former is a discrete signal with two levels only (“off” and “on”,
“low” and “high”), and for this reason, in our modules is associated with
square shapes.
The latter is a continuous signal (or ‘analog’ in its closest meaning),
therefore it is associated with round shapes.
A subgroup of audio analog section is the stereo audio: as you can
notice in the CGM serie, the group and master module which features
stereo in/out. Here the left/mono is connected to the filled area while
the right is connected to the ring that surrounds it.
3. Lines (Solid, Dotted, Dashed)
A solid line relates two or more elements of the circuit. It stands for
manual control, which means that a given knob or switch directly af-
fects the signal passing through the circuit from an input or to an out-
put.
A dotted line stands for external CV control, and it often relates a
jack socket to a manual control such as a knob or a
slider. It means that the specific parameter can be volt-
age-controlled.
A dashed line relates two or more inputs or two more outputs: it
means that they are semi-normalled, or, in other terms,
that the signal going to one input or coming from one
output is mirrored by the other jack sockets connected by a dashed
line. Such behavior is automatically overridden once a cable is plugged
to another jack socket (thus “breaking” the normalization).
4. Color Coding
As a rule of thumb, if a module performs more than one function, the
respective controls are marked with different colors. In other words, a
given color relates to one and only one section of the module design. In
case a module features two “mirrored” sections (such as SAPÈL’s or
FALISTRI’s generators, or CGM Group’s FX sends), they are marked in
yellow and green.
5. Combinations
All the aforementioned elements can be combined. For example, an
arrow within a square pointing towards a jack socket means that it is a
gate/trig input; if a dotted line connects a jack socket to a knob, and a
solid line connects the same knob to another jack socket, it means that
the signal outputted from the second jack socket can be modified
either manually via the knob or automatically via an external CV
patched to the first socket."
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
Page of7 81

CGM - CREATIVE MIXER
The CGM Creative Mixer is a modular mixing solution for Eurorack
modular systems. It is designed to obtain a flexible setup, providing all
the tools you may need in studio and during a live performance, as well
as plenty of CV inputs for every possible automation.
It is currently composed of three modules: the Channel, the Group
and the Master.
The Channel manages mono signals via the 3.5 mm input mono jack.
It has a main stereo VCA with CV in and attenuator (RED), a direct
output post-main VCA (pre or post fader), two parallel voltage-con-
trolled effect sends with individual attenuators and pre/post fader
switches (Yellow and Green), and a PAN control with offset CV and
offset pot. This, together with the latching buttons for mute, solo in
place, and PFL, manages the incoming signal and distributes it to the
Group module.
The Group gets and sums the L/R post-fader signals (WHITE) of all
the linked Channels, sums all the signals from the YELLOW and GREEN
sends, and manages the sends (mono) and returns (DUAL MONO or
STEREO), summing it to the signals from the CHANNELS. It also man-
ages the solo in place activation on all the linked Channels, and pro-
vides a L/R output for the outgoing signal, or (via a jumper on the back
of the module) a L/R output of the sum of the returns signals. Up to 8
Channels may be connected to a single Group, taking care also of its
powering. You can connect also up to 4 Groups to a Master module.
The Master sums the incoming signals from the Groups, and man-
ages the PFL (stereo) of both Channels and Groups. It also features a
stereo in via a 3.5 mm stereo jack with PFL latching button and a stereo
out via 3.5 mm stereo jack for headphones, whose signal can be blend-
ed between PFL (BLUE) and main out (WHITE).
1. System Setup (Linking)
In a CGM system, the communication between the modules happens
via 10 poles IDC ribbon cables (please refer to the What’s in the Box
section of the manual to see the content of each module and to have
an overview of the available link cables for various setups).
1.1. MASTER TO GROUP(S)
Each Master comes
with one link cable to
connect a Group to it.
You can connect more
Groups using a proper
Link cable. The Master
module, on its back, has
two 10 pole IDC con-
nectors, the one in the
TOP left corner is for
powering, the other in
the bottom without any
direction is for linking.
Use this one and patch
it to the corresponding
one on the Group to
establish a connection
between them (in the
Group is the one in line
(at the same height) of
the one in the Master).
In the example here
the cable continues and
goes to other Groups.
1.2. GROUP TO
CHANNEL(S)
Each Group comes with two link cables to connect one Group to up
to four Channels. You can connect more Channels (up to eight) using a
proper Link cable, but remember that at least one Channel is required
for the Group to work. The Channel module, on its back, has three 10
pole IDC connectors, the one in the TOP left corner is for powering, the
other two in the center without any direction are for linking. Use these
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
Page of8 81
MASTER GROUP
IDC CABLE
GOES TO
OTHER
GROUPS
FROM
CHANNELS
TO GROUP
FROM
CHANNELS
TO GROUP

and patch them together on the different Channel you want to link to a
Group and on the Group too (In the Group these are the two connector
in line (at the same height) with the two on the Channel). It is important
to double check that all the modules are orientated in the same way,
and that all the upper connector are connecter with one IDC cable,
while all the lower connectors are connected with another IDC cable.
In the example below the cable continues and goes to other Chan-
nels.
It is imperative to do not swap connectors !!!!
WARNING: Frap Tools can not be held responsible in any way for prob-
lems or damage to persons or property or to the device itself, if the
device is not connected as indicated above.
2. Group Jumpers Configurations
Group L/R output can be configured in two ways: looking at the PCB
from the back, if the two jumpers on the top of the module are con-
nected to the pins 2-3 (from the left) the group outputs the sum of the
signals from all the channels connected to the group itself, and the
signals coming in from the yellow and green return. Otherwise, if the
two jumpers on the top of the module are connected to the pins 1-2
(from the left) the group outputs the sum of the signals coming in from
the yellow and green return only.
Please note that these jumper configuration will not affect the signal
sent from the group to the master via the IDC cable: only the group
outputs on the front panel may be configured.
WARNING: It is imperative to do not connect the jumpers to any other
connector except the two mentioned in this section, and shown in the
pictures below. Frap Tools can not be held responsible in any way for
problems or damage to persons or property or to the device itself, if the
device is not connected as indicated above.
3. Channel
3.1. MAIN VCA & DIRECT OUT
The top left input of each channel is its mono input. The connected
signal goes directly to the main VCA (red): it is the second row of para-
meter, with a jack socket on the right and a pot on the left. This stage
can also be identified as gain stage. CV input range accept both modu-
lation signals from 0÷5V or 0÷10V. When a CV is patched to the jack
socket VCA input, then its pot attenuates that CV; when nothing is
patched to the jack socket, the pot works as the unique primary control
for the VCA (or for the gain stage). This section also features a post
VCA peak LED.
The jack socket on the top right is the direct output signal It is not a
duplication of the input, but a post VCA direct output: it is extremely
useful in case of multitrack recording or parallel processing of signals.
The last control is the switch in the bottom center of this section
which let you define how the direct output works: pre-fader (up, red
dot), or post fader (lower, white dot).
3.2. SENDS
The two sends (yellow and green) work in the same way and receive
the signal after the main red VCA. The CV input range accepts both
modulation signals from 0÷5V or 0÷10V. When a CV is patched to the
jack socket VCA send input, then its pot attenuates that CV, while when
nothing is patched to the jack socket, then the pot works as the unique
primary control for the VCA (that is, the signal sent to the send bus).
The last control is the switch in the bottom center of this section which
let you define how the send works: pre-fader (up, yellow/green dot), or
post fader (lower, white dot).
CHANNEL CHANNEL
GROUP
IDC CABLE
GOES TO
OTHER
CHANNELS
FROM
GROUPS FROM GROUP
TO MASTER
PINS 1&2
group outputs the sum of the
signals coming in from the
yellow and green return only."
PINS 2&3
group outputs the sum of the
signals from all the channels
connected to the group itself,
and the signals coming in from
the yellow and green return
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
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3.3. PAN, FADER AND OTHER CONTROLS
The pan control lets you distribute the processed signal across the
stereo image. The pot work as in any other mixer and the CV jack sock-
et connected to it accepts both positive and negative signals (range
-5V÷5V).
The more the positive CV increases, the more the signal is distributed
to right, and vice versa for negative CVs and the left channel. In case of
modulation with a bipolar CV, the potentiometer works as an offset.
The big knob is the fader that sets the channel final volume as in any
mixer. It can also be the reference when you are using post-fader set-
tings in the sends or in the direct output.
Below that control there are 3 buttons with their relative LED: from
left to right they are the Mute button, which mutes all the channel’s
VCAs, the Solo in Place (which works only when the ‘Safe solo’ switch in
the connected Group – see below) and the Stereo PFL (PreFader Lis-
tening) accessible via the Master module (see below).
The Solo in place selects the channels that are kept active when the
group is in Safe Solo mode (see below), while the Stereo PFL selects
the channels that will be sent to the PFL circuit on the Master module
(see below).
4. Group
4.1. SENDS
The send jack socket outputs a mono signal which is the sum of all
the signal processed for that send by each Channel connected to the
Group.
4.2. RETURNS
The return section is divided in two specular columns, the left one for
the yellow return, the right one for the green return.
The first two rows from the top are the return inputs. They are semi-
normalled, meaning that they can work either in stereo (when two
cables are plugged) or in dual mono (when only one cable is plugged
into any of the two inputs). When using two cables for stereo return the
top jack is the Left and the bottom one the Right.
As soon as an audio signal is connected, it is sent to the stereo re-
turn: each return section is equipped with its own stereo VCA, which is
identical to the ones used in the red, yellow and green sections of the
Channel module.
The bottom jack socket here works as CV input and accepts both
signals with a range 0÷5V or 0÷10V, allowing any creative use of the
stereo effect returns.
When a CV is patched to the jack socket VCA input, then its pot
attenuates that CV, while when nothing is patched to the jack socket,
the pot works as the unique primary control for the VCA (i.e. the return
stage).
4.3. GROUP OUTPUT
The bottom jack sockets are used for the group output: it is a stereo
output and can be configured to output the sum of the signals from
the returns only or the sum of the signals from the returns and the
connected channels. Please refer to the chapter about group jumpers
configurations to setup properly the group module.
4.4. FADER AND OTHER CONTROLS
The big knob is the fader that sets the group final volume as in any
mixer. This is the volume of the sum of the connected channels and
the returns. It comes coupled with a pair of peak LED on the top left
and right of the knob.
Below that control there are two buttons and a switch with their
relative LED: from left to right they are the group mute (for all the con-
nected Channels and send/return signals), the Safe Solo switch (when
moved to the left enables the solo in place function on each of the
connected Channels) and the Stereo PFL (PreFader Listening) accessi-
ble via the Master module for all the connected Channels and send/
return signals.
4.5. THE SAFE SOLO FUNCTION
The Solo function allows the musician to isolate certain channels in
the mix, thus muting all the remaining ones. It is achieved through two
operations: pushing the Solo in Place button on the Channel module
and moving the Safe Solo switch on the Group module: the Solo in
Place button will determine which channels will be soloed (which will
be marked with the white LED) and which ones muted; the Safe Solo
switch will put this selection into practice (and the group too will display
a white LED). It is called Safe Solo because it safely allows you to select
the channels you want to solo in advance, without affecting the ongo-
ing performance.
Please note that if you activate the Safe Solo without having selected
at least one channel through its Solo in Place button beforehand, all
the group will be muted!
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
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5. Master
The Master module is the last step in a CGM setup. It adds a lot of
functionality to the CGM system like the auxiliary stereo input, the
headphones section with the management on the PFL, the sum and
connection of multiple groups and additional ~6dB of gain.
The Auxiliary input, the purple section, uses a stereo 3.5 mm jack
socket with dedicated potentiometer to set its gain and a PFL button.
The headphones section is based on a stereo 3.5 mm jack socket
with two potentiometers: the one in the top blend between main out
(white) and PFL signal (blue), while the one in the bottom set the head-
phones volume.
The master uses a main fader (in the bottom) to set the system level
output, featuring also a dedicated stereo VU meter [ -6dBu, -1dBu,
+4dBu, +7dBu, +10dBu ].
Outgoing signal can be picked up from the top jack sockets, which
are left and right main output.
5.1. THE PFL FUNCTION
PFL (PreFader Listening) allows the musician to send to the Head-
phones output any channel, group or the Aux input when their main
fader is at 0, in order, for instance, to preview it before it is mixed. PFL is
achieved through two operations: pushing the PFL button on the
Channel or Group modules or on the Aux input (the blue LED will light
up) and adjusting the PFL level through the PFL Blend knob.
PFL previews the Channel’s sound before the main fader: this means
that its amplitude will be determined by the Red VCA level, which im-
plies two things.
The first one is that, since the Mute button affects the red VCA, not
the main fader, if the channel is muted it will not be heard during PFL.
The second one is that the Green and Yellow Sends cannot be PFL’d
from the Channel: if they are set in Post Fader mode (white dot) they
will not be heard in PFL since their level will depend on the Main Fader’s
one (which, during PFL, is normally at 0); if, on the other hand, they are
in Post Fader mode (yellow or green dot) they will bleed in the main
mix, thus bypassing the PFL circuit.
This is when the Group PFL comes in handy: in order to pre-listen the
effect sends and returns before sending them in the mix, you can keep
the Group’s main fader at 0 and activate its PFL button: from now on,
everything that is managed by the Group will be safely pre-listened
without affecting the main mix, including individual Channels’ Main
Fader settings, sends and returns.
Please note that Safe Solo overrides PFL: this means that you can
perform Safe Solo in when a Group is in PFL, but you cannot PFL a
channel whose Solo in Place button is off when its Group is in Safe Solo
mode: the reason is that, as explained above, the Safe Solo works as a
“Mute region”, i.e. muting all the unselected channel’s Red VCAs.
6. CGM Mixer Tips
6.1. STEREO INPUTS
The returns on the group manage audio signal in the same way as
the mono input on each Channel. This means that they can be cre-
atively used as actual auxiliary stereo inputs, not limited to the effect
return. In this case, you will gain two extra stereo VCAs for your mix, but
you will lose control over the effects section.
6.2. MORE THAN 2 SEND/RETURNS PER CHANNEL
In case you have more than one group on your CGM system, you can
use the direct out of a channel linked to a group to patch it to the
mono input of another channel linked to another group. In this way you
will use the RED VCA of the original channel, and its CV, to shape the
amplitude of your signal, then on the second, add the 3rd and 4th
parallel send to it, taking advantage of the second group.
6.3. SERIAL SEND/RETURN (AND FEEDBACKS)
Since the two effect send/returns are in parallel, it is virtually impos-
sible to have two effects (say, reverb and delay) in series. There is how-
ever a simple workaround that lets you achieve this function, with
additional CVs over the different returns: just patch the delay return to
a Channel linked to the same group, and send it back into the reverb:
this will allow independent controls over delay, reverb and both. On the
other hand, if the delay send of this last Channel is set to a high value, it
will cause feedbacks.
Let’s put it simple: the two sends are patched with a delay and a
reverb. Now you want that also the delayed signal has reverb, but you
can’t since the sends work in parallel. You can bypass this setting the
return of the delay on a channel linked to the group of the delay and
reverb, and gradually increase the amount of reverb send on that signal
too. Be aware, that adding some delay to the channel of the delay
return will result in undesired feedback, so be extremely careful.
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
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7. Flow Chart
"
VCA
VCA
VCA
PAN FADER
DIRECT
OUTPUT
CONNECTED TO GROUP VIA FLAT
CABLE
PRE
POST
MUTE
SOLO IN PLACE
PFL
FROM
SAFE SOLO
IN
mono signal
stereo signal
FLAT CABLE FROM CONNECTED
CHANNELS
VCA
OUT
IN
OUT IN
CONNECTED TO
MASTER VIA
FLAT CABLE
MAIN L/R
SENDS
SENDS
STEREO
OUTPUT
JUMPERS
MUTE
PFL
GROUP
FADER
SAFE SOLO
PFL L/R
VCA
SEND / RETURN
FLAT CABLE FROM
CONNECTED
GROUPS
MAIN L/R
FADERIN
PFL L/R
STEREO
OUTPUT
HDP
FADER
HEADPHONES
OUT
PFL
BLEND
MASTER
FADER
+10 dBu
+7 dBu
+4 dBu
-1 dBu
-6 dBu
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
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SAPÈL
1. Philosophy and Design
SAPÈL is an analog generator of random control voltages for Euro-
rack modular systems.
Its main section is composed of two identical clusters of four Sample
and Hold circuits each (yellow and green), which generate as many
different random values at the same time.
Three of the four S&H circuits in each cluster provide stepped ran-
dom voltages: two are quantized (in “notes”) and one is unquantized;
the last S&H circuit features an integrator to generate a fluctuating
stream of random voltages.
The three stepped voltage generator are synced, which means that
they will output three different values at the same time. The yellow and
green generators have two independent internal clocks, which can be
replaced with an external one, or temporarily overridden either via
external gate or manual button. A copy of the trig used to sample the
stepped random values is available, as well as a random trig output.
The fluctuating voltage generator, on the other hand, is independent
and has its own potentiometer to define its rate.
Each of the two S&H clusters samples its values from analog noise,
thus providing a “true” and completely unpredictable randomness.
The second section of SAPÈL features four analog noise outputs,
which are derived from the analog noise used to sample random val-
ues.
2. Noise Outputs
This section features four analog noise outputs, which are, from top
to bottom:
•Blue Noise (+3dB/oct spectrum);
•White Noise (0dB/oct spectrum);
•Pink Noise (-3dB/oct spectrum);
•Red Noise, also known and brown or brownian (-6dB/oct
spectrum).
Each noise “color" has its own distinct tone, which can be used for
sound-designing purposes (see the Techniques section for some ideas).
Theoretically, White Noise has an equal distribution of intensity
across all the frequencies per bandwidth. Practically, in the analog
domain, White Noise is a sound which has a flat spectrum in the audi-
ble range, or, in simpler terms, which can “hit” all the frequencies with
equal amplitude at the same time. It is perceived as a highly inharmonic
sound but, to the peculiar nature of the human ear, it appears slightly
unbalanced towards higher frequencies.
For this purpose SAPÈL features also a Pink Noise output. Pink Noise
is basically a White Noise filtered through a -3dB/Oct filter, which
“smoothens” its higher frequencies in order to deliver a more “bal-
anced” sound for the human ear. Pink Noise features an equal distribu-
tion of intensity per octave, instead of bandwidth.
Red Noise is similarly generated, but the filter has a slope of -6dB per
octave. The result is a low, “rumbling” tone.
Finally Blue Noise is a kind of inharmonic sound whose intensity
increases proportionally to the frequencies. In other words, the higher
part of the spectrum will appear to be louder, and the overall result is a
high-pitched hissing sound which lacks of bass frequencies.
2. Stepped Random Values Generation
The yellow and green generators, as said above, work independently
the one from the other. Each of them samples three random values at
the same time: one which is unquantized (i.e. with no fixed “pitch”), one
quantized in semitones and one quantized in octaves.
The sampling process happens when a trig or gate activates the S&H
circuit, which “picks” the value played by the noise source at a given
time, and “holds” it until another trig or gate is generated. There are
four ways to activate the S&H circuit for each of the two generators:
internal clock, external clock, manual S&H button, external S&H gate,
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
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plus an “extra” mode which combines the clocks (let it be internal or
external) of both the green and yellow generators.
By default each generator is driven by an internal clock. The clock
section generates a regular clock signal (called MAIN CLOCK) and two
RANDOM CLOCKS (on which see below). Both the yellow and the green
random sources have their own independent clock. The regular train of
impulses provided by the MAIN CLOCK is used to sample the random
values, and is also routed to the Main Clock output. The Random Clock
does not affect the S&H circuit, but it is available for advanced modula-
tion purposes through the Random Clock output.
3.1. INTERNAL CLOCK AND CLOCK MODULATION
The built-in clock frequency is managed by the big knob in the center
of the module. Rotate the knob to the left to decrease the sampling
rate and to the right to increase it.
It is possible to modulate the frequency of the clock via the GATE/CV
MODULATION INPUT:
This input can have two separate functions, selectable via the dedi-
cated switch: it can route the incoming CV to modulate the clock fre-
quency, or it can use any voltage higher than 3V to trig the S&H cluster
(more on this below).
When such a switch is set to the right, the incoming CV will modulate
the clock frequency: a positive CV will increase the clock speed, and a
negative one will decrease it.
3.2. EXTERNAL CLOCK
It is possible to use any external trig to activate the S&H by patching
it to the EXTERNAL CLOCK INPUT.
Whenever a cable is patched to this input, the internal clock is by-
passed (i.e. it will no longer trig the S&H circuit). This input welcomes
trigs and gates only: this means that in order to sample a value, it needs
an incoming signal with a really steep rising edge, such as square
waves, pulse waves or sawtooth waves with negative ramp (beside of
course trig and gate impulses). Other kind of impulses such as sine or
triangle waves will be ignored.
3.3. CLOCK INTERPOLATION
It has been said that the green and yellow sections of SAPÈL have
their own independent clock generation. It is possible, however, to
blend them in a more creative way through the SINGLE / BOTH SWITCH,
which feeds the other generator’s clock into the one currently in use.
In order to activate the clock interpolation, set the switch to the
position marked by a square of the other generator’s color. This option
can work regardless of the clock being internal or external for any of
the two circuits.
3.4. MANUAL SAMPLING
No matter if you are using the built in clock or an external one, that
stream can be temporarily bypassed with the manual S&H BUTTON.
By pushing the S&H button the stream of impulses is overridden by a
gate high signal, which samples a value and holds it until it is released.
A dedicated LED will light up as long as the button is pushed. The main
clock output, however, will still output a trig signal.
3.5. SAMPLING VIA EXTERNAL GATE
This last operation can be automated using the GATE / CV INPUT.
When the switch is set to the rightmost position, any CV signal higher
than 3V can be patched in the GATE / CV INPUT and used to override the
internal clock.
With this configuration it is possible to use other signal than gates
and trigs to drive the S&H cluster, such as sine or triangle waves or
even the internal fluctuating random, however a gate or a square signal
generally provide best results.
3.6. CLOCK OUTPUTS (MAIN AND RANDOM)
Every time the S&H Cluster samples a value, a 2ms trig is outputted
from the MAIN CLOCK output. If a steady pulse is used, such as the inter-
nal clock or an external one, this output will provide an exact copy of
the clock.
On the left of the Main Clock output lies the RANDOM CLOCK output,
which can either add or subtract trigs from the one in use through its
switch, located between the two clock outputs.
When the switch is up, or in additive mode, it outputs all the clock
impulses generated from the clock with the addition of other random
clocks; when the switch is down, or in subtractive mode, it randomly
subtracts trigs from the ones generated to trig the S&H Cluster, i.e. it
outputs only some of the trigs that are outputted by the Main Clock
out.
In both modes, the random clock density depends on the GLOBAL
RATE OF CHANGE (See below Fluctuating Random Output and Global
Rate of Change).
4. Random Voltages
SAPÈL is designed to provide a vast arrays of random voltages with
different articulations at the same time. Each of the two S&H clusters
(yellow and green) can be divided into two units: the first one generates
three random voltages simultaneously, and it is activated by the clocks
or gates described in paragraph 2; the second one generates continu-
ous, fluctuating random values and it is completely independent from
the clocks and gates.
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
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4.1. NON-QUANTIZED RANDOM VOLTAGES
The most basic stepped random values generator is the Sample and
Hold circuit:
This generator is coupled with an independent random generator
and creates non-quantized stepped voltages with a range varying
from 0 to 7.5V. Non-quantized means that if the values are used, for
example, to modify the pitch of an oscillator, the result will be a series
of sounds whose frequency may not sit within the conventional 12-
semitone Western chromatic scale. It can be used for more experimen-
tal music compositions or, more traditionally, to modulate other non-
melodic parameters such as timbre, filter frequency, amplitude…
4.2. QUANTIZED RANDOM VOLTAGES
The other two stepped random voltage generators output voltages
which are quantized (i.e. “forced”) to the 1V/octave standard. If applied
to an oscillator’s frequency, the result will be a series of random “notes"
The design of these two generators follows the historical Buchla
module Source of Uncertainty Model 266, but with a slightly different
approach. The principle is similar, but the circuit has been designed
from scratch in order to obtain a more “random” voltages distribution
and an extremely precise voltages quantization, capable of generating
precise semitones or octaves.
At first glance, the main difference with the S&H circuit mentioned
above is that the quantized random voltage generator feature a knob
which controls the nparameter and whose range goes from 1 to 6, as in
the original 266 module. The role of the nparameter varies according
to each generator’s label: 2n and n+1.
The 2noutput is quantized in 1/12V steps, or semitones in the 1V/oct
scale. In this case, the NKNOB sets the exponent of 2 which, in turn,
determines the number of different values that may be generated by
the circuit. Given that n can be any number from 1 to 6, there are 6
possible ranges of values that this circuit can generate:
Please note that higher is the number, the larger becomes the range
of voltages (or “notes”) that are generated, starting from 1 (0V) up to 64
(5.25V). This will guarantee the musician more control over the final
output, and will result in more expressive results: for example, a low n
value will always generate smaller intervals and low pitches, while a
high hone may provide larger leaps from one semitone to the other , as
well as higher notes. Please refer to the graph below for a graphic rep-
resentation of the exponential note distribution across all the n settings:
The n+1 output is quantized in 1V steps, or octaves in the 1V/oct
scale. In this case, the NKNOB sets the number which will be summed
to 1, which, in turn, determines the number of different octaves that
may be generated by the circuit. Again, given that n can be any number
from 1 to 6, there are 6 possible ranges of octaves that this circuit can
generate:
Even in this case, that higher is the number, the larger becomes the
range of voltages (or “octaves”) that are generated, starting from 1 (0V)
up to 7 (6V). Please refer to the graph below, which displays the linear
increment of the octaves across the different n settings:
Both the 2nand the n+1 can be controlled via external CV, thus allow-
ing the musician to automatically vary the range of values to be out-
putted.
4.3. FLUCTUATING RANDOM OUTPUT AND GLOBAL RATE OF
CHANGE (RANDOM CLOCK DENSITY CONTROL)
The main purpose of this section is to generate a continuous, fluctu-
ating random voltage which ranges 0 to 7.5V and whose rate of
change (or “frequency”) is controlled by its potentiometer.
n Knob value
Number of voltages generated
21
2
22
4
23
8
24
16
25
32
26
64
V
0.00
0.75
1.50
2.25
3.00
3.75
4.50
5.25
stages
1
10
19
28
37
46
55
64
n
1
2
3
4
5
6
n Knob value
Number of voltages generated
1+1
2
2+1
3
3+1
4
4+1
5
5+1
6
6+1
7
V
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
stages
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
n
1
2
3
4
5
6
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
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This random generator is the only one per each of the two SH&
Clusters which is not affected by the main clocks or gates; however, on
the other hand, it can affect the clock generation itself.
The second purpose of this section is in fact to control the rate of
change of the random clocks: by rotating the knob clockwise, both the
fluctuating voltage frequency and the random clock density (let it be in
‘more than’ or ‘less than’ mode) are increased, and vice versa.
Just like for the quantized voltage generators, this parameter can be
modulated with any CV using the jack socket on the left. The external
modulation will affect both the fluctuation rate and the random clock
density.
5. Probability Distribution (Stored Ran-
dom Voltages)
The four S&H generators can be controlled as for magnitude of the
voltages that are more likely to be generated: this parameter is called
probability distribution, it is globally set by the PROBABILITY DISTRIBU-
TION POTENTIOMETER and it can be activated independently per each of
the four S&H circuits through the four PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION
SWITCHES.
The knob sets the magnitude of voltages which will be generated
more frequently: by default it is set to the middle position, which means
that medium voltages will be outputted more often than high or low
ones. Rotate it to the left to raise the probability of generating lower
voltages, and to the right for higher ones.
Please note that this setting will not block the SH& circuits to gener-
ate different voltages than the ones whose probability is set to be high-
er: they will just be generated less frequently.
This is a significant difference, for example, from the NKNOBS func-
tion of the quantized random voltages: in that case, the value defines
the “pool” of values that may be picked; here, on the contrary, the
Probability Distribution Knob sets the magnitude of voltages that are
more likely to be generated within the “pool” selected above.
6. Flow Chart
"
THERMAL
NOISE 2 ∑
probability
distribution
S&H QNT
CV IN
∑
n
OUT n+1
octaves
THERMAL
NOISE 3 ∑S&H QNT OUT n+1
octaves
CV IN
∑
frequency
THERMAL
NOISE 4 ∑S&H OUT sample & hold
THERMAL
NOISE 1 ∑S&H OUT fluctuating
INTEGRATOR
GATE
CLOCK
GENERATOR ∑
>
<
CLOCK
SOURCE
CLK
OUT random
∑
CV IN
∑
rate
n
button
PULSE
GENERATOR
∑
CV IN
CLK IN
CLK
OUT main
CLOCK FROM
OTHER SECTION
Rev 2 - Sep 2019
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FUMANA
"
1. Philosophy and Design
FUMANA is a dual all-analog fixed filter bank. Each filter bank is com-
posed of an array of 16 independent bandpass filters tuned to specific
frequencies.
FUMANA is designed around one basic core principle: modify the
spectral content of the incoming audio signal by filtering it through 16
bandpass filters in parallel and then vary the amplitude of each result-
ing “band".
Even though this core principle is relatively simple, the key feature of
FUMANA is that it provides a wide set of controls over the bands' am-
plitude: the spectral content of the incoming sound can be thus modi-
fied by the faders, which are individually CV-controllable; by the enve-
lope followers which are generated by the analysis of the sound
patched in the Modulation input; by the global parametric controls such
as Tilt and Scan.
Furthermore, a flexible input/output signal routing allows the musi-
cian to “split” the 16 filters into two 8-band spectral processors by
grouping the odd and even bands separately. It will be possible to
process two independent signals, or to blend two signal into one out-
put, or even to perform two different sonic treatments over the same
signal and route it to two different output sections.
Individual outputs are available for each band, both for the Main
sound (i.e. the filtered one) and for the Mod sound (i.e. the resulting
envelopes).
Since a spectral transfer tool may be used as a “vocoder-like-effect”,
the FUMANA provides an input for an external noise which may be
used for fricative/sibilant sounds.
1.1. PANEL OVERVIEW
A consistent color and graphic coding makes the front panel easy to
understand at a glance, once properly understood.
The main graphic solution is the distinction between the odd and
even bands: since the two groups can work independently, every input
or output related to the even bands is marked by a circle around the
jack socket. (The bands are numbered 1-16 from left to right: odd bands
are band 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15; even bands are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16).
Another key coding is the distinction between the MAIN filter array
and the MOD filter array. Everything that relates to the MAIN filter
bank, which is the circuit directly affecting the sound that is heard, is
marked by the color blue, let it be audio output, CV input or even the
faders’ LED color.
On the other hand, everything that relates to the MOD filter bank,
which is the one that extracts the envelopes from the modulating sig-
nal and modifies the harmonic content of the main filter bank, is
marked in grey, including the individual envelope output LEDs (which
flash white when active).
Finally, the green and yellow colors mark the Global Spectral Editing
tools: the former relates to the Tilt control, the latter to the Scan con-
trols.
2. Audio Inputs
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FUMANA has two pairs of inputs, which are called MAIN IN (blue),
and MOD IN (gray), short for “modulation input", plus a fifth input called
UNVOICED.
Each pair is composed of inputs for the ODD and EVEN bands, which
are semi-normalled together. This means that when only one patch
cable is connected to one of the two inputs, it automatically feeds the
other. If you want to use different sources for odd and even bands,
simply use two different cables. If instead, you want to feed only the
odd bands and not the even (or vice versa), simply feed the odd input,
and plug a dummy cable to the other input (or vice versa).
Each of the four inputs has its own amplitude potentiometer: differ-
ent levels can thus be set for odd or even filters within each pair of
input. This also means that if you want to emphasize even bands on the
main signal, you can simply add more gain to them, and less to the odd
ones.
The fifth input, named UNVOICED, is designed for adding some
depth to the fricative consonants that might be missed when perform-
ing vocoding-like operations.
The red LEDs connected to the odd and even inputs lights up dis-
playing the amplitude of the incoming audio after the gain level.
3. Audio Outputs
FUMANA's main audio outputs are the three in the top left area: ALL
outputs all the bands, while ODD and EVEN output respectively only
the odd and only the even bands.
In addition to these, 16 direct outputs are also provided, which are
located on the top of each band,. The main difference between these
and the other three outputs is that, while the ALL, ODD and EVEN, are
sums of groups of bands after their respective VCAs, these 16 bands
outputs are pre-VCAs outputs, directly from the bandpass filters.
These are very useful in case it is needed to process in parallel only a
single band or a group of selected bands. In that case the 333 module
can be very helpful, since it is capable of summing perfectly up to 7
signals into a single jack.
The use of the individual filter outputs does not affect their respec-
tive band’s presence in the ODD/EVEN/ALL outputs: these stages are
completely independent.
The ODD and EVEN outputs also feature a phase inversion switch
(in the middle bottom area, above the yellow and green section): this
switch may be useful in case you want to merge one of that signal with
the ALL output, and dynamically emphasize (phase summing) or dy-
namically attenuate (inverted phase summing) for example only the
EVEN bands (or ODD, depending on needs).
The result of the sum of ODD and EVEN outputs is slightly different
from the ALL output. This is because the ALL output uses an addition-
al low pass filter at 18KHz in order to obtain a less “edgy” upper-end,
often resulting when using dense signals and/or heavy modulations
(you can have a clear view of this looking at the Transfer Function
Details). In case you need a more crispy sound, consider using the ODD
+ EVEN combination.
4. Audio Processing and Modulation Path
FUMANA’s filterbank processes the the sound patched to the MAIN
input by varying each band’s amplitude through a VCA circuit. Such
variation can be achieved in four different ways, many of which can
easily co-exist:
1. through the individual band faders;
2. through the individual band CV inputs, right below the faders;
3. through the Global Spectral Editing tools (Tilt and Scan)
4. through the spectral transferring function performed by any
sound patched to the MOD input.
The result of all these modulations is outputted by the ALL, ODD and
EVEN outputs, and it is visually displayed by the 16 blue LEDs placed on
the 16 band faders, whose intensity graphically displays the amplitude
of the respective band after any modulation applied. The relationship
of the modulations is displayed in the diagram on the right, and it will
be further explained in the next paragraphs.
4.1. FADERS AND CV
The main CV comes from the 16 faders, one per band, on the main
panel. In the lowest position the VCA is closed: raise the fader to in-
crease the selected band’s amplitude. This operation can be automated
through the 16 individual jack sockets below each fader, which provide
inputs for external CVs. The CV inputs welcome any signal either bipo-
lar or unipolar, even at audio rate, up to ~1000Hz (after which a lowpass
filter is applied): it is thus possible to perform AM over an individual
band!
EVEN OUTODD OUT
ØØ
CV IN
VCA
SUM
BP
FILTER
GLOBAL OUTPUTS
SUMMING STAGES
BAND DIRECT
OUTPUT
E.F. CV
FADER
BANDS TILT
RESULT
PARAMETRIC
SCAN RESULT
AUDIO INPUT
CV in Frequency Roll-off
Loss (dB)
-42
-36
-30
-24
-18
-12
-6
0
6
Frequency (Hz)
100
1000
10000
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4.2. GLOBAL SPECTRAL EDITING: TILT AND PARAMETRIC
SCANNING
The yellow and green areas at the bottom of the module are, respec-
tively, bands parametric scanning and bands tilting. These two func-
tions are totally independent the one of the other. These have been
designed to quickly modulate multiple bands with a few controls. Each
of these parameters has a main potentiometer and its own CV input
with a dedicated attenuverter (the small potentiometer).
The green section is the Tilt parameter.
Assuming a fixed fulcrum in the middle of the 16 bands (between
band 8 and 9), the Bands Tilting allows to gradually emphasize half of
the bands, as much as the band itself is far from the fulcrum, and at-
tenuate the other half in the same way. It is then possible to change the
balance between lower or higher frequencies. The parameter has its
rest at the center. Moving it counterclockwise the bands from 1 to 8 are
emphasized, with an emphasis that gradually decreases from 1 to 8. At
the same time, bands from 9 to 16 are progressively attenuated, from
band 9 to 16.
One of the possible uses of the band tilt is to use it to temporarily
attenuate the lower frequencies’ presence when the mix is particularly
“crowded” in that frequency range. In fact, feeding the CV with the
envelope you use to create your basses, or passing the audio of the
bass drum through an envelope follower, results in a temporary em-
phasis on the higher frequencies. Balance the tilt with its main pot, and
simply play with the attenuator and envelope follower times to obtain
the desired effect.
The yellow section is called Parametric Scanning due to its similarity
to the use of 3 variables as the parametric EQ. In any parametric EQ, it
is possible to set the center frequency, the gain value, positive or nega-
tive, also called peak/notch in some cases, and the slope. Here it is
similar, but it doesn’t work directly as a filter, but as a voltage control
which feeds each band VCA.
The first control is called Peak/Notch and it selects the amount of
emphasis or attenuation of the scan: when the knob is at its center, no
emphasis is applied; when it is moved clockwise, a positive gain offset is
applied; when it is moved counter-clockwise, a negative gain is
achieved, which can be useful to perform notch-filter-like operations.
The Center control sets where this emphasis/attenuation has its
maximum/minimum level: when fully counterclockwise, no band is
emphasized; by rotating it clockwise, the position shifts from band 1 to
band 16; when fully clockwise, no band is emphasized as well.
With the Width parameter it is possible to emphasize nearby bands:
you can set a width from none to all 16 bands (16 bands are audible only
if the Center knob is set to noon).
To completely bypass the parametric scanning simply move the
Width control completely counterclockwise.
4.3. SPECTRAL TRANSFERRING: MODULATION FILTERS AND
ENVELOPE FOLLOWERS
The modulation circuit is designed to perform spectral transfer be-
tween the modulation signal and the main one.
The modulating signal must be patched to the MOD input, which
feeds an array of 16 band-pass filters similar in design to the ones in the
main array; then, each filter feeds a dedicated envelope follower; the
resulting 16 envelopes create as many different control voltages that
are semi-normalled to the VCA input jacks.
As said above in the paragraph about the Modulation Routing, patch-
ing a jack into any individual band CV in will break the semi-normaliza-
tion of the envelope followers.
The duration of the resulting envelopes can be modified with the E.F.
Attack and Release control knobs. The leftmost position offers the
fastest envelope response; rotating it clockwise will result in slower
envelopes.
Usually, the only parameter in the time domain used to modify enve-
lope followers signals is the Release time. FUMANA is equipped with
the Attack time as well, in order to have more control over the harmon-
ic content modification and obtain more subtle results.
The circuit response is non-linear, meaning that the knobs allow for
more precise control over the fast times rather than the long ones,
which is useful when a signal with fast transients is being processed.
Furthermore, given that the more conventional use of this circuit is to
perform vocoding-like operations, it is more frequent that fastest en-
velopes are required.
Each envelope uses its own independent time-scaling factor, which is
longer for lower frequencies and faster for the higher frequencies, in
order not to cut any audio wave semi-period.
The envelopes resulting from this spectral analysis are also available
on the 16 E.F. outputs, which can be used as CV to be routed to different
points of the patch without affecting their transfer to the VCAs of the
main filters.
An ALL E.F. output is also provided, which sums all the envelopes
together.
The amplitude of the Envelope followers also depends on the level of
the modulation source: the FUMANA is designed to work with input
potentiometers in center position (12 o’clock) when modular levels are
used (bipolar 10Vpp). Potentiometers can be used to amplify or attenu-
ate particularly hot signals.
4.3.1. The ‘Unvoiced’ Section
Unvoiced sounds (fricative/sibilants) are common in human lan-
guages and can be found in words containing or starting with s, f, z, ch
and other fricative!sounds ([s] [z] [ʃ] [tʃ] [dʒ]![ts] [ʂ] [f] [v] [ɸ] [θ] [ʒ]
etc).
Historically, all vocoders has an additional section to manage these
kinds of sounds. Usually that section worked with a sort of “unvoiced
detection circuit”: you can get an approximated idea of it imagining a
“de-esser”, which detects the presence of certain frequencies in the
sound spectrum, and instead of doing a selective band compression
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