Gotharman deFormer User manual

Gotharman’s deFormer
User Manual

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Index
Main Features 3
What Is The deFormer 4
deFormers’s internal flow 5
deFormer front 6
deFormer bac 8
The Preset select page 9
The Edit pages 10
Explanation Of The Edit Pages 12
Sequencer 12
Note Randomizer 20
Oscillators 25
Filterbank 1 32
Filterbank 2 44
Mixer 5
Granulator 59
Compressor 4
Distortion 7
Midi 9
How To Save A Preset 70
deFormer MIDI implementation 72

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Main Features
• Unique granular effect processor.
• Realtime live timestretch of incoming audio.
• Slice audio input up in small fragments, and move these fragments around in realtime.
• Granular step pitch shifter.
• Stereo delay.
• Compressor.
• Distortion.
• Build in synth.
• 4-note polyphonic Oscillators with continuously variable waveforms, wave-shape modulation,
fm and pwm which works on all waveforms.
• 2 filterbanks with each 4 high quality unique sounding analog-modelled bpf/lpf/hpf filters.
• Oscillators and external inputs can be routed to the filterbanks.
• 4 LFO’s with continuously variable waveforms, waveshape modulation and rate modulation.
• 2 envelopes.
• Filter random generator.
• Various control sources for every parameter.
• 4 MIDI note randomizer’s.
• 32-step step sequencer which is MIDI-syncable, with 2 tracks that each has one note track, one
velocity track and one controller track, has realtime transpose, and a keyboard (arpeggiator)
mode, in which, you can gate and transpose the sequence via a connected MIDI-keyboard.
• Storage of 512 sounds, sequences and effects in eeproms. No need to worry about changing
back-up batteries.
• 24 bit / 58 KHz high end audio system.

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What is the deFormer?
The deFormer were originally ment to be a unique granular effect processor only, but when the
granulator part was finished, only a quarter of it’s DSP power was used, so a synth section and
some additional effects was added.
The idea behind the deFormer was to create a creative compositional tool, with which you should
be able to create a new life to your musical pieces. When you have created a musical pattern, could
it become more interesting if you could move around and re-pitch fragments of it, or add
randomization to the notes? Or how would a single sound change, if you moved around small
fragments of that sound?
With deFormers granulator and 4-channel midi note randomizer, it is really possible to experiment
with your compositions in a different way than usual, and discover something new.
It is also an extremely useful tool for creating new versions of pre-recorded patterns, in a live or
remix situation.
Other additions includes 2 filterbanks with each 4 multimode filters, a compressor which can be
trigged from either the incoming audio signal or from selectable midi note on’s, a distortion effect
and a two-track analogue style midi sequencer.

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DeFormer front
In: Adjusts the total input level from audio inputs 1 and 2.
Out: Adjusts the total audio output level.
Mix: Adjusts the mix between the original audio input signal and the signal processed by the
granulator effect.
Edit: Enters the edit pages menu, for editing sounds, sequences and effects.
Enter / Exit / Save: When this blinks, it is required to be pushed, to confirm a preset change or a
controller number change. When it’s not blinking, pushing it enters the exit / save page. Pushing
this button again exit’s from the previous page, pushing ”dec” button saves the current preset.
Dec / Inc: Decrements / Increments the preset number (must be confirmed by pushing enter), and
navigates around on the edit pages.

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Freeze: Freezes the granulator effect, so the audio held inside of it will play back repeated until
freeze are released, by pushing freeze again.
Run: Starts and stops the two track sequencer.
The 3 nobs right under the display: Referred to as ”Edit nobs” (Two potentiometers and one
rotary encoder) Used for various editing function on the edit pages.
The 16 nobs on the lower half of the front: Referred to as ”Step nobs”, used for various
editing functions like sequencer steps note numbers, velocity values and controller values,
filterbanks cutoffs and levels, granulator step fragment numbers and step pitch shift values.

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DeFormer bac
Connections
9VDC: Connect the supplied power adaptor to this socket. The switch beside it are the power on/off
switch.
MIDI in: Connect this to the MIDI out of a MIDI transmitting device (MIDI keyboard, sequencer,
computer or whatever).
MIDI out: Connect this to the MIDI in of any MIDI gear, you want to control with deFormers
sequencer and note randomizer.
In 1: Line level audio input 1.
In 2: Line level audio input 2.
Output L jac : Left line level audio output. Connect to a mixer or amplifier.
Output R jac : Right line level audio output. Connect to a mixer or amplifier.

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The Preset select page
This is the deFormer main page. Every time you turn on your deFormer, it will for a short while
write: ”Gotharman’s deFormer”, and right after that, it will go to this screen.
On the top of the display it writes the name of the selected preset. It remembers what preset was
selected, when it was turned off, and goes to that preset when it is turned on again.
On the bottom of the display it writes the selected preset bank and number. The deFormer has
sixteen banks (A-P) with each 32 presets (512 in all). The number shown in paranthes, are the midi
bank and program change number you will have to transmit to the deFormer, to select this preset,
from an external midi-device.
To change preset: Push the Dec / Inc buttons or rotate the 2 potentiometers right under the display,
to select a preset. The name and number of the selected preset will now show in the display, and the
Enter/Exit/Save button will start to blink. Push the Enter/Exit/Save button to confirm the change to
the selected preset.
All preset are user-rewritable.

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The Edit pages
NOTICE: The edits you do, are not automatically stored in memory. If you would like to keep your
creation, you wil have to SAVE the preset. How to do that, are explained later in this section.
How to enter the edit pages from the preset select page:
Push the ”Edit” button. Now this screen should appear:
If you at this point wants to exit back to the preset select screen, push the Enter/Exit/Save button
twice. The first time you push it, this screen will appear:
One more push, will exit to the Preset select page.
If you, on the other hand, wants to start editing some presets, use the Dec/Inc buttons to select an
edit group, and push the edit button to enter/exit the edit parameters.
Inside an edit page, it might look like this:

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When you enter an edit parameter page, use the Dec/Inc buttons to select the various parameters
inside the group, and use the the knobs right under the display to edit the parameters. Sometimes the
1 knobs on the lower half of the front are also used for editing. That will be explained in the
following sections.
Overview of the edit group pages:

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Explanation of the edit pages
The Sequencer pages
The deFormer sequencer are a two-track analogue style type with a maximum of 32 steps for each
track. Each track has separate subtracks for note, velocity and controller. Tracks are "recorded" by
entering values for each step, using the 1 step knobs. It can be controlled from an external midi-
keyboard in various ways.
All parameters in both the sequencer, synth and effect section can be
changed, even while the sequencer is running.
Each track can be set up to control either the internal synth or external MIDI devices.
The sequencer is started/stopped by hitting the Run button.

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When on a sequencer edit page, and the sequencer is running, progression
on the steps can be viewed on the 1 step LED’s:
Push the Edit button to enter this page:
Edit 1: Track 1 on/off.
Edit 2: Track 2 on/off.

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The 1 step knobs, selects a note value for step 1-1 . The last selected note value are showed in the
lower right corner of the display.
The 1 step knobs, selects a note value for step 17-32. The last selected note value are showed in
the lower right corner of the display.
The 1 step knobs, selects a velocity value for step 1-1 . The last selected velocity value are
showed in the lower right corner of the display.

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The 1 step knobs, selects a velocity value for step 17-32. The last selected velocity value are
showed in the lower right corner of the display.
The 1 step knobs, selects a controller value for step 1-1 . The last selected controller value are
showed in the upper right corner of the display.
Edit knob 3 (the encoder) adjusts what controller number you want to control. This number is
shown on the upper left of the display. Every time you change the controller number, the
Enter/Exit/Save button will start to blink, and you will have to push it to confirm.

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The 1 step knobs, selects a controller value for step 17-32. The last selected controller value are
showed in the upper right corner of the display.
Edit knob 3 (the encoder) adjusts what controller number you want to control. This number is
shown on the upper left of the display. Every time you change the controller number, the
Enter/Exit/Save button will start to blink, and you will have to push it to confirm.
Edit 1 – Tempo: Adjusts the tempo of the sequence, unless sync in the midi section is set to ”ext”.
Edit 2 – Last Step: Sets the number steps the sequencer will run thru. Value can be from 1 to 32.
Encoder – Start Step: Selects at what step the sequencer will start, when you hit the Run button, or
jumps from another sequence to this one.

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Edit 1 – Transpose: Transposes the entire sequence in semi-tones in real-time. This can also be
done from a midi-keyboard (explained later).
Edit 2 – Resolution: Adjusts the sequencer resolution. Choices are: 1/8, 1/1 or 1/32.
Edit 1 – Trac MIDI output channel: Select what MIDI channel you want the track to control.
Only active if control = ext.
Encoder – Control Int/Ext: Select if you want the sequencer track to control deFormer’s internal
synth (Int), or an external MIDI device (Ext), on the selected MIDI channel.

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Edit 2 – Key transpose: If on, received midi note-on’s will transpose the entire sequence in semi-
tones in real-time.
Encoder – Key trigger: Selectable modes:
-Off: The sequencer are in normal mode. When you hit the Run knob, it
starts running, and when you hit it again, it stops.
-Gate: When you hit the Run knob, the sequencer starts running, but you
can’t hear it. A midi note-on from an external midi device (on the track
midi channel) will gate the sequencer, and cause it to output the track
data.
-Rgat: Same as gate, except that every time a midi note-on are received,
the sequence will reset to the start step.
-Key: Every time a midi note-on are received (on the track midi
channel), the sequencer advance to the next step, and plays that step,
until a note-off are received. This mode ignores the tempo and clock
int/ext settings.

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Sequencer trac 2
Has the same set of parameters as track 1. All parameters can be separately
adjusted for each track.

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The Note Randomizer pages
The note randomizer treats incoming MIDI note on and off's and notes generated by the internal
sequencer (if turned on). When it receives note data, it takes a look at a user adjustable probability
parameter, and randomly decides if it will play that note or not. If it decides to play the note, it will
have a look at a user adjustable random velocity parameter, and if this is higher than zero, it will
randomize the note velocity value with the adjusted amount. This effect is very useful for creating
variations in repeating patterns.
The deFormer has 4 note randomizers build in. MIDI channel and note range can be adjusted
separately for each note randomizer. If a note randomizer MIDI channel are the same as deFormers
global MIDI channel, that randomizer will treat notes sent to the internal synth.
Probability: Are adjusted with the first four of the 1 step knobs. Knob1 controls probability of
randomizer 1, knob 2 controls probability of randomizer 2 and so on. When a randomizer has turned
on one or more notes, the corresponding step LED will lit.
The probability value will show on the upper right corner of the display.
At high settings more notes will be passed thru, at lower settings less notes will be passed thru. At
255 all notes will get thru use this setting if you only wants the velocity to be randomized. At 0 no
notes will get thru.