Kodamo EssenceFM User manual

English
Other languages and PDFs available at kodamo.org

Welcome to the Kodamo EssenceFM! Thanks for urchasing our instrument, which
re resents a new vision of FM synthesis. We always were focused on making the
EssenceFM “musician oriented”, aiming for reliability and comfort of use in every
situation.
This manual was written to offer you the best ex erience you’d get from the EssenceFM.
We recommend to read at least the first section and store this handbook reciously in
case you want to get further information.
Main features
- 300-voice oly hony, 6-o erator FM sound generator
- 16- art (MIDI) / 300-voice multitimbral
- 6- oint loo able envelo es
- Free Algorithm and Envelo e Design
- 8-cord Modulation matrix with 138 sources/228 destinations
- 24 user-editable Waveforms
- 2 inde endent Multi-Effect DSPs
- Powerful Voice Sequencer
Safety Precautions
- Use only the su lied ower ada ter.
- Ensure your outlet is ro erly grounded.
- Do not cover the vent holes to revent overheating.
- Do not o en the device.
- Do not ex ose the device to water or any kind of liquid. If this ha ens,
immediately turn it off and un lug it, then ut it in a warm lace. Try turning it
on again only when it’s com letely dried.
- Do not use the device in excessively hot environments (>40°C).
- Do not ut any heavy objects on the device or ut too much ressure on the
touch screen, it could be easily damaged.
- Ensure the device is in a stable osition before using it.
- Never ower off the device when you are saving.
Please regularly save your data to a USB storage device (see Global > Storage). Like on
most synthesizers, a ower loss while saving may corru t your sounds!
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Table of Contents
Making connections...................................................................................................5
Let’s lay!...................................................................................................................5
Introducing the Front Panel.......................................................................................6
User Interface Elements............................................................................................8
First ste s.................................................................................................................10
Introducing FM synthesis...................................................................................10
Sound design ti s...............................................................................................11
Basic workflow...................................................................................................12
Voice mode..............................................................................................................13
Voice List.......................................................................................................13
Voice Editor........................................................................................................14
Algorithm design..........................................................................................14
Editing voice/o erator arameters..............................................................15
Voice settings...............................................................................................15
O erator settings.........................................................................................17
Envelo e Editor............................................................................................19
Patch mode..............................................................................................................21
Patch editor........................................................................................................21
Layer management.......................................................................................21
Patch settings...............................................................................................22
Layer settings................................................................................................22
Voice Sequencer...........................................................................................23
Performance mode..................................................................................................25
Performance Manager.......................................................................................26
Part Editor..........................................................................................................26
Effects and Routing............................................................................................27
Effect selection.............................................................................................27
Knob Assign........................................................................................................27
Global mode............................................................................................................28
MIDI....................................................................................................................28
Tuning.................................................................................................................29
Waveforms.........................................................................................................30
Waveform Editor..........................................................................................30
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Sorting................................................................................................................31
Dis lay................................................................................................................31
Storage...............................................................................................................32
Audio..................................................................................................................32
System................................................................................................................33
Reset...................................................................................................................33
TouchPiano.........................................................................................................33
Automation..............................................................................................................34
Effect List.................................................................................................................35
Troubleshooting.......................................................................................................36
Warranty..................................................................................................................38
Maintenance and Care............................................................................................38
License.....................................................................................................................38
Memo.......................................................................................................................39
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Making connections
It’s the moment to lug your EssenceFM!
Back anel connectors are described below, from the left to the right:
-Audio Out ut Pairs 1 to 4 (¼ inch / 6,35 mm TRS hone jacks): Each air can
o erate as a stereo out ut (see Effects and Routing section). Each out ut
delivers a balanced signal, but still can be connected to an unbalanced TS jack.
-USB (Ty e B): Connects to a host system for USB-MIDI transmission.
-Ethernet (RJ45): Connects to a network to carry MIDI-RTP ackets.
-MIDI Out (DIN): Connects to any MIDI instrument to be controlled by the
EssenceFM.
-MIDI Thru (DIN): Out uts (re eats) any MIDI data fed into the MIDI In ort.
-MIDI In (DIN): Connects to any MIDI controlling device (e.g. master keyboard,
synth, sequencer, com uter MIDI interface, wind controller, etc.)
-DC Power su ly: Connects to the su lied DC 12V ower ada ter.
Let’s play!
When owered u , the EssenceFM starts
in Patch mode by default, letting you lay
with its reset atches.
Just scroll down the list and select a atch
by ressing on its name to use it.
There are also Voice resets, that can be
accessed by going into Voice mode (see
next section).
The EssenceFM ower resides into its
structure, smaller elements are stacked to
make big ensembles. Let’s familiarize with
it.
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Voice: A Voice is the smallest element that the EssenceFM uses: a 6-o FM sound.
Patch: A Patch is gathering one or more voice(s), by stacking, layering, sequencing them
together and adding effects.
Performance: A Performance assigns a atch to each MIDI channel, store effects, routing
settings and much more. It allows multitimbral o eration. In this mode the effects are
shared, ignoring atch effect settings.
Introducing the ront Panel
The EssenceFM’s front anel is based on the combination of a large touchscreen and
hardware controls. Hardware controls rovide a quick access to the most common
features.
MODE KEYS
- Performance
- Patch
- Voice
- Global
These keys rovides direct access to the associated modes.
See the Performance/Patch/Voice/Global sections to know
more about them.
MODE LEDS
An LED near each mode key tells the current active mode. When the Global mode is
entered, the revious mode LED (Performance, Patch or Voice) still lights u since those
modes kee s running in background. You can think of the Global mode as a virtual mode,
not affecting the sound or the behavior of the synth, only roviding access to global
arameters.
DATA ENTRY
-Direct Access knobs: Those 6 knobs are used for the Direct Access feature
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described below, exce t on the main age of the Performance mode, where
they act as real-time MIDI controllers.
-Main Dial: Modifies the focused element on screen (which will be detailed in
the next section).
-Inc / Dec: Works in the same way as Main Dial (increments and decrements
value).
EDITION KEYS
Copy: Co ies the focused element into the cli board for further use.
Paste: Puts the cli board contents into the focused element.
Undo: Discards the last o eration, u to 1000 times. Leaving a age resets the
undo/redo history. Most o erations are undoable: Voice arameters, algorithm
arrangements, atch arameters, waveform editing... Only the o erations on general
ages are usually not undoable (clearing an item, swa ing an item, doing a co y- aste
o eration in the voice/ atch/ erformance/tunings/waveform list...).
Redo: Restores the reviously discarded o eration.
Save: Saves the current element into the internal memory. A art from some global
settings, an element is never automatically saved when edited, moved or overwritten.
Pressing Save on a general age (e.g. Patch list) will o en a o u allowing you to save
s ecific elements or to save them all. Pressing Save a second time will save all the
modified elements, exactly like if you ressed “Save All”.
Recall: Reloads the current element from its last saved state. This action doesn't clear
the Undo/Redo history so you can undo a recall o eration.
HELP KEYS
Preview (♪): Plays a few notes to quickly listen to an element without having to use a
MIDI controller. To customize the review notes, see Global > MIDI > Preview.
Panic: Sto s all notes currently laying.
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User Interface Elements
The EssenceFM user interface is organized into ages.
A breadcrumb located at the to of the screen always shows were you are in the age
tree.
After ressing a mode key, the main age of the mode is dis layed at the leftmost, then
you can access more sub- ages from it.
You can navigate back at any time by ressing on a age name.
Note the asterisks (*) on some ages. That means this element was modified but not
saved. When the asterisk is on a general age (like the Patch list, Voice list, Performance
list), it means there is one or more modified/unsaved elements.
If you are not familiar with com uters and user interfaces, here is a descri tion of the
elements found in the EssenceFM :
ocus notion: Focus is the gra hical re resentation of which
element is currently editable, it’s re resented by a ink frame
surrounding the element. A focused element is directly editable
by turning the Main Dial knob, ushing INC/DEC keys, and is
eligible to a COPY/PASTE o eration.
Direct Access feature: The 6 knobs located on the right side of the touchscreen allow you
to edit values without the need to focus the element. Elements concerned by Direct
Access are always flagged with the associated knob number, like on the icture above
(“1” and “2” flags). All sliders and envelo e oints can be edited this way (see Envelo e
Editor cha ter).
Popup: A window that a ears in front of the
age. Often for confirmation ur oses, or to
show more arameters after ressing a
button.
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Button: Pressing it triggers an action, like a hysical key does.
Slider: Allows to set a value. Sim ly drag the slider
horizontally to change its value. You can also enter a
numerical value by using the virtual key ad that shows u
at the to right corner of the screen.
List: Allows you to select an element in a list. You can swi e it vertically to
quickly scroll across the elements, or slowly move your fingerti to reach
recisely what you are seeking. Any element can also be accessed by entering
its index with the virtual numerical key ad (by ressing on the key ad button
after it’s focused, like the slider).
Text field: Allows you to enter text data
(e.g. atch name). Pressing it o ens the
al hanumeric virtual keyboard.
Checkbox: Controls a arameter that
can be activated (checked) or
deactivated (unchecked).
Radio Button: Allows to make a choice between several o tions. Unlike
checkboxes, radio buttons are at least two, and only one can be selected at a
time into a set.
Tab field: S lits interface elements into several tabs,
which are like small ages. Press on its header to access
its contents. The current active tab has a lighter color
and is offset com ared to the others.
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