Lexicon VORTEX - MANUAL 2 User manual

English
TM
UDIO AORPHING M ROCESSOR P
User Guide

English
Lexicon Part #070-10646 Printed in the U.S.A.
Lexicon Inc. • 3 Oak Park • Bedford, MA 01730 • USA • Telephone [phone] • Fax [phone]
Copyright 1995, Lexicon Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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Dopo essersi assicurati che il prodotto non abbia subito danni causati dal trasporto
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garanzia tramite la LEXICON card.
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édicté par le ministère des Communications du Canada.
Thisequipmentgeneratesanduses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer'sinstructions,maycauseinterferencetoradioand television
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reasonable protection against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference
to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment OFF and ON, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: reorient the
receivingantenna; relocatethe computerwithrespect tothe receiver;movethecomputeraway fromthereceiver;plugthe computerintoadifferentoutlet sothatthecomputerand receiverare ondifferentbranch
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English
Table of Contents
Using Registers ................................................................... 21
Storing Effects •Clearing Register Pairs •Using
Footswitches •Finding the Preset Used to Create
an Effect
Effect Descriptions ................................................................ 25
Overview.............................................................................. 25
Reflexion.............................................................................. 26
Atmosphere ......................................................................... 28
Orbits .................................................................................30
Centrifuge ............................................................................ 32
Aerosol ................................................................................ 34
Mosaic .................................................................................36
Maze .................................................................................38
Duo .................................................................................40
Deja Vu................................................................................ 42
Choir .................................................................................44
Shimmer .............................................................................. 46
Sweep .................................................................................48
Shadow................................................................................ 50
Cycloid................................................................................. 52
Bleen .................................................................................54
Fractal .................................................................................56
Specifications......................................................................... 58
Getting Started ......................................................................... 1
Introduction............................................................................ 1
Front Panel Overview ............................................................ 2
Setting Audio Levels •Setting MIX Values
Rear Panel Connections........................................................ 4
Footswitch and Footpedal Connections •Headphones
Audio Connections ................................................................ 6
In-Line Processing •Using Vortex on a Mixer
Effects Return Bus
A/B Relay Switch ................................................................... 8
Basic Operation........................................................................ 9
Overview................................................................................ 9
Presets and Registers ......................................................... 10
Effect Parameters................................................................ 11
Adjusting Parameter Values •About the Parameters
TAP and Echo Rhythms ...................................................... 13
Tempo and Rhythm •Tapping in a Tempo •Echo
Rhythms
Audio Morphing™................................................................ 16
About Morphing •Trying Some Morphs •Setting
Morph Rates
Pedal Control....................................................................... 18
Assign a Parameter to a Pedal •Capturing Parameter
Changes Made with a Pedal •Controlling Morphs
with a Pedal

English
To make sure you get the most out of
Vortex, be sure to read the manual.
1
Getting Started
Introduction
CongratulationsonyourpurchaseofVor-
tex, the world's first Audio Morphing™pro-
cessor!YouareabouttodiscoverthatVortex
sets new standards for sound processing —
for both the type and variety of effects it
produces,andfor themusicalway inwhichit
lets you control effects.
Uniqueeffects and exciting performance
capabilitiesprovidelotsofroomforindividual
expressionandexperimentation.Morelikea
musical instrument than a passive effects
"black box," Vortex will change the way you
make music.
Vortex effects are organized into sixteen
pairs of presets. Each consists of multiple
modulation and delay functions, and each
hasitsowndistinctivesonicsignature.Some
arebasedoncombinationsofclassiceffects,
such as echo, rotary speaker, autopan, and
chorus,while others defy verbal description.
All 32 effects share a common set of
sixteen parameters. Changing settings to
customize an effect is fast and easy, and 32
user registers are provided for storing your
own Vortex creations.
Audio Morphing™allows you to control
dynamic transformations between any two
effects. While this can produce truly mind-
boggling effects, it couldn't be easier to con-
trol —requiring only a single button push.
Some of the other exciting features of
Vortex are:
•Flexible processing paths: true stereo,
dual mono, dual mono in/stereo out
•Envelope follower for dynamic control of
each effect
•All echo rhythms synchronized to your
master tempo
•Cross-feed and feedback/cross-feed mix
pathsforspatialeffectsand complexecho
rhythms
•Register step and chains via footswitch
•Analogrelayformusicalinstrumentampli-
fier channel switching

English
Front Panel Overview
2
REGISTER/PRESET
Button selects preset or register mode.
LEDlightswhenregistermodeisselected,
turns off in preset mode.
Knob will select presets 1-16 or registers
1-16, depending on button setting.
INPUT
Setsthelevel of the incoming signal. LEDs
indicateacceptable signal level (LVL), and
overload (OVL).
Note using a footswitch to step
through registers will cause a dis-
crepancy between the REGISTER/
PRESET knob setting and the dis-
play (which will show the number of
theregister thatisactually running.)
VALUE
Adjustsvalues of selected parameter.
All parameter values are displayed
witharangeof1-64andareaccompa-
nied by the VALUE LED.
PARAMETER
Selects among 16 parameters for adjustment
with the VALUE knob, or pedal assignment.
DISPLAY
Numeric display of digits 1-64, and decimal point. Dis-
played digits indicate ID number of currently running
effect. Digits accompanied by lit VALUE LED indicate
parameter values. Decimal point lights to show an effect
has been modified since it was stored.
INPUT
A
B
VALUE
A/BSTORE VALUE REGISTER/PRESET
OVLLVL
CLEAR
PEDAL/TAP
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
DEJA VU
CHOIR
SHIMMER
SWEEP
SHADOW
CYCLOID
BLEEN
FRACTAL
DUO
MAZE
MOSAIC
AEROSOL
CENTRIFUGE
ORBITS
ATMOSPHERE
REFLEXION
FEEDBACK 1
FEEDBACK 2
RATE 1
DEPTH 1
RESONANCE 1
RATE 2
DEPTH 2
RESONANCE 2
ECHO 2
ECHO 1
ENVELOPE
MORPH A/B
ECHO FX LVL
MOD FX LVL
OUTPUT
MIX
TM
UDIOA ORPHING M ROCESSOR P
PEDAL/TAP
If a footpedal is connected, assigns footpedal
controltoanyparameterselectedbyParameter
knob (except ECHO 1 ÷and ECHO 2 ÷). LED
indicates pedal assignment.
When no pedal is connected, or whenever Pa-
rameter knob is set to ECHO 1 ÷or ECHO 2 ÷,
button enters timing information. Two pushes
define a tempo for all effects. LED indicates 1st
TAP received, waiting for 2nd TAP.
CLEAR
Clears register pairs (A and B) to allow effects to be
skippedforafootswitchstepsequence,orfootswitch-
activated chains to be created. Repeat to restore the
register pair.
STORE
Stores the current effect to whatever register is indi-
cated by settings of A/B and REGISTER/PRESET.
A/B
Activates rear panel A/B relay, and
toggles selection of A and B banks of
presets and registers. A and B LEDs
indicate current selection.

English 3
Setting Audio Levels
1. TurnVortexINPUTallthewaydown(fully
counter-clockwise).
2. Connect Vortex inputs to an audio
source, and Vortex outputs to an ampli-
fier or mixer.
3. Apply an input signal at a level that you
typically use.
4. While sending audio to Vortex, gradually
turn up the INPUT control until the LVL
LED* lights green. Continue to advance
INPUT until the OVL LED lights on only
the loudest peaks. If the OVL LED is lit
continuously, turn the INPUT control
down.
Setting MIX Values
Thesound of eachVortex preset ishighly
dependent on the mix of dry (unprocessed)
and wet (processed) signals. MIX settings
are stored with each effect. If Vortex outputs
are connected to amplifier or mixer channel
inputs, you should not have to adjust this
parameter to use any of the presets.
If Vortex outputs are connected to a
console's returns (and Vortex output is,
therefore, mixed with dry signal from the
console), you should select each effect and
raise the MIX parameter to its maximum
value. (64=100% wet)
Be aware that several Vortex effects are
meant to be used at 100% wet (
ORBITS,
CENTRIFUGE, MOSAIC
, etc.) When using
Vortex with a console, you will get the stron-
gest effect by connecting Vortex outputs to
channel inputs.
5. Adjust amplifier or mixer levels for opti-
mum signal-to-noise performance.
* The LVL LED is off when the incoming signal is
low; it lights to indicate acceptable levels (6dB to
30dB below overload). The OVL LED lights red
whenthesignalapproachesoverload.Acceptable
signalswilllightthe LVLLEDalmost continuously,
and the OVL LED only on peaks.

English
FOOTSWITCHES POWER OUTPUTS INPUTS
9V~, 1A,
50-60Hz
LEXICON, INC.
WALTHAM MA 02154
MADE IN U.S.A.
P/N 021-09504
SERIAL #
THIS DEVICE COMPLIES WITH PART
15 OF THE FCC RULES.
OPERATION IS SUBJECT TO THE
FOLLOWING TWO CONDITIONS:
(1) THIS DEVICE MAY NOT CAUSE
HARMFUL INTERFERENCE, AND
(2) THIS DEVICE MUST ACCEPT ANY
INTERFERENCE RECEIVED<
INCLUDING INTERFERENCE THAT
MAY CAUSE UNDESIRED OPERATION.
:TIP
:RING
:SLEEVE
BYPASS
STEP TAP
A/B L
(HI-Z PHONES)
L R
(MONO) R (MONO)
USE LEXICON
MSA AC ADAPTER
VORTEX
A
B
COM
A/B
A/B RELAY
SPECIFICATION
< 100V, < 100mA
STEREO
PLUG
ONLY
FOOTPEDAL
Rear Panel Connections
4
A/B
Relay-switched Tip/Ring/Sleeve phone
output for remote channel switching of
musicalinstrumentampsviafrontpanel
or footswitch A/B control.
FOOTSWITCHES
TwoTip/Ring/Sleevephoneinputs,formomentary
contact footswitches, allow footswitch control of
front panel functions.
POWER
Use Lexicon MSA power pack,
or 9VAC 1 amp equivalent.
OUTPUT
Single-ended (unbalanced) stereo outputs provide
-2dBu nominal output level. Use the right output
connector for mono output. If no connection is made
atthe right output, the left outputcanbeusedtodrive
high-efficiency headphones at modest volume.
FOOTPEDAL
Tip/Ring/Sleeve 1/4" phone input for
expression pedal control of selected
parameter.
INPUT
Single-ended (unbalanced) inputs accept levels
as low as -30dBu. Input impedance is 50 kΩin
stereo, 25 kΩin mono. Use the right for mono
input.

English
TIP
RING
SLEEVE
Tip Sleeve
Ring
TAP
A/B
TIP
RING
SLEEVE
Tip Sleeve
Ring
BYPASS
STEP
5
Footswitch and Footpedal
Connections
Footswitches connected via the rear-
panel footswitch jacks allow you to perform
register STEP and BYPASS functions and/
or to control TAP and A/B effect morphing.
Two momentary foot-switches can be wired
to a tip-ring-sleeve connector. A stereo Y-
connector allows two identical single
switches to be used.
Headphones
A stereo signal which is adequate to drive
high-efficiency headphones is available at
the left output,
provided no connections are
madethroughtherightoutput
.Thisfeatureis
provided as a convenience for practice pur-
poses, and is intended to provide only mod-
est volume.
One footswitch is provided with your unit,
along with a set of labels to identify footswitch
functionality. If you are only going to be using
one footswitch,connect it to perform TAP and
A/B functions, or register STEP and BYPASS
functions, and label it accordingly.
TAPA/B
BYPASSSTEP
Use a second (optional) footswitch to control
the remaining footswitch functions.
TIP
RING
SLEEVE
Tip Sleeve
Ring
PEDAL
10-50K
Typical Pot(entiometer)
TipSleeve Ring
An expression pedal connected via the
rearpanelpedaljackallows continuouscon-
trol of selected front panel parameter.

English
Audio Connections
6
Audio connections to Vortex are unbal-
anced and should be made with high quality
shielded cables with 1/4" tip-sleeve phone
jacks at the Vortex end.
Vortexis atrue stereoprocessor. Leftand
right inputs are processsed separately. The
chart to the right shows the processing path
of each preset.
Even if you are using a mono input, take
advantage of the stereo outputs. All Vortex
effects are designed to be mono compatible
and to maximize the spatial characteristics
ofeacheffect.Ifmonooutputisrequired,use
the right output jack. The left and right sig-
nals are summed internally when only the
right output is used.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Stereo In
Stereo Out Dual Stereo In Stereo Out Dual Mono In Stereo Out Dual Mono In Dual Mono Out Mono In Stereo Out
Maze B
Shadow A
Bleen B
Orbits A/B
Duo B Duo A
Centrifuge A/B
Mosaic B
Maze A
Choir B
Shadow B
Reflexion A/B
Atmosphere A/B
Aerosol A/B
Mosaic A
Deja Vu A/B
Choir A
Shimmer A/B
Sweep A/B
Cycloid A/B
Bleen A
Fractal A/B

English 7
In-Line Processing
Note that MIX settings are stored with
Vortex effects. The presets have been de-
signed with specific MIX settings for each
effect which should not need adjustment
when the unit is used in-line.
Mono In
(R)
INPUT
A
B
VALUE
A/BSTORE VALUE REGISTER/PRESET
AUDIOMORPHING PROCESSOR
TM
OVLLVL
CLEAR
PEDAL/TAP
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
DEJA VU
CHOIR
SHIMMER
SWEEP
SHADOW
CYCLOID
BLEEN
FRACTAL
DUO
MAZE
MOSAIC
AEROSOL
CENTRIFUGE
ORBITS
ATMOSPHERE
REFLEXION
FEEDBACK 1
FEEDBACK 2
RATE 1
DEPTH 1
RESONANCE 1
RATE 2
DEPTH 2
RESONANCE 2
ECHO 2
ECHO 1
ENVELOPE
MORPH A/B
ECHO FX LVL
MOD FX LVL
OUTPUT
MIX
Mono Out
Effects Return
Effects Send Guitar
Amp
Using Vortex on a Mixer
Effects Return Bus
If Vortex is using a console’s returns,
select each effect's MIX parameter, then
usethe VALUEknob toset itto itsmaximum
value (64).
Some Vortex effects are meant to be
heard 100% wet, with no dry signal added.
Adjust your console's wet/dry mix accord-
ingly.
In
Stereo Instrument
or
Stereo Mixer (Effects Sends)
Out
Out
In
Mixer
Ch 1
(panned hard left)
Ch 2
(panned hard right)
INPUT
A
B
VALUE
A/BSTORE VALUE REGISTER/PRESET
TM
OVLLVL
CLEAR
PEDAL/TAP 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
DEJA VU
CHOIR
SHIMMER
SWEEP
SHADOW
CYCLOID
BLEEN
FRACTAL
DUO
MAZE
MOSAIC
AEROSOL
CENTRIFUGE
ORBITS
ATMOSPHERE
REFLEXION
FEEDBACK 1
FEEDBACK 2
RATE 1
DEPTH 1
RESONANCE 1
RATE 2
DEPTH 2
RESONANCE 2
ECHO 2
ECHO 1
ENVELOPE
MORPH A/B
ECHO FX LVL
MOD FX LVL
OUTPUT
MIX
UDIOA ORPHING M ROCESSOR P
INPUT
A
B
VALUE
A/BSTORE VALUE REGISTER/PRESET
AUDIOMORPHING PROCESSOR
TM
OVLLVL
CLEAR
PEDAL/TAP
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
DEJA VU
CHOIR
SHIMMER
SWEEP
SHADOW
CYCLOID
BLEEN
FRACTAL
DUO
MAZE
MOSAIC
AEROSOL
CENTRIFUGE
ORBITS
ATMOSPHERE
REFLEXION
FEEDBACK 1
FEEDBACK 2
RATE 1
DEPTH 1
RESONANCE 1
RATE 2
DEPTH 2
RESONANCE 2
ECHO 2
ECHO 1
ENVELOPE
MORPH A/B
ECHO FX LVL
MOD FX LVL
OUTPUT
MIX
Out
R
Effects Sends
Stereo
Mixer
L
In
RL
Effects Returns

English 8
A/B Relay Switch
Vortexis equipped withan electrically iso-
lated analog switch that allows remote con-
trol of guitar amplifier lead/rhythm channel
selection. Simply connect a standard 1/4"
guitarcablebetweentheVortexrearpanelA/
BrelayswitchandtheA/Bswitchinginputon
your amp.
Both the front panel A/B button, and the
footswitch A/B control will activate this
switch, allowing you to simultaneously
switch effects and amplifier settings.
Forexample, ifyour amp channelA corre-
spondstolead,andchannelBtorhythm,you
canloadVortex'sAregisterswitheffectsyou
wanttouseonleads,andloadtheBregisters
with rhythm effects. Now, a single tap on the
A/B footswitch will coordinate switching be-
tween lead effects on your A channel and
rhythm effects on your B channel.
Any amplifier with a channel switching
feature and a footswitch connection can be
connected to the rear panel A/B relay con-
nector on Vortex. The switch functions as
follows: Mono plug* Stereo plug
A switch closed sleeve tied to Tip
B switch open sleeve tied to Ring
* To switch polarity, use a stereo plug into
Vortex, with a mono plug going into the amp.
Attach the two wires to the connector sleeve
and ring so that A = open and B = closed.

English
Basic Operation
9
Overview
Vortexprovidesarichsetofperformance
andprogrammingfeatures—allofwhichare
simple and straightforward. Effect selection,
editing,store,andmorphfunctionsareeasily
accomplishedwithdedicatedknobsandbut-
tons.
InVortex,thetediousprocessofentering
delaytimeswhichhavetoberecalculatedfor
every tempo change is replaced by simple
rhythm controls.The unique combination of
the front panel TAP and ECHO÷controls
makesiteasytosetuppreciseechorhythms
—and to synchronize the echo rhythms of
every effect to any tempo —on the fly!
Audio Morphing™gives you unprec-
edented real-time control of parameter val-
ues, effects ordering and control routing.
While the dynamically changing sounds can
range from subtle to extreme, you control
morphing with simply a button push or a
pedal sweep.
An expression pedal can be assigned to
control any one of fourteen parameters in
each effect with a single button push (and
pedal assignments can be stored with your
effects.)
Adualfootswitch,providedwithyourunit,
allows you to bypass effects, step through
your registers, or cycle through chains of
effects.
Each of these functions is described in
detail in this section.

English
A
B
VALUE
A/B
10
Presets and Registers
REGISTER/PRESET 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
DEJA VU
CHOIR
SHIMMER
SWEEP
SHADOW
CYCLOID
BLEEN
FRACTAL
DUO
MAZE
MOSAIC
AEROSOL
CENTRIFUGE
ORBITS
ATMOSPHERE
REFLEXION
The REGISTER/PRESET button deter-
mineswhetherthe knobwillload registersor
presets.TheLEDlightstoindicateregisteris
selected.
Turn the REGISTER/PRESET knob to
selectandloadthepresetorregisternumber
you want.
Vortex has 32 presets and 32
registers for storing your
customized effects. Pressing the
REGISTER/PRESET button ...
Eachpreset andregister hasan Aand a B
version.In the presets, A and Bversions are
matched into specific effect pairs. You can
set up your own pairing system in the regis-
ters.
The front panel A/B button determines
which version of an effect will be loaded.
When this button is pressed with an effect
running,itwillinitiateadynamictransition,or
morph from one effect to the other. (The
abilityto make these transitions is oneof the
most exciting features of Vortex and is ex-
plained fully under
Morphing later in the
manual. )
. ..determines whether presets
(REFLEXION ... FRACTAL),
or registers (1 ... 16) will be
selected by the knob.
LEDs indicate A/B selection.
The setting of A/B deter-
mines whether the A or B
versions of presets and
registers will be loaded.
LED indicates register selection.
Vortex is loaded with 32 permanent pre-
sets, arranged in two banks, and numbered
1A-16A and 1B-16B.
Vortex also has 32 memory locations,
called registers, where you can store your
own effects. When first shipped, Vortex has
a duplicate set of the presets loaded into the
registers. Although these are grouped into
register pairs which match the preset A/B
pairs, you can store any effect you want into
any register space.

English
FEEDBACK 1
FEEDBACK 2
RATE 1
DEPTH 1
RESONANCE 1
RATE 2
DEPTH 2
RESONANCE 2
ENVELOPE
MORPH A/B
ECHO FX LVL
MOD FX LVL
OUTPUT
MIX
ECHO 2
ECHO 1
PEDAL/TAP
11
A
B
VALUE
A/B VALUE
Use the VALUE knob to adjust
the selected parameter.
TheVALUELED lights whenever
parameter values are displayed.
Parameter values (1-64)
will be displayed when
VALUE is turned.
Thedecimal point indicates changes have
been made since the last store operation.
Select a parameter.
Effect Parameters
Adjusting Parameter Values
Each effect in Vortex has sixteen adjust-
able parameters. Control over these param-
etersissimple—selectaparameterwiththe
PARAMETER knob, then adjust it with the
VALUE knob. All parameter settings made
from the front panel can be stored with the
effect.*
TheVALUEknobisalwaysactive,andwill
adjust whichever parameter is indicated by
the PARAMETER knob. The first turn of
VALUE will display the current parameter
setting and light the VALUE LED. Subse-
quent adjustments will increment or decre-
ment parameter values along their entire
range (1-64).
The decimal point on the display will light
whenaparameterisadjustedtoindicatethat
the effect has been modified since the last
storeoperation.Ifnofurtheradjustmentsare
made with VALUE, the display will revert to
showing the number of the currently running
effect. The edit indicator will remain on until
the effect is stored, or until changes are lost
by selecting another effect with the REGIS-
TER/PRESET knob.
* Parameter changes made with an expression
pedal are not automatically stored with the ef-
fect. See Pedal Control .

English 12
About the Parameters
Vortexparameters,inadditiontoproviding
familiar mix and level controls, allow you to
access dimensional, rhythmic, and dynamic
aspectsof eacheffect.Thesecontrolsmake
Vortexmuch morelike a musical instrument
thana simpleeffects box—they letyou play
Vortex's unique effects.
The MIX and OUTPUT controls, which
have the same function in each effect, are
described here. Certain other parameters,
such as the modulation controls (Rate,
Depth, etc.) affect different aspects of the
modulationineacheffect.Thesearemarked
withanasterisk(*)anddescribedforspecific
effects in Effect Descriptions. Other param-
eters, such as the ECHO÷controls and
Morph A/B, are described fully in sections of
their own.
Each parameter has a range of control
which is displayed as 1-64. The general
behavior of each parameter is as follows:
MIX
Controls the balance between Vortex effects (the
combination of ECHO FX LVL and MOD FX LVL)
and the dry audio signal. 1=100% dry; 64=100%
wet.
OUTPUT
Controls the output level of the MIX signal.
*MOD FX LVL
Controls the level of the modulation portion of an
effect. 1=off.
*ECHO FX LVL
Controls the level of the echo portion of an effect.
1=off.
MORPH A/B
Controls the rate of morphing between A and B
effects.1=10 seconds;64=.01second. See Audio
Morphing.™
*ENVELOPE
All Vortex effects are dynamically sensitive. EN-
VELOPEcontrolstheamountofsensitivityapplied
to the effect. 1=off; 64=maximum sensitivity.
Note: When both inputs are used, ENVELOPE is
derived from the left input.
ECHO 1÷and ECHO 2÷
Vortex has two delay lines dedicated to echo
effects. The ECHO ÷controls allow selection of
rhythmic divisions of the tempo you've set. See
TAP and ECHO Rhythms.
*FEEDBACK 1 and 2
Control feedback to the two delay lines (ECHO 1
and 2). Several configurations of feedback and
cross-feedback are used in the effects.
Vortex has two LFOs which are used to
controldifferenttypesofmodulation(suchas
vibrato, rotary, pan, etc.) The RATE,
DEPTH,andRESONANCEcontrolsprovide
accesstodifferentaspectsofthemodulation
portion of each effect.
*RATE 1 and 2
Control the speed of the modulation effect.
1=0.1Hz; 64=100Hz. Higher speeds are capable
of producing "ring modulation" effects.
*DEPTH 1 and 2
These controls are generally associated with
RATE 1 and RATE 2, and control the amount of
modulation.
*RESONANCE 1 and 2
Control aspects of the resonance around the
modulationeffect,suchaslevel,cross-resonance
level, tuning. etc.

English 13
TAP and Echo Rhythms
Tempo and Rhythm
Vortex has two independent delay lines
(ECHO1andECHO2),whichareconfigured
inavarietyofwaystocreaterhythmiceffects.
The configuration and extent of control over
these echoes is one of the things that gives
Vortex effects their exciting rhythmic pat-
terns, and their dimensional quality. The
otherunique componentincreating Vortex's
echo effects is you .
Other effects processors require you to
slaveyour tempo to their presetdelay times,
or to calculate and set an absolute tempo in
milliseconds, then use that number to calcu-
late delay times for appropriate rhythms,
then to enter those delay times into the box.
Changing tempo requires repeating the en-
tire process.
Vortex will slave echo rhythms to any
tempoyouwant.Setting tempoisas easyas
tappingyourfoot,andyoucanchangetempo
as often as you like —even on the fly.
In Vortex, tempois set simplyby pressing
TAPtwice.Becauseeveryeffectintheboxis
synchronizedtothecurrenttempo,alleffects
arealwaysrhythmicallycompatible.Youcan
tap with a footswitch, or with the front panel
PEDAL/TAPbutton. (If youhave a footpedal
connected to Vortex, you must select one of
the ECHO÷parameters in order for the but-
ton to function as TAP. See
Pedal Control. )
The ECHO 1÷and ECHO 2÷controls
allow you to easily set up extraordinary
polyrhythms within any effect. These rhyth-
mic divisions are automatically stored with
the effect .
Tapping in a Tempo
Setting the tempo for Vortex couldn't be
easier—simplypressTAPtwiceinrhythmto
establish the tempo you want. The front
panelLEDwilllightonyourfirstpressofTAP
to indicate a tap interval is being calculated.
Your second TAP defines the tap interval
and turns off the LED. Now, any effect you
selectwillbesynchronizedtoyourtempo.To
select a new tempo at any time, just TAP
twice. Vortex will update the tempo through-
out the box on receipt of the second TAP. (If
asecondTAP isnotreceived withinapproxi-
mately 30 seconds, Vortex will remain at the
current tempo and turn the LED off.)
Thissimplemethodofsettingtemporeally
freesyoutoexperiment.Tryrunningthrough
the presets and simply tapping different in-
tervals. Some effects will sound markedly
differentwiththetempoaltered.—Trylisten-
ing to an effect, then TAP in a whole note
intervalandlistenagain.TAPin3beats,then
4 beats, to get an idea of the changes that
can be made to a single effect.

English 14
Echo Rhythms
Echorhythmsaredivisionsofthetapinter-
valyou'veselectedforVortex.TheECHO1÷
and ECHO 2÷controls allow you to set
independent rhythms, which will always be
relatedtothetapinterval,foreachofVortex's
two delay lines.
For example, if you tap in a whole note
interval (4 beats between taps), the param-
eter value 4 corresponds to quarter-note
echoes, 8 corresponds to eighth-note ech-
oes...64 to sixty-fourth-note echoes.
Tap intervals in Vortex can be as long as
28seconds, allowing longphrases of music,
ratherthansinglebeats,todeterminetempo.
Whenever Vortex is turned on, the tap
interval will return to the default value. (1=a
quarter-note at 65 bpm)
The ability to set different rhythmic divi-
sions for Vortex's two echoes allows you to
set up some very interesting patterns. For
example:
1. Loadany effect with adual echo configu-
ration, such as preset 8.
DUO B.
2. Tap in a whole note interval (4 beats
between taps).
3. Turn the Parameter knob to ECHO 1÷,
and set the VALUE knob to 16. This will
give ECHO 1 a sixteenth-note rhythm.
4. Select ECHO 2÷, and set its VALUE to 8,
giving ECHO 2 an eighth-note rhythm.
Now, you can tap any interval, and the
relationship between ECHO 1 and ECHO 2
rhythms will be maintained —and still be
synchronized with the tempo. (ECHO 1 will
always have a rhythm which is twice as fast
as that of ECHO 2.)

English 15
Vortex echo divisions are calculated with
16-bit acuracy. This ensures that the rhyth-
mic relationships between ECHO 1 and
ECHO2arehighlyaccurateandstable,even
forunusualpolyrhythmssuchas2against 9,
or 11 against 13 —patterns that would be
extremely tedious, and perhaps impossible,
to set up on another effects processor.
Try setting up some patterns such as 3
against 2, 7 against 9, etc. —they're all a
snap with Vortex.
Tap Interval
(Number of Beats between TAPs)
1
2
3
Rhythmic Divisions
ECHO Value
12345 678
•••
6
1
1
1
2
2
3
4
6
53 7
7
65
5:4 7:4
3 5 6 7
5:4 7:4
35 6 7
5:4 7:4
The maximum delay time for one echo in
Vortex is 923 milliseconds. The maximum
delay time for configurations which use
Vortex'stwodelay linesin seriesis1846 ms.
In theory, this would require you to calculate
theallowabletapinterval/rhythmicdivisionto
make sure the times you enter fall below the
limit.Vortex,however,not only performsthis
tedious calculation for you, but lets you ig-
nore the whole issue of maximum delay
times, by intelligently processing whatever
combination you enter.
Ifatapinterval/rhythmicdivisioncombina-
tionisselectedwhichexceedsthemaximum
delay, Vortex will divide the selected delay
time in half until it falls below the limit. For
example, if a whole note won't fit, Vortex will
give you a half note. If a half-note won't fit, it
will give you a quarter note, and so on, until
a compatible value fits. This way, no matter
what tap interval and rhythmic division you
select, the musical relationship between
them is preserved.

English 16
About Morphing
One of the most exciting controls that
Vortexgivesyou istheabilitytocontinuously
transform one effect into another. This fea-
ture,which wecall Audio Morphing,™allows
you to transform closely related, or wildly
dissimilareffects—andtosetthetimeperiod
over which the transformation occurs.
Asthisconceptiscompletelynewto audio
effects, it will be helpful to keep a few things
in mind when using this control.
Morphing is accomplished with the A/B
switch.
When you press A/B, Vortex doesn't simply
switch back and forth between Banks A and
B. It transforms one effect into another.
The rate at which this transformation occurs
is determined by the MORPH A/B param-
eter.
MORPH A/B allows you to determine the
time it takes for one effect to transform into
another when A/B is pressed. Morph rates,
Audio Morphing™
like other parameters, are stored as part of
the effect.
Morphs are performed between register
pairs.Tosetupamorph,storeoneeffectinto
an A register, then store another effect into
the corresponding B register. You can store
anypreset,orany modifiedpresetinto anyA
or B register.
Because you can store any effect you want,
in any register, you can select morphs to
performsubtle,smooth parameter changes,
or radical shifts between effects.
When you morph between two versions of
the same effect, all of the parameter values
movesmoothlyfromoneversiontotheother.
When you morph between two different ef-
fects, the entire structure of the effect trans-
formstotheothereffect.Everythingchanges
—rates, levels, audio routing, routing of the
LFOs and envelope, etc.
Anexpressionpedalgivesyoudynamiccon-
trol of morphing —and allows you to create
dramatic new effects.
Theabilitytomorph fromanyeffect, oreffect
variation, in the box to any other effect gives
you an infinite number of possible new ef-
fects, as a new effect is created at virtually
everypointinthemorph.Assigningcontrolof
themorphtoanexpressionpedalallows you
not only expressive control over the morph,
butallows youto haltthe morphat any point.
This is one of the most dramatic features of
pedalcontrol and is explained in detailin the
next section, Pedal Control.

English 17
Trying Some Morphs
Vortexpresets andregisters are arranged
in A/B pairs. When A/B is pressed (from the
front panel, or via footswitch), Vortex will
automatically morph between the A and B
effects.
Try listening to some of the preset effect
pairsto get an idea of what morphing can do
with different effect combinations.
Preset 3 ORBITS
The A and B versions in this preset are
variations on a single effect, B having slow
orbitalpaths,andAhavingfasterorbits. This
is a good example of using morphing to
producesubtle changes inthe overall sound
of an effect.
Preset 4 CENTRIFUGE
The A and B versions are similar, but the
difference in parameter settings for the two
versions creates two related yet distinctly
different effects. In this case, morphing pro-
ducesa moredramatic changein the overall
sound as the morph progresses from A to B.
Preset 15 BLEEN
The A and B versions are completely dif-
ferentfromoneanother. Aisbased onenve-
lopedetune,while Bis basedon"ring modu-
lated" echo feedback. The sound is com-
pletely transformed as the effect morphs
from A to B.
Setting Morph Rates
The MORPH A/B parameter allows you to
specify independent morph rates for each
effect. The combined morph rates set for A
and B determine the total length of time a
morph will take. The total duration of the
morph can be varied from 10 seconds to .01
second. (1=slowest rate; 64=fastest rate)
When you are morphing from A to B, the
rateyouhavesetforeffectAdetermineshow
quickly you leave effect A. When you morph
from B to A, it determines how quickly you
arrive at effect A. The rate you set for effect
Bsimilarlycontrolsdepartureandarrivalrate
to and from effect B.
Whenthese two values are equal,you will
hear A and B effects in equal proportion at
the midpoint of the morph. Setting unequal
morph rate values allows you to slide this
transition point toward the A or B effect —
essentially specifying what proportion of the
total time will be spent on each effect. Along
the transition path between one effect and
another, some very unusual effects can be
heard.