Moog Subharmonicon User manual

Subharmonicon
Patching with Intention
Get started with patching techniques,
explore deeper synthesis concepts, and
understand full patchbay functionality

Patching with Intention | 2
Patching with Intention
There are many ways to approach patching
a synthesizer like Subharmonicon. There’s
no “wrong” way to do it, and often randomly
patching inputs to outputs can lead to wonderful,
unexpected results.
Other times, however, you may want to patch
with some intention. Perhaps you have a sound
in mind that you would like Subharmonicon to
approximate. Or an idea may strike you while
falling asleep: “I wonder what would happen if I
patched Sequencer 1 to the Filter Cutoff...”
This guide will help you better understand how
to patch Subharmonicon and more to the point,
why you might want to patch it a certain way.

Patching with Intention | 3
Initialized Patch
Before getting started, match your
Subharmonicon to the initialized patch
settings above. Each section builds
upon the last, so explore them in
sequential order for the best results.
Find full patch point descriptions on
pages 12-15 to reference as you
move through the patching exercises.

First Steps | 4
First Steps
Let’s start by exploring how
to patch a sequencer to an
oscillator, allowing us to get
more familiar with the process
of patching.
First let’s route RHYTHM 1 to Sequencer 1
by pressing the SEQ 1 button under
RHYTHM 1. Let’s route RHYTHM 2 to
Sequencer 2 by pressing the SEQ 2
button under RHYTHM 2. Make sure the
EG button is illuminated, and press PLAY.
Raise the volume and turn the TEMPO
knob down to around 9 o’clock to hear
Subharmonicon’s sequencer in action.
You will hear a procession of notes all at
the same pitch—this is because although
the sequencers are running, they are not
currently connected to anything.
MAKE THIS CONNECTION
Let’s change that by patching the
Sequencer 1 output to the VCO 1 input
with a patch cable.
Now you will hear four distinct notes, each
corresponding to the setting of the four
dierent knobs of Sequencer 1.
→ Play with those knob settings while
the sequencer is running and listen to
how the notes change as you rotate
them up and down.
You will notice the sequencer knobs cover
an incredibly wide range of notes—this is
because the SEQ OCT toggle (in between
Oscillators 1 and 2) is currently set at ±5
volts. When each sequencer knob is at
precisely 12 o’clock it is set to 0 volts,
leaving the VCO at whatever frequency is
set by the large VCO 1 FREQ knob (i.e., the
frequency of VCO 1 when there is nothing
patched to it).
Rotating a sequencer knob fully clockwise
sets it to +5 volts or 5 octaves above the
VCO 1 FREQ knob while rotating fully
counterclockwise sets them to -5 volts
or 5 octaves below the VCO 1 FREQ knob.
You can limit this range by toggling the
SEQ OCT to ±2 to change the sequencer
range to ±2 volts. You can limit it further
by changing it to ±1. Let’s set it to ±1 volt
for now. Toggle the QUANTIZE selector
to 12-ET—this will quantize the voltages
coming out of the sequencer so that they
‘lock’ into semitones.
Now disconnect the patch cable
and instead press the OSC 1
button under SEQ 1 ASSIGN.
This button will have the same
eect, but without the need for
patching.

Intertwining Sequencers | 5
Intertwining
Sequencers
We have two methods of
connecting a Subharmonicon
sequencer to an oscillator: either
via a patch cable, or with the
buttons under SEQ 1/2 ASSIGN.
This opens up a handful of
possibilities because it allows
us to, for example, route both
sequencers to a single oscillator.
Keep the OSC 1 button under SEQ 1
ASSIGN illuminated from the previous
section.
MAKE THIS CONNECTION
Now connect a patch cable from the
SEQ 2 output to the VCO 1 input.
If the SEQUENCER 2 knobs are all
precisely at 12 o’clock you probably won’t
hear much of a dierence since each step
in Sequencer 2 is adding 0 volts to the
voltages coming from Sequencer 1, but
as you play with the sequencer knobs
you will notice that the settings of both
sequencers aect the melody.
Using two knobs per step as opposed
to one may seem silly until you begin
to use the POLYRHYTHM section to get
Sequencers 1 and 2 moving at dierent
rates. Leave RHYTHM 1 fully clockwise and
turn RHYTHM 2 fully counterclockwise.
→Now you will hear Sequencer 1
complete four phrases before Sequencer
2 moves to a new step. Sequencer 2 now
is able to transpose Sequencer 1.
The voltage coming from Sequencer 2
is added to the voltages coming from
Sequencer 1, and by playing with the
RHYTHM 2 setting you can create
sequences much longer than four steps
by intertwining both sequencers.
By having two sequencers
interact with each other, we can
break free of repetitive four-note
patterns, extending our musical
vocabulary and allowing us to
create phrases on much longer
timescales.

From Melody to Rhythm | 6
From Melody
to Rhythm
Using a combination of the SEQ
ASSIGN buttons, patch cables,
and the Polyrhythm section we
can start to create interesting
pitched sequences. But using
Sequencers for pitch alone, while
the most common use case, is
just the beginning.
MAKE THIS CONNECTION
Disconnect the patch cable VCO 1 input
from the last lesson and instead patch the
SEQ 2 output to the filter CUTOFF input.
At first this may not sound like too much,
but begin to rotate the CUTOFF knob
down to around 9 o’clock. You should hear
Sequencer 2 opening and closing the filter
rhythmically.
→Exaggerate this eect by increasing
the RESONANCE and reducing the VCF
DECAY. Do this slowly and listen to
how it changes as you approach max
RESONANCE.
Now you will start to get very percussive
sounds, completely changing the
character of our tones and starting to
sound more like a drum machine.
Play with the RHYTHM 1 knob,
the RHYTHM 2 knob, and both
sequencer knobs to explore
drum patterns.
→Keep this patch cable connected for
the next step.

Intermingled Drum Machine | 7
Intermingled
Drum Machine
We can push these rhythms even
further with some more patching.
Start with the panel settings from
the end of the last section.
Each POLYRHYTHM subsection divides
the master tempo by a certain amount,
which you have explored by simply
playing with RHYTHM 2 and RHYTHM 1.
By modulating these RHYTHM settings,
we will begin to generate complex
rhythms—always in some subdivision of
the master tempo.
While Subharmonicon does not have any
LFOs, it does have sub-oscillators that can
function in much the same way.
MAKE THIS CONNECTION
Begin by patching the VCO 1 SUB 1 output
to the RHYTHM 2 input.
With the RHYTHM 2 knob set roughly
in the middle, you will now hear a more
intricate rhythm as the first sub-oscillator
of VCO 1 moves the RHYTHM 2 knob up
and down via control voltage.
→Begin to play with the SUB 1 FREQ
knob under VCO 1 and you will start to
hear new rhythms emerge as the RHYTHM
2 divisions change dynamically.
MAKE THIS CONNECTION
Push this further by patching the VCO 1
SUB 2 output to the RHYTHM 1 input.
Now you have an even more expressive
drum machine! The settings of RHYTHMS
1 + 2 as well as the frequency of both
of VCO 1’s sub-oscillators control the
intricate rhythms, while very slight
adjustments of VCF DECAY, VCF EG AMT,
RESONANCE, and the settings of both
sequencers aect the tonal characteristics
of each drum hit.
→You can continue the intermodulation
with RHYTHM 3 and RHYTHM 4 (routing
them to either SEQ 1 or SEQ 2 with their
associated buttons) and using the two
sub-oscillators of VCO 2 to modulate
those extra rhythms. From here, you can
begin to explore a world of fascinating
intermodulated rhythms that could never
be made on a typical drum machine.

Fun with Envelopes | 8
Fun with
Envelopes
Being a modular synthesizer,
Subharmonicon can play with
time by harnessing the power
of voltage control over clocks,
allowing us to accelerate and
modulate time.
→To explore this, let’s return the settings
to the initialized patch at the beginning
of this guide.
As we’ve done before, route RHYTHM 1
to Sequencer 1 by pressing to illuminate
the SEQ 1 button under RHYTHM 1 and
route RHYTHM 2 to Sequencer 2 by
pressing to illuminate the SEQ 2 button
under RHYTHM 2.
Make sure the EG button is illuminated,
press PLAY, and turn the TEMPO down
to roughly 9 o’clock.
Route SEQ 1 to VCO 1 with the
corresponding SEQ 1 ASSIGN button and
play with the SEQUENCER 1 knobs to get
a nice, basic sequence going.
MAKE THIS CONNECTION
Continuing in our use of the sub-
oscillators as modulators, patch VCO 2’s
SUB 1 output to the CLOCK input.

Fun with Envelopes | 9
At first you will hear a whole bunch of
noise as this will cause the sequencers
to run at audio rate. Play around with
the SEQUENCER 1 knobs and the VCO
2 FREQ knob to explore some of the
wild, broadband tones that audio-rate
clock modulation can achieve. Running
sequencers at audio-rate speeds can
be a very powerful method for creating
complex tones.
Once you’re done exploring some of
these tones with the SEQUENCER 1 knobs
and VCO 2 FREQ, rotate the VCO 2 FREQ
knob all the way down as well as VCO 2’s
SUB 1 FREQ knob.
With VCO 2 at a low frequency and
its first sub-oscillator at an even lower
one, you will hear the sequencer is now
driven by VCO 2 SUB 1 instead of the
Subharmonicon internal clock.
The benefit of using one of the oscillators
as a clock is that the VCOs are voltage
controllable—we can change the speed of
the clock with voltages from elsewhere in
Subharmonicon.
Subharmonicon features two independent
envelopes: one routed to the VCA
controlled by the VCA ATTACK/DECAY
knobs, and one routed to the filter
controlled by the VCF ATTACK/DECAY
knobs. Each has an output on the patch
bay so you can route them to other
Subharmonicon locations.
→You can use an envelope to modulate
the pulse width for thicker sounds, for
example, or to modulate a rhythm for
more sporadic movement.
MAKE THIS CONNECTION
For this experiment, with VCO 2 SUB 1
driving the sequencers, let’s use the VCF
EG to modulate time. Patch the VCF EG
output to the VCO 2 SUB input.
Adjust the VCF DECAY all the way down
(completely counterclockwise), and begin
to raise the VCF ATTACK until roughly 12
o’clock.

Fun with Envelopes | 10
You will hear a longer attack on the filter
envelope, slowly opening the filter up,
but at the same time you’ll notice that
it is raising the SUB 1 FREQ of VCO 2,
increasing the rate of the sequencers. As
you lengthen the VCF ATTACK the clock
will accelerate more slowly.
Since we’re using VCO 2 SUB 1 as our
clock, our patterns are moving much
quicker than with the internal clock of
Subharmonicon (which is much slower
than the VCOs).
Since the POLYRHYTHM section is
comprised of four clock dividers, which
slow down clock signals, we can turn
down the overall clock rate simply by
rotating RHYTHM 1 counterclockwise.
This gives us a slower clock rate that still
accelerates based on the acceleration time
set by VCF ATTACK.
MAKE THIS CONNECTION
We can exaggerate this eect even further
by using the second sub-oscillator of VCO
2to stop and start the sequencer. Patch
the VCO 2 SUB 2 output to the PLAY input.
Turn down VCO 2’s SUB 2 FREQ knob to
around noon and you’ll start to hear this
stopping and starting motion in action,
creating very o-kilter rhythms that are
being accelerated by VCO 2 SUB 1 while at
the same time being turned o and on by
VCO 2 SUB 2!
This creates a very complex system,
and you can start to perceive that
Subharmonicon sounds like it almost
has a mind of its own.
Click the QUANTIZE button (setting it to
8-ET) to quantize the voltages coming
from SEQUENCER 1 into a diatonic scale.
Play around with the SEQUENCER 1 knobs
and you’ll be able to find melodies that
move in very strange patterns.
→The ability of Subharmonicon
to stretch out time, manipulate
clocks with its envelopes, and even
stop and start itself with its own
oscillators makes Subharmonicon a
powerful instrument for generating
tangled melodies and strange
sequences.

Further Exploration | 11
Now that you have some intuition for how
Subharmonicon’s patch bay can be used,
feel free to start exploring it on your own.
Remember: there is no wrong way to patch—it’s
all music at the end of the day.
Either begin from a sound that grabbed you
while working through this guide (this being an
analog semi-modular synthesizer, it will never be
quite the same), or just start making connections
and see what happens.
Over the next few pages is a list of
Subharmonicon’s inputs and outputs (organized
left to right by row) and some beginning ideas
for how they can be used. Let your imagination
and your ears be your guide.
Further Exploration

Inputs | 12
Inputs
VCO 1 (R1, C1)
Controls the frequency of VCO 1
SEQ 1 can be patched to this input with
the SEQ 1 ASSIGN buttons, but you can
also connect SEQ 2 here, the VCA/VCF EG
here for envelope modulation, or VCO 2
for frequency modulation.
VCO 1 SUB (R1, C2)
Controls the subdivision frequency of
both sub-oscillators of VCO 1
SEQ 1 can be patched to either SUB with
the SEQ 1 ASSIGN buttons. Try patching
VCO 2 or any of its sub-oscillators in here
for frequency modulation, or slow down
the VCA and VCF envelopes and connect
them here to run up and down the
subharmonic scale.
VCO 1 PWM (R1, C3)
Controls the pulse-width of VCO 1
Connect either envelope here for
traditional envelope pulse-width
modulation, a sequencer here for dierent
timbres on each step, or the VCA output
for feedback-like harsher timbres.
VCA (R2, C4)
Controls voltage input for the VCA
The VCA EG is normalled here, but by
patching either SEQ in here you can get
per-step velocity changes, or patch a
VCO here for amplitude modulation.
Listed in order left to right by row;
R (Row) and C (Column)

Inputs | 13
VCO 2 (R3, C1)
Controls the frequency of VCO 2
See VCO 1.
VCO 2 SUB (R3, C2)
Controls the subdivision frequency
of both sub-oscillators of VCO 2
See VCO 1 SUB.
VCO 2 PWM (R3, C3)
Controls the pulse-width of VCO 2
See VCO 1 PWM.
CUTOFF (R4, C4)
Controls the cuto frequency of the filter
Connect a SEQ here for timbral changes
per-step, or a VCO or VCO SUB here for
filter FM.
PLAY (R5, C1)
A rising gate signal here will be akin to
toggling PLAY On—a falling gate signal
akin to toggling PLAY O.
Use the VCOs and VCO SUBs for audio rate
sequencer stopping and starting, or connect
external gear here to engage PLAY.
RESET (R5, C2)
A rising gate signal here will reset the
sequencers and hold them until the gate
goes down.
This is mostly useful with external gear
and sequencers, but play around with
plugging the SEQ 1/2 CLKs in here.
TRIGGER (R5, C3)
A rising gate signal here will trigger both
the VCF and VCA envelope generators—
akin to pressing the TRIGGER button.
Trigger continued...
Motion in either SEQ 1 or SEQ 2 will
trigger this input, but you can patch the
CLOCK here to get faster triggers with
SEQ 1 and SEQ 2 running at subdivisions
of the clock.
RHYTHM 1 (R6, C1)
Controls the subdivision of RHYTHM 1,
which is a division of the master TEMPO
and routed to either SEQ 1 or SEQ 2 via
its corresponding buttons
Patch the VCOs (and especially the SUBs
at low rates) here to get interesting
rhythmic movement, or patch SEQ 1 or
SEQ 2 here for further intricate rhythms.
RHYTHM 2 (R6, C2)
Controls the subdivision of RHYTHM 2
See RHYTHM 1.
RHYTHM 3 (R6, C3)
Controls the subdivision of RHYTHM 3
See RHYTHM 1.
RHYTHM 4 (R6, C4)
Controls the subdivision of RHYTHM 4
See RHYTHM 1.
MIDI IN (R8, C1)
A MIDI input to be used with the included
5-pin MIDI to 3.5mm adapter. For more
MIDI interfacing information, see manual.
CLOCK (R8, C2)
A clock signal input here will override the
master clock set with the TEMPO knob.
Experiment with routing the VCOs in here
and modulating them for wild audio-rate
rhythmic possibilities.

Outputs | 14
Outputs
VCA (R1, C4)
Output of the final VCA
This can be used to integrate
Subharmonicon with Eurorack gear for
further processing, or routed back into
Subharmonicon for feedback patches.
Try routing it to either VCO or the
CUTOFF for noisy modulation.
VCO 1 (R2, C1)
Audio output of VCO 1
Try routing to VCO 2 for frequency
modulation, VCA for amplitude
modulation, or route to CLOCK for audio
rate clocking. You can also use this output
to take VCO 1 direct to external gear,
bypassing the VCF and VCA.
VCO 1 SUB 1 (R2, C2)
Audio output of VCO 1 Sub-oscillator 1
Try routing to any of the RHYTHMS for
rhythm modulation, the VCA for amplitude
modulation, or CLOCK for a clock with
voltage control.
VCO 1 SUB 2 (R2, C3)
Audio output of VCO 1 Sub-oscillator 2
See VCO 1 SUB 1.
VCA EG (R3, C4)
Envelope output of the VCA envelope
generator
This is normalled to the VCA input, but try
routing to any VCO for enveloping FM or a
RHYTHM for complex sequencer motion.
Listed in order left to right by row;
R (Row) and C (Column)

Outputs | 15
VCO 2 (R4, C1)
Audio output of VCO 2
See VCO 1.
VCO 2 SUB 1 (R4, C2)
Audio output of VCO 2 Sub-oscillator 1
See VCO 1 SUB 1.
VCO 2 SUB 2 (R4, C3)
Audio output of VCO 2 Sub-oscillator 2
See VCO 1 SUB 1.
VCF EG (R5, C4)
Envelope output of the VCF envelope
generator
This is normalled to the CUTOFF input,
but try routing to any VCO for enveloping
FM or a RHYTHM for complex sequencer
motion.
SEQ 1 (R7, C1)
Sequencer 1 output
This can be routed to VCO 1 with SEQ 1
ASSIGN buttons, or use a patch cable
to route it to any VCO 2 parameters, the
CUTOFF for sequenced filter motion,
the VCA for sequenced accents, or any
RHYTHM for per-step rhythmic changes.
SEQ 1 CLK (R7, C2)
The clock output of SEQ 1—generates a
clock whenever SEQ 1 moves.
Useful for synchronizing with external
instruments, play with patching it to the
CUTOFF or any VCO for very fast punchy
attack transients.
SEQ 2 (R7, C3)
Sequencer 2 output
This can be routed to VCO 2 with SEQ
2 ASSIGN buttons, or use a patch cable
to route it to any VCO 1 parameters, the
CUTOFF for sequenced filter motion,
the VCA for sequenced accents, or any
RHYTHM for per-step rhythmic changes.
SEQ 2 CLK (R7, C4)
The clock output of SEQ 2
This generates a clock whenever SEQ 2
moves. See SEQ 1 CLK.
CLOCK (R8, C3)
Master clock of Subharmonicon
Patch to TRIGGER input to trigger
notes on every clock pulse regardless of
RHYTHM settings, or connect to external
instruments for synchronization.
TRIGGER (R8, C4)
A trigger output which is sent to the VCF
and VCA EGs
This diers from the CLOCK output in
that it only fires whenever SEQ 1 or SEQ
2 moves—which will be very dierent
from the CLOCK output depending on
the POLYRHYTHM settings. Connect to
external instruments, or try connecting
to VCO inputs, CUTOFF, or VCA for a
sharper attack transient.

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