Rossum PANHARMONIUM User manual

PANHARMONIUM
Mutating Spectral
Resynthesizer
Copyright 2019 Rossum Electro-Music LLC
www.rossum-electro.com
Operation Manual
_070419_v06

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Contents
1. Introduction 3
2. Module Installation 4
3. Overview 5
4. Basic Functionality 7
5. Make Some Noise! 10
6. The Spectral Analyzer 11
7. The Spectral Modifiers 15
8. The Oscillator Bank 16
9. Assigning CV1 and CV2 19
10. Managing Spectra and Presets 20
11. Updating Software 23
12. Utilities 25
13. Factory Spectra and Presets 28
14. From Dave’s Lab 30
15. Acknowledgements 31

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1. Introduction
Thanks for purchasing the Rossum Electro-
Music Panharmonium Mutating Spectral
Resynthesizer. This manual will give you the
information you need to get the most out
of Panharmonium. The manual assumes
you already have a basic understanding
of synthesis and synthesizers. If you’re just
starting out, there are a number of good
reference and tutorial resources available
to get you up to speed. One that we highly
recommend is:
Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming
(2nd Edition)
By Jim Aikin
Published by Hal Leonard
HL00131064
Another great source of information is Chris
Meyer’s Learning Modular:
https://learningmodular.com
Support
In the unlikely event that you have a problem
with your Panharmonium, tell us about it
here:
http://www.rossum-electro.com/support/
support-request-form/
…and we’ll get you sorted out.
If you have any questions, comments, or just
want to say “Hi!,” you can always get in touch
here:
http://www.rossum-electro.com/about-2/
contact-us/
…and we’ll get back to you.
Happy music making!

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2. Module Installation
As you will have no doubt noticed, the rear
of Panharmonium is a circuit board with
exposed parts and connections. When
handling Panharmonium, it’s best that you
hold it by the edges of the front panel or
circuit board. It’s not particularly easy to blow
up, but why take chances?
More specifically, the biggest risk (to the
extent that there’s a risk), is damage by static
electricity. Particularly on dry, cold days (or if
you’ve just shued across your shag carpet
in fuzzy slippers), make a point of touching
the metal panel first, before touching any
other part of the module.
While all Rossum Electro-Music modules are
protected against reverse polarity damage,
both to your module and your system, care
should still be taken to connect the power
cable correctly. (For more detail on our
unique protection method, check out Dave’s
discussion of Circuit Protection in Chapter
15.)
Plug the included 16-pin connector into the
header on the rear of the module such that
the red stripe on the cable (the -12V side) is
on the same end of the header as the “Red
Stripe (-12V)” text on the PCB.
Panharmonium requires, at most, 140mA of
+12V and 30mA of -12V.
We have included both M3 and M2.5 (for
vector rails) mounting screws. Use what fits
your system.
If rack rash is of concern to you, use the
included nylon washers when mounting
Panharmonium in your case.

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3. Overview
What is Panharmonium?
Rossum Electro-Music Software Architect
Bob Bliss (who also, as it happens, fathered
E-mu’s famed “EOS” Emulator Operating
System) has created Panharmonium, a
unique music and sound design tool that
lets you analyze the spectral content of any
audio signal and use that analysis to drive a
bank of from 1 to 33 oscillators. Depending
on various control settings, Panharmonium
can accurately recreate the input spectrum in

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real time or modify it in a multitude of wildly
creative ways. All with an interface whose
immediacy encourages performance and
interaction.
Panharmonium input can be anything from
a single oscillator to an entire mix (including
vocals). From dense, swirling pads and
drones that evolve with the input’s changing
spectrum, to clock-syncable spectral
arpeggiation, to as-yet unnamed harmonic
eects, Panharmonium opens up an entirely
new world of sonic possibilities.
Additionally, Panharmonium can take a
snapshot of an instantaneous spectrum and
use that as a complex harmonic oscillator,
which can then be modified and modulated
by all of Panharmonium’s other controls.

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4. Basic Functionality
Before we jump into individual functions
in detail, let’s take a quick look at
Panharmonium’s structural organization.
Panharmonium accomplishes its magic
though a combination of functional
submodules:
Spectral Analyzer
The Spectral Analyzer provides tools for
defining the analysis process.
>The Slice parameter sets the rate at which
the incoming audio is transformed to
spectral data. It can be set by the Slice and
Multiplier controls, the Tap/Opt button,
or by an external clock signal. Very short
slice times result in real-time spectral data,
while longer times can create rhythmic
spectral patterns.
>The Center Freq and Bandwidth controls
control the range of frequencies to be
analyzed. The Bandwidth control allows
the selection of narrow to wide pass
bands on the left side of the pot and
narrow to wide notches on the right
side of the pot. The ability to sweep the
frequency and modify the bandwidth
under CV control opens up a wide range
of sonic eects.
>The Freeze button lets you freeze the
spectral integrator, sustaining the currently
analyzed spectrum.
>Freeze Tap Mode causes a new analysis
to be done only upon a Tap/Opt button
press or receipt of a Tap/Sync pulse.
Spectral Modifiers
These controls allow you to creatively modify
the analyzed spectra.
>The Voice parameter lets you select from
1 to 33 oscillators to resynthesize the
spectrum.
>The Blur parameter is a spectral lag
processor that controls how quickly the
spectrum can change. Maximum Blur
will freeze the spectrum (equivalent to
pressing the Freeze button).
>The Feedback control lets you route the
resynthesized audio back into the entire
processing chain for subtle or dramatic
feedback eects. At its max, the output
becomes self-sustaining, even if the input
is removed.

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Oscillator Bank
The Oscillator Bank resynthesizes the
analyzed spectra.
>The Waveform parameter selects the
oscillators’ waveform. In addition to the
usual sine, triangle, sawtooth and pulse
waveforms, two special crossfading sine
and sawtooth waveforms are included.
>The Freq control lets you tune the
oscillators over a +/-7 semitone range.
The frequency is further controlled by
the 1V/Oct input and the FM input and
attenuverter.
>The Octave control, not surprisingly, shifts
the pitch of the output by octaves.
>The Glide parameter sets the amount of
polyphonic glide (i.e., each oscillator has
its own glide circuit).
>The Mix control sets the balance
between the original input audio and the
resynthesized audio.
>Output Mode/Option selects between
two routings of the input audio and
Panharmonium output.
Assignable CV Inputs
In addition to its dedicated CV
Inputs, Panharmonium provides
two assignable inputs, CV1 and
CV2, that can be assigned to
control up to three parameters
each. See the subsequent
chapters for details.
Optional Functions
A number of optional functions can be
selected by using button combinations.
>Holding the Output Mode/Option
button and adjusting the Slice control
enables Drums Mode, which optimizes
the spectral analysis for drums and other
percussive inputs.
>Holding the Output Mode/Option
button and adjusting the Freq control
enables Spectral Warping. In contrast
to conventional frequency adjustment,
where the harmonic relationships
between the spectral elements are
preserved, Spectral Warping shifts the
harmonic elements individually, producing
a variety of clangorous, swarming textures.
>Holding the Tap/Opt button and adjusting
the Freq control quantizes the resulting
frequency adjustments to semitones.

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>Holding the Freeze and Tap/Opt buttons
for 1 second toggles between regular tap
mode and Freeze Tap mode (see Chapter
6 for details).
Spectra Memories and Presets
Panharmonium provides memories for 12
user Spectra and 12 user Presets.
>The Spectra memories let you store
up to 12 frozen slices. When selected,
a spectrum (up to 33 oscillators wide!)
replaces any live input and can have its
pitch controlled by the 1V/Oct input and
FM controls.
>A Preset is a snapshot of all of the module
settings, along with the value of any CVs
present at the moment the preset is saved.
>Presets and Spectra may be backed up to
and restored from WAV files.
Software Update and Utilities
Panharmonium provides the ability to update
its software via WAV files, as well as oering
a variety of housekeeping functions. See
Chapters 11 and 12 for details.

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5. Make Some Noise!
If you’ve already followed along with the
Make Some Noise! section of the printed
Panharmonium Quick Start Guide included
with your module, you can skip this chapter
and go directly to the next. However, if you
haven’t, spending a few minutes here will give
you a quick introduction to the function and
eects of the basic controls.
The quickest way to hear some of what
Panharmonium can do is to check out the
Presets and Spectra that come pre-loaded
from the factory. Refer to Chapter 13 for
details about the intended eect of each
Spectrum and Preset and, for the presets,
what sort of input each Preset was designed
for.
Select a Spectrum or Preset by clicking or
double-clicking the desired button in the
Spectra or Preset section. To load Preset or
Spectrum 1–6, click the appropriate button
(1–3 is on the top row of each section, 4–6
on the bottom). The associated LED will
light. To select 7–12, double-click the desired
button (7–9 on the top row, 10–12 on the
bottom). The associated LED will flash. Click
the button again to deselect the preset or
spectrum.
Once you’ve selected a Spectrum or Preset,
you can “play” Panharmonium via a CV into
the 1V/Oct input. Or try modulating some of
the other parameters.
If you want to be adventuresome and dive
right in:
> Set both the Center Freq and Bandwidth
controls to 12 o’clock.
> Press the Output Mode/Option button
until the L-FX-R LED is lit. This results in
your inputs being passed through to the
L & R outputs and the mono output of
Panharmonium appearing in both the L &
R outputs.
> Patch some audio into the input(s). (A
mono signal patched into the left input
will be normalled to the right input.)
Inputs can be anything from a single richly
harmonic oscillator to an entire mix.
> Use the Mix control to crossfade between
the Input audio and Panharmonium’s
output.
> Start turning knobs. Seriously. Try things
out and see what happens. When a
control does something interesting, try
modulating it.
> If you get lost, try reselecting Preset
#1, which will restore the basic neutral
resynthesis settings of all the parameters.
It’s always a good starting point. (Check
Chapter 13 for a list of the individual
parameter values.)
> When you’ve played for a while, read the
rest of this manual. You’ll be glad you did.