Sonicware LIVEN MEGA SYNTHESIS User manual

User'sManual
LVN-070-UM-01-EN

2
FCC regulation warning （for USA）
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in
a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment o󱐯 and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
—Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
—Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
—Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit di󱐯erent from that to which the receiver is connected.
—Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Legal disclaimers
Sonicware Inc. (hereafter, "SONICWARE" ) strives to assure that this document is as accurate and current as
possible, but will bear no responsibility for any compensation claims or losses due to content included in this
document. Moreover,information in this document could be changed without notice. SONICWARE retains the right
to change product specications and programs at any time. SONICWARE will bear no responsibility for any errors
depicted in this document.
SONICWARE will bear no responsibility for any losses resulting from the use of this information, functions or
performance, regardless of contracts, lack of caution or other conduct.
Copyrights and registered trademarks
・SONICWARE is a registered trademark of Sonicware Inc.
・MIDI is a registered trademark of the Association of Musical Electronics Industry (AMEI).
・ Other company names, product names, standard names and registered trademarks in this document are the
property of their respective owners.
・ All the trademarks and registered trademarks in this document are not intended to violate the copyrights of their
owners, but rather are included for the purpose of identication only.
・ Recording from copyrighted sources, including audio les, CDs, records, videos, tapes, broadcasts, streamed
content and works of art, without permission of the copyright holder for any purpose other than personal use is
prohibited by law.
・Sonicware Inc. will not assume any responsibility related to infringements of copyrights.
Important safety precautions
You must read the following precautions in order to use the product safely and prevent accidents.
＜ WARNING ＞ Failure to follow these precautions could result in serious harm to the user or even
death.

3
・Operation using an AC adapter
Do not do anything that could exceed the ratings of outlets and other electrical wiring equipment.
Disconnect the AC adapter from the outlet when lightning occurs and when not using it for a long time.
・Operation using batteries
Use-commercially available 1.5V AA batteries.
Carefully read the precautions of the batteries being used.
Be sure to insert the batteries with +/ − ends oriented correctly.
Do not use new and old batteries together. Do not use batteries of di󱐯erent types together.
Remove the batteries when they will not be used for a long time.
If a leak occurs, thoroughly wipe the battery compartment and battery terminals to remove the leaked uid.
・Do not open the case and disassemble or modify the product.
・Do not drop, strike or apply excessive force to the unit.
・Do not put liquid on or in the unit.
・Do not put foreign objects into the case.
・Do not use at a loud volume. Doing so could generate loud volumes that might lead to hearing loss.
・ When transferring this unit, use the individual packing box and cushioning material that it came with when
purchased new.
・When the unit is powered on, do not wrap it in cloth, plastic or other materials.
・Do not step on or apply pressure to the power cord.
・Do not use in the following environmental conditions. Doing so could cause malfunction.
Locations in direct sunlight, environments that exceed 40°C, or near stoves and other heat sources
Locations with extremely low or high temperatures
Locations with extremely high humidity or where the product could become wet
Locations with frequent vibrations or much dust or sand
・ If the unit becomes broken or malfunctions, immediately turn the power o󱐯 and stop using it.
＜ Usage Precautions ＞
Failure to follow these precautions could cause injury to the user and physical damage.
・ When connecting cables or working with the power of the unit, minimize the input levels of connected devices or
turn them o󱐯.
・ Cleaning
If the screen or the case become dirty, wipe them gently with a soft cloth.
Do not use chemicals, including alcohol, benzene, thinner or cleansers.
If this does not clean them, wipe them with a slightly damp cloth that has been wrung out well.
Do not turn the power on until the product is completely dry.

Introduction
4
Thank you for purchasing a SONICWARE LIVEN MEGA SYNTHESIS.
LIVEN MEGA SYNTHESIS is a compact groovebox that allows live
performance in any environment with a 6-track step sequencer,
intuitive operation with 16 physical knobs, battery power and built-in
speakers.
We hope you enjoy using it for a long time.
Key features of the LIVEN MEGA SYNTHESIS
・ Complete reproduction of the legendary sound of the world's rst 16-
bit game console that released at the end of the 1980s
・ Various game music creation with a highly functional 6-track
sequencer and 10 types of e󱐯ects
・ Includes sound banks and patterns created by Yuzo Koshiro, a
famous composer known for ``Ys'' and ``Bare Knuckle'' and so more.
Jam in any situation
Battery power and a built-in speaker enable producing and
performing anywhere
Synchronize with all kinds of devices
Clock synchronization is possible with devices that have MIDI or
SYNC connectors.
The audio SYNC function enables synchronization with Teenage
Engineering Pocket Operator devices using the LINE jack.
In addition, clock synchronization signals can be bridged between
di󱐯erent connectors. For example, MIDI clock can be generated
from an input SYNC clock signal.

Contents
5
Names of parts ……………………………… 8
Connection example ……………………… 8
Starting up and shutting down ……… 9
Preparing a power supply ……………… 9
Starting up …………………………………… 9
Turning the unit o󱐯 ………………………… 9
Basic operations …………………………… 10
Adjusting the overall volume …………… 10
Turning on/o󱐯 the speaker ……………… 10
Using the func button …………………… 11
Tracks and patterns ……………………… 12
Track overview ……………………………… 12
Pattern overview …………………………… 12
Patterns and banks ……………………… 12
Selecting patterns ………………………… 13
Playing patterns …………………………… 13
Selecting pattern 17 and higher ……… 13
Changing the tempo ……………………… 14
Reloading patterns ………………………… 14
Pattern chain playback ………………… 15
Selecting multiple patterns and playing
them in order (chain playback) ………… 15
Looping the chain playback …………… 15
Adjusting the volume of individual patterns 15
Track selection and basic adjustments … 16
Selecting tracks …………………………… 17
Muting tracks ……………………………… 17
Adjusting track levels …………………… 18
Adjusting track panning ………………… 18
Changing the sound of tracks ………… 18
Adjusting the attack and release of a
sound ………………………………………… 19
Adjusting the send amount to the FX 21
LEGACY mode ……………………………… 22
Performing with the keyboard and voice
modes …………………………………………… 23
Performing …………………………………… 23
Holding keyboard notes ………………… 23
Changing the velocity …………………… 23
Changing the octave range …………… 24
Sweeping notes while playing ………… 24
Changing the voice mode ……………… 26
Changing the glide (in MONO/LEGATO
mode) ………………………………………… 27
Changing the arpeggiator type (in ARP
mode) ………………………………………… 28
Activating and deactivating FM EDIT
mode …………………………………………… 29
Activating FM EDIT mode (sound
selection) …………………………………… 29
Selecting sounds ………………………… 29
Deactivating FM EDIT mode (returning to
Regular mode) ……………………………… 29
FM Synthesizer ……………………………… 30
FM EDIT mode (Edit) - Setting the
operator - ……………………………………… 31
Editing parameters ………………………… 31
Setting FEEDBACK ……………………… 32
Setting parameters ……………………… 33
Editing envelopes ………………………… 34
Editing parameters ………………………… 34
SSG-EG ……………………………………… 35
Setting SSG-EG …………………………… 35
Selecting algorithm ……………………… 36
Adjusting AMP LFO ……………………… 37
Adjusting Sound level …………………… 37
Changing octave ranges ………………… 38
FM EDIT mode (Edit) - Checking the
sound - ………………………………………… 39
Checking various sound parameters … 39
Adjusting Velocity ………………………… 39
Changing LEGACY mode ………………… 39
Adjusting Pitch sweep. …………………… 40
Changing Voice mode. …………………… 41
Changing glide（when VOICE MODE set to
MONO / LEGATO ） ………………………… 41
FM EDIT mode (Edit) - Saving sounds and
canceling editing - ………………………… 42
Saving sound setting …………………… 42
Canceling sound editing ………………… 42
FM EDIT mode (Edit) - Renaming and
Copying - ……………………………………… 43
Renaming sound …………………………… 43
Copying sound ……………………………… 44

Contents
6
FM EDIT mode (Edit) - Clearing - …… 45
Clearing sound ……………………………… 45
FM EDIT mode (editing) — Exporting/
Importing sounds— ………………………… 46
Exporting a single sample ……………… 46
Importing a single sound ………………… 46
Exporting sound banks …………………… 47
Importing sound banks …………………… 47
Editing PSG sound ………………………… 48
Selecting Waveforms …………………… 48
Editing PSG sound ………………………… 49
Editing waveforms ………………………… 49
Editing PCM sound ………………………… 50
Editing PCM sound ………………………… 50
2 Voice Modes ……………………………… 50
Sampling PCM ……………………………… 51
Sampling overview ………………………… 51
Selecting samples ………………………… 51
Sampling — Recording— ………………… 52
Sampling settings ………………………… 53
Setting auto recording …………………… 53
Setting the sampling frequency ……… 53
Slicing …………………………………………… 54
Slicing a sample …………………………… 55
Renaming a sample ………………………… 56
Renaming a sample ……………………… 56
Exporting/Importing samples ………… 57
Exporting a single sample ……………… 57
Importing a single sample ……………… 57
Exporting/Importing sample banks … 58
Exporting sample banks ………………… 58
Importing sample banks ………………… 58
Step sequencer overview ……………… 59
Overview ……………………………………… 59
MEGA SYNTHESIS step sequencer
features ……………………………………… 59
Creating sequences – Preparation … 60
Selecting tracks and setting sounds … 60
Creating sequences – Settings ……… 61
Setting the note length of one step … 61
Changing the sequence length ………… 61
Creating sequences – Step recording … … 62
Basic operations …………………………… 62
Selecting steps 17 and higher ………… 63
Clearing steps ……………………………… 64
Copying steps ……………………………… 64
Automatically advancing steps during step
recording (Auto Step mode) …………… 64
Enabling tied-note (long sound) input 65
Inputting tied-notes (long sounds) …… 65
Creating sequences – Real-time
recording ……………………………………… 66
Basic operations …………………………… 66
Turning the metronome ON/OFF ……… 67
Adjusting the metronome volume …… 67
Setting a pre-count ……………………… 67
Creating sequences – Direct recording … 68
Basic operations …………………………… 68
Creating sequences – settings ……… 70
Setting swing ……………………………… 70
Transpose …………………………………… 70
Parameter locking ………………………… 71
Basic parameter locking operations 72
Turning parameter locking on ………… 72
Clearing parameter lock data …………… 72
Parameter locking – Direct input …… 73
Turning parameter locking on ………… 73
Recording knob operations ……………… 73
Parameter locking – Real-time input 74
Inputting in real time (parameter recording) 74
Parameter locking – Sound locking input 75
Turning sound locking on ………………… 75
Recording note input and parameter lock
data at the same time …………………… 75
Sequence e󱐯ects ………………………… 76
Random ……………………………………… 76
Random settings …………………………… 76
Stutter ………………………………………… 77
Deleting sequences ……………………… 78
Clearing steps ……………………………… 78
Clearing all note data in a sequence … 78
Restoring only track sounds to the last
saved state ………………………………… 78
Copying tracks ……………………………… 79

Contents
7
Sequence extending copy function
(duplicate) …………………………………… 79
Copying a track to another track ……… 79
Pattern saving ……………………………… 80
Saving patterns …………………………… 80
Initializing patterns ………………………… 80
Pattern renaming ………………………… 81
Renaming patterns ………………………… 81
Tempo overview …………………………… 82
Setting the BPM mode …………………… 82
LINE IN settings …………………………… 83
Changing the gain ………………………… 83
Setting mono/stereo ……………………… 83
Setting the send amount to the e󱐯ect 83
Clock synchronization with external
devices — Clock settings ……………… 84
Overview ……………………………………… 84
Setting the clock source ………………… 85
Setting Audio Sync output ……………… 85
Setting SYNC IN polarity ………………… 86
Setting SYNC OUT polarity …………… 86
Clock synchronization with external
devices — Connection examples …… 87
LIVEN as clock master …………………… 87
External device as clock master ……… 88
Bridging clock signals to a di󱐯erent
connector from an external device acting
as the clock master ……………………… 89
MIDI ……………………………………………… 90
Setting channels for transmitting and
receiving MIDI ……………………………… 90
Setting the MIDI channel for pattern
parameters …………………………………… 90
Setting the MIDI channel for accessing the
selected track (automatic channel) … 90
Setting the MIDI channel used to output
keyboard playing …………………………… 91
Turning control change transmission on/o󱐯 91
Turning MIDI clock output on/o󱐯 ……… 91
Setting MIDI OUT ………………………… 92
Setting MIDI command transmitting and
receiving ……………………………………… 92
Turning active sensing transmission on/o󱐯 92
Turning on/o󱐯 active sensing reception 93
Setting the channel for transmitting and
receiving program changes …………… 93
Turning on/o󱐯 program change
transmission ………………………………… 93
Turning on/o󱐯 program change reception … 94
Exporting/importing user data ……… 95
Connecting – Exporting/importing to/from
a PC/Mac …………………………………… 95
Connecting – Exporting/importing to/from
another LIVEN ……………………………… 95
Exporting a single pattern ……………… 96
Importing a single pattern ……………… 96
Backing up all user data at once ……… 97
Restoring (importing) user data ……… 98
System settings …………………………… 99
Setting the battery type ………………… 99
Setting the automatic power down
function ……………………………………… 99
Changeing mute mode …………………… 100
Setting the master tuning ……………… 100
Setting the headphone gain …………… 100
Setting knob movement behavior …… 101
Restoring to factory default settings
(factory reset) ……………………………… 102
Checking the system versions ………… 102
Updating the rmware …………………… 103
Error codes …………………………………… 104
Appendix ………………………………………105
Figure1. Sound architecture …………… 105
Specications ………………………………106

OUT
SYNC
IN
OUT
MIDI
OUT
LINE
IN
IN
OUT
LINE
IN
OUT
MIDI
IN
SYNC
OUTIN
DC9V
21 3 4 65 7 8 109 11 12 1413 15 16
stutter
RANDOMFXPRMLOCK 1/3 2/4
VALUE
LINEIN DUCKING FXAMOUNT PTN BPM VOL
velo ptnlevel global
save prmrec
PTN
MIXER
func
shift
MEMORY KITEDIT COPY PASTE UNDO REDO BASS PTN DRUM CLOCKMETRO MIDICH MIDI DATA SYSTEM GAIN
fxtype
bank
MEMORY
speed sweep
ASSIGN1
range
ASSIGN2 DIMENSION
sweep
OCTAVEBASS
BASS
fx
glide tie
DRUM
fx fx
EX6EX5
KICK1 CYMBAL1 EX2EX1 EX3 EX4 CYMBAL2 CLAP STICK KICK2 SNARE2SNARE1 HAT1 HAT2
kick1
KICK
snare1 tune
SNARE LEVEL
hat1
HAT OTHERS
PITCHRATE DEPTH RELEASE&GATE M.GUN
SN1/ /KICK1/ HT1/ ex4ex3tuneex1 ex2 EX1/
pad muteselect
DRUM STEP
kit
hat2
TIME
※ Useconnectioncablesthatare3morshorter.
DC9V
jack
Main knobs
1～4
Display SYNC
IN
MIDI
IN
MIDI
OUT
LINE
IN
LINE
OUT
Headphone
jack
Speaker
VALUE
knob
knob Tempo
LED
Page
button
button
Step
button
Step
LED
SYNC
OUT
POWER
switch
8
Names of parts
Connection example
Keyboard

Starting up
1 Press and hold the POWER switch until MEGA (LIVEN MEGA
SYNTHESIS) appears on the display.
MEGA
Turning the unit o󱐯
1 Press and hold the POWER switch until the display turns o󱐯.
P.OFF

Recentlymadechangeswillbelostwhentheunitisturnedo󱐯.
Savethechangesifnecessary.
Starting up and shutting down
9
6 AA batteries
BT.LO will appear on the
display if the remaining
battery charge is low. Replace
the batteries immediately.
B T.L O
Whenusingnickel-metalhydride
batteriesorlithiumbatteries,change
thebatterysetting.（→ P.99）
DC9V or
AC adapter (sold separately)
Only use AC adapters that
conform to the specications.
Using an AC adapter
with di󱐯erent specications
could cause damage.
AC adapter specications*
Voltage：9Voutput
Current：1Aorhigher
Connector：EIAJ-03compliant
(1.7mminnerdiameter,4.75mmouterdiameter)
Polarity：center+
*Equivalent to Korg Volca KA350 adapter
Preparing a power supply

Basic operations
10
This section explains basic operations.
Adjusting the overall volume
The volume from the speaker, headphones and the LINE OUT can be
adjusted.
Volume
0 〜 127
This can be adjusted from −∞ to +6 dB
with 0 dB as the middle value (63–64).
Turning on/o󱐯 the speaker
The built-in speaker can be turned o󱐯 manually if you want to mute it
without connecting headphones (when only using the LINE OUT, for
example).
+
Speaker
MUTE Speaker o󱐯
SPK Speaker on

Basic operations
11
Using the func button
Some LIVEN MEGA SYNTHESIS buttons have two functions
In the example above, the secondary functions of the and
buttons are“save” and“RANDOM”.
Pressing these buttons while pressing the button will activate
their secondary functions.
In this manual, operations while pressing the button will be shown
as follows.
+ +

Track overview
groovebox has a 6-track sequencer.
Trac ks contain both sound settings and sequences (performance
data). The 6 tracks of the LIVEN MEGA SYNTHESIS can each have
di󱐯erent sounds and individual sequences created for them.
Pattern overview
A pattern is a combination of the 6 tracks described above. With
lengths of 1–4 bars, patterns can be used as the smallest units in
making songs.
Patterns and banks
16 patterns can be stored together in a single bank.
The LIVEN MEGA SYNTHESIS has 8 banks enabling 128 patterns to
be saved in total.
・ BANK 1 contains preset patterns. Following the instructions on
the next page, try playing them.
Tracks and patterns
12
Pattern
1
Pattern
2
Pattern
16
Pattern
15
BANK 1 ……
Pattern
1
Pattern
2
Pattern
16
Pattern
15
BANK 8 ……
……
Track
＋
Sound Sequences
Pattern
Trac k1 Track3Trac k 2
Trac k4 Tr ack6Trac k5

Selecting patterns
1Press
2Press 〜
→ The pattern is selected.
(STEP1=pattern 1...STEP16=pattern 16)
Selecting pattern 17 and higher
Press after procedure 1 to change the bank, enabling
selection of pattern 17 and higher.
・ If a di󱐯erent pattern is selected during pattern playback, it will
be readied but will not start playing immediately.
Playback will switch to the selected pattern after the playing
pattern completes.
・After pressing , can also be used to select pattern
Playing patterns
3Press .
Press it again to stop.
Tracks and patterns
13
●❶●❸
●❷
Bank1 Bank5
Bank2 Bank6
Bank3 Bank7
Bank4 Bank8

Tracks and patterns
14
Changing the tempo
BPM
40 〜 250
When the tempo is shown on the display,
can be turned to change it in 0.1- beat
increments.
When you want to set the BPM lower
than 80 or higher that 160, use to
achieve this too
Reloading patterns
1Press .
2Press .
This is useful for restoring sounds to their original states during
live performances, for example.
󰾯

Pattern chain playback
15
Selecting multiple patterns and playing them
in order (chain playback)
1Press twice (lights orange).
2Press 〜 .
Select patterns in the order that you want them to play.
Press 1– 16 again to deselect.
3Press .
The patterns will play in the selected order.
・Press again to end chain playback.
・Stutter mode（→ P.7 7）cannot be used during chain playback.
Looping the chain playback
1Press + and select CN.LP.
2Select LOOP by .
Adjusting the volume of individual patterns
1Press + .
2Adjust parameter by .
Pattern Level
0 〜 127
Pattern levels can be set in a range of −∞ – +6 dB.
C N.L P
LooP

Track selection and basic adjustments
16
MEGA SYNTHESIS has a total of 6 tracks that reproduce the FM
sound chip "YM2612" with 3 FM synth tracks, 2 PSG sound tracks,
and 1 PCM sound track.
Switch between the 6 tracks. of the MEGA SYNTHESIS to work with
them.
Tracks 1、 2、 3：
FM synth engine with maximum 6 voices polyphony.
Suitable for creating melodies and chord sections.
Select and adjust sounds created in FM EDIT mode.
You can make more detailed sound in a dedicated edit mode.
See FM EDIT mode （→ P.30）
Tracks 4、 5：
PSG sound engine with maximum 4 voices polyphony.
Suitable for creating chiptune sounds and simple drum sounds.
The PSG sound source allows you to adjust the sound by selecting
preset square wave, pulse waveforms, and noise waveforms.
For detailed editing of PSG sounds, see Editing PSG sounds
（→ P.48）
Track 6：
PCM sound engine with maximum 3 voices polyphony.
Suitable for creating rhythm sections such as drums.
Select and edit a preset PCM sample.
You can also capture any sound by using the sampling mode.
For details on editing PCM sounds, see Editing PCM sounds
（→ P.50）

Track selection and basic adjustments
17
Selecting tracks
1Press 〜 for the track you want to select.
The selected TRACK button will light red and its track number will
be shown on the display. (The unselected TRACK buttonswill light
green.)
The parameters shown in the gray areas on the top of the unit
can be controlled separately for each track.
Muting tracks
1Press + 〜 for the track you want to mute.
The muted TRACK buttons will light orange.
Press + the button that is lit
orange to unmute the track.
・ By default, MT.MD (mute mode) is set to SEQ, allowing you to
play even if the track is muted.
If you want to completely mute the sound of a track, select
SND in M T. M D in + .
Regarding mute mode（ → P.10 0）
MUTE

Track selection and basic adjustments
18
Adjusting track levels
1Turn .
The level of the selected track can be set in a range of 0 – 127
( −∞ – +6 dB).
Adjusting track panning
1Turn .
The panning of the selected track can be set in a range of L63 –
CNTR – R63.
Changing the sound of tracks
Turn and to select the sound for each track.
The sound sources that can be selected di󱐯er depending on the
track.
・ BANK and SOUND operations can also be performed using
.
TRACK TYPE BANK SOUND
１、２、３ FM 1 〜 32 Banks 1 〜 16 Sounds
４、５ PSG 11 Types
Pitch adjustment
Decay adjustment for noise
type
6PCM 1 〜 6 Banks 1 〜 16 Samples

Track selection and basic adjustments
19
Adjusting the attack and release of a sound
adjusts the attack feel at the beginning of the sound, and
adjusts the extension at the end of the sound.
1Turn 、
a t t a c k（ E G ）
FM PSG PCM
-10 〜 10 0 〜 127 0 〜 127
Changes within a range
of ±10 based on the
setting value of the
selected sound.
Attack time changes.
If you select Noise →
Square wave or Pulse
wave, adjust the time
noise sounding .
Attack time
changes.

Track selection and basic adjustments
20
RELEASE ＆ GATE（EG）
FM PSG PCM
0 〜 127 0 〜 127 0 〜 127
The release time will be
longer in the range 103 to
127 (sound
(varies from 0 to -10 from
the original release rate).
The release time will be
shorten the range 103 to
80 (sound
(varies from 0 to +10 from
the original release rate).
79 to 0: Shorten gate
time (90 to 10%) (saucer
+10 from the original
release rate)
Gate time
changes from
0 to 41 (10 to
90%), release
time changes
from 42 to 127
Gate time
changes from
0 to 41 (10 to
90%), release
time changes
from 42 to 127
Volume
NOTE ON NOTE OFF
Attack Release
Time