Synapse Antidot User manual

User’s Manual

Contents
1 Introduction and Overview 3
2 Basic Operation 4
2.1 Patch Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2 Polyphony................ 4
2.3 Pitch Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.4 Modulation Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.5 Aftertouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.6 Using Antidote as an effect device . . . 5
3 Sound Parameters 6
3.1 Patch Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2 Oscillators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.2.1 Oscillator 1+2 . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.2.2 Sub Oscillators and Mixer . . . 10
3.3 Filter................... 10
3.4 Modulation Envelope . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.5 Filter Envelope . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.6 Amplitude Envelope . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.7 LFOs................... 15
3.8 Effects.................. 17
3.8.1 EQ................ 17
3.8.2 Bass ............... 19
3.8.3 Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.8.4 Phaser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.8.5 Chorus/Flanger . . . . . . . . . 21
3.8.6 Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.8.7 Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.8.8 Compressor . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4 Modulation Matrix 25
4.1 List of Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.2 List of Destinations . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5 Arpeggiator 33
6 Back Panel 35
7 MIDI Reference 37
Credits 40
2 Antidote User’s Manual

1 Introduction and
Overview
Thank you for choosing Synapse Audio Antidote!
Antidote RE is a virtual-analog synthesizer for Pro-
pellerhead Reason. Antidote combines high audio
quality, flexibility and a fast work flow in an easy-
to-use plugin. It was specifically developed to com-
plement Reason, and to yield the best possible sound,
integration and user experience.
Antidote RE comes feature packed with two stereo
oscillator banks, each emitting a stack of up to 24 high
quality virtual-analog oscillator waveforms.
The oscillators pass through the filter stage, which
employs the latest zero-delay feedback designs. This
recent technology is quickly gaining a lot of popular-
ity, as it is able to mimic the behavior of analog filters
much better than previous designs.
Envelopes and LFOs further shape the sound, and
the modulation matrix — which can modulate almost
any sound parameter — adds the necessary depth to
realize complex sounds. The output of the synthesis
stage finally passes through a massive effect chain com-
prising EQ, Distortion, Phaser, Chorus, Delay, Reverb
and a Compressor effect. All effects can be enabled
and used simultaneously.
The back panel allows to connect Antidote RE to
other devices, to add extra modulation via CV Inputs,
to feed the effect chain with the outputs from other
instruments and to connect Reason’s step sequencers.
In contrast to conventional plugin standards, there
is little difference between using Antidote RE as an
instrument and as an effect. Both is possible and in-
tended, and the vast modulation options apply equally
well in both cases.
3 Antidote User’s Manual

2 Basic Operation
2.1 Patch Controls
The patch operation in Antidote RE is the same as
in any other Reason device. To select a patch, either
click on the patch name, the folder icon or the arrow
buttons. To save a patch, click on the disk icon.
2.2 Polyphony
Each key that you press triggers a voice, with a pitch
determined by the key number. As each voice requires
CPU time, the total number of available voices is lim-
ited. The maximum number of available voices can be
adjusted by changing the POLY parameter in the top
left. Note that two special modes exist, Mono and
Mono-Legato. In both modes, only a single voice is
audible at a time. When multiple keys are pressed in
succession and sustained, the one hit last is audible.
Release it to snap back to the previous key (make sure
this one is still pressed!). This permits a unique style
of playing, which is particularly useful in combination
with the Glide knob. You can smoothly glide from
one note to another in this way. The difference be-
tween Mono and Mono-Legato is that the Mono mode
retriggers all envelopes whenever you press a key, while
the Legato mode will not change the envelope states
during a slide from one note to another.
2.3 Pitch Wheel
The pitch bend wheel changes the pitch of the current
sound. The minimum and maximum settings can be
changed on the backside of the device, in semitones.
There is two separate controls, one for up and one for
downwards motion. By default, the pitch bend ranges
from -2 (down) to +2 (up) semitones.
2.4 Modulation Wheel
The modulation wheel changes one or more sound pa-
rameters in real time, and adds expressiveness to your
performance. The parameter to change can be speci-
fied in the modulation matrix, by selecting Mod Wheel
in the source column, then choosing an arbitrary sound
parameter to modify from the destination list. Move
the corresponding AMT knob to the right, to specify
how strong the modulation should be at most.
A common application of the modulation wheel is
to open the filter with it, or to add vibrato/tremolo
4 Antidote User’s Manual

type effects. To do this, use LFO1*MW or LFO2*MW
in the modulation matrix source column, which multi-
plies the current LFO state with the modulation wheel
value (see chapter 4 for a more detailed description of
the modulation matrix).
2.5 Aftertouch
Aftertouch is another common way to add expressive-
ness to a sound. Aftertouch measures the pressure ap-
plied to all keyboard keys as a whole. When holding
down a chord, for instance, then increasing pressure,
you can add a vibrato effect to the sound. The after-
touch programming is identical to how you program
the modulation wheel. Using the previous example,
choose LFO1*AT or LFO2*AT as a source, then any
arbitrary sound parameter from the destination list,
to get a vibrato type effect.
Note that aftertouch is available in many, but not all
MIDI keyboards. Consult your MIDI keyboard man-
ual to find out if your keyboard supports aftertouch.
2.6 Using Antidote as an effect
device
Antidote RE can be used as a killer effect unit and was
designed with this application in mind. Use the Init
Patch from the root folder as a starting point for effect
work. This patch sets all parameters to their default
values, including all effect parameters. Connect your
audio input signal to Antidote by using the EXT IN
jacks on the back side. If you want to adjust or au-
tomate the input level, use the red EXT IN knob on
the front. This avoids having to flip between the front-
and back side of the device just to do level corrections.
5 Antidote User’s Manual

3 Sound Parameters
This section describes how an Antidote patch is con-
structed, as well as the operation of all front panel
knobs and switches, except the arpeggiator and mod-
ulation matrix (which are covered in chapters 4+5).
3.1 Patch Structure
The structure of an Antidote patch is shown in fig. 3.1.
The block diagram shows the basic working principle
of the entire synthesizer.
Oscillator 1
Sub Osc 1
Oscillator 2
Sub Osc 2
Filter EffectsAmp
Filter Env Amp Env
Mod Env
LFO 1+2
+
External
Input
Out L/
Figure 3.1: Patch Structure.
Whenever a MIDI note is played, a voice is trig-
gered to synthesize that note. Each voice comprises
three major building blocks, the oscillators, the filter,
and the amplifier. The blocks emulate the three ba-
sic properties of a sound: Pitch, Timbre and Volume.
The oscillator block controls the pitch and basic timbre
of a sound by generating one or more periodic wave-
forms. The resulting signal is typically very bright.
To further refine the timbre, the signal is processed
by the filter block, which attenuates frequencies speci-
fied by the user; usually, high frequencies are removed.
Hence, this type of synthesis is commonly called "sub-
tractive". The third block controls the volume of the
sound.
On their own, the three basic building blocks syn-
thesize a completely static sound. This is in contrast
to acoustic sounds, where pitch, timbre and volume
change over time. In order to obtain this possibility
in a synthesizer, envelopes and low-frequency oscilla-
tors are used to add dynamic variation to a sound.
The most important envelope is the amplitude enve-
lope ("Amp Env"), which is essential to fade in and
fade out notes and thus to make a synthesizer playable
like a real instrument in the first place. Also important
is the filter envelope ("Filter Env"), which dynamically
controls the brightness and thus the timbre of a sound
over time. The modulation envelope ("Mod Env") can
be freely assigned to any sound parameter.
6 Antidote User’s Manual

3.2 Oscillators
An oscillator generates a periodic waveform and forms
the basic building block of the majority of synthesiz-
ers (the most common waveforms are illustrated in
fig. 3.2). Antidote offers two banks of oscillators, plus
two sub oscillators. Both oscillator banks allow you to
instantiate between 1 and 24 oscillators with the same
waveform shape, but with a different tuning each. The
sub oscillators are sawtooth and pulse waveforms, and
play one octave below oscillator bank 1 and 2, respec-
tively.
50%
Sawtooth Pulse
Sine Triangle
Figure 3.2: Basic oscillator waveforms.
3.2.1 Oscillator 1+2
WAVEFORM and MODIFIER
Each oscillator bank allows you to choose between six
different oscillator types. Each oscillator type has a
unique property which is controlled by the MODIFIER
knob. All other parameters work in the same way, re-
gardless of which type is chosen (Exception: Noise).
•Sawtooth: A high-quality analog-style sawtooth
oscillator. Each sawtooth in the bank has a vir-
tual master oscillator, which allows to hard sync
the sawtooth to the frequency of the master os-
cillator. When set to zero, the master oscilla-
tor has no effect, resulting in a regular sawtooth
waveform output. As the MODIFIER knob is
increased, however, the master frequency is pro-
gressively lowered relative to the specified pitch,
producing the well-known oscillator sync sound.
•Digital Saw: A basic sawtooth waveform, fol-
lowed by a highpass filter. The digital sawtooth
oscillator generates a lot of aliasing noise, which
is particularly audible at high frequencies. This
is useful as a creative effect, for instance to syn-
thesize noisy high string notes, as popularized by
older digital gear. The MODIFIER knob adjusts
the frequency of the highpass tracking filter, pro-
gressively increasing its relative frequency. As a
7 Antidote User’s Manual

result, the first overtones of the sawtooth get at-
tenuated.
•Pulse: A pulse waveform with adjustable pulse
width (see fig. 3.3). The MODIFIER knob con-
trols the pulse width, the center position of 50%
corresponds to a square wave.
25% 50% 75%
Figure 3.3: Pulse Width.
•Sine-Triangle: This oscillator blends seamlessly
between sine and triangle waveform shapes. The
MODIFIER knob controls the mix ratio. Turned
fully to the left, a pure sine wave is created.
Turned to the right, only the triangle is audible.
•Saw-Triangle: Same as above, except that this
oscillator mixes a sawtooth and a triangle wave-
form.
•Noise: Generates random white noise. Use
MODIFIER to filter the noise, in order to obtain
different timbres. Note that the tuning parame-
ters have no effect on this oscillator type, since
white noise has no pitch.
•Ringwave: Synthesizes bell-type waveforms us-
ing ring modulation. Use MODIFIER to change
the timbre of the sound.
•WT (Wavetables): A selection of wavetables,
each containing a number of distinct waveforms,
with a smooth blend between them. Use the
MODIFIER knob to set the position in the
wavetable. Modulate the modifier knob with
an envelope or LFO to obtain typical wavetable
sounds.
COUNT
This parameter specifies the number of oscillators to
use per bank. Set to OFF, the entire oscillator bank is
turned off and will not consume any CPU resources.
DYAD
The DYAD parameter allows to double the entire bank
with all its oscillators and their settings, and transpose
it up by a selectable number of semitones. For exam-
ple, if COUNT is set to 5 and DYAD is set to +24,
Antidote would play back 10 oscillators in total. The
8 Antidote User’s Manual

first 5 oscillators would run at their regular pitch, the
extra 5 oscillators two octaves higher. This feature is
useful to build chord stabs. It can also come in handy
if one oscillator bank is set to noise and additional
tuned oscillators are needed.
SEMI
The SEMI control adjusts the primary tuning of the
oscillator bank in semitones. The range spans +/- 24
semitones. A larger range can be obtained by using
the modulation matrix, if required.
FINE
This parameter adjusts the fine tuning of the oscilla-
tor bank in cents. A value of +/- 100 corresponds to
a semitone.
DETUNE
This parameter adjusts the detune of all oscillators in
the bank. Higher values corresponds to stronger de-
tuning. Note that more than one oscillator needs to be
chosen in the COUNT field for this parameter to be
audible. Detune works on all oscillator types except
noise.
SPREAD
This parameter spreads the oscillators in the stereo
field, from monophonic to full stereo. Note that more
than one oscillator needs to be chosen in the COUNT
field for this parameter to be audible.
PHASE
Whenever a note is triggered, all oscillators need to
start at a certain position within the waveform cy-
cle. PHASE sets this initial starting phase, from 0
to 359 degrees. Turned fully clockwise, the oscillators
are in free run mode, which means they start at ran-
dom phases. This is the default behavior, and strongly
recommended when using more than one or two oscil-
lators in the bank. Otherwise, strong beating will oc-
cur when all oscillators in a bank start from the same
waveform position.
MODIFIER
See WAVEFORM and MODIFIER above.
KEYTRACK
When triggering a note, usually its MIDI key number
will tune the oscillators to the proper frequency for
9 Antidote User’s Manual

this key. With semi and fine tune at their default po-
sitions, pressing MIDI note A4 would set an oscillator
base frequency of 440 Hz, for example. In some cases,
however, it can be useful to change this key tracking.
When creating percussive sounds, it is often preferable
to turn off key tracking completely. This is accom-
plished by setting key track to zero, which means the
key number has no effect on the pitch of the oscillators.
PAN
Adjusts the panorama position of the entire oscillator
bank, from left to right. The default is center.
3.2.2 Sub Oscillators and Mixer
The levels of both oscillator banks as well as their re-
spective sub oscillators can be adjusted by using the
faders in the mixer section. The first sub oscillator,
labeled SUB 1, emits a square wave. Its pitch is tuned
precisely one octave below oscillator bank 1. The sec-
ond sub oscillator, labeled SUB 2, emits a sawtooth
wave, pitched one octave below oscillator bank 2. Sub
oscillators are often used to add more body to a sound.
When a fader is set to zero, that oscillator is inaudi-
ble. The DRIFT parameter adjusts the tuning drift
of all oscillators over time, a property known of vin-
tage analog synthesizers. To have perfect and stable
oscillator tuning, the fader should be at zero.
3.3 Filter
The raw oscillator sound is typically too bright to be
useful. Furthermore, the periodic nature of the oscila-
tors results in a dull timbre. Many natural instruments
like a flute or piano feature a short, bright transient
behavior, and then decay to a more steady, darker tim-
bre. This behavior can be modeled by using a time-
varying filter. The filter section is located below the
first LFO.
CUTOFF
Perhaps the most important filter parameter is the
CUTOFF knob. It sets the corner frequency where
the filter operates. Its meaning depends on the filter
type chosen:
•For the low-pass filter types, frequencies above
the cutoff frequency are damped:
Frequency
Magnitude
Cutoff frequency
10 Antidote User’s Manual

Antidote features four lowpass filter types, which
differ in how strong the damping is per oc-
tave. The one-pole filter will attenuate frequen-
cies above the cutoff by 6 dB, the two-pole by
12 dB, the three-pole by 18 dB, and finally the
four-pole by 24 dB per octave.
•The band-pass filter damps frequencies around
the cutoff frequency. As a result, bass and treble
get attenuated.
Frequency
Magnitude
Cutoff frequency
The Bandpass filter attenuates the frequencies
around cutoff by 12 dB per octave.
•The high-pass filter attenuates all frequencies be-
low the cutoff frequency and passes the higher
frequencies unchanged.
Frequency
Magnitude
Cutoff frequency
The Highpass filter attenuates the frequencies
below cutoff by 12 dB per octave.
•Diode Ladder
This filter is a special kind of low-pass filter,
which models analog filter circuits based on
diodes (or transistors hooked up as diodes). The
response and the resonant tuning of such filters
differs from the standard low-pass filters, and is
useful to recreate some vintage analog sounds.
Of the above filter types, the low-pass filter types are
the most common, as they fully preserve the bass fre-
quencies and allows the natural progression from a
bright to a dark timbre when being modulated.
To modulate the cutoff frequency and produce a dy-
namically changing timbre, the LFOs and filter enve-
lope can be used. Both options will be discussed later
in this chapter.
11 Antidote User’s Manual

RESO
If the output of a filter is fed back to its input, reso-
nance occurs, which is a sinusodial oscillation near the
cutoff frequency (see fig. 3.4). The RESO knob con-
trols the depth of this effect. At lower settings, reso-
nance can be used to add presence to a sound. Using
higher settings, the sinusodial oscillation gets strong
enough to use the filter in a similar fashion as an oscil-
lator (try setting the low-pass filter to maximum reso-
nance, with Key Track set to 100% and Cutoff to 0%).
This property is furthermore useful to create special
effect sounds such as laser guns, electronic bass drums
etc.
Frequency
Magnitude
Cutoff frequency
Resonance
Figure 3.4: Response of a resonant low-pass filter.
ENV
This knob controls how much the filter envelope (de-
scribed later in this chapter) affects the cutoff fre-
quency. Set to zero, the filter envelope has no effect on
the cutoff frequency. At 100%, the envelope spans the
entire cutoff range from the minimum to the maximum
value.
Most sounds will use a low-pass filter with an enve-
lope amount setting in between the two extremes and
the envelope attack and sustain set to their minimum
values. This creates the most common timbre which
is a bright start followed by a darker sustain stage, a
property shared by many acoustic instruments.
In rare cases, you may also want to set the envelope
amount to a negative value. This can be helpful to
create sounds which become bright when releasing a
key. A negative envelope amount can be set using the
modulation matrix, with the envelope amount knob
set to zero.
KEY TRACK
The key track parameter determines how much the
cutoff frequency is affected by the MIDI key note. Set
to zero, all notes share the very same cutoff frequency
as specified by the CUTOFF parameter. Nonzero
values move the cutoff according to the key pressed,
with higher keys corresponding to higher cutoff fre-
quencies.
12 Antidote User’s Manual

3.4 Modulation Envelope
An envelope is used to model the progression of timbre,
volume or pitch of a sound, from start to finish. An
envelope is triggered whenever a key is hit. The mod-
ulation envelope can be assigned to almost any sound
parameter via the modulation matrix. All envelopes
in Antidote can be described by four stages called At-
tack, Decay, Sustain and Release (ADSR), see fig. 3.5.
Attack Decay Release
Time
Level
Key pressed Key released
Sustain
Figure 3.5: The modulation envelope.
ATTACK
The ATTACK parameter specifies the duration it
takes for the envelope to reach its maximum value.
When set to zero, the envelope immediately starts at
the peak value. The slope of the attack stage is linear.
DECAY
After reaching the peak, the decay stage commences.
During the decay stage, the envelope falls back to a
lower level, the sustain level. The DECAY control
specifies the duration of the decay stage, i.e. how long
it takes to fall back to the sustain level. The slope of
the decay stage is logarithmic.
SUSTAIN
This parameter specifies the sustain level that is
reached after the decay stage ends. The sustain stage
lasts as long as a key is pressed.
RELEASE
The final release stage is triggered whenever a key is
released. The RELEASE parameter specifies the du-
ration it takes the envelope to hit zero. The slope of
the release stage is logarithmic like the decay stage.
13 Antidote User’s Manual

3.5 Filter Envelope
The filter envelope modulates the filter cutoff fre-
quency and thus the timbre of the sound. Many sounds
start with a bright timbre and then decay to a darker
tone. This behavior can be modeled with the filter
envelope. The depth of the effect is controlled with
the ENV knob in the filter section. The filter envelope
has the same shape as the modulation envelope (see
fig. 3.6).
Attack Decay Release
Time
Level
Key pressed Key released
Sustain
Figure 3.6: The filter envelope.
ATTACK
The ATTACK parameter specifies the duration it
takes for the envelope to reach its maximum value.
Most sounds use a setting near the minimum in order
to start bright.
DECAY
After reaching the peak, the decay stage commences.
During the decay stage, the envelope falls back to a
lower level, the sustain level. The DECAY control
specifies the duration of the decay stage, i.e. how long
it takes to fall back to the sustain level.
SUSTAIN
This parameter specifies the sustain level that is
reached after the decay stage ends. The sustain stage
lasts as long as a key is pressed.
RELEASE
The final release stage is triggered whenever a key is
released. The RELEASE parameter specifies the du-
ration it takes the envelope to hit zero. Note that
when SUSTAIN is set to zero, the RELEASE param-
eter may have no effect if the envelope has previously
reached zero already.
14 Antidote User’s Manual

3.6 Amplitude Envelope
Located next to the Filter envelope, the amplitude
envelope controls the progression of the volume of a
sound (see fig. 3.7). It works in the same manner as
the filter and modulation envelopes.
Attack Decay Release
Time
Level
Key pressed Key released
Sustain
Figure 3.7: The amplitude envelope.
ATTACK
The ATTACK parameter specifies the duration it
takes for the amplitude envelope to go from zero to
its maximum level, with a linear slope.
DECAY
The DECAY parameter specifies the duration of the
decay stage, i.e. how long it takes the amplitude to
fall back to the sustain level.
SUSTAIN
This parameter specifies the sustain level that is
reached after the decay stage ends. The sustain stage
lasts as long as a key is pressed.
RELEASE
The final release stage is triggered whenever a key is
released. The RELEASE parameter specifies the du-
ration it takes the envelope to hit zero. Note that
when SUSTAIN is set to zero, the RELEASE param-
eter may have no effect if the envelope has previously
reached zero already.
3.7 LFOs
Using oscillators, the filter unit and envelopes, it is
possible to control the basic properties of a sound, such
as timbre, volume and pitch. For many bass and per-
cussive sounds this is enough to get good results, but
for pad or lead type sounds, the sustain stage may still
15 Antidote User’s Manual

sound dull. This is because the pitch, filter cutoff and
volume are steady in this stage and do not change.
This is where LFOs (low frequency oscillators) come
into play. LFOs work just like ordinary oscillators,
generating a periodic signal using similar waveforms
(see fig. 3.8). They are inaudible, however, and their
only purpose is to continually change one or more as-
pects of the sound. The most typical applications are
modulating the volume, cutoff or pitch, resulting in
a vibrato or tremolo effect. Antidote’s two LFOs are
much more capable than that, however, as almost any
parameter discussed so far can be used as a modu-
lation destination. Additionally, LFOs can modulate
each other in volume or frequency to obtain yet more
interesting variations.
Sawtooth Pulse
Sine Noise
Figure 3.8: Basic LFO waveforms.
The two LFOs are controlled by the sections labelled
LFO 1 and LFO 2 on the left and right side of the user
interface. The LFO can target an arbitrary sound pa-
rameter, which can be chosen by clicking on the drop-
down list box. Sometimes it is desirable to control
more than just a single target; in this case, the modu-
lation matrix can be used, which is covered in a later
chapter of this manual.
Shape
Use the drop-down list to select one of the available
waveform shapes (see fig. 3.8). Sawtooth, Ramp, Tri-
angle and Sine are periodic waveforms. S+H Noise
(Sample-and-Hold Noise) is a random signal. It can
be used for special effects or to simulate the behavior
of old analog hardware.
RATE
By default, LFOs run at a constant rate specified in
Hz, independent of the MIDI note played. Typical set-
tings are between 3-6 Hz for vibrato or tremolo effects.
When the SYNC switch is enabled, the rate is speci-
fied in units of the current song tempo, such as quar-
ters, eights or sixteenths notes, with either their stan-
dard durations, or in triplet (T) or dotted (*) form.
Examples:
•1/4 specifies the duration of a quarter note.
16 Antidote User’s Manual

•1/8+ sets the modulation rate to a dotted eight
note.
•1/16T sets the modulation rate to a sixteenth
triplet.
•1/1 sets the modulation rate to span one bar.
•2/1 sets the modulation rate to span two bars.
FREE-RUN
When free-run is enabled, the corresponding LFO runs
continuously, independent of whether any keys are
pressed. The LFO is thus global and shared by the
entire machine. When free-run is disabled, the LFO is
reset each time a key is pressed. In this mode, each
voice has its own LFO, and its initial starting phase
can be set via the modulation matrix, if desired.
3.8 Effects
Antidote offers eight effects units to further enhance
the sound coming from the synthesis engine. All of
them may be used simultaneously. It is important to
note that the effects are global, that is all voices are
first summed and then processed by the effect section.
A selection of effect sound parameters can be modu-
lated via the modulation matrix.
The effects are processed from left to right, in the
order they appear. The equalizers (EQs) are applied
first, Compressor is processed last.
3.8.1 EQ
An equalizer (EQ) is used to boost or attenuate a cer-
tain frequency range. There is three basic types:
Type
•Peaking amplifies or attenuates the region
around the chosen frequency.
Frequency
Magnitude (dB)
Peak frequency
Amount (+)
Amount (-)
0 dB
•Lo Shelf amplifies or attenuates frequencies be-
low the chosen frequency.
17 Antidote User’s Manual

Frequency
Magnitude (dB)
Cutoff frequency
Amount (+)
Amount (-)
0 dB
•Hi Shelf amplifies or attenuates frequencies
above the chosen frequency.
Frequency
Magnitude (dB)
Cutoff frequency
Amount (+)
Amount (-)
0 dB
LO GAIN
The first EQ in Antidote is a low shelf filter, centered
around 80 Hz. The knob controls the cut or boost
amount in decibels. At center position, there is no
effect.
MID FREQ
The second EQ in Antidote is a peaking filter for the
middle frequencies. This knob sets the operation fre-
quency of the EQ in Hz.
MID Q
Adjusts the steepness of the Mid EQ. Q settings be-
low 1 create broad peaks, while higher settings create
narrow peaks.
Frequency
Magnitude (dB)
0 dB
Q=1
Peak frequency
MID GAIN
Specifies how much to attenuate or boost the chosen
mid frequency. At center position (0 dB) the signal is
not affected.
18 Antidote User’s Manual

HI GAIN
This EQ is a high shelf filter, centered around 12 kHz.
The knob controls the cut or boost amount in decibels.
At center position, there is no effect.
3.8.2 Bass
The bass effect is part of the EQ section. It models
a unique circuit found in some vintage analog synthe-
sizers, which yields a particular frequency response in
the low and low-mid regions. Using the bass effect will
help emulate the sound character of such synthesizers.
BS FREQ
Sets the center frequency of operation in the circuit.
The default setting yields the classic vintage sound,
but feel free to experiment with other settings. Note
that towards higher frequencies, the effect will gradu-
ally vanish and become less pronounced.
BS AMT
Adjusts the magnitude of the bass effect. When set to
zero, it is completely bypassed.
DRY/WET
Blends between the dry and processed signal. Note
this includes both the EQ and Bass section.
3.8.3 Distortion
A distortion effect changes the signal in a nonlin-
ear fashion, thereby introducing additional overtones.
This results in a rather harsh sound, especially at ex-
treme settings using high amplification factors.
TYPE
Three different distortion modes are available in An-
tidote, Overdrive, Grunge, and Rate Crush. The
first two modes are emulations of classic guitar stomp
boxes. The third mode, Rate Crush, reduces the sam-
pling rate of the signal by employing a sample-and-
hold circuit.
DRIVE
Adjusts the gain applied to the signal when entering
the nonlinear distortion stage. Higher settings cause
more distortion.
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SYMMETRY
Offsets the signal before the distortion stage. This will
introduce even order harmonics and change the timbre
of the sound. Note that changing symmetry can result
in silence if the signal level is too low. Increase the
drive knob in such cases.
TONE
The tone control processes the signal after it has been
distorted. It changes the mid frequencies of the dis-
torted sound and thus the overall timbre of the effect.
LOW CUT
Use the low cut filter to roll off low frequencies, to
remove any mud in the bass region.
HIGH CUT
Use the high cut filter to roll off high frequencies, often
useful to reduce the harshness of the distortion effect.
DRY/WET
Blends between the dry and processed signal. Com-
bined with the Drive knob, the distortion can be tamed
where needed.
3.8.4 Phaser
A phaser modifies a signal with a series of filters and
then mixes it with the dry signal. The cutoff frequency
of the filters is continuously varied.
STAGES
Sets the number of phaser stages (2, 4 or 6). More
stages result in a more distinct phasing sound, while
less stages sound more subtle.
FREQ
Adjusts the bottom frequency for the phaser. This is
the lowest frequency the phaser will sweep to.
SPREAD
Use this parameter to spread the filter poles, which
will change the overall timbre of the phasing effect.
FEEDBK
The output of the phaser can be fed back into the
input, making the overall phasing effect a lot more
pronounced. Both positive and negative feedback is
allowed.
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