Synthino XM User manual

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SynthinoXM
™
Polyphonic
MIDISynthesizer
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Features:
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● 5notepolyphonyforsuperbplayability
● 12waveforms,noisegenerator,5drumsamples(kick,snare,hihat,tom,clap)
● 12bitaudioat25KHzoutputrate
● 4voices,eachwithindependentwaveformandADSRenvelopesettings
● lowpassfilterwithcutofffrequencyandresonancecontrols
● 2independentlowfrequencyoscillators(LFOs):pitchandfilter
● selectablewaveformforLFOs
● 1Vppaudiooutputvoltagewithenoughcurrenttodriveheadphones
● volumecontrol
● MIDIoverstandard5pinDINcableorUSB
● MIDIoverUSBworkswithDAWsoftwareonMacandWindowscomputersas
wellasiOSandAndroiddevices
● arpeggiatormodewith4patterns:up,down,updown,random
● 4builtinarpeggiatorchordsoruseMIDItospecifyupto16notes
● arpeggiatorpitchtranspositioncontrol
● 16stepliveperformance"groovebox"sequencer
● pitchfinetuningadjustment
● programmable/upgradableoverUSB

GettingStarted
PoweringtheSynthinoXM
TheSynthinoXMcanbepoweredby9VbatteryorbyUSBpowerusingaUSBcablewitha
“mini”connector.Onlyconnectonepowersourceatatime.
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Whenpoweringwitha9Vbattery,the¼”audiojackservesasapowerswitch.Thedevice
canbeturnedoffbyremovingtheaudioplug,andturnedonbyinsertingtheaudioplug.
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WhenpoweringwithUSB,thedeviceispoweredwheneverUSBpowerisconnected.When
usingUSBpower,ensurethatthecontactsonthe9Vbatteryconnectorarenottouchingany
electricalconnectionsonthecircuitboards.
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AudioOutput
TheSynthinoXMaudiooutputis¼”mono  .Donot  connecta¼”stereoplug,asthiswill
causeexcessivenoiseintheoutputsignal.Onlyusea¼”monoplugtoconnectyour
equipment,suchasanamplifier.TheSynthinoXMcomeswitha¼”monoto3.5mmstereo
adapterwhichcanbeusedwithheadphonesortoconnecttootherequipment.
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VolumeControl
TheoutputvolumeiscontrolledusingthesmallthumbwheelontherightsideoftheSynthino
XM.Clockwise(pullingtowardyou)ishighervolume,counterclockwiseislowervolume.
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ModeSelection
TheSynthinoXMhas3modes:synthesizer,arpeggiator,andgroovebox.WhenSynthinoXM
ispoweredon,alltheLEDsblink,promptingyoutoselectamodebypressingoneofthe
buttons(13).Thedetailsofeachmodearedescribedinfollowingsections.
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SystemReset
TheSynthinoXMcanberesetbyholdingdownbutton4fortwoseconds.TheLEDswillthen
blink,promptingyoutochooseamodeasdescribedabove.
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UserInterface
UnderstandingVoices,MIDIChannelsandPolyphony
Whenusingsynthesizermode,theSynthinoXMcontrolsletyoudefine4differentvoices.
Eachvoicecanhaveitsownenvelopeandwaveform,allowingyoutoplay4completely
differentsoundinginstrumentsatthesametime.Avoiceisdefinedbythesetofparameters
thatmakeaparticularsoundorinstrument.Specifically,avoiceisdefinedbyawaveformand
theADSR(attack,decay,sustain,release)envelopeparameters.Thevoiceselectpotlets
youspecifywhichvoicethatthewaveformandenvelopecontrolsarechanging.
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TheincomingMIDIchannelismappedtooneofthe4voices.Channels14mapdirectlyto
voices14.HigherMIDIchannels“wrap”naturally,sonotesonchannel5usevoice1,notes
onchannel6usevoice2,etc.
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TheSynthinoXMispolyphonicandcanplayupto5notesatthesametime,regardlessof
voiceorMIDIchannel.Asanexample,youmightbeplayingyourkeyboardcontrolleron
channel1andcanplayupto5notessimultaneously,allplayedwithvoice1parameters.Or
youmightbeusingsequencersoftwareonyourcomputerplaying4differenttrackson
differentMIDIchannels,andthe5simultaneousnotesarespreadacrossthosechannels,
playingdifferentvoices.
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SecondaryFunctionsonPotsandButtons
Insomemodes,potsandbuttonsmayhavesecondaryfunctionslabeledas"fn:".These
functionsareenabled/disabledbytappingbutton4.Whensecondaryfunctionsareenabled,
theLEDunderbutton4flashesandtheparticularpotorbuttonnowcontrolstheparameter
labeledas“fn:”.
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Example  :Insynthesizermode,pot8(rightmostpotinsecondrow)controlsthefiltercutoff
frequency,buthasthesecondaryfunctionofcontrollingthefilterresonance.Tapbutton4to
enablethesecondaryfunctions.TheLEDonbutton4nowflashes.Usepot8tocontrolthe
filterresonance.Nowdisablesecondaryfunctionsbytappingbutton4again.TheLEDstops
flashingandpot8nowcontrolsfiltercutoffagain.
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WaveformsandSamples
Inallmodes,thewaveformpotletsyouselectfrom12waveforms,thenoisegenerator,and5
drumsamples.Inorderfromlowestpotpositiontohighest:
1. sine
2. triangle
3. sawtooth
4. square
5. piano
6. electricpiano
7. electricorgan
8. cello
9. violin
10. oboe
11. flute
12. electricbass
13. noisegenerator
14. kickdrum
15. snaredrum
16. hihat
17. tom
18. clap
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Mode1:Synthesizer
SynthesizermodeallowsyoutoplaytheSynthinoXMwithaMIDIcontrollerconnectedtothe
MIDIjackorfromyourfavoriteDAW(digitalaudioworkstation)softwarewithMIDIoverUSB.
Youcanalsoplaythesynthesizerinstandalonemodeusingthe3notebuttons.Explore
differentsoundsbychangingthewaveform,controllingthenoteenvelopeparameters(ADSR
attack,decay,sustain,release),modulatingthepitchandfilterwithindependentLFOsfor
each,andadjustingthelowpassfilter.
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Eachofthe4independentvoiceshasitsownwaveform/sampleandADSRenvelope
parameters.Thewaveformpotletsyouchoosefromwaveforms112,noisegenerator,and5
drumsamples.
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Toaccesssecondarypotfunctionsdenotedby“fn:”,tapthefntogglebutton.Holdfntoggle
fortwosecondstoresetdevice.
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Usevoiceselectpottochoosewhichvoicethecontrolsarechanging.LEDindicateswhich
voiceyouselected.Voices14areassociatedwithMIDIchannels14.HigherMIDIchannel
numbersmaptovoices14bywrapping.e.g.notesonchannel5usevoice1,noteson
channel6usevoice2,etc.

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MIDIchannel10reservedforpercussionsoundsintheMIDIspecification.Incomingnoteson
channel10aremappedtodrumsampleswithvariousspeed/durationtoemulateasmany
percussioninstrumentsaspossible.Sincechannel10mapstovoice2controls,youmayuse
thevoice2releaseparametertospecifythedurationofthedrumsampleafteritisreleased.
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Buttons13canbeusedtoplaynotesinstandalonemode.Usebuttonpitchtochangethe
pitchofapressedbutton.Notesareplayedusingthecurrentlyselectedvoiceparameters.
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Thedigitallowpassfilterisglobalandfiltersallvoicesatthesametime.Usefiltercutoffand
filterresonancetochangeitsbehavior.
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Therearetwoindependentlowfrequencyoscillators(LFOs),oneforpitchandoneforfilter
cutofffrequency.UsetheLFOrateanddepthparameterstocontroleachLFO.Disablean
LFObysettingitsratetothelowestsetting.ThefilterLFOcausesthecutofffrequencyto
modulatearoundthecurrent  filtercutoffsetting.Ifyoudon’thearmuchmodulation,change
thefiltercutoffparametertoalowervalue.
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TheLFOraterangesfrom0to20Hzonlowerhalfofthepotrange,thenfrom20420Hzon
theupperhalfofthepotrange.Thisletsyouexploresomeveryhighfrequencyoscillation,
creatingstrangeFMsynthesiseffectsandaliasing.
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TheLFOwaveformparameterselectsfrom5waveformsthattheLFOsuseformodulation.
Selectionsaresine,square,rampdown,rampup,andastrangewaveformthatiskindofa
combinationofasquareandrampup.
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Mode2:Arpeggiator
ThearpeggiatorletsyouplaypredefinedarpeggiosorsetyourownarpeggionoteswithMIDI.
start/stop:Startandstopthearpeggiator
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pattern:CyclethroughthearpeggiopatternsUP,DOWN,UPDOWN,RANDOM
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chord/MIDI:Cyclethroughfour4notearpeggiochordsmajor,minor,M7,m7.Ifyouhavea
MIDIcontrollerconnected,playedMIDInotesetstherootnoteofthearpeggio.The5th
“chord”isMIDIinputmode.Inthismode,thearpeggiatorcreatesanarpeggiofromthenotes
youplayonthecontroller.ItdoesnotmatterwhichMIDIchannelisused.
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transpose:Transposethecurrentarpeggioupordown
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BPM:Setarpeggiatorspeedintherangeof20to300beatsperminute.(IfMIDIclockpulses
arebeingreceivedbythedevice,thiscontrolwillhavenoeffect.)
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timedivision:ChangethenotelengthrelativetotherateinBPM.Cyclethroughvalues
quarternotes,eighthnotes,sixteenthnotes,32ndnotes.Thedefaultissixteenthnotes.
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notelength:Changelengthofeachnoteinarpeggio.Thisallowsyoutohaveveryshort
staccatonotesorlongnoteswithnobreakbetweenthem.

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Mode3:GrooveboxLiveSequencer
GrooveboxmodeisthemostsophisticatedfeatureoftheSynthinoXM.Itisa"live"16step
sequencerwhichallowsyoutolaydown4differenttracksbyplayingaMIDIcontroller.For
simplicitythismodedoesnothavesecondaryfunctionsonthecontrols.
Whenthesequencerisrunning,anyMIDInoteordrumsampleyouplaywillberecordedto
thecurrenttrackandrepeatedasthesequencerruns.Youcansimplyplaydifferentnotesto
recordoverwhatiscurrentlyrecordedonthethetrack.Eachtrackhasindependentenvelope
(attack,release)andvolume.Eachnotecanhaveadifferentwaveform,evenonthesame
track.Thewaveformrecordedisthewaveformthatwasselectedwhenthenotewasplayed.
UsingMIDIchannel10isagreatwaytolaydownadrumtrack,sincechannel10MIDInotes
aremappedtovariouspercussionsamples(i.e.thewaveformsettingisignored).
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start/stop:Startandstopsequencer
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trackselect:Choosewhichtrackyouareediting.TheLEDindicatingtrack14willblink
momentarilywhenyouchangetracks.Trythisfirstwiththesequencerstopped.Theincoming
MIDIchannelnumberdoesnotmatter(exceptinthespecialcaseofchannel10drum
samples).
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cleartrack:Clearthecurrenttrack

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preview:Taptoenable/disablepreview.Whenenabled,youcanplaynoteswithoutrecording
themtocurrenttrack.TheLEDunderthebuttonindicatesthatpreviewisenabled.
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trackvolume:controlvolumeofcurrenttrack
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BPM:Setsequencerspeedintherangeof20to300beatsperminute.(IfMIDIclockpulses
arebeingreceivedbythedevice,thiscontrolwillhavenoeffect.)

transpose:transposenotesup/down(drumsamplesarenottransposed).Transpostionis
relativetothepositionofthisknobwhenthenotewasrecorded.

metronome:enable/disablethemetronome.Thereare3modes:OFF,quarternotes(every
4thsequencerstep),sixteenthnotes(everysequencerstep).
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 

SavingandLoadingPatches/Sequences
Whenusinganymodeyoumaysaveandloadyourpatchsettingssothatyoudon’thaveto
setupallofyourparametersagain.Also,ifyouareusinggrooveboxmodeyoumaysave
yourentiresequencetomemory.Thereare4slotsinEEPROMmemoryforyoutosaveyour
patchsettingsandsequence.

PatchsettingsincludetheADSRenvelopeparametersandwaveformsettingforeach
channel.Italsoincludesthefiltercutoffsetting,filterresonancesetting,andtheLFO
waveformsetting.
Wheningrooveboxmode,thecurrentsequenceisalsosaved.

SavingaPatch/Sequence
Holddownbutton1andbutton4fortwosecondstoinitiatetheresetprocedure.Whenbutton
1isheldduringreset,theSynthinoXMwillallowyoutosavethecurrentpatch+sequencein
oneofthe4memoryslots.Youwillhearashortbeep.Whilestillholdingdown  button1,turn
thepotjustabovebutton1toselectoneofthe4memoryslotstosavein.Theselected
memoryslotwillbeindicatedbyoneofthe4LEDs.Whenyouhaveselectedthememoryslot,
releasebutton1.TheLEDwillblinkwhilethedataissavedtomemory.Thismaytakeafew
secondswhenanentiresequenceissaved(wheningrooveboxmode).Aftersavingis
completeyouwillhearashortbeep.Nowall4LEDswillblink(justaswithanormalreset)
promptingyoutochoosewhichmodetoenter.Thepatch+sequenceyoujustsavedwillbe
loadedafteryouchoosethemode.

LoadingaPatch/Sequence
Holddownbutton2atstartuporwhileholdingdownbutton4toreset.Whenbutton2isheld
duringstartuporreset,theSynthinoXMwillallowyoutoreadasetofpatchsettingsanda
sequencefromoneofthe4memoryslots.Whilestillholdingdown  button2,turnthepotjust
abovebutton1toselectoneofthe4memoryslotstoloadfrom.Theselectedmemoryslot
willbeindicatedbyoneofthe4LEDs.Whenyouhaveselectedthememoryslot,release
button2.Nowall4LEDswillblink(justaswithanormalreset)promptingyoutochoose
whichmodetoenter.Ifthereisnothingsavedattheselectedmemoryslot,youwillheartwo
shortlowbeeps.