Alesis A6 - Manual

Important Safety Instructions 8 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 12. Use only with a cart, stand, bracket, or table designed for use with professional audio or music equipment. In any installation, make sure thatinjury or damage will not result from cables pulling on the apparatus and itsmounting. I...

Important Safety Instructions 10 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 14. Faites réparer par un personnel qualifié. Une réparation est nécessaire lorsque l’appareil a été endommagé de quelque sorte que ce soit, par exemple losrque lecordon secteur ou la prise sont endommagés, si du liquide a coulé ou de...

Important Safety Instructions 12 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL I NSTRUCTIONS TO THE U SER This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class Bdigital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed toprovide reasonable protection against harmful...

Important Safety Instructions A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 13 CE D ECLARATION OF C ONFORMITY Please see the Alesis website, www.alesis.com, for the CE Declaration of Conformity

Introduction A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 15 I NTRODUCTION There was a time when most of us thought that analog synthesis was dead. Yeah,there were a few new analog instruments – and rather decent ones, at that – that havecome and gone over the past few years. They were glimmers of hope that the...

Introduction 16 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL H OW TO U SE THIS M ANUAL S TRUCTURE This manual was designed to take you through the A6 in a logical order of topics.This way, anyone who is new to this type of instrument can read through the bookfrom front to back and get the most basic information...

Introduction A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 17 Technical – The Appendices The appendices at the end of the A6 Reference Manual provide concise informationabout the instrument from a technical perspective: Appendix A is a complete reference that documents every function in the unit. Appendix B is g...

Introduction 18 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL K EY T ERMINOLOGY While we define terms throughout this manual, and also provide a Glossary at theend, we’d like to list a few terms now that will help you get a head start on some ofthe technical expressions used in this document: Voice A synthesizer...

Introduction A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 19 Offset Many of the Andromeda A6’s parameters have an additional adjustment called offset . This is simply an adjustment of the parameter by a fixed amount Default When the A6 is shipped from the factory, each of its parameters has a pre-assignedvalue ...

Introduction 20 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL simply an electronic pulse. Translating our definition of trigger to MIDI, a trigger isthe equivalent of a Note On command. By contrast, a gate not only performs a “go” instruction but also carries with it a duration characteristic. Using the keyboard...

Chapter 1: Getting Started A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 21 C HAPTER 1 G ETTING S TARTED W HAT Y OU ’ LL N EED The A6’s basic requirements include: 1. an AC electrical outlet 2. a stand or table to put it on 3. audio cables and a sound system or amplifier, or a pair of headphones U SING THE A6 WI...

Chapter 1: Getting Started 22 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL A UDIO C ONNECTIONS After you’ve set up the A6 and plugged it into an AC outlet, connect your A6 to asound system. Since the A6 does not contain an amplifier or speakers, you’ll need toconnect it to some kind of a sound system in order t...

Chapter 1: Getting Started A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 23 MIDI C ONNECTIONS If you plan to use the A6 with other MIDI instruments and devices in a music system, use the following guide to connect it to your rig. As a Master : If you intend to use the A6 as the master controller in your MIDI rig...

Chapter 1: Getting Started 24 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL As a Slave : If you plan to control the A6 from another MIDI device, you’ll need a MIDI cable connected to its MIDI IN port. You will also need a MIDI cable connected to the A6’s MIDI THRU if you plan to pass MIDI data from the master th...

Chapter 1: Getting Started A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 25 With a MIDI Patchbay: If you’re using a MIDI patchbay or “patcher” to connect all ofyour MIDI devices centrally, the patcher will have a pair of MIDIconnectors for each MIDI device. The patcher’s back panel willhave a series of paired MI...

Chapter 1: Getting Started 26 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Q UICK S TART : P LAYING Y OUR F IRST P ROGRAM A UTO T UNE Now that it's all hooked up, there's one more thing you have to do. If you've jumpedthe gun and played a few chords, you probably heard that the unit was way out oftune. Because ...

Chapter 1: Getting Started A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 27 S ELECTING P ROGRAMS You don't have to know what all the knobs do to enjoy the A6; it comes pre-programmed with hundreds of sounds. You can simply listen to these sounds andfind out more about them later. When playing the A6, the instrum...

Chapter 1: Getting Started 28 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL M ASTER V OLUME And finally, adjust the level using the MASTER VOLUME on the left side of the control panel. The VOICE MIX LEVEL on the right side is a programmable control—it may seem to do the same thing, but avoid using it for now. Th...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 29 C HAPTER 2: P LAYING THE A6 Possibly the best way to get acquainted with the A6 is to dig in and start playing.Feel free to skip around this Chapter if you need to get specific information quickly.This Chapter deals specifically with func...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 30 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL A B RIEF T OUR OF THE F RONT P ANEL The A6’s front panel contains a fairly large number of buttons and knobs, which isprobably a lot more than most players are used to seeing on a synthesizer these days.The A6 is designed to make editing ...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 31 Mix mode is also used when the A6 is connected to a MIDI sequencer formultitimbral recording and playback. Each Mix channel , the set of parameters that are used to control a Program in the Mix, can be assigned to a specific MIDI Channelw...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 32 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL I NTERACTING WITH THE D ISPLAY Although the A6 has numerous knobs and buttons across its front panel, the display(and its associated controls) is the central area to use when operating the A6. This concept holds true in all modes: with fe...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 33 B ASIC D ISPLAY F UNCTIONS In its normal operating mode, the display will react to virtually any change you make to any of the front panel controls . When you turn a knob or press a button, the display will recall that parameter’s page an...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 34 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Modes of Operation Let’s start at the beginning and discuss the three basic operating modes of the A6 andhow the display keeps you informed of what’s going on. All of the operations of the A6 are grouped into three operating modes: Progra...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 35 Throughout this manual, we’ll be using the following terms to describe the memorycapabilities of the A6: • A Program bank refers to an entire bank of Programs. • A Mix bank refers to an entire bank of Mixes. • A User bank (there’s one for...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 36 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL LOCK Function While many of the A6’s pages make use of all eight knobs and buttons, many do not.You may notice that sometimes knobs and buttons will become inactive because thedisplay doesn’t need them. But there are two soft buttons – 7 ...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 37 Table of Display Functions The following table summarizes the functions of the display’s knobs and buttons: NAME FUNCTION GLOBAL button Enters Global mode, displays Global screen. PROGRAM button Enters Program mode, displays Program scree...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 38 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL S ELECTING P ROGRAMS AND M IXES When playing the A6, the instrument operates in one of two play modes: Programmode or Mix mode. One method of selecting Programs or Mixes is using the row ofdirect-select buttons just above the Ribbon Contr...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 39 PROGRAM M ODE P ARAMETERS Pressing the PROGRAM button displays the Program mode display screen. As with all other A6 functions, the page and parameter that was last selected will be recalled.The following table summarizes the Program mode...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 40 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL The pages unique to Mix mode are MIX , KBD , PROG , CNTL and SOLO , described as follows: MIX Page Parameters PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION MIX BANK - USER - PRESET 1 This parameter displays the current Mix Bank.Use soft kno...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 41 PROG Page Parameters The abbreviation for “Program,” this page is where you set the level, pan and outputjacks, transpose and fine tuning amounts, and MIDI Channel settings for the selectedMix Channel. This is also where you can select a ...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 42 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL CNTL Page Parameters The abbreviation for “Controllers”, this page permits you to enable/disable local andMIDI controllers for the selected Mix Channel. The parameters on this page determine whether or not the displayed controllersaffect ...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 43 S TORING E DITED P ROGRAMS AND M IXES Chapters 5 through 8 explore the details of editing existing Programs and Mixes, andprovide all the information for creating completely new ones. When a Program orMix has been edited or a new one is c...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 44 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL DIR Store Procedure When you press the STORE button the first time to initiate a store, you can press soft button 2 to enter the DIR (“Directory”) page. Here you can view the entire list of 128 Programs or Mixes by name . This way, if you...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 45 COPY Procedure To copy an item, press STORE then press soft button 3. Use soft pot knob 1 to select the type of item to copy (Program Bank, Program Digital FX settings, etc.) Select thesource using soft knob 2 . Select the destination usi...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 46 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL NAME Page Parameters The NAME page contains parameters that allow you to quickly and easily change the name of the selected Program or Mix. In addition, you can also change thedestination Bank and Program/Mix number like you can in the PR...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 47 S ETTING U P S PLITS AND L AYERS Splits and layers are constructed from Mix Channels in Mix mode. So make sure thatthe A6 is in Mix mode: the LED next to the MIX button should be on. If not, press the MIX button. T O SET UP LAYERS OF P RO...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 48 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL S PLITS The major difference between a split and a layer is in the KBD settings. The KBD LO and KBD HI settings define the limits of the keyboard range or “zone” of the Mix Channel. In a layer, the settings overlap ; but in a split, the s...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 49 U SING G LOBAL M ODE GLOBAL M ODE P ARAMETERS SOFT KNOB PAGE TAB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 KEYBD TRANSP VCURVE VSENS TXMODE MIDICH AFTCH VSTEAL PEDAL PEDMOD FSWMOD MIDI MIXSEL PRG RX PRG TX BNKSEL CC TX CC RX SYX RX CC MAP PED CC FSW CC RIBVCC RIBL...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 50 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION TXMODE Sets the control output of the A6 keyboard: KEYBD continued LOCMID The keyboard will play the A6’s voices andtransmit MIDI Notes. MIDI The keyboard will transmit MIDI Notes only –the A6’s...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 51 PEDAL Page Parameters Use the parameters on this page when setting up your pedals that are plugged intothe A6’s rear panel. You can refer to page 68 for the physical and electricalspecifications of the types of pedals that are compatible ...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 52 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL M ASTER C ONTROLS V OLUME The MASTER VOLUME knob is a global (affects the A6 in all modes) volume control thatdetermines the final outputlevel of the unit. To use anaudio term, MASTER VOLUME is post (comes after) the PRE and POST FILTER m...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 53 AUTO TUNE Button Pressing AUTO TUNE displays the auto tune page. Pressing it again initiates a routine that fine tunes or calibrates a number of A6 functions to an internal tuning reference. Tip : You need to auto-tune the A6 after you fi...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 54 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL T HE K EYBOARD AND K EYBOARD M ODES This might be a big assumption, but we get the impression that some players may beinterested in learning about the keyboard since the A6 is a keyboard instrument. All joking aside, the A6’s keyboard mak...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 55 P ERFORMANCE F EATURES KBD MODE Controls The KBD MODE (“keyboard mode”)functions allow for quickand easy access to threeof the most commonperformancecharacteristics of thekeyboard: UNISON X which provides severalunison playing modes, DETU...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 56 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Keyboard Mode Parameters Pressing the UNISON X , POLY or MONO buttons, or turning the DETUNE knob will display the KBMODE page. Note that the display shows PROG MODE or MIX MODE (depending on the mode selected). Separate keyboard settings...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 58 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Additional Keyboard Functions TRANSPOSE Button The TRANSPOSE button allows you to play the A6 in a different key. This is a global setting that affects allPrograms and Mixes and remains in effect until it’schanged, even if the A6 is power...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 59 P ORTAMENTO A Italian term (from a Latin root) that means sliding , portamento causes the A6’s Voices to “slide” (sometimes called “glide”) to the notes being played. When you areplaying the A6 normally, played keys or MIDI Note On messag...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 60 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL ON/OFF Button This button simply turns the portamento function on or off. When on, the LED willlight. Pressing this button selects the ENABLE parameter on the PORTA page. Portamento Parameters SOFT KNOB PAGE TAB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 PORTA TIME...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 61 PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION PORTA Continued MODE This parameter is used to select from amongthree portamento actions: NORMAL Each new voice that is played will havePortamento. The portamento will glide from thelast note pl...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 62 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL CURVE: Selecting the Portamento’s Slope Identical to the stages of an envelope, Portamento has a user-selectable propertycalled slope . This term refers to how gliding notes accelerate (speed up) or decelerate (slow down) as each voice ap...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 64 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL STMODE Parameters PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION STMODE Start Mode MODE This page determines where the portamento issliding from—its start point. LSTKEY When a new note is played, it will “slide” fromthe last key played. OFFS...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 65 T HE P ERFORMANCE W HEELS AND R IBBON C ONTROLLER B ACKGROUND The A6 utilizes two performance wheels that are used mainly for pitch bend ( PITCH ) and vibrato ( MOD ). The Pitch wheel on the left is a spring-loaded wheel that snaps back t...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 66 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL P ROGRAMMING THE W HEELS AND R IBBON All of the Programs that ship with the A6 havedefault wheel and ribbon modulations stored withthem. In most cases (but not all), the left wheel andribbon are preset for pitch bend and the right wheelis...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 67 PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION PWHEEL Continued TOPCRV Top Curve LINEAR ··· SCURV2 This parameter selects one of nine responsecurves for the wheel’s upper travel. See thediscussion on curves starting on page 62. OSC 1 OFF , O...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 68 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Pedals and FootswitchesIts seems as if anything plugged into an instrument that you step on is called a pedal.Well, not exactly. There are actually two types of “foot-actuated controllers” in the context of an electronic instrument. Altho...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 69 T HE CLOCK S ECTION The A6’s Clock is aglobal function thatprovides globalsynchronization as amodulation source toall voices in Programsor Mixes. By global sync we mean that any A6function that relies ontempo can get itstiming from the Cl...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 70 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL C LOCK P ARAMETERS DISPLAYPAGE PANEL LABEL PARAMETERDISPLAY OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION CLOCK TEMPO Knob TEMPO 0.458 ··· 500.0000 Beats Per Minute The knob adjusts the tempo of the Clock from.46 bpm to 500 bpm. START Clock Start Mode Thi...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 71 SYNC/MOD Button Pressing the SYNC/MOD button that is located directly below the TEMPO knob displays the parameters for modulating the tempo of the Clock by any of the A6’s 71modulation sources. Use SYNC/MOD to modulate the tempo of the Cl...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 72 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Layout Each of the sequencer’s 16 “steps” or “events” consists of four components or Levels:a Note, the note’s Velocity amount, the note’s duration called Gate time, and whethera note will play or the step will be a rest, called the Type....

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 73 START/STOP Button Pressing this button enables ordisables the Sequencer. This is aprogrammable parameter that issaved with each Program andwith each Mix Channelseparately. So, you can have thesequencer enabled for a programin Mix Mode and...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 74 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL GRAPH and 1 - 8 Parameters The GRAPH page is used to set the Note, Velocity, Gate and Type values for the 16 steps: • Pressing soft button 1 ( GRAPH ) repeatedly cycles through the NOTE , VEL , GATE and TYPE parameters for the selected St...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 75 Sequencer CONFIG Parameters PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION CONFIG SequencerConfiguration LOCBPM 0.46 ··· 600.00 The tempo of the Sequencer displayed in beatsper minute. When LOCAL is selected on the SYNC page , the sequencer ...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 76 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL TRIG Parameters PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION TRIG SOURCE Many of the MOD sources such as Mod Wheel, Ribbon, Footswitch, etc. This parameter allows you to select an inputthat will trigger the sequencer. Unlike other MOD sour...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 77 PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION TRIG Continued RETRIG OFF , ON Turns re-triggering on or off. When off, thetrig source acts as a one-shot trigger. Whenon, the trigger acts repeatedly, restarting thesequence from the beginning....

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 78 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL SYNC Parameters PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION SYNC SYNSRC Sync Source Allows you to select the clock source that willdrive the sequencer. LOCAL Uses the sequencer’s dedicated clock for itstempo. CLOCK Uses the A6’s global Cl...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 79 A RPEGGIATOR Similar to a sequence, an arpeggio is musical term that refers to the playing of notes of a chord one after another instead of playing them simultaneously. The A6’sArpeggiator is used to create programmable arpeggios – Arpegg...

Chapter 2: Playing the A6 80 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Arpeggiator CONFIG Parameters PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION CNFG ArpeggiatorConfiguration LOCBPM Beats per Minute .46 ··· 600 The speed or rate of the Arpeggiator displayedin “bpm” or beats per minute. This setting isindepen...

Chapter 3: Basics of Analog Synthesis A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 81 C HAPTER 3 B ASICS OF A NALOG S YNTHESIS A N O VERVIEW OF S YNTHESIS The concept of a synthesizer is an instrument that is capable of producing a verywide range of sounds electronically. The huge popularity and continueddevelo...

Chapter 3: Basics of Analog Synthesis 82 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL For both pitched and non-pitched sounds, there are two keyelements of sound that we will be working with whencreating or editing Programs on the A6. First, we need to consider what makes up a sound wave: what are thecomponents...

Chapter 3: Basics of Analog Synthesis A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 83 mechanical sounds. Clever use of aperiodic waves, often in combination withperiodic waveforms, have resulted in sounds that closely resemble drums, cymbals and helicopters. The A6 provides two of these non-cyclical sound sourc...

Chapter 3: Basics of Analog Synthesis 84 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Harmonics, like other periodic waves, have frequency and amplitude. Theirfrequencies are musical intervals above the fundamental which can be thought of asthe “root”. Their amplitudes are also based on the loudness of the fund...

Chapter 3: Basics of Analog Synthesis A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 85 Here’s a graphical representation of a typical envelope. We’ll be covering the detailsof how an envelope works, what you can do with it and what all those labels mean ina later chapter. For now, we just want to show you how an...

Chapter 3: Basics of Analog Synthesis A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 87 LFOs In addition to loudness and brightness dynamics, everyday sounds are often enhanced with repeating, patterned fluctuations we recognize as vibrato. In one of itsmore expressive applications, a singer often adds vibrato at...

Chapter 3: Basics of Analog Synthesis 88 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL C OMPONENTS OF AN A NALOG S YNTHESIZER With the preceding information as background, let’s take a look at how ourdiscoveries about sound relate to a physical electronic instrument. Here’s a series offlowcharts illustrating thi...

Chapter 3: Basics of Analog Synthesis A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 91 7. Last, but not least, we’ll add controller inputs for volume pedal and sustain pedal. Typically, a volume pedal varies the amplitude (again the “amount”)of the synth’s output section. Sustain pedal control is typically route...

Chapter 4: Andromeda A6 Overview A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 93 C HAPTER 4 O VERVIEW OF THE A NDROMEDA A6 M AKING S ENSE OF A LL T HIS T HEORY : A N O VERVIEW OF THE A6 Now that we’ve covered the bare-bones basics of analog synthesis, we can move onto see how all this theory applies to the A6. ...

Chapter 4: Andromeda A6 Overview 94 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL In the A6, all of a Voice’s settings are stored in memory for instant recall. So, all of thesettings that you use to create a sound are “programmed” into the A6’s memory, hence the term Program for referring to a sound stored in me...

Chapter 4: Andromeda A6 Overview A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 95 A6 F UNCTION L IST We continue with a list of A6 functions. Each function will be explained in the sectionfollowing this list. Detailed descriptions will be covered throughout this manual. Memory 256 factory Programs (in Flash memo...

Chapter 4: Andromeda A6 Overview 96 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Effects Analog distortionStereo reverb (Large Hall, Hall, Stereo Hall, Room, Chamber, Ambience, Large Plate, Plate, Hall/Room, Plate/Room, Hall/Plate, Nonlinear) Delays (Mono, Ping-Pong, Multi-tap, Dual) Chorus (Stereo Chorus/Flang...

Chapter 4: Andromeda A6 Overview A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 97 A6 F UNCTIONS A T - A -G LANCE Memory The A6 contains enough memory for three banks of 128 Programs and two banks of128 Mixes. The Preset banks contain the 256 Preset Programs and 128 Preset Mixeswe created for the A6 and are store...

Chapter 4: Andromeda A6 Overview 98 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Tone Modifiers Filters Referring back to Chapter 3 again, the second component in the signal flow is thesynthesizer’s Filters – the circuitry that controls the harmonic content of the sound wave. Like the A6’s VCOs, its filters are...

Chapter 4: Andromeda A6 Overview A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 99 (AMP) ) of the sound wave, an Envelope can also be routed to a VCO for pitch changes. For this purpose, ENV 1 is routed to the frequency of OSC 2 . via a rotary front-panel control; it can also be routed to OSC 1. The Tracking Gene...

Chapter 4: Andromeda A6 Overview 100 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Controllers The A6 provides all the standard hardware controllers you’d expect in a keyboard synthesizer plus a few more. Most obvious is its 5-octave (C-to-C) semi-weightedkeyboard that responds to velocity and aftertouch. It can...

Chapter 4: Andromeda A6 Overview 102 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL in this section on page 95. FILTER AUDIO INPUTS : see the discussion under the heading “Audio Mixing” earlier in this section on page 95. Audio MAIN outputs: the LEFT and RIGHT 1/4” jacks provide the main stereo output signal for ...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 103 C HAPTER 5 P ROGRAM F UNCTIONS P ART 1: O SCILLATORS AND F ILTERS Up to this point in the manual, what we’ve covered so far will serve mainly asbackground material for the rest of the manual. But it is important background mater...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 104 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL A6 components) fit into the Program/Mix concept. With this as a foundation, we’renow ready to explore the VCOs from a hands-on functional perspective. O SCILLATOR P ARAMETER D ESCRIPTIONS The following two tables summarize the P...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 105 TUNE Page Parameters: OSC 1 and OSC 2 Each oscillator has tuning knobs for coarse, fine and ultra-fine tuning control. These three controls have their neutral positions (where A-440 or Standard Pitch isachieved) at 12 o’clock. F...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 106 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL WAVE Page Parameters DISPLAYPAGE PANEL LABEL PARAMETERDISPLAY OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION WAVE SQR Button + LED SQUARE OFF , ON Turns the Square Wave on or off. PULSE WIDTH WIDTH 0 ···   100 This parameter sets the width of the...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 107 VCO M ODULATION ENV 1 AMOUNT, OSC 2 FM and NZEXT Of major importance in many synthesizer sounds is the ability to modulate theVCOs. The A6 provides each oscillator with several pre-routed and three custommodulations. We’ll cover...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 109 OSC 2 FM Parameters Using a VCO as a Mod Source The frequency of OSC 1 can be modulated by OSC 2 , hence the term “OSC 2 FM”, or “frequency modulation by Oscillator 2”. Using this modulation is a bit moreinvolved than simply tur...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 110 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL DISPLAYPAGE PANEL LABEL PARAMETERDISPLAY OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION OSC2FM Continued — OSC2FM 0 ··· 100 This soft knob sets the amount of FM for thetype(s) selected in the ASSIGN parameter above. If a combination of two or mor...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 111 NZEXT Oscillator Modulation Parameters Similar in principle to OSC 2 FM , NZEXT modulation allows you to use four of Andromeda’s audio sources and use them as modulation sources. By incorporating these mod routes into the A6’s m...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 112 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Soft buttons 3 through 7 , however, are active and allow you to display their respective modulations. Soft buttons 3 , 4 and 5 correspond to the MOD 1 , MOD 2 and MOD 3 buttons in the VCO sections and display their respective pa...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 113 MODULATION DESTINATIONS: VCOs PARAMETER DISPLAYED AS DEFINITION 1. FREQUENCY The frequency of OSC 1 or OSC 2 . 2. SQR WAVE LEVEL The output level of the selected VCO’ssquare wave. 3. PULSE WIDTH The pulse width of the selected V...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 114 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL FMMOD Parameters This is the page where the OSC 2 FM function (see page 109) is modulated. In other words, you can modulate the amount of OSC 2 modulating OSC 1 with the parameters on this page. Referring to the table on the pre...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 115 SYNC Parameter: OSC 2 Only Synchronizing OSC 1 with OSC 2 Even with the VCOs’ fine tuning and ultra-fine tuning controls, it is impossible totune the VCOs to perfect unison, especially across the entire range of the A6’s keyboar...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 116 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL F ILTERS The A6’s filters, labeled on the front panel as FILTER 1 and FILTER 2 , provide the harmonic control we introduced in Chapter 3. Unlike earlier analogsynthesizers that utilized only one VCF, the A6 usestwo filters that ...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 117 H OW F ILTERS A RE D ESIGNED As important as the amount of audio frequencies that pass through the filter is the type of filtering that is employed. The basic filtering process depends, therefore, on the mode of the filter – whe...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 118 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Band Pass A section of the audio spectrum, called a “band of frequencies”, passes through thefilter while low and high frequencies are filtered out . Turning the FREQ knob determines the center frequency of the band: harmonics j...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 119 Since a notch is created by combining high and low pass filtering, you can adjust thefrequency of Filter 1 and Filter 2. As long as the frequency of Filter 2 (the low-pass element) is lower than that of Filter 1 (the high-pass e...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 120 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Slope A filter’s slope refers to the rate at which the frequencies are filtered out. Harmonics are not chopped off abruptly by the filter but are “rolled-off” or reduced inamplitude gradually. This gradual reduction in volume oc...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 121 filter has its resonance boosted at 8kHz, producing a noticeable “hump” inwaveform’s harmonic amplitude just before the cutoff slope begins. To our ears,increasing resonance produces a kind of “ringing” or “whistling” effect on ...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 122 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL H OW F ILTERS W ORK In Chapter 3, we used a number of flowcharts to illustrate how audio, modulationand control signals flow though a generic synthesizer. Since the A6 is more advancedthan our generic example, let’s expand on th...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 123 3. The three outputs of FILTER 1 – its Low Pass signals, High Pass signals and Band Pass signals – are routed to the POST FILTER MIX . Notice two things here: a.) All three types of filtering are available at the same time ; you...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 124 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 4. The composite output of the PRE FILTER MIX , the Band Pass output of FILTER 1 or the Notch output of the of the POST FILTER MIX can be selected as the input of FILTER 2 for additional 4-pole low pass filtering. The F2 INPUT b...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 127 F ILTER P ARAMETER D ESCRIPTIONS Although FILTER 1 and FILTER 2 perform quite differently, their display parameters are similar in function if not in location. Filter 1 Parameters SOFT KNOB PAGE TAB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 FILT 1 FREQ R...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 128 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Main FILTER Parameters DISPLAYPAGE PANEL LABEL PARAMETERDISPLAY OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION FILT 1 or FILT 2 FILTER 1 (12dB) FILTER 2 (24dB) FREQ FREQ Frequency 0.0218 ··· 22.3482 (Fil 1) 44.6960 (Fil 2) This parameter is used ...

Chapter 5: Oscillators and Filters 130 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL MOD Parameters DISPLAYPAGE PANEL LABEL PARAMETERDISPLAY OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION MOD1 MOD2 MOD3 MOD 1 MOD 2 MOD 3 — SOURCE Any of the A6’s 79 modulation sources. Use soft knob 1 to scroll through the list of possible modulat...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 131 C HAPTER 6 P ROGRAM F UNCTIONS P ART 2: M ODULATION AND E NVELOPES M ODULATION Modulation is quite possibly the most-used operation in a synthesizer. It involvesmore of the routine day-to-day synth functions than most people ar...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 132 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL gets brighter as it gets louder. This is harmonic modulation or, more precisely, filter frequency modulation. The brightness of the sound (“something”) can be changed by a pedal, an envelope, an LFO, velocity or other sources (...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 133 The LFO section of the A6 also contains an aperiodic mod source called sample-and-hold ( S & H on the front panel). This classic analog mod, discussed in detail later, provides yet another random modulation typically based ...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 134 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL E NVELOPES An envelope is used when you want to make changes in the level or the frequency ofa destination over a period of time which can be mere fractions of a second – .001 seconds (or one thousandth of a second) – to severa...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 135 E NVELOPE P ARAMETER D ESCRIPTIONS The A6 has three 7-stage loop-able envelope generators per voice. The parameters ofthe envelopes are described on the following pages. Pressing a button or turning aknob on any of the three en...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 137 TIME Page Parameters The TIME page is where the selected envelope’s stage duration ( TIME ) and stage slope ( SHAPE ) parameters are adjusted. Tip : Although you can select any parameter simply by turning its corresponding soft...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 138 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL TIME TIMEParameters (continued) — SHAPE LINEAR EXP 1 , 2 & 3 LOG 1 , 2 & 3 SCURV1 & 2 Designed after the CURVE function of the PORTA function, SHAPE refers to the slope (acceleration or deceleration attributes) of t...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 139 SHAPE: Selecting the Stage Slope Each time parameter of an envelope (except Delay) has a user-selectable property called slope . This term refers to how the attack, decay and release stages accelerate (speed up) or decelerate (...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 140 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL • An EXP (exponential) slope, however, accelerates towards the target level: it starts out slow then speeds up as it gets closer to its target level. Rather than astraight line, it is represented by a curve. One of three expone...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 141 LEVEL Page Parameters This page of parameters is where the four levels of the envelope are set. Notice that you can use a negative value for any or all of the levels in Envelopes 1 and 2. DISPLAYPAGE PANEL LABEL PARAMETERDISPLA...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 142 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL TRIG and RETRIG Pages Parameters The envelope’s Time and Level parameters determine its shape or contour . As important as an envelope’s shape is when it begins its cycle and how it plays through the cycle. This is where the TR...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 143 DISPLAYPAGE PANELLABEL PARAMETERDISPLAY OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION TRIG Continued — POLAR * NEGATIVE The trigger will occur only when the source is“moving in a negative direction.” This meansthat a trigger is generated when t...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 144 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Envelope Modes The envelope MODE parameter on the TRIG page determines how an envelope is triggered (started) and how it progresses through its stages under various circumstances. There are seven envelope modes: Normal 1, Norma...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 145 NORM 1 A NORM 1 envelope will proceed through its cycle to the Sustain stage as long as a key is being held down (Note On). The Release 1 stage starts when the key is let go(Note Off). But if the key is let go before the Sustai...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 146 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL NORM 1, EXAMPLE 2 EXAMPLE 2a This is a NORM 1 envelope with the Note Off occurring during the ATTACK stage. The envelope “jumps” to the RELEASE 1 stage and proceeds into the RELEASE 2 level. The gray lines in the illustration a...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 148 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL NORM 2, EXAMPLE 2 EXAMPLE 2a This is a NORM 2 envelope with the Note Off occurring during the ATTACK stage. The envelope “jumps” directly to the RELEASE 2 stage and proceeds to 0 . The gray lines in the illustration above indic...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 149 NORM 2, EXAMPLE 3 EXAMPLE 3a This is a NORM 2 envelope with the Note Off occurring during the DECAY 1 stage. The envelope “jumps” directly to the RELEASE 2 stage and proceeds to 0 . The gray lines in the illustration aboveindic...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 150 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL FRERUN The FRERUN (“free-run”) envelope plays through its cycle even if the key or pedal is released before reaching the Sustain stage. Start : The envelope is started by the beginning of a Note On event. Progress : Once the en...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 153 SUSREL, EXAMPLE 4 This is a SUSREL envelope with the Note Off occurring during the DECAY 1 stage. If a Sustain Pedal On occurs, theenvelope “jumps” to the SUSREL stage and proceeds into RELEASE 2 . If the Sustain Pedal Off occu...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 154 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL MOD-TG The MOD-TG (“modulation trigger-gate”) envelope mode is very similar in function to the NORM 1 mode, except that the envelope is triggered by a user selectable modulation input instead of the keyboard. Start : The envelo...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 155 How Modulation Triggering Works When a modulation source is selected to trigger an envelope, the envelope ignoresNote On messages (the keyboard, MIDI Notes, and so forth) and instead looks at theselected mod source for its trig...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 157 In EXAMPLEs 5 , 6 and 7 , the envelope looks at the LFO for absolute values : positive or negative attributes are ignored – just the level of 75 is used. EXAMPLE 5 User Parameters: Trigger In Level = 75 Trigger Polarity = ABSBI...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 158 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL DYN Page Parameters The DYN or Dynamics functions permit you to modulate certain parameters of an envelope “live” or as you are playing the A6. To use a current computer phrase, wecould say that dynamics are performance paramet...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 159 DISPLAYPAGE PANEL LABEL PARAMETERDISPLAY OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION DYN Continued KEYTRK Key Tracking -100 ··· +100 Key Tracking allows you to dynamically alterthe time settings of the selected envelope’sstages (except Delay ...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 160 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Positive Values : If KEYTRK and RELMOD are set to 100 , the envelope stage times will double in speed with each octave above Middle C, and halve in speed with eachoctave below Middle C. Negative Values : If KEYTRK and RELMOD ar...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 161 how we use the the term stage . It refers to the same envelope parameters as before, but when describing the loop start function, the loop starts at the beginning of the selected stage only. For example, you cannot start a loop...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 162 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL DISPLAYPAGE PANEL LABEL PARAMETERDISPLAY OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION LOOP Continued — COUNT Continued SUSTAIN The loop will continue to cycle until the key islet go (or the A6 receives a MIDI Note Off). Ifyou’re using a sustai...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 163 Some Important Notes About Envelope Looping • You can think of the Smooth parameter as another envelope “stage”. It has Time (the SMOOTH parameter) and Slope (the SSHAPE parameter) properties just like the other stages. Just ke...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 164 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL MOD Pages In addition to the modifications offered by the TRIG and DYN pages, each envelope can be modulated by any of the A6’s 71 mod sources. In fact, three separate modpaths can be created per envelope from the three MOD 1 ,...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes 166 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL EXAMPLE 2: BI-POLAR with OFFSET plus LEVEL Changes DELAY Time OFF (no Delay stage) ATTACK Time 4.82 S Attack SHAPE LOG 1 D1TIME 2.34 S Decay1 SHAPE EXP 2 D2LEVL Set to 79 but is effectively 60 after adjusting for Offset D2TIME ...

Chapter 6: Modulation and Envelopes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 167 EXAMPLE 3: BI-POLAR with Output LEVEL Clipping and RELEASE HOLD DELAY Time OFF (no Delay stage) ATTACK Time 8.67 S Attack SHAPE LINEAR D1TIME 7.58 S Decay1 SHAPE LOG 1 D2LEVL Set to 0 but is effectively 60 after adjusting for O...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 171 C HAPTER 7 P ROGRAM F UNCTIONS P ART 3: LFO S , S AMPLE & H OLD AND P ROCESS L OW F REQUENCY O SCILLATORS As mentioned earlier in this manual, a Low FrequencyOscillator (LFO) primarily provides periodic (repeatingpattern) ...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process 172 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Tip : Tabbing feature: You can select any parameter simply by turning its correspond- ing soft knob, but this action also changes the parameter’s value which isn’talways desirable. If you just want to review the current settin...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 173 ➠ DELAY Delay Time This parameter sets time that elapses before the LFO begins its oscillation. Duringthis time delay, the LFO is inactive.Range: 0 – 131.075 seconds, adjustable in increments of 2 to 10 milliseconds. ➠ PHASE I...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process 174 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL ➠ OFFSET DC Offset This parameter allows you to shift (“offset”) the zero amplitude reference for theLFO wave. This means that, as depicted in the graphs below, you can move thezero line – the point of a wave where it is neith...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 175 TRIG Page As important as how an LFO operates is when it begins to oscillate. It is usually assumed that an LFO starts when a key is played or MIDI Note is received, or atthe end of the Delay stage. All three of these scenario...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process 176 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL SYNC Page This page allows you to synchronize the LFO’s frequency with the A6’s MasterClock, or with an external MIDI clock. This is a very useful function when youneed the LFO to be in sync with the arpeggiator, the sequencer...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 177 arpeggiator, and many more. We’ll cover more about this in Chapter 9, The A6 Modulation Matrix. S AMPLE AND H OLD Sample and Hold is a specialty mod sourcethat generates its modulation by “sampling aninput”. This means that a ...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process 178 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL In both examples, the RESULT is the output of the Sample and Hold generator and will modulate the selected destination when S & H LEVEL is used as a mod source.

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 179 PROCESS M ODULE The PROCESS module contains the Tracking Generator and the Engine Optimizer. T RACKING G ENERATOR (TGEN) The Tracking Generator is used to scale a modulationsource. It allows you to "redraw" any modulat...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process 180 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL T RACKING G ENERATOR P ARAMETER D ESCRIPTIONS The A6 has a 16-stage (maximum) Tracking Generator for each voice. The parametersare described in detail below. SOFT KNOB PAGE TAB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 OUTPUT INLVL STAGE QUANTZ SIZE EN...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 181 DISPLAYPAGE PANEL LABEL PARAMETERDISPLAY OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION INPUT — MOD SOURCE LIST Any of the A6’s 79 modulation sources. Use soft knob 1 to scroll through the list of possible sources as input for the TrackingGener...

Chapter 7: LFOs, S&H and Process 182 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL E NGINE O PTIMIZER P ARAMETERS DISPLAYPAGE PARAMETERDISPLAY OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION ENGINE OSC Oscillator EngineOptimizer Selects Engine Optimizer settings for the Oscillators. NORMAL This is the default setting. It is su...

Chapter 8: Pre Filter, Post Filter and Voice Mixes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 183 C HAPTER 8 P ROGRAM F UNCTIONS P ART 4: T HE A NDROMEDA ’ S M IXING S YSTEM One of the most useful and exciting features of the A6 is its ability to mix soundsignals in a multitude of ways. Having a wide choice o...

Chapter 8: Pre Filter, Post Filter and Voice Mixes 184 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL PRE FILTER MIX O PERATION OSC and SUB OSC Controls The output levels of both VCOs going to the Filters are controlled by their respective OSC 1 and OSC 2 knobs. Each VCO also provides a sub-oscillator output and ...

Chapter 8: Pre Filter, Post Filter and Voice Mixes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 185 Modulator, using the sine waves of OSC 1 and OSC 2 is a good place to start because sine waves have no harmonics. This will allow you to hear the Ring Modulatorproduce a waveform with the least complexity. Differ...

Chapter 8: Pre Filter, Post Filter and Voice Mixes 186 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL AUDIO EXT IN You can process external audio sources through the A6. Examples of audio sources you can use include an electricguitar, a high-impedance microphone, a digital sampler,an audio CD player or cassette p...

Chapter 8: Pre Filter, Post Filter and Voice Mixes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 187 Signal Routing through the Filters The PRE FILTER MIX outputs of OSC 1 and OSC 2 (along with their respective SUB OSC signals), the RING MOD and NOISE EXT can be routed through the A6 using the following procedur...

Chapter 8: Pre Filter, Post Filter and Voice Mixes 188 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL turn up FILT 1 HP , effectively giving you a “ HIGHPASS ” input to FILTER 2 instead of a notch. - When using BP as the input to FILTER 2 , you can invert the bandpass filtering by pressing the BP INVERT button in...

Chapter 8: Pre Filter, Post Filter and Voice Mixes A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 189 POST FILTER MIX O VERVIEW The POST FILTER MIX module contains five knobs that control the output of the Filters going to the VOICE MIX plus the unfiltered signal levels of OSC 1 and OSC 2 SINE waves and the RING ...

Chapter 8: Pre Filter, Post Filter and Voice Mixes 190 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL V OICE M IX The VOICE MIX module contains the final mixing stages of the A6. The mixed output of this module feeds the instrument’s MASTER VOLUME knob on the left of the instrument that controls the final output ...

Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 191 C HAPTER 9: C USTOM M ODULATIONS Chapter 5: Program Functions just presented us with a detailed look at the main programmable functions of the A6’s modules that comprise a Program: OSC 1 and OSC 2 , FILTER 1 and FILTER 2 , the ...

Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix 192 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Wheel is assigned by default to control the level of MOD 1 in each oscillator; you don’t have to program that. In both cases, you can turn the hard-wired routes off if youwish, but why use up a custom MOD for something that’s a...

Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 193 What the MOD display means The upper right hand corner shows that this is a mod page for Filter 1. By looking atthe page tabs and the legend above it, we know we’re looking at Mod 1 of that filter. Moving from left to right, we...

Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix 194 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL The different ways to modulate a parameter There are four “levels” of operation that are used to control mod paths in the A6’s Mod Matrix system: Hardware Mods: The first level uses dedicated front panel controls to control the...

Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 197 A F EW G ROUND R ULES • The mod paths created from the Mod Matrix are programmable per Program. This means that each of the A6’s 128 Programs can have a unique set ofcustom mod paths, or none at all. • Therefore, all Mod Routes...

Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix 198 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL T HE C ONTROL R OUTES S ECTION As we said earlier in this chapter, modulators can be constant at the level set on theMod page, or they can be controlled from still more modulation sources. This“modulating the modulator” control...

Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 199 If you’ve done this, try the Mod Wheel again. You’ll notice that it didn’t bring in thevibrato this time. But notice that the LEDs for each Oscillator’s Mod 1 are still on. This means the mod route itself is still active; it’s ...

Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix 200 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL A BOUT S IGNAL F LOW IN A MOD P ATH When you’re programming a modulation, keep in mind that there are many possiblelevel controls between the mod source and its destination. As in a mixing console,there are many places in the M...

Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 201 A BOUT M ODULATION S OURCES The Mod Sources list in Appendix B near the end of the manual carries a descriptionof each source, although they’re fairly self-explanatory. But there are three categoriesthat you should consider: • ...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 203 C HAPTER 10: U SING E FFECTS I NTRODUCTION The A6 features two complete systems of effects: one that produces a variety of analog-generated distortions (overdrive, classic fuzz box and more) and the other for producing an array of studio...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 204 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Program and each Mix, any and all distortions/effects stored with a Program or Mixcan be disabled with this button. The on/off status is programmable. CONFIG – There are two Configuration buttons, one for the Analog Distortion system and...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 205 MOD page Soft button 8 brings you to the MOD page. As with any of the other modulation options on the A6, you can use any of the 79 modulation sources to increase ordecrease the level of the destinations, which are the inputs to the digi...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 207 MOD: M ODULATING E FFECTS S END /O UTPUT Pressing an effect’s MOD button on the top panel, or pressing soft button 8 ( MOD ) while on any Effects Edit page displays a Modulation page for the Analog Distortion orDigital Effects systems. H...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 208 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL T UTORIAL : H OW TO E DIT A R EVERB The best way to learn a new piece of gear is to start using it in your studio. Thissection is designed to teach you how to edit your own effects using normal day-to-day examples. Remember that programs...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 210 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Now we’re ready to go back to the PARAM1 page, parameters 2 and 3. Bass Boost can be useful for adding a little warmth to a hall program. By setting the frequency to237Hz and the Level to 100, we can add a touch of warmth to our hall pro...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 211 D IGITAL E FFECTS A RCHITECTURE This section describes the 28 configurationcategories for the Digital Effects system. T HE S IGNAL F LOW T HROUGH THE E FFECTS S ECTION As you can see in the flow chart above, the effects section gets its ...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 212 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL S TEREO The Stereo Room, Quad Pitch Shifter and Quad Chorus configurations are specialsingle algorithms that treat the incoming left and right signals differently, but stillcreate a synthesized stereo image from each side, depending on t...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 213 D UAL E FFECTS : P ARALLEL Parallel configurations consist of two discrete “side-by-side” mono-in/stereo-out effects. These configurations are identified by the presence of a “+” in their name, and by a BLEND control between the input an...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 214 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL M ULTI C HAIN The Multi Chain configurations provide two or three stereo effects, which areconnected in series: one feeding the next in the chain. These configurations areidentified by a “ > ” symbol in their name, for example CHRS &g...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 215 C ONFIGURATIONS & P ARAMETER D ESCRIPTIONS This section provides detailed descriptions of the available Digital Effects and theirrelated parameters. A comprehensive Table of Parameters is provided at the end ofthis section. R EVERBS ...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 216 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Nonlinear This reverb effect’s direction can be set either forwards or backwards. Selecting theforward direction provides a classic “Gated” digital reverb sound. Selecting thereverse direction gives you a backwards reverb sound. A popula...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 217 Bass Boost (Halls only) The Hall reverb type allows you to add bass to the input signal before processing.This can make the halls sound “warmer”, or even add rumble at extreme settings.The BASSF parameter selects the highest frequency wh...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 218 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Diffusion (DIFF) Diffusion determines the “thickness” of the reverb sound by adding more reflectionsto the reverb’s decay. With lower diffusion settings, you may be able to hear theindividual echoes that make up the overall reverb sound....

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 219 The Shape parameter controls how the reflections fade out over time. Differentshapes will dictate the shape of the room and the intensity of the attack. The Early Reflection shapes are diagramed below: These shapes range from 0, which fa...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 220 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL how long the gate will be held open before it begins to turn off; this can be set from100 to 600 ms. GATE (Reverb Gate Level Damping) This parameter creates the effect of plugging an expander/gate on the output of areverb, giving the fam...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 221 Delay Parameters Some of these parameters (Feedback, etc.) are found in all of the Delay configurations, where others are found only on the single delays. Following is a listof all Delay parameters found in the A6: Delay Time (100MS, 10M...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 222 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL P ITCH E FFECTS Pitch Configurations The Pitch effects alter the pitch of a signal in various ways to produce “layered”timbres that are more complex than the original signal. Although some of theseeffects can sound similar to one another...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 223 Quad Chorus Quad Chorus modulates four delayed signals, each with independent rate and depthcontrols. Each of the four signals has a separate Predelay variable, allowing you tochange the “rhythm” of the phasing. Quad Pitch Shifter (4 PIT...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 224 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Pitch Parameters Rate This is the rate that the delay time is modulated. It is adjustable from 0.00 to 6.47Hz. Depth This controls how deep the flange or chorusing will be. It affects how wide a range ofdelay time is swept, and is adjust...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 225 Wave The Wave parameter sets the waveform of the Chorus/Flanger’s sweep, either Sineor Triangle. Triggered Flange The Flanger effects can be Triggered by the input audio signal. This allows you to start the flanger at the top of the meas...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 226 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL TRIG This selects which input to monitor to begin triggering. The choices areOFF, Left, Right, or L&R. ATTACK This parameter sets the level where the flange will “trigger” or reset.When the audio goes above this level, the flanger wi...

Chapter 10: Using Effects A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 227 T ABLE OF D IGITAL E FFECTS P ARAMETERS The following chart lists the parameters found on each page of each configuration.Use this as a road map to locate a specific parameter you want to edit. CONFIG DISPLAY PARAMETER NAME MOD PAGE DISP...

Chapter 10: Using Effects 228 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Table of Digital Effects Parameters (continued) CONFIG DISPLAY PARAMETER NAME MOD PAGE DISPLAY PARAMETER NAME RANGE Stereo Room ➟ CONFIG SEND Send (Input Level from Voice) 0.00-100.00 PAN Input Pan -100.0- +100.00 OUT Effects Output Leve...

Chapter 11: Mix Mode A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 243 C HAPTER 11: M IX M ODE The basics of Mix Mode operation including how to select a Mix, change a Program within a Mix, and the complete list of Mix Parameters canbe found in Chapter 2, pages 39 through 42. Setting up Splits andLayers is cover...

Chapter 11: Mix Mode 244 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL C OMMON M IX S ETTINGS FOR MIDI S EQUENCERS The easiest way to use the A6 with a MIDI sequencer is to use one of the pre-programmed Mixes in the Preset or User banks. See the Program/Mix chart for theMix set up for multitimbral use that’s app...

Chapter 11: Mix Mode A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 245 Set Controller parameters At this point, it should be self-explanatory to go on to the CNTL page and decide whether you want this program to respond to various controller messages. Forexample, you can have a lead synth part affected by the pi...

Chapter 11: Mix Mode 246 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 5. Select the source Mix Channel (1–16) using soft knob 4 ( MIXCHN ). 6. Select the destination Mix Channel (1–16) using soft knob 8 ( MIXCHN ). MIX EDIT MIXCHAN: XX will be shown in the display. 7. Press soft button 3 ( COPY ). A window will...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 247 C HAPTER 12: MIDI F UNCTIONS MIDI B ASICS Before we delve into the specific MIDI functions of the A6, we’d like to provide abrief background on MIDI for those who may not be familiar with this technology. MIDI (pronounced “MID-ee”) is t...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions 248 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL For some examples in connecting MIDI devices together, see our illustrations in MIDI Connections starting on page 23. This MIDI Chapter will take these basic connections and provide many examples of using your A6 to control otherinstrum...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 249 MIDI messages that affect your instrument’s voices include: Note On. This message communicates that a particular note is being played and corresponds to a key being pressed down; values range from 000 (the lowest possiblenote) to 127 (t...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions 250 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL Each type of controller is stamped with its own controller identification number. Notall controller numbers have been standardized for specific functions, but thefollowing table lists the current list of assigned controllers. CONTROLLER...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 251 Channel Messages: Mode Messages There are four types of messages that determine the MIDI Mode of the instrument. The “mode” of a device refers to how it will respond to incoming MIDI data . The four possible modes are defined by the ins...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions 252 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL System Messages: Real-Time Messages Timing Clock. A tempo source (such as a sequencer) emits 24 timing messages (clocks) per quarter note. Each device synchronized to the sequencer advances by1/24th of a quarter note when it receives th...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 253 End-of-System-Exclusive Message. This byte is sent at the completion of a System Exclusive message and that tells all units in a MIDI rig that a Program or Sampledump in progress has completed. System Messages: Exclusive Messages System...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 255 MIDI AND THE A6 A NDROMEDA With the previous description of MIDI basics in mind, let’s continue with a few moredetails concerning the MIDI functions that are present in the A6. A MIDI Implementation Chart is provided in Appendix C that ...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions 256 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL S ETTING MIDI P ARAMETERS IN G LOBAL M ODE The most common MIDI transmission and reception variables are under theGLOBAL button, on the MIDI page (Soft Button 3). MIDI Page Parameters PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION MIDI MIX...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 257 CC MAP Page Parameters The fourth page of the GLOBAL menu allows you to set which of the 120 MIDIContinuous Controller messages will be transmitted by the Andromeda's controllers. PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION CC MAP PED C...

Chapter 12: MIDI Functions 258 A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL PANEL Page Parameters This page sets how the top panel controls respond and whether they send andreceive MIDI NRPN (Non-Registered Parameter Number) data. MIDI NRPN datacan be used to record knob movements and button presses on the A6 t...

Appendix A: Glossary A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 259 G LOSSARY All Notes Off a command that is transmitted to all devices in a MIDI systemthat prevents notes from becoming stuck on. Amplitude the level of a signal, its “intensity” (or lack of it) or the “signalstrength”. Channel one of sixteen ...

Appendix A: Glossary A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 260 MIDI OUT the port on a device that transmits the MIDI data generated bythe device. MIDI THRU the port on a device that passes received MIDI data to the nextdevice in the chain. Mix a performance mode where two or more Programs are played atth...

Appendix B: Table of Software Modulation Sources A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 261 M OD S OURCES TABLE OF SOFTWARE MODULATION SOURCES DISPLAYED AS MEANING 1. OFFSET ONLY Fine adjustment amount by the onscreen fader only: noother modulation is present. 2. VOX KEY NUMBER The key or MIDI Note Number...

Appendix B: Table of Software Modulation Sources A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 262 note, a rising level will occur. The level of this sourcedepends on the difference between the notes played. 27. PORTA RAW LEVEL A bipolar rising or falling source that represents thedirection of Portamento. If you...

Appendix B: Table of Software Modulation Sources A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 263 47. PGM KEY TRIGGER A trigger that occurs when any note is played. This iscommonly used for triggering the Sequencer andArpeggiator. 48. EXT TRIGGER 1 A trigger that occurs when the audio input level at theVoice 15...

Appendix B: Table of Software Modulation Sources A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 264 of Envelope 3. 67. ENV 3 DECAY 2 A trigger that occurs at the beginning of the Decay 2 stageof Envelope 3. 68. ENV 3 SUSTAIN A trigger that occurs at the beginning of the Sustain levelof Envelope 3. 69. ENV 3 RELEA...

Appendix C: Troubleshooting A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 265 T ROUBLESHOOTING T HE A UTO -T UNE D ISPLAY The basics of AUTO TUNE were covered in Chapter 1: pressing the button twice initiates a software routine that will automatically tune every circuit in theAndromeda that is subject to thermal...

Appendix C: Troubleshooting A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 266 AUTO TUNE Parameters PAGE PARAMETER OPTIONS or RANGE DESCRIPTION TUNE MASTER 354.35 Hz ··· 546.42 Hz Sets the basic tuning reference of theAndromeda for A4 (the A above middle C).The default is 440.00 Hz, which is the modernconcert ref...

Appendix C: Troubleshooting A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 267 The TUNEOK in the Oscillator columns means that the first six bands (which represent the lower octaves of the range) of this voice (12, in this case) went through an AutoTune process and were OK. The NOTUNE in the Oscillator Pulse Widt...

Appendix C: Troubleshooting A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 268 U PGRADING THE O PERATING S YSTEM While the Andromeda's sound-generating electronics are all analog, they arecontrolled by a digital microprocessor with software, just like a computer. Thissoftware resides in flash memory, and is upgra...

Appendix C: Troubleshooting A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 269 6. The display will now say, "Press STORE to upgrade OS—any other switch toexit." Press STORE . 7. Now press PLAY on your sequencer. It is normal for many sequencers to "freeze" the display while sending a SysEx message...

Appendix C: Troubleshooting A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 270 T ROUBLESHOOTING C HART If you experience problems while operating your Andromeda A6, please use thefollowing table to check for possible causes and solutions before contacting Alesis customer service for assistance. Some of them may s...

Appendix C: Troubleshooting A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 272 C LEANING AND M AINTENANCE While your Andromeda A6 should not need much attention, here are some tips forpreventive maintenance: • Disconnect the AC power Adapter, then use a damp cloth to clean the A6’smetal and plastic surfaces. For ...

Appendix D: Specifications A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 273 S PECIFICATIONS MIDI I MPLEMENTATION C HART Function Transmitted Recognized Remarks BasicChannel DefaultChanged 1 - 161 - 16 each 1 - 161 - 16 each Memorized Mode DefaultMessagesAltered Mode 3 X * * * * * * * * Mode 3 X NoteNumber True ...

Appendix D: Specifications A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 274 S PECIFICATIONS Polyphony 16-voice, 16-channel multitimbral Synthesis Method True analog subtractive Oscillators 2 oscillators (with sub-oscillation) per voice, 5 waveforms available (sine, triangle,square, up saw, down saw) Filters 2-p...

Appendix E: Warranty A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 275 W ARRANTY This product is warranted by Alesis to the original purchaser against defects inmaterial and workmanship for a period of 1 year for parts and labor from the date ofpurchase. Please retain a copy of your dated sales receipt for proof...

Index A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 277 AFTCH 50Aftertouch 42,50,54Amplitude 19 Analog Distortion 204Arpeggiator 79-80,100Audio Connections 22External In 186Mixing 99 Auto Tune 26,53,265-267Aux Outputs 190Band Pass Filter 118Bootloader 268Bypass 189Card 45,94,101 Cents 105Chord Button 58Chorus 22...

Index A NDROMEDA A6 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 278 PANEL 258Parameter 18PCMCIA 45,94,101 Pedal 22,51,68PEDMOD 51Pitch Assign 66Pitch Effects 222-223Plate Reverb 215Pre Filter Mix 99,183-184 Poly/Mono 55,56Portamento 59 Curve 60,62-63Enable 60Legato 61Mod 59,64 Parameters 60Speed 60STMODE 64Time 59,60 Post F...