Novation X-Station User Manual

Also see for X-Station: Supplementary guide Specifications

Contents

Novation X-Station User Manual Manual pdf 32 page image

Noise WavesThese have no fundamental frequency (and therefore no pitched ele-ment). All frequencies are at the same volume. Because they have noperceivable pitch, noise waves are often useful for creating sound effectsand percussion type sounds.Digital WaveformsIn addition to the traditional types of Oscillator waveforms detailedabove, the KS Synth also offers carefully selected digitally sampled pre-set waveforms containing useful harmonic elements normally difficult toproduce using traditional Oscillator waveforms.The MixerTo extend the range of sounds that may be reproduced, a typicalAnalogue synthesizer often has more than one Oscillator. By usingmore than one Oscillator when creating a sound, it possible to achievevery interesting harmonic mixes. It is also possible to slightly detuneindividual Oscillators against each other which creates a very warm ‘fat’sound. There are has three independent Oscillators and a separateNoise Oscillator.Some synths such as the Novation KS 5 often have a separate Mixersection available on the front panel. On the X-Station’s KS Synth imple-mentation, a single LEVEL knob within the OSC / MIXER section isused to adjust the levels of the Oscillators and Noise generator. Thesemay be independently adjusted and mixed together to form a new,more harmonically complex waveform.Use the Oscillator SELECT button to select the signal controlled by theLEVEL knob. A column of LEDs above the button indicate which signalis currently selected.The FilterThe X-Stations KS Synth is an Analogue subtractive type of music syn-thesizer. Subtractive implies that part of the sound is subtracted some-where in the synthesis process.The Oscillators provide the raw waveforms with plenty of harmonic con-tent and it is the Filter that subtracts unwanted harmonics in a control-lable manner.Three types of Filter are available. The type of Filter most commonlyfound on synthesizers is the Low Pass type. With a Low Pass Filter, acut-off point is chosen and any frequencies below that point arepassed. Any frequencies above are filtered out. The setting of the FRE-QUENCY knob on the front panel dictates the point below which fre-quencies are removed. This process of removing harmonics from thewaveforms has the effect of changing the sound’s character or timbre.When the FREQUENCY knob is set fully clockwise, the filter is set com-pletely open and no frequencies are removed from the raw Oscillatorwaveforms.In practice, there is a gradual reduction in the volume of the harmonicsabove the cut-off point. How quickly these harmonics are reduced involume above the cut-off frequency is determined by the Filter’s slope.This slope is measured in ‘volume units per octave’. Since Volume ismeasured in decibels, this slope is quoted in number of decibels peroctave (dB). Typical values are 12dB or 24dB per Octave. The higherthe number, the faster the harmonics are cut and the more pronouncedthe filtering effect.The button on the section marked SLOPE allows either the 12dB or24dB type filter slope to be selected.A further important feature of the Filter is the RESONANCE control.Frequencies at the cut-off point may be increased in volume by thiscontrol. This is useful for emphasizing certain harmonics of the sound.As the RESONANCE is increased, a whistling like quality will be intro-duced to the sound passing through the filter. When set to very highlevels, RESONANCE actually causes the filter to self - oscillate when-ever a signal is being passed through it. The resulting whistling tonebeing produced is actually a pure sine wave, the pitch of whichdepends on the setting of the FREQUENCY knob (the filter’s cut-offpoint). This resonance-produced sine wave can actually be used forsome sounds as an additional sound source if desired.SYNTHESIS TUTORIALThe Filter• 32 •NoiseVolumeHarmonic1 2 3 4 5Noise HarmonicVolumeOSC 1 OSC 1 VOLUMEOSC 2 VOLUMEOSC 3 VOLUME COMPLEXWAVEFORMMIX OFOSC1, 2 AND 3MIXERINPUT TOFILTEROSC 2OSC 3OSC 1OSC 2OSC 3OSC 1 VOLUMEOSC 2 VOLUMEOSC 3 VOLUMEMIXERINPUT TOFILTERCOMPLEXWAVEFORMMIX OFOSC1, 2 & 3