GLIDE, also known as portamento,

is a voltage processor that, in the case of the MINISIZER, is inside the VCO module.

 

It´s basically  a low-pass filter for control signals, what it does is round any sudden voltage change, like the ones that happens from note to note when controlled from a keyboard, making smooth transition between notes.

 

The time (0 to 2 sec.) it takes to go from one voltage level to the next is determined by the GLIDE Knob.

TUNE defines the base pitch of the oscillator, and it has a wide frequency range.

 

For finer tuning precision complement with the FINE Knob. These two knobs will set the pitch of the oscillator if no modulation is applied.

 

All pitch modulation will sum or subtract from this base frequency.

 

 Pitch of the VCO is usually controlled by a keyboard

but can also be controlled by a sequencer or any module's output.

 

Normally pitch is controlled by a keyboard that produces 1 volt per octave. 

LIA(AC-Coupled) - LID(DC-Coupled),

Linear Pitch Control.

There is also 2 pitch control connector which has a linear response.

This is normally used to produce vibrato which is a modulation of pitch.

If you modulate the pulse width of a square wave with an LFO, the harmonic spectrum constantly changes.

 

Even with just one oscillator, you can create a dense timbre with internal movement, in some ways similar to vibrato, and otherwise only available by using

two oscillators fractionally de-tuned from each other.

 

PW. This knob only works with the Pulse waveform.

By turning it you´ll change the base width of the Pulse wave, thus changing it´s timbre.

Hard Sync was originally conceived as a way to tune analogue (i.e., unstable) oscillators in perfect unison

or Octaves without any beating problems.

 

Then it turned out to be a fantastic way to create new

waveforms by applying different tunings and pitch sweeps to the slave oscillator.

 

 

SAW

The VCO sawtooth waveform is present at the first output. It has a ‘cutting’ sound, rich in overtones.

 

All the harmonics of the fundamental are present, with a linear reduction in intensity as the harmonic series progresses – so that the second harmonic is half as strong, the third is one third, the fourth a quarter, and so on.

Sawtooth waves are ideal for synthesizing sounds which are rich in harmonics, such as percussion, brass or vocal timbres.

 

 PLS - PULSE

Square wave The VCO produces a square / rectangle wave at output /. You can alter its pulse width manually,

or by voltage control (Pulse Width Modulation).

A symmetrical Pulse wave (i.e. an exact square wave, with a pulse width of 50 %), has only odd harmonics of its fundamental and produces a typically hollow sound.

 

TRI - TRIANGLE

A triangle wave is poor in upper harmonics, and sounds softer and more mellow.

It only contains odd harmonics, whose strength decreases exponentially –

the third harmonic is a ninth as strong, the fifth 1/25, and so on.

 

SINE - SINEWAVE

Sine waves are pure waves: they just contain the fundamental, without any harmonics.

They are thus not suitable for subtractive synthesis (shaping sound with a filter).

 

SB1 & SB2-Sub-Oscillator

A Sub-Oscillator is a frequency divider: its input is connected to the VCO Sawtooth, and it

generates a square wave one and two octaves below it. All waveforms are available simultaneously on the patchbay.

 

NOIS - NOISE

The white noise produces a signal that includes all frequencies from the

whole audio spectrum.

Excellent for wind, flute´s and other effects that includes some noise in the sound.

This can be used as an audio source or modulation signal on every place.

This is part of the 2 input mixer included in the filter module.

Audio In 1 & 2 have knobs to control their volume.

 

This 2 input mixer is very handy, as it’s here where you’ll normally mix all the sound sources to be filtered, like Oscillator, Noise generator, Sub-Oscillator signals.

 

High signal levels will make the filter distort.

There are 2 attenuation knobs to control Cutoff.

CV inputs on the patch bay mixed and then controlled by this knobs.

 

Attenuation and mixing the CV´s is recommended in most cases. 

This voltage controlled filter is a flexible lowpass,

great sounding filter based on the classic Moog design.

MINISIZER´s filter has a slope of 24dB/octave.

 

This means that any signal at the double of the cutoff frequency will be lowered by 24 dB.

 

CUTOFF 

Perhaps the most important parameter of a filter,

Cutoff sets the frequency at which the filter begins to work.

 

RESONANCE 

This is a feedback loop within the filter that emphasizes the signal at the cutoff frequency proportional to the knob position. 0 Resonance means there’ll be no feedback, while 10 means total feedback to the point of selfoscillation.

 

Selfoscillation means the filter generates a sine wave at the cutoff frequency, which can be used as a sound source.

The audible result of Resonance is the typical electronic synth sound, but it’s also very useful to simulate acoustic characteristics like formants.

The INVERTER is exactly what it says it is: a module which will take a voltage and output it in an inverted form.

The Clipper section of the MINISIZER is used to clip off the top, bottom, or both of a waveform.

 

That multiplication will probably generate distortion.

Unspectacular they may be, but VCAs are very important modules used for controlling modulation depths as well as audio levels.

 

MINISIZER has a total of 3 linear VCAs. 

An envelope generator is a module that generates an evolving voltage at the moment it receives a gate signal at its input.

 

The shape of that evolving voltage depends on the parameters ATTACK, DECAY, SUSTAIN and RELEASE.

 

There’s a red LED indicating when the envelope are being triggered and a inverted Voltage out.

An envelope generator is a module that generates an evolving voltage at the moment it receives a gate signal at its input.

 

The shape of that evolving voltage depends on the parameters ATTACK and DECAY.

 

There’s a red LED indicating when the envelope are being triggered and

a inverted Voltage out.

A Ring Modulator is a really cool audio effect commonly used for processing external audio or for bell-like tones.

 

It consists of a special type of VCA, which modulates one of its two inputs with the other, generating new harmonics based on the sum and difference of each of the input’s frequencies.

 

“Auxiliary” is the key to connect the MINISIZER to the rest of the world.

 

The idea is simple, you get six mono 1/8” jacks -

that means six independent channels with their respective connectors onther Patch Bay.

 

So you can use each channel as an independent

input or output for audio, CV or gate.

Included with the MINISIZER is a 1 Gate/4 CV MIDI to CV converter.

This provides a very comprehensive integration with a modern studio environment.

 

Not only are MIDI notes recognized, but also Continuous Controllers (CC, MIDI LEARN), Pitch Bend, Velocity.

 

The interface can be used on a stand-alone basis 

module in combination with the AUXs you can even control external analogue synthesizers!

An LFO is basically an oscillator whose frequency range is usually below the audible spectrum.

The LFO1 range is very slow.

It is from 1 Minute up to 20 Hz.

 

Note: The inverter TRI Output is around +/- 10 Volt. The Normal Out around +/-3 Volts

 

Its used as a modulation source because it produces cyclic voltage fluctuations. It contains also a TRIANGLE, TRIANGLE INVERTER & SQUARE Output with a red LED indicator.

An LFO is basically an oscillator whose frequency range is usually below the audible spectrum.

The LFO2 range is very fast.

It is from 20 HZ up to 500 Hz (AUDIORANGE).

 

Note: The inverter TRI Output is around +/- 10 Volt. The Normal Out around +/-3 Volts.

 

Very usefull for RINGMODULATOR

and SYNC Sounds.

It contains also a TRIANGLE, TRIANGLE INVERTER & SQUARE Output with a red LED indicator.

The MIX / ATTENUATORS 1,2 & 3 provides

common mixing functions needed in all modules.

 

All inputs have attenuators and a independent output.

 

VCA 3 is a little different than the other two because it has one additional control on the front panel.

 

Offset is a constant voltage mixed to the “VCA CV” input, and controlled by the “GAIN”

knob, and lets you do things like “open” the VCA without the need of a modulation input.

 

VCA 3 output is hardwired to “VCA 3 SIGNAL OUT” connection on the back side of synth, and it will be used most often as the final synth output.

The Output signal is reduced to a LINE LEVEL to use it direct into soundcards and audio mixer.

Midi Learn,The Line VCA 3 Out, Midi IN,Power, and OFF/ON Switch

 

To program the MIDI to CV interface from the synth itself

the red MIDI LEARN button have to be used.

 

CV 1 to 4:

 

1. Pitch Cv - 1Volt / Octave, (Including Pitchbend)

2. Velocity - 0 To 5 Volt

3. CC LEARN, Default: Modwheel 

4. CC 2 Breath Controller

 

This is how it works:

- To set the MIDI receive channel:

 

1) push and hold the MIDI LEARN button.

 

 2) send any “Channel Voice Message” from your controller, that is any message that includes midi channel information (note on/off, CC, pitch bend, etc)

-To set the ( CV 1 ) base note/transpose :

 base note is the lowest note the interface will play = 0v)

 

1) push and hold the MIDI LEARN button.

 

2) if the MIDI Receive Channel of the MINISIZER is the same as the note you´ll define as base note, just play the desired key on your controller. If not, the first note you play will define the MIDI Receive Channel first (as explained earlier), and THEN you´ll have to play the base note key.

 

-To learn a (CV 3 ) MIDI CC message:

 

If the received note or CC message is in the same midi channel as the MIDI receive channel, then it´s not necessary to set the MIDI receive channel each time,

so the first step may be skipped.