Modulate To Your Heart’s Content!

Modulation can be considered as the movement of a parameter over time. Cypher2 features 2 ways of modulating parameters:

Direct modulation of selected parameters for basic functions

TransMod modulation, which offers a hugely increased array of modulation possibilities

Direct Modulation For Selected Parameters

Cypher2 features direct modulation routings for selected destination parameters – Oscillator tunings, the cutoff frequency of both filters and the voice amplitude represented by the Output Mixer-Amplifier section’s Amp parameter.

TransMod Modulation

The TransMod modulation system centres around the 24 TransMod ‘slots’ in the upper part of the Cypher2 interface. With no slot selected, adjusting Cypher2’s parameters adjusts the ‘initial state’ of the synth – before any TransMod modulation is applied.

When a TransMod slot is selected, Cypher2’s parameters display any modulation ‘amounts’ that may exist from the slot to each control. The modulation amounts can be edited on the controls themselves using the outer ring for rotary controls or the slider path for vertical sliders.

Modulator Gating/Triggering

The adjustable modulation sources shown on the Cypher2 interface – LFOs, Ramps, Mod Envelopes and Amp Envelope – are known as gated modulators. The most common gate/trigger source is MIDI note input. However, a number of additional gating/triggering modes are provided for more advanced patch design.

Dual LFO

Cypher2’s 2 Dual LFOs provide sources of movement for modulating parameters and can be particularly interesting when its own parameters are modulated. Each Dual LFO module can operate either polyphonically (per-voice) or monophonically (a single LFO for all voices as found in many vintage polysynths) depending on the state of its Mono button.

Amp & Mod Envelopes

An envelope allows a sound to be shaped over time, from its beginning to its end. It is sometimes called a ‘contour’.

Ramp Generators

Ramp generators are versatile modulators which are mainly intended for use with the TransMod system. They can also be used as a trigger source for envelopes or as a delayed retrigger source for LFOs, using the Gate source selector for these modulators.

Keytracking

Keytracking is a polyphonic modulation source which simply represents pitch input from the keyboard. Each key pitch received by Cypher2’s MIDI input is passed as a pitch control signal to the next available

voice.

Velocity

Velocity is perhaps the most immediate form of performance control that can achieve expressive results polyphonically (for each voice). Almost all MIDI keyboards are capable of transmitting note-on velocity values.

While note-on velocity is the most commonly used form of velocity control, Cypher2 also supports note-off velocity, whereby a keyboard transmits a value based on the speed/intensity of the key release.

Monophonic Sources

Monophonic TransMod sources operate globally on all active voices – unlike polyphonic sources which modulate each voice independently.

Typical examples are continuous MIDI messages such as MIDI CCs, mono pressure (channel aftertouch) or mod wheel – these all represent a single stream of signals which are distributed to all active voices.

Macro Controls & Euclid Processor

Macro controls are generic interface elements which are used to modulate actual synthesis parameters via the TransMod system.

They act monophonically – they send the same control values to all voices – and are intended to be mapped to monophonic MIDI continuous controllers (CCs) using the built-in MIDI Learn functionality.

Voice & Unison Sources

Voice and Unison sources allow polyphonic modulation effects which spread parameter values within the modulation depth range according to the number of active voices.

Curve Processors

Cypher2 features a number of curve processors which allow incoming modulation to be remapped to a different output curve. All Curve processors operate polyphonically so can be used for per-voice modulation.

Maths Processors

Cypher2’s Maths processors provide the capability for complex modulation processing by applying mathematical functions to multiple TransMod modulation sources. They can be used for creation of fascinating, complex modulation shapes and are also very useful for balancing the effect of cumulative modulation of parameters from multiple sources.

Oscillator Sources

Each of the 3 oscillators are provided as TransMod sources in order to modulate parameters when using an osc’s Low Frequency button.

Random Sources

The TransMod system contains a range of polyphonic random modulation sources of various types, from simple noise sources to more specific ways of generating random values.

Gate/Trigger Sources

Normally, gates and triggers are used for various types of gated modulator behaviour which is specified outside the TransMod system (using the drop-down menus on each gated modulator).

However, they are also provided as TransMod sources for complex modulation operations, or as a way of achieving quick pulses for filter stabs and so on without having to use an envelope.

For more in-depth information on these features read the Manual HERE.