Studio Electronics Boomstar Manual
44
Panels
4.2.2 VCO 1 - Voltage Controlled Oscillator 1
A
word about the
Oscillators as a whole:
Oscillators are the Adam
(and Eve) of Analog
synthesis. An oscillator
produces periodic or
regularly repeating waveforms, e.g., pitched sounds. The Oscillator’s
tuning controls alter the frequency or pitch of the oscillators, its waveshape
selectors determine the harmonic spectrum of the signal, its basic timbre, or
tone coloration, and we think Voltage Controlled Oscillators still sound best.
What do these
tones
sound like you ask?
Triangle
: “Flutey,” with odd harmonics only like the square wave, but
their amplitude is quite weak in comparison to the fundamental.
The Triangle has a bit more character than the sine;
Sine
: The most elemental, peace-seeking waveform with its loner
fundamental and no harmonics––perfect for sub waveforms, simple
“worms,” clear, clean “air,” and as a sound thickening agent;
Sawtooth
: bright, buzzy, brassy––the richest harmonically of the
lot––a very smooth operator when a low-pass filter is inline, it contains
both even and odd harmonics of the fundamental frequency;
Square
or
Pulse
: A “clavi”, reedy, odd harmonics only, nasal affair
near the edges of its duty cycle, or width, and a bass beast
for many––instantaneous swings from high and low levels make it so.
The
RANGE
switch selects the octave:
LO (
Low frequency––”clicks” below the
audible range for humans; sub-audio “clicks” make for interesting rhythmic
pulses),
32’
,
16’
,
8’
,
4’
,
2’
. The
LO
setting of Oscillator 2 can be employed
as a very flexible modulator.
These foot pitch numbers come from the lengths of organ pipes in the great
cathedrals and churches of old–– (“1/2 the length = double the pitch”).
