Magma EOwave, Owner'S Manual

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5. SOUND GENERATION

5. SOUND GENERATION

5. SOUND GENERATION

MAGMA sports a fully-fledged monophonic synthesiser with fully analogue signal path – best suited for 

powerful synthesiser hook-lines, melodies, and bass. The best way for MAGMA to unfold its sonic potential 

lies in conjunction with its on-board sequencer. Playing MAGMA via an external MIDI device will also yield 

great results, though.

Now that you have successfully managed MAGMA´s menu-based functions, you will easily get your teeth 

into the synthesiser section. 

5.1.  Sound Generation Overview

The following two figures will briefly display all sections and functions of MAGMA´s sound generation. More 

detailed explanations will follow, please be patient. Please do not forget to carry on reading since the panel 

has some interesting secrets to hide.

Most – but not all – of the pots (there, we said it again!) have direct access to just one single parameter, 

labelled on MAGMA´s control panel. The buttons have several settings, displayed by specific LED combina-

tions.

This is what‘s to be found under the hood of MAGMA´s sound generation. All sections are labelled in a spe-

cific colour, corresponding to MAGMA´s front-panel layout.

The sound sources comprise the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and a sub-oscillator (SUB), phase-syn-

ced to the VCO. They both send their waveforms into the mixer and further on into the voltage-controlled 

filter (VCF) as well as the voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA). There is also an external input fed into the 

filter/amplifier section (for processing external signals, more about this later).  

Have a closer look at the two envelopes and the way they are connected to their modulation destinations: 

ENV2 controls the VCA, ENV1 can be inverted and controls VCF and VCO pitch. LFO 2 controls the mixer, 

LFO 1 has a go at VCO pitch as well as pulse-width of the square-wave. It can be inverted as well.  

Finally, we find MIDI data (that is, the on-board sequencer) controlling pitch and triggering ENV 2 to  

generate notes.

A N A L O G U E   B A S S L I N E   S Y N T H E S I Z E R

VCA

• VOLUME: Output

Modulation from 

ENV1 / Velocity

LFOs 1 + 2

• LFO 1: to VCO, VCF, PWM

• LFO 2: to waveform mixer

8 waveforms at 3 stages each

ENVELOPES 1 - 3

• ENV 1: VCA  (ADSR)

• ENV 2: VCF  (ADSR)

• ENV 3: Pitch (AD)

Inverse-function for ENV 2, 3

VCO 

(with Suboscillator)

• TUNE:            Global / detune SUB

• OCTAVE:         8 settings for VCO / SUB

• PULSWIDTH:  Manual

• SYNC:            VCO to SUB

• SYNC L/M/E:  6 settings for PWM

• GLIDE:           Time

• LFO: 

         Mod-Amt for LFO 1 (Pitch)

Waveform Mixer

• SAW

• SQUARE

• SUB

• NOISE

individual LFO2 mod-amounts 

for all waveforms

VCF 

(24dB Lowpass)

• CUTOFF

• RESO

• LFO:    Mod-Amt LFO 1

• ENV:    Mod-Amt ENV 2

• KEYB: Mod-Amt KB-Track

External input gain setting 

on backside

VCO

VCF

VCA

SUB

OUT

EXT. IN

W

A

VE
FO
R

M-M

I

XE
R

Sync

Saw

Square

Square

Noise

ENV 3

(AD)

ENV 2

(ADSR)

ENV 1

(ADSR)

Inv

Inv

LFO 2

LFO 1

MIDI

Velocity

MIDI

Note

Pitch PWM

Audiosignal

Modulation / Control