Polyend Dreadbox Medusa, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...Owner s Manual ...

Page 2: ...er and Volume 10 The Grid and Sequencer 10 1 How it s Organized 10 2 Two Modes Grid and Notes 11 3 Creating Playing and Editing a Sequence 12 4 Using the Pads as a Keyboard 15 Other Info 17 1 Saving and Loading Programs 17 2 Input and Output 17 3 Random Button 18 4 The Config Menu 18 5 Firmware Update Procedure 20 6 CC Chart 21 Appendices 24 A List of Modulation Destinations 24 B List of Modes and...

Page 3: ...assignable and 5 LFOs all assignable 2 OLED displays providing visual feedback on knob and slider settings envelopes and LFOs and menu and configuration settings Ability to save up to 128 programs and sequences As a first for Dreadbox you ll now be able to program patches and sequences save them and then play them directly from the synth using the 8 x 8 grid of pads As a first for Polyend you ll n...

Page 4: ...n 1 Connect the power adapter and turn the unit ON 3 Let the synthesizer warm up for at least 20 minutes Afterwards you can do a manual calibration 2 Connect a corresponding device monitor amp headphones to the OUTPUT or PHONES 4 We suggest you explore the 32 factory presets LOAD press any of the 1 32 pads 5 GRID OFF The pads are used as a keyboard GRID ON The pads hold stored parameters and notes...

Page 5: ...Schematic Diagram A VCO1 VCA VCA VCA VCA VCA VCA VCA A VCO2 A VCO3 NOISE EXTR IN MIXER D OSC1 D OSC2 D OSC3 VCO FM VCF FM Sync Sync Headphones Out Main Out VCF VCA 5 ...

Page 6: ... configure various settings for the sequencer and the synth The OLED at the top of this section referred to as the seq OLED in this manual displays the assorted menu choices for configuring the sequencer and synth Section C This section of the Medusa is used to program the various parameters and settings for the synth engine The OLED in this section referred to as the synth OLED in this manu al di...

Page 7: ...is pressed and lit then the con trols buttons knobs A B and C will affect the 3 dig ital oscillators If the DIGITAL button is not lit then the controls apply to the 3 analog oscillators The OSC 1 2 and 3 knobs A let you tune either oscillator 12 semitones an octave or with the FINE TUNE button M pressed and lit the knobs will tune 100 cents 1 semitone By pressing the WAVE button B you can cycle th...

Page 8: ... envelopes can be assigned to modulate a list of targets see Appendix A List of Modulation Destinations To activate and use envelope 1 2 3 or the FIL TER envelope the AMP envelope is always on double click the corresponding button and the synth OLED will show the word ON To turn off an envelope simply double click it again To link the slider controls to a particular envelope press and release the ...

Page 9: ... modes M this mode runs all 6 oscillators 3 analog and 3 digital through the filter in one thick mono voice P1 this mode lets you play up to 3 voices with 2 oscillators per voice pairing A OSC1 with D OSC1 for voice 1 A OSC2 with D OSC2 for voice 2 etc P2 this mode lets you play up to 6 voices using 1 oscillator per voice assigning oscil lators to chordal voices in sequential order the first 1st n...

Page 10: ...hesizer makes the Patch Data shown in the il lustration at the right and 2 The Medusa GRID Data also shown in the illustra tion to the right All the Data Saved in a Medusa Program GRID Data Notes Data for the sequencer C2 D2 F 2 E2 D3 etc Patch Modifying Data Waveforms Filter Cutoff Resonance Amp Envelope Settings Filter Envelope Settings LFO target and so on Waveforms Filter Cutoff Resonance Amp ...

Page 11: ...n pad 3 and so on An eight step se quence would have the note values stored in pad 1 through pad 8 A sixty four step sequence would have the notes stored in pad 1 through pad 64 Important to note the Menu Button a clickable encoder can be used to scroll through and select menu items listed in the seq OLED 2 Two Modes Grid and Notes There are 2 modes to work with the 2 types of GRID data GRID mode ...

Page 12: ... and chords in an overdub manner For more specific info how to do that check out the How To matrix on the next page Parameter Possible Values Information Tempo 10 300 bpm Lets you set the tempo for the Medusa mas ter clock from 10 to 300 beats per minute When the LFO rate is synched to the master clock it will change in relation to this value Swing 25 75 A value of 50 is neutral and offers no swin...

Page 13: ...S data NOTES 1 Press the REC button it should be blinking if active 2 Play the notes you want with either the pads or an external MIDI keyboard to enter a blank or rest for a step press the CLEAR button instead of a key or pad Edit sequencer notes NOTES data Either You can edit notes from both the NOTES mode and the GRID mode From the NOTES mode 1 Press the REC button it should be blinking if acti...

Page 14: ...ter PM data GRID 1 Press the REC button it should be flashing 2 Press the pad to select where you want to enter data note there doesn t have to be note data already stored in the pad location pads with only PM Data can be used like programmable buttons to instantly modify synth parameters on the fly 3 Adjust any of the synth parameters The pad will now have basically a snapshot of programming para...

Page 15: ...e complete list of options Just put the Medusa in NOTES mode ensure the GRID but ton isn t lit and start hitting the pads to make beautiful music In addition to play ing a note each pad can modulate up to 3 different targets based on side to side motion X up and down Y motion and pressure Z X Y Z targets are being modulated by the last pressed pad only The playable matrix of pads is laid out with ...

Page 16: ...ible value reflects the number of semitones between a pad and the pad just above it See 4 Using the Pads as a Keyboard for more information Root Note C1 D4 Sets the root note of pad 57 letting you transpose the entire range of notes the 64 pads can play X Target PitchBend See Appendix A List of Modulation Destinations Lets you assign a modulation target to re spond to either 1 MIDI pitch bend valu...

Page 17: ...nd save some of your own programs and the Medusa will let you save up to 128 programs Saving a program on the Medusa is very easy When you have programmed the sound and sequence you want press the SAVE button dial the Menu Button to select either Bank A or Bank B press the pad where you want it saved any of the pads 1 through 64 and then press the SAVE button again The seq OLED should say the pad ...

Page 18: ...ndomized for the steps select ed on step 3 Parameter Possible Values Information MIDI Clock in Internal USB MIDI Lets you choose the incoming MIDI clock data from internal or through MIDI out and the USB connection MIDI Clock out OFF USB MIDI Lets you choose the send of MIDI clock data through MIDI out and the USB connection Transport in OFF USB DIN USB MIDI Lets you choose the incoming start and ...

Page 19: ...is receiving the MIDI CC modulation signals through MIDI and the USB connection CC output OFF USB DIN USB MIDI Determines if Medusa is sending the MIDI CC modulation signals through MIDI and the USB connection Voice Priority First Next This setting pertains to playing in P1 or P2 mode With Voice Priority set to First what ever note is played will grab the first avail able A OSC D OSC or pair of OS...

Page 20: ...een the instrument and the computer only Power your laptop from the AC adapter If after the update your Medusa unit would start humming glitching or behaving strangely just toggle it off and back on after a minute or two It will resolve the pos sible issue In case of trouble the flashing procedure can be repeated Problems during the process like power shortage will not brick the unit If for any re...

Page 21: ... OSC4_OCTAVE 22 OSC5_TUNING 23 OSC5_U_TUNING 24 OSC5_WAVE 25 OSC5_OCTAVE 26 OSC6_TUNING 27 Function CC OSC6_U_TUNING 28 OSC6_WAVE 29 OSC6_OCTAVE 30 OSC3_OSC12 31 OSC3_FILTER 119 OSC_PW 33 OSC_NOISE 34 OSC_WAVETABLE 35 OSC_SYNC2 36 OSC_SYNC3 37 PLAY_MODE 38 PLAY_MODE_GLIDE 39 FILTER_CUTOFF 40 FILTER_RESONANCE 41 FILTER_TYPE 42 FILTER_TRACK 43 MIXER_OSC1_ANALOG 44 MIXER_OSC2_ANALOG 45 MIXER_OSC3_ANA...

Page 22: ...2_S 62 ENV2_R 63 ENV2_AMOUNT 64 ENV2_TARGET 65 ENV2_LOOP 66 ENV3_DELAY 67 ENV3_A 68 ENV3_D 69 ENV3_S 70 Function CC ENV3_R 71 ENV3_AMOUNT 72 ENV3_TARGET 73 ENV3_LOOP 74 ENV4_DELAY 75 ENV4_A 76 ENV4_D 77 ENV4_S 78 ENV4_R 79 ENV4_AMOUNT 80 ENV4_LOOP 82 ENV5_DELAY 83 ENV5_A 84 ENV5_D 85 ENV5_S 86 ENV5_R 87 ENV5_AMOUNT 88 ENV5_LOOP 90 LFO1_RATE 91 LFO1_WAVE 92 LFO1_AMOUNT 93 LFO1_TARGET 94 22 ...

Page 23: ... 96 LFO2_WAVE 97 LFO2_AMOUNT 98 LFO2_TARGET 99 LFO2_SYNC 100 LFO3_RATE 101 LFO3_WAVE 102 LFO3_AMOUNT 103 LFO3_TARGET 104 LFO3_SYNC 105 LFO4_RATE 106 LFO4_WAVE 107 LFO4_AMOUNT 108 LFO4_TARGET 109 LFO4_SYNC 110 LFO5_RATE 111 LFO5_WAVE 112 LFO5_AMOUNT 113 LFO5_TARGET 114 LFO5_SYNC 115 TARGET_X_SELECT 116 23 ...

Page 24: ...unt for the filter Pulse Width Pulse width of the 3 analog oscillators Wavetable all Position in the wavetable for all digital oscillators Wavetable D1 Position in the wavetable for all D OSC1 Wavetable D2 Position in the wavetable for all D OSC2 Wavetable D3 Position in the wavetable for all D OSC3 A Osc1 Freq Frequency or pitch of A OSC1 A Osc2 Freq Frequency or pitch of A OSC2 A Osc3 Freq Frequ...

Page 25: ...mix D Osc2 Mix Amount of D OSC2 signal in the overall mix D Osc3 Mix Amount of D OSC3 signal in the overall mix Noise Mix Amount of noise source signal in the overall mix LFO1 Rate Rate cycles per second of LFO1 wave LFO2 Rate Rate cycles per second of LFO2 wave LFO3 Rate Rate cycles per second of LFO3 wave LFO4 Rate Rate cycles per second of LFO4 wave LFO5 Rate Rate cycles per second of LFO5 wave...

Page 26: ...Minor Melo Min 12 Harmonic Minor Harm Min 13 BeBop Major BeBopMaj 14 BeBop Dorian BeBopDor 15 BeBop Mixlydian BeBopMix 16 Blues Minor Blues Min 17 Blues Major Blues Maj 18 Pentatonic Minor Penta Min 19 Pentatonic Major Penta Maj 20 Hungarian Minor Hung Min 21 Ukrainian Ukrainian 22 Marva Marva 23 Todi Todi 24 Whole Tone Wholetone 25 Diminished Dim 26 Super Locrian SLocrian 27 Hirajoshi Hirajoshi 2...

Page 27: ...0 Iwato Iwato 31 Whole Half WholeHalf 32 Kumoi Kumoi 33 Overtone Overtone 34 Double Harmonic DoubHarm 35 Indian Indian 36 Gypsy Gypsy 37 Neapolitan NeapoMaj 38 Neapolitan Minor NeapoMin 39 Enigmatic Enigmatic 27 ...