Subtractive¶

The subtractive sound engine can be used to quickly create a range of classic synth sounds. Oscillators and sound sources with rich spectra are shaped and tamed with various filter curves.

Subtractive is split up into three sections: (sound) source A, the filter section and (sound) source B. The top row of black numpad buttons can be used to select the mode for each of the three sections.

Numpad mapping:¶
`shift`	`source_A`	`filter_type`	`source_B`	`files`
`edit`	`-`	`-`	`-`	`samples`
`no`	`-`	`-`	`-`	`FX`
`yes`	`-`	`-`	`-`	`settings`
`pattern`	`note_list`	`cue`	`morph`	`clock`

Source A¶

Sound source A can be set to quad RM or turbo.

Quad RM¶

This mode has four oscillators split into two groups. Each group has two oscillators and has its own amplitude envelope. Use 1/2 mix to set the balance between the two groups.

In group 1 the oscillators are ring modulating each other:

1 offset sets a pitch difference between the two oscillators. This can be used to add a subtle beating up to a intense detuning.
1 ratio sets a harmonic pitch difference between the two oscillators. This changes both the timbre and pitch of the oscillators.
1 shape changes the shape of the oscillators.

Tip

Both 1 offset and 1 ratio can be used to add a beatings (periodic movement) to a sound. Beatings created using 1 offset have a fixed rate set in Hz while the rate of beatings created by fine tuning 1 ratio is dependent on the note that is played.

In group 2 the oscillators added together:

2 ratio multiplies the pitch of the oscillators.
2 saw/sqr changes the shape of the oscillators from sawtooth to square wave.

Turbo¶

This mode has 8 bright oscillators split into two groups with hard-sync and variable pulse-width. Each group has two oscillators and has its own amplitude envelope. Use 1/2 mix to set the balance between the two groups.

sync sets the hard-sync ratio.
saw/pulse morphs the shape of all oscillators from saw to pulse.
pulse width adjusts the pulse width of all oscillators. Set to 50% for a symmetrical square wave.
1 ratio multiplies the pitch of the oscillators of group 1.
2 ratio multiplies the pitch of the oscillators of group 2.

Source B¶

Sound source B can be set to either noise or sample and has a single amplitude envelope.

noise is a basic white noise source. Together with source A the noise is routed through the filter.
sample can play sequences of samples from a sample list. The sample list from which a sample is picked for each new note is selected using samples. The samples are not routed through the filter.

Filter¶

The filter section has three modes:

Bypass: no filtering is applied.
12 dB/oct morphing filter (default):
- filt shape morphs between different filter shapes: lowpass → bandpass → highpass → notch → lowpass.
- filt freq sets the cutoff frequency.
- filt reso sets the amount of resonance added at the cutoff frequency. In the case of the notch filter shape however higher filt reso values result in a narrower band of frequencies that are removed.
24 dB/oct lowpass filter
- filt freq sets the cutoff frequency.
- filt reso sets the amount of resonance added at the cutoff frequency.