The Sosnowski Synthesizer |
The Sosnowski Synthesizer is organized in five "rows" from top to bottom. This section covers the second row, which contains the four oscillators, OSC1, OSC2, OSC3, and OSC4. The four oscillators are identical. (Each is independent of the other, of course.) Each oscillator can be turned on or off with the button switch in the upper left corner of its space. An oscillator is engaged (on) when the button switch glows green. An oscillator is unengaged (off) when the button switch is gray with a minus sign within it. The oscillators are the foundation of the synthesizer: they create the basic sound, with each of the waveforms having a different character. The basic sound of the oscillators is then modified and shaped in subsequent parts of the synthesizer. At least one oscillator must be engaged to make sound. The oscillators can be used in any combination you wish. Each oscillator has the following controls: |
Waveform and Noise Selector |
At the upper left of its space, each oscillator has a waveform
selector. Four waveforms and a noise output can be selected from a drop-down.
The available selections are, thus: Sine, Sawtooth, Triangle, Square, Noise.
The Sine, Sawtooth, Triangle, Square waveforms can additionally be modified (explained in the next section) with octave and semitone selectors with which you can raise or lower their pitch; as well as a fine-tuning (labeled "finetune") knob that enables you to precisely adjust pitch +/- one semitone. The Noise selection has different controls. When Noise is selected, the octave and
semitone selectors and the fine-tuning
("tune" knob) are absent, since they do not apply. Instead, a filter trap
with two new knobs ("lo" and "high") is shown (explained in the section
after next). |
Octave, Semitone and Fine Tuning |
When Sine, Sawtooth, Triangle, or Square waveforms are selected, drop-down
menu buttons for octave and semitone are shown immediately below the waveform
selector. A fine-tuning ("finetune") knob is shown to the immediate right of
the octave and semitone selectors.
The octave drop-down menu button enables you to raise or lower the pitch of the
individual oscillator +/- five octaves. The semitone drop-down menu button raises or
lowers the pitch of the oscillator +/- eleven semitones. The fine-tuning
("finetune") knob allows you to precisely control the pitch of the oscillator +/-
one semitone; with counter-clockwise rotation lowering the pitch, and clockwise rotation
raising the pitch. |
The Noise Oscillator Selection . . . |
When Noise is selected from the waveform selector, octave and semitone
selectors and the finetune knob are no longer shown, since they would not apply to noise.
Instead, a basic "trap" filter is displayed below the waveform selector, with
two knobs labeled "lo" and "high". The "lo" knob enables
you to set the lowermost frequency of the noise that will pass through the filter; and the
"hi" knob sets the uppermost frequency that will pass the filter. The
"lo" knob should not be set higher than the "hi" knob (or vice versa)
-- or there will be no output from the oscillator, in that no frequencies can be
passed. |
Volume and Boost . . . |
To the right of the waveform selector in each oscillator is a volume knob
(labeled "vol"). The volume knob raises or lowers the output of the
oscillator.
To the right of the volume knob there is a boost button switch (not labeled). When
the boost button switch shows blue with a minus sign within it, the oscillator's output
level will be normal. There are conditions where it is desirable to have greater than
normal output from the oscillator (particularly with unusual settings for sound effects; or
to emphasize an oscillator while shaping a sound.) Clicking on this button will
boost the output of the oscillator above normal levels. When boost is engaged, the
switch shows orange with an up (^) arrow. |
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