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MusePlayer Manual
Software & Sound License Agreement
Ultimate Sound Bank Software License Agreement
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TO PERSONS WHO PURCHASE OR USE THIS PRODUCT:
carefully read all the terms and conditions of this software licensing
agreement. Using the software or this documentation indicates your
acceptance of the terms and conditions of that license agreement.
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without express written permission of Ultimate Sound Bank.
Ultimate Sound Bank. (“USB”) owns both this program and its documentation. Both the program and the documentation are protected
under applicable copyright, trademark, and trade-secret laws. Your
right to use the program and the documentation are limited to the
terms and conditions described in the license agreement.
Reminder of the terms of your license
This summary is not your license agreement, the entire agreement is
printed in the appendix of this manual. A license agreement is a
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YOU MAY: (a) use the installed program only on MuseBox; (b) make
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AND YOU HEREBY WAIVE, ANY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, BOTH
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Welcome / Table of contents
Thank You!
Congratulations for your purchase of MuseBox™, featuring
built-in sounds from Ultimate Sound Bank. We hope your new
instrument will become a valuable music-making partner for
you and for your musical endeavors.
We are proud to feature MusePlayer in MuseBox. MusePlayer
is a software-based virtual instrument that is based on the UVI
Engine, and is a high-quality sampling synthesizer that is versatile and expandable. MusePlayer features a huge range of
sounds, simple access to the presets and great sound shaping
tools so you can create your own custom sounds quickly and
easily.
Thanks to the dual-layer architecture, you can mix and match
all the included sounds to create your own unique sounds.
This is the easiest way to create a fat bass sound, a rich pad,
etc. Each layer is complete with a great arsenal of synthesis
tools: multimode filter, LFOs, envelopes... And a global section
with more filters and LFOs.
-
MusePlayer is Built-in and preauthorized.
Two layers delivering amazing sonic capabilities
Hundreds of high-quality presets
Nearly 4 GB of sounds on the built-in solid state drive
Next-Generation UVI-Engine
Over-driven “analog” filters available on each layer
Dual effect section with 29 algorithms
New LFO waveforms
LFOs & FX all have host tempo sync
Ability to create and save your own presets
Expandable with new sample sets on CF cards
1 Quick Start Guide.................................4-5
Powering up your MuseBox
Selecting a TAG
Selecting a PRESET
Creating your own custom Layer
Saving your new Sounds
4
Using MusePlayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
A - Selecting Sounds
B - Dual Layer Architecture
C - MusePlayer ’s Parameters
D- Optimization
E- A few more tips...
6 Interface Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 - 20
7 MIDI Continuous Controllers Table . . . 21
9 General FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 - 23
10 Troubleshooting & Support . . . . . . 24 - 25
Award winning technology
MusePlayer is powered by the UVI Engine™, a modern tool
that runs MusePlayer but is invisible to you. The main asset of
the UVI-Engine is the sound quality, thanks to the use of
32-bit floating point proessing throughout its architecture.
Lots of virtual instruments say they sound great, but by simply
doing some critical listening on your own, you'll find in the
case of the UVI Engine, its actually true!
11 Credits & Thanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
English 3
Quickstart Guide
MusePlayer is a virtual instrument powered by the UVI engine
that is built-in and pre-authorized on your MuseBox, ready to
make music immediately. MusePlayer features a comprehensive set of preset sounds that cover nearly any musical situation. By exploring some of the programming capabilities of
this powerful piece of software, you can take these preset
sounds and customize them further to your liking, or come up
with completely new sounds of your own.
The MusePlayer automatically loads when you power on your
MuseBox. The sounds appear as PRESETS organized under
different TAGs, which are definable categories that let you
organize your sounds and presets however you wish.
The Factory Presets can easily be navigated by pressing the
PLAY button on the front panel, and then selecting a TAG of
interest using the top knob, and then selecting the PRESET of
interest by turning the bottom knob. Presets load when selected by pressing the buttom knob to load.
Factory Presets are permanently stored in your MuseBox, but
each preset can be individually edited and stored as USER
presets using the EDIT functions on your MuseBox. The EDIT
functions make the eight most common parameters in
MusePlayer available for adjustment from the front panel,
such as Envelope Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release, or changing the Filter characteristics. This gives you basic control
over the sounds without requiring you to view the Graphical
User Interface (GUI) of MusePlayer.
However, by connecting a computer monitor or networking
your MuseBox to a computer and running the MuseTools
software to view the GUI remotely, you have COMPLETE
access to the extensive editing capabilities within the
MusePlayer instrument.
Once you've edited or created a new sound inside MusePlayer,
you can store the sound by Saving it in MusePlayer, then "tagging" it so it can be viewed for instant selection in the PLAY
mode of MuseBox.
MusePlayer features a diverse set of presets that are ready to
conquer any musical challenge you face. Pianos, guitars,
drums, synths, pads, strings.... they're all here, categorized in a
straight-forward manner that will make it easy to find the
sound that is just right for your musical needs. This manual
tells you about the MusePlayer functionality and how to program the sounds you have pre-installed on your MuseBox. .
English 4
For more information about using MuseBox, consult the
MuseBox manual. The remainder of this document focusses
on using the MusePlayer GUI and the functionality of this
powerful virtual instrument.
Getting Started with MusePlayer
MusePlayer is remarkably easy to use. Built on the UVI sample
synthesis engine that is used in virtual instruments like MOTU
Mach V, Spectasonics Atmosphere and Trilogy, and more, the
MusePlayer virtual instrument sounds great and is very efficient. Once you are familiar with the basic layout of the instrument, you'll be able to modify and make your own sounds
to your heart's content. Here's how to achieve immediate
gratification with your MuseBox using MusePlayer:
1. Connect your MIDI controller
Connect your controller to the MIDI input or to a USB input on
the back of your MuseBox.
2. Turn on your MuseBox
Turning on the power is done by pressing the button in the
top-right hand corner once. The unit will power on and load
the patch that was saved the last time it was shut down.
3. Press the PLAY button to enter PLAY mode.
Play mode gets MuseBox ready to play preests instantly.
MuseBox powers up into PLAY mode, but if you are using any
of the other functions, press the PLAY button to enter the
PLAY mode.
4. Select a TAG of interest
There are a large number of TAGS pre-defined in your
MuseBox. To browse through the TAGs, simply turn the bottom knob until you see a category of interest.
5. Select a Preset from the TAG
Once you've selected a TAG of interest, then turn the top knob
to select a preset in that particular TAG. Press the bottom
knob to load the sound and enjoy!
6. Start Playing
You will now hear the preset you have selected if you have
attached a MIDI or USB keyboard to your MuseBox!
Quickstart Guide
If you don't hear any sound, check the following:
• Verify you have connected your MIDI keyboard to the MIDI
input on the back of your Musebox, or into a USB port on the
back of your Musebox you are using a USB keyboard with your
MuseBox. Note that MuseBox will ONLY work with devicecompliant USB MIDI devices; not all USB MIDI devices are
device-compliant, so you might need to connect using a standard 5-Pin DIN MIDI cable with some equipment.
• Make sure your keyboard or controller is powered up.
• Verify that MuseBox is receiving MIDI from your keyboard.
This is easily done by looking for the "eighth note" on the
front panel LCD next to the Left and Right level meters. If you
see the note appear, but still don't hear a sound, you can
verify what channel the keyboard is sending on by pressing
the SETUP button. This will display the MIDI Monitor, and you
will see the message "Listening..." until a MIDI message is
received. Once a MIDI message is received, it will display the
channel, the note number, and the velocity value. MuseBox is
setup to receive MIDI in OMNI mode which means it listens on
all channels, but you can over-ride this setting and make it
listen only to one channel. If you have changed the factory
settings for MIDI reception, then make sure you are sending
MIDI on the channel that MuseBox is expecting to receive.
• Verify that there is audio activity by viewing the front panel
VU meters on your MuseBox LCD. If you don't see any meter
action, then it is possible that the individual channel volume
is turned down inside your MuseBox.
• Check that the master volume control on MuseBox is turned all the way up, and you have either a pair of headphones
connected to the front panel, or a mixer or a pair of amplified
speakers are connected to the LINE OUTPUTS of the
MuseBox.
• Verify that the amp or mixer is turned on and configured to
receive audio, and the input level is set to a nominal listening
level.
Important Information About Presets.
When you turn on your MuseBox and press the PLAY button,
you are accessing the PLAY level presets. Those presets
include all of the sounds available in the MusePlayer virtual
instrument, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS
AND EFFECTS IN YOUR MUSEBOX. In some cases, a PLAY level
preset might consist of MusePlayer only. Sometimes it has
both MusePlayer and a separate effect loaded for an enhanced sound. Sometimes a PLAY preset might have MuseBox
running in parallel with aneffect processing an audio input so
that you can sing and play keyboards at the same time.
This manual covers only the editing and creation of MusePlayer
presets, and PLAY level presets. Please keep in mind that there
are several different virtual instruments inside your MuseBox,
and you might have to open up the GUI of a different virtual
instrument to create or modify some PLAY level presets. For
more information on creating and editing PLAY level presets,
please see your MuseBox Owners Manual.
Presets and TAGS in MusePlayer
Another important thing to understand is that MusePlayer
Factory Presets can are organized in two ways: in Factory
BANK preset mode, and in TAG preset mode. The Factory
BANK of presets are available when you open up the Graphical
User Interface of MusePlayer and select presets with your
Mouse. You can also select presets with MusePlayer loaded
on one of the two synth channels, and then use your mouse
to select presets using the drop-down preset selector and the
BANK button selected. And finally, you can access the Factory
BANK presets from the front panel of your MuseBox when you
have MusePlayer loaded on one of the synth channels and the
EDIT mode is selected.
The Factory Presets are also TAGGED in MuseBox, so you can
use your mouse to select presets using the drop-down preset
selector and the TAG button selected when MusePlayer loaded on one of the two synth channels.
Although this sounds complicated, it isn't: This function simply allows you to select presets alphabetically (using BANK
mode) or by sound category (using TAG mode).
It is important to relalize that MuseBox has two different
"levels" of presets, and two different "types" of presets.
English 5
Using MusePlayer
tisampled preset, you have access to two “layers” that you can
control either individually or grouped. We’ve called the layers
“programs” because in each layer you may load what sounds
like a full-featured instrument. The large A and B buttons
switch the interface panel to control each program (layer)
independently. For each program you may set the filters,
modulations and other parameters independently. You can
also use the “link” switch to allow editing of two programs at
once, which saves time when editing layered sounds.
C - MusePlayer: Parameters
Some Parameters are independent in each layer, while some
other are common to both. To simplify things the background
shade of gray is slightly different for the common parameters. This will be visible on your computer screen.
A - Selecting Sounds
A- Parameters that can be independent in each layer:
Selecting sounds is very easy : click on the Preset name display and a pop-up directory will appear with the full listing of
MusePlayer ’s sounds organized by category and sub category. Click on the preset name to load the sound.
• Each layer has its own Level, Pan, Pitch coarse and Pitch
Fine knob. This allows you to re-balance the sound, try variations in the mix and the sound.
You can also use the left and right arrow buttons to select
sounds incrementally, moving up and down in the directory
list. This is useful when you are already in the desired subdirectory and want to listen to the next available preset.
The two smaller displays to the right of the preset name display are the Program (or layer) displays. Clicking these displays opens the same directory as the presets, but also shows
the individual layer names that make up each preset, allowing
you to quickly select and build your own presets.
You’ll also find left and right arrows buttons there to select
programs incrementally.
Please take a look at the Sounds listing
for an in-depth look at the presets.
B - Dual Layer Architecture
One of the major features of MusePlayer is the dual layer
architecture. Instead of playing and controlling only one mul-
English 6
• Filters : you can apply one filter to each layer selecting it
from three LPF (Low pass Filter) and one HPF (High Pass
Filter)
• LFO : four LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) can be used as
modulation sources for four destinations : Pitch, Filter,
Amplifier, Drive and Pan. Two are specific to each layer and
two are common, although the settings can be different.
• Two ADSR envelopes :
1. Amplifier Envelope: Controls the nature of the volume
of the sound (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release).
2. Filter Envelope: Controls the nature of the tone of the
sound by changing how the filter acts on the sound through
time. .
Both envelopes feature a "V-time" knob (applicable to Attack
or Decay) and a "SENS" knob, the Amplifier envelope adds
"START" time knob that changes when the sound starts
playing in the sample itself.
• Pitch envelope with two parameters : DEPTH and TIME.
Using MusePlayer
B- Common parameters to both layers :
•Velocity curve, POLY(phony) setting, OCT(ave), BEND & 32
-bit mode.
• The Master Filter and its resonance slider are common to
both layers.
• The effects settings (FX1 and FX2) are also common to
both layers.
• Each layer has a MUTE button, that mutes the corresponding layer and "solos" other one. When mute is selected, the
LINK function is disabled and the position of the switch beside
it is set on the other layer.
• Two screens are dedicated to displaying values:
3. Enable 32-bit mode
This feature allows you to save about 15% of CPU power by
using more RAM. Depending on how many sounds you have
loaded up in your MuseBox, this can provide the benefit of
better sound with less CPU usage.
4. Disable the unused filters
Disable the multimode filter when not in use. Do this by clicking on “off” in the filter section of each layer. Do the same
with the Master Filter by placing the cutoff at its center detent
position. (Command-click or control-click on Mac, alt click on
PC)
5. Lower the release time of the amplitude Envelope
EDIT: shows the value of the editing currently applied to a
parameter or if no editing has been done it shows the mode
MusePlayer is in : Dual (two layers) or Single (one layer)
Make sure that notes don’t continue playing because of a long
release time. This is especially effective for parts played with
sustain pedal, as it may be that many notes continue playing
almost inaudibly, if you’ve changed the ADSR shape.
MEM: shows the amount of RAM memory used by the
preset.
E - A few more tips...
• MIDI indicator: the round logo gets animated whenever
the plug-in receives MIDI.
D - Optimization
Using these tips can cut in two the CPU load of your plugin!
1. Disable the effects
Like all good sounding software effects, ours make the CPU
work harder. If you don’t need them on the preset you’ve loaded, turn it off. To do this, turn the ON/OFF knob next to the
FX Sync switch to 0FF .
2 Reduce the polyphony
Unused voices do use a little CPU, especially at higher settings. A manual setting of 40 voices for a part that really uses
16 voices wastes a lot of CPU. Evaluate how many voices your
MIDI part uses, and set the polyphony settings accordingly.
Another great way of setting it is to lower the setting and listen to missing notes: when you hear some, go back up a bit
and you’re set!
1. Link
Use the link function to quickly adjust the overall attack and
release : turn the link on and change the Amp envelope attack
and release parameters.
2. Modwheel Morphing & Layering
Feel free to experiment with modulation to create “crossfade
morph” between two layers using mod wheel or other controlers assigned to full amp modulation (just set one layer mod
positive and the other layer mod negative)
Try using the mod wheel to add a second layer to a sound by
assigning it to positive amp mod; this is very useful to add
bass range, filter, ... sound to a preset or to add warmth at your
convenience.
English 7
Interface Overview
General controls
A1. Preset selection arrows
A2. Preset selection Menu
A3. Program selection Arrows/Menus
A4. Link & layer display switches
A5. The edit display
A6. Memory use display
A7. Save Switch
Effects
F1. FX#1 ON/OFF and Sync switches
F2. FX#1 Parameter knobs +Parameter
names
B1.Modulation
- Pitch modulation
- Filter modulation
- Drive modulation
- Amp. modulation
- Pan modulation
A7
A6
C1
F2
G2
G1
B2
C2
C3
H1
D2
D1
D1- Filter Envelope.
- Filter envelope (Attack,
Decay, Sustain, Release)
- Velocity time knob &
A/D switch
- Velocity Sensitivity
D2- Amplitude Envelope.
- Amp envelope (Attack, Decay, Sustain,
Release)
- Velocity time knob & A/D switch
- Velocity Sensitivity
English 8
A5
F1
B3
B3. LFOs section
- LFO selection switch
- Sync Switch
- LFO Waveform Display
/Selection Menu
- LFO Depth/Rate Knobs
D3. Sample Start
-Adjusts the start point of a sample
A3
A4
B2. Pitch Envelope
- Pitch Env. Depth
- Pitch Env. Time
Filters
C1. Multimode filter
C2. Timbre modulation
C3. Master filter
A2
A1
B1
G1. - Glide Slider/Solo Switch/Velocity
Curves
G2. - Polyphony Setting / Octave
Transposition / Pitch Bend Range / CC#
/ 32-Bit switch
H2
D3
I1
H1. Mixer (Level/Pan/Mute)
H2. Coarse and Fine Pitch Knobs
I1. UVI Engine Logo
Interface Overview
General controls
A5. The edit display
A1. Midi Indicator/Preset selection menu
This diplays the editing mode set by the link mode switch.
After any edits the display shows the value of the parameter
currently edited. MusePlayer will display the value in dB,
Hertz or percent of the current slider.
A6. Memory display
The MIDI indictaor will light when MusePlayer receives MIDI
data. If no sounds is coming out of MusePlayer, check whether
this lights up. If it doesn’t, check the MIDI source or the MIDI
settings in MuseBox. If it does light but you don't hear anything, check your amplifer or mixer to ensure its working. Click
on the name and a menu appears with the whole preset list.
Submenus are there for easier selection. If you release the
menu without making a selection, the current preset is kept.
A2. Preset selection area
The two arrows allow you to change preset, moving in the
preset list. The preset number is displayed above, you can click
on it to have direct access to the presets by number.
A3. Program Selection Menus
Memory display: indicates the RAM usage of the currently
opened preset. This display takes 32-bit Mode into account.
A7. Save switch
When you click on the "SAVE" switch, MusePlayer allows you
to save you own preset with the desired name.You can either
overwrite the preset by using the same name or change the
preset name to create a brand new preset.
B1. Modulations
Use this section to modulate the pitch, filter, drive, amp. or/
and Pan of the selected layer. (Refer to the next page for a
complete list of the available modulation sources.)
The upper display shows the name of the program selected.
You can change these programs individually by cliking on
their name, a menu appears with the whole preset list.
Submenus are there for easier selection.If you release the
menu without making a selection, the current program is
kept. The two arrows allow you to change program for each
layer, moving in the program list.
A4. Link & Layer display switches
When activated, the LINK button applies any edits to both
layers at the same time.
When the link mode is off, the Layer display switch allows you
to toggle between the two layers in order to display the one
you wish to edit. All parameters are then updated visually.
English 9
Interface Overview
Pitch modulation knob, source menu
The Modulation Depth knob is bipolar
meaning the 0 position is at 12 o’clock,
and going to the left or right gives negative or positive values.
This section allows to modulate the pitch of the selected layer.
Depth knob: controls the Amount of the modulation. (Vibrato
effects are possible using a LFO as a modulation source, for
example.)
Filter modulation knob, source menu
The Modulation Depth knob is bipolar
meaning the 0 position is at 12 o’clock, and
going to the left or right gives negative or
positive values.
This section allows to modulate the cutoff value of the selected layer. Negative settings will decrease the filter frequency
while positive values will increase it (depending on the filter
type).
Drive modulation knob, source menu
The Modulation Depth knob is bipolar
meaning the 0 position is at 12 o’clock, and
going to the left or right gives negative or
positive values.
This section allows to modulate the drive amount of the selected layer. Depending on the settings, this section can increase
or decrease the drive amount using the modwheel or whatever modulation source.
Amp. modulation knob, source menu
The Modulation Depth knob is bipolar
meaning the 0 position is at 12 o’clock,
and going to the left or right gives negative or positive values.
This section allows to modulate the audio volume of the
selected layer. Tremolo effect can be achieved with this section, for example, using a LFO as a source.
Pan modulation knob, source menu
The Modulation Depth knob is bipolar
meaning the 0 position is at 12 o’clock,
and going to the left or right gives negative or positive values.
English 10
List of available modulation sources
Internal sources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pitch Envelope
Filter Envelope
Amplitude Envelope
LFO 1
LFO 2
LFO 3
LFO 4
MIDI sources
• Key : note number. Higher notes mean more modulation amount.
• Bender: the pitch wheel on your keyboard.
• Aftertouch: also know as pressure or Channel AT
• Velocity: the velocity value is used: higher velocities
mean more modulation.
• CC: the MIDI continuous controller you’ve selected in
section G3.
MIDI+Internal sources
• Wheel->LFO1 : the parameter is modulated by LFO 1,
the amount of modulation applied is set by the mod
wheel.
• Wheel->LFO2: the parameter is modulated by LFO 2,
the amount of modulation applied is set by the mod
wheel.
• Wheel->LFO3: the parameter is modulated by LFO 3,
the amount of modulation applied is set by the mod
wheel.
• Wheel->LFO4: the parameter is modulated by LFO 4,
the amount of modulation applied is set by the mod
wheel.
• Wheel : the modulation wheel position sets the amount
of modulation
Other sources
• Alternate: will alternate between large and small
modulation values, changing after each note.
• Random: completely random values are generated
• Organ Pan: values are generated matching the pipes
order on an organ.
Interface Overview
This section allows to modulate the position of the selected
layer in the whole stereo field. Perfect to create autopan
effects.
Rate : Defines the speed of the modulating oscillator (MIDI CC
#96).
Note: MIDI CC# control the displayed (selected) LFO only.
B2. Pitch Envelope
Depth : This sets the depth of the pitch envelope, or envelope
amount.
Rate: This sets the speed at which the sound will be affected
(transposed) by the pitch envelope.
C. Filter Section
C1. Multimode filter
This is the main filter for each layer. The switches at the left
select the filter type. You get to choose between one HPF and
three kinds of Low-pass filters, with different characteristics:
LP1: soft-sounding
B3. LFOs Section
LFO switch
Allows you to select one of the LFO you want to edit.
Important note : LFOs 1&2 are independent for each layer.
they can share the same value when in link mode, or be set
totally differently from one layer to the other. LFOs 3&4 are
common to both layers.
Sync Switch
Activates the LFO synchronization (It means that the LFO is
synchronized to the host tempo from 1/32 of this tempo to 8x
depending on the rate knob setting)
Waveform Display/Selection Menu
Displays the selected waveform of the current LFO. Click on it
and a menu appears allowing you to choose the waveform.
LFO Depth and LFO Rate knobs
LP2: very musical
with big resonance
LP3: slightly harder.
HPF: (HighPass Filter)
cuts low frequencies.
• CUTOFF sets the filter frequency. Turn clockwise to open.
• RESO (resonance): is the amount of boost provided at the
cutoff frequency. It provides extra gain so be careful with the
overall volume at high resonance settings. Turn the volume or
the sustain level down to avoid distortion.
• DRIVE: sets the amount of drive (distorsion) applied to the
filter output.
• KEY (keyboard tracking) modifies the filter frequency based
on the note played on the the keyboard. Higher keys will have
a higher cutoff value than lower key.
• ENV (Envelope Amount) lets you choose how much the filter
envelope settings affect the filter cutoff frequency. Turning
clockwise gives positive env. values (i.e. a longer attack will
slowly open the filter), whereas turning to the left allow you to
use the inverted envelope (longer attack times will close the
filter).
Depth: Defines the intensity of the modulation created by the
LFO.(MIDI CC #95)
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Interface Overview
C2. TIMBRE
Timbre parameter “detunes” the sound without affecting the
reference note making strange tuning-filter effects. This is a
setting that encourages experimentation...
C3. Master filter & Resonance
Velocity Sensitivity
This knob allows the velocity to modulate the envelope settings.
D2. Amplitude Envelope
The Master Filter is common to both layers. The cutoff slider is
neutral at the center position. This allows you to choose
between a Hi-pass filter (when sliding towards the right) and
a Lo-pass filter (when sliding to the left). Resonance controls
the amount of resonance of the filter. The MASTER Cutoff responds to MIDI CC#74 and Resonance responds to CC#71
D1. Filter Envelope
Amplitude envelope
Filter envelope
The classic ADSR sliders (Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release)
help you define the evolution of the audio volume of the
sound over a period of time.
This envelope affects the multimode filter, depending on the
envelope setting. Turn the envelope knob fully to the right
before experimenting with it.
Attack, Decay and Release are TIME settings (i.e. long attack
time or short attack time). The sustain time is infinite by
nature: it lasts for as long as you hold a key. The Sustain is
therefore a VOLUME setting for adjusting how soft or loud the
note is while it is held down.
The envelope is made of four stages: Attack, Decay, Sustain
and Release. It is usually more difficult to set this envelope
because of the relationship with the filter. Long attack times
will provide you with slowly opening filters.
Often neglected, this great tool can change a preset completely. However, there are no hard and fast rules for filter envelope settings: feel free to experiment, and you’re likely to discover new sounds.
V-time knob- A/D switch
This knob allows you to set how much the attack (A) or the
decay (D) time will be modified by velocity. Both envelope
stages can be modulated simultaneously.
Sensitivity
Velocity time knob & A/D switch
This allows the velocity to modulate the envelope settings.
This knob allows you to set how much the attack (A) or the
decay (D) time will be modified by velocity. Both envelope
stages can be modulated simultaneously.
Sample Start
This knob controls where MusePlayer starts playing back the
audio sample. As you increase the sample start time, you may
introduce a more staccatto attack, sometimes even a click,
which may be desirable for some sounds. .
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Interface Overview
Effects & presets included in MusePlayer
Effects
MusePlayer features a comprehensive effects engine built into
it to provide reverb, delay and other effects for the sounds
inside MusePlayer. There are two effects slots, and the amount
of the effect can be adjusted and syncronized to MIDI clock.
F1. FX#1/2 On/Off and Sync Switches & Name Display
This allows activation (ON) or deactivation (OFF) of each
effect. Use the Sync option to synchronize the speed of the
effect to the host tempo MIDI clock (useful for keeping delays
in tempo). Click on the window and a list of all available
effects will be displayed, release the mouse on the name of
the effect you want to use.
F3.FX#1/2 Parameter knobs & names display
Simple Delay
So simple
Sixteen
Old School
Stereo Delay
Everywhere
Cycle
Xperiment
Fat Delay
Wanna Fight
Dreamland
Delayverb
FX Delay
Shake it
Nice One
One bar pan
PingPong Delay
Sixteen
Springly
8 Miles
Doubling
Simple Reverb
Large Hall
Warm Room
Big Room
Short VErb
Predelay Verb
Once an effect is selected, all its parameters are displayed here
(up to five parameters depending on the kind of effect selected).The name of each parameter is displayed below the corresponding knob (used to change this parameter’s value).
Perc Room
Madness
Subtle
Room 2
Gate Reverb
Drum Gate
Radical
1/16 Hi Hats
Chorus
Deep Chorus
Ensemble
Mild Chorus
Deep Slow
Dimension
FX Chorus
Flanger
Boolart
Cool Flange
Extreme
FX Flange
Phaser
My Phase
My Tron
Nono
Sync Me
Cross Phase
Stereo Phase
Whistle
Low Phase
Synchro
Tremolo
1-16 Deep
Fast Tremolo
FX Tremolo
Autopan
Sync Rhodes
Slowly
Tremo Pan
Rotary Speaker
Full
Like it
Gouda Organ
Rotary Simple
Make big
Try it
For fun
JK Organ
Auto Wah
Metro Wha
Orange
Bubble
Copter
3 band EQ
Phone
Medium Air
No Flat !
Vocal
Bass
Percussion
2 band EQ
Hi-Fi
Telephonic
Boost Bass
High Guitar
Punchy
UVI Filter
HP EQ
Da Filter
Low Pass
Very High
UVI Drive
Bad Radio
Out da club
Color
Bass Drive
Electric
Double Drive
Tinny
Digital X
Da Dist
Hi Drive
Hammer
HP & LF Filter
Subtle F
In da Box
HP Reso
LP Reso
Mouth
UVI Limiter
Hardcore
Mix
Instrument
Too much
Compressor
Pump me up
Bass
Medium
Attack
Percomp
Gate
Gate Beat
Cut me
Slow Attack
Shortly
UVI Destructor
Mirage
S900
Crushy
Prodige
Insect
Abuse
Ring Modulator
Pure Ring
Parasite
Useless
Robotizer
Brotomoto
Cricket
Ulysse
Vocalise
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Interface Overview
Common parameters
G1. Glide Slider/Solo Switch - Velocity curve switches
The Solo Mode lets you play convincing
bass and lead parts, and includes a glide
time setting. Glide sets the transition
time between two notes. Solo Mode is
the same as a polyphony setting of 1.
the preset are immediately loaded in 32-bit mode. This uses
twice the RAM but means the engine doesn’t have to convert
on the fly.
H1. Mixer
Here you can set each layer’s level
using the corresponding slider and
each layer’s pan using the corresponding knob. (Volume:CC#7 Pan: CC#10)
The velocity curves switches allows you
to adapt MusePlayer to your MIDI controller: Linear velocity, no velocity (trigger
mode), exaggerated velocity (for softer
keyboards), de-emphasized velocity for
heavier or weighted action keyboards.
G2. Polyphony setting
Use the arrows to set precisely the polyphony you need. Most
presets have their own poly settings, for your convenience.
Two MUTE switches below the sliders
disable the sound of a layer. Once
muted, the link function is automatically disabled. PAN controls move the
output audio to the left or right.
H2. Pitch
Tip : This setting is the principal way of preventing clicks and
pops from occurring due to CPU overload. Example: a 6 notes
part will use less CPU if MusePlayer is set to six voices than if it
is set to 16 voices.
G2. Octave
Allows to transpose the incoming MIDI notes. Setting is in
Octaves, with values from -2 to +2.
The Pitch and Fine settings are transposing the audio.(as
opposed to the Octave setting in section G that acts as a MIDI
transposition).The pitch’s scaling is in semi-tones when the
fine setting is set in cents (100 cents for one semi-tone).
G2. Bend Range
This sets how the pitch bend will transpose the sound: values
from 0 to 24 semi tones.
G2. CC# Midi Controller
The display indicates which MIDI continuous controller is currently selected for the active Layer. This controller is available
in the list of modulation sources.
G7. 32-Bit switch
When OFF, MusePlayer loads sounds in 16-bit format to use
less RAM, but it will use a little more CPU power when converting the samples to 32-bit on the fly. When ON, all samples in
English 14
I1. UVI engine Logo
Clicking on the Logo will display (in the edit-info window) the
currrent software version of the plug-in.
Rendering to audio / MIDI Controlers
MIDI Continuous Controller Table
Note: for layer parameters, MIDI CC will only automate the
layer that is visible. In a similar way, it will automate the
selected LFO.
N° Description
07 Master volume
N° Description
20
21
22
23
24
25
FX1 On/Off
FX1 Parm Knob #1
FX1 Parm Knob #2
FX1 Parm Knob #3
FX1 Parm Knob #4
FX1 Parm Knob #5
89
90
91
92
30
31
32
33
34
35
FX2 On/Off
FX2 Parm Knob #1
FX2 Parm Knob #2
FX2 Parm Knob #3
FX2 Parm Knob #4
FX2 Parm Knob #5
70 Multimode Filter: filter type selection.
71 Master filter cut frequency
74 Master filter resonance
73
75
76
72
Amp. Envelope Attack
Amp. Envelope Decay
Amp.Envelope Sustain
Amp.Env. Release
77
78
79
80
Filter Cutoff
Filter Resonance
Filter Env Depth*
Filter Key Follow
(0=MIDI value 64)
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
Layer A level
Layer B level
Layer A Pan
Layer B Pan
Pitch coarse Layer A
Pitch coarse Layer B
Pitch fine Layer A
Pitch fine Layer B
Pitch Mod Amount *
Filt Mod Amount *
Amp Mod Amount *
Pan Mod Amount, *
93 Pitch Env Depth, *
94 Pitch Env Time
95 Selected LFO Depth
96 Selected LFO Rate
97 Filter Envelope Attack
98 Filter Envelope Decay
99 FilterEnvelope Sustain
100 FilterEnvelope Release
101 FilterEnvelope Vel. Time
102 FilterEnvelope Vel. Sens
103 AmpEnvelopeVel. Time
104 AmpEnvelope Vel. Sens
105 Sample Start
106 Layer A Mute
107 Layer B Mute
108 Layer select
109 Link On/Off
110 Drive
111 Drive Mode
112 Timbre
* Note bipolar parameters: MIDI value of zero will switch the
polarity of this parameter.
English 15
Frequently Asked Questions
Multitimbral Use
If you want to use MusePlayer in a multitimbral way, open up
a second copy of it in the MuseBox play rack. Alternatively,
you can add a secondary instrument to a solo instrument
inside the MusePlayer instrument, giving you up to four separate sounds at once.
Expanded polyphony
On MuseBox you should be able to get more than 48 voices
per instance. If using MuseBox with a computer sequencer,
you can always record the MuseBox’s output to an audio track,
as you would with any other instrument.
Can I import my own samples in MusePlayer?
MusePlayer was created to give you access to an exclusive
sound library that covers the basic needs of most keyboardists. You can add additional sounds via the CF card slot in the
back of your MuseBox, but you cannot add your own sampled
sounds to MusePlayer.
Managing Program Changes
MusePlayer is a sample player. It has to load in RAM each
sound you call up. Loading samples is really fast, but not instantaneous. MuseBox features several key technologies that
minimize the amount of time it takes to load a sound, or
switch from one sound to another. Additionally, you can have
two completely separate copies of MusePlayer running in
MuseBox's mixer, making it possible to always switch between
the two sounds instantly using MIDI program changes. Please
refer to the MuseBox manual or on-line tutorials.
Are any sounds included with MusePlayer available in another
form?
No, the sample library used in MusePlayer is only available
with and was only created for this virtual instrument.
Can I make my own original sounds with MusePlayer?
To deliver the most powerful and flexible synth sound collection ever made, MusePlayer depends on sampling, augmented by a killer synthesis engine. A the end of the chain is a
powerful multi-effect allowing very precise tailoring of your
sound. All of this has been engineered to help you create your
very unique sounds. You can use the samples that are in
MusePlayer along with the Synthesis and Effects engine in
MusePlayer to make sounds that are uniquely yours. Just
remember to save them!
Why use samples instead of conventional waveforms?
English 16
It's always surprising to discover how faithful sampling can be.
The unique character and the power of each synth is immediately heard.Our sound designers used the best hardware
equipment to capture every detail of the synth sounds.
Esoteric preamps and converters were used to capture the
samples. The synth audio signal was also massaged with tube
or class A compressors and equalizers, depending on what
sounded best. Sampling is really the best technology available today for sounds that are larger than life.
How big are the sounds inside MusePlayer?
MusePlayer has nearly 4GB of sounds inside, and some of the
individual sounds, like the Acoustic Grand Piano (Big) is nearly
800MB in size, which completely swamps (by a factor of 10!!)
the size of the sampled pianos you are likely to find in a
modern hardware synth that would cost far more than
MuseBox!
Is it as programmable as another software synth?
MusePlayer is HIGHLy programmable. The UVI-Engine is one
of the best sounding and most versatile software instruments
ever designed. Listen to the filters or the mono legato, for
example: the difference with other instruments is staggering,
even for seasoned session players. So the sampled library is
just the beginning of your journey through synthesis. Think of
MusePlayer as a huge collection of hardware synths, used as
building blocks of your own mega-synth!
Legal/Copyright F.A.Q.
Legal/Copyright “Frequently Asked
Questions”
1. Are there any legal limitations to how I can use
MusePlayer?
MusePlayer is meant for composing and performing music
only. You may not use it to create your own sample library or
another kind of sample-based product from the sounds
contained within your MuseBox. You are also restricted from
selling or sharing online any samples created using MuseBox
alone, although sharing of Presets is not only allowed but
encouraged.
2. Can I use the sounds in MusePlayer on a commercial music
project, like a soundtrack or radio commercial?
Yes. You are free to use MusePlayer however you wish to
create your own works; it doesn’t matter what scale of project
you are working on. MuseBox can be used without restraints
within a musical composition and there are no license fees
associated with using any of the sounds when used to create
your own compositions.
3. Can I copy expansion sound sets and give them to my
friends, or sell them on the Internet?
No. Copying or selling sounds and content is strictly prohibited and is a felony that carries with it immense fines. Soundsets
are creative works just like your musical compositions, please
respect the rights of the creators by protecting their works
from being copied, pirated, or re-distributed without their
consent.
Can I resell MusePlayer to someone else, second hand?
No, the sounds included in MusePlayer are sold with a nontransferable license and as such the MusePlayer can only be
used in a MuseBox. You cannot remove the sounds or software and sell them separately.
English 17
Troubleshooting & Support
How do I remote control MusePlayer using a controller keyboard ?
It is possible to automate almost every knob in the MusePlayer
interface by sending the appropriate MIDI continuous controllers data your MuseBox. The easiest way to do this is to use the
MIDI Learn function in Musebox. Additionally, the most common 8 parameters are available from the front panel of
MuseBox by simply pressing the EDIT button. MusePlayer
supports more than 25 different Continuous Controller messages to remotely control the instrument.
Can I run MusePlayer in my computer?
MusePlayer is exclusive to the MuseBox software instrument,
and although it can be integrated with your computer system,
it cannot be run separately on your computer. MusePlayer is
available to run on Muse Research's RECEPTOR hardware
plug-in player if you require it to run there. Universons has an
extensive line of virtual instruments available, we recommend
you check with them if you'd like to run similar sounds on your
computer system.
Will MusePlayer run better if I add more RAM?
Pretty much every computer-based product on earth runs
better with more RAM. Please visit the Muse Research website
for information on the appropriate RAM to install in your system if you wish to do so. Please note that RAM installation
should be done only by qualified personnel, as it is possible to
damage the product if you don't know what your doing, and
any such damage is not covered by the product warranty.
How can I get more notes to play at once? And how can I
make MusePlayer respond more quickly to MIDI?
When playing MusePlayer presets directly from your master
keyboard you might notice a little delay between hitting the
key, and the sound coming out. MuseBox is designed so that
this delay minimal and barely noticeable. If you want to experiment with faster performance, at the possible expense of the
number of notes you can play at once, you can set the latency
in the SETUP menu of the MuseBox. As you DECREASE the
latency of your MuseBox, it makes everything run faster,
which increases the load on the CPU and thus may reduce the
total number of notes you can play at once. INCREASING the
latency setting subsequently decreases the load on the CPU,
and increases the number of notes you can play at once.
English 18
MuseBox supports the following latency settings for running
MusePlayer:
Lowest: 48 samples of latency. Fastest MIDI response but delivers the lowest voice count capability.
Normal: 128 samples of latency. Normal performance and
average voice count capability.
Medium: 256 samples of latency: Reasonable performance
with high voice count capability.
Highest: 512 samples of latency. Slowest MIDI response time
but delivers the highest voice count capability.
Your MuseBox detaults to 128 samples of latency, which is
very near real-time and gives you a large amount of polyphony from your MuseBox. It is better than most digital synths
made in the 1980’s. Anything between 48 and 256 is pleasing
and usually very acceptable, and of course the higher the
latency setting the more voices your system can produce.
Troubleshooting & Support
Support
We’ve done our best to provide a product that is reliable and
easy to use. However, if you experience problems, you may
contact us by sending email to us. The email links can be
found on our website www.museplayer.com, or by contacting
Muse Research directly at support@museresearch.com.
Please do not contact Universons or Ultimate Sound Bank for
support. They do not support MusePlayer directly and will not
respond to emails, phone calls, or letters, unless of course you
enclose a 100-euro bill with your letter, in which case you
might receive support and a small tin of Foie Gras. Just kidding. Really, the only support is available through Muse
Research.
Note: always include your full name and serial in emails sent
to Muse Research.
Updates
MusePlayer shipped to you in MuseBox as the latest version,
and because it has been thoroughly tested before its release,
it is unlikely that new versions will be required. However,
should an update be necessary, that information will be made
avaialble in the Support section for MuseBox on the Muse
Research website.
English 19
Credits & Thanks
CREDITS
Produced by Ultimate Sound Bank for Muse Research and
Development, Inc. and provided under license.
Software development:
Jankoen de Haan, Olivier Tristan, Sébastien Metrot, Jeremy
Todd, Mark Ethier & Peter Baker
Recording & Sound Design:
Geoffroy Soulaine, Sebastien Jeannot, Damien Salençon,
Nikolas Zontos, Jean-Bernard Célier, Alain J Etchart, Igor
Bolender, Florian Fourmy, Max Albert, Guy Cedile, Didier
Orieux
Graphic & Design:
Christophe Lecrivain
Beta testing and preset creation:
Rick Escobar, Kevin Bryson, Gary Grove
Owner’s Manual:
Bryan Lanser, Guy Cedile, Alain Etchart & Max Albert
THANKS / MERCI
Muse Research would like to thank everyone at Ultimate
Sound Bank for making such great products for the musicians
of the world... especially Alain Etchart and Emanuel Usai.
Warm thanks to all our friends, artists and advisors for their
advice, counsel, and support: Paul "Wix" Wickens, Paul
Mirkovich, Pat Feehan, Mario DeCuittius, Chris Martriano,
Timothy Drury, Michael Bernard, Chris Ryan... and if by chance
we forgot to mention you, just write your name here:
_____________________________________________
TRADEMARK NOTICES
UVI Engine & Ultimate Sound Bank are registered
trademarks of Univers Sons, SA.
MuseBox, MusePlayer, and Receptor are trademarks of Muse
Research and Development, Inc.
VST™ is a trademark of Steinberg.
English 20
All other trademarks are property of their owners. Mention of
other trademarks does not imply any endorsement or participation in this product or its technology.
Classic synth photos thanks to RL Music.
®2011 Muse Research and Development. Some text Copyright
2002-20011 Univers Sons, used by permission.
MuseBox and MusePlayer are not intended to treat or cure any disease or infliction besides
bad sounding synthesis. This product has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA,
Greenpeace, the Society for Prevention of Halitosis, the Cupertino Dalia Society, or any other
governmental association or institution. Use of this product to attain fame and fortune is
encouraged but not guaranteed by Muse Research, USB, or any of its affiliates. This product
was not tested on animals, and no pets were injured in the creation of this product, although
I did accidentally step on Hugo's tail when I got up from my desk while writing this manual.
I swear I didn't realize he was sleeping under my desk, I apologized, gave him a treat and he
forgave me. Muse Research and USB cannot be held responsible for marital or relationship
strife caused by an insatiable desire to spend time using this product and/or creating new
and unique sounds instead of cooking a romantic dinner or taking out the garbage...
A word about sound synthesis
A - Analog (or Subtractive) synthesis
Called “Analog” because it was the synthesis you could find on
most of the first analog synthesizers, Analog synthesis starts
out with a waveform rich in harmonics, such as a saw or
square wave, and uses filters to make the finished sound subtracting harmonics, which is why it is accurately referred to
has Subtractive synthesis.
Here are the main substractive synthesis components :
Oscillators: The device creating a waveform is usually
called an oscillator. The first
synthesizers used analog
electronic oscillator circuits
to create waveforms. These
units are called VCO's (Voltage Controlled Oscillator). More
modern digital synthesizers use DCO's instead (Digitally
Controlled Oscillators). A simple oscillator can create one or
two basic waveforms - most often a sawtooth-wave - and a
squarewave. Most synthesizers can also create a completely
random waveform - or "noise". These waveforms are very simple and completely artificial - they hardly ever appear in the
nature. But you would be surprised to know how many different sounds can be achieved by only using and combining
these waves.
Filters: To be able to vary the basic
waveforms to some extent, most synthesizers use filters. A filter is an electronic circuit that removes harmonics
fromthe original waveform. The Filter
section of a synthesizer may be a VCF
(Voltage Controlled Filter) or DCF
(Digitally Controlled Filter). If you
remove all the harmonics from a complex waveform, you end up with a
pure sine wave. Filters come in the
following types:
•Low-Pass Filters allow low frequencies to pass through unaffected and filters out (or blocks
out) the higher frequencies.
This is controlled by a parameter labelled as "Cut-Off
Frequency" (or "Cutoff" or
"Frequency").
• High-Pass Filters (or HPF). A HPF does the opposite of a LPF.
A High-Pass Filter allows the higher frequencies to pass
through unaffected and filters out (blocks-out) the lower frequencies.
The Cutoff Frequency determines the position in the harmonic spectrum where the filter
will begin to filter (or cutoff )
the higher overtones (ie frequencies) : some overtones
will be removed - and the
waveform will become more
"rounded". If the Cutoff is set to
a high position, then the timbre will be bright. If the Cutoff is
set to a low position, then the timbre will be dull. In other
words the filter controls the brightness of the sound.
Resonance is where the frequencies at the Cutoff position are
boosted (made louder). When a little resonance is introduced,
the frequencies around the Cutoff are boosted and the filter
begins to exaggerate the frequencies around the cutoff point.
With a lot of resonance, the frequencies around the Cutoff are
emphasized to the point where the filter will produce a distinct tone, or it will start to "sing" with a pronounced tone at
the cutoff frequency.
Amplifiers and Envelopes: The amplifier section on a syn-
thesizer may be labeled as VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier) or
DCA (Digitally Controlled Amplifier). An Amplifier will control
the volume of the waveform in real-time, or give it an
"Envelope" so the sound is controlled in amplitube over time.
Nowadays, there are many variations of envelopes available.
However, the most common envelope has 4 parameters: (1)
Attack time, (2) Decay time, (3) Sustain level, and (4) Release
time. This is usually called ADSR Envelope.Envelopes can also
be used to control other sections of a synthesizer.
LFOs: LFOs, or Low Frequency Oscillators are separate
oscillators in a synthesizer that can be used to control
things like the Filter or Amplitube Enveloped. Tremolo
is a common example of an LFO controlling volume,
where as Vibrato is a good example of an LFO controlling the pitch of a sound.
The MiniMoog is a great example of an Analog Synth.
English 21
A word about sound synthesis
B - Frequency Modulation (FM) synthesis
Invented at Stanford University, FM synthesis produces an
output signal by oscillating the frequency of a source oscillator's signal at such a high frequency that it starts to "modulate" and produce new tones in the process. This process can
generate fairly complex waveforms containing multiple frequencies/sidebands with only two oscillators, requiring minimal computations. FM Synthsis is particularly good at creating synthesized version of vibrating bars, hence its popularity
as a sound for use in Electric Pianos. The YAMAHA DX7 is the
best example of a popular FM synth.
C - Wavetable synthesis
This is a synthesis technique where the waveform of the
oscillator is stored as a table of values in a digital manner, and
then "read back" and processed in real-time by the synthesis
engine. As a result, quite complex and harmonically rich
waveforms can be stored in the synthesizer for combining
with subtractive synthesis techniques to make very expressive
sounds. One common addition to wavetable synthesis is that
each instrument waveform contains a loop region. This region
starts after the attack segment of the digital audio has played
and repeats while the instrument's note is sustained (i.e. while
a note is held). Then the release segment of digital audio
finishes off the note. Wavetable synthesis is a more limited
form of the more generalized Sampling synthesis, explained
later.
E - Additive synthesis
Additive synthesis can be found in different instruments, the
first one being the famous tonewheel organ and its equally
famous drawbars used to add or withdraw harmonics from
the overall sound. A rotating shaft with electromagnetic pickups created different harmonics that were added together in
varying proportion using the organ "stops" to create the desired timbre.
The idea of Additive Synthesis is to build a complex waveform
from its basic elements. It works by mixing (summing) one or
more simple waveforms, such as sine waves at different frequencies together to create a more complex waveform.
Theoretically, it is possible create any sound by adding enough sine waves of different frequencies together using someting called the Fourier series. In real life however, sounds
evolve and change in subtle ways making the creation of
complex sounds using simple elements a huge technological
challenge. However, Additive Synthesis has made an impact
on the world of synthesis as the computations necessary
tomake complex sounds have become less burdensome
thanks to faster CPUs. Perhaps the most famous Additive
Synths came from Kawai in their K series and the PPG
Waveterm.
D -”Vector” synthesis
Vector synthesis was pioneered by the SCI Prophet VS and
made popular by the Korg Wavestation family. Vector
Synthesis was loosely based on substractive synthesis but
with the example of german PPG in mind, they created an
instrument able to crossfade waveforms in real time on a two
dimensional pattern in real-time with a joystick. The user had
access to 128 different digitally stored waveforms, 4 waveforms ("voices") could be mixed in real time. Then the result
went through a classical analog path with two LFOs per voice,
VCF, VCAs and enveloppes (loopable envelopes to create
really interesting soundscapes). The resulting sound had the
life and motion of rich and complex digital textures combined
with the warmth of analog filters and amps to finalize the
picture.
English 22
A word about sound synthesis
F - PCM or "Sampling" synthesis
As digital technology became more afforable, digital audio
became more and more prevalent. This also helped create a
new class of synthesis employing the storage of digital
"snapshots" of sound using PCM (pulse code modulation), but
more commonly known as "sampling" synthesizers. A sampling synthesizer captures a real sound by digitizing the
sound and storing it as a waveform, much like a camera stores
an image on a memory card. These waveforms are then used
as the oscillators in the synthesis engine and are processed
much the way an analog synthesizer would with envelopes
and filters.
Many sampling synthesizers store these waveforms in Read
Only Memory or ROM and then "reads" these samples back in
real -time, which is the main technology used in "sound
modules" like the E-mu Proteus. Sampling synthesis is arguably the best way to recreate acoustic instruments such as
pianos and orchestral instruments, providing realism and high
definition, but at the cost of requiring large amounts of
memory to store the sample data. And since the harmonics of
an acoustic instruments vary greatly as they play through
their range, for best realism it is necessary to create a large
number of samples to make up a playable range in an instrument (called Multi-sampling) thus further increasing the
memory requirements. That being said, samplers are used on
nearly every film and TV soundtrack and the technology
remains the premier technology in keyboards to produce
acoustic instruments that are big, expensive, or both. Examples
of famous samplers include The Fairlight CMI, E-mu Systems
Emulator, and Akai S series products. These hardware synthesizers have since been replaced by software versions such as
Native Intruments Kontakt.
G - “Modeling” synthesis
There are two types of Modeling synthesis: analog modeling
that is used to create the sounds of analog oscillators but
using mathemetical routines to simulate the behavior (especially the non-linearities) of analog synthesizers, and physical
modelling that uses mathematical descriptions of the physical
properties of a particular element of an instrument, say a
string, a pipe, or a struck metal bar, and then using digital
signal processing to manipulate the behavior of the model
over time. Clavia Nordlead & Nordmodular are examples of
analog modeling synths, and physical modelling technology
has found the most success in virtual instrument form in products like Lounge Lizard and Pianoteq.
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F - Miscellaneous
Phase distortion Synthesis
This is a synthesis method popularised by Casio synths back in
the 1980s, but is still found in some synthesizers today Phase
Distortion synthesis relies on reproducing the digital waveform in a non-linear way. Normally, when you play a digitized
waveform, the digital synth reproduces the data at the intended rate (eg 44.1kHz). A Phase Distorted system means part of
the data is read at one rate and the remainder at another rate
(eg first half at 22kHz and the second half at 66.2kHz [average
= 44.1kHz]). This varied data-reading changes the waveform.
In theory, you get a brand new waveform, and PD synthesis
gives timbres that sound similar to FM.
Tape Sampler (Chamberlain/Mellotron)
The forerunners of digital samplers, tape-based keyboards
used analog magnetic tapes to reproduce sounds that were
recorded on continuous loops stored in a large bin. These
devices, like the Chamberlain and the Mellotron basically had
a central captstan and a bunch of play heads. Pressing a key
pushed the head against the tape so you would hear the
sound. Each strip of tape had a finite length, so after a few
seconds (7 was typical) the sound would stop as the tape
quickly re-wound to the beginning. Made famous by the
Beatles and embraced enthusiastically by prog rock bands,
Mellotrons that aren't in museums are treasured by collectors
although digital sampling recreations are far more practical
and don't require maintenance!
The making of MusePlayer
A - Concept
We started the MusePlayer
project by surveying the
market of keyboards to
determine the most important "meat and potatoes"
sounds required by most
keyboardist. We then searched the massive UVI sample libary for suitable instruments, and if they
weren't there, we captured
them using various synthesizers, sample libraries, and live
players. The result is a mighty sound set that dwarfs what you
find in a typcial workstation keyboard, with over 2 Gigabytes
of the best synths sounds available. That’s what makes
MusePlayer unique.
B- Sampling gear
It's always surprising to discover how faithful sampling can
be. The unique character and
the power of each synth is
immediately heard. Our sound
designers used the best hardware equipment to capture
every detail of the synth
sounds. Esoteric preamps and
converters were used to capture the samples. The synth audio signal was also massaged
with tube or class A compressors and equalizers, depending
on what sounded best. Sampling is really the best technology
available today for sounds that are larger than life.
Synthesisers used to create sounds in MusePlayer
Roland: Jupiter 4 & Jupiter 8, SH-101, JD800 & JD990 / Yamaha:
CS80, CS60, CS15, CS40-M & CS70M. DX1, DX100, TX816, FS1R
/ Oberheim: X-Pander, Matrix 6, 4 Voices, OBXa / Sequential
Circuits : Prophet VS, Prophet 5, Prophet One, T8 / PPG : Wave
2.0, Wave 2.3, Waveterm B, PRK FD, EVU, HDU & Commander /
Korg : PS3200, Trident MK2, MS20, M1, O1W, DW8000 / Casio :
CZ1, CZ100, VZ1 & VZ10M / Moog: Minimoog & Memorymoog
/ ARP: Odissey, ARP2600, Chroma / Waldorf: Pulse, Wave,
Microwave XT, Q & Micro Q / Misc: Synclavier II, Technos Acxel,
Mellotron M400, Acces Virus, Kawai K5000... and more !
Recording gear & software used for MusePlayer
Manley Massive Passive and SLAM with 192 kHz converters,
Langevin Dual Combo, Apogee Big Ben & Roseta 800, Lexicon
300, Focusrite ISA430mkII with 192 kHz converters, Publison
Infernal Machine 90, SPL Transient Designer & Tube Vitaliser,
Pro Tools, Digital Performer, MachFive, Bias Peak, WaveLab,
Infinity, Izotope RX2... and more !
The Result
MusePlayer is primarily a Wavetable synthesizer that utilizes
waveforms that have come from all types of synthesizers,
which are then combined with Analog synthesizer envelopes,
filters, and advanced effects. As such, MusePlayer is the "best
of all worlds" synthesizer that gives you immense amounts of
creative freedom without the drawbacks of having to create
complex waveforms from scratch. As a result, the soundset
covers all styles of instruments, from Analog Basses, digital
leads, FM pianos, additive organs, vector pads, and of course
remarkably detailed sampled instruments for pianos, strings,
horns, and other acoustic instruments.
All our expensive outboard gear will improve anything, it's not
just for million-dollar vocal sessions. The ultimate signal chain
employed has produced incredibly dynamic and lively synth
sounds, turning the heads of everyone who has heard them.
We've devoted about 4 GB to the vast array of instruments
that MusePlayer covers, from stellar Acoustic Pianos to searing
lead synths, to pop brass and electronic drums. Sampling
allows MusePlayer to cover an amazingly diverse panel of
synthesis technique and unite them in just one instrument.
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