User Manual
Model 80 Five Voice Synthesizer
Intro
Overview of the Main Features and Capabilities
Getting Started
Browsing Presets
Quick Tweaking Sounds
The Voice Allocation of Model 80
Understanding Polyphonic Glide
Unison Mode
Parameter Description
The Expanded View Parameters
Sustain Pedal
Creating Sounds
Model 80 modules in Modular
Credits
Softube Model 80 Five Voice Synthesizer is our new fully modeled version of the prolific synthesizer originally debuted at Winter NAMM in Anaheim, 1978. However, the version we modeled (number three) was released in 1980, hence the name “Model 80”. This machine was the first synthesizer to use a digital microprocessor to control the analog polyphonic synth engine and store sounds for easy recall and editing. This was such a big deal, that we thought it was important enough to capture the idea by being able to recall these 40 classic presets from the front panel by providing the original bank and presets buttons on the “programmer” to recall these sounds.
Overview of the Main Features and Capabilities
Sound Architecture
The Model 80 Five Synthesizer is a classically layed out out synthesizer – no wonder – the original hardware basically set the standard for polyphonic synthesizers when it came out. Each of the five voices consists of an Oscillator section with two oscillators mixed together with noise going through a mixer before entering the lowpass filter controlling the tonal quality (dull, bright) of the sound and then finally entering a VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier) stage that controls dynamic volume of the sound. All five voices are then mixed and the final output volume is then controlled by the output volume knob.
Each voice also contains two envelope generators that independently control the filter and the amplifier (VCA). The envelopes create movement as a series of controlled events outputting timed changes. Each of the envelopes' different phases (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) represents the evolvement of a sound.
Model 80 also features both a Global Modulation bus as well as ways of dedicated per-voice- modulation through the Voice Modulation bus. This makes Model 80 incredibly powerful when creating movement within your sounds. Both types of modulation create cyclic/repeating movement through modulation of the oscillator pitch, pulse-width and/or filter cutoff frequency.
Oscillators
This is the heart of Model 80. The oscillator section consists of two oscillators, 1 and 2, which are similar but slightly differ in terms of output waveforms and features. Both are linked to the incoming note-information and tracks musically across 9 octaves, however the second oscillator can be unlinked from the incoming note-information and be used as a “free-running” modulation oscillator with extended tuning range on the coarse knob. This second oscillator also features an additional waveform: a triangle wave. Oscillator 1 differs also from Oscillator 2 by having a sync feature for creating additional complex timbres.
Mixer
The mixer section is where the audio outputs of Oscillator 1 and 2 are balanced against each other via separate mix level knobs before going into the filter section of each voice. There's also a possibility to add some white noise through the third mix knob controlling the level of noise in the mix.
Filter and Filter Envelope
The next section to the right of the mixer is the Filter. The output from the mixer enters the filter which is a voltage controlled 4 pole lowpass filter with resonance control (feedback). The filter cutoff frequency can be controlled via the cutoff knob but is also dynamically modified in real- time by the Model 80's different modulation busses (Global and Voice Mod), as well as the filter envelope and keyboard tracking when engaged. As mentioned above, an Envelope generator is used to describe time-based changes in a sound. In the Model 80, the top envelope generator (marked Filter Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release knobs) is used to shape the harmonic content of the sound.
Amp Envelope
This Envelope generator - the bottom one, marked “Amplifier” - is used to shape the amplitude of the played sound. Both of these envelope generators, Filter and Amplifier, are started when you play a note and will go through their individual phases in time set by the knobs.
Voice Modulation
On the far upper left on the Model 80 panel we will find the Voice Modulation section. Voice modulation provides Model 80 with routings within each voice for two sources – the filter envelope and oscillator 2 – to modulate three destinations: Oscillator 1 frequency, Oscillator 1 Pulse Width and Filter cutoff frequency. Although the routings are exactly the same for each voice, the subtle differences between the voices - phase relationship of the oscillators and difference in envelopes – will create modulation effects that will be unique from voice to voice, or note to note. This modulation is in direct contrast to the effect of the wheel modulation in the Global Modulation section (described below), where one signal is applied equally to all voices, creating the same effect from note to note. Voice modulation is not heard when the two source amount knobs in the Voice Mod section are set at 0 or if all three destination switches are set to off.
Global Modulation
In Model 80, there's a modulation bus that is common, global for all five voices, hence called global modulation. It consists of an LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) and a noise generator. The modulation mix balance between these two is set by the source knob. All global modulation in Model 80, just like its original hardware courter part, is always routed through the modulation wheel which works as an attenuator – it determines the amount of modulation distributed to the destination. Modulation in Model 80 can be routed to oscillator pitch, pulse-width of the VCO square waves or filter cutoff frequency.
The Programmer Section - The Init, Bank and Program Select Buttons
The programmer section of Model 80 connects to the fact that this was one the first synth with programmable presets, and this is where you as a user can access all of the original 40 presets. By clicking on one of the eight program-select buttons you will instantly load one of the factory programs. Click on the bank select button to swap between the five different banks. We have also included an initialization (init) button for quick access to a “starting-point” for your own sounds. The init preset has only one oscillator active, filter fully open and no modulation engaged to make it an ideal and neutral place for your creativity.
The Pitch Section
On the far right of the panel is the output section. It contains three controls that all interact with pitch – the Glide knob sets the time it takes to – you guessed it – glide between two notes. The Master Tune knob is the global tune of Model 80 and controls all voices. Just to the right of the Master Tune knob is the A440 button which is the tuning guide tone on and off. As implied by its name it turns on a 440hz (A4) triangle wave oscillator that is used for swift tuning purposes.
The Unison Section
Below the Pitch section we will find the Unison Section. Unison in Model 80 is were a selectable number of voices can be played as one, essentially turning a polyphonic synthesizer into a powerful 5 voice monophonic monster! The voices in this mode can also be detuned to create a wider, “fatter” monophonic sound.
Release, Aging and Output Volume
This section is a mixed bag - firstly featuring the Amp Release on/off switch, secondly the Aging knob that determines the difference in behavior between voices, and lastly the main Output Volume knob that sets the overall loudness of the plugin.
The Keyboard
On the bottom of the plugin screen you'll see Keyboard. This keyboard will reflect your playing on your MIDI keyboard, but can also be used as a quick and easy way to check your sound by clicking on it playing single notes. The built in keyboard plays notes equal to a MIDI velocity (64) level and is primarily meant as a tool for instant sound reference.
The Pitch Bend and Modulation Wheel
To the left of the keyboard at the bottom of the plugin GUI, you'll find the Pitch and Modulation “wheels”. In Model 80 the Pitch-bend wheel is a performance control for temporary bends of the notes. However, the modulation wheel is more an integral part of the sound as it sets the amount of Global modulation for all voices. The modulation wheel can be used to introduce vibrato, movement and life into your sound. Learn more on exactly how, below.
The Expanded View
At the right hand side of the Model 80 GUI we have added another, “hidden” expander panel that let you tweak some details of the Voice Mod behavior and performance aspects of the Model 80. Click on the wooden border at the far right indicated by the right-way facing arrow and the slide-in expander panel will pop up, revealing another 8 parameters for tweaking. The mouse-cursor will change from an arrow to a small pointing hand to indicate this click-area. Click on the left side of the expander panel to close it again. The state of this panel (open or closed) is remembered in your projects and saved presets.
OK, now you've read all the boring stuff or just simply skipped that – that's fine! Let's start exploring the sound of Model 80 and see what it can do:
At the top left of the Model 80 plugin window you see two arrow buttons, a preset name drop-down and a short-cut symbol for Softube Preset Collection. This is where you access all presets available for Model 80, both the ones we have created for you and the ones you create. If you want to browse the presets with full overview and information, options for filtering etc. – click on the Preset Collection window to bring up this additional window with full view of your preset library.
For more casual preset browsing, simply use the back and forward buttons to scroll up and down in the order selected or filtered in the Preset Collection window.
However, just like on the original vintage hardware, you can also access the original 40 factory sounds (banks 1-5, 8 sounds in each) through the programmer buttons on the panel. Select any of the 8 programs in each bank by using the bank and program select buttons.
OK, let's create some sound of your own! Here some general quick directions for editing sounds:
Start by setting up a very simple sound by clicking on the orange Init (Initialize Preset) button found in the Programmer section of Model 80. This will set you up with a nice starting-point for creating your own sound.
From here, let's add some vibrato to your sound by raising the mod-wheel slightly from its 0% position. This way, the LFO will add vibrato to your sound. The mod-wheel controls the amount of vibrato added, while the LFO Rate will change the speed of that vibrato.
Let's try making your sound duller or brighter: increase or decrease the Cutoff knob in the Filter section to your liking. By tweaking the Resonance knob in the Filter section you can also make your sound more or less hollow or “electronic” sounding.
In order to make your sound start harder or softer: increase or decrease the Amplifier Attack knob while repeatably playing the same notes over and over – you'll notice the difference.
Extend your sounds' duration after keys have been released: increase the Amplifier Release knob while repeatably playing the same notes – observe the difference.
The Voice Allocation of Model 80
Model 80 faithfully replicates the internal five voice structure and voice allocation modes of its original counter-part hardware. In Model 80 each new key will assign a new voice until all five keys are assigned, the 5th key will steal first voice. If only one and the same key is repeatably played, the same voice will always be assigned. You can clearly see which voice is currently active on the interactive Voice Architecture diagram in the expanded view.
This is an example of how Model 80's voice allocation works in practice: Sequence played: C, C, D, E, F, G, A, - chord C-E-G Voices assigned in order: voice 1 (C), voice 1 (C), voice 2 (D), voice 3 (E), voice 4 (F), voice 5 (G), voice 1 (A) - voice 2-3-5 (C-E-G)
On Model 80, holding down a chord (or using the sustain pedal) while playing five notes, adding a sixth note will steal the note out of that chord as the first voice is reassigned to play the newly added sixth note. This is exactly how the original hardware Model 80 is based upon works.
Understanding Polyphonic Glide
When understanding how the polyphonic glide in Model 80 works it is important to remember that Model 80 voice allocation applies to the following rules: - Voice 1 is assigned to first played key, Voice 2 to the second and so on. - After the five initial assignments the system is “last note priority” – the earliest voice is reassigned to each new note played. - Repeated notes on the same key assigns the same voice.
When describing the portamento/glide buffer in this context, think of it as something that is attached the voice. So if you just play a rising scale every fifth note will glide from its previous position. For example: playing C1, D2, E3, F4, G5, A1, B2 and so on - here each number represents a voice. So consequently, here glide will occur between C and A, D and B.
Use the interactive Voice Architecture diagram in the expanded view to see which voice is being assigned as you play.
In Unison mode a selectable number of voices are played as one, essentially turning Model 80 into a powerful 5 voice monophonic synthesizer. In Unison mode, a low note priority rules, meaning that while playing a high note, a lower note will take precedence but will not re-trigger the envelope, while a higher played note will do nothing – exactly as on the original hardware. When using Model 80 with a sustain pedal in Unison mode, the sustain pedal hold the envelope sustained as long as it is held down – the envelopes will not re-trigger, not even for a lower note while the pitch will still be registered. Think of this as a sustain-pedal “legato” function.
Here follows a more detailed description of each knob and switch in Model 80:
Voice Mod Env Amount knob: This knob set the amount of filter envelope modulation to affect any of the three available Voice Modulation destinations selected by the buttons (see below). Note that this amount can be inverted by the switch in the expanded view (see separate description).
Voice Mod Osc2 Amount knob: This knob set the amount of modulation introduced by Oscillator 2 to affect any of the three available Voice Modulation destinations selected by the buttons (see below). Note that also this amount can be inverted by the switch in the expanded view (see separate description).
Voice Mod Freq1 button: This button routes the attenuated sum of modulation from the Filter Envelope and Oscillator 2 to affect the pitch of Oscillator 1. This can be handy when creating pitched sweeps, vibratos from Oscillator 2 in low frequency mode or to create FM type sounds with Oscillator 2 in audible rate. Note that this per-voice-modulation is added to the Global pitch modulation that is introduced through the attenuated Global Modulation LFO/Noise mix.
Voice Mod PW1 button: This button routes the attenuated sum of modulation from the Filter Envelope and Oscillator 2 to affect the Pulse-width of Oscillator 1s square wave output. Use this feature to add further life to your Oscillator 1 square wave output than provided through the attenuated Global Modulation LFO/Noise mix. Note that PW modulation applied through Voice Mod is inverted in relation to the Osc 1 Pulse Width knob, the same as on the vintage hardware. This means that sweeping pulse-width from the filter envelope will have the same effect as sweeping the pulse width knob counter-clockwise for increasing modulation.
Voice Mod Filter button: This button routes the attenuated sum of modulation from the Filter Envelope and Oscillator 2 to affect the Filter. In effect, the Filter Envelope routed to the filter through this button will double the functionality that the Filter Envelope Amount knob has, but with the difference that the envelope modulation through this bus can be inverted by the use of the invert button on the expanded view panel (see separate description). This can be a bit confusing but also very powerful when creating unique and inspiring sounds. Use Voice Mod to filter modulation from Oscillator 2 in audible range to create filter FM harsh, distorted sounds or just to add some extra “sizzle” to your filter.
LFO DAW Sync button: This parameter determines whether the LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) will sync to DAW tempo sync (button turned on) or should be free running (default value).
LFO Frequency/DAW division knob: This knob controls the rate of Model 80's LFO that is used for modulation mixed together with noise through the Global Modulation Mod Wheel (amount). When LFO DAW Sync button is active this knob will set the LFO speed as a division of your DAW tempo.
LFO Ramp button: This button turns on the Ramp (sawtooth) output of the LFO modulation sent to the Global Modulation mix.
LFO Triangle button: This button turns on the Triangle output of the LFO modulation sent to the Global Modulation mix.
LFO Square button: This button turns on the Square output of the LFO modulation sent to the Global Modulation mix.
Wheel Mod Source Mix knob: This knob sets the Global Modulation mix between LFO and Noise. Click-areas on the labels below the knob are available for quick selection of full LFO or Noise.
Wheel Mod Freq1 button: This button assigns the attenuated Global modulation (LFO/noise mix) to affect the pitch of Oscillator 1. This is great for creating vibrato effects or just to add noise distortion/degradation to the Oscillator 1 waveforms.
Wheel Mod Freq2 button: This button assigns the attenuated Global modulation (LFO/noise mix) to affect the pitch of Oscillator 2. This is great for creating vibrato effects or just to add noise distortion/degradation to the Oscillator 2 waveforms.
Wheel Mod PW1 button: This button assigns the attenuated Global modulation (LFO/noise mix) to affect the pulse-width of Oscillator 1's square wave output.
Wheel Mod PW2 button: This button assigns the attenuated Global modulation (LFO/noise mix) to affect the pulse-width of Oscillator 2's square wave output.
Wheel Mod Filter button: This button assigns the attenuated Global modulation (LFO/noise mix) to affect the filter cutoff frequencies of all filters simultaneously.
Osc1 Frequency knob: This knob determines the base frequency of the first VCO (Oscillator 1) of Model 80. It ranges over four octaves and is quantized in semi-notes. When Oscillator 1 is synchronized to the pitch of Oscillator 2 (see Sync button description below), this knob will change the basic timbre of Oscillator 1 before entering the mixer and filter.
Osc1 Saw button: This button engages the Oscillator 1 sawtooth waveform output.
Osc1 Square button: This button engages the Oscillator 1 square waveform output.
Osc1 Pulse Width knob: This parameter sets the pulse width offset of Oscillator 1's square waveform output. At the extreme range (max) the pulse-width be so thin that the waveform will disappear all together and not be heard (this is how the original hardware works).
Osc1 Sync button: This button engages the Oscillator 1 “hard” synchronization to Oscillator 2's pitch. When this mode is engaged (button turned on), any pitch changes to Oscillator 1 will only result in timbral changes in relation to the pitch of Oscillator 2.
Osc2 Keyboard Frequency/Osc2 Non Keyboard Frequency knob: This knob determines the base frequency of Model 80's second VCO (Oscillator 2). This knob actually controls two different parameters – Osc2 Keyboard Frequency, which is the Oscillator 2 in keyboard tracking (normal) mode, and Osc2 Non Keyboard Frequency which is when Oscillator 2 is not responding to any keyboard inputs. The latter mode is great when using Oscillator 2 to modulate something at a steady rate in audible or low frequency mode (see description on Osc2 Lo Freq button below). This knob's mode is set by the Osc2 Keyboard button described below. This knob is quantized in semi- notes and changes range between 4 octaves (keyboard tracking) and nearly 8 octaves (non keyboard tracking mode).
Osc2 Fine knob: This knob is the fine tuning of Oscillator 2. It adds a positive pitch offset of one half note at the extreme range.
Osc2 Saw button: This button engages the Oscillator 2 sawtooth waveform output.
Osc2 Triangle button: This button engages the Oscillator 2 triangle waveform output.
Osc2 Square button: This button engages the Oscillator 2 square waveform output.
Osc2 Pulse Width knob: This parameter sets the pulse width offset of Oscillator 2's square waveform output. At the extreme range (max) the pulse-width becomes so thin that the waveform will disappear all together and not be heard (this is how the original hardware works).
Osc2 Lo Freq button: This button engages Oscillator 2 low frequency mode, suitable for modulation duties through the Voice Mod section. Think of it as having a dedicated LFO per voice apart from the Global Modulation LFO. These “LFO”s” now act independently on each voice giving it life while still being able to do keyboard tracking, making it even more fun.
Osc2 Keyboard button: This button determines whether Oscillator 2 is linked to the keyboard or not. When this button is disengaged the pitch/frequency of Oscillator 2 in all five voices is determined by the Osc2 Non Keyboard Frequency knob. This is handy when using Oscillator 2 in low frequency mode as an extra LFO through the Voice Mod bus.
Osc1 Level knob: This knob controls the volume of Oscillator 1 going into the filter.
Osc2 Level knob: This knob controls the volume of Oscillator 2 going into the filter.
Noise Level knob: This knob controls the volume of the white noise mixed in with the VCOs before entering the filter.
Filter Cutoff knob: This knob set the Model 80's lowpass filter cutoff frequency initial value, to which all other modulation (Filter Envelope, keyboard tracking, Global Modulation and Voice Mod) has as a reference point. This parameter will be quantized in chromatic semi-notes if the Quantize Cutoff button in the expander panel is engaged (the ring around this knob will also have visual notches).
Filter Resonance knob: This parameter determines the amount of feedback in the filter. Add more resonance to make the filter sound more “electronic” sounding. At a certain point, about the value 6, the filter will start to self-oscillate and create a waveform of its own.
Filter Envelope Amount: This parameter sets the amount of effect the Filter Envelope will have on the filter cutoff frequency. The higher value set on this parameter, the more dramatical movement in the filter.
Filter Keyboard Tracking button: This parameter determines whether or not the filter cutoff frequency will be tracking played notes. This means that the filter will open more as higher notes are played. The filter in Model 80 is calibrated to track accurately enough for the user to “play the filter” while it is self-oscillating (Filter Resonance above 6). Try it!
The Model 80 two ADSR envelope generators creates keyboard-triggered, controlled series of events outputting timed changes in voltage output. This means that each of the envelopes different phases represents that of an acoustic sound described in its Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release phases.
Filter Envelope Attack knob: This is the Attack phase of which the creates the filter swelling phase, from zero to the maximum value of the envelope.
Filter Envelope Decay knob: This parameter controls the Filter Decay phase which is the subsequent falling time period (filter closing) until the Sustain level is met.
Filter Envelope Sustain knob: This parameter controls the Sustain level which determines the held level as long as the MIDI key (or gate voltage) is held.
Filter Envelope Release knob: This parameter controls the timing of the Release phase which is the time it takes from the key (or gate voltage) is released until the envelope has reached the initial level (zero) again; the end point.
Amplifier Envelope Attack knob: This is the Amplifier Attack phase of which the creates the swelling phase, from zero to the maximum volume of the sound.
Amplifier Envelope Decay knob: This parameter controls the Amplifier Decay phase which is the subsequent falling time period (volume decreasing) until the Sustain level is met.
Amplifier Envelope Sustain knob: This parameter controls the Amplifier Sustain level which determines the held level as long as the MIDI key (or gate voltage) is held.
Amplifier Envelope Release knob: This parameter controls the timing of the Amplifier Release phase which is the time it takes from the key (or gate voltage) is released until the sound has reached the initial level (zero) again; the end point.
Note: The modeled analogue ADSR circuit in Model 80 slightly varies its behavior depending on the attack time. When the attack time is very short, the envelope will actually overshoot above the maximum sustain level before the decay phase starts. When the attack time is just a little bit longer than the minimum value, the attack phase will not reach above the maximum sustain level.
Glide knob: This parameter controls the glide time between notes, sometimes called portamento.
Master Tune knob: This knob is Model 80s overall tuning offset.
A440 Reference Tune button: This is the reference tuning oscillator for Model 80. It plays an A at 440Hz – great for tuning those complex FM modulated sounds created with the Voice Mod section. This button turns it on and off.
Unison button: The Unison mode replicates the mode where all voices are played at once, essentially turning Model 80 into a powerful 1 to 5 voice monophonic synthesizer. In Unison mode, each new note will play with a low note priority – all in the same fashion as on the original hardware. We have also added some additional Unison-specific features (see the two next parameters described below) that makes this mode even more versatile that on the original.
Unison Stack knob: This knob sets the number of voices that will be active in Unison mode – 1,2,3,4 or 5 voices. Voices active in the different modes are reflected by the LEDs in the Voice Architecture diagram in the expander panel (see description below).
Unison Detune knob: This parameter will control the voice tuning spread between voices in Unison-mode making it possible to create razor-sharp leads as well as incredibly fat sounds.
Release button: This button affects both the Filter Envelope and the Amplitude Envelope generator. It turns on the release phase of both envelope generators which are controlled by each release knob (Filter Release and Amplitude Release). When this button is turned off, the release time for both envelopes will be set to zero (instant release).
Aging knob: the Aging knob adds a lot of “vintage mojo” such as oscillator drift, filter cutoff variation, individual envelope variation, voice mod amount variation. It reflects some of the peculiarities that can take place within a vintage hardware unit, albeit in the extreme at full range.
Output Volume knob: The output volume knob determines the overall output mix level.
By clicking on the right-side panel (indicated by an arrow), the expander panel with additional “pro- tweaking options” becomes accessible. They are:
Quantize Cutoff button: This button determines whether the filter cutoff frequency knob will be quantized to chromatic steps (like on the original hardware) or not. You can tell the difference by engaging this button and fine tune the cutoff on a self-oscillating filter by using the cmd- click(mac)/ctrl+click(win) functionality all Softube plugins employs for fine-tuning. The difference will also be apparent when using automation of the cutoff-parameter. Note however that the difference when using an external MIDI CC linked to the cutoff parameter will not be discernible due to the low resolution (7 bit) of the MIDI CC messages themselves.
Invert Voice Mod button: This button inverts the Voice Mod section making it possible to use envelope for negative pitch, PW and filter modulation. This also inverts the Voice modulation output of the Oscillator 2. Note that this feature can decrease the filter cutoff so much that, no sound seem to be heard when playing!
Velocity Amp knob: This parameter controls the midi velocity to Amp (output volume). Increased value of this parameter will increase the dynamics of the played performance of Model 80. At maximum a velocity value of zero will appear silent.
Velocity Cutoff knob: This parameter controls the midi velocity to filter cutoff. When this parameter is increased, the dynamics of the played keyboard will add to the cutoff frequency performance of Model 80.
Aftertouch Amp knob: This parameter controls the midi channel pressure to Amp (output volume). Increased value of this parameter will increase the dynamics from the aftertouch of Model 80. At maximum an aftertouch value of zero will appear silent, while maximum aftertouch will reach the output volume set by the Volume knob.
Aftertouch Cutoff knob: This parameter controls the midi channel pressure's influence on the filter cutoff. When this parameter is increased aftertouch will add to the cutoff frequency performance of Model 80.
Voice Pan Spread knob: This parameter is a one knob pan spread functionality for all five voices of Model 80. At minimum value, all five voices are output equally left and right in the stereo image, essentially recreating the hardware original's mono output. However, when this parameter is tweaked to its' maximum value voices 1 and 5 will pan gradually to the extreme left and right, while voices 2 a 4 will still have some tilt left and right but not as much. Voice nr 3 will always stay in the middle (mono) of the stereo image regardless of the knob position.
Pitch Bend Range knob: This parameter set the amount of pitch-bend applied to overall tune when using your midi-controller pitch-bend wheel (which is by default linked to Model 80's on- screen pitch-bend wheel). This knob ranges from minimum ±2 semi-tones to a maximum of ±12 semi-tones.
Voice Architecture diagram: In this interactive Voice architecture diagram, you can clearly see which voice is currently active (gated). Very useful for understanding voice allocation in both normal polyphonic and in the monophonic Unison mode.
Here we have decided to go with a hybrid of the original hardware behavior and that of a modern synthesizer- the UI has the release switch on/off of the original hardware but the sustain pedal will behave like it holds the notes in a more “modern way” that most newer synthesizers do.
When creating sounds with Model 80 it is crucial to understand the fundamentally separate signal- flows of the audio and modulating signals in the sound architecture. By understanding the signal- flow, it is easier to discover new possibilities in this – seemingly - simple synthesizer. I want to share a few tips and tricks for your enjoyment:
- Use pan spread in combination with unison to create some fat stereo lead sounds. Note that the number of voices chosen in the Unison section and which voices are active play well together; for example Unison two voice mode with extreme pan spread will play voice 1 and 5.
- Use unison in combination with aging to make “Tom Sawyer” lead-alike effects.
- Use Voice mod ENV assigned to PW for "release tuning" – meaning that the filter envelope sustain is set to make the pulse-width of Osc 1 thin enough to disappear while the key is depressed. When the key is released the Osc 1 pulse-width is then reduced to “audible” again and the oscillator “appears” in the Mix again.
- Use Voice mod for pseudo sequencing: Using Osc 2 in low frequency mode makes it possible for you to use it as “one LFO per voice” modulating Osc 1. Use the Osc 2 pulsewave output for modulating filter or PW (chopping effect), or why not for pitch (octave bass effect)?
- Use Voice mod for crunchy filters and "FM sounds" – The Voice Mod section is ideal for creating audio rate frequency modulation between the oscillators and/or filter within each voice. When using the filter on the verge of self-oscillation suble amounts of Osc 2 routed to the filter cutoff will can create delightful belltones which tracks through filter keyboard tracking.
- Use WheelMod to Osc 2 PW to Voice Mod for alive sounds: This method uses modulation in two steps. First, the LFO/Noise mix is used through the WheelMod to modulate Osc 2 which in turn modulates Osc 1 trough the Voice Mod.
When you purchase Model 80 Five Voice Synthesizer, you're also purchasing the possibility to use all the different components of Model 80 in our modular platform Softube Modular! There are five different modules for you to use in Softube Modular: ENV (Envelope), LFO, Multi pan, VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter) and VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator). Here's a brief description of them:
Model 80 for Modular selector texts
Model 80 ENV
Model 80 ENV is the envelope part of the Model 80 Five Voice Synthesizer plugin. This is an analogue envelope that can be used for just about everything.
Model 80 LFO
Model 80 LFO is the Low Frequency Oscillator part out of the Global Modulation of Model 80. It outputs all its modulation waveforms simultaneously at all times, as well as a additive mix that can be selected through the panel buttons.
Model 80 MULTIPAN
Model 80 MULTIPAN is the one knob Voice panning mixer from Model 80. Pan spread shifts inputs 1,2,4,5 in the stereo output while input 3 is static, always in the middle (mono). The overall output volume can be set with the Volume knob and/or external CV control.
Model 80 VCF
Model 80 VCF is the filter part from Model 80 Five Voice Synthesizer. This classic 4 pole low-pass filter has a nice flexible performance and self-oscillates if desired. The keyboard CV input tracks 1 v/octave when the keyboard button on the panel is activated, while the CV jack is attenuated via the CV (Envelope Amount) knob.
Model 80 VCO
Model 80 VCO is the voltage controlled oscillator part from Model 80 Five Voice Synthesizer. It features separate outputs for the sawtooth wave form (for sync use on a second VCO), DC coupled mixed outputs for modulation as well as AC coupled mixed outputs for audio use. The 1v/oct jack is connected to VCO through the keyboard button on the panel. When in non keyboard mode the VCO frequency knob will have a different rang.
Kristofer Ulfves – Project lead, sound design, presets, user manual
Thomas Andersson – Tech lead, DSP models
Arvid Rosén – DSP mentoring
Patrik Holmström – UI programming
Nis Wegmann – GUI design
Niklas Odelholm – GUI design, sysex conversion scripting
Tord Jansson – Programming and GUI engine customization
Markus Krona – Deep testing, qualification
Henrik Johansson – Testing, presets
Stefan Aronsson – Testing, presets