SYNC
Quickstart Guides
These guides can be used one at a time to learn about the module by exploring it in action. It might be helpful to keep the full documentation open as a reference if you want details about anything.
Click the button at the bottom of the screen to reference the faceplate layout.
Let's assume that you still have the factory presets loaded. (Oh no I don't!)
You are encouraged to try these out in Rack, perhaps by downloading the example patch and ripping out the cables then repatching it yourself.
General Tips
Quite a few pointers are relevant no matter how you have the module patched. You can skim this section and come back to it for details once you have a patch going.
A X B
A X B with the pretty gold patch below it is your main output.
With nothing patched into the A and B inputs, use the A normal and B scale controls to set the amplitude window of the module's internal contour generator at the A X B output. This allows for expressive control of a modulation destination.
You can also pass signals through A and B, using the contour generator to shape their amplitude.
SYNC
The SYNC input runs the show. If you want to generate audio, patch in an audio-rate square wave; for modulation, use a LFO or tempo clock.
Set the base frequency of SYNC's contour generator with the master clock source, then use the RATIO controls to surf through multiplied and divided frequencies.
GROUP, SCALE, WAVE
The GROUP parameter is the heart of the programming interface. It filters the wide range of options for the SCALE and WAVE parameters according to specific use cases. It is the most transformative of the parameters.
Once you pick a clock and have a general idea of how you want to use the module in your patch, you can choose the most relevant GROUP and safely cycle through the available SCALE and WAVE options without feeling like the module totally changes under your fingers.
Other parameters
The perceived effect of the other parameters might change from patch to patch, but they are all independent of each other and open to experimentation without breaking your patch.
Adjust the response rate to clock changes with the SYNC input. Each option has characteristic, potentially musical artifacts.
Tap MOD to change the destination of the MOD input between RATIO Y, phase, and skew modulation.
If you have signals patched through the A or B inputs, try tapping S+H to engage or disengage the sample and hold processing.
The parameter, which you can access by holding SHIFT (GROUP) and tapping SYNC, adjusts the phase alignment between the clock and the waveform generated by SYNC. It steps in quarter-cycle increments.
Hold SHIFT (GROUP) and tap S+H to cycle the
output
between a square wave and a digital signal that toggles with changes in direction of the contour generator.
Likewise, hold SHIFT (GROUP) and tap MOD to cycle the
output between a triangle and a direct output from the internal contour generator.
Finally, you can access an AUX set of waveforms that are useful for both audio and modulation from any GROUP. Hold SHIFT (GROUP) and tap WAVE to switch between the group-specific waveforms and the global set.
1. Patch it up:
Patch a simple, clean waveform (square/pulse works best) from an audio oscillator into the SYNC input, and connect the A X B output to the next stage in your audio signal path. It helps make sense of things to mix the output of SYNC with another output from the master oscillator.
2. Set the GROUP parameter:
Hold the pushbutton and tap the SH sensor to jump to the harmonic oscillator preset, or tap GROUP until the top-left white LED (LED 1) is illuminated and the triangle is red (it's in harmonic series mode).
3. Try out the controls and inputs:
First, adjust the pitch of your master oscillator, and notice that SYNC tracks the changes.
Turn RATIO X clockwise (or increase the voltage at the RTO X input) to raise the pitch and turn RATIO Y to decrease the pitch. Use (or
CV) to morph the waveform.
Try patching a sub-audible modulation signal into the MOD input to start.
You can mult the clock to the RESYNC input to add some chaotic frequency modulation.
4. Patch some stuff through A and B:
A good candidate is another output from the main oscillator, maybe a smoother waveform like a triangle or sine. You will notice that the effect evokes waveshaping due to the frequency and phase locking.
You could also use a modulation signal to apply dynamics to the output. Try patching an envelope into both A and B and turning the B scale counterclockwise.
5. Explore the alternate outputs:
provides an auxiliary waveform output, which can be used as another sound source or for self-patched modulation.
is a digital output with a grittier tone.
Connect to the gate or trigger input of another modulation source in your system to create an event every time SYNC jumps to a new frequency ratio.
6. Experiment with the parameters the other parameters:
Tap the SCALE sensor to change the available harmonics and subharmonics.
Tap the WAVE sensor to change the timbres available under the control.
If you are using a sub-audible MOD input, mode 2 (phase modulation) will be pretty subtle. To explore a different side of that input, try patching the triangle or sine from the master oscillator into MOD.
You might try passing the master oscillator through the A or B inputs, in which case the S+H modes are worth exploring.
If your master oscillator is tracking a v/oct sequence, you will really notice it when you cycle through SYNC modes, as it will alter the glide artifact on note changes.
1. Patch it up:
Patch a simple, clean waveform (square/pulse works best) from an audio oscillator into the SYNC input, and connect the A X B output to the next stage in your audio signal path. The master oscillator sets the root note of the arpeggio, so it might help to set up your patch so you can hear its pitch.
2. Set the GROUP parameter:
Hold the pushbutton and tap the SCALE sensor to jump to a more traditionally tonal arpeggiator, or tap GROUP until the top-right white LED (LED 2) is illuminated and the triangle is green (it's in arpeggiator mode).
3. Try out the controls and inputs:
Turn RATIO X (or increase the voltage at the RTO X input) to scan through the pitches in the arpeggio. Adjust RATIO Y to change the pitches in the arpeggio (reminiscent of a chord change). Use (or
CV) to morph the timbre of the arpeggiated tones.
Try patching a sub-audible modulation signal into the MOD input to start.
You can mult the clock to the RESYNC input to add some chaotic frequency modulation.
Notice that changing the frequency of the clock results in "modal" pitch changes, where the tonality of the arpeggio chord is transposed. Try stepping the pitch in open intervals like octave, fifths, and fourths, or use closer intervals to evoke the sound of pitch-shifting a chord in a sampler.
4. Patch some stuff through A and B:
You can use a modulation signal to apply dynamics to the output. Try patching an envelope into both A and B and turning the B scale counterclockwise.
Patch the master oscillator through the B input to apply ring modulation to the tone, and use the A normal and B scale controls to set the balance of the modulator and carrier.
5. Explore the alternate outputs:
provides an auxiliary waveform output, which can be used as another sound source or for self-patched modulation.
is a digital output with a grittier tone.
Connect to the gate or trigger input of another modulation source in your system to create an event every time the arpeggio jumps to a new note. For example, if you use it to trigger an envelope generator, you can use the envelope and a VCA to shape each new pitch into a musical note with a dynamic contour.
6. Experiment with the parameters the other parameters:
Tap the SCALE sensor to change the available arpeggios.
Tap the WAVE sensor to change the timbres available under the control.
Tap MOD until the top-left LED (LED 1) is illuminated to shift the tonality of the arpeggio with a slow CV. Tap until the bottom-right LED (LED 3) is illuminated to activate skew modulation, subtly shifting the timbre with a CV. If you are using an audio rate modulator (like a sine from the master oscillator), skew can also give good results, or try phase modulation by tapping until the top-right LED (LED 2) is illuminated.
If you have audio patched through the A or B inputs, try exploring the S+H modes.
Tap SYNC to change the pitch artifact when SYNC jumps to a new pitch.
If you use one of the first three SCALE modes you might end up with something like this.
If you use SCALE mode 4 (bottom-left LED), you will get a freakier Bohlen-Pierce tonality, something like this.
1. Patch it up:
This patch configuration is similar to the one covered in guide 2, so you will notice some overlap.
Patch a simple, clean waveform (square/pulse works best) from an audio oscillator into the SYNC input, and connect the A X B output to the next stage in your audio signal path. The master oscillator sets the root note of the quantized scale, so it might help to set up your patch so you can hear its pitch.
You will probably want to patch a v/oct sequence into RTO X.
2. Set the GROUP parameter:
Hold the pushbutton and tap the SYNC sensor to the v/oct quantizer preset, or tap GROUP until the bottom-right white LED (LED 3) is illuminated and the triangle is teal (it's in v/oct mode).
3. Try out the controls and inputs:
RATIO X behaves like the coarse tune on a traditional oscillator, but pitch changes will be stepped. Use RATIO Y to adjust the scale quantization. Adjust the timbre of the sound source with (or
CV).
Try patching a sub-audible modulation signal into the MOD input to start, but audio-rate modulation can lead to nice results as well.
You can mult the clock to the RESYNC input to add some chaotic frequency modulation.
Notice that changing the frequency of the clock results in "modal" pitch changes, where the root of the quantized scale is transposed. Try stepping the pitch in open intervals like octave, fifths, and fourths, or leave the clock frequency fixed.
4. Patch some stuff through A and B:
You can use a modulation signal to apply dynamics to the output. Try patching an envelope into both A and B and turning the B scale counterclockwise.
Patch the master oscillator (or another oscillator) through the B input to apply ring modulation to the tone, and use the A normal and B scale controls to set the balance of the modulator and carrier.
5. Explore the alternate outputs:
provides an auxiliary waveform output, which can be used as another sound source or for self-patched modulation.
is a digital output with a grittier tone.
Connect to the gate or trigger input of another modulation source in your system to create an event every time the arpeggio jumps to a new note. For example, if you use it to trigger an envelope generator, you can use the envelope and a VCA to shape each new pitch into a musical note with a dynamic contour.
6. Experiment with the parameters the other parameters:
Tap the SCALE sensor to change the available quantizations.
Tap the WAVE sensor to change the timbres available under the control.
Tap MOD until the top-left LED (LED 1) is illuminated to shift the tonality of the arpeggio with a slow CV. Tap until the bottom-right LED (LED 3) is illuminated to activate skew modulation, subtly shifting the timbre with a CV. If you are using an audio rate modulator (like a sine from the master oscillator), skew can also give good results, or try phase modulation by tapping until the top-right LED (LED 2) is illuminated.
If you have audio patched through the A or B inputs, try exploring the S+H modes.
Tap SYNC to change the pitch artifact when SYNC jumps to a new pitch.
1. Patch it up:
This time, patch a clock (quarter or half notes work especially well) or a slower LFO into the SYNC input, and connect the A X B output to a modulation destination.
It will be easier to hear the tempo sync if your patch uses this clock elsewhere. Maybe try using it (or a multiplied version) to step a sequencer or trigger a percussive sound.
2. Set the GROUP parameter:
Hold the pushbutton and tap the SYNC sensor to the v/oct quantizer preset, or tap GROUP until the bottom-left white LED (LED 4) is illuminated and the triangle is purple (its in rhythm mode).
3. Try out the controls and inputs:
RATIO X (or the RTO X input) behaves like a clock multiplier; a clockwise turn increases the speed of the LFO. RATIO Y behaves like a divider, slowing down the LFO with a clockwise turn. Morph the waveform of the LFO with (or
CV).
RESYNC is particularly useful. If you connect a divided version of your clock or a gate from the first step of your sequence, you can force a polyrhythmic LFO to repeat every measure.
Try patching a very slow modulation source to the MOD input, something slower than your clock. If you feel like experimenting, or some of the MOD modes, connecting an audio-rate modulator will inject it into the output in an unusual fashion.
Notice how the LFO follows and re-syncs to a shifting clock speed.
4. Patch some stuff through A and B:
Note that before patching anything in, the A normal and B scale controls determine the range of modulation.
If you are using an LFO for the clock, try patching one of the other waveforms through A or B to combine it with SYNC's contour generator at the output. If you have a sequencer running, try using one of its outputs to sequence the modulation range.
Now, notice what happens when you patch an audio rate signal (like a sine) into the A or B input. Provided it is not being sampled and held (the LED adjacent to the jack is not lighting up), you will hear a tremolo effect. This could be the basis for an alternate patch, where SYNC is part of your audio signal path.
5. Explore the alternate outputs:
provides an auxiliary waveform output, which can come in handy if you are patching signals through A and B but also want a clean LFO signal.
is particularly useful; it creates a clock source with voltage controlled clock division and multiplication.
If you are modulating the ratio, provides a gate every time the LFO rate changes, which can be patched into a slow envelope to add additional musical inflection to your patch as the modulation signal changes.
6. Experiment with the parameters the other parameters:
Tap the SCALE sensor to change the available rhythms.
Tap the WAVE sensor to change the modulation waveforms available under the control.
Tap MOD until the top-left LED (LED 1) is illuminated to slow down the LFO with a rising CV. Tap until the bottom-right LED (LED 3) is illuminated to activate skew modulation, giving you control over the symmetry of the waveform. Tap until the top-right LED (LED 2) is illuminated to apply phase modulation, shifting the alignment of the LFO against the clock.
If you have signals patched through the A or B inputs, try exploring the S+H modes.
For tighter alignment to the clock, try using SYNC modes 3 or 4.