[A6] Mod 2 routing question. Please HELP!

[Don P]

David you just gave me the key. The thing I was looking for and it was
right there in front of me and I didn't see it.

My statement.

> I previously said that LFO 2 with "On Vox" turned on modulates
> PW-SQ-OSC2
> I now discover that LFO 3 with "On Vox" turned on modulates PW-SQ-OSC1
>

Your response!
 
 "It likely has to do with how the MODs are set up.  I just checked out
The Default Pgm" and, sure enough, the PWM MOD dest on OSC 1 has
LFO 3 going into it while the PWM MOD on OSC 2 uses LFO 2."


I didn't understand that "PW modulation" was using LFO as a source and
PW as the destination. I thought PW was a "source" and the "square wave"
was the destination, dah! In other words I thought PW was a type of
modulation like LFO is a type of modulation. I missed the point, now it
is pretty clear. There is PW on my Juno but you just turn the knob, it
is all hard wired and I never really took time to understand it. After
your sentence above I re-read the manual and it is pretty clear now.

I neglected to look at the screen that comes up when you press the PW
button showing the routes. I already had PW turned on so I looked at the
screen that comes up when turning the PW knob. That screen doesn't show
source and destination, it just shows the change in width, level and the
other waves. I also looked at the screen for MOD 2 & 3.  

It is a bit confusing at times - there are so many variables to
consider. That is why I am returning to the Andromeda after a break and
trying to limit my studies to one Oscillator first; next introducing
filters; then other effects. Even though I have a lot of time with a
Roland Juno 106, this is so much more of a challenge.

Thanks for solving this mystery for me. I need to study a little more
about square waves and pulse width as well as other concepts.


Don


-----Original Message-----
From: David Evans [mailto:dfevans at bbcr.uwaterloo.ca] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 9:26 PM
To: Don P
Cc: 'David Evans'; a6 at code404.com
Subject: Re: [A6] Mod 2 routing question. Please HELP!

On Wed, Aug 20, 2003 at 08:33:17PM -0500, Don P wrote:
> 
> I think I understand the On Vox thing, are you saying that when On Vox
> is selected the LFO will run when the note is played regardless of
> trigger on/off settings?

  Right.  The trigger stuff is only meaningful when the LFO is set to
"ON TRIG".

> But if the mod
> is always on when ON Vox is selected, why have an on off switch when
the
> Mod button is selected on each LFO?
> 

  The MOD doesn't have anything to do with the trigger but rather with
modulating one of the destinations listed on the LFO's MOD page.

> 1. I understand that PW is a modulation type, and when turned on it is
> modulating the square wave?

  It's modulating the pulse width of the square wave, yes.

> Are you saying that the LFO's can modulate a
> Modulator (PW) but can't modulate the actual wave itself?

  I'm not sure what you mean by the "actual wave itself."  The PWM
button provides a modulation destination for the pulse width and
nothing else.  The other three MOD buttons on each oscillator provide
modulation destinations things like frequency, square/pulse wave
*amplitude*, and even PWM.  In other words, if you want to do PWM
there are two places you can do it: using the PWM button and using
one of the general-purpose OSC MOD buttons.  Clearly you should
normally use the PWM button, since then you have all of the OSC MOD
routes free to use for other things.

> I previously said that LFO 2 with "On Vox" turned on modulates
> PW-SQ-OSC2
> I now discover that LFO 3 with "On Vox" turned on modulates PW-SQ-OSC1
> 

  It likely has to do with how the MODs are set up.  I just chedk out
"The Default Pgm" and, sure enough, the PWM MOD dest on OSC 1 has
LFO 3 going into it while the PWM MOD on OSC 2 uses LFO 2.

> LFO 2 has no effect on PW-Osc1 and LFO 3 has no effect on PW-Osc2.
> LFO 1 with the same settings has no effect on either Osc 1 or 2.
> 

  "The Default Pgm" uses LFO 1 for vibrato (MOD 1 on each oscillator).
The
depth of this MOD is controlled by a CROUTE from the mod wheel, so that
you
only get vibrato when the mod wheel is up.

> I have looked everywhere to find where these routes are located. Do
you
> have any idea why the LFO can mod one Oscillator and not the other, or
> why LFO has no effect on either? Do you think they are hard wired?
> 

  No, they aren't hard wired, that's just how the patch is set up.  You
can
change the source of any MOD to whatever you want, so you can set it up
in many different ways.  "The Default Pgm" has a lot going on in it, and
it can be a little confusing.

> Thanks for sticking with me on this. This is where I was a few months
> ago and got frustrated and took a break for a while. I am right at the
> edge of discovery, and would hate to pack it in again when I am so
close
> to understanding this monster of a synth.
> 

  The A6 is a rather brutal synth on which to learn, so your frustration
is rather understandable.  But once you get it you should be completely
set,
even when you get a modular.

-- 
David Evans          (NeXTMail/MIME OK)
dfevans at bbcr.uwaterloo.ca
Ph.D. Candidate, Computer/Synth Junkie
http://bbcr.uwaterloo.ca/~dfevans/
University of Waterloo         "Default is the value selected by the
composer
Ontario, Canada           overridden by your command." - Roland TR-707
Manual