Cascadia Troubleshooting Guide

No Audio Output

• VCA LEVEL knob is above 30% — this is the final amplifier stage; if it's at zero, nothing passes through
• Mixer has at least one source level above 0 — raise the VCO A, SUB, or NOISE slider to feed signal into the chain
• VCF FREQ is not fully closed (above 10%) — a closed filter removes all harmonics and most fundamental
• Audio cable is in the correct output — use rear LINE OUT for speakers or PHONES OUT for headphones
• VCA CV normalled connection is intact — if a cable is patched into the VCA CV input jack, that cable must carry a gate/envelope signal; removing the cable restores the normalled Envelope A connection

No Output from Patch Point

• Cable is fully inserted — a half-inserted cable breaks the normalled connection without making contact with the new source
• Correct jack type — output jacks are filled white, input jacks are dark; patching an output into an output produces no signal
• Source module is generating signal — check that the upstream module is active (e.g., LFO rate is up, envelope is being triggered)
• Attenuator/attenuverter in the signal path is above 0 — check any inline level controls between source and destination
• Normalled connection is intentionally broken — inserting any cable into a normalled input disconnects the internal wiring; if the patch point seems dead, verify your new routing replaces what was normalled

Unexpected Sound Behavior

• VCF MODE is set to the expected type — LP4, LP1, BP, HP, Notch, and Phaser all sound dramatically different on the same patch
• Wave Folder SYMMETRY and SHAPE are at noon for a neutral starting point — off-center settings add harmonics and asymmetry
• VCO FINE TUNE is near center — small drift from noon is normal on analog oscillators, but large offsets detune noticeably
• Multiple modulation sources may be summing at one destination — check what cables and normalled connections feed the same CV input
• Mixer SUB TYPE switch is in the expected position — Sub (sub-oscillator) and Noise produce very different timbral results

Modulation Routing Issues

• Attenuverter knob position determines polarity and depth — noon = zero, clockwise = positive, counter-clockwise = inverted; a knob at noon passes nothing
• LFO RATE is not at minimum — a stopped LFO produces a static voltage, not modulation
• Envelope ATTACK and RELEASE are not at extremes unless intended — very long attack means modulation ramps slowly; very long release means it lingers after the gate ends
• S&H RATE is above 0 if using Sample & Hold — at zero the S&H clock is stopped and the output is frozen
• CV cable is patched to the correct input — FM and CV inputs are different jacks on most modules; patching into an output jack instead of an input produces no effect