Session 1

Quick Reference

The Basic Patch

The "home base" for all learning sessions. Adapted from Anu Kirk's Definitive Guide to Evolver (p.7-8). This is a minimal, neutral patch that lets you isolate and hear the effect of any single parameter change.

Save this to Program 128 in Bank 1 (and a backup copy elsewhere).

Why This Matters

Without a known starting state, you can't isolate what you're learning. When you turn a knob and hear a change, you need to know that change came from that knob and not some other parameter interaction. The basic patch is your lab bench.

Source: Anu Kirk Guide p.7 -- "The Basic Patch"

Complete Parameter Dump

Every parameter on the Evolver front panel, organized by section. Values sourced from Anu Kirk's basic patch table (p.7-8) and verified against the DSI Manual parameter definitions (p.14-26).

Global Parameters

Parameter	Value	Notes
Main Volume	75	Overall output level
Pot Mode	Relative	Recommended for learning -- changes are relative to stored values

Source: Anu Kirk Guide p.7, DSI Manual p.13

Oscillator 1 (Analog, Left Channel)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	C0	Base pitch, lowest practical range. C3 = middle C
Fine	0	No detuning (range: -50 to +50 cents)
Shape	Saw	Sawtooth wave -- rich harmonics, good for hearing filter changes
Level	50	Half volume (range: 0-100)
Glide	0	No portamento (range: 0-100, or Finger 02-100, or Keybd Off)

Oscillator 2 (Analog, Right Channel)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	C0	Same as Osc 1
Fine	0	No detuning
Shape	Saw	Sawtooth wave
Level	50	Half volume
Glide	0	No portamento

Analog Oscillator Shared Parameters

Parameter	Value	Notes
Sync 2->1	OFF	No hard sync (Osc 2 does not reset Osc 1)
Osc Slop	0	No random frequency drift (range: 0-5)

Oscillator 3 (Digital, Left Channel)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	C0	Base pitch
Fine	0	No detuning
Shape	1	Sine wave (first waveshape in Prophet-VS set)
Level	50	Half volume
Glide	0	No portamento
FM 4->3	0	No frequency modulation from Osc 4 (range: 0-100)
Ring Mod 4->3	0	No ring modulation from Osc 4 (range: 0-100)
Shape Seq	OFF	No waveshape sequencing

Oscillator 4 (Digital, Right Channel)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	C0	Base pitch
Fine	0	No detuning
Shape	1	Sine wave
Level	50	Half volume
Glide	0	No portamento
FM 3->4	0	No frequency modulation from Osc 3 (range: 0-100)
Ring Mod 3->4	0	No ring modulation from Osc 3 (range: 0-100)
Shape Seq	OFF	No waveshape sequencing

Noise

Parameter	Value	Notes
Volume	0	No noise mixed in (range: 0-100, feeds both channels equally)

Lowpass Filter (Analog, L+R in tandem)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	164	Wide open -- maximum cutoff, all harmonics pass through (range: 0-164)
Resonance	0	No resonance (range: 0-100, self-oscillates in 4-pole at high values)
2/4 Pole	2P	2-pole mode (-12dB/oct). 4-pole is -24dB/oct and can self-oscillate
Env Amount	0	No filter envelope modulation (range: -99 to +99)
Velocity	0	No velocity sensitivity on filter envelope
Key Amount	0	No keyboard tracking on filter cutoff (72 = 1 semitone/note)
Audio Mod	0	No audio-rate modulation from analog osc (range: 0-100)
Split	0	L/R filters locked together (range: 0-100, raises L / lowers R)

Filter Envelope (ENV 1)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Attack	0	Instant attack (range: 0-110)
Decay	0	No decay (range: 0-110)
Sustain	100	Full sustain -- filter stays open while key held (range: 0-100)
Release	0	Instant release (range: 0-110)

VCA (Amplifier)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Level	0	No base level -- sound only when envelope is active (range: 0-100)
Env Amount	100	Full envelope control of amplitude (range: 0-100)
Velocity	0	No velocity sensitivity on VCA envelope
Output Pan	St1	Full stereo (L fully left, R fully right). Options: St1, St2, St3, Mono, rSt1, rSt2, rSt3
Volume	100	Voice volume at maximum (range: 0-100)

VCA Envelope (ENV 2)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Attack	0	Instant attack (range: 0-110)
Decay	0	No decay (range: 0-110)
Sustain	100	Full sustain -- sound holds at full level while key pressed (range: 0-100)
Release	0	Instant release (range: 0-110)

Highpass Filter (Digital)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	0	No high-pass filtering (range: 0-99)

Tuned Feedback

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	0	C0, lowest feedback pitch (range: 0-48, steps in semitones C0-C4)
Level	0	No feedback (range: 0-100, oscillates at high levels)
Grunge	OFF	No nasty feedback character

Distortion

Parameter	Value	Notes
Amount	0	No distortion (range: 0-99). Note: noise gate activates at any non-zero value

Output Hack

Parameter	Value	Notes
Amount	0	No bit-crushing (range: 0-14)

Delay (All 3 Taps)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Time 1	0	No delay on tap 1 (range: 0-150, or sync values)
Level 1	0	Tap 1 silent
Time 2	0	No delay on tap 2
Level 2	0	Tap 2 silent
Time 3	0	No delay on tap 3
Level 3	0	Tap 3 silent
Feedback 1	0	No delay self-feedback (range: 0-100)
Feedback 2	0	No delay-to-filter feedback (range: 0-100)

Envelope 3 (Mod Envelope)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Destination	OFF	No modulation target
Amount	0	No modulation amount (range: -99 to +99)
Velocity	0	No velocity sensitivity
Delay	0	No pre-attack delay (range: 0-100)
Attack	0	Instant attack (range: 0-110)
Decay	0	No decay (range: 0-110)
Sustain	0	Zero sustain (range: 0-100)
Release	0	Instant release (range: 0-110)

LFO 1 (Low Frequency Oscillator)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	0	Slowest rate (range: 0-150, or sync values)
Shape	Tri	Triangle wave (options: Tri, RevSaw, Saw, Square, Random)
Amount	0	No modulation (range: 0-100)
Destination	OFF	No modulation target
Key Sync	OFF	LFO free-runs (does not restart on key press)

LFO 2

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	0	Slowest rate
Shape	Tri	Triangle wave
Amount	0	No modulation
Destination	OFF	No modulation target
Key Sync	OFF	Free-running

LFO 3

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	0	Slowest rate
Shape	Tri	Triangle wave
Amount	0	No modulation
Destination	OFF	No modulation target
Key Sync	OFF	Free-running

LFO 4

Parameter	Value	Notes
Frequency	0	Slowest rate
Shape	Tri	Triangle wave
Amount	0	No modulation
Destination	OFF	No modulation target
Key Sync	OFF	Free-running

Modulation Slot 1

Parameter	Value	Notes
Source	OFF	No modulation source
Amount	0	No modulation amount (range: -99 to +99)
Destination	OFF	No modulation target

Modulation Slot 2

Parameter	Value	Notes
Source	OFF	No modulation source
Amount	0	No modulation amount
Destination	OFF	No modulation target

Modulation Slot 3

Parameter	Value	Notes
Source	OFF	No modulation source
Amount	0	No modulation amount
Destination	OFF	No modulation target

Modulation Slot 4

Parameter	Value	Notes
Source	OFF	No modulation source
Amount	0	No modulation amount
Destination	OFF	No modulation target

MIDI Controllers

Parameter	Value	Notes
Velocity Destination	OFF	No velocity routing
Velocity Amount	0	No velocity modulation
Mod Wheel Amount	0	No mod wheel modulation
Mod Wheel Destination	OFF	No mod wheel target
Pressure Amount	0	No aftertouch modulation
Pressure Destination	OFF	No aftertouch target
Breath Amount	0	No breath control modulation
Breath Destination	OFF	No breath target
Foot Controller Amount	0	No foot pedal modulation
Foot Controller Destination	OFF	No foot pedal target

Sequencer (All 4 Tracks)

Parameter	Value	Notes
Seq 1 Destination	OFF	No sequencer modulation target
Seq 2 Destination	OFF	No sequencer modulation target
Seq 3 Destination	OFF	No sequencer modulation target
Seq 4 Destination	OFF	No sequencer modulation target
All Step Values (1-16)	0	All 64 steps (4 tracks x 16 steps) set to 0

External Input

Parameter	Value	Notes
Volume	0	No external audio (range: 0-100)
Mode	St	Stereo mode (options: Stereo, Mono Left, Mono Right, L Control + R Audio)
Input Hack	0	No input bit-crushing (range: 0-14)
Input Peak Amount	0	No peak hold modulation
Input Peak Destination	OFF	No peak hold target
Env Follow Amount	0	No envelope follower modulation
Env Follow Destination	OFF	No envelope follower target

Miscellaneous Parameters

Parameter	Value	Notes
Env Shape	Exp	Exponential envelopes (more natural than Linear)
Key Off/Transpose	-24	Keyboard transposed down 2 octaves for best range
Pitch Wheel Range	0	No pitch bend
BPM	120	Default tempo
Clock Divide	8n	Eighth note division
Trigger Select	Seq or Key	Envelopes triggered by sequencer or keyboard
Key Mode	Poly Low Note	Low note priority (Poly for poly chain compatibility)

Source: Anu Kirk Guide p.7-8, DSI Manual p.14-26

What It Sounds Like

A plain, bright, sustained tone. Both analog oscillators playing sawtooth waves in stereo with the filter wide open and no modulation. Boring on purpose -- it's a canvas, not a painting.

Quick Test

After programming, play middle C. You should hear a bright, buzzy, sustained sawtooth tone in stereo. If you hear anything else -- modulation, filtering, echo, distortion -- something is still set wrong.

Parameter Count Summary

Section	Parameters
Global	2
Oscillators 1-4	26
Analog Shared (Sync, Slop)	2
Noise	1
Lowpass Filter	8
Filter Envelope (ENV 1)	4
VCA	5
VCA Envelope (ENV 2)	4
Highpass Filter	1
Tuned Feedback	3
Distortion	1
Output Hack	1
Delay (3 taps)	8
Envelope 3	8
LFOs 1-4	20
Mod Slots 1-4	12
MIDI Controllers	10
Sequencer	68 (4 destinations + 64 steps)
External Input	7
Misc Parameters	7
Total	~198

Session 01: Navigation & The Basic Patch

20 min|beginner|patch

Objective: Learn to navigate the Evolver's interface and program the basic patch from scratch so you have a reliable starting point for every future session.

If you only have 5 minutes

Skip to Exercise 2, step 1. Enter the oscillator values from the basic patch table. Save the patch to Bank 1, Program 128. You now have a home base.

Warm-Up (2 min)

Play any note on the keyboard. Turn any knob. Watch the LCD display change. That is the whole interface -- knobs change values, the display shows what you changed. Press the PROGRAM switch to go back to program selection.

Setup

Turn on your Evolver. Make sure audio outputs are connected to your monitors or headphones. You should hear the currently loaded factory program when you play a key.

Exercises

Exercise 1: Navigate Programs and Banks (5 min)

Press the PROGRAM switch so the LCD shows the program number and name
Turn the PARAM 1 knob to scroll through programs -- you should hear different sounds as you move through them
Turn the PARAM 2 knob to change banks (1-4) -- Bank 3 programs are sequencer-based (hit Start/Stop to hear them), Bank 4 programs 1-19 are drones (always playing)
Press +/YES and -/NO to step through programs one at a time -- useful for careful browsing
Find Bank 1, Program 128 -- this is the factory init patch, a good starting point. Play a few notes to hear what it sounds like

See Anu Kirk p.5 ("Before We Start"), DSI Manual p.1-2 ("Quick Start"), p.9 ("Basic Operation")

Exercise 2: Program the Basic Patch (10 min)

Navigate to an empty program slot (Bank 1, Program 128 is a good choice). We will now enter the basic patch values from Anu Kirk p.7-8. This is your "lab bench" -- a neutral, known state where you can isolate the effect of any single parameter change.

Enter these values by selecting each oscillator/section and turning the corresponding knob:

Oscillators (press OSC 1-4 switches to select each):

Set Osc 1 Frequency to C0, Fine to 0, Shape to Saw, Level to 50, Glide to 0
Set Osc 2 to identical values: Frequency C0, Fine 0, Shape Saw, Level 50, Glide 0
Set Osc 3 Frequency to C0, Fine to 0, Shape to 1 (sine wave), Level to 50, Glide to 0, FM 4->3 to 0, Ring Mod 4->3 to 0
Set Osc 4 to identical values as Osc 3, with FM 3->4 to 0, Ring Mod 3->4 to 0
Set Sync 2->1 to OFF, Osc Slop to 0
Set Noise Volume to 0

Filter: 7. Set LPF Frequency to 164 (wide open), Resonance to 0, 2/4 Pole to 2P 8. Set Env Amount to 0, Velocity to 0, Key Amount to 0, Audio Mod to 0, Split to 0 9. Set filter envelope (ENV 1): Attack 0, Decay 0, Sustain 100, Release 0

VCA: 10. Set VCA Level to 0, Env Amount to 100, Velocity to 0 11. Set VCA envelope (ENV 2): Attack 0, Decay 0, Sustain 100, Release 0 12. Set Output Pan to St1, Volume to 100

Everything else OFF: 13. Set Highpass to 0, Feedback Level to 0, Distortion to 0, Output Hack to 0 14. Set all 3 Delay taps: Time 0, Level 0. Set Feedback 1 to 0, Feedback 2 to 0 15. Set all 4 LFOs: Amount 0, Destination OFF 16. Set all 4 Mod Slots: Source OFF, Amount 0, Destination OFF

Now play middle C. You should hear a bright, buzzy, sustained sawtooth tone in stereo. If you hear modulation, filtering, echo, or distortion, something is still set wrong.

See Anu Kirk p.7-8 ("The Basic Patch"), DSI Manual p.14-26 (all parameter definitions)

Exercise 3: Save Your Patch (3 min)

Press the WRITE switch -- the LCD shows "Write? P:xxx B:x"
Use PARAM 1 to select Program 128, PARAM 2 to select Bank 1
Press +/YES to confirm the save
Now save a backup: press WRITE again, select a different location (e.g., Bank 2 Program 128), press +/YES
Navigate away to any other program, then come back to Bank 1 Program 128 -- your basic patch should be there, sounding exactly the same

See DSI Manual p.9 ("Saving a Program")

Exploration (optional, hyperfocus days)

Try the COMPARE switch while editing a program -- it toggles between your edits and the stored version
Check the Pot Mode setting in Global parameters (press GLOBAL) -- Relative is recommended for learning (DSI Manual p.13). Try switching to Jump mode to feel the difference
Navigate to Global page 1 and check Transpose and Fine Tune settings -- these affect the entire keyboard

Output Checklist

Basic patch programmed and saved to Bank 1, Program 128
Backup copy saved to a second location
Can navigate between programs and banks confidently
Session logged in Obsidian daily note

Key Takeaways

The Evolver interface is simple: select a section (oscillator, filter, etc.), turn knobs to edit, LCD shows values
The basic patch is your "lab bench" -- a neutral starting point where every parameter is at a known, minimal state
Always save patches to two locations so you have a backup

Next Session Preview

Next time you will explore the factory presets -- over 500 sounds organized by type. You will pick 5 favorites that show off what the Evolver can do, giving you sonic landmarks to aim for as you learn.