Session 5

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 05: Hard Sync -- The Classic Sound

25 min|intermediate|patch

Session 05: Hard Sync -- The Classic Sound

Objective: Understand and use hard sync to create harmonically complex, aggressive timbres -- the signature sound of Dave Smith's synthesizers since the Prophet-5.

If you only have 5 minutes

Load the basic patch, set Osc 3+4 Level to 0, Osc 2 Level to 0, turn Sync 2->1 ON. Hold a note and slowly raise Osc 1 Frequency from C0 to C4. You will hear the timbre morph while the pitch stays locked.

Warm-Up (3 min)

Load your PWM Strings patch from Session 04. Play a sustained note and listen to the swirling pulse width modulation. That was LFO-driven timbral movement. Today you will explore a different kind of timbral transformation using hard sync. Load the basic patch when ready.

Setup

From the basic patch:

Set Osc 3 Level to 0 and Osc 4 Level to 0
Set Osc 2 Level to 0 (we want to hear only Osc 1, but Osc 2 will control it)
Set Osc 1 Shape to Saw
Verify both oscillators are at Frequency C0

Exercises

Exercise 1: What Sync Does (5 min)

Turn Sync 2->1 to ON (the SYNC switch lights up) -- "whenever oscillator 2 resets, it will also reset oscillator 1" (DSI Manual p.15)
Play a note -- you should hear it sound the same as before, because both oscillators are at the same frequency so sync has no effect
Now slowly raise Osc 2 Frequency from C0 up through C1, C2, C3 -- you should hear the pitch change because Osc 2 now controls Osc 1's pitch
Set Osc 2 back to C0. Now raise Osc 1 Frequency instead, from C0 up to C4 -- you should hear the pitch stay the same but the timbre change dramatically
Try different Osc 1 Shape settings while Osc 1 is at C2: switch between Saw, Tri, and P-50 -- you should hear each shape produce a different sync character. "Oscillator 2's shape or timbre is irrelevant. All that matters is the frequency" (Anu Kirk p.20)

The rules of hard sync (Anu Kirk p.18-20):

Osc 2 controls the pitch (it forces Osc 1 to restart)
Osc 1's frequency controls the timbre (harmonic content shifts)
Osc 2's waveshape does not matter -- only its frequency
Osc 1's waveshape does matter

See Anu Kirk p.17-20 ("Hard Sync", Exercises 1-2)

Exercise 2: The Timbre Sweep (5 min)

Set Osc 2 to C0, Osc 1 to C0. Sync ON. Osc 1 Shape = Saw.

Hold a note and slowly turn Osc 1 Frequency upward from C0 to C4 -- you should hear the pitch stay constant while the timbre morphs through bright, metallic, and vocal-like textures
Return Osc 1 to C0. Set Osc 1 Shape to Tri and sweep up again -- you should hear the triangle wave get rough and buzzy in spots (Anu Kirk p.20)
Try P-50 and sweep again -- different character again

This is the core sync effect: timbral morphing at constant pitch. "As you pass C1 and go higher, the timbre begins to change fairly dramatically" (Anu Kirk p.20).

Exercise 3: Classic Prophet Sync Lead (10 min)

This is the sound that made the Prophet-5 famous. Enter these values exactly:

Sync 2->1 = ON
Osc 2, 3, 4 Level = 0 (only hear Osc 1)
Osc 1 Shape = P-50
Osc 1 Frequency = C2 (higher than Osc 2 -- this is what creates the timbral complexity)
Osc 2 Frequency = C0 (Osc 2 sets the pitch)

Now set up ENV 3 to sweep Osc 1's frequency: 6. Set Attack to 15 (short attack gives a nice bite -- Anu Kirk p.21) 7. Set Decay to 87 (longer decay emphasizes the effect) 8. Set Sustain to 0 9. Set Release to 0 10. Set Amount to 67 11. Set Destination to O1F (Osc 1 Frequency)

Play a note. You should hear an aggressive, biting lead tone with a pronounced attack sweep.

Quick test: Turn Sync OFF. Play a note -- you should hear just a pitch sweep (boring). Turn Sync back ON. The same envelope sweep now produces a timbral sweep instead. That is the magic of hard sync.

Dial it in by trying these variations:

Attack = 0 -- you should hear maximum bite on the attack
Decay = 50 -- you should hear a quicker, punchier response
Amount = 90 -- you should hear a more extreme timbral sweep
Osc 1 Shape = Saw -- you should hear a different, fuller character

When you find a version you like, save it.

See Anu Kirk p.20-21 ("Exercise 3: A Classic Prophet-5/Dave Smith sound")

Exercise 4: Add Velocity Expression (2 min)

Make the lead respond to your playing dynamics:

Set ENV 3 Velocity to 60

Now play harder -- you should hear more dramatic sync sweeps on hard key presses. Play softly -- you should hear mellower, less swept tones. This makes the sync lead feel alive under your fingers.

Exploration (optional, hyperfocus days)

Add delay: Delay 1 Time = 125, Delay 1 Level = 60 -- hear the lead in a spatial context
Try mod wheel control: Mod Wheel Dest = O1F, Mod Wheel Amount = 40 -- sweep the timbre in real time while playing
Set Osc Slop to 3 for vintage analog character

Output Checklist

Can explain what hard sync does in one sentence
Classic sync lead patch saved
Understand the relationship: Osc 2 = pitch, Osc 1 frequency = timbre
Session logged in Obsidian daily note

Key Takeaways

Hard sync forces Osc 1 to restart every time Osc 2's waveform resets, creating complex harmonics at a locked pitch
The interesting sounds come when Osc 1's frequency is higher than Osc 2's -- Osc 1's waveshape matters, Osc 2's does not
Using an envelope to sweep the synced oscillator's frequency produces the classic aggressive lead tone that defined the Prophet-5

Next Session Preview

Next time you will explore detuning, oscillator slop, and stereo layering -- techniques for making sounds fat, wide, and organic without effects or complex modulation.