Mod & Audio Sources for Solaris

[John Bowen]

Here’s a list of the different sources one can use in the Solaris for modulation and/or routing to mixers, filters, rotors, etc..

This was sent out to just the pre-order customers earlier, but it has been suggested several times that perhaps curious visitors to the Solaris Forum might like to see these as well:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uIz ... y=CPzZ5OQL

For now, it’s a Google Doc. I think eventually we will provide a Solaris wiki where we can provide updated info, as well as user input as things progress.

john b.

[ScofieldKid]

Just started to look at this...

First question: I notice there are 83 items in #1, and 83 in #2. Aren't those two lists the same, just sorted differently? The thing I would verify first is if Oscillators and modulate the Frequency of Oscillators... even for example, a Rotor modulating a Rotor...

[John Bowen]

Just started to look at this...

First question: I notice there are 83 items in #1, and 83 in #2. Aren't those two lists the same, just sorted differently? ...

Yes, as I state right there on the page, "These lists contain basically the same sources; it's only the order in which they appear that's different." The idea behind this was to put in the beginning of each list those things that are most likely to be used in the situation...in other words, Mixers are going to use the Audio Sources more than the modulators, so this list starts with the Oscillators, etc., whereas the Mod Source list assumes you are looking for the more standard sources, such as LFOs, Envelopes, etc.., but in either case, you can use anything on the list, of course.

[John Bowen]

Just started to look at this... The thing I would verify first is if Oscillators [can] modulate the Frequency of Oscillators... even for example, a Rotor modulating a Rotor...

Yes, of course, this is one of the nice things about the Solaris - anything in the list can modulate the selected destinations. (The destination modules are also listed on that page, and specified for each Source List....described as the modules that use the Audio Source list or Mod Source list as inputs.)

To give more detail about this:

For each Destination Module, the user selects from one of several choices as to the destination of the selected Mod Source. For example, each Oscillator has 4 mod paths coming in, and each path can have a destination of None, Pitch (which is exponential frequency control), LinFM (linear frequency control), or Shape.

I like to describe it like this: think of a Modular system....and your Oscillator module has 4 input jacks for modulation. Above each jack is a 4-way switch - None, Pitch, LinFM, and Shape.

For the Filters, think of a Filter module with 4 input jacks for modulation, with a 3-way switch above each jack - None, Cutoff, and Resonance.
For two of the filter models, there is an additional destination choice - the Comb filter adds Damping, and the Vocal Formant filter adds Crossfade.

For the LFOs, each has 3 input jacks for modulation, each with a 3-way switch - None, Rate, or Level.

Some modules don't offer a choice, since there's really only one possibility. For example, the Mixers have a jack for the signal input, and a jack for the modulation of the level for each input.

Also, for all of these, to make the Modular comparison more accurate, you would have an bi-polar Amount knob above (or below) each of the Mod Inputs for these imaginary Modular modules...and on top of that, you need to imagine a small 'side chain' control section for each of the Mod Source inputs. So, as a physical Modular module, you would have quite a number of jacks and knobs for each mod path.

[ScofieldKid]

Got it. Looks outstanding. Thanks for the explanation.

I went back and read one of the old manuals. It looks like a short-hand way of saying all this is: generally speaking, you can mod almost everything by everything, except for a number of Control parameters. So while control parameters can still all be used everywhere as modulators, controls themselves are usually modulated only by controls.