Microfreak/UG/05 Connections/02 Matrix and Encoder

• 05.2 The Matrix and its encoder

  • The Matrix links control signals from sources to destinations.
  • A classic synthesizer sends an oscillator through a filter and then an amplifier. The Matrix lets you override those fixed connections and route triggers, gates, LFO waves, and envelopes to the Digital Oscillator and Filter.
  • The Matrix is the main switchboard for creating, changing, and mixing modulation connections. It has a switchboard and an encoder for selecting connections and setting their modulation amount.
  • The Matrix and its encoder
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  • Turn the encoder to choose a source–destination point, then press it to create or edit the connection. It scrolls forward or backward and wraps at the end of the Matrix.
  • The Matrix shows each connection's state:
    • LED off: no connection is active, or its amount is zero.
    • LED on: a connection is active.
    • LED blinking: the connection is selected and its modulation amount is being edited.
  • The display shows the selected connection and its current modulation amount. Press the encoder to edit the amount; the display inverts and only that connection's LED stays lit. Changes take effect immediately.
  • Multiple sources can control the same destination. For example, Key/Arp and the LFO can both affect oscillator pitch, and their modulation amounts are added together. With a rectangular LFO wave, this can transpose a sequence up and down at the LFO rate.
  • Setting a connection's amount to zero turns it off. To clear a Matrix point and reset its amount, hold the encoder for at least 0.5 seconds.
  • To create and edit a connection:
    • Turn the encoder to select a point and press it.
    • Turn the encoder to set a positive or negative modulation amount.
  • To disable a connection and reset its amount:
    • Select the connection with the encoder.
    • Hold the encoder for at least 0.5 seconds, or set its amount to zero.
  • Microfreak/UG/05 Connections/02 Matrix and Encoder/01 Sources and Destinations

    • 05.2.1 Sources and Destinations

      • The Matrix has 35 patch points: five sources on the left and seven destinations across the top.
      • Its sources are:
        • CycEnv: output of the Cycling Envelope Generator.
        • ENV: output of the Envelope Generator.
        • LFO: output of the Low-Frequency Oscillator.
        • PRESSURE: pressure or velocity output, depending on the Utility setting.
        • KEY / ARP: combined output of the keyboard, arpeggiator, and sequencer.
      • The first four destinations are Pitch, Wave, Timbre, and Cutoff.
        • Pitch, Wave, and Timbre modify the Digital Oscillator's sound.
        • Cutoff changes the Filter's cutoff frequency. The Digital Oscillator passes through the Analog Filter, which can remove or emphasize frequencies. See Microfreak/UG/07 Filter.
  • Microfreak/UG/05 Connections/02 Matrix and Encoder/02 Assigning Destinations

    • 05.2.2 Assigning destinations

      • Assign1, Assign2, and Assign3 are user-defined destinations. They can turn nearly any MicroFreak knob into a modulation destination.
      • Master Volume and the Preset Encoder cannot be assigned. Shift-plus-knob parameters, control buttons, and icon buttons such as Spice and Dice cannot be assigned either.
      • To assign a destination to one source:
        • Select its Assign point in the Matrix and press the encoder to enter edit mode.
        • Hold the corresponding Assign button and turn the knob to use as a destination. The display confirms the parameter.
        • Turn the encoder to set the modulation amount, then press it to leave edit mode.
      • To assign one destination to every source in a column, hold an Assign button and move the desired knob. Then set the amount for each source in that column.
      • Possible modulation destinations include:
        • Glide: Glide amount.
        • Oscillator Type: oscillator model.
        • Sample: sample slot index.
        • Oscillator Wave, Timbre, and Shape: the corresponding parameter of the selected oscillator.
        • Filter Cutoff and Resonance: cutoff frequency and filter bandwidth.
        • Envelope Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Filter Amount: the Standard Envelope stages and its amount sent to the amplifier.
        • LFO Rate: LFO speed.
        • Arp&Seq Rate: arpeggiator and sequencer rate.
        • Cycling Envelope Rise, Fall, and Hold: the Cycling Envelope's stages.
        • Cycling Envelope Amount: amount sent from CycEnv to the Matrix.
        • Matrix Modulation Amount: modulation amount of a Matrix point.
      • Starting with MicroFreak firmware 5.0.0, Sample can be assigned by opening the Sample select menu, pressing one of the three Assign buttons, and turning the Type knob.
      • Sample assigned as a Matrix destination
        • 
      • A Matrix connection's modulation amount can itself be modulated. To vary vibrato depth with the Cycling Envelope:
        • Route the LFO to oscillator Pitch.
        • Select CycEnv→Assign1 in the Matrix and hold Assign1.
        • Select the LFO→Pitch point and press the encoder to make it the modulation-amount destination.
        • Return to CycEnv→Assign1 and set its amount. The Cycling Envelope now changes the vibrato depth.
      • In Paraphonic mode, all voices are assigned simultaneously as a destination.
      • To clear all Matrix routings, hold Shift and press the Matrix encoder.
      • The Matrix routes sources to destinations and mixes multiple sources at one destination. The encoder sets modulation strength in either a positive or negative direction.