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GLOSSARY
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BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS
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Attenuator: on the Odyssey, a slider that lets sjgnal through
. when it's up and cuts it off
Oscillator (VCO}: generates tone. when it's down.
Filter (VCF}: changes tone color. Audio range: the range of pitches
Amplifier (VCA}: controls volume. that your ear can hear.
Envelope Generator (ADSR and Harmonics: overtones. The more
AR): controls attack and decay. harmonics are present, the
ONIC more brilliance the sound will have.
Frequency
Timbre:
: tone color.
Amplitude: pitch. volume
Envelope: attack and decay shape.
Hertz(Hz): an electronic term meaning "cycles per second."
The human ear can hear pitches from 20 tG 20,000 cycles per second, or 20Hertz to 20 kiloHertz. (20Hz - 20KHz) .
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ADSR and AR:· attack, decay, sustain release.
Highpass filter (HPF): changes timbre by cut.ting off low harmonics and passing high ones.
Internal clock: adjustable low frequency oscillator. Y:={)
aFand rele&:
Lowpass filter (VCF} : changes timbre by cutting off high harmonics and passing low. ones.
Mixer: combines signals.
Noise: a random signal that sounds like a "hiss."
Odyssey: the ultimate musical trip.
Phase: the relationship of one waveform to another. sine waves
---~ s i ne waves out of phase.
---·
Sub-audio range (Low frequency): pitches that are below what your ear can hear as a tone.
Trigger: an electronic impulse put out by a keyboard or low frequency oscillator that starts the envelope generator.
Phase-synchronization: using one oscillator to control the phase of another oscillator of different pitch.
Pitch bend: control of the frequency of a note while it's being played.
Portamento: a glissando, or sliding between notes.
Resonance:"wow" control. In electronic terms, a control that amplifies a narrow band of · overtones.
Sample & hold: produces a series of steps, which can control pitch, volume, or brilliance.
Triggers itself automatically.
Voltage control: on a synthesizer, it means substituting an electrical signal for manual control of pitch, brilliance, volume, and attack & decay.
Waveform: tone. Different shapes of waveforms have different timbre :
Square:
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sounds hollow, reedy.
Pulse:
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sounds thin, nasal.
Sawtooth:
~ sounds rich, full, brassy
Sine:
~ sounds smooth, round, pure.
Ring modulator: produces a single complex output signal which contains all the sums and differences of the two inputs.
Learn to take yourself on the ultimate musical trip!
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Electronic Music Synthesizer
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