6.1.1.3 Square
The square possesses a more “hollow” sound that the saw tooth (it only contains odd
harmonics) but none the less, its rich sound (notably in low frequencies) can be used for
sub-bass sounds that will come out well in the mix (the square oscillator is often set an
octave below that of the saw tooth), wood sounds (clarinet, if the square signal is a little
filtered), etc.
Time and spectral representations of the pulse (top) and square (bottom) waveforms
The original synthesizer proposed 3 types of square waveforms (square – 50%, wide rectangle – 25% and
narrow rectangle – 10%). This choice allowed compensation for the missing PWM setting. The Mini V offers
these 3 waveforms but includes also the pulse width modulation.
6.1.1.4 Pulse Width Modulation
The PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) is a setting that allows you to modify the duty cycle
of the square waveform. This can be done through a modulation only (with an envelope
or a LFO). This pulse width variation translates to a spectrum modification, resembling a
waveform change.
Unlike classic analog synthesizers, the Mini V lets you change the impulse width not only for the square
waveform but also for the triangle. This brings a large number of additional sound possibilities to compliment
the base signal.
6.1.1.5 Synchronization
The synchronization of an oscillator with another creates more complex waveforms. If
for example, you synchronize oscillator2 with oscillator1, oscillator2 will restart a new
period every time the first oscillator completes a period, even if oscillator2 has not
completed a complete period (this signifies that it is not tuned to the same tonality!) The
more you tune oscillator2 upwards, the more you will encounter composite waveforms.
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