Electro-Harmonix SUPEREGO SYNTH ENGINE - User Manual

SUPEREGO
SYNTH ENGINE
Congratulations on your purchase of the Electro-Harmonix SUPEREGO Synth
Engine; a new and unique product that combines elements of sampling, synthesis
and infinite sustain. The Superego allows the musician to freeze sound, gliss between
frozen sounds, layer sounds and place an external effects loop on only the effect. In
addition, the Superego can detect new notes or chords and sustain them
automatically without requiring the musician to step on the footswitch.
WARNING: Your Superego comes equipped with an Electro-Harmonix 9.6DC-200BI
power supply (same as used by Boss
®
& Ibanez
®
: 9.6 Volts DC 200mA). The
Superego requires 140mA at 9VDC with a center negative plug. The Superego does
not take batteries. Using the wrong adapter may damage your unit and void the
warranty.
-MODES-
The Superego has three modes: LATCH, MOMENTARY and AUTO. A toggle switch
located in the center of the Superego chooses between the three options. Momentary
mode is not labeled in the artwork; it is the center (or eye) position of the 3-position
toggle switch.
Momentary Mode: When the toggle switch is set to the center position, the
Superego effect is momentary, meaning the effect is only active when the footswitch
is pressed down. Upon releasing the footswitch, the Superego goes into bypass
mode. In order to properly freeze a sound, the sound must be occurring at the
moment you press down on the footswitch. Once you freeze a sound, it will sustain
for as long as you hold down the footswitch. The LED, located between the two
switches, will light while the effect is active. When you release the footswitch the LED
shuts off after the effect has fully decayed.
In Momentary mode, the SPEED/LAYER knob acts as a speed control for the attack
and decay time of the effect. As you turn this knob clockwise, the speed of the
effect’s fade-in and fade-out slow down.
LATCH Mode: When the toggle switch is set to the left position, the Superego is in
LATCH mode. In this mode, press the footswitch once to activate the effect and light
the LED. After you release the footswitch the effect remains active and the sound
sustains indefinitely. In order to bypass the effect in Latch mode you must double-tap
the footswitch, the LED will shut off to indicate bypass. To properly freeze a sound in
LATCH mode, the sound must be occurring at the moment you press down on the
footswitch. Each time you press down once on the footswitch, a new sound is frozen.
LATCH mode also allows you to layer your notes or sounds. Each time you press
down on the footswitch to sustain a new note, the Superego will layer it on top of the
notes that were previously sustained. The SPEED/LAYER knob sets the amount of
attenuation for the old layers. If you turn this knob down to the CCW position, no
layering will occur. As you turn the SPEED/LAYER knob up, less attenuation and more
layering will occur. If you turn the knob up all the way to the maximum CW position,
each layer will remain at full volume.
AUTO Mode: Set the toggle switch to its right most position to select AUTO mode.
In the other two modes: Momentary and Latch, the Superego requires you to press
the footswitch each time you want to sustain a new note, chord or sound. In AUTO
mode the Superego detects each new note or chord that you play and sustains it
automatically. If a note is not loud enough, it will not trigger a new sustain.
When in AUTO mode, press the footswitch once to put the Superego into effect
mode, the LED will light to indicate the Superego is activated. To switch back to
bypass while in AUTO mode, you must double-tap the footswitch, after doing so the
LED shuts off. If you press and hold the footswitch while the effect is activated and in
AUTO mode, the Superego stops accepting new notes and sustains the frozen sound
indefinitely. This allows the musician to play over frozen sounds while in AUTO mode.
As long you are not holding down the footswitch, the sustained notes automatically
fade out at a speed determined by the SPEED/LAYER knob. As you turn the knob
clockwise the fade out time increases. When the knob is set to its maximum CW
position, the sustained notes do not fade out.
-CONTROLS-
SPEED/LAYER Knob: In Momentary mode, this control adjusts the speed of the
attack and decay of the frozen sound. Fully CCW produces the quickest attack and
decay, having a nearly instantaneous fade in and fade out. Fully CW yields the
longest attack and decay time for a more gradual fade in and fade out. For any given
knob setting the decay time is always longer than the attack time.
In Latch mode, this knob is a layer control. The layer control adjusts the volume of
the previously latch-sampled sound. Turn this knob fully CCW and only the newly
latched samples will be heard. Set to fully CW, previously latched samples will not
decrease in volume and newly latched samples will be added to the existing sound.
In Auto mode, this knob will adjust the decay of the auto triggered samples. Fully
CCW yields a very short decay time and will result in an effect that is staccato and
reverberant in nature. As you turn this knob clockwise, the decay time increases. At
fully CW, the sampled sound plays until a new sample is triggered or until the effect
is disengaged.
GLISS Knob: This control adjusts the speed of the gliss effect. Gliss morphs one
frozen note or chord into the next; it is similar to the portamento function found on
many synthesizers. As you turn the GLISS knob clockwise, the gliss effect slows
down. To turn gliss off completely, turn the GLISS knob down all the way to its full
CCW position. PERFORMANCE NOTE: The easiest way to hear the GLISS effect is
to put the Superego into AUTO mode, completely turn down the DRY knob and put
the GLISS and SPEED knobs at 12 o’clock or higher.

Summary

Electro-Harmonix Superego Synth Engine

Introduction and Safety Warning

Overview of the Superego and important safety warning for power supply.

Superego Operating Modes

Details on Momentary, Latch, and Auto modes for the Superego.

Superego Controls Overview

Explanation of key controls like knobs, footswitch, and toggle switch.

Superego Connections and Power

Input and Output Jacks

Instructions for connecting guitars and amplifiers to the Superego.

Effects Loop and Wet Out

How to use the SEND and RETURN jacks for effects loops.

Power Supply Requirements

Details on the 9V DC power jack, current, and voltage limits.

Warranty and Compliance Information

Electro-Harmonix Warranty Information

Details on product warranty, registration, and service return process.

FCC Compliance Statement

Information regarding FCC rules and potential radio interference.

Overview

1. Momentary Mode
2. Latch Mode
3. Auto Mode
4. Controls and Connectivity
5. Power and Maintenance

The Electro-Harmonix SUPEREGO Synth Engine is a unique and versatile pedal that combines elements of sampling, synthesis, and infinite sustain, allowing musicians to create a wide range of sonic textures. It enables users to freeze sounds, gliss between frozen sounds, layer sounds, and apply external effects specifically to the sustained sound. A key feature of the Superego is its ability to automatically detect and sustain new notes or chords without requiring the musician to engage a footswitch, offering a hands-free approach to sustain effects.

The Superego operates in three distinct modes: LATCH, MOMENTARY, and AUTO, selected via a toggle switch.

Momentary Mode

In Momentary mode, the effect is active only when the footswitch is pressed down. Releasing the footswitch bypasses the effect. To freeze a sound, it must be occurring at the moment the footswitch is pressed. Once frozen, the sound sustains for as long as the footswitch is held. An LED indicates when the effect is active, turning off once the effect has fully decayed after release. In this mode, the SPEED/LAYER knob controls the attack and decay time of the effect. Turning the knob clockwise slows down the fade-in and fade-out speed. The quickest attack and decay, with a nearly instantaneous fade, is achieved when the knob is fully counter-clockwise (CCW). Conversely, fully clockwise (CW) yields the longest attack and decay times, creating a more gradual fade. The decay time is always longer than the attack time for any given knob setting.

Latch Mode

When in Latch mode, a single press of the footswitch activates the effect and lights the LED, sustaining the sound indefinitely even after the footswitch is released. To bypass the effect, a double-tap of the footswitch is required, and the LED will turn off. Each single press of the footswitch freezes a new sound. Latch mode also supports layering: each time a new note is sustained, it layers on top of previously sustained notes. The SPEED/LAYER knob functions as a layer control, adjusting the attenuation of older layers. Turning the knob fully CCW prevents layering, allowing only the newly latched samples to be heard. As the knob is turned clockwise, less attenuation occurs, increasing the volume of older layers. At its maximum CW position, all layers remain at full volume.

Auto Mode

In Auto mode, the Superego automatically detects and sustains new notes or chords played by the musician, provided they are loud enough to trigger a sustain. To activate the effect in Auto mode, press the footswitch once; the LED will light. To return to bypass, double-tap the footswitch. If the footswitch is pressed and held while the effect is active in Auto mode, the Superego stops accepting new notes and indefinitely sustains the currently frozen sound. This allows the musician to play over the sustained sound. When the footswitch is not held, sustained notes automatically fade out at a speed determined by the SPEED/LAYER knob. Turning this knob clockwise increases the fade-out time. At its maximum CW position, sustained notes do not fade out. In Auto mode, the SPEED/LAYER knob adjusts the decay of auto-triggered samples. Fully CCW results in a very short decay time, creating a staccato and reverberant effect. As the knob is turned clockwise, the decay time increases. At fully CW, the sampled sound plays until a new sample is triggered or the effect is disengaged.

Controls and Connectivity

The DRY knob adjusts the volume of the unaltered instrument signal. Fully CCW mutes the dry signal, while turning it clockwise increases its volume, reaching unity gain around the "2 o'clock" position. The EFFECT knob controls the volume of the wet effect signal. Fully CCW yields no wet effect signal, and turning it clockwise increases the effect's volume.

The GLISS knob adjusts the speed of the gliss effect, which morphs one frozen note or chord into the next, similar to a portamento function. Turning the GLISS knob clockwise slows down the gliss effect. To completely disable gliss, turn the knob fully CCW. For optimal gliss effect, it is recommended to use Auto mode, turn the DRY knob completely down, and set the GLISS and SPEED knobs at 12 o'clock or higher.

The Superego features standard input and output jacks. The INPUT jack has an impedance of 2.2Mohms, and the OUTPUT jack has an impedance of approximately 200 ohms. Additionally, SEND and RETURN jacks form an effects loop, allowing external effects to process only the wet signal. The SEND jack is an output with impedance < 5k ohms, and the RETURN jack is an input with impedance = 2.2M. To use this loop, connect the SEND jack to the input of the first effect in the loop and the output of the last effect in the loop to the RETURN jack. The SEND jack is muted when the Superego is in Bypass. The SEND jack can also function as a "wet out" by connecting it to another amplifier or effects chain while leaving the RETURN jack disconnected.

Power and Maintenance

The Superego requires a 9.6VDC-200BI power supply (center negative, 200mA), such as those used by Boss® & Ibanez®. It draws 140mA at 9VDC. The device does not operate on batteries. Using an incorrect adapter can damage the unit and void the warranty. The maximum allowable power supply voltage is 10.5 VDC.

For maintenance, Electro-Harmonix provides a one-year warranty covering defects in materials or workmanship for original purchasers from authorized retailers. Repaired or replaced units are warranted for the unexpired portion of the original warranty term. For service, users should include a brief problem description, contact information, a copy of the receipt, and a check or money order.

Electro-Harmonix SUPEREGO SYNTH ENGINE Specifications

General

Type	Synth Engine
Technology	Analog
Current Draw	100 mA
Weight	1.5 lbs
Bypass	True Bypass
Modes	Latch, Momentary, Auto
Inputs	1 x 1/4"
Outputs	1 x 1/4"
Input Impedance	1M ohm
Output Impedance	1k ohm
Power Supply	9V DC adapter (included)