Chapter 9—Supplemental Information
2 ENSONIQ MR-Rack Musician’s Manual
Diffusion
A reverb parameter used to smear a reverb’s transients in order to smooth the reverb’s sound.
Low diffusion values will cause transients to appear as a series of discrete echoes, while higher
values tend to increase the blurring effect for a smoother sound.
Drum Kit Sound
A special type of Sound in which each of the 64 keys from B1 to D4 points to and plays its own
standard MR-Rack Sound. Each key in a Drum Kit Sound—called a “DrumKey”—has its own
Part parameters.
DrumKey
Any of the keys from B1 to D4 when a Drum Kit Sound is selected. Each DrumKey plays a
standard MR-Rack Sound and has its own Part parameters.
Dry
The Effect description for a Sound not routed to any of the MR’s Effects.
Early Reflections
(ER)
Early reflections are delayed signals that aurally suggest the size of ambient spaces. In the real
world, sound bounces off surfaces it encounters—walls, ceiling and floor. Quick early reflections
suggest small spaces, with these surfaces close by. Longer early reflections imply to the ear that
the surfaces are farther away, and that the ambient space is therefore larger.
Effect
Signal processing typically applied to Sounds as a final touch. Many Effects simulate ambiences
of a realistic or fantastic nature. Effects include reverbs, delays, choruses, flangers, phasers,
distortion and so on. Every MR-Rack Performance offers an Effects set-up comprised of a Global
Chorus, a Global Reverb and an Insert Effect of your choosing.
Envelopes
Devices which allow the shaping of Sounds and Effects.
Equalization (EQ)
The process of altering the frequency content of a sound. Everything we hear is comprised of a
number of sound waves occurring at the same time, at different pitches, or “frequencies.”
Equalization allows you to change the volume balance of the frequencies within a sound.
Feedback
A signal routing in which the output of an Effect is mixed back into the input. Feedback of a
delay line is also called regeneration.
Filter
A device that attenuates selected frequencies within a Sound or Effect. For example, a high-pass
filter passes all signals higher than a selected frequency, attenuating all those frequencies below
it. A low-pass filter passes all signals below a selected frequency, attenuating all those
frequencies above it.
Flanger
A processor that simulates the effect of two synchronized tape machines playing back the same
signal, with the speed of one machine being slowed slightly by the gentle pressing on the outer
shell—or “flange”—of one of its tape reels. This small amount of delay causes a phasing
cancellation that filters out elements of the Sound being processed. Changing the delay time
causes the “flange” effect. In the MR-Rack, flanging is achieved using interpolated digital delay
lines.
Frequency
The number of times per second that a sound wave repeats its excursion from maximum
compression of air pressure to minimum compression and back to its starting point—each
excursion is called a cycle. The number of cycles per second is expressed in Hertz (Hz) and
kiloHertz (kHz). Lower frequencies produce lower pitches and higher frequencies produce higher
pitches. Sounds are comprised of a number of sound waves of varying frequencies occurring at
roughly the same time. “Frequency” may be used as shorthand for one of those sound waves, or
“frequencies” for a group of them.
Gate (Noise Gate)
A device that attenuates a source signal falling below a pre-determined volume threshold. A
useful tool in eliminating noise and controlling signals that use an effect. Ambiences such as
reverb may be gated to produce an extreme and artificial-sounding decay.
Global
The MR-Rack uses this word in two senses: 1. System-wide settings which affect all Sounds,
Parts, Performances and Effects in the MR-Rack. 2. the Chorus and Reverb Effects which are
available in any Performance, referred to as “Global Chorus” and “Global Reverb.”
Hysteresis
The property of a system whose behavior is determined by the level, direction, and history of a
controlling signal. Used in the MR-Rack to provide greater control over gating, triggering, and
compression.
Layer
The MR-Rack uses this word in two senses: 1. a set of digital sound recordings—or
samples—that span the entire MIDI pitch range, and their associated parameters. Up to 16 of
these can be combined to create an MR-Rack Sound. 2. to pile Sounds “on top of each other” by
assigning multiple Parts to the same MIDI channel or the Stak channel, causing the Sounds to
play simultaneously in response to the MIDI notes received on their common MIDI channel.
LED
LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are small solid-state lamps found embedded in a number of the
MR-Rack’s buttons. Under normal conditions, they have a virtually unlimited lifetime.
LFO
An oscillator which generates sound waves at a frequency below the audio spectrum. These low-
frequency waves can modulate audible sound waves to produce vibrato, tremolo, and other
effects. LFOs can also be employed to produce rhythmic changes in various Effects.
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