Kurzweil PC3K Series - Editing VAST Programs with KVA Oscillators; Basic Use of KVA Oscillators

Program Mode
Editing VAST Programs With KVA Oscillators
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Editing VAST Programs With KVA Oscillators
ThePC3KusesKVAoscillatorsasanotherwaytogeneratesoundsinVASTprograms.Unlike
keymaps,whichplaysamplesstoredinROM,KVAoscillatorscreateDSP‐generatedwaveforms
everytimetheyaretriggered.TheKVAoscillatorscancreatearangeofwaveforms,fromhigh
qualitysimplewaveformsfamiliartousersof
classicanalogsynths,tocomplexwaveforms
whichtakeadvantageofthePC3K’sinternalprocessingpowerandcomplexsignalrouting
capabilities.ThoughthePC3Kdoeshavekeymapscontainingsamplesofbasicsynth
waveforms,theuseofKVAoscillatorsprovidesuserswithbetterportamento,moremodulation
options,highersoundquality,andother
advantageswhichwillbeexplainedinthissection.
LearningtouseKVAoscillatorsinsteadofkeymaps(whereappropriate)issimpleandwill
increasetheversatilityofyourVASTediting capabilities.VASTprogramsusinglayerswithKVA
oscillatorscanalsobecombinedwithotherlayersusingkeymaps.
Basic Use of KVA Oscillators
TounderstandthebasicminimalsetupofaKVAbasedprogram,selecttheprogram1019
VA1NakedPWMPoly,andpresstheEditbutton.IfyouarefamiliarwitheditingVAST
programs,thefirstthingyoumaynoticeisthatontheKEYMAPpage,Keymapissetto999
Silence(Moreonthisin
AdvancedUseOfKVAOscillators on page 6‐55.)Next,lookatthe
AMPENVpage.TheAMPENVmodeissettoUser,whichgivesyoucontrolovertheamplitude
envelope(moreonusingNaturalmodelater.)Finally,lookattheALGpage.Inthecurrent
algorithmthe3blockKVAoscillatorPWM
hasbeenselected,whichgeneratesthesoundforthis
layeroftheprogram.
Minimal Settings for Basic Use of KVA Oscillators:
ThepatchdescribedabovecontainstheminimalsettingsthataKVA layerneedsinorderto
functioninthestyleofaclassicanalogsynth.Theseminimalsettingsare:
1.EditProg:KEYMAPPage:SettheKeymapparameterto999
Silence.
2.EditProg:AMPENVPage:SettheEnvelopemodetoUser,andadjusttheamplitudeenvelope
toyourliking(seeTheAmplitudeEnvelope(AMPENV)Page on page 6‐41.).
3.EditProg:ALGPage:PickanAlgorithmandsetanOscillator(seeSettingKVAOscillatorType
below.)
FurtherbasicVASTsettingsthatyouwilllikelywantto
adjustare:
• MonophonicOn/Off(seeTheCOMMONPage on page 6‐33.)
•LevelVelocityTracking(seeTheDSPControl(DSPCTL)Page on page 6‐28.)
ReadtheSettingKVAOscillatorTypesectionbelowtolearnabouthowseteachtypeofoscillator.
Afterdoingthis,youcanexperimentwithmakingKVAprogramsbyfollowingtheabove
settings,
andthensettingandlisteningtoeachtypeofoscillator.Onceyouunderstandhowto
dothis,readontothe AdvancedUseOfKVAOscillators section on page 6‐55(seebelow)tolearn
howtomakeyourKVApatchesmoreexpressivethroughtheuseofDSPmodulation.
Pitch Settings for KVA Oscillators
Eachoscillator(exceptfornoise
functions)hasitsownpitchparameters,andisunaffectedby
pitchsettingsthatwouldnormallyaffectkeymaps(suchasthoseontheKeymappage.)Ona
programlayer,thecoarsepitchparameterfortheoscillatorinusecanbefoundonboththe 
DSPCTLandDSPMODpages,intheparameters
listbelowthestandardPitchparameterfor