Behringer NEUTRON Quick Start Guide - Page 16

30 NEUTRON NEUTRON Getting started (EN) Step 3: Getting started OVERVIEW This 'getting started' guide will help you set up the Neutron analog synthesizer and briefly introduce its capabilities. CONNECTION To connect the Neutron to your system, please consult the hook-up guide on page 10. SOFTWARE SETUP The Neutron is a USB Class Compliant MIDI device, and so no driver installation is required. HARDWARE SETUP Make all the connections in your system. Use the rear panel MIDI switches to set the Neutron to a unique MIDI channel in your system. Connect an external MIDI keyboard directly to the Neutron MIDI IN 5 pin DIN type input or MIDI over USB. Apply power to the Neutron using the supplied power adapter only. Ensure your sound system is turned down. Turn on the Neutron rear panel power switch. OSCILLATOR SECTION Each oscillator has a tune control which gives approximately +/-1 octave range in 8/16/32 modes or a range from 0.7 Hz to over 50 kHz when all range LEDs are illuminated. The OSC MIX control is used to blend between the two oscillators to create rich harmonic sounds. Adjust the SHAPE control for each oscillator to select different waveforms. The P.WIDTH affects the first two wave shapes, TONE MOD and SQUARE WAVE. When OSC SYNC is engaged, oscillator 1 tracks the midi note and provides a reference to reset the period of oscillator 2. When the PARAPHONIC switch is engaged, it allows the two oscillators to be independently pitched when more than one MIDI note is played simultaneously. If only one note is played, both oscillators will be driven at the same pitch. The NOISE control injects white noise into the filter which can be used to add another texture to the sound. Noise can be used to create percussive sounds and interesting effects. VCA Bias is used to control the VCA. It allows the user to 'open' the VCA without triggering the envelope (e.g. with a MIDI note), allowing audio to sound continuously. FILTER SECTION The Neutron has 12 dB filter with three modes available: High Pass Filter , Band Pass Filter and Low Pass Filter with Resonance control. The mode button steps through each filter mode. The FREQ control sets the filter cutoff frequency. By default, the LFO is patched through the FILTER DEPTH control. This enables modulation of the filter frequency using the LFO. The VCF has a second output which is accessible from the patch bay (VCF 2). VCF 2 mode is determined by the selected VCF mode. The relationship is: Mode = , VCF2 = Mode = , VCF2 = Mode = , VCF2 = This allows for additional filter modes. For example, a notch filter can be created by summing VCF1 and VCF2 when the filter mode is set to by summing VCF 1 and VCF 2 then patching the summed output into OD IN. KEY TRACK applies keyboard tracking to the VCF. This sets the filter cutoff frequency based on the latest midi note received. The base cutoff frequency is set using the FREQ control with midi notes increasing the cutoff frequency relative to the note being played. Additionally, this allows the filter to be played like an oscillator when the resonance control is turned up. Quick Start Guide 31 LFO SECTION The Neutron LFO has a frequency range of 0.01Hz to 10kHz. This allows low frequency modulation up to audio rate modulation using the LFO. The Shape control sets the type of LFO waveform. When selecting the LFO waveform the control can be set to select between fixed types or to blend between wave shapes. With KEY SYNC engaged, the LFO is re-triggered when a midi note is received. DELAY SECTION The Neutron has an impressive analog bucket brigade delay. Delay times of 24ms to 640ms can be set. Chorus effects can be created by modulating short delay times with an LFO applied to the DELAY TIME input. OVERDRIVE SECTION The overdrive section can be used to add subtle warmth to extreme distortion. Turning the drive control to the right increases the amount of distortion added. The Tone control shapes the sound of the overdrive. As the DRIVE level is increased, the LEVEL control can be utilised to turn down the volume of the synthesizer without affecting the drive or tone of the sound. ENVELOPE SECTION The Neutron contains two ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) envelopes. Both envelopes are triggered when a midi note is received, unless the E.GATE 1/2 inputs are used. ENVELOPE 1 is routed to the VCA CV by default. This allows the signal to pass through the unit when a midi note is being played and closes the VCA when no note is being played. ENVELOPE 2 is routed to the VCF, via the ENV DEPTH control, by default. This can be used to create filter sweeps when a midi note is being played. SAMPLE AND HOLD The sample and hold function generates a random, stepped waveform by taking a sample of the input signal. The sample rate is governed by the RATE control or the SH CLOCK input. The GLIDE control limits the rate of change between samples allowing smooth transitions between sample values. PORTAMENTO and SLEW PORTA TIME is the amount of time taken to transition between two midi notes. This feature can be used to add a pleasing musical slide into your sounds. The SLEW Limiter is used to limit the rate of change of a signal. For example, Slew can be used to add portamento to pitch CV's generated from an external sequencer. ATTENUATORS ATTENUATOR 1 is an additional VCA which can be used to reduce the amplitude of the input signal based on the Att1 CV control or the attenuator 1 front panel control (43). The output of attenuator 2 is routed to the attenuator 1 input by default. The assignable output is routed to the attenuator 1 CV by default. ATTENUATOR 2 - Reduces the amplitude of a signal based on the attenuator 2 control (44). The BIPOLAR LFO output is routed to the attenuator 2 input by default. The attenuator 2 output is also routed to P.WIDTH 1 and P.WIDTH controls by default. EURORACK The Neutron synthesizer can be taken out of its factory chassis and fitted into a standard Eurorack case (not supplied). Please see the details shown in the manual. UPDATING NEUTRON SOFTWARE The Neutron DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade) updater can be downloaded by going to musictri.be. Please follow the steps documented in the release notes accompanying the update.