Exploring

Sound
WITH THE ROLAND GAIA SYNTHESIZER
Foreword
Welcome to the exciting world of sound, in particular, musical allow you to prove much of the science of sound along the way.
sound. In this iBook you are invited to take a lesson based However, although we are focusing on the GAIA, and its software,
approach to discover just what sound is. That may seem strange the principles apply to many other devices. The ideas revolve
at first. We all know what sound is, right? We hear sounds around what is known as Subtractive Synthesis, so if you have
everyday, and we’re very well adapted at recognizing them. We any Subtractive Synthesizer (or software) these lessons will still
find it easy to distinguish the sound of a passing train from that of apply.
a kitten’s purr.
Perhaps now you have many questions. What is a digital
Taking that idea a little further, as musicians we can very easily instrument? What was an analog synthesizer? Why do different
hear the differences between the drums and the guitars. The instruments sound so different?
string section and the brass section. Many of us may also be able
The answers to all these questions will appear in the lessons to
to listen to a full orchestra and recognize the oboe part. The flute.
follow. There is no need to jump ahead just yet. Our plan is to
The trumpet. Perhaps we can even discern the subtle differences
guide you step by step. So settle back and enjoy the ride.
between a violin and a viola, but why? Why are they different?

Certainly the differences of size and shape may provide clues, but
why can we still hear those differences with our eyes closed?
There must be a science behind all this that can explain what we
hear, and that is what we hope to explore in this text.

In this course we take advantage of a fascinating musical

instrument that is also great fun to use. It is the Roland GAIA
synthesizer. It is a modern digital instrument that can faithfully
recreate all the sounds of its analog predecessors from the 1970s
and 1980s.

We will take advantage of its Editing Software. This will not only
add to the fun by using all the power of your computer, it will also

ii
Lesson 1

An Overview

This first lesson is designed to help you get

acquainted with the GAIA and its software. You will
learn some very basic terms and have some fun
along the way.
Section 1
Terminology
Before we begin we will need to become familiar with a few
Figure 1.1 Roland System700 (Circa 1976)
common terms.

The GAIA and the Software

For example, throughout this course we will take advantage of all
the power of both the GAIA synthesizer, and its Synthesizer
Sound Designer software on your computer. You see? Even
saying it that way makes it sound more difficult than it needs to
be. From now on let’s refer to the instrument as simply “the
GAIA”, and the combination of computer and Designer Software
as “the software.”

A Patch
Another term; Patch. In the early days synthesizers looked very
different to what you see in the GAIA before you. They were
rarely an “all-in-one” product. They usually consisted of a
collection of boxes that were connected by cables.
Because this is an iBook you can use standard Apple tap and pinch
These cables were called “patch cables”. You may recall the
gestures to zoom an image. You can also return to the table of
phone operator in an old movie saying; “I’ll patch you through.” contents by “pinching” an entire page.
As a result, it became common practice to refer to the resulting
combination of synthesizer pieces as a “patch.”

4
Now take a look at the GAIA. You can see that it has several very You can immediately see a familiar word; Patch. This is where you
clearly marked sections. can begin to have some fun, and experience some of the sonic
power of the GAIA.
Figure 1.2 Roland GAIA Synthesizer
For the next five minutes we’d like you to try the patches. Start by
selecting the PRESET PATCH button. Now select one of the
NUMBER buttons, and play the keyboard.

At first it appears that there are 8 Preset Patches, but there really
are 64! Can you find the others? That’s right. The Bank button.

You can access the 8 Banks by holding the Bank button and
selecting from the Number buttons. 8 Banks by 8 Patches. Please
experiment.

We only need to concentrate on one section for now. In fact, in Before the five minutes are up, please try the first 8 Preset
later chapters you will realize that the GAIA is even simpler to Patches again.
understand than what it appears to be in this picture.
Is it possible to play chords with all of them?
Let’s begin with the area just above the middle of the keyboard,
Would you say they are all musical sounds?
as shown in Figure 1.3.
Could you give them a name? A description?
Figure 1.3 The Patch Selectors

For further information about Patches in the GAIA please refer to

page 18 of the GAIA Owner’s Manual; Selecting Sounds

5
TONE versus Tone There is a very simple way to describe the character or brightness
Throughout this book we have to rely upon some common terms. of the sound. We can use the words Tone Color.
Unfortunately, in synthesis a few terms can convey a variety of
So, throughout this book we will use the following definitions for
meanings. One of those is the word; tone.
clarity:
You have heard people refer to the “tone” of a person’s voice, the
TONE, one of the three synthesizers in the GAIA.
“tonal character” of an oboe, etc.. However, in synthesis we often
use the word “tone” to describe one small part of a sound. In fact, Tone Color, the character of the sound.
with the GAIA we really have three synthesizers combined into
one, and refer to them as the “three TONES”.

Take a look at Figure 1.4, which displays an area to the left side of
the GAIA. It confirms that the GAIA includes three TONES.

Figure 1.4 The TONE Selectors

How are we to distinguish between these two meanings of the

word?

6
Section 2
The Initial Patch

To Initialize the Patch Try it. It is a very raw sound that can be quite musical, but more
This is a small step, but very important. An Initial Patch on the importantly it is a great starting point that we will use throughout
GAIA is a powerful starting point. It not only creates a very basic this book. That is, we will often ask you to:
sound, it also simplifies our explanation by allowing us to always
Initialize the Patch
start from the same place.
To help you remember this procedure please think of the SHIFT/
To initialize a patch from the software is very easy, but for now
WRITE process as a special form of writing a Patch. Just
we’ll just use the GAIA. On the GAIA it is not quite so obvious,
pressing WRITE will save the Patch to memory, but SHIFT/
but really very simple. Take a look at Figure 1.5, you will see a
WRITE creates a whole new (Initialized) patch.
CANCEL/SHIFT button, and a WRITE button.

Figure 1.5 Shift & Write In the software you can find a dedicated Initialize button that
achieves the same result. Knowing both methods can be useful, and
you may wish to choose your favorite.

In this case we’ll think of the first as just the SHIFT button. So
now if you press and hold the SHIFT button, and then press the
WRITE button, the GAIA will create a very basic sound.

7
Section 3
The Basic Building Blocks Of Sound
Now we’ll explore the GAIA and its software a little more deeply.
Interactive 1.1 Three Basic Building Blocks
First, let us break down all sound to the basics. All musical
sounds have three basic building blocks:

PITCH, TONE COLOR, and VOLUME

[It could be argued that there are more building blocks. Rhythm,
tempo, expression, etc., but keeping it very simple is best for PITCH VOLUME
now]
TONE COLOR
So now, if you look at Interactive 1.1, you can see that the core
of the GAIA is based around our three basic building blocks.

As with all iBooks, many Figures, Interactives and Movies can be

enlarged with a standard tap and “pinch” gestures. Please try these
gestures with this Interactive.

8
Unfortunately, their labels say otherwise, but for now let’s ignore
Figure 1.6 Building Block connection
those labels. Let us just prove the point first, with the following
steps.

Initialize the Patch. (SHIFT/WRITE)

Play any single note on the keyboard.

Turn the first knob in the “Pitch” section, it is even called PITCH.
What happens? Return the knob to its middle position.
This immediately brings to mind the idea of a flow diagram, or
Now try slowly turning the first knob in the “Tone Color” Section. Flow Chart. Flow charts are often used in logical equations,
It is called CUTOFF, but we’ll explain that later. Does the tone computer programming, etc., to depict the way in which certain
change? Does it appear as though something else changes as items or decisions tend to move on to the next section.
well? Make sure you return the knob fully clockwise.
In a standard Synthesizer like the GAIA the building blocks are
Now try the first and only knob in the “Volume” section, it is called connected as in Figure 1.7.
LEVEL. Does the volume change? Does it change in a way that is
clearly different to the CUTOFF knob? Now take another look at Figure 1.7 Flow Chart (Musical)
the GAIA, in particular, the three basic sections we have been
describing. (See Figure 1.6)

If you look very closely you will notice three small arrows at the
bottom right of each section. Do they suggest something to you?

A Synthesizer Signal Path

The building blocks of a synthesizer appear in a particular order.
We’ll call it the Signal Path.

9
Or more correctly as shown in Figure 1.8.

Figure 1.8 Flow Chart (synthesizer)

To summarize these two diagrams; the part of a synthesizer that

makes the pitch, passes its signal on to the part that changes the
Tone Color, which is then passed on to the volume section, and
finally sent to the output. This is a simple point, but very
important.

Having this image firmly in your mind will greatly simplify the
creation of sounds or patches.

10
Section 4
Hardware vs Software
Now let’s take our first look at the software. Once your GAIA is
Figure 1.10 Navigator Screen
connected to your computer, and you have launched the
software you should see one of these two screens.

Figure 1.9 The Main Software Screen

If you do see this second screen, the NAVIGATOR screen, please

make sure the checkbox where it says “Show this at Startup” is
un-checked, and then close the screen. Also, if other screens are
open please close them for now.

For instructions on setting up your GAIA and software please refer to

the Setup Guide that came with your software.

11
Now let’s experiment with the software. Select the first Preset For now, however, we’d like to concentrate on just one GAIA
Patch on the GAIA. After a few moments the software will display TONE. So let’s hide the other two, in the software. To do this,
all the settings for that patch. simply double click in the grey area near the words TONE 3, and
then double click in the grey area near the words TONE 2.
Now move some of the sliders on the GAIA. The sound will
change and the software will display those changes. Simple? Can you get them to display again?

However, now try moving the sliders on the software with your For the purposes of this book we will refer to this process as
mouse or trackpad. Unfortunately the sliders on the GAIA do not Minimizing the Display.
move. They are not motorized. If they were then you or your
school would be considerably more out of pocket! Movie 1.1 Minimizing the display

Let’s try a more direct method of Initializing the Patch. At the top
of the software screen you will find the Initialize button (see Figure
1.11).

Figure 1.11 Software Initialize Key

Press it. Isn’t that amazing!

Earlier we explained that although the GAIA has one set of

controls, they actually apply to three separate synthesizers. We
refer to those synthesizers as TONES.

12
Section 5
Understanding The Initial Patch
To conclude this lesson we’d like to explain the Initial Patch. In positive direction, or a negative one. Perhaps you can guess
simple terms it is merely a way of returning all the knobs and why, but we’ll explain later.
sliders to there starting positions. If that is so, then why do they
So sixteen of the eighteen sliders are set to zero.
all look different?
However, why would those other two sliders be at their
Let’s try it. Create the Initial Patch. Do you remember both
maximum. Actually, if they weren’t there would be no sound. Try
methods? You should see this;
lowering the slider indicated in Figure 1.12, and play a note.
Figure 1.12 The Initial Patch (minimized)
As for the knobs, the same applies. Those with a centre point will
be centered. The others will usually be either maximum or
minimum, as needed.

For now, see if you can copy the positions of all the knobs and
sliders, as they appear in the software, onto the GAIA itself. Does
it sound like the Initial Patch?

The controls that seem to be in a central position, can you feel a

Now look at all the sliders on the software. There are 18, and “notch” there?
most of them are fully down. Five of them are in the middle
position, and two of them are at their maximum. Why? Can you re-create the Initial Patch from memory? Very soon
you’ll know why every control has a definite starting position.
If you look closer you’ll see that all the sliders that are centered
are at their zero positions. This means they can move in either a

13
Lesson 2

Signal Sources -
Waveforms

This second lesson will concentrate on the first of

our basic building blocks. You have learnt from
Lesson One that it is the Pitch section, but now you
will find it is much more powerful. It could be
referred to as the quiet achiever of the three.
Section 1
Pitch or Oscillator
So far we have been referring to the Pitch Section of the
Figure 2.1 Tuning Fork
synthesizer, but look again and you’ll see that section labelled
“OSC”. Why? The answer lies in a basic fundamental of sound.
So let’s explore the logic first.

We have all heard the phrase “sound waves.” We’ve seen

lightning but heard thunder seconds later, and been told that it is
because sound travels slower than light. We’ve even heard that a
jet fighter can “break the sound barrier.” So we really do
understand a lot about the nature of sound.

Imagine a tuning fork, as used in many schools. The teacher

would strike the fork on a desk. In this way we would hear a clear
musical tone, but why? To put it simply, by striking the fork on Another word for these vibrations is oscillation.

the desk the teacher made it vibrate. It would vibrate back and Oscillate: to move back and forth.
forth and push the air towards us, but in a way very much like
throwing a pebble in a pond. So now these waves of air travel towards our ears and make our
eardrums oscillate. This oscillation we perceive as sound. A
The fork’s vibrations would create waves of compressed air, musical tone. Isn’t that amazing?
depending upon which direction the fork moved. When the fork
vibrated towards us the air was compressed. When the fork So how does that apply to a synthesizer like the GAIA? As it
moved away from us the air was less dense. happens the early synthesizers had a very simple circuit that

15
would oscillate. It created an electric signal that could be fed to a Which wave would sound louder? Which would sound more
speaker which would then send sound waves to our ears. It was a aggressive?
very simple device, but it provided us with a tool to create a
Ah! You’re learning. The mere shape of the wave would suggest
whole new range of sounds. It was called an Oscillator, but now
they sound different. In the world of sound that is always the
we come to the exciting part....
case. If a wave sounds different, it most likely looks different, and
We already know that the Oscillator (Pitch section) of our vice versa.
synthesizer controls the pitch of the sound, but it can do so much
“Looks different”? How do we see a sound wave?
more.
Well get prepared to meet your new best friend. The software you
Picture waves on an ocean. They usually have a shape like this:
are using also includes a Wave Viewer. You are about to see

Figure 2.2 Ocean Waves exactly what you are

hearing!
Figure 2.4 Wave Viewer
At the top right of your
software screen you will
see a button that can
select the Wave Viewer.
Now imagine the waves as they come closer to shore... Press it and you will see..

Figure 2.3 The Great Wave Isn’t it beautiful! What does

it do?

16
Well, play any note on the keyboard and watch. Wow!
Movie 2.1 Low C
Play several notes! Connect an mp3 player to the External IN on
the front of the GAIA and play a song. Wow! Can you believe it?
You are SEEING SOUND!!

Back to the keyboard. Initialize the Patch. Remember how? We

hope so, or the entire first lesson was wasted.

In the Oscillator (Pitch) section press the wave button 4 times in

order to select the smooth wave shape as in Figure 2.5.

Figure 2.5 Smooth Wave

Now play the lowest note on the keyboard (Low C), and look at
the Wave Viewer screen. Does it look like Movie 2.1?

How many waves do you see?

17
Now play an octave higher. How many waves now? Try another octave. How many now? Does it look like Movie 2.3?

Movie 2.2 One Octave Higher Movie 2.3 Another Octave Higher

Do you realize you have just seen the foundations of music

theory? Sound theory? The first note had about two and a half
waves displayed. The next octave had a little over five! Twice as
many as the first. The next octave had a little over ten. Four times
as many as the first.

18
Frequency

Let’s re-phrase that. Firstly, as you played higher notes the waves
appeared “more frequently!” Would that suggest that higher notes
“have a higher frequency?” Of course!

Secondly, each octave was an exact multiple of the first. Move up

an octave and you’ve doubled the frequency. Move up two
octaves and you’ve multiplied the frequency by 4. Exciting?

To put that as a simple calculation, each time you move one

octave higher you double the frequency of the waveform!

By the way, we measure frequency in cycles per second. That is,

if a tuning fork vibrates 440 times in each second we say it is
vibrating at 440 cycles per second. We also use a specific name
for this; the Hertz, named after a German physicist, Heinrich
Hertz. 440 cycles per second equals 440 Hertz (or 440Hz for
short).

You have now seen, and can clearly understand, why we speak of
musical notes of a higher, or lower, frequency. Why we say that
musical notes have a mathematical relationship with each other.
This is good stuff!

Perhaps we have jumped a little too far ahead. We were talking

about Pitch and Wave Shapes. Let’s just concentrate on the Pitch
controls to begin with....

19
Section 2
The Pitch Controls
Once again, create the Initial Patch. Now let’s experiment some more, but be aware that some of
what you are about to learn will need further explanation in a later
Now look at the five controls shown in Figure 2.6.
lesson.

Figure 2.6 Pitch Controls Start by raising the ENV DEPTH slider Figure 2.7
to its highest position (as shown in
Figure 2.7). Now play a note. What has
changed? Does it sound like a weird
click? Yes, and now you are about to
learn why.

Try the one marked PITCH again. As you already know it can
adjust the pitch of the sound one semitone at a time.

Now try the DETUNE knob. It also changes the pitch, but very
slightly. You’ll find that where the PITCH knob adjusts by
semitones, the DETUNE adjusts between those semitones.

20
Try raising the two sliders to the left of it, Numbers Display
Figure 2.8
the ones marked A and D, perhaps to While we are looking at the Pitch section, let’s examine another
their middle position. Now play a note. feature of the software.
What is happening? Is the pitch
changing? How? At the top left of the software you will see two buttons that can be
very useful. They are the “Show Numbers” and “Show Popups”
buttons. Please try them both..

Many people prefer to have a small number readout for all the
parameters, whereas others prefer a larger, temporary readout.
Perhaps you noticed in Figure 2.7 to Figure 2.9 we were using the
Show Numbers feature.
Figure 2.9
Now go back to the ENV DEPTH slider For the purpose of this book we will use this feature whenever
and push it to its lowest position. Does needed, to more clearly illustrate each point.
the pitch change the way you expected
it? OCTAVE Controls
There is another Pitch control on the GAIA that is not shown in
Experiment with many positions of these the Pitch section. It is called the Octave Control and is placed just
three sliders. Try to create something above the keyboard because it is generally thought of as a
interesting. Something strange. performance control. This you can use to enhance your live
performance more than just change the sound.
Most of all, confirm for yourself that the
five controls shown in Figure 2.6 all effect We mention it here because it can help to illustrate another
the pitch. important point.

Choose each control and try to think of a reason why you would
use it.

21
Low Frequency and Audibility
There is another limitation of course. How high can we hear?
Now we can examine the limitations of human hearing.
Average figures show that we can generally hear sound between
As always, Initialize the Patch. 20Hz, and 20,000Hz (which we often call 20kHz, for Kilo-Hertz).

You may also be interested to learn that apart from dogs being able
Play Low C and listen to the sound.
to hear pitches higher than humans, women and children tend to
hear higher notes than men.
Now press the Octave down key once, and play the sound again.
It’s lower right? One octave lower.

Press the Octave down key once more. Do you hear a note? All
we did was lower the pitch, but does it still sound like a note?

Try another octave down. Any pitch at all? No. It sounds like a
series of “clicks”.

So this is one limitation of human hearing. At some point we can

play notes so low that the human ear refuses to accept them as a
pitch, or note. In fact, at about 20 cycles per second, or 20Hz, we
begin to lose the perception of pitch.

Audio 2.1 Very Low Sawtooth Clicks

22
Section 3
The Shape Controls
Now we get to the exciting part of the Oscillator section. As you What do you see? Something like this?...
know we have been referring to this section as the “Pitch”
section, and so far we have proved this to be correct. Gallery 2.1 Sawtooth Waveform

However, the original Oscillator circuits from those early

synthesizers had another function, perhaps a more powerful
function.

Remember earlier how we suggested that an ocean wave

traveling smoothly across the deep blue sea might sound
completely different to that same wave crashing on a beach. At
the time we were suggesting that the shape of the wave was
involved.

Now recall our early synthesizer circuit that generates a wave,

sent via a speaker to our ear. Would the shape make a
This Sawtooth is not mathematically correct, but sounds better
difference?

Back to our new best friend, the Wave Viewer.

Audio 2.2 Sawtooth Waveform
Initialize the Patch and switch on the Wave Viewer. Play any note
and look at the screen.

23
OK, now look at the button marked “WAVE” in the Oscillator, or
Gallery 2.2 Pulse Waveform
Pitch, section of your software. It is highlighting what we call a
“Sawtooth” wave. Can you see why? Does it remind you of the
teeth of a saw?

Of course, let us point out one thing straight away. The diagram
chosen by the software seems very straight, and the Wave
Viewer is something a little curved. Why is that? Well, a “straight”
sawtooth wave is mathematically correct, and right from the
beginning synthesizer designers realized that mathematical
correctness sounded really bad. Let’s face it, the GAIA is a
musical instrument, so musical taste comes first. Apologies to all
the mathematicians out there.
A better sounding Pulse wave
Let’s try pressing the WAVE button twice.

We call this a “Pulse” wave. Can you see why?

It looks very much like the pulse or heartbeat displayed in
hospitals. Play a few notes and you will soon realize that it
sounds quite different to the Sawtooth wave shape.

Audio 2.3 Pulse Waveform

24
The Importance of Shape We have provided a suggested answer for the sawtooth wave
Just before we start to categorize these sounds, there are two merely as an example. Every person’s musical taste will differ, so
more useful terms. If you look again at each wave shape we have please feel free to write your own opinions for all shapes.
shown so far they seem to repeat themselves across the screen.
By far the most important point for this exercise is that you learn
This type of repetition we refer to as Periodic, and therefore we
to recognize each wave shape by its sound. As you cover later
call these waves Periodic Wave Shapes.
lessons these sounds will become more familiar to you, but it
Try selecting the Wave called “Noise.” Does it look periodic? Can would be of great advantage to you if you can establish a sense
you see anything that looks repetitive? Wave shapes like this are of recognition early.
called Aperiodic.
By the way, a wave shape we call the Super Saw is also available.
Now copy this table into your workbook or on to a piece of paper: Please try it. It is a unique sound used on a range of Roland
synthesizers for several years. However, at this stage it is difficult
Wave Shape Character Sounds like? to explain, so we will leave it for a later lesson.
Sawtooth brassy, string like Tuba (low range)

Square
Please try all the wave shapes, including their variations. With time
Pulse
you will learn to recognize them all by their Tone Color. This
Triangle familiarity with their sound will be a powerful tool once you begin
Sine making your own patches.
Noise

Firstly, notice the names we have given to each of the wave

forms. Can you see why we use these names?

Now complete the table. In the character column write down a

brief description of each sound. In the “sounds like” column write
down the name of the acoustic instrument that you believe
sounds most like each wave shape.
25
Exercise Summary
Try selecting the Pulse wave again, and experiment with the two The wave shapes provided by the Oscillator all have very
sliders labelled PWM and PW. different, and characteristic, sounds.

Figure 2.10 Pulse Width Controls Back to the Low Frequency range
Earlier we discussed Low Frequency and Audibility. We found that
below a certain Frequency we begin to hear a Sawtooth
Waveform as a series of clicks. Why do we hear clicks?

Look at the Sawtooth Wave again. If we sent this wave to a

speaker can you imagine the surface of the speaker gradually
being pushed forward, and then snapping back?

Figure 2.11 Sawtooth Waveform

You will notice from the wave viewer that these two controls
change the width of the pulse, but in different ways.

Most importantly, the PW control, which stands for Pulse Width,

will make the pulse get more narrow, or thinner.

Interestingly, the “pulse” part of the wave is always down, or

negative. What would it sound like if it were positive? Well, it
would sound the same. Our ears don’t care which direction.
Audio 2.4 Low Sawtooth
Does changing the pulse width suggest other acoustic
instruments?

26
What would happen with a square wave? It has two “snaps” per What about a Sine waveform?
cycle. Would we hear twice as many clicks? Try it.
Would you hear any “clicks?”

Figure 2.12 Square Waveform Figure 2.13 Sine Waveform

Audio 2.5 Low Square Waveform Audio 2.6 Low Sine Waveform

27
Lesson 3

Signal Sources -
Harmonics

In this lesson we will discover Harmonics. This is

not a small thing. Many mathematicians and
musicians have understood the theory for years, but
in this Lesson, and the next, you will even get the
chance to see them!
Section 1
The Three Initial Patches
Before we begin our study of Harmonics there are a few other GAIA will not let you turn them all off at once. Let’s face it, if you
important GAIA functions we should learn about. really wanted a silent TONE you’d just turn the power off!

Three Synthesizers The SELECT switches are a bit more involved. They tell you
As we said earlier, the GAIA is, in fact, three synthesizers. That which of the three TONES is being controlled by the knobs and
means that although the front panel has many controls already, sliders. TONE 1, or TONE 2, or even all three at once. You can
they can also change one or more sounds, or TONES, at once. switch on two TONES at the same time by simply pressing both
So for this lesson we will briefly experiment with all three TONES switches, and they turn green to show you which TONES have
of the GAIA. been selected.

Initialize the Patch, either on the GAIA or with the software. Your Experiment
choice. Select the first TONE only, and adjust the PITCH knob. Do the
same for the second and third TONES. Now select all three (three
Now look at the switches to the Figure 3.1 TONE Switches
green lights) and adjust the pitch.
left of the GAIA top panel, as
shown in Figure 3.1. In a later Lesson we will make full use of the three TONES, but
for now we will just concentrate on the Pitch to keep it simple.
If you experiment with these
switches you will soon discover
what each one does. Essentially,
the ON switches turn each of the
three synthesizers on or off, and
turn red. However, notice how the

29
Sine Waves However, the third TONE is that smooth sound we tried earlier. It
Let’s move forward, please Initialize the Patch again, but then turn is the one that looks like smooth ocean waves.
on all the TONES. Does it sound louder? Has the tone color
Figure 3.4 The Sine Waveform
changed? If you use the switches to select each of the TONES
one at a time you will find that they are all using different Wave
Shapes.

The first TONE is using a Sawtooth Wave.

Figure 3.2 The Sawtooth Waveform

If you have studied pure or applied mathematics you will have
heard it referred to as a Sine Wave. It is a very simple wave shape
that occurs in nature. It can be seen in ocean waves, it forms
waves of light, and of course, it is a sound wave. It has a very
pure sound, but it is so very important, and we are about to
discover why.
The second TONE is a Square Wave.
However, before we move on, please try switching each of the
Figure 3.3 The Square Waveform TONES on and off. See if you can keep a strong image of the
sound of each waveform in your head. Doing so will greatly help
you in later lessons and when you begin creating patches from
scratch.

30
Section 2
Subtractive Synthesis
Start again with the Initial Patch. It looks very much like a sawtooth, and as we mentioned
previously it is slightly curved to make it sound more musical.
Play a note, and confirm that it “looks” like a Sawtooth waveform
with the Wave Viewer.
Just for something interesting, try pressing the VARIATION button in
Figure 3.5 Sawtooth Waveform the Oscillator controls. You will find there are two more variations of
a “sawtooth waveform,” that sound like a sawtooth but look very
different. These are accurate reproductions of some other famous
synthesizer sawtooth waves. So musical tastes can be very different.

Audio 3.1 Sawtooth Wave

31
Now try switching on the second TONE only (you’ll have to also Try listening to TONE 3 only. You will find that the three variations
switch off TONE 1). When you play a note does it look like a are more subtle. More like the mathematical Sine wave.
“square wave”?
Figure 3.7 Sine Waveform
You will find that variation 2 is closer to the mathematical square
shape, while variation 3 is really out there. Please try them.

Figure 3.6 Square Waveform #2

Audio 3.3 Sine Waveform

Audio 3.2 Square Waveform

32
However, let’s go back to TONE 2 only, and make sure we are Now turn the CUTOFF control fully clockwise, and then slowly
using the second variation (the WAVE switch should be red). back to about halfway. What do you hear?

Figure 3.8 Square Waveform #2 Does it sound like something is being taken away from the
sound?

Look at the Wave Viewer and repeat the movement. CUTOFF fully
clockwise, then slowly back to about half. What do you see?

Does it look like something is being taken away?

To make it very obvious, now move the CUTOFF fully

counterclockwise. Something really is missing now.

This is why we refer to this type of sound creation as “Subtractive

While you play the low C again go to the main tone control. Do Synthesis.” We start with a bright, or harsh, sound, and subtract
you remember where that is? It is labelled CUTOFF. something.

Figure 3.9 Cutoff Knob

33
What are we subtracting? Figure 3.11 Filtered Square waveform
Well, we could very simply say that at first we are subtracting the
brightness of the sound. Not a very technical answer, and what
happened when we rotated the CUTOFF to the minimum? We
subtracted everything? There has to be a better answer.

Just for now though, try one more new control.

Play the low C Square wave again, and place the CUTOFF at
about halfway.

Look at the Wave Viewer, but then also press the RUN/STOP
button in the Wave Viewer screen.
Audio 3.4 Filtered Square Waveform
Figure 3.10 Run/Stop

Remember this image, we’ll refer to it in the next section. Do you

remember how we made it?

1. Initial Patch
You should see something like Figure 3.11. (You may need to
press RUN/STOP a few times until you see something close to 2. Select TONE 2 only
this image.)
3. CUTOFF to halfway

4. Play Low C

34
Section 3
Harmonics
As always, Initialize the Patch.
Figure 3.13 Complex waveform
Now follow these steps:

1. Turn on all three TONES (three red Figure 3.12 TONE

lights) selectors

2. Select all three TONES (three

green lights)

3. Press the WAVE button in the

Oscillator controls until you get to
the Sine waves.

4. Select only TONE 2, and raise the You have managed to create a complex waveform by simply

PITCH one octave (with Show Numbers turned on it should adding pure Sine waves. Actually, this is called Additive

read +12 semitones). Synthesis, and belongs in another book, so let’s move on.

5. Select only TONE 3, and raise the PITCH +19 semitones (an Audio 3.5 Complex Waveform
octave and a fifth)

6. Play Low C and look at the Wave Viewer.

35
 Audio 3.6 Refined Sound
You have just been able to prove the theory:

Complex periodic sounds are made up of Harmonics!

Refine the Sound

Did you notice that we have managed to make something like a
Select TONE 2 only, and lower its Volume to about halfway using
Sawtooth wave? Do you think that if we had more than three
the LEVEL control (it should show 50 in the software).
TONES we could get closer?
Select TONE 3 only, and lower its Volume to about a third (33 in
You are so right.
the software)

Play Low C, and press the Run/Stop button on the Wave Viewer. What are Harmonics?
They are a series of Sine waves added together, and they have
It should look like this? If it doesn’t, try pressing the Run/Stop some very particular rules of behavior.
button a few times.
For example, we were using just three Harmonics. Low C, the C
above that, and the G above that. We also chose specific
Figure 3.14 Recreated Sawtooth volumes.

Let’s start calling the lowest note the 1st harmonic, and
remember that when we move from Low C to one octave higher
we are doubling the Frequency. Another octave would be twice
that Frequency again, or four times the original Frequency.

You might be interested to learn then, that when we chose the

third note as a G, we were actually using a note that was three
times the original frequency!

Note: The First Harmonic is often called The Fundamental.

36
Let’s summarize all that: At this point you really don’t have to fully understand the
We started with the first Harmonic at full volume. We added mathematics behind the theory, just understand the shape of the
another at twice the frequency, but half the volume. We then graph. That is, for a Sawtooth waveform the harmonics are all
added a third Harmonic at three times the Frequency, but one multiples of the Fundamental, and gradually become lower in
third the volume. volume.

What would be the next Harmonic? Perhaps, four times the So now we can answer a very important question we raised
Frequency at one fourth the volume? earlier; in Subtractive Synthesis, what are we subtracting?

Isn’t this amazing stuff? Well, if a Sawtooth is really made up of many Harmonic Sine
waves, then we must be subtracting the Harmonics! If we
If we used this formula, and added hundreds of Harmonics we
subtract the high Harmonics then our Sawtooth wave should lose
really would create a Sawtooth wave.
some brightness.
Here’s a diagram to illustrate the point. Does it make sense?
If we subtract a few more, it should start to look and sound like a
Sine wave, because that is the first Harmonic, or Fundamental.
Figure 3.15 Harmonic Spectrum of a Sawtooth
waveform played at 100Hz Even more, as we found out, if we keep subtracting we can even
remove the Fundamental, and get no sound at all!

This really is exciting, but there is so much more.

We have set the stage by illustrating the possibility of Harmonics,

but in the next Lesson we will find a method to further prove their
existence!

37
Harmonic Series ...and so on. They are gradually getting closer together. Logically,
Let’s look again at the notes we have been using. they can’t all be exact musical intervals as they get higher
because they must continue to get closer together, but so far they
Suppose we used low C as the fundamental, and added the next make sense. The notes would be, C, C, G, C, E, G.
5 harmonics. The 2nd Harmonic would be an octave above. The
third harmonic would be the G, a musical interval of a fifth above
that. The fourth harmonic would be a C, a fourth above that. The
5th would be an E, a third above that, and so on. Confused? See
if it is clearer in this table.

Harmoni 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

cs

Pitch C1 C2 G2 C3 E3 G3

Level 100% 1/2 1/3 1/4 1/5 1/6

Interval - Octave 5th 4th Major 3rd Minor 3rd

Notice the intervals between the successive Harmonics.

Fundamental

Octave

Fifth

Fourth

Third

Minor third

38
Section 4
Odd Harmonics

Harmonic Exercise Figure 3.16 Recreated Square

Let’s explore the theory of Harmonics a little more.

We had the Fundamental at full volume, the 2nd Harmonic at half

volume, the 3rd at a third the volume.

What would happen if we had used only odd numbers? That is,
the 1st, 3rd and 5th Harmonics.

To help with this experiment try the following:

Initialize the Patch

Turn all TONES on, and set to Sine wave.

What wave shape do you think you are beginning to recreate?
Change the Pitch of TONE 1 to minus 12 semitones.
As a hint, compare this new shape with the one that you created
Change the Pitch of TONE 2 to plus 7 Semitones, and a Volume in Figure 3.11.
Level of 33.

Change the Pitch of TONE 3 to plus 16, Level 20. Play the Audio 3.7 Harmonic Square
second C note from the bottom and watch the Viewer.

Wait until the wave shape appears a little flatter on the top and
press Run/Stop.

39
Harmonics Charts 1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th 11th
Let’s review the Harmonics we have been working with. Firstly, a
Frequency 100 300 500 700 900 1.1K
Sawtooth wave with a first Harmonic (Fundamental) of 100Hz.
Level 1 1/3 1/5 1/7 1/9 1/11
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
100%
Frequency 100 200 300 400 500 600

Level 1 1/2 1/3 1/4 1/5 1/6

75%

50%
100%

25%
75%

0%
50% 100 300 500 700 900 1100
Hertz

25% So what do you think the figures would be for a Pulse wave? We
will explore the answer to that question in the next lesson.

0%
100 200 300 400 500 600
Hertz We have now spent a lot of time concentrating on the Harmonic
series. However, it is essential that you have a reasonable
Then the same type of data for a Square wave with a understanding of these graphs. They will make the study of the next
Fundamental of 100Hz. two lessons so much easier.

40
Section 5
Lesson Three Assignment
Complete the following table based on a Sawtooth Waveform playing a low E. (Let’s say it is E1) Complete the following table based on a
Sawtooth Waveform playing a low E. (Let’s say it is E1)

Gallery 3.1 Sawtooth

Make a rough sketch of the graph represented by the table above, and compare it with Figure 3.15 on page 38.

41
Lesson 4

Filters

This Lesson will demonstrate the power of the Filter

section of the GAIA. It will also allow us to more
accurately prove the concept of Harmonics.
Section 1
Tone Controls
Do you remember the Three Building Blocks of Sound? At first mixed at the same apparent level then we could illustrate it
we referred to them as Pitch, Tone Color and Volume. In Lesson something like Figure 4.2
Two we discovered that the “Pitch” section was really called an
Oscillator. Figure 4.2 Tone Controls

Now we need to learn why the “Tone” section is called a Filter.

Stereo Tone Controls

Take a look at these typical controls on a stereo amplifier.

Figure 4.1 Stereo Tone Controls

However, if were to raise the bass control, and lower the treble it
might look more like this:

Figure 4.3 Bass up, Treble down

They include what we often refer to as the tone controls, and

usually include bass and treble controls. So, how do these
controls affect the sound? Suppose we played some music that
included a bass guitar and a piccolo. If both instruments were

43
If we were to lower the bass control, and raise the treble: remove any larger particles or impurities. This is another type of
filter.
Figure 4.4 Bass down, Treble up
Remember how we explained Subtractive Synthesis? We said
that we were “subtracting Harmonics.” So, unlike the tone
controls in Figure 4.3, we could better represent the shape of a
Filter control with this diagram:

Figure 4.5 Extreme Filter

Notice how we hear the changes. By raising the bass control we

can emphasize the sound of the bass, or we could lower its
Level
sound by lowering the bass tone control. The same for the
piccolo using the treble control. However, even at extreme
settings we can still hear both instruments.
Frequency
So now recall what happened in Lesson Three when we lowered
the “Tone Control” on the GAIA. The control labelled “Cutoff.” At
It shows the Harmonic series of a Sawtooth waveform as we
it’s extreme low setting we were able to completely remove all
discovered in Lesson Three. Notice how the top two Harmonics
sound. So it is very clear that the Tone Control of the GAIA is
have not just been lowered, as with a typical tone control. They
much more powerful than that of a stereo amplifier.
have been removed altogether. To put it another way, they have
been “cut off.”
The Filter
Perhaps you have studied Chemistry and used filters before. In
So we refer to the point shown by the arrow as “The Cutoff
that case you will know that you can remove particles from a
Frequency,” or just Cutoff for short. All harmonics above the
liquid by passing the liquid through a paper filter. Or perhaps
Cutoff have been removed, and all those below the Cutoff are
while cooking you have passed flour through a sieve in order to
allowed to pass through the filter.

44
It is for this reason that we refer to this type of filter as a Low Figure 4.7 More accurate Filter
Pass Filter.

The Low Pass Filter

Let’s see if the theory works. Initialize the Patch.

While watching the Wave Viewer and playing Low C, slowly lower
the Cutoff. Can you imagine the Harmonics gradually being
removed?
Here you can see that the Filter Cutoff really has a slope. In Figure
Figure 4.6 Lower Cutoff 4.7 you will notice that the first four Harmonics are being allowed
to pass unchanged, but the next two have been lowered a little.
Of course, the top four have been removed as expected.

The GAIA has another control called the SLOPE. It can accurately
reproduce slopes from two types of analog Filters. Figure 4.7
shows a Filter with a steep slope. This we call a slope of -24dB/
octave. The name is really not that important to understand, so
let’s just call it the steep slope.
If you are very careful, you can lower the Cutoff until the wave
looks very much like a pure Sine wave. That will occur when you Figure 4.8 then Figure 4.8 Less steep slope
have removed all but the first Harmonic. shows the effect
of a less steep
In reality, a traditional analog synthesizer circuit could never cut
slope (-12dB/
off the higher Harmonics so accurately. The Filter would really
octave).
look more like Figure 4.7.

45
Another very important difference between standard tone controls Standard tone controls raise and lower the levels of the
and a filter is the movement. Harmonics.

Earlier we showed how standard tone controls move up and The Filter Cutoff sweeps up and down the frequencies, allowing
down like this: some to pass, and some not.

Therefore, a standard tone control directly changes levels, but a

Figure 4.9 Tone control movement
filter Cutoff is more related to Frequencies.

However, a filter seems to “sweep sideways”:

Figure 4.10 Filter movement

In this way we can choose how many Harmonics are passed

through the filter.

46
Section 2
Resonance and Mode

Resonance Initialize the Patch, and experiment with the Cutoff and
Now we examine the second control in the filter section of the Resonance controls. Make sure you use the Wave Viewer to help
GAIA. It is called Resonance. with your observations. You will find that the Resonance control
can create some very “electronic” effects.
The resonance control will emphasize the Harmonics at the
Cutoff Frequency, like this: Mode
The Filter in the GAIA has another useful control. The Mode
Figure 4.11 Resonant Filter button.

Remember how we have so far been using what we call the Low
Pass Filter. This is because it allows the lower Harmonic
frequencies to pass, but can remove the higher ones.

The Mode button can select three more Filter types:

HPF High Pass Filter Low frequencies are removed

Low and High frequencies are

From the diagram you can see that the filter is behaving exactly BPF Band Pass Filter
removed
as before. All Harmonics below the Cutoff pass through. All
No frequencies are removed, but
Harmonics above the Cutoff are lowered or removed. However, PKG Peaking Filter
the resonance can be raised
any Harmonic/s that occur at the Cutoff are raised.
Please refer to the diagrams on the next page.

47
Please experiment with all three controls; Cutoff, Resonance and Figure 4.14 Peaking Filter
Mode.

Try using each of the Filter Modes and see if these diagrams
accurately reflect the sounds you hear. They all have their uses,
and we shall explore them in a later lesson.

Figure 4.12 High Pass Filter

For diagrams and further explanation please see pages 33 and 34 in

the GAIA owner’s manual.

Figure 4.13 Band Pass Filter

48
Section 3
Harmonics - The Proof
Earlier we mentioned that we will provide more conclusive proof Try completing this table: (You may need to use Run/Stop to
of the concept of Harmonics. Let’s do that now with the following count the cycles)
steps.
Gallery 4.1 Sawtooth Measurements
Initialize the Patch

Lower the Cutoff to minimum.

Raise the Resonance to a value of 90 (using Show Numbers in

the software).

Play low C and slowly raise the Cutoff to a value of 31. You will
hear a pure Sine wave. With the Wave Viewer you will see the
Sine wave, and it will have about two and a half cycles on the
screen.

Now carefully raise the Cutoff to 40. Notice that the sound is now
an octave higher and there are about five cycles shown in the
Wave Viewer. The Second Harmonic!

Carefully raise the Cutoff to about 45. Do you hear a new note?
What is it? How many cycles on the screen.

49
What you are hearing, and seeing, is the Harmonic series of a
Sawtooth waveform!

How are we able to achieve this? To put it simply, by raising the

Resonance of the filter we are able to emphasize each Harmonic
as we sweep passed it with the Cutoff frequency. So now we
have proved three ideas:

1. The concept of the Harmonic Series is correct.

2. That the Filter Cutoff can be swept across all the Harmonics,
passing some through while removing others.

3. That the Resonance emphasizes specific Harmonics. Some

synthesizers actually refer to the Resonance control as
“Emphasis”.

50
Section 4
Key Follow
The third knob in the GAIA Filter is called Key Follow. It is not that Play the keyboard again. You will find that the whistle can now be
easy to explain Key Follow, but by using the GAIA we can easily played with a standard musical scale. This is because the Cutoff
demonstrate it. Frequency is following the keyboard; Key Follow.

Initialize the Patch. Try lowering the Key Follow to minimum and play the keyboard
again. The scale is completely reversed.
Select the Noise waveform in the Oscillator. (Remember that
Noise is an Aperiodic waveform, so it does not have a specific Try different levels of Key Follow for alternative “scales.”
formula for its Harmonic structure. It is best described as a
So now you understand Key Follow. It uses the keyboard to
sound with many Harmonics at random pitches and levels).
adjust the Cutoff frequency. It seems like such a simple control,
Raise the Resonance to full, and the Cutoff to a value of 70. but it can be very powerful as we will discover in a later lesson.

Play any note on the keyboard. You will hear a sound much like a
whistle. This is because we have raised the resonance of the For further reading, please see Key Follow section on page 34 of the
filter and therefore we are emphasizing any random Harmonics GAIA owner’s manual.
that may occur at the Cutoff.

Notice that the keyboard has no effect on the pitch of the whistle.

Now raise the Key Follow to maximum.

51
Lesson 5

Envelopes

So far we have been concentrating on basic theory.

Oscillators, Filters, Harmonics, etc. Now we turn to
Signal Modulators. These new controls will help us
shape the sound.
Section 1
Extended Flow Chart
In Lesson One we referred to the Signal Path of the GAIA as a Figure 5.2 Extended Flow Chart
Flow Chart, like this:

Figure 5.1 Simple Flow Chart

This diagram correctly illustrates the signal path; the oscillator

provides the initial signal, and then passes it to the filter, from
there it passes through the amplifier, and eventually through a
You might be interested to learn that there really is no sound at all
speaker to our ears.
until after it reaches the speaker. Even though we referred to the
Now we’d like to extend the Flow Chart as in Figure 5.2. Oscillator as a “Pitch Section” there is no pitch. It simply provides an
electronic signal with a frequency and a shape, this signal is then
Here we show that as the Signal passes from the Oscillator, passed forward. So when we refer to a signal from the oscillator it is
through the Filter and Amplifier, it can also be modulated in a more correct to use the word “frequency.” In a similar way, although

variety of ways. we call the last link in the chain an amplifier there really is no audible
“volume” yet. There is nothing to hear because we are still talking
about an electronic signal. So when we discuss the amplifier section
To modulate: to exert a controlling influence upon... we tend to use words like “level” and “amplitude,” not “volume.”

53
Envelopes Now raise the first slider to about half way (a value of 50). When
One type of modulator is called an envelope. To explain you play the keyboard you will find that the sound is slow to start.
envelopes we’ll begin by using the Amplifier section. We already What type of instrument would sound like this?
know about the main Level control, now we move on to the
Raise the slider to it’s maximum. With a very slow start like this
remaining four sliders in the Amplifier.
there are few instruments we could mimic. However, it could be

Figure 5.3 Amplifier useful for sound effects.

Envelope
Now lower this first slider to it’s minimum and experiment with the
fourth slider. What happens to the sound? Which instruments
might sound like this?

Attack and Release

You can now easily see that the first slider changes the start of
the sound, while the fourth slider changes the end.

We call the start of the sound the Attack, and the end we call the
Release. It’s like saying what happens when we attack the note?
What happens when we release the note?

If you Initialize the Patch, they will appear in the software as in If you look at Figure 5.3 you will notice that the GAIA features a
Figure 5.3. Let’s experiment with them. diagram with four letters. Clearly, the letter “A” is referring to the
Attack, while the letter “R” refers to Release, but what is meant
Begin by playing any note on the keyboard. Notice how the
by “D” and “S?”
sound seems very “electronic,” it has an instant start, and end.
This type of sound is reminiscent of an electronic organ.

It certainly doesn’t sound like an acoustic instrument.

54
Sustain Level Figure 5.4 Display selector
Return both the Attack and Release sliders to their minimum.
Now experiment with the “S” slider while playing the keyboard.
What happens?

At first, it may seem as though the “S” slider is just another level
control. So why do we need it?

Set both the “D” and “S” controls to about halfway and play the
keyboard. Do you hear what is happening? The sound starts loud, Now play any note for about three seconds, and just after you
but then decays away for a second or two. After that the sound is release the note press Run/Stop. You should see something like
sustained for as long as you hold the keyboard. This is why we this:
call these sliders “Decay” and “Sustain.”
Figure 5.5 Envelope View
So now we have a way to shape the level of the sound. We call
this overall shape the Envelope. The Envelope is made up of an
Attack, a Decay, a Sustain and a Release, and may also be
referred to as the ADSR.

Let’s see the ADSR in action!

Raise the Attack, Decay and Release to about halfway (50), and
then raise the Sustain to about 80. Can you see why the GAIA has a diagram shaped much like the
top half of this picture? Notice the slow attack of the sound, it’s
Switch on the Wave Viewer screen, but notice the knob shown in
Decay until it reaches the Sustain Level, and finally the Release.
Figure 5.4.
As before, the Wave Viewer allows you to see what you’re
Rotate this switch to Envelope View.
hearing.

55
Section 2
The Trumpet
Back in Lesson Two we asked you to describe the basic wave Yes, it sounds much like a tuba. Not a good tuba, but you can
shapes provided by the GAIA Oscillator. now understand why we refer to the Sawtooth wave as “brass
like.”
Then we referred to the Sawtooth wave as something that
sounded “brass like.” So let’s use this knowledge and try to re-create a trumpet sound
with the GAIA.
Let’s confirm that idea. Initialize the Patch and press the Octave
Down button once. Press the Octave Up button twice, so that the keyboard is now
one octave higher than normal, and play this phrase: (treble clef).
Now play a phrase like this: (note the bass clef)

Audio 5.2 High Sawtooth Phrase

Audio 5.1 Low Sawtooth Phrase

The sound is still “brass like” but you would hardly call it a
trumpet. So now we introduce a useful catch phrase:

“What’s Wrong With This Sound?”

56
What’s Wrong With This Sound? to maintain the note. So how do we recreate this extra effort at
To put it a little better; what’s wrong with this trumpet? Here are a the beginning of the note? How do we re-create a puffing
few steps to explain the thinking involved and some methods to effect?
improve the sound.
5. Look again at our Figure 5.6 Envelope Shape
1. From the early part of this lesson you would probably guess envelope shape in Figure
that the problem has something to do with the Envelope. In 5.6. Notice that the
particular, the Attack of the sound is all wrong. It sounds like greatest level happens at
we are hitting the trumpet, but it should sound like we are the beginning, but then
blowing into the mouthpiece. fades to a lower level.
Does this suggest extra
2. So experiment with the Attack slider. Of course, it is very easy effort at the beginning of
to raise the slider too much, making the sound even less like a the note? How did we get
trumpet. For now, try an Attack level of around 3. Does it that shape?
sound like a “puff?” Like blowing into the mouthpiece?
6. So try setting the Sustain to 90, and the Decay to around 20.
3. Now what’s wrong with this trumpet? Logically, the trumpet is Now the sound is much more like a trumpet. Indeed, if you
an acoustic instrument. You blow in the mouth piece and the were to buy an electronic organ back in the early 1960s which
air travels through the body of the trumpet and out to our ears. offered a trumpet sound, this is exactly what you would have
So it would seem very unlikely that the sound could possibly heard.
stop instantly. Experiment with the Release control until it
sounds natural to your ears. Perhaps you could set the 7. Take particular note of the Sustain level. If we had left it set at
Release to about 8. it’s maximum then the Decay would have had no effect at all.
The Decay and Sustain controls often work hand in hand like
4. What’s wrong with the trumpet now? This is where the this.
remaining two controls can be very useful. If you have ever
tried to play a brass instrument you will know that the hardest
part is getting the sound started. After that it is relatively easy

57
If you have followed these instructions you should now have a
much clearer understanding of a synthesizer Envelope and its
controls. The ADSR.

However, we still appear to be a long way from perfecting our

trumpet sound. What is wrong with the trumpet sound now?

By the way, why do you think we are trying to re-create an acoustic

sound? The answer is; an acoustic sound provides us with a familiar
point of reference. Every musician has a reasonably firm image of the
sound of a trumpet, or a violin.

If we had asked you to re-create one of the synthesizer sounds from

your favorite 80s pop band we may well have been asking a little too
much.

The simplest option is often best.

58
Section 3
The Trumpet - Part Two

The Filter Envelope The sound has not yet changed because we need to move two
So far we have created a simple trumpet sound by choosing a more controls.
Sawtooth waveform and adjusting the Amplifier Envelope. That
The first control is easy to explain. If you look at the software you
is, the volume of our trumpet has some shape.
will see that the Cutoff is set to its maximum setting. This means
However, the tone color of our trumpet is static. It remains the Filter is wide open, and letting every Harmonic through
unchanged while we hold each note. This is a very unnatural unchanged. So the Filter Envelope has absolutely no effect yet.
situation for an acoustic instrument. The tone color should
That is, there is no point in setting the Envelope controls at all if
change as well as the volume.
you are going to leave the Filter wide open.
To give ourselves a head start let’s assume the tone color will
Try setting the Filter Cutoff to its minimum setting and play the
change in the same way the volume changes. You will notice that
keyboard. Now we have no sound at all. Why?
the Filter section of the GAIA has exactly the same four-slider
envelope controls. For now try setting both the Volume envelope The Envelope has appropriate settings, so why isn’t it changing
and the Filter envelope to the following settings. the tonal color?

A D S R This is where the final slider in the Filter section is needed. It is

3 20 90 5 called the Envelope Depth. That is, it controls how much overall
effect the Filter Envelope will have.
Now play the keyboard. Has the sound changed? No.
Imagine a hot water heater with two basic controls; a
temperature setting, and a faucet. You can set the temperature

59
but that doesn’t mean you have hot water. Why? Because if you
don’t open the faucet the water will stay in the tank. Please read this section again, pages 59 and 60, and make sure you
fully understand them. In particular, you should have a firm grasp of
Open the faucet a little and you get a little hot water. Set it wide the relationship between the Cutoff, the Envelope settings and the
open and you get the maximum possible hot water. Envelope Depth setting.

For example, having the Cutoff at a maximum means the Filter

This is exactly what we are doing with the Filter Envelope. We can
Envelope has no effect. Why?
set it’s shape which will “tell the Filter how to behave,” but until
A maximum setting for the Envelope Depth may also mean there is
we set the Depth we haven’t “told it by how much.”
no Decay to the tonal color. Why?
Try slowly raising it while playing the keyboard. You will find that If you can answer these questions you are well on your way to
low settings will create a mellow sound, more like a flugelhorn mastering subtractive synthesis!
than a trumpet, while higher settings are brighter.

Be aware though, that raising the slider to its maximum position

could negate any effect the Sustain control may have, and also
that of the Decay because they all work together.

Notice also that the Envelope Depth could also have a negative
value. Try a negative value with the Cutoff wide open. It can
create some very interesting effects.

What’s wrong with our trumpet now?

We need more information to improve the sound, so we’ll leave

that to the next lesson.

60
Section 4
Envelope Experiments

Experiment One Experiment Six

Try lowering the Attack of both the Filter Envelope and the Try all of these different Filter Settings.
Amplifier envelope to their minimum settings. Does it sound like a
a. Different Cutoff
trumpet now?
b. Different Filter Envelope Depth
Experiment Two
Lower both Sustain control to a minimum. What instrument does c. Different Resonance
it sound like now?
Experiment Seven
Experiment Three Try using the envelopes with oscillator set to noise. See if you
Raise both Decay controls to about 80. A type of guitar sound, can re-create the effect of ocean waves. Perhaps add
perhaps? Resonance for a wind effect.

Experiment Four
Raise both release sounds. Sustained guitar?

Before starting the next section we’d like to remind you that the
Experiment Five
factory settings of the GAIA include one that removes any dynamics
Experiment with many different settings of the ADSR controls.
from the sound, much like a 1970s synthesizer.
How many different instruments can you start to create with just
these controls? Since the next section is about dynamics, or velocity sensitivity,
please refer to pages 19 and 51 of the owner’s manual to make sure
Keyboard Velocity is set to REAL.

61
Section 5
Dynamics

The Shift Key It seems the volume of the sound can now vary with the velocity
Just before we finish this lesson there are a few “secret” of each key strike, but this is more obvious when set to
functions to explore. maximum. Indeed, at its minimum level the velocity of the key
strike makes no change at all. That’s why we call it a Sensitivity
Press the SHIFT key (on the GAIA or on your computer) and you control.
will notice that four controls will change their names in the
software. The changes are: Now let’s try the Envelope Velocity Sensitivity control. Firstly,
notice that this control is in the Filter section so we would expect
Without Shift Tempo Sync Detune Cutoff Level it to have a similar effect on the tone color of the sound. So try
With Shift Key Trigger Pan Envelope Level these steps (also illustrated on the next page).
Velocity Velocity
Sensitivity Sensitivity
1. Initialize the Patch.

Using these hidden functions allows the GAIA to access more 2. Lower the Cutoff to its minimum.
functions without the complication of extra controls.
3. Raise the Envelope Depth to its maximum
Dynamics
Press the Shift Key
For this lesson we concentrate only on the Sensitivity controls.
4. Lower the Level Velocity Sensitivity control to its minimum.
To understand these controls let’s start by experimenting with the
(This will disable the effect of any volume changes, and make our
Level Velocity Sensitivity. Adjust this control while playing several
results more obvious)
notes. Can you hear the changes?

62
5. Raise the Envelope Sensitivity to its maximum and play So now you have control of the dynamics of the sound.
notes with different velocities.
More importantly, you should now understand the difference
6. Try adjusting the Sensitivity to see how it affects the sound. between amplifier dynamics, and filter dynamics.

Figure 5.7 Shift Key Off

You may be interested to learn that the early analog synthesizers had
1 no velocity sensitivity. Each key would reproduce the same level and
tone color despite how hard you played. You can reproduce this
2 effect by pressing SHIFT and KEY HOLD on the GAIA.

If the KEY HOLD button is lit while holding the SHIFT button then the
velocity is set to FIXED mode.

in fact, if the previous section did not seem to have any effect on the

3 sound then this may have been the cause.

Figure 5.8 Shift Key On

4 5

63
Section 6
Lesson Five Assignment
1. Suggest possible attack settings for each of the following acoustic sounds.

a. Snare drum

b. Clarinet

c. Piano

d. Wind

e. Violin

2. Suggest possible release settings for the following acoustic sounds.

a. Cymbal

b. Banjo

c. Door Slam

Appropriate settings are listed on the next page, but please try your
own suggestions before moving on.

64
Suggested Answers to Lesson Five
Assignment
1. We would suggest these possible attack settings:

Instrument Attack

Snare Drum 0

Clarinet 4

Piano 0

Wind 95

Violin 15

2. We suggest possible these release settings:

Instrument Release

Cymbal 100

Banjo 7

Door Slam 10

Please remember that these are suggested settings only. As always

the final settings will be a matter of taste. Your taste!

65
Lesson 6

Controllers

In this lesson we explore the many controllers

available on the GAIA. These add more power, more
expression and more fun. We will also introduce
another very powerful learning tool in the GAIA
software; the Action List
Section 1
The LFO
In Lesson Two we discovered that the Oscillator in the GAIA can From its name it is very easy to understand that it is just another
be tuned so low that the sound becomes nonmusical. In the case oscillator, but one that is dedicated to producing low frequencies
of the Sawtooth waveform we hear a series of clicks instead of a only.
musical note. Does that mean low frequencies are not useful?
Back in Lesson Five, Figure 5.2, we showed how we can extend
Actually, they can be very useful indeed.
our Flow Chart of the GAIA by sending modulators to each of the
Low Frequency Oscillator sections. In that lesson we demonstrated modulators called
Until now we have been describing the “Three Building Blocks” Envelopes.
within the GAIA, but a quick look to the left of the instrument
shows another section. It is labelled LFO, which is short for Low We concentrated on the AMP and FILTER envelopes, but you can
Frequency Oscillator. also explore the Oscillator envelope. It is much simpler, having only
Attack and Decay controls.
Figure 6.1 The Low Frequency Oscillator

In the LFO section you will notice that the main control is called
“Rate,” not “Pitch” as in the main oscillator. Clearly this is
because the signal it creates will never result in a defined pitch,
as stated above.

You will also notice three sliders labelled “Depth,” and they
clearly show a relationship to Figure 5.2, as the LFO can be sent
to the three building blocks. So let’s explore the results.

67
Initialize the Patch, and set the LFO Rate to 20, as shown (using Now would be a good time to explore the other LFO wave
Show Numbers). shapes. As you can hear the Triangle wave shape makes the pitch
rise and fall. If you lower the Pitch Depth to zero you’ll discover
Figure 6.2 LFO set that the pitch was really rising above the note you played, then
to 20
falling below it. So why does the slider say; “plus 50?”

Try selecting the Sawtooth wave for the LFO (press the shape
button in the LFO section). Raise the Pitch Depth slider to plus 50
and play a note. Then lower the Pitch Depth to minus 50 and play
the same note. Can you hear the difference?

When the slider is positive the pitch steadily rises and suddenly
falls, while when it is negative the pitch steadily falls then
suddenly rises. You can clearly hear that the wave has been
inverted. Can you clearly hear the difference for the Triangle
LFO to Pitch
To quickly explore the possibilities of the LFO we’ll start by wave? The Sine or Square wave? Perhaps not.

controlling the Oscillator only, that is, the section that will affect
Random
the pitch.
The first four wave shapes in the LFO section are easy to hear
Now raise the slider called Pitch Depth to +50 as shown in Figure and understand, but what about the last two?
6.2 above. Play a single note on the keyboard. Can you hear the
Raise the LFO Rate to about 50, and the Pitch Depth to +50.
Triangle shape?
Switch the LFO wave shape to Random, or RND for short.
Until now we have been describing wave shapes by their
character. This is the first time you hear their shape. Compare it Play a note and you’ll hear the pitch rise and fall like before, but
with the SIne wave shape, the difference is quite subtle. the highest and lowest pitches are quite random, unlike the first
four wave shapes where you knew the exact maximum and
minimum.

68
S&H Figure 6.3 Sample and Hold
The fifth LFO wave shape is very different. It looks something like
the square wave, but has random levels.

Select this LFO wave shape and play a note. Does it sound like
the Random wave shape?

In a way it appears to be something like the Random wave shape

except the pitch does not change smoothly.

In a traditional analog synthesizer this effect was created by what

was called a Sample and Hold circuit. Often shortened to just
S&H.

This circuit would take regular samples from a certain wave shape
and store the level of each sample until the next sample was
taken. In Figure 6.3 you can see that we are taking samples of a
noise waveform at the intervals indicated by the arrows. Then
Audio 6.1 Sample and Hold
each sample is held until the next one, resulting in the odd shape
shown below. Notice how the red dots indicate the sampled level.

So now you can see why we have the unusual diagram for the
fifth LFO waveform. A long explanation, admittedly, for a very
simple result. You could simply think of the S&H and RND
waveforms as being two types of a Random waveform. One with By the way, this has been an explanation of how a typical analog
irregular steps, and one with smooth changes. synthesizer would have created the Sample and Hold effect.
However, the GAIA is a digital instrument and achieves the same
effect but in a very different way.

69
Section 2

It is worthwhile experimenting with the other Depth controls in effect that was very popular in some older guitar and keyboard
the LFO section. amplifiers.

By experimenting you should find the following information.

Please try all the controls until all this makes sense: It is also worth your time to experiment with the Fade control. This
control allows you to gradually introduce the Depth of the LFO, and
1. The Pitch Depth control affects the pitch of the signal, and can is very useful indeed, but to explain that we need more information.
be used for a vibrato effect.

2. The Filter Depth affects the tone color of the signal. It involves
tonal changes.

3. The tonal changes created by the Filter Depth control depend

upon the settings of the Cutoff and the Resonance.

4. The tonal changes are reminiscent of a “wah-wah” effect.

5. The Amplifier Depth control creates tremolo effects. Volume

changes.

The Amplifier Depth control has a “secret function” when used

with the Shift key. Try pressing the Shift key and watch the label
of this slider in the software. You will find that this control now
affects the panning of the sound. This will create a stereo tremolo

70
Section 3
The Action List - An Introduction
In the top right hand corner of the Figure 6.4 Follow the list like this:
Software you will find the button that
1. Initialize the Patch (TONE 1 only will operate)
opens the Action List. Press that and
you should see something like this: 2. Change the Amplifier Attack Time to 3. (First line of the list)

Of course, if you have never used the 3. Change the Amplifier Decay Time to 20. (Second line), and so
Action List before then it will remain on....
empty. This one has several items in
the list already. Try it. You will find that you are creating the Trumpet sound we
made in Lesson Five.
For the moment we’d just like to
introduce the Action List, and leave its So now we have a simple way of showing you a list of settings. It
operation until the next Lesson. Just is much like a recipe.
think of it as a step by step guide to
The Action List will be very useful in later lessons, so we will
making a sound or patch.
spend some time exploring this new feature in the next lesson.
Look again at the list shown here. Do
For now, let’s return to the Controllers.
you know what it represents?

71
What’s Wrong With the Trumpet Sound? Subtle Improvements
As in the previous Lesson we are now in a position to ask that Now our Action List has changed. Here you will see that we have
very important question. Our Trumpet sound is good, but needs added two more subtle improvements, but why?
more work. What is wrong with it?
Examining our trumpet Figure 6.5
One answer can be found by thinking about the performer. For player will provide
example, once our Trumpet sound has passed through the initial answers. The player
“puffing” sound it remains unchanged. This is very unlike the creates vibrato by
sound made by a real trumpet player. changing the air
pressure he/she applies
A trumpeter would usually (though not always) begin the note and
to the mouth piece.
then add more character. Usually that additional character would
include what we call vibrato. However, you found in the previous Therefore, in order to
section that we can create vibrato using the LFO. increase the pitch he
must increase the air
So try raising the Pitch Depth of the LFO to about 9.
pressure. The increased
Our Trumpet sound now has more character, but there is still a air pressure requires
problem. The vibrato is starting the moment you play a note. extra effort on the part
Please try it. of the performer.
Logically then, the volume must also change slightly, and so will
This is very unnatural as we said above. The player is more likely the tone color.
to play the note THEN add the vibrato. How can we achieve this
effect? So we have applied subtle amounts of LFO changes to both the
Filter and the Amplifier. You will also notice that we have applied a
Try raising the LFO Fade control to about 40. Hear the difference? negative amount to the Filter Depth. This is merely a matter of
Now the vibrato sounds much better. taste, but seems to work.

72
Section 4
Tempo Sync and Key Trigger
Before we move on to some more powerful controllers on the example, that would mean we could synchronize the vibrato to
GAIA we should mention yet another “secret” function; Key an arpeggiator. We will discuss the arpeggiator in a later lesson.
Trigger.
For now, with Tempo Sync switched off you will find that the Rate
As you know, by pressing the Shift key on either the GAIA or control sweeps smoothly over a range of vibrato rates. However,
computer we can access more functions. The Amplifier Level with Tempo Sync switched on the Rate control seems to step
becomes a Level Velocity Sensitivity (affects the volume through the range. Try it. The rate control is definitely not
dynamics.) The Cutoff becomes Envelope Velocity Sensitivity sweeping smoothly as before.
(affects the tone color). The Detune becomes a Pan control.
This is because it is now musically related to the master clock.
Most importantly, the Tempo Sync becomes a Key Trigger This master clock, for example, may be ticking away at 120
control. Let’s discuss these two controls. beats per minute. So now the Rate control can select intervals
like; quarter note, eighth note, or eighth note triplet. This can be
Tempo Sync very useful for a range of musical styles, particularly for
Initialize the Patch and raise the Pitch Depth in the LFO section electronic dance music.
to about 20. Now if you play a note you will hear a wide vibrato. If
you then switch on the Tempo Sync, so that its light is red, you
will hear a vibrato but at a different rate. This is because the rate
is now being controlled by a master clock within the GAIA.

This master clock can then determine the rate of the LFO, and
the rate of other functions in the GAIA at the same time. For

73
Key Trigger vibrato rates for each. We might introduce the vibrato at slightly
You now know that by pressing Shift and Tempo Sync you can different times (vary the fade times).
switch on a function called Key Trigger.
However, in electronic music the idea of being able to predict the
To understand this function try the following: vibrato is very powerful. If you play low C again with Key Trigger
switch on you will find you can create some interesting “Rap”
Initialize the Patch and raise the Pitch Depth in the LFO to type sounds by simply playing different rhythms on the keyboard.
maximum. Then lower the Rate to about 50.
Try this same effect with the square wave (in the LFO). You will
Play low C several times, randomly. You’ll find that the vibrato find that the result is most unpredictable with Key Trigger
seems to start at a different pitch each time. switched off, but can be very musical with it switched on.

Now switch on Key Trigger (Shift and Tempo Sync). Playing the Most importantly, using Key Trigger makes it very clear when you
note will always start the vibrato from the bottom part of the are using a positive level, or negative. Try the following:
Triangle wave shape. The wave of this vibrato is triggered by the
key! 1. Initialize the Patch and set the LFO rate to about 50.

So why would we need this feature. 2. Set the Pitch Depth in the LFO to maximum.

Imagine our trumpet player. He is most likely to always add a 3. Set KEY TRIGGER on (SHIFT and TEMPO SYNC).
“human” element to the music, some creativity freedom. It is
4. Play several notes and listen to the sound. It always starts by
therefore highly unlikely that he or she would introduce vibrato at
climbing in pitch.
exactly the same time for each note. So it would make sense to
not use Key Trigger for most acoustic instruments. 5. Try the Sine wave. The Sawtooth wave. The Square wave (All in
the LFO section). The same result; the pitch always climbs first.
This becomes even more apparent later, when we discuss
combining tones. For example, if we wanted to mimic the effect 6. Now lower the Pitch Depth to its minimum. The pitch always
of a trumpeter playing with a saxophonist, we would want to moves, or starts, lower.
make things as human as possible. We might use slightly different

74
So now you can see that having positive and negative depth
controls might be useful.

As an example, if we had two tones playing we could make sure

that their vibratos move in opposite directions. However, we need
to leave that concept until we have a lesson on combining tones.

75
Section 5
More Controllers

Mono/Poly For example, play and hold one note, then play a detached scale
There are a range of controls on the GAIA that can enhance the with your other hand. You will soon see why this is referred to as
performance. The first is the Mono function found just above the “last note priority.”
keyboard to the left.
Early analog synthesizers had a range of Mono modes. Some would
Figure 6.6 The Mono/Poly have “high note priority” (any note with a high pitch would play),
button
others “low note priority”.

These modes would often lead to unwanted notes playing.

The GAIA, with it’s “last note priority” tends to be the most musical.

Until now you will have noticed that you can play chords on the Portamento
This effect can be fun even with a very simple sound, so Initialize
GAIA keyboard. However, if you switch on the Mono function you
the Patch, and make sure Mono is switched on (this is just to
will find that you can only play one note at a time. This not only
make the Portamento effect more obvious)
allows you to play like you had a very early analog synthesizer,
that would have been mono only, but also perform like many solo Now switch on Portamento (the button beside the Mono key as
instruments, e.g., a trumpet only plays one note at a time. in Figure 6.4) and play notes like you did above. The result is a
glide effect. Notice that by playing notes close together the
Initialize the Patch and turn on the Mono function. Now when you
Portamento is not so obvious, while notes further apart take
play the keyboard you will only be able to hear single notes. Also,
longer to establish the new pitch. For this reason we tend to
you will hear the last note you play, always.

76
describe the Portamento as a time. The time it takes for the pitch Now try it again. Hold down the Portamento button and rotate the
to move from one note to another. Control 1 knob back and forth. Notice the number buttons? They
also change, but in steps.
Look at Figure 6.7. See how the graphics suggest a link to the
Octave keys? Actually, they show small - and + signs. This is one So the number buttons can be used as a coarse portamento
way to adjust the time of the portamento. However, there are speed control, and they can be used to quickly change between
three ways. larger steps of the time.

Figure 6.7 Portamento Now hold down the Portamento button and repeatedly press the
Octave Up button (or the Octave Down button). You will find the
time gradually changes, just like when you tried Control 1.

Of course, using the software this becomes even more obvious.

Figure 6.8
Press and hold the Portamento button. You will see several Portamento
Software
flashing lights. The number keys flash. The lights beside the
Control 1 knob flash. What does all this mean?

Hold down the Portamento button and experiment with different

settings of Control 1. You will find that at the maximum setting the
Portamento is so slow that you need to wait a second or two to
even hear a pitch change!

So by holding down the Portamento button and adjusting the

Control 1 knob you can accurately set the Portamento time. In the software you can see a readout of the Portamento time
(with Show Numbers switched on) as in Figure 6.8.

77
Experiment with the three methods of adjustment:

1. Hold the Portamento button and press the Octave keys.

2. Hold the Portamento button and rotate the Control 1 knob.

3. Hold the Portamento button and press the Number keys.

4. Each method has its merits, and you might prefer one over the
others. Indeed, there is a fourth method:

5. Hold down the Portamento button and adjust the Fade Time
slider just above it!

In a later lesson we will use the Portamento function to help improve

our sounds. For the moment try playing melodies with a variety of
Portamento settings.

You will find that small settings are reminiscent of a violin

performance, while larger settings really only seem to suit special
effects.

78
Section 6
Pitch Bend and D-Beam

Pitch Bend D-Beam

The Pitch Bend is a very expressive tool. It takes some practice The D-Beam is a Roland device that can control the sound of the
to master, but can always be fun to try. GAIA in a variety of ways by using an invisible beam. By pressing
the Pitch button in the D-Beam section you can lower the pitch
You can set the range of the Pitch Bend both in the software and
of the sound. In the same way you can press the Volume button
on the GAIA itself. As is often the case, it is easier to see in the
and lower the volume.
software. SImply press the Range Setting button to the bottom
left of the software. You can then set the range for both bending Try pressing the Pitch button twice (the light flashes). You will find
up and bending down. that the D-Beam can trigger an orchestra stab sound. Pressing
the Volume button twice will let you trigger an electronic bass
To adjust this setting using the GAIA only, please see page 45 of
drum sound.
the GAIA owner’s manual.
All these settings have further Figure 6.10 D-Beam
variations, and can be
Figure 6.9 Pitch Bender changed to suit your needs.
For these variations please
read the GAIA owner’s
manual.

79
Section 7
Pulse Width Modulation
There is one more control that is related to the LFO. As a hint, You’ll find you have created a very interesting tonal change. If
notice the color surrounding the LFO section. Blue. you switch on the Wave Viewer and play low C, you will see that
the width of the pulse keeps changing. Try lowering the LFO rate
Now look at the first slider in the Oscillator section, it is also blue.
to make this more obvious.
So this is a subtle reminder that this first slider is related to the
LFO, but how? So why isn’t this control in the LFO section?

Follow these steps: The answer comes down to our first description of the three
basic building blocks of sound. Pitch, tone and volume. This
1. Initialize the Patch
control is not changing the pitch or the volume. However, it is
2. Choose the Pulse wave in the Figure 6.11 changing the tone color of the sound quite dramatically, but it is
Oscillator not using the filter to get that result.

3. Raise the PWM slider in the Oscillator That is, the LFO is changing something in the Oscillator (the
to about 50 wave shape) but not the pitch. So it really doesn’t quite fit into
our simple description of the building blocks. It is much easier to
4. Play a note place it as a unique feature of the oscillator.

80
PW and PWM
So now we can easily describe the first two sliders in the
Oscillator. One, marked PW, can set the Pulse Width. The second,
PWM, sets the amount of Pulse Width Modulation. Can you
guess why they are shown the other way around? Placing the
PWM control next to the LFO controls makes more sense.

By following the steps above you have created a sound much like
an electronic organ.

Try raising the attack and release controls in the amplifier. This
sound might also be used as a type of string synthesizer sound.
So you can see why such a simple control can also be very
versatile.

81
Lesson 7

The Action List

In Lesson Six we introduced the Action List. In this

lesson we will experiment further with that powerful
software tool. This will enable you to create and
save patches in a way that can be easily
understood by teachers and friends. It will also
allow us to provide ready made patches for your
analysis, and a way to test your progress.
Section 1
Transport Controls
Let’s begin our examination of the Action
Figure 7.1 The single note on the keyboard. You will hear the GAIA gradually
Action List
List. Please follow these steps. change sound, step by step, exactly the way you created it.

1. Open the software (if it is already To make these changes even more obvious please make sure
open please restart it for this exercise) that Popup numbers is activated (press the Popup button in the
top left of the software display).
2. Initialize the Patch.
So now you understand three of the main transport controls.
3. Press the record button in the Action
They look very much like the transport controls of a CD player.
List (Figure 7.2)
Play, Stop and Record.
4. Now copy all the movements shown Record
Figure 7.2 Transport Controls
in Figure 7.1. Remember that this Action
List is like a recipe. Just follow each step
of the recipe.

5. Press the stop button. Your action

list should look exactly like Figure 7.1. If However, although the other two controls look a little like the
not, please try again from step 1 above. Rewind and Fast Forward controls of a tape recorder they are not
exactly the same. Nor are they exactly the same as the Skip keys
This is how you create an Action List, but
on a CD player. So what do they do?
how can we use it? Press the Play button
in the Action List, and repeatedly play a

83
Press the one that looks like a Rewind key (Figure 7.3), and wait a Now click anywhere in the blank area Figure 7.5
second. You’ll find that the list jumps back to the beginning. below the Action List (Figure 7.5),
then press the “Rewind” key.
Figure 7.3 Previous Action Key You’ll find that the Action List Blank
will again jump back to the Area
top.

From now on we will use the correct

names for these two keys, the
OK. Now click on the very last action in the list (Figure 7.4).
Previous Action key, and the Next
Figure 7.4 Action key.

Summary - Previous Action / Next Action

There are three ways of moving through the Action List.

Press the Previous Action key and Play from the start (if no step is
highlighted).

Press the Previous Action or Next Action keys to move up and

down the list one step at a time (if a step is already highlighted).
So you now see that you can move to any step in the list by
clicking on it. Click on any step in the action list.

Press the “Rewind” key again (Figure 7.3). You’ll find that you can
step back up the list, one at a time.

Press the one that looks like a Fast Forward key and you can
move “forward,” or down the list.

84
Playback Speed
There is one last Transport control, the Playback Speed. It doesn’t
actually alter the speed of each action. However, it does affect the
time between each action. At its default setting there will be a two
second pause between each action.

You may be wondering why it takes a moment for the software to

change the display of each step. The answer lies in the combination
of using the GAIA and the software together. Each time you click on
a step the software needs to calculate all the steps leading up to the
chosen one. In this way you can move back through the sound
making process. However, then the software needs to transmit all
that information to the GAIA itself, via MIDI, to make sure the sound
accurately represents the controls shown.

For a brief discussion about MIDI please refer to page 43 of the GAIA
owner’s manual.

85
Section 2
Editing the Action List
There are two ways you can edit the Action List Please try it; notice what has happened in the list of Figure 7.6.

Moving a Step In the Filter group of controls Figure 7.6

You already know you can select any step in the Action List. It the Decay Time has been set
will then be highlighted in pink. three times. Once to 50, then
to 80, and finally to 75..
Once a step has been highlighted you can change its position in Clearly the programmer
the list by by using Drag and Drop. thought 50 was a good
choice, but then eventually
Movie 7.1 Drag and Drop
changed it to 75. SInce the 75
comes later in the list it
overrides the effect of the first
two settings.

To improve the look of this Action List we could do two things.

We could move the final setting to a more logical place. That is,
because we often refer to the Envelope as an ADSR, it is perhaps
a little clearer if we place the controls in that order.

Then we could delete the two unnecessary steps.

Let’s do it.

86
Click on the final Decay setting (Decay Time - 75), wait until it is Figure 7.8 Neater List
highlighted, and then click and drag it up to just below the Decay
Time - 50 setting (as in Movie 7.1, page 86).

Deleting a Step
You can also delete, or erase, any step in the list.

Click on one of the other Decay settings (Decay Time - 50, say).
Now, in the top right hand corner of the Action List display you
will find an Eraser icon. Click on that, confirm your decision, and
the step is erased.

Figure 7.7 Eraser Key

Bass Guitar
Perhaps you have realized already that this Action List has helped
us create a very simple bass guitar sound. It may not be the best
Do the same for the other Decay setting (Decay Time - 80) bass guitar you have ever heard, but this particular sound has
been used in many recordings, and many styles of music.
Now your Action List is a little neater, as in Figure 7.8.
We will return to analyze this list soon, but for now there are a few
One more interesting point about our Action List so far; notice the
more things to learn about the Action List.
values shown for the Oscillator Wave shape (Figure 7.8)

The diagram is telling you that we have chosen a Pulse Wave,

and the number says we are using variation number one.

87
Section 3
File Controls
At the top left of the Action List display you will see a range of name you have chosen is for display purposes only. You will also
buttons. Many of these will be familiar to you, or easy to have to create a file name in the next step.
interpret, but it’s always wise to make sure you fully understand.
Now click on the “Save” icon, give your file a name (perhaps
NOTE! keep the file extension .s1a) and save your file to your hard drive.
Before we lose all your hard work, let’s use some of these
controls to save this Action List. NEW
Now you can safely try the NEW button. It creates a new blank
Because you have been copying the controls from our list you Action List, as you would expect.
may not have named yours yet. Notice the two blue panes
towards the top of the display. Double click on each of these and
add a Patch title, and your name.

Figure 7.9 Patch Name OPEN

Of course, by pressing the Open icon you can search your hard
drive for the patch you just saved.

For example, we called our Patch; Bass Guitar 1, and used

Roland in the “Created by” field. Please be aware that the Patch

88
The remaining three icons represent a range of functions that are
most useful in a classroom situation.

TEXT SAVE
With this icon you can save the entire list as a text file. This new
file can then be imported into your word processing software to
share with your friends, students or teacher.

PRINT
This icon will print an exact graphical image of the Action List for
sharing.

TEXT PRINT
This icon is like a combination of the previous two. It will print the
Action List directly, but only in text format.

89
Section 4
Bass Guitar Analysis
Now that we have created and edited our bass guitar patch let’s
Action Why
analyze it step by step.
+--- AMP Now to the volume shape
Please note: to create this text we simply used the Text Save
+--- ATTACK TIME :0 An electric bass can be picked, so we use
function, then copied the Action List from that file into our table a short attack
below. +--- DECAY TIME : 90 The bass cannot sustain its sound forever,
so let it decay
Please check all the steps if only to see if you agree with our +--- SUSTAIN LEVEL : 0 as above, the string will eventually stop
vibrating
answers to the “why” column.
+--- RELEASE TIME : 3 The player removes his finger from the
For example, we have chosen to represent a “picked” bass guitar fretboard

sound. +--- FILTER Now to the tone color controls

+--- CUTOFF : 50 Not too bright, and create room for tonal
movement
Action Why
+--- ENV DEPTH : +15 Create the tone color movement suitable
for most acoustic sounds
TONE1 Select the first TONE only
+--- ATTACK TIME :0 Pick the bass, again
+--- OSC Start with the Oscillator controls
+--- DECAY TIME : 75 Let the tone color decay a little quicker
than the volume
+--- PITCH : -12 A bass guitar plays in a bass range, so
lower the octave +--- SUSTAIN LEVEL : 0 Same as for the amplifier

+--- WAVE : PW 1 The Pulse waveform sounds appropriate (try

the others) +--- RESONANCE : 20 Exaggerate the tone color change a little
(sounds more electronic)
+--- PULSE WIDTH : 20 A slightly narrower pulse has more “bite”
+--- RELEASE TIME :2 Same as for the amplifier

90
Section 5
Lesson Seven Assignment
Create a table like the one on Page 90, and analyze this trumpet
patch.

91
Lesson 8

Combining
TONES - Part One

So far we have just been using one TONE. Now we

start to use more of the power of the GAIA by
combining two or three TONES. This will allow us to
travel from the times of early analog synthesis until
the present day. It also means we can start to enjoy
some of the real power of the GAIA synthesizer.
Section 1
TONE Copy
Of course, you already know from previous lessons that the GAIA
Figure 8.2 Two oscillator synthesizer
has three TONES. We can greatly enhance the sound of the
patch by combining all three.

However, let us first recall the days of early analog synthesis.

Many synthesizers from that time had the same three building
blocks we have been using, as in Figure 8.1.

Although the GAIA can do much more than that, let’s first explore
Figure 8.1 Simple synthesizer Flow Chart
a patch much like those typical early synthesizers.

To do this we need to learn how to copy a TONE.

Tone Copy with the GAIA

On the GAIA you can see the Tone Copy button directly above
the three TONE selectors. The Tone Copy is very easy to
That is, they had one Oscillator, one Filter and one Amplifier.
remember if you say these words while performing the actions:
Other synthesizers increased their power by using two
Say these words Perform these actions
Oscillators, or even three. Their Flow Chart would look like Figure
“Copy...” Press the Tone Copy button
8.2.
“from TONE 1...” Press the TONE 1 selector button
From this diagram you can see that the two Oscillators are “to TONE 2” Press the TONE 2 selector button
combined and then travel through the Filter and Amplifier.

93
It’s that easy! So if you then wanted to copy from TONE 2 to
TONE 3, you would simply say; “Copy from TONE 2 to TONE 3” Exercise: try doing the same Tone Copy function using only the
software. You will find it is very easy, so we leave it up to you to
while you press:
choose your favorite method.
The Tone Copy button

The TONE 2 selector button

The TONE 3 selector button.

So why do we want to use the Tone Copy function right now? You
see, if we create a very simple one TONE patch and then copy it,
all three TONES will have the same Filter and Amplifier settings. In
this way we will be able to recreate something like Figure 8.2, on
page 93. It will sound as if we have two or three Oscillators, but
only one Filter and Amplifier.

So we have achieved two things:

We have been able to teach the Tone Copy function.

We have created a way to easily create a three TONE patch.

94
Section 2
Traditional Synth Patch - Part One
Let’s create a simple brass synthesizer sound as if we were using
Audio 8.1 Synth Brass 1
a traditional analog synthesizer. To save time we will begin by
using just the first TONE.

Initialize the Patch and then follow this Action List:

Figure 8.3 Synth Brass Note: we

have taken advantage of the Initial Patch since TONE 1 defaults to a
Sawtooth waveform, and as we learnt earlier the Sawtooth wave has
a brass-like tone color.

You may like to save this Action List onto your hard drive. It really
is a great starting point for synth brass sounds.

Now, make two copies of it. That is, copy TONE 1 to TONE 2,
then TONE 2 to TONE 3. What does it sound like?

It should sound exactly the same, but louder. That is because

you have made two exact copies. So the copies just add to the
level of the sound.
You have created a very simple, single-TONE, synth brass sound.
It is mellow, much like French horns, but the Filter Resonance
gives it that distinctive “electronic” sound.

95
Add Some Detune SuperSaw
For the moment switch off TONE 3 (leaving only two red lights Turn on TONE 3 (three red lights)
on), and follow these steps:
Turn off TONES 1 & 2 (third red light only)
Select TONE 1 (top green light).
Press the Wave button (of TONE 3) until you have the SuperSaw
Raise the Detune (of TONE 1) to +5. Notice how it adds some waveform.
movement to the sound just by being slightly out of tune with
Now play similar chords to what you did above. You will find that
TONE 2. Let’s exaggerate that effect.
the tone color is quite similar to what we have created so far. The
Select TONE 2 (second green light) SuperSaw is a single waveform, but it sounds very much like
many Sawtooth waveforms that have been Detuned.
Lower the Detune (of TONE 2) to -5.
Audio 8.3 Synth Brass 1 (SuperSaw)
To make the sound a little more interesting select the third
variation of the Sawtooth wave for TONE 2. That is, press the
Variation button until the Wave button is green.

Note: Play chords on the keyboard, and you will learn to

appreciate the value of Detune. It adds a sonic richness to the
As a result, the SuperSaw waveform can be very useful. Very
tone color. Also, because we slightly raised the pitch of one
powerful. It has a warm sound, one that gives the impression of
TONE, while lowering the pitch of the other the overall tuning
having many Oscillators.
appears correct.
Most importantly, where we started with two Oscillators and
Audio 8.2 Synth Brass 1 (Detune) added some detuning for warmth, we could have just as easily
used the one Oscillator with the SuperSaw waveform to get the
same result, thereby freeing up the other Oscillators. A more
efficient approach. Add Some Panning

96
Let’s give our new brass sound even more depth of tone color: Reverb
You may also like to switch on some Reverb by pressing the
(Please note, from now on we will assume you know how to
Reverb button in the Effects section of the GAIA. It can really
switch on the TONES, and how to select them)
enhance the sound, but we’ll leave a full discussion of the effects
Switch on all three TONES section for another lesson.

Select TONE 1.
You may have noticed that we have used a small amount of reverb in
Hold the Shift Key and raise the Detune (Pan) knob to +50. the previous audio examples.

Select TONE 2.

Hold the Shift Key and lower the Detune (Pan) knob to -50
Traditional Controls
Now make sure that all three TONES are selected (this is an
Make sure you are panning the sounds by holding the Shift key. important step, all three green lights should be lit), and
Without the Shift key you will, of course, be detuning the experiment with some basic controls like the Cutoff Frequency, or
oscillators too much. the Resonance. You could even try adjusting the Envelope
controls. Notice how it sounds very much like you have at least
Now play your Synth Brass sound. This really is a great analog
three Oscillators passing through just one Filter and one Amplifier.
style sound that could be used in many tracks.
Because you have created a patch that has exactly the same
settings for these building blocks, and you have turned on all the
Audio 8.4 Synth Brass 1 (3 TONES & Panning) TONE selectors you have been able to recreate the functionality
of a traditional 1970s/80s analog synthesizer.

You may wish to save this patch to your user memory!

97
Section 3
Traditional Synth Patch - Part Two
Let’s create another classic analog sound. This time we will be featured on many synths of that era, including an early Roland
aiming for a big solo sound, and once again we will use our Tone synthesizer called the SH-2000(circa 1973). It was often called
Copy technique to save time. the Funny Cat sound.

To begin with, Initialize the Patch and follow this Action List: Figure 8.5 Roland SH-2000

Figure 8.4 Funny Cat

By following this recipe (Action LIst) you will have created a

classic early 1970s synthesizer sound much like what was

98
Tone Copy Again Hands On Expression
As before, we want to save time by using the Tone Copy function. So now let’s get the feel of playing a classic analog synthesizer.
So please go ahead and copy this TONE to TONES 2 and 3. Then Make sure all three TONES are selected, and play the keyboard
follow these steps: while carefully adjusting the Cutoff Frequency and the Resonance
of the Filter.
1. Select TONE 1.
You will find that even a classic 1970s style analog synthesizer
2. Lower the Pitch of TONE 1 to -12 (one octave down)
could have a great deal of expression. This is why, even today,
3. Select TONE 2. the analog style synthesizer is so very popular.

4. Select the Square Wave for TONE 2, and variation 3 (Wave

button green)

5. Select TONE 3.

6. Raise the Pitch of TONE 3 to +12 (one octave up)

7. Select the SuperSaw waveform for TONE 3 (Notice how we

really don’t need to add any Detune to this sound now, the
SuperSaw has already covered that).

Now we are only three small steps away from a classic

synthesizer sound. Simply switch on Mono mode, switch on
Portamento, and switch on the Reverb.

Now play your solo. This is one sound you will have heard many
times before.

99
Section 4
Oscillator Sync
You will notice that we have deliberately avoided one other Now look at this image of the LFO for TONE 1:
control in the Oscillator. It is called Mod, and refers to two special
Notice how the Pitch Depth is set to Figure 8.7 LFO
forms of modulation. The term Sync is short for Oscillator
+45, just as it does in the Action List
Synchronization, but when it comes to analog synthesis it results
of Figure 8.6. However, we need to
in something quite unique.
adjust two more controls.

As before, with the idea of distinguishing between a synthesizer Firstly switch on Tempo Sync.
TONE and Tone Color, we will always refer to Oscillator Sync as
Secondly, switch on Key Trigger (do
distinct from Tempo Sync.
you remember how? Press Shift and
Tempo Sync).
So, let’s begin by creating a patch that uses Sync.
Then adjust the LFO Rate to 1. That
Initialize the Patch, and then follow the steps in this Action List: is, one cycle per whole note, because
with Tempo Sync switched on the LFO Rate moves in musical
Figure 8.6 Sync TONE 1
steps. Play the keyboard and you will find that you have created
a siren effect.

Audio 8.5 Oscillator Sync 1

100
Now switch on TONE 2, select it for editing, and follow this Action
Audio 8.7 Oscillator Sync 3
List:

Figure 8.8 Oscillator Sync 2

To understand what is happening here you need to realize that

you have set the Pitch of TONE 1 higher than that of TONE 2.

Now when you play the keyboard you will have a combination of
Figure 8.9 Sync Diagram
two sounds. One playing the notes as expected, the other rising
and falling in pitch.

Audio 8.6 Oscillator Sync 2

Notice that TONE 1 always begins by climbing in pitch, this is Then, by turning on the Sync function you are asking TONE 1 to
because we have selected Key Trigger. try to synchronize it’s Pitch to that of TONE 2.

Now the exciting part; Press the Mod switch in the Oscillator Take a look at this picture of the two TONES:
section to select Sync. It doesn’t matter if you have TONE 1 or
TONE 2 selected. The Mod switch affects them both. You can see that every time Oscillator 2 crosses the zero axis it
“tells” Oscillator 1 to “start again.” As a result Oscillator 1 exhibits
Play the keyboard and you will get a classic synthesizer sound the character of both pitches. It sounds like it is in tune with
from the early 1980s, one that is still used today. Oscillator 2, but also has some of the character of the higher
pitch.

101
Let’s try another version of this sound. Select TONE 1 and follow
this short Action List:

Figure 8.10 Sync Envelope

Now you have a sound that uses the Pitch Envelope instead of
the LFO. Another patch that was very popular in the early 1980s.
This Sync sound is something like the distortion used for some
guitar sounds, and was often used by keyboard players for guitar-
type melodie

Audio 8.8 Oscillator Sync 4

102
Section 5
Ring Modulation
The second form of Modulation that exists in the GAIA is called Let’s see what it sounds like:
Ring, which is short for Ring Modulation.
Initialize the Patch and follow this Action List:
With Ring Modulation the signals from the two Oscillators are
Note: there is one step in what
multiplied together. This creates a complex, metallic-sounding Figure 8.12 Ring Mod
is called the Common section
waveform. A waveform that is rich in new Harmonics. Action List
of the list where you only need
Figure 8.11 Ring Modulation Diagram to select TONE 2.

When you have finished this

Action List switch on Ring
Modulation.

Note: the Ring Modulator not only creates this new metallic
sound, it also allows the original signal from Oscillator 2 to pass
through unchanged.

103
Try playing the sound with and without Ring Modulation,
particularly in the low octave. Without Ring Mod you can clearly
hear the two pitches.

Audio 8.9 Ring Mod Off

However, with Ring Mod switched on the sound is more of a

metallic Gamelan effect.

Audio 8.10 Ring Mod On

A Gamelan is “a traditional instrumental ensemble of Indonesia,

typically including many bronze percussion instruments.”

104
Lesson 9

Combining
TONES - Part Two

In this lesson we take some of the knowledge we

have gained from previous lessons to create three
powerful synthesizer patches. We will also use the
Action List again, and combine this with software
images for a more complete picture.
Section 1
Synthesizer Strings
One of the most popular synthesizers of the early 1980s was the For our first patch in this lesson we’d like to create a typical
Roland Jupiter-8. synthesizer string patch. For this we first need to understand
some of the logic behind the patch. Let’s concentrate on a legato
Figure 9.1 Roland Jupiter-8 string sound, what does it involve?

Figure 9.2 Strings

For it’s time it was a groundbreaking instrument. It is still fondly Since we are discussing a synthesizer sound we won’t delve too
remembered for it’s warm and rich sounds. In particular, it deeply just yet. Let’s just say there are three basic ideas:
became quite famous for its synthesizer brass and string sounds.
1. The string section involves many players and it would be
impossible for them all to be perfectly in tune.

We created a very similar synth brass sound in the previous lesson. 2. It would also be impossible for them to play exactly in time.

3. The legato sound would suggest a slow attack.

106
This last point may need a little clarification. Of course, the We’ve then slowed down the attack of the sound as discussed
orchestra could play pizzicato where all the players pluck the above, but we’ve also added some release. The release may be
strings. This would suggest a sharper attack. However, if you attributed to the many players all stopping at different times, as
imagine each player slowly drawing the bow across the strings it with the attack. However, in this case we have lengthened the
is easy to understand why the attack would be more gentle. release time simply because it is characteristic of those early
1980s string synth patches.
Then, of course, if you imagine each player bowing at slightly
different times the overall effect could be slower again. Finally we’ve added something new. Very often when we listen to
a real string section the violins sound much brighter to their larger
So now we have our basic plan. We need to recreate the slightly
counterparts. So we have lowered the Cutoff a little to allow us to
out-of-tune, out-of-time, bowing sound.
add some Key follow to the Filter. In this way the higher notes will
One more thing; in the previous lesson we used a sawtooth be a little brighter than the lower notes.
waveform for our brass sounds. We will now learn that the same
Play the keyboard and you’ll find that the lower notes are now a
sawtooth waveform is just as useful for string sounds, but not
little “warmer”. Perhaps a little more pleasing to the ear. As
essential. Let’s start.
always, you can be the judge.
As always, initialize the patch, then follow this Action List for
TONE 1. Audio 9.1 Synth Strings Step One
Figure 9.3 Synth Strings
Notice what we’ve done. Step One
We’ve begun by raising the
pitch to what might be
considered a violin range
(although this would not be
necessary had we been
aiming for a cello sound).

107
Step Two Step Three
Now copy TONE 1 to both TONE 2 and TONE 3. Then, after Now switch on TONE 2, switch off TONE 1, and make Sure TONE
checking that all three TONES are the same, turn off TONES 2 2 is selected for editing (it will be on by default).
and 3, and make sure TONE 1 is selected for editing.
Follow the Action List in Figure 9.5.
Follow this Action List for TONE 1.
Figure 9.5 Step Three
Figure 9.4 Step Two

To make the “players” sound slightly out of tune we have added a

This time we are using a different wave shape. Why?
little modulation, or vibrato. Notice that we haven’t bothered to
change the vibrato rate. This is because the default rate created We have been trying to emphasize the pitch differences of a large
by initializing the patch is close enough. orchestra. So far, we have been using detune and vibrato. This
time we have added another type of modulation. To do this we
We have also added some detune to TONE 1, although it’s hard
have chosen the Pulse wave. Notice that we have chosen
to hear without the other TONES.
variation 3. This is because that particular Pulse wave sounds a
little more like a string sound.
Audio 9.2 Synth Strings Step Two
Then we have added some Pulse Width Modulation, and lowered
the rate so that it will sound very different to the vibrato we used
for TONE 1. Another subtle difference.

108
We have also decided to add to the detune effect by lowering the Step Four
tuning of TONE 2 (detune). Turn on both TONES 1 and 2, and follow this Action List.

So now we have TONE 1 with some pitch modulation, and TONE Figure 9.6 Step Four
2 with some tone color modulation. We’re getting very close.

Audio 9.3 Synth Strings Step Three

Looking closely you will find that we have simply added two small
changes. We have panned TONE 1 a little to the right, and TONE
2 a little to the left.

In this way we have added some spatial depth. That is, a real
string section would be seated right across the stage, not all in
one chair.

Remember that to pan a TONE you need to hold the Shift key and
rotate the Detune knob.

109
So now we have quite a convincing “string” sound. Play the Step Five
keyboard. Are we close? Now we’re going to cheat a little. So far we have been doing
everything we can to add to the modulation of this sound. To
Audio 9.4 Synth Strings Step Four simulate the subtle pitch and tone color differences between all
the violins, etc..

However, the GAIA has a secret weapon in this area:

SuperSaw
You already know that the SuperSaw waveform is designed to
replicate the effect of having
many sawtooth waves played Figure 9.7 Step Five
slightly out of tune.

So simply switch on TONE 3,

select it for editing, and then
select the SuperSaw wave
shape.

Add some reverb and enjoy!

Audio 9.5 Synth Strings Step Five, with

Reverb

110
Let’s summarize this patch.
Figure 9.8 Basic String Synthesizer
1. Use string-like waveforms.

2. Add as much modulation as possible (pitch and tone color)

3. Slow the attack to simulate legato bowing.

4. Slow the release to taste.

Put like this it all sounds so simple.

You could also add to the fun by selecting all three TONES for
editing and adjusting the attack and release settings. You’ll find
you can easily create a whole range of synth string sounds.

Try adjusting the Filter Cutoff frequency for mellow strings.

Perhaps you’d like to save this patch. It can be a great starting

point for many synth sounds.

We also give you Figure 9.8 of the final result.

Figure 9.8 shows the software with Show Numbers switched on. In
the software you could click on these numbers, delete the given
setting and then type in the settings from this Figure if you wish.

111
Section 2
Real Strings
In this section we hope to recreate the sound of real marcato Initialize the patch, and follow this Action List:
strings. That is, a full string section with much shorter attack and
release times. Figure 9.9 Real Strings 1

To do this we will use logic that starts from a slightly different

perspective, but also take advantage of some ideas from the
previous section.

Let’s begin with a single violin. Imagine the player drawing the
bow across the strings. What does the beginning of the note
sound like? More importantly, imagine the sound of a beginner
playing that same violin. That scratchy sound as the bow first
begins to move until the string vibrates enough to maintain the
note. So perhaps we should try to mimic that scratchiness.

Next, remember how we said earlier that a performer rarely plays

with vibrato from the very first moment. He or she will usually
introduce some vibrato a little later.
Audio 9.6 Real Strings 1
Finally, picture the violinists swaying as they play. Trying to add
as much expressions as possible. These are the things we’ll use
as our starting points.

112
Now let’s examine what we have done. In order to recreate our We have delayed the onset of the vibrato.
first violin we have begun with a relatively slow attack. Not too
We have also raised the rate of the LFO so that the vibrato
slow, however, because we hope to play with a more detached
sounds a little more like that of a string player.
style.

We have also used a fairly realistic release, one that sounds like
Note: although we could have raised the pitch to simulate the range
the string is comfortably coming to rest. of a violin, in this case we have chosen a medium range, more like
that of a viola or cello.
Most importantly, we have used a slow decay to a medium
sustain level. This will allow the sound to have some expression.
In other words, if you play any sustained notes then the level will So now we have a solo violin, let’s add to it by adding a slightly
rise to a maximum and then settle into a comfortable volume. different version of the same violin.

Try it. Copy TONE 1 to both TONES 2 and 3, then select only TONE 2.

The Filter Section

Now to the very important Filter section. Looking closely you will
find that we have lowered the Cutoff Frequency. This is because
we have added some Envelope Depth to the Filter.

In this way we have managed to maintain a thin tone color for the
very beginning, that settles into a slightly warmer sound for
sustained notes. In other words, we have recreated that
“scratchy” beginning to the sound.

Finally, we have added some modulation. We’ve added some

vibrato, tremolo and tone color modulation, all designed to
recreate the natural sound of a violin played with vibrato.

113
Now follow this Action List: Now let us take further advantage of what we learnt in the
previous section.
Figure 9.10 Real Strings 2
Figure 9.11 Real Strings 3

Audio 9.7 Real Strings 2

Here we have borrowed an idea from the previous section on Audio 9.8 Real Strings 3
Synth Strings by choosing the Pulse waveform and adding to the
modulation (or vibrato) effect by using some PWM.

We have also changed the LFO rate to emphasize the difference

between the vibrato of our first and second violins.

If you now play TONES 1 and 2 together you will hear that we are
getting very close to a rich string section, even though, so far, we
only have two players.

114
Firstly, we’ll add dome spatial depth by using some Oscillator Finally, we will once again use the wonderful SuperSaw waveform
Detune. to warm up the sound. Notice that we have removed the LFO
effects from TONE 3. The SuperSaw has enough modulation
Figure 9.12 Real Strings 4 already.

Also, we have adjusted the balance of TONES 1 and 2 to improve

the blend of the sound.

Add some reverb and enjoy!

Audio 9.9 Real Strings 4

You might like to add a very small amount of Portamento to this

Patch. This could suggest the lack of frets on string instruments
where the players may not immediately hit the pitch correctly.

115
Section 3
Real Brass
From the previous section you will understand that using a Like before, we have raised the pitch of our trumpet to a more
subtractive synthesizer can allow you to get very close to the appropriate range.
sound of real instruments. Figure 9.13 Real Brass 1
Also, we have placed our
Of course, the final result is not perfect, but in the 1970s and 80s trumpet player in the middle
this is all we had! If you listen to records of the time and hear by not panning this TONE.
what sounds like real strings then it is most likely they used a real
Add some reverb just to see if
orchestra, although not always. So let’s explore a little further,
we are getting close. You
just to see if we can take these techniques and improve the
could leave the reverb on until
brass sound we created earlier.
we finish this patch if you
We’ll start with this same concept of copying the individual wish.
instruments. In this case, a trumpet, a trombone and a
saxophone.

Initialize the patch, and follow this Action List for TONE 1:

It basically recreates the trumpet sound we made earlier,

although this one has been modified to work with the other two
tones. Audio 9.10 Real Brass 1

In particular, we have used the third variation of the Sawtooth

waveform.

116
Now let’s try TONE 2. This time we want to change our trumpet to The LFO rate, and fade time also varies from those of TONE 1.
something more like a trombone, as in Figure 9.14.
We have placed the trombone “to the right” of our trumpet by
We have used the first variation Figure 9.14 Real Brass 2 using a positive pan amount.
of the Sawtooth waveform
We have also used a different filter slope. Such subtle changes
here. This is to help clearly
can really make all the difference.
distinguish between the two
TONES so far.

Indeed, any small changes we

can make will enhance the idea
of hearing three players. Notice
that the attack times are
slightly different also.

Most importantly, we have not

raised the pitch of TONE 2
which means our two TONES
are now playing in octaves.

Audio 9.11 Real Brass 2

117
So now we can complete our brass section by adding the
Audio 9.12 Real Brass 3
saxophone. If only it were that easy!

The saxophone has been described as the closest thing to the

human voice. It is so expressive. The tonal character can change
dramatically for each note, even during the note.

So here we’ll compromise by creating a sax-like sound, but in Let’s analyze TONE 3 more closely.
doing so we’ll introduce a few
We’ve begun by introducing a thin Pulse waveform that is slightly
ideas that can be very useful in a
Figure 9.15 Real Brass 3 detuned. We have used a few tricks from the previous sections.
whole range of synthesizer
Different attacks and LFO settings. We’ve panned our
sounds.
“saxophone” to the left.
Please follow the Action List in
However, then we have added something very interesting.
Figure 9.15 for TONE 3.

Notice how we have used the

PKG Filter shape. Even though it
is quite an “electronic” sounding
Filter it does help us by clearly
defining this TONE in relation to
the other two.

118
Pitch Envelope Or more correctly, since the Attack is set to zero, it would look
We have added a negative amount of Pitch Envelope depth, with like Figure 9.18.
a fast decay.
Figure 9.18 “Sax” Pitch Envelope
So instead of the Pitch Envelope looking like this:

Figure 9.16 Positive Pitch Envelope

It looks more like Figure 9.17.

This has given our “saxophone” a characteristic “bark” at the
Figure 9.17 Negative Pitch Envelope beginning. Switch on all three TONES and play this new sound.
Perhaps it’s not perfect, but it is still a great sound.

Audio 9.13 Real Brass, all three TONES

119
Section 4
Lesson Nine Assignment
As an exercise, see if you can create the sound of a woodwind
ensemble. Here are a few hints.

1. Perhaps consider using a flute, clarinet and bassoon.

2. The flute sound might be close to the Triangle waveform.

3. The clarinet is most likely to be a Square waveform.

4. The bassoon might be some type of Pulse shape.

5. When played together they really should have that ensemble

feel. That is, they are very unlikely to be perfectly in tune, or
in time.

A suggested “answer” can be found on the next page.

120
Woodwind Section
Listen to each TONE separately, and try to analyze the decisions
made to create this sound.

Figure 9.19 Woodwind Section

Audio 9.14 Woodwind Section

121
Lesson 10

Effects

We will approach this lesson a little differently. Much

of its content is simplified electronic theory, and
therefore not essential to understanding Subtractive
Synthesis. However, you may find the explanations
interesting. At the same time we will use
experimentation to better understand the power of
the GAIA effects section.
Section 1
Delay Effects
Let’s begin with a new Action List.
Figure 10.2 Select Effects Edit
Screen
As you can see it is designed Figure 10.1 Simple Guitar
to recreate a simple guitar
sound. In fact, if you compare
this Action List to the one at
the very beginning of Lesson
Seven you will find it is not far
removed from our early Bass
Guitar sound.

Play the sound for a few

Then you’ll find your self in the Effects Edit screen, like this:
moments. Try adding some
pitch bend and modulation
Figure 10.3 Effects Edit Screen
with the Bender lever.

Simple Delay
Now let’s add some delay. On the GAIA itself it is very easy to
just press the delay button. However, the software has an entire
page set aside for effects. It can be accessed by pressing the
Effects Edit button as shown in Figure 10.2.

123
So now you can choose which method you prefer. Hardware or This device really was an elaborate tape recorder. It had one
software. Either way you can turn on a delay signal. record head, and several playback heads. A loop of magnetic
tape would pass the record head, receiving the signal. It would
What is Delay? then travel on to the first playback head.
We’ve all seen movies where someone might yell out to the
mountains. They say; “hello,” and some time later they hear their Depending upon how fast the tape was moving this first playback
voice return; “hello.” The sound might not be as clear, but is very head would replay the signal after a small time-delay. The result
definitely an echo of their voice. was much the same as the guy in the mountains.

This time-delay occurs because sound travels at a finite speed. It However, then the tape would pass more playback heads, each
takes some time for the sound of the voice to reach the first with a slightly greater delay caused by the tape passing them in
mountain, and then the same amount of time to bounce back. succession. As a result the Delay would be repeated. A sort of;
“hello,” “hello,” hello,” “hello” effect.
This is what we refer to as Delay in the GAIA. You play a note, and
after a predetermined time-delay you will hear that note played
Times Change
again.
As time moved on it became obvious that the Tape Delay concept
So, back in the 1980s, how was that effect achieved? wasn’t going to last. The tapes would wear out, degrading the
sound. Being a mechanical device the parts would need constant
Actually, prior to that, musicians would use what they called a maintenance.
tape delay, like the very famous Roland RE-201.
So a better solution was needed, preferably purely electronic.
Figure 10.4 Roland RE-201
One of the earliest solutions was to take advantage of what was
called a “bucket brigade” device.

Imagine a fireman trying to put out a fire. Let’s say that his water
outlet is 15 meters from the blaze. Of course, he could just fill the

124
bucket and throw the water towards the fire. That would have a This recording is incredibly accurate, and can simply be “told” to
quick result, but may waste a lot of water if he missed. replay itself when needed. Complicated circuitry, but a very
simple result.
A better alternative would be to have five firemen, all standing a
meter apart. The first would fill the bucket, then pass it to the So switch on the Delay (either method) and try playing the Simple
second, and on to the third, and so on. Eventually the fifth fireman Guitar sound.
would be close enough to accurately douse the fire.
Figure 10.5 Delay
However, the only downfall is that it will take a little longer.

This is the whole idea behind a circuit created to reproduce an

electronic Delay. Instead of the signal being passed directly to the
output, it would be sent to a small circuit that took a finite amount
of time to process it. That circuit would pass it on to another
similar circuit with the same processing delay problem. Then on
to another. And another. Finally the signal would be sent to the
output having been delayed by all the previous circuitry.

An electronic Bucket Brigade.

The GAIA Delay

The GAIA Delay, however, is something quite different. Modern
technology has brought another idea called Digital Sampling.

With Digital Sampling the GAIA can make an exact digital

“recording” of the sound, much like what you hear when you play
a CD or an mp3.

125
Delay Experiment One
Before we explore the Delay section more deeply let’s have some fun. Rather than Initializing the Patch this time, please select Preset
Patch A-1 (That is press the Preset Patch button, press the Bank button and then the number 1 button (A), then press the number 1
button again).

You now have a very rich bass synthesizer sound, but let’s make two quick changes:

1. Raise the pitch by one octave with the Octave Up button.

2. Change it from a Mono sound to a Poly sound by pressing the Mono button (to switch it off).

Switch on the Delay effect and play simple phrases on the keyboard. After a while you’ll find that you’ll tend to play at a specific tempo.
This is because the Delay Time is suggesting a rhythm.

Play a staccato note on high G. Can you count the delays?

Let’s assume that each delay represents an 1/8th note. You should be able to count 1 & 2 & 3 & ....but then the Delay has faded away.

Do this a few times, until you can clearly hear the 1/8th note rhythm, and then play the staccato notes shown in Figure 10.6.

Figure 10.6 Delay Phrase

Notice that by the time you reach the fifth measure the result is like
playing chords. So a Delay can be much more than just an
Audio 10.1 Delay Phrase recording
effect, it can add to the music in so many ways.

Audio 10.1 is an audio recording of Figure 10.6.

126
Delay Experiment Two Figure 10.8 Delay with Feedback
While playing phrases like you have just done on the previous
page try adjusting the Delay Time. This can be easily done using
the Delay Time control shown in the Effects page of the software,
or by using the Control 1 knob in the Effects section of the GAIA.

You will very quickly understand the idea of changing the Delay
Time, however the next control is not so obvious.

That is what we call Feedback.

Feedback
To explain Feedback we’d like you to imagine the Delay as a
single block. Play a note and the signal goes straight through the
Delay Experiment Three
Once again select Preset Patch A-1, switch on Delay and play a
box to the output, although with a slight delay.
single staccato note. As before you will hear a short series of

Figure 10.7 Simple Delay delays.

Now lower the Feedback level to a minimum (use the Feedback

control in the software, or Control 2 on the GAIA (Shift and
Control 1).

You will find that the sound is exactly as we described it in Figure

10.7. One input sound and one delay.
Now imagine that as soon as the signal reaches the output it is
If you raise the Feedback control to its maximum, the delays will
also sent back through the box! It will be delayed again. That is, if
repeat for a very, very long time.
you feed the delayed signal back to itself it will create another
delay. However, when you do this listen to what happens to the sound.
It is as if the tonal character is changing as well as the volume.
This is due to the next control.

127
High Damp minimum of -36 to a maximum of zero. So when the High Damp
High Damp stands for High Frequency Dampening. It is very control is set to a maximum there is no dampening at all.
much like the Low Pass Filter we have been using throughout this
book, although not exactly the same. In fact, if you imagine the Panning Delay
Press the Panning Delay button and you will find it behaves as if
signal being sent back through the Delay, as in Figure 10.8 on the
the guy in the mountains was standing between two mountains.
previous page, each time it passes through it loses more high
One on his left and one on his right.
harmonics.
Experiment with the same controls from the previous section, but
The result is that the signal gradually loses more and more
you will find that the only clear difference is the panning of the
brightness.
delays.
Delay Experiment Four
As before, select Preset Patch A-1 and raise the Feedback You might be interested to know that the normal Delay is also a
amount to its maximum. Then.... stereo delay. If you pan the TONE to the left the Delay will also occur
on the left side. Same for panning to the right. In fact, if you were to
1. Lower the High Damp to a minimum and play a staccato sweep the panning from left to right while playing a phrase, the
note. The note will again repeat for a long time but delayed phrase will still sweep from left to right just like the original.

immediately begins to lose brightness.

2. Turn the Delay off, and back on. Raise the High Damp to a Tempo Sync
In our first Delay Experiment on page 126 we learnt that the Delay
maximum and play a staccato note. Once again the delay will
effect can be very musical. This becomes even more obvious
repeat for a long time but this time the sound doesn’t seem to
when you switch on the Tempo Sync button. You will find that the
be losing high harmonics.
Delayed signal now occurs at different times.
Did you notice that to get maximum dampening you needed to
Fortunately, the software makes this very easy to understand.
set the control to the minimum? This control works in a negative
fashion, which is confirmed by using Show Numbers in the
software. Then you will see that High Damp sweeps from a

128
On the left hand side you will see the Master Tempo control. It
Figure 10.10 Tempo
has a knob and a readout in beats per minute. Sync

Figure
10.9

When Tempo Sync is switched on this knob will also control the
Delay Time. However, if you have Show Numbers displayed then
the Delay Time, as shown in the software, will be shown as
musical values. Values like quarter note, eighth note, eighth note
triplet, etc..

Try several settings just to see how they might change your
playing style.

129
Before we leave the delay section let’s use it to explain a few
Figure 10.12 1KHz Sine wave
other effects. Set the Delay controls as shown in Figure 10.11.

Figure 10.11 Switch the Delay off and play a chord.

Then switch the Delay on and play the
same chord. Can you hear how greatly
the tone color changes? Why is that?

The answer lies in the wave shape.

Suppose we have a 1KHz Sine wave

as in Figure 10.12.

A 1KHz wave means 1000 cycles per

second. So one cycle must be Figure 10.13 1 millisecond delay
1/1000th of a second long, or 1
millisecond.

Now we’ll add a 1millisecond Delay to

this Sine wave....The result would look
like Figure 10.13.

You can see that because we have the

1Khz wave delayed by exactly 1ms
the delayed signal will appear at the
same time as the next cycle. If we then add the two signals
together the signal would have twice the amplitude (it would be
twice as “loud”).

130
However, what would happen if we played a note at 500Hz? 2.5KHz wave will have zero. All the frequencies in between will
have variations of the maximum amplitude.
Using the same logic as before, a 500Hz wave would have one
full cycle every 1/500th of a second. So it’s wave length would be Whether or not the harmonics are amplified or reduced is entirely
twice as long as that of the 1KHz wave. That would make its dependent upon the relationship between their frequency and the
wave length to be 2ms long as in Figure 10.14. delay time.

Figure 10.14 500Hz Sine wave Even without going too deeply into the mathematics behind all
this you can understand that we have created a very complex
type of filter. If we were to now play a note with many harmonics
(not just a sine wave) then some harmonics will be removed (or
filtered) while others will be emphasized, and they will all be
certain multiples of each other.

The result is called a comb filter for obvious reasons, and is

shown in Figure 10.15. It is a distant relative of the Low Pass
Filter, though far more complex.

However, you can also see from Figure 10.14 that a 1ms delay will Figure 10.15 A Comb Filter
cause the 500Hz delayed signal to appear exactly half a cycle
later. So now if we add the two signals together they would
completely cancel each other out! The result would be zero
amplitude (zero “volume”).

The same type of thing will happen at other frequencies. For

example, a 2KHz wave will have twice the amplitude, but a

131
All this theory explains why the tone color will change depending Experiment with these controls. You’ll soon find that the very
upon the Delay time, however, it will help explain much more. simple idea of Delay can have strong control of the tonal
character of your sounds.
Initialize the patch, and set the Delay according to Figure 10.11
on page 128.

Now grab the Control 1 knob in the Effects section of the GAIA
Important Note: The GAIA is first and foremost a musical instrument.
with one hand and play a chord on the keyboard with the other. The description used here to explain this Harmonic cancellation
effect has been greatly simplified by assuming we can create a 1KHz
Slowly and carefully move the knob up and down through Delay
signal.
times between about 2 and 7 (you may need to watch the Show
However, a 1KHz note would be somewhere between B5 and C6 on
Numbers display in the software to confirm this movement).
any instrument tuned to the standard A440.
Otherwise just make the movements quite small.
Even though the GAIA could produce that note using pitch bend, we
What do you hear? have really chosen the 1KHz frequency for simplicity only.

It’s a great sound isn’t it! It’s called Flanging, and we’ll explore it
further in the next section.

132
Section 2
Modulation Effects

Flanging So now you can try the Flanger in the GAIA. Simply Initialize the
In the previous section you were shown how to create a Flanging patch, and press the Flanger button in the Effects section. You
effect using only the Delay controls. So what exactly were you will find it is very similar to what you created with the Delay
doing? settings, but more controlled.

Remember the Comb Filter that is created by delaying a signal? Long before digital Flangers were created a very similar effect was
achieved by recording a signal onto two tape recorders. Then as the
Figure 10.16 Comb Filter two signals were retrieved and mixed together onto a third recorder
an engineer would apply pressure to the tape reel of the first
recorder.

This would slow down the playback of that machine causing a very
slight delay. Of course, because he used his finger to achieve this the
pressure was never exact, so the delay would vary slightly, much like
what you were doing in the previous section.

Some say the result was called “flanging” because the engineer was
pressing on the “flange”, or edge of the tape reel. Others say John
This particular filter shape was created by using a very short Lennon of The Beatles coined the phrase simply because he liked
Delay Time, but in the last part of the previous section you were the sound but didn’t know what to call it, and “flange” was a funny
asked to vary the Delay time slightly. As a result you were word used by comedians on English radio at the time.
sweeping this Comb Filter up and down the frequencies,
constantly changing the tone color by canceling some harmonics
while emphasizing others.

133
The Flanger Chorus
Having explored the technicalities of flanging via the Delay The Chorus effect is another sound pioneered by Roland when
section you should now quite easily they released the world’s first Chorus pedal, the CE-1 under the
Figure 10.17 Flanger understand the controls. Boss brand.

As in the Delay section, the Feedback Figure 10.18 Boss CE-1 (Circa 1976)
control will adjust how much of the
Flanged signal is then fed back to the
input of the Flanger to be treated
again. The result being a more
pronounced effect.

The Depth adjusts the “width” of the

modulation, or how far the comb filter
will sweep over the frequency range.

The Rate adjusts the speed of the

modulation. That is, how fast is the It created a unique sound by adding a subtle vibrato to a delayed
Comb Filter moving up and down signal, and then mixing it together with the original.
through the frequency range.
The overall effect is very similar to using the GAIA Flanger effect
Level controls the overall output. with no feedback. Please try it.

Notice that nearly every GAIA effect uses four controls. Controls 1, 2, You will also find that the Flanger (Chorus)
3 and Level. Using the GAIA alone you can access Controls 2 and 3 effect is a stereo effect, adding subtle
via the Shift key. changes to the left and right signals.

134
The Phaser The Pitch Shifter
The Phaser effect is not quite so easy to explain. Essentially it A Pitch Shifter is a relatively new digital effect. Basically, this is
was another attempt at recreating the old tape recorder “flanging” achieved by taking the original signal and calculating what it
effect. would sound like at a different pitch.

However, where tape reel flanging creates a Comb Filter with

In reality, all the effects in the GAIA are the result of similar digital
notches that are multiples of a specific frequency, a phaser circuit calculations. In most cases they have been designed to faithfully
would create just three or four notches at chosen frequencies. recreate the sounds of circuits from the past.

As a result, the sound was quite different to Flanging, but could

be used as a similar effect. Figure 10.19 Pitch Shifter Notice that Control 3 has no
effect because the Pitch Shifter
Flanging has often been compared to the sound of a jet engine, effect only needs three controls.
while Phasing sounds more like a rotating speaker.
Just like in the Oscillator section
Whether you choose Flanging or Phasing is entirely up to you. It of the GAIA, the Pitch control
is quite often a very personal choice. Some find Flanging to be adjusts the signal in semitone
too “deep.” Too musical. Perhaps because the notches have a steps.
musical relationship.
However, the Detune function has
Others find Phasing too “sweet” and prefer the depth of the a subtle difference. Yes, it fine
Flanging effect. tunes the signal, however, it
affects the left and right signal
Overall they both have their uses and have appeared in much of
differently, creating a stereo
the music of recent times.
effect.

Because the Phaser was invented to recreate the Flanging effect the By the way, using Shift and
controls all behave the same way. Control 3 on the GAIA is the same
as using Control 1 alone.
135
Section 3
Distortion Effects

Distortion Then imagine that the Sine wave is actually larger than the
The word distort means to “pull or twist out of shape”. One of the “doorway” of the amplifier. The resulting shape will have to be
easiest ways to do that electronically is to simply overload a distorted. The top and bottom of each cycle will be clipped.
circuit.
Figure 10.21 Clipped Sine waveform
That is, imagine a group of people walking through a doorway.
The doorway is two meters high. Obviously, any one shorter than
two meters will have no trouble passing through, but what about
the basketball player at 2.2 meters. He or she will have to
“distort” their shape. They will have to at the very least bend
down, or lose their head!
Indeed, we refer to such a signal as being “clipped”.
So let’s return to our Sine waveform, and imagine that as we
pass it forward, the Amplifier section will only allow signals of a Actually, guitarists have used this idea for many years. A guitar
specific amplitude. amplifier will typically involve chaining two amplifier circuits. The
first one is designed specifically to make it’s signal too large for
Figure 10.20 Unchanged Sine waveform
the second circuit. As a result the sound is distorted.

Another possibility is to use a single amplifier circuit to make a

signal that is too large for the speaker to handle. This is called
speaker distortion and although it has a particularly pleasing
sound to some, it’s not all that great for the speaker.

136
So the Distortion effect in the GAIA is actually a simulation of a Fuzz
variety of guitar amplifier sounds. Distorted guitar amplifier sounds became so popular during the
1960s that it was only natural for electronic engineers to want to
Figure 10.22 DIST The first control, Drive, is very much like
try to make simple circuits that could recreate that sound.
the first amplifier circuit in a two circuit
guitar amplifier, as described on the One early result was called a fuzz pedal. It created a highly
previous page. It is designed to make distorted sound, much like that of the distorted amplifier, but not
the signal too large for the output circuit, exactly. It was different enough to warrant its own category.
and will therefore clip the signal. More
Drive means more clipping. The sound was more like running every circuit to its maximum
level, and then connecting it to a speaker that had very little
The Type control will select different chance of dealing with that level of signal. Guitarists would refer
amplifier types. British Stack or U.S. to that idea as overdriving the speaker.
Combo perhaps. As a result it works like
a global distortion tone color control. In the GAIA the Fuzz effect uses all these ideas. It’s like
connecting the Distortion effect to a range of speaker cabinets.
Presence is very much like a more Each cabinet will create a unique sound, but all within that heavily
subtle tone color control, and can be overdriven category.
thought of as a single tone control on
the guitar amplifier. As a result, the controls in the Fuzz effect section behave exactly
as you would expect after studying the Distortion effect.
As always, the Level control governs the
overall output from the guitar amplifier
effect.

137
Bit Crash Figure 10.24 Meter blocks
Although the Bit Crash effect is located in the Distortion section it
really is something quite unique. That is because it is a
completely digital effect, not a simulation of an analog one.

Suppose you’re in the woods and come across a cave!

Figure 10.23 Cave entrance

You soon realize your attempts may be futile. The block size

Sounds coming from within that cave suggest a wild animal may results in huge gaps that the animal may still escape through!

attack you at anytime. However, you find a pile of concrete blocks Put another way, the shape you are creating with the blocks
nearby, so you can save yourself by blocking the entrance with doesn’t resemble the shape of the cave entrance.
the blocks.
Let’s assume you have no way of breaking the blocks. How are
The only problem is, the blocks are all a meter square! you going to save yourself?

138
One solution would be to find some smaller blocks! Sampling
This is the whole concept of digital sampling. A digital device
Figure 10.25 300mm blocks
deals only in numbers. In order for this device to recreate a Sine
wave, for example, it must use digital “blocks” much like in Figure
10.25.

It cannot simply draw a line and have a Sine wave. It must “draw”
the shape one step (block) at a time. The width of the blocks is
like a measurement of time; how often can it draw a part of the
wave shape? This is called the sampling rate.

The height of the blocks is governed by the power of the sampler.

How accurate can each measurement be? How many bits of
information may I use to measure the shape?

Sampled Sounds with Bit Crash Effect

Assuming you were lucky enough to find another pile of 300mm This is what Bit Crash can achieve. Instead of making a perfect
blocks, you can now see that the animal has far less chance of “drawing” of the wave shape, you can decide to use a lower
escaping. Why? Because the smaller blocks have allowed you to sampling rate, and/or use less bits of information. Both methods
make a better copy of the shape of the cave entrance. will make a less accurate representation of the wave shape. A
type of distorted shape will result.
Safe at last!
This can result in quite a nasty sound, so the GAIA includes a
Actually, you are safe for two reasons. One, because the blocks
dedicated Filter in the Bit Crash effect in order to smooth out the
weren’t as wide. The other because they weren’t as high. You
sound.
could have simply chosen blocks that were 300mm high by 1m
wide. Or the other way around. For a great example please try Preset Patch B-8, where the Bit
Crash effect creates a vocal sound!

139
Section 4
Reverb and Boost

Reverb The Type control is much like the Type

Figure 10.26
If you have ever been to a cathedral or large empty hall you will Reverb control in the Distortion section, but this
have heard this wonderful effect. It is a close relative of the delay time governs the type of Reverb. That of
effect we discussed earlier. Remember the guy in the mountains? a small room or a large hall.

That is exactly what is happening in the cathedral. However, the Another type of Reverb is called a plate.
cathedral is not just one reflective surface. The sound bounces This term comes from a studio device
off the ceiling, the walls, the floor. It will then bounce many more that was created to simulate real audio
times. reverberation. The signal was sent to a
large plate of metal (often gold metal),
It is almost a never ending reflection of sound from all corners of causing the plate to vibrate. However,
the building, all mixing together to make one magnificent effect. being metal, it would attempt to keep

That effect we call reverberation, or reverb for short. vibrating long after the signal had
finished, much like acoustic
The GAIA uses a series for high level calculations to recreate that reverberation.
effect. Looking closely you will find some very familiar controls.
The High Frequency Dampening control
The time is very much like the Time control in the Delay section. is much the same as the one in the
Of course, Reverb is much more than just one delay, so the Time Delay section, but can be used to
control really determines the overall length of all the reproduce the effect of different
reverberation. reverberating surfaces. Wood, cloth, etc.

140
Boost
The Boost effect is the simplest of them all. It is a very simple SUMMARY:
bass level control. Simply press the Boost button to increase the
DISTORTION and FUZZ create overdriven sounds, much like a
bass frequencies of the overall sound.
distorted guitar amplifier and speaker.

Figure 10.27 BIT CRASH reduces the accuracy of the waveform. A type of purely
Boost digital distortion.

DELAY creates a series of stereo echoes. PANNING DELAY creates a

similar series where the echoes occur on alternate sides of the
sound field.

PITCH SHIFT adds a digitally created copy of the signal playing at a

different pitch. A stereo effect can be produced by detuning the left
We haven’t experimented with many of these effects so far, but and right processed signal.
we’ll put them to good use in the next section.
BOOST simply increases the bass frequencies.

141
Section 5
First Effects
Here is a Patch with very famous use of effects. So just follow these few easy steps.

In 1976 Roland released what was referred to as a “String 1. Initialize the Patch
Machine.
2. Raise the Amplifier Attack and Release controls to just under
half way.
Figure 10.28 Roland RS-202
3. Select the SuperSaw waveform (you’re already close)

4. Switch on the Flanger

5. Turn the Effect Control 1 down to a minimum (remembering

that this recreates a type of stereo chorus).

6. Add reverb and enjoy! Try it one octave higher (Octave up).
At the time such devices were very popular. Basically, they were
This has to be the easiest patch to create and still be so very
a very simple synthesizer that took advantage of specific effects.
useful.
Let’s recreate that sound in the simplest way possible.
By the way, this sound was often recorded with some delay, so
OK, we’re trying to make a String Synthesizer sound. From try switching on the Panning Delay, although you may need to
Lesson Nine we learnt that requires as much modulation as play long, slow phrases for best effect.
possible, and a slow attack and release.

142
Overdrive Add some effects:
Before finishing this Lesson we should try a patch with the lot.
1. Turn on Distortion
Here is the Synth Bass we created back in Lesson Seven.
2. Turn On Flanging
Remember to start by initializing the patch and then follow this
Action List. 3. Turn on Panning Delay

Figure 10.29 Synth Bass 4. Add Reverb and Low Boost.

Try playing this sound, but watch the volume. It is a wild guitar-
lead-type sound.

Try it one or two octaves higher.

Notice how the Distortion really does work like a guitar amplifier.
That is, if you play a single note there is some strong distortion,
but play two notes and there is much more distortion.

Why? Because by adding another note you are effectively

doubling the level of the sound entering the distortion effect.

Try three notes. At times this distortion can just be too much. You
would then have two choices. Play less notes at once, or lower
the Drive control (Control 1). You might find that playing notes
that are in fifths and fourths is very reminiscent of a guitar effect.

143
Lesson 11

Combining
TONES - Part
Three

Part three of our Combining TONES series

introduces some advanced techniques. One of the
great things about the GAIA is that it can be treated
as three completely separate synthesizers or
TONES. These TONES can then be combined in a
variety of ways, and that is exactly what we will
explore next.
Section 1
Phased Electric Piano
For hundreds of years the keyboard of choice has always been
Figure 11.1 Roland RD-700NX SuperNATURAL Stage Piano
the piano. It is a remarkably expressive instrument, with an
extraordinarily rich tone color. It can be played with extreme
subtlety, or rock out with the best.

Unfortunately, it is also very heavy. Transporting a full grand

piano can be extremely difficult and expensive. Even small
movements can change the tuning, making it almost impossible
The more popular of these instruments involved using acoustic
to use in many live band situations.
piano hammers to hit thin pieces of metal called “tines”.
As a result there have been many attempts to provide a solution Obviously the result was a more metallic sound, although it did
to this problem. Of course these days most musicians have have a very pure fundamental tone color. So let’s explore the
access to a sampled piano, where each key is an actual power of the GAIA by trying to recreate this characteristic sound.
recording of an individual acoustic piano note. Or better still, they
may have a Roland SuperNATURAL piano, which goes way
All pianos, including electric pianos are referred to as “dynamic”, or
beyond sampling and recreates all the expressiveness of the real “velocity sensitive” instruments. That is, they sound louder when
thing. played with more force.

However, before all that happened most musicians could only The factory setting of the GAIA defaults to a non-dynamic keyboard.
This is because the early synthesizers had no dynamics. However,
select from a range of “electric pianos.” These usually involved
you can switch on dynamics by holding Shift and pressing the Key
creating a sound by replacing the strings with something more
Hold button. Please see pages 19 and 51 of the GAIA owner’s
portable. With more stability in the tuning.
manual.

145
From the description of the Electric Piano sound on the previous Figure 11.2 TONE 1 However, the most important
page it seems we need to create two components to our sound: decision occurs in the Filter
Envelope. You can see from the
1. The pure fundamental tone color, plus..
Envelope Depth that it has been
2. The metallic overtones. “inverted.” That is, the Filter is
being told to sweep in a
From section Five of Lesson 8 we know that the easiest way to negative direction.
create metallic sounds is to use Ring Modulation. However, the
GAIA uses Ring Mod only for the first two TONES. So, clearly we If we were to try and draw the
will have to save the third TONE for the pure fundamental sound. Envelope shape based only on
the A, D, S and R settings, then
Initialize the Patch, and follow the Action List in Figure 11.2. it would look like Figure 11.3.

There have been several key decisions made to create this list: Here you can see that the Filter
is starting at the Cutoff
1. The Triangle wave was chosen so that when the first two
Frequency, has a reasonably fast attack that raises the Cutoff
TONES are multiplied together (as in Ring Mod) the
(getting brighter). It then stays at that bright frequency until the
harmonics will still be relatively pure, though metallic.
note is released at which time it suddenly snaps back to the
2. The Pitch of -11 was chosen by trial and error, and will be original Cutoff point.
explained soon.
Figure 11.3 Positive Filter Envelope
3. The Filter mode is PKG in order to emphasize certain
frequencies without removing too many.

4. The Amplifier Envelope is what you would expect for a piano-

type sound. Quick Attack, long Decay, and a relatively short
Release.

146
Now look at Figure 11.4, and you can see that the Filter is Actually, we are trying to add a particular character of the Electric
behaving quite differently. Piano sound. Once being struck by the hammer the metallic tine
will vibrate for a while, but when the note is released a dampening
Figure 11.4 Negative Filter Envelope mechanism comes into play. This is much like what happens
inside an acoustic piano, but dampening the full weight of the
metallic tine is not so easy.

As a result, the tine will try to maintain its vibration even though
the dampener is trying its best to stop it. This creates a slightly
noisy release.

Try playing the keyboard with just this TONE. You may wish to
turn the Amplifier Level up to full.
Note that in both Figures 11.3&4 that the Decay is not used at all
because the Sustain is set to the maximum. Can you hear the release effect? It is a little more obvious when
you raise the Octave switch.
Obviously, the Cutoff Frequency has been set a little higher for
the inverted envelope to work. When you’ve finished trying this sound please lower the Amplifier
Level back down to 15, and return the Octave switch to the
So now the sound starts at the brighter Cutoff Frequency, then normal position.
“decays” to a lower (less bright) sound until the note is released.
Notice that even though we say it is “decaying” we are actually To complete our metallic part of the sound:

using the Attack time to achieve this result. 1. Copy TONE 1 to TONE 2.

Even more importantly, when the note is released the envelope 2. Raise the Pitch of TONE 2 to +24
will suddenly jump back UP to the brighter frequency.
3. Switch on Ring Mod.
Why have we done this?
Try this new metallic sound.

147
Now for the body of the Electric Piano sound. metallic sound more when played louder. You could further
emphasize this condition by slightly raising the Velocity Sensitivity
Select TONE 3 and follow the Action List in Figure 11.5.
of TONE 3.

Figure 11.5 EP TONE 3 Again, there is much to be

If you now play this sound you will find we have a convincing
learnt from this new recipe.
Electric Piano sound, although it does sound a bit low in pitch.
We have chosen a particular
Try raising the pitch by pressing the Octave Up button once.
Pulse waveform, the one that
sounds most like an electric Now to further enhance this sound let’s add some effects that
piano. Of course, you are were typically used on Electric Pianos of the time.
welcome to try any other
Switch on the Phaser, the Reverb, and lower the Reverb Level to
waveform.
about 10.
The Oscillator is tuned down
It’s that simple! You now have a synthesized version of an Electric
one octave. A very deliberate
Piano.
choice. It has allowed us to put
a greater “distance” between Perhaps it’s not an exact copy, but more than anything it has
the tuning of the body (TONE allowed us to illustrate a few of the more advanced Subtractive
3) and the metallic sound (TONES 1 & 2). Synthesis techniques.

We have used the inverted Filter Envelope again in order to

You may have noticed that we only switched on the Phaser effect.
emphasize that metallic dampening we used in TONE 1 and 2.
We made no attempt to modify the Phaser parameters. The Initial

One further point about TONES 1 & 2; we lowered the Velocity Patch provided something quite appropriate.

Sensitivity. This was done because the original Electric Piano In general, you will find that a lot of thought has gone into creating
would sound more metallic when played softly. So if we limit the the Initial Patch. However, feel free to adjust the effect parameters to
velocity sensitivity of the metallic sound, but maintain full velocity suit your taste.

for the body, then TONE 3 will effectively begin to mask the

148
Section 2
Airy Choir
In this section we are going to create a “choir” sound. In reality singer (of course, you are always welcome to try other
we will be using previous techniques to take advantage of what waveforms).
we believe would make up the basics of a choir, but leave
1. We have combined some Pulse Width Modulation with a
enough room to make what
negative Pitch LFO to create a distinctive “vibrato”.
might best be called a “Vocal Figure 11.6 Vocal Pad
Pad”. TONE 1 2. We have added a very obvious “scoop” to the pitch, much like
a singer struggling to reach the notes.
As always, start with the Initial
Patch, and follow the Action 3. As in the Electric Piano, from the previous section, we have
List shown in Figure 11.6. used negative envelope for the Filter.

With this first TONE we are As always, all the settings are merely suggestions. Please feel
heading towards a solo voice free to experiment and search for your perfect vocal sound. In
type of sound. That is, particular, you will find that there is a very strong relationship
something like a solo tenor between the Pulse Width setting and the Cutoff Frequency.
singer, or soprano. Subtle changes can create different “vowels”.

There are some key points to

this first TONE: Audio 11.1 Airy Choir TONE 1

1. We have used a particular

Pulse waveform, the one
that sounds most like a

149
Pad TONE 2 As before, there are some important points involved with this
Now that we have our solo vocalist we’ll need to add to this second TONE:
sound in any way that would suggest many more singers. That is,
1. We copied it from TONE 1 mainly because we needed it to
if the GAIA had sixteen TONES we could simply copy this first
blend well. Having all the main parameters the same should
TONE and make subtle changes to all the others. Detuning for
accomplish this result.
example, or panning, LFO Rate differences, etc..
2. We have made some subtle changes to the “vibrato” used in
The GAIA, however, is built around three TONES, so we’ll need
TONE 2. Mainly, we have reverted to a positive Pitch LFO
some clever programming to create the desired result.
with a slightly different rate.
You have probably already guessed that we may be able to use a
3. We have used the SuperSaw waveform that most sounds like
SuperSaw in some way.
Figure 11.7 Pad TONE 2 vocals. Actually, when you’ve completed this action list you
So follow the Action List in may hear that TONE 2 sounds much like a choir humming,
Figure 11.7. Notice that the with a little imagination of course.
first operation in the list is to
4. We have removed the Pitch “scoop” we had in TONE 1,
copy all our settings from
which makes that previous effect more pleasant.
TONE 1, which will save quite
a bit of time and effort. 5. Finally we have modified both the Cutoff and Level in order to
blend the two TONES. This is a very important step, and you
may wish to experiment with these two controls for best
results.

We now how a very pleasant Pad sound, but let’s have a bit more
fun with it.

Audio 11.2 Airy Choir TONE 2

150
Pad TONE 3 Let’s examine this Action List:
Imagine a large choir. All those singers can produce a huge vocal
1. We have chosen the Noise waveform for very obvious
sound, but they will also use a lot of breath to do it. What if we
reasons.
were to try to recreate the “breath” of the sound?
2. We have used a High Pass Filter to remove the lower
As before, follow this new Action List for TONE 3, as in Figure
frequencies from the “breath”. This is possibly the most
11.8.
Figure 11.8 Pad TONE 3 important step. You will need to adjust the Cutoff and
Resonance until this sounds as “breath-like” as possible.

3. We have used envelopes that allow the “breath” to begin just

before the notes. This is much like singing “Hah”, instead of
“Ah”, but it can really add to this Vocal Pad.

4. We have reduced the Velocity Sensitivity so that the “breath”

is more obvious for softer notes (another very characteristic
vocal effect).

Audio 11.3 Airy Choir TONE 3

151
Final Touches
There are just two more things we might do to complete this
Vocal Pad;

1. Switch on the Flanger, but lower Control 1 (Feedback) to a

minimum, thereby creating a type of stereo Chorus.

2. Switch on the Reverb.

Perhaps try adjusting the level of TONE 3. The balance between

the first two TONES and the “breath” can be critical.

Audio 11.4 Airy Choir (all three TONES and

Effects)

152
Section 3
Noise Experiments
In the last section we used a Noise waveform to add a bit of There are devices that can display these sort of images, they are
color to our Vocal Pad. However, as yet we haven’t fully referred to as Spectrum Analyzers. Figure 11.10 is an image of a
explained the Noise waveform. Sawtooth played at 220Hz captured on one of these devices.

Way back in Lesson Three we were able to prove the existence

of Harmonics and how they relate to waveforms. You may recall Figure 11.10 Spectrum of Sawtooth
we used an image like the one in Figure 11.9. waveform

Figure 11.9 Harmonic Spectrum of a

Sawtooth waveform played at 100Hz

Of course, the accuracy of the image may not be as good as that

of Figure 11.9, and this all depends on the Spectrum Analyzer’s
capabilities, but you can clearly see the Harmonics.

Notice how the resolution of the Spectrum Analyzer struggles to

This Figure displays the relationship of the Harmonics of a note represent clear Harmonics at high frequencies. Also, you can see
played at 100Hz. The second Harmonic occurs at 200Hz and half that the Harmonics don’t always exactly follow the Sawtooth
the level of the first. The third harmonic at 300Hz and one third “formula” because, as we explained earlier, a perfect sawtooth
the level, and so on. waveform is not always very musical, or pleasant to the ear.

153
Now let’s look at the Spectrum of a Square waveform. Figure 11.12 Spectrum of Noise,
variation one
Figure 11.11 Spectrum of Square
waveform

The first thing you can see is the lack of a clear Harmonic
structure. The sound is made up of a totally random set of
Clearly the waveform is not an exact mathematical square wave,
Harmonics. They appear to occur anywhere and everywhere.
and for the same reasons as the previous sawtooth waveform.
Indeed, you can see that the odd Harmonics are all louder which
gives the waveform it’s characteristic “square” sound, but the Figure 11.13 Spectrum of Noise,
even Harmonics also feature. variation two

Noise
Now let’s examine the Noise waveforms.

Initialize the Patch and select the Noise waveform.

Try the three different variations of Noise. Why do they sound so

different? Now let’s look at the second variation.

Let’s put the first variation through a Spectrum Analyzer. The Although similar, this variation looks and sounds quite different to
result would be as shown in Figure 11.12. the first. The Harmonics still appear to occur across all
frequencies, but more so in the low frequency range than the
higher ranges.

154
Now, it is only human of us to want to give descriptive names to
these sounds. We seem to find it hard to just use words like Noise
number one and Noise number two. From the very beginning of
this book we have been using phrases like “tonal character” or
“tonal color”.

For this reason it has become common practice to refer to these

two sounds as White Noise and Pink Noise.

White Noise has the brighter sound, with Harmonics occurring

evenly across the spectrum, while Pink Noise has the “darker”
sound with more Harmonics in the lower frequencies.

What do you think Red Noise would look like on a Spectrum

Analyzer?

Then there is the third variation of the Noise waveform. If you try it
you will hear a random series of clicks. We refer to this type of
sound as an Impulse waveform. It is quite unique and can have
some surprising results as we’ll discover in the next section.

Have a look at all these waveforms using the Wave Viewer.

155
Section 4
Using Noise waveforms
In this section we are going to recreate one of the Preset Patches However, because we are using a Noise waveform (in this case
using only Noise waveforms. In this way we hope to illustrate the White Noise) the different Filter modes are very easy to hear.
power of these waveforms as a sound effect. Also, the Slope setting is very obvious, indeed necessary for this
patch. Can you hear why?
Start by Initializing the Patch and following this short Action List.
OK, we’re heading for some bad weather, so let’s improve this
Figure 11.14 sound a little.

Figure 11.15

Now we have greatly enhanced the wind effect by using the LFO
with a Random waveform to sweep the Filter. Of course, we
could achieve this same result by randomly playing with the
Cutoff Frequency, but this patch is all about creating a more
Before we move on, experiment a little with the Filter settings. In
complete sound.
particular, you will notice we have selected the BPF (Band Pass
Filter). This, combined with the Resonance, has given us a sort of Next we’ll add some spatial depth to the sound.
low whistling sound very reminiscent of wind. That is where we
are heading.

156
 Follow this final Action List.
Figure 11.16
Figure 11.17

In Figure 11.16 there are three very important steps:

1. We’ve begun by panning TONE 1 to the extreme left.

2. Then, after copying TONE1 to TONE 2, we have panned

TONE 2 to the right.

3. Finally, the LFO depth has been inverted.

That is, after copying from TONE 2 to TONE 3, make these few
Perhaps this third step has an unexpected result. Because the
changes to TONE 3.
Filter is affecting the left and right TONES in opposite directions
the “wind” seems to be randomly panning. Try listening to just The important differences being that we have used the Impulse
one TONE at a time. You will find that the TONES aren’t panning waveform tuned down, and added some S&H LFO. The result is
at all! reminiscent of rain drops.

Now for a whole new TONE using the Impulse waveform. Finally add some reverb and panning delay. Instant weather!

157
Lesson 12

Global Review

In this final Lesson we’ll change our approach. So

far we have been trying to provide you with as many
answers as possible.

Now we’d like to leave you with a series of

questions that will hopefully guide you towards an
even deeper understanding of the GAIA.
Section 1
A Dance/Trance Patch
From the beginning of this book we have referred to the “Three but by selecting Patch A-7 we have also chosen an Arpeggio
Building Blocks” in the GAIA, or any Subtractive Synthesizer. pattern, and some dedicated effects. So a more complete
Clearly, through the previous Lessons you will have realized that
there are far more components. Low Frequency Oscillators, Figure 12.1
Effects, and so on.

There is also a very powerful Arpeggiator in the GAIA, and a

Phrase Recorder. Both of these greatly expand the possibilities of
this instrument, but are not really the focus of this book.

For a detailed explanation of the Arpeggiator and Phrase Recorder

please see the GAIA owner’s manual.

Even so, we’d now like to analyze one of the GAIA’s Preset
Patches that happens to use the Arpeggiator.

Please select Preset Patch A-7, and play the keyboard. diagram of the structure of the GAIA would look more like this:

It is immediately obvious that a “Patch” in the GAIA is much Now that you understand programming we’d like you to examine
more than just the Three Building Blocks. Of course, the Patch is this patch, but we will provide you with a list of questions to
made up of three TONES, all with Three Building Blocks of their guide you.
own. We could refer to all of these as being the Sound Generator,
Let’s Begin.

159
Section 2
Global Questions
Just before we start, switch off the Arpeggiator and all the effects What is the purpose of each of the three
so that we can concentrate on the Sound Generator only. TONES?
Using the TONE on/off switches try to see what each of the three
Figure 12.2 Preset Patch A-7
TONES sound like individually.

In the case of this patch (Patch A-7), TONE 1 seems to be the

main body of the sound, with a lot of modulation.

TONES 2 and 3 are simple sounds panned either left or right.

Individually they sound a little like a mosquito. Perhaps this is to
add to the modulation effect.

160
Could the sound have been created using Now that we have found clear evidence of the use of Tone Copy

Tone Copy? we can assume the programmer was trying make one large sound
A quick look at the Filter Settings would suggest Tone Copy has from three compatible components.
been used. All three Filters have exactly the same settings, which
In previous lessons we discussed sounds, like the electric piano,
is very obvious when Show Numbers is switched on.
where the components weren’t designed to be so cohesive. The
metallic sound, for example, had quite a different envelope shape
Figure 12.3 Filter Settings
to that of the body of the sound.

So now we have a better understanding of what the programmer

was aiming for with this new patch.

Has Ring Mod or Oscillator Sync been used?

In this case no, but this can be a very important question for other
patches.

Figure 12.4

These global questions provide a strong image of the purpose of

the Patch.

This is further confirmed by the Amplifier Envelope settings,

although the programmer has used different levels to “mix” the
TONES to taste.

161
Section 3
TONE 1 Oscillator
Let’s examine TONE 1 only. What can be learnt from the Pitch and
Detune settings?
What Wave shape has been used? In this TONE the tuning is quite standard. The Pitch is set to the
“normal” octave, and there is no Detuning.
Figure 12.5

If the Wave shape is a Pulse wave has any

Pulse Width or Pulse Width Modulation been
used?
Again, this TONE uses the SuperSaw so this question does not
apply, although it may be very useful when referring to another
patch or TONE.

Has a Pitch Envelope been applied?

This is a very interesting question. You can see from Figure 12.5
that the Pitch Envelope Decay has been set to a value of 9, but
This TONE has taken advantage of the SuperSaw wave. From the Envelope Depth is at zero, so there really is no Pitch
this we can assume the programmer wanted a heavily modulated Envelope in use.
sound. Even more so, the third variation has been used which
Perhaps the programmer tried some Pitch Envelope but then
has by far the most modulation of the three variations, and is
decided against it, or perhaps it has been left as an option. Try
particularly suited to sounds that have become very popular in
adding some Envelope Depth to see.
Trance music.

162
Section 4
TONE 1 Filter

Figure 12.6 TONE 1 Filter What is the relationship between the Cutoff,
the Resonance and the Envelope Depth?
The Cutoff has been set quite high, and so too has the Envelope
Depth. So you’d expect a fairly “bright” sound.

Also, because the Resonance has been set to zero the result is
not so “electronic”.

What about Envelope dynamics?

Playing softly reveals that the Envelope has some dynamics,
allowing you to alter the Tonal Color by playing softly or loudly.

Interestingly, when playing loudly the Envelope has very little

What Type of Filter has been used, and why? effect on the Tonal Color.
The standard Low Pass Filter has been used with a slope of
-12dB. This suggests a typical analog synthesizer sound, but one This is because the combination of a reasonably high Cutoff, with
that is not quite so “electronic”, as it would have been with the a high Envelope Depth, and even a medium Sustain Level is
slope set to -24dB. forcing the Filter to remain completely open. That is, when
playing loudly no harmonics are being filtered at all.

163
Section 5
TONE 1 Amplifier

Figure 12.7 TONE 1 What clues can be found in the Envelope

Amplifier shape?
Here we find a very electronic, organ-like, sound where the
sustain is set to a maximum, the attack instantly on, and the
release instantly off.

What about Amplifier dynamics?

Figure 12.8
Dynamics

What Level has been set for the amplifier?

The Level of TONE 1 has been set quite high though not to a
maximum. Perhaps the programmer decided that such a bright
and heavily modulated sound did not need to be very loud.

The Velocity Sensitivity has been set quite low (even the Initial
Patch is set to a level of 18).

164
Section 6
TONE 1 LFO
Perhaps the programmer wanted to emphasize the heavily
Figure 12.9 TONE 1
LFO modulated sound.

What LFO Destinations have been used?

In this patch only the Pitch is receiving the LFO signal. So the
Tonal Color and Amplifier Level remain constant.

Notice also that there is no fade time, so the LFO controls the
Pitch right from the beginning of each note.

Having said that, the Pitch Depth of the LFO is not set very high
at all. It is really quite a subtle adjustment to the sound, and that
is a very important point. Sometimes the smallest change can
make or break a sound.
What Shape has been used?
The Triangle shape has been used which is a very common As always, use your own judgement and never be afraid to adjust
decision. It is a shape that sounds very much like a “natural” the sound to your taste.
vibrato, although some musicians prefer the purer Sine wave.

What Rate has been used?

Actually, the Rate appears a little high. Many instruments and
vocalists tend to have a vibrato with a Rate similar to that of a
setting around 78. However, as always, that is a matter of taste.

165
Section 7
TONES 2 and 3
In reality, we’d prefer you to go back and ask all those questions What can be learnt from the Pitch and
again about TONES 2 & 3. However, by starting with the Global Detune settings?
Questions on pages 160 and 161 we can already rule out many Even though these two TONES are a subtle addition to the
of those questions. overall Patch, they feature some unique decisions. Clearly the
programmer wanted to add more modulation, and this has been
This is because we already established that TONES 2 and 3
enhanced by detuning these two TONES.
appear to have started as copies of TONE 1. Indeed, the only
real differences appear to be in the Oscillators and LFOs.
What LFO Shape has been used?
So we’ll select just a few questions for now: Both TONES 2 and 3 use the Random LFO waveform. As we
mentioned, this has added a “mosquito-like” quality to their
What Oscillator wave shape has been used? sound. Actually, it is almost as if these sounds come from very
Both TONES have used a variation of the Sawtooth waveform. badly made, or unstable, oscillators.
The programmer could have added more SuperSaw, but has
Traditional analog synthesizers had problems with stability, so by
instead taken the more subtle approach. Since TONES 2 and 3
adding some random LFO the programmer has successfully
are panned left and right perhaps they are there just to add
recreated that type of sound.
“width” to the sound.
This is a very interesting point; sometimes a sound can be
improved by recreating all that was unacceptable in the original.
You have already used this idea when creating the noisy release
of an electric piano back in Lesson 11.

166
Section 8
Effects
Now that we have discussed the role of the Sound Generator in What effect settings have been used?
Preset Patch A-7, it’s time to analyze the effects. The lack of Feedback in the Flanger would suggest the
programmer preferred more of a stereo chorus effect. This,
Figure 12.10 Effects
combined with the Panning Delay has increased spatial depth of
the sound.

Note: It could be said that TONES 2 and 3 might even be

unnecessary. They might be considered to be so subtle that they are
masked by the effects. As always, that is a matter of taste. We prefer
the additional subtlety, no matter how small.

What are the benefits of the effects?

As we said, the Chorus (Flanger) and Panning Delay have added
spatial depth. Having the Panning Delay synchronized to the
master tempo adds to the “Dance” nature of the sound. The
There are three questions we need to ask ourselves when delays bounce along in time to the Arpeggiator.
examining the effects:
The Reverb is an interesting point though. In this case it is so
subtle as to be almost unnecessary. Indeed, many synthesizer
What types of effects have been used?
purists might say reverb is never necessary.
In this case there is a combination of Flanging, Panning Delay
and Reverb. So who decides? You, of course!

167
Section 9
Final Assignment
Now it’s all over to you. There is much to be learnt from What is the relationship between the Cutoff, the Resonance and
examining the GAIA presets. All you need to do is ask the the Envelope Depth?
questions of each sound. So feel free to explore the sounds,
What about Filter Envelope dynamics?
perhaps with the help of these questions.

Global Amplifier
What Level has been set for the amplifier?
What is the purpose of each of the three TONES?
What clues can be found in the Envelope shape?
Could the sound have been created using Tone Copy?
What about Amplifier dynamics?
Has Ring Mod or Oscillator Sync been used?

Oscillator LFO
What Shape has been used?
What Wave shape has been used?
What Rate has been used?
What can be learnt from the Pitch and Detune settings?
What LFO Destinations have been used?
If the Wave shape is a Pulse wave has any Pulse Width or Pulse
Width Modulation been used?
Effects
Has a Pitch Envelope been applied? What types of effects have been used?

What effect settings have been used?

Filter
What Type of Filter has been used, and why? What are the benefits of the effects?

168
Section 10
Closing Thoughts

Congratulations! This knowledge alone can offer such great insights into how to
You’ve made it to the end of this iBook and covered a great deal recreate sounds, but even more importantly can open the doors
of material along the way. You’ve seen and understood more to a whole new world of sound and musical creativity.
about sound than most people will ever learn.
Then there are the concepts of Subtractive Synthesis, and the
For example, very few people really understand the concept of power of an analog style filter circuit. Changing the tonal color of
musical harmonics. Certainly it is rare for anyone to have clearly the sound to suit your taste. Can we say that again? Your taste!
heard the harmonic spectrum of a waveform. No longer are you bound by the limitations of a traditional
acoustic instrument. You have the power now.
However, you have not only heard such a spectrum, you have
seen it. You have isolated the individual harmonics and You are in a position to not only perform music, but to create the
discovered their mathematical relationships. sounds with which you can perform.

More importantly, you have been able to prove their existence! Effects
Guitarists spend much of their time gathering effects pedals to
What else have you found? embellish their sound. On the other hand, you’ve had the benefit
You can now easily recognize the character of specific of the GAIA with it’s full complement of built-in effects. The GAIA
waveforms. The “brassiness” of a Sawtooth wave. The with it’s powerful emulation of an analog synthesizer, well, really
“roundness” of a Square wave. The thin sound of a Pulse wave, it’s three synthesizers!
and the purity of a Sine wave.

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The Future So we leave you with the future. Now you have the chance to
However, this is not the time to stop learning. In reality this iBook take your music, and the study of sound, much further. Analyze all
has concentrated on a very small part of all that can be learnt the GAIA presets. Ask your self why. Why did the programmer
with the GAIA. choose that waveform? The Filter mode? Do I really need all
those effects?
We have tried only to guide you through the process of simple
Subtractive Synthesis, with a few effects thrown in, but there is so Above all, have fun!
much more.

We now invite you to delve more deeply. Learn the power of the
Arpeggiator. The Phrase Recorder. Experiment with the Master
Clock and the External Input.

Did you realize that the GAIA’s External Input can also be used to
create Karaoke style backing tracks?

Enjoy the Controllers. The D-Beam. The Pitch Lever.

Adjust the settings while you play. Brighten the sound with the
Cutoff Frequency and Resonance while holding an arpeggiated
This book is published by Roland Corporation, August 1, 2012.
phrase. Color the sound with subtle adjustments of the ADSRs.
Drive the sound harder by raising the feedback into the Flanger. ISBN978-4-89817-068-7 Ver. 1.03

Go far beyond acoustic emulation with Oscillator Synchronization Copyright © 2012 ROLAND CORPORATION
or Ring Modulation.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication and accompanying
movies, recordings may be reproduced in any form without the
Hey! Read that last paragraph again. Did you understand any of
written permission of ROLAND CORPORATION.
those terms when you began?

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