GROBIAN

Bass Synthesizer
Grobian is a bass synthesizer that can produce very powerful and distorted sounds. It s
excellent for drum and bass, industrial, and techno. Within the framework of a standard two-
oscillator/one-filter design, it features an unconvential seven-sawtooth oscillator, and an
analog-style filter.

Oscillators
Grobian features two unique oscillators, plus a sub oscillator and a noise generator. The first
oscillator can be switched between a stack of seven sawtooth oscillators or a single sine
oscillator with bit quantization. The second oscillator is a Pulse (square wave) generator that
can be ring modulated. The sub oscillator is always a sine wave.
<7Saw> Sets the amplitude of the saw oscillators, i. e. their level when mixed with the
other sound sources. As those are used the seven saw oscillators (seven are used
parallely to achieve a more fat sound), a pulse oscillator, a noise generator and a sine sub
oscillator.
<Pulse> Sets the amplitude of the pulse oscillator.
<Mode Saw> Sets the mode of the saw oscillator: It can be turned off, used normally with
seven parallel saw oscillators or be replaced by a sine oscillator with a quantizer.
<Mode Pls> Sets th mode of the pulse oscillator. It can be turned off, used normally with a
pulse oscillator or fed through a Ring Modulator whose other input is connected to a sine
oscillator. (See <POrm>).
<PitchShift> Sets the shift of the pitch in semitones of the saw oscillators resp. the pulse
oscillator. The value of this control is added to the pitch of the midi input.
<Fine> Adjusts the pitch of the saw oscillators resp. the pulse oscillator in fine steps for
detuning. Detune one oscillator slightly for sweeping effects.
<Quant> Sets the stepsize of the quantizer used by the sine oscialltors (See also <Mode
Saw>). Greater steps result in more distortion.
<Width> Sets the pulse width of the pulse oscillator.
<Step> Sets the amount of detuning of the seven saw oscillators. Those oscillators do not
use the same pitch, instead their pitches, grouped around the center pitch, vary by steps
whose size is adjusted by this control.
<POrm> Sets the shift of the pitch of the sine oscillator whose signal is used for ring
modulation with the pulse oscillator.
<lfo7>, <eg7> Control wether the lfo or the second envelope EG2 modify the pitch of the
saw oscillators
<lfo2>, <eg2> Control wether the lfo or the second envelope EG2 modify the pitch of the
pulse oscillator.
<Sub> Sets the amplitude of the sine sub oscillator.
<Noise> Switches the noise generator on or off.
<Noise Lvl> Sets the amplitude of the noise generator.
<EG2>P> Sets the amount of pitch modulation by the second envelope EG2 (See also
<eg7> and <eg2>).
<LFO>P> Sets the amount of pitch modulation by the low frequency oscillator (See also
<lfo7> and <lfo2>).

Cascade Filter
To get the warm and rich sound associated with analog filters, Grobian s filter uses a neat
trick where the saturated output is sent through the filter again after a very short delay. In
addition to the usual Cutoff and Resonance controls, you ll notice another large knob to
control the delay in the feedback path of the filter. Not only can Grobian s filter self-resonate
(a very unusual feature in a digital filter), but the sound remains rich and warm even with very
high resonance values (an even more unusual feature in a digital filter!). You can switch
between two filter modes: New and Old. The technical differences between the two are slight,
but New sounds warmer and Old sounds more resonant.
<Cutoff> Sets the basic cutoff freqeuncy of the filter.
<KTr> Sets the amount of key-tracking. Positve values result in a cutoff freqeuncy that
follows the pitch of the oscillators, at mid poisition there is now key tracking, i. e. the cutoff
 freqeuncy is not affected by the midi pitch, and negative values produce an inverted key
tracking, i. e. the higher the pitch of the oscillator, the lower the cutoff frequency.
<Vel>, <EG2>, <LFO> Switch the modulation of the cutoff frequency (resp. the feed delay,
see <Feed Del>) by the correspondent source (midi velocity, envelope EG2, LFO) on or
off.
<-E+>, <-LFO+> Set the amount of modulation by the correspondent source. Turn right
for much modulation, turn left for inverted modulation, i. e. when the input signal is
positive, the final modulating signal is negative and vice versa.
<Res> Sets the amount of resonance of the filter.
<FiltMode> Switches between two different filter modes. Their technical differences are
difficult to explain: The sound of the new one is more fat, the old one is more sensitive to
cutoff frequency, resonance and feed delay changes.
<Feed Del> Sets the amount of delay applied to the feedback. The feedback is used to
generate the resonance, try different settings at different cutoff and resonance values.
<FD Mod> Switches the modulation of the feedback delay time on or off.

Envelopes: EG1 and EG2

The two envelope generators in Grobian are both standard ADSR envelopes. EG1 always
controls volume, while EG2 can control a variety of parameters, such as filter cutoff or
oscillator pitch. The EG2 control assignments are made in the OSCILLATORS or CASCADE
FILTER sections, with the E+ controls.
<A>, <D>, <S>, <R> Set the attack, decay and release times as wqell as the sustain level
of an ADSR-envelope. There are two envelope generators: EG1 is used for main
amplification, EG2 for modulation of the oscillators pitch and the filter.
<Vel> Switches the sensitivity to the midi velocity on or off.
<Vol> Sets the amount of amplification applied to the envelope signal. As it is used for the
main amplification of the sound, this effects directly the main volume.

LFO
Grobian s single LFO can control the oscillators or the filter. Like the envelopes, LFO
assignments are made in the OSCILLATORS or CASCADE FILTER sections, with the +LFO-
controls. When the MW switch is on, then the LFO is activated by the mod wheel. The LFO
only has one shape it s always a square wave, but its pulse width and phase can be varied.
<MW> Switches the controlling of the LFO output by the modulation wheel on or off.
<F> Sets LFO frequency (speed).
<Del> Sets LFO delay the time it takes before the LFO is active.
<Width> Sets LFO pulse width.
<Phs> Sets LFO starting phase.

Pitch Options
This section lets you switch glide (portamento) on, and controls the pitch bend range. When
Auto glide mode is activated, the pitch will only glide when notes are played legato. In Manual
glide mode, the glide time is controlled by the Man knob.
<Glide> Switches the pitch glide mode (portamento) on or off.
<Auto> Switches the auto pitch glide mode on or off. When on, the pitch only glides when
the notes are played legato.
<Source> Sets the controller that adjusts the glide speed, i. e. the time that is used to
reach the final pitch. MW is the modulation wheel, Man selects the <Man> knob for
controlling.
<Man> Sets the time used for gliding. See also <Source>.
<PBnd> Sets the range of the pitch bend wheel in semitones.

Output
The output section gives you control over the saturation, a one-band high-shelf EQ, and
master level.
<Sat> Turns the saturation of the output signal on or off.
<Drive> Sets the amount of amplification before the siognal is saturated.
<HiShlf> Sets the cutoff freqeuncy of the high shelf equalizer.
<Boost> Sets the amount of amplification of the high shelf.
 <Level> Sets the final output amplification level.

Credits
Instrument: Mike Daliot
Presets: Mike Daliot, Cornelius Lejeune
Documentation: Cornelius Lejeune
2002 Native Instruments GmbH