Syntheogen Guide
Track Synthesis
Updated October 28, 2014
The TRACK SYNTH dialog is used to edit the synthesis settings associated with a particular track; along with the TRACK EFFECTS dialog, this lets you define the character of the sounds produced by that track:
TRACK SYNTH dialog
A track can be opened for editing by long-tapping a loop element heading in the LOOP STEPS or LOOP MIX dialog. The TRACK SYNTH and TRACK EFFECTS dialogs provide different ways of editing the same track.
Synthesis view
The synthesis view shows all synthesis settings for the current track. To scroll, tap any background area and drag.
Syntheogen supports three synthesis techniques: subtractive synthesis, 'simple' sampling, and 'hybrid' sampling, which combines elements of the other two. The technique for a particular track is set with the SYNTH box near the top of the view. When this value is set, the other controls change to reflect the parameters for the new synthesis type.
At all times, and especially when using headphones, be prepared to lower the master output level or stop playback. Some controls can produce screamingly loud output in just an instant.
Keyboard view
The keyboard can be used to record patterns in this track, or simply to test the sound of the patch. Ten full octaves are displayed by the keyboard; to reach higher or lower notes, hold the UNLOCK button and drag left or right. To resize the keys, hold UNLOCK and pinch.
Only notes from the current scale are displayed in the keyboard. To change the scale, open the TRACK PROPERTIES dialog by tapping the title bar on this dialog.
Command buttons
Normally, the following buttons are displayed:
| ELEMENT MIX | Displays the ELEMENT MIX dialog, which allows you to change the PAN, LEVEL, MUTE, and SOLO settings for the loop element from which this track was edited. |
| EXPORT PATCH | Opens the DESTINATION PATCH dialog, allowing you to copy the synthesis settings, effects, or both from this track to another track. |
| IMPORT PATCH | Opens the SOURCE PATCH dialog, allowing you to copy the synthesis settings, effects, or both from a preset patch or another track to this track. Italicized entries in the dialog represent preset patches, which cannot be edited. |
Recording keyboard input
If the RECORD button is lit, and playback is started, notes played on the keyboard will be recorded into the pattern. If a pre-existing note has the same pitch as a recorded note, and if more than half the pre-existing note is overlapped by the recorded note, the pre-existing note will be deleted.
TRACK SYNTH dialog with recording enabled
When the RECORD button is lit, several new controls appear:
| LEVEL | Sets the level to be applied when new steps are recorded. As explained elsewhere, steps are allowed to have zero levels. |
| EDIT GUIDES | Displays the GUIDES dialog, which you can use to create, delete, or select the guides to which notes are quantized. |
| QUANT | Enables or disables quantization, which causes the start and end times of recorded notes to be fit to boundaries in the current guide. Notes can also quantized after recording by selecting a range in the LOOP STEPS dialog. |
Other controls
Above the command buttons you will see the VOL controls that appear on all loop and track edit dialogs.
To the far right is the title bar, which shows the name of the track being edited. Tapping the title bar opens the TRACK PROPERTIES dialog.
Below the title bar is the RECORD button, which toggles pattern recording from the keyboard, the RESTART button, which starts or restarts playback from the beginning of the loop, and the PLAY button, which alternately starts and pauses playback.
