Le Synthé V5
Reference manual
version: 1.1
Pierre Couprie
January 2011
Le Synthé V5 - English manual
Contents
Presentation! 3
Minimum system requirement! 3
Installation! 3
File installed! 3
Other manuals! 4
Video tutorials! 4
The interface! 5
Select the audio driver! 7
Audio driver of your sound card! 7
Use the Rewire driver! 7
Modules! 8
Ouputs! 8
Inputs! 9
Oscillators! 10
Noise generator! 11
Filter / oscillator! 12
Ring modulator! 13
Envelope shaper! 14
Effects! 15
Control generator! 16
Stick / webcam! 17
Keyboard! 18
Matrix! 19
Presets! 20
Record audio output! 21
Configurations! 22
Configure audio and MIDI device! 22
Configure signal generators (oscillators and noise generator)! 23
Configure outputs! 24
Configure inputs! 25
Configure oscillators! 26
Configure noise generator! 27
Configure filter / oscillator! 28
Configure ring modulator! 29
Configure enveloppe shaper! 30
Configure effects! 31
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Le Synthé V5 - English manual
Presentation
Minimum system requirement
Macintosh
Le Synthé V5 requires a Mac PPC or Intel machine running OS X 10.4 or later, and 1 GB
RAM, Max Runtime.
Windows
Le Synthé V5 requires a Windows XP, Vista or 7 machine, 1 GB RAM, QuickTime 7.1 (or
later), an OpenGL-compatible graphics card, and OpenGL 1.4 (or later), Max Runtime.
Installation
Macintosh
• Download Max Runtime ([Link]
• Install Max Runtime.
• Download [Link].
• Decompress the folder that contains the sources of Le Synthé V5.
• Double click on [Link] to open it.
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Le Synthé V5 - English manual
Other manuals
Le Synthé V5 is an emulation of the mythic Synthi AKS constructed by EMS in 1972.
You can found more information on the EMS offical web site:
[Link]
You can found the original manuals on the excellent EMS Synthi blog:
• VCS3 Users Manual: [Link]
[Link].
• Synthi User Manual: [Link]
[Link].
Do not hesitate to read them, they are a very good introduction to use Le Synthé V5.
As an emulation, you can found the original interface (devices and matrix board), and the
approximate original sounds (the waveform was recorded from an original VCS3). As a
software, Le Synthé V5 adds new improvements (control device, delay effect, oscillators
with more important ranges, a better system to control the device, MIDI control, memory,
etc.).
Video tutorials
On Youtube, you can view several video tutorials:
[Link]
This manual is a reference manual of each parameter. The video tutorials are important to
understand how to use Le Synthé V5.
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Le Synthé V5 - English manual
The interface
parameters of audio and MIDI MIDI input led
generator of
recorder vu meters control signals
MIDI keyboard matrix presets input
modules
module example: the output
oscillator 3 modules
Recorder: record the audio output of Le Synthé V5 into a stereo audio file.
Parameters of audio and MIDI: select drivers for audio and MIDI.
MIDI input led: display when there is a MIDI input signal.
Vu meters: display the levels of inputs and ouptuts.
Generator of control signals: generate signals to control the modules.
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Module example the oscillator 3: the different white zones are independent modules
with 1 or 2 outputs, some of them have inputs.
MIDI keyboard: simulate an external MIDI keyboard, you can also use an external
keyboard.
Output modules: 2 independent outputs (level, panoramic and filter).
Matrix: connect each output (on left) of modules to input (on top) of other modules.
Presets: 21 presets that you can save in external files.
Input modules: use audio inputs as a module.
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Select the audio driver
Audio driver of your sound card
It is possible that you need to adjust the audio driver before using Le synthé V5.
1. Click the button at the top of the interface:
2. Select your sound card driver in Input device :
3. Click the Close button at the bottom right of the black window.
4. it is possible that you need to restart audio, click 2 times on the button at the top of the
interface:
Use the Rewire driver
You can connect the audio output of Le synthé V5 with a Rewire compatible software (see
the list of compatible softwares: [Link]
Here is an example of connection with the software Ableton Live.
1. Launch Le Synthé V5.
2. Click the button:
3. Select the ad_rewire driver in Input device:
4. Launch Live and select LeSyntheV5 input in an audio track:
5. Audio output of Le Synthé V5 is now directly connected to the input of Live. You can
record your performance directly into Live.
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Modules
Ouputs
Filter To left: low-pass filter, to right: high-pass filter
Output 1 & 2 The output levels of the software
Pan The panoramic position of each output
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Inputs
Channel 1 & 2 The input levels of the software
Gate The noise gate for the both inputs, useful when you
choose the microphone input
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Oscillators
The 3 oscillators have the same parameters.
Frequency The frequency of the oscillator (0Hz to 20.000Hz)
An other control to modify the frequency more precisely
When you control several oscillators with the same
MIDI keyboard, you can detune them
Shape The inversion of waveform
Level 1 The output level of the first waveform
Level 2 The output level of the second waveform
MIDI Use the MIDI input or the keyboard as frequency
parameter
FM Use an other oscillator as frequency modulation
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Noise generator
Color To left: low-pass filter, to right: high-pass filter
Level The output level of the module
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Filter / oscillator
MIDI Use the MIDI input or the keyboard as frequency
parameter
H-pass Turn the filter to a high-pass filter
L-pass Turn the filter to a low-pass filter
Frequency The resonant frequency of the filter (0Hz to 20.000Hz)
An other control to modify the frequency more precisely
Detune the filter when you use MIDI control
Response The resonant parameter
Level The output level of the module
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Ring modulator
Level The output level of the module
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Envelope shaper
space bar Trigger the envelope with your keyboard space bar
stick Trigger the envelope with the stick
metro Trigger the envelope with the metronome of control
module
MIDI Trigger the envelope with your MIDI keyboard
Attack (See below)
On (See below)
Decay (See below)
Off (See below)
Trapezoid Trapezoid level: use the envelope shaper as a control or
as an oscillator (See below)
Signal The output level of the envelope (See below)
Envelope parameters
Attack On Decay Off
Differences between trapezoid level and signal level
Signal
Attack On Decay Off
Trapezoid
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Effects
Mix The mix level of the effect (left: no effect, right: no direct)
Level The output level of the module
Reverb Use the module as a reverberation
Delay Use the module as a delay
Time Time of delay (time between each reflection)
Feedback Feedback of delay
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Control generator
Metro The metronome light
On/Off The metronome on/off
Choose how to control the metronome: metro = tempo,
table = values of table, random = random values
BPM of metronome (if menu popup is on metro)
Choose what control generator the metronome controls:
table or random
Table Draw the table lines, click on line to add points, option
+click to remove a point
The output values of the module
X The multiplier parameter of table
Palindrome The direction of the table
Max The maximum value of random generator
Min The minimum value of random generator
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Stick / webcam
The left parameters works with stick and webcam :
X offset The offset of the horizontal range
Y offset The offset of the vertical range
X range The size of the horizontal range
Y range The size of the vertical range
Attack Send an attack signal to envelope shaper
The right parameters works when you click on webcam tab:
brightness The brightness of webcam image
contrast The contrast of webcam image
zoom The zoom of webcam image
latency The latency of output, this parameter is important to
smooth the value
color range The range of color tracking (click on webcam image to
choose a color)
Windows: the webcam works only if Quicktime is installed.
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Keyboard
Octave The octave range of keyboard
MIDI note The note values of the keyboard
Gliss. The glissando parameter: left = no glissando, right =
maximum of glissando
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Matrix
Levels The general input and output levels
Reset all parameters of the software (be careful, this
action cannot be cancelled)
Reset the matrix (be careful, this action cannot be
cancelled)
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Presets
Save the 21 preset
Open a preset file
The 21 presets: option+click to save a preset, click to
recall a preset. You can use your keyboard to recall the
presets (see letters)
Use the menu Presets to:
• Load the example presets (be carefull, this action delete your actual presets, save
them before!)
• Clear all presets (be carefull, this action delete your actual presets, save them before!)
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Record audio output
Click to REC button:
Enter a filename, select a folder and the audio format. The recording start immediately
and the REC button is red.
Click to stop the recording.
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Configurations
Configure audio and MIDI device
Audio input/output
Input device Select the driver of your audio card
Input source Select the input of your audio card
I/O vector size 512 is the normal value, less reduce the latency and
increase the CPU usage
Signal vector size 64 is the normal value, it must be inferior to I/O vector size
Sampling rate 44100 to 96000 Hz
MIDI
Driver Select the driver of your MIDI card or the software from
which you receive MIDI messages
MIDI configuration Manage the actual MIDI configuration (save, open or
reset): number of channels and controllers for each
parameters
Presets
Clear all Clear the actual configuration of controls ranges
Signal test
Play Play a signal test: sinus, 1000Hz, 0db
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Configure signal generators (oscillators and noise generator)
Oscillator 1
Level 1 Select the waveform for the output 1 of oscillator 1
(default: sine)
Level 2 Select the waveform for the output 2 of oscillator 1
(default: ramp)
Oscillator 2
Level 1 Select the waveform for the output 1 of oscillator 2
(default: square)
Level 2 Select the waveform for the output 2 of oscillator 2
(default: triangle)
Oscillator 3
Level 1 Select the waveform for the output 1 of oscillator 3
(default: square)
Level 2 Select the waveform for the output 2 of oscillator 3
(default: triangle)
Noise generator
Select the noise generator: white noise or pink noise
(default: white noise)
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Configure outputs
The parameters are the same for the 3 oscillators.
MIDI
Channel View or modify the MIDI channel of the control
Controller View or modify the MIDI controller of the control
Learn Click to recall the channel and controller with a MIDI input
signal
Signal Control
Range Select the range of control parameter (different to MIDI)
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Configure inputs
MIDI
Channel View or modify the MIDI channel of the control
Controller View or modify the MIDI controller of the control
Learn Click to recall the channel and controller with a MIDI input
signal
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Configure oscillators
MIDI
Channel View or modify the MIDI channel of the control
Controller View or modify the MIDI controller of the control
Learn Click to recall the channel and controller with a MIDI input
signal
Signal Control
Range Select the range of control parameter (different to MIDI)
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Configure noise generator
MIDI
Channel View or modify the MIDI channel of the control
Controller View or modify the MIDI controller of the control
Learn Click to recall the channel and controller with a MIDI input
signal
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Configure filter / oscillator
MIDI
Channel View or modify the MIDI channel of the control
Controller View or modify the MIDI controller of the control
Learn Click to recall the channel and controller with a MIDI input
signal
Signal Control
Range Select the range of control parameter (different to MIDI)
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Configure ring modulator
MIDI
Channel View or modify the MIDI channel of the control
Controller View or modify the MIDI controller of the control
Learn Click to recall the channel and controller with a MIDI input
signal
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Configure enveloppe shaper
MIDI
Channel View or modify the MIDI channel of the control
Controller View or modify the MIDI controller of the control
Learn Click to recall the channel and controller with a MIDI input
signal
Signal Control
Range Select the range of control parameter (different to MIDI)
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Configure effects
MIDI
Channel View or modify the MIDI channel of the control
Controller View or modify the MIDI controller of the control
Learn Click to recall the channel and controller with a MIDI input
signal
Signal Control
Range Select the range of control parameter (different to MIDI)
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