BV512 Vocoder

This is a global attack time control, affecting all envelope followers (see “Filter bands”). Normally you probably want this set to zero, to make the vocoder react as quick as possible. Raising the Attack time can be useful for “smearing” sounds, creating pads, etc.

Not available in Equalizer mode.

Decay

Not available in Equalizer mode.

Shift

Shifts the carrier filters up or down in frequency, drastically changing the character of the vocoded (or equalized) sound. This parameter can be controlled via CV, for phaser-like sweeps and special effects.

HF Emph
(High Frequency Emphasis)

Boosts the high frequencies in the carrier signal. This is sometimes desired to get a clearer vocoded sound. The reason is that a carrier signal should theoretically contain roughly equal energies in all frequency ranges for best results - in a typical synth sound the high frequencies are often weaker than the low frequencies. Raising the HF Emph control will rectify this.

Not available in Equalizer mode.

Dry/Wet

Determines the balance between modulator sound (dry) and vocoded sound (wet). To get the pure vocoder sound, set this to wet (turned fully right).

Not available in Equalizer mode.

#Connections

The back panel of the BV512 offers the following connections:

#Individual band levels

These are CV outputs and inputs.

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The upper row outputs CV signals generated by the envelope followers for each frequency band.

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The lower row are CV level inputs to the individual bandpass filters through which the signal is processed (the “vocoder filters”).

Connecting a CV signal to one of the inputs breaks the internal signal path from the corresponding envelope follower (in other words, that frequency band is now controlled by the CV signal you’ve connected - not by the corresponding frequency band in the modulator signal).

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If 16 band mode is selected, each output/input pair corresponds to a separate frequency band.

In 8 band or 4 band mode, only the 8 first or 4 first output/input pairs are used. In 32 band mode, each output is a mix of two adjacent frequency bands and each input controls two bands. Finally, in FFT (512) mode each output/input pair corresponds to several frequency bands.

There are several interesting uses for the Individual band levels connectors: you can cross-patch frequency bands so that e.g. low frequencies in the modulator signal controls high frequency bands in the vocoder, you can extract CV signals for controlling synth parameters in other devices, you can base the vocoding on CV signals from other devices rather than on a modulator signal, etc. See “Using the individual band level connections” for details.

#Other CV connections

| Connection

| Description

Shift (CV in)

This allows you to control the Shift parameter from an external CV source. A sensitivity knob determines how much the Shift setting is affected by the CV signal.

Hold (Gate in)

When a gate signal is sent to this input, the Hold function is activated (see “Hold button”). Hold remains on until the gate signal “goes low” (falls to zero). By connecting e.g. a Matrix to this input, you can create “stepped” vocoder sounds, sample and hold-like effects, etc.

#Audio connections

| Connection

| Description

Carrier input

This is where you connect the instrument device that provides the carrier signal (or the device to be processed in Equalizer mode) - typically a synth or sampler device. The vocoder can handle mono or stereo carrier signals.

Modulator input

This is where you connect the instrument device that provides the modulator signal, in mono. This connection is not used in Equalizer mode.

Output

In Vocoder mode, the outputs carry a mix between the vocoded signal and the modulator signal (as set with the Dry/Wet control on the front panel). In Equalizer mode the output is the carrier signal, processed through the equalizer filter.

Note that the output will be in mono if the Carrier input is in mono, and vice versa - the BV512 does not process mono into stereo.

#Automation

All parameters on the front panel can be automated in the standard manner. The individual band levels (the bars in the lower display) will be edited on separate lanes in the sequencer. Note:

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As with the other effect devices, you have to manually create a sequencer track for the BV512.

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Although the band level adjustments can be edited individually, they are treated as one automatable parameter on the device panel.

This means that if any single band level control is automated, there will be a frame around the whole lower display on the device panel. Right-clicking (Win) or [Ctrl]-clicking (Mac) in the lower display and selecting “Clear Automation” will remove the automation for all bands. Similarly, selecting “Edit Automation” will open the sequencer with lanes for all band levels shown.

The frame indicates that one or more band level controls are automated.

#Tips and tricks

#Choosing a carrier sound

As always, which carrier sound to choose is a matter of taste and musical context. However, here are a few guidelines to help you get a good result:

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The carrier sound should preferably have a lot of harmonic content (brightness) - dark or muffled sounds will not “give the vocoder much to work with”.

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Often, you want the carrier sound to sustain at an even level (i.e. it shouldn’t “die out” when you hold a chord). Similarly, you most often want a reasonably fast attack (although not with a distinct, sharp click or edge).

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You may want a sound that is rather static over time, without drastic envelope control of filter cutoff for example.

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If you want to play vocoded chords, the carrier sound must of course be polyphonic.

Here are some hands-on suggestions for carrier sounds:

A simple Subtractor pad based on a sawtooth waveform.

You could simply start with the initial patch (as set up when you create a new Subtractor device). Open the filter, turn off envelope modulation of the cutoff frequency and raise the Amp Envelope Sustain.
If you want a classic, rich chorus-like sound, use two detuned oscillators - or better still, add a UN-16 Unison device as an insert effect between the Subtractor and the vocoder!

A simple but effective carrier sound setup.

With the Malström you can get a stereo carrier signal with no extra devices: simply select the “Sawtooth*16” graintable for both oscillators, detune the oscillators slightly with the Cent controls and raise the Spread parameter to the desired stereo width. No filter routings are necessary.

For a more distinct and precise sound, try using a narrow pulse waveform.

You get this by selecting e.g. a sawtooth wave on the Subtractor, setting the Phase Mode selector to “–” and turning the Phase knob to the left until you get the desired sound. This type of carrier sound lends itself well to monophonic vocoder lines in the lower registers.

Use noise as a carrier.

Try using pure noise (possibly filtered down a bit) for robotic voices, whispering and special effects. It’s also very useful to add a bit of noise to a sawtooth or pulse sound - this makes vocoded speech clearer and more intelligible.

Use sampled strings or choir sounds.

A rich drawbar organ sample can also be a cool carrier sound.

For unusual vocoder sounds, try using the Malström as carrier device, e.g. with a glassy, digital pad sound selected.

Try turning up the Attack and Decay controls on the BV512, for smeared, rhythmic or pseudo-random modulation of a pad.

#Choosing a modulator sound

The modulator sound should typically have varying level and harmonic content. As we’ve already mentioned, the most typical modulator sounds are vocals or speech and drums or percussion.

To use your own voice as modulator sound, refer to “Using the BV512 as an equalizer”.

The quickest way to get an “internal” modulator sound is to use a rhythmic loop in the Dr. Octo Rex device.

This way you don’t have to program a rhythm pattern. On the other hand, using a Redrum as modulator allows you to create exactly the rhythm you want and fine-tune the sounds and the groove.

#Using the modulator as carrier

You can get cool special effects by using the same device both as carrier and as modulator. For example, try processing a Redrum device in the following way:

Create a Redrum device and set up the desired patch and pattern.

Create a Spider Audio Merger & Splitter device.

Create a BV512 Vocoder.

Flip the rack around and connect the devices in the following way:

The output of the Redrum goes into the splitter section of the Spider, and is split into two signals. One signal goes into the carrier input of the vocoder, the other goes into the modulator input.

This is essentially the required connections, but for best results it’s a good idea to add some distortion and/or compression to the carrier signal - this increases the amount of high frequencies in the carrier signal:

Press [Shift] and create a Scream 4 distortion device.

Connect the distortion device as an insert effect between the Spider and the carrier input of the vocoder.

Now, the carrier signal will be processed in the distortion device, but not the modulator signal.

Play back the pattern and experiment with the settings on the vocoder and distortion device.

This technique can also be used to process vocals and speech.

Try adjusting the Shift parameter for new effects and sounds.

Remember that you can route CV to the Shift parameter on the back of the BV512 - use e.g. a Matrix or an LFO output on a synth device!

#Controlling the Hold function

As described in “Hold button”, pressing the Hold button on the front panel “freezes” the current filter spectrum until you deactivate it again. This can be used for creating sample & hold-like effects, stuttering or garbled vocoder sounds:

Connect e.g. the Gate output on a Matrix device to the Hold input on the back of the BV512.

By playing back a gate pattern on the Matrix, the Hold function will repeatedly be turned on and off according to the programmed rhythm in the pattern. Hold will be active for the length of each gate signal.

Automate the Hold function with the main sequencer, either by recording it or by drawing in its controller lane.

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If you route MIDI to the BV512 you can control the Hold function in two ways by default: By pressing a damper pedal connected to your MIDI controller or by playing the note C4.

In both cases, the Hold function will be momentary - Hold is on until you release the pedal or key.

#Using the individual band level connections

As described in “Individual band levels”, the individual band level connectors on the back are CV output and input jacks. The upper row sends out the CV signals from the envelope followers for the different frequency bands, while the lower jacks are CV inputs for controlling the individual bandpass filters (breaking the internal connection from the envelope followers). There are several interesting things you can do with these connections:

#Crosspatching frequency bands