The Serge Modular Creature - An Unauthorized User`s Manual
Contents
1. SERGE MODULAR Let s examine each block individually before connecting them together Tkacs 21 Cross Fader In a system consisting of only a Creature the Cross Fader XFAD module will most likely be used as an output module It functions both as a 2 input voltage controlled mixer and a voltage controlled output amplifier and includes a 1 4 phone jack This phone jack can be used to connect the panel with standard amplifiers and mixers and also has enough power to drive a pair of headphones X FADER The Cross Fader has two inputs which are mixed together and appear at the output s The amount of each signal is controlled by the XFADE control Turning this control counter clockwise increases the amount of IN 1 appearing at the output and decreases the amount of IN 2 rotating the control clockwise has the opposite effect Control voltage fed into the VC XFADE jack also affects this mix with lower voltages favoring the IN 1 signal and higher voltages the IN 2 Amplitude of the overall output is controlled using the GAIN knob and control voltages patched into the VC GAIN jack will additively affect this level with higher voltages producing higher gain Used as an output module Patch an audio signal into either input e g IN 1 Rotate the XFADE knob all the way to one extreme e g counter clockwise to IN 1 Patch the OUT jack to an external mixer or amplifier Use the GAIN knob to2. boutique nature of this field may foster an erroneous attitude that anyone with the money and desire to own such instruments surely has a solid understanding of these complex machines already It is has also been suggested that a lack of formal guidance is a good thing that it forces the student of the instrument to experiment and learn through doing while exploring all of the rich features of these instruments This is perhaps the most likely explanation for the scarcity of documentation in the case of the Serge but suggest that this reasoning is unhelpful for several reasons First adept use of a modular synthesizer is a technically demanding endeavor to say the least especially in the case of West Coast machines in my humble East Coast opinion In what other field even with regard to learning any other musical instrument is the preferred method of gathering expertise to leave the student to flounder without guidance This is like throwing someone into the deep end of a pool to teach them how to swim sure it s been tried but it s more discouraging and dangerous than it is helpful The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Second a person can grope in the dark trying to find something for a long time never realizing that the elusive target of their search was often just inches out of reach the whole time Why put a budding synthesist through that when a few helpful words or d
3. damped ringing a technique used by early drum machines for tom and wood block sounds Notice we aren t using any envelope shaping though we could because damped ringing by nature has a percussive envelope Adjust the filter knobs and try different VCFQ outputs to explore different tones Tkacs 43 Gritty Amplitude Modulation SMOOTH 55 GENERATOR SMOOTH TOUCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER KV KP The patch shown above uses the VCFQ as an oscillator tracking the keyboard along with the TGO It is not being used as a direct audio oscillator however Rather it is amplitude modulating the TGO s envelope by using the XFAD s VC XFAD control input Of course the VCFQ could be used as a second VCO just remove the patchcord from the VC XFAD input insert it into the IN 2 jack above it and adjust the XFAD and the VCF knobs for tuning and balance Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Dynamic Timbre Change through Cross Fading SMOOTH STEPPED VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR VC GAIN GAIN FREQUENCY TOUCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER KV KP This patch demonstrates the cross fader s namesake function The sawtooth and square waveforms of the TGO are patched into the two XFAD inputs The SSG is configured as an LFO which swings the XFAD cyclically between the two waveforms Tkacs 4
4. The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized Users Manual By Ken Tkacs All Rights Reserved 2010 Version 1 0 September 2010 The material and illustrations contained within were created by Ken Tkacs who retains ownership and rights to them Serge is a trademark of Sound Transform Systems no infringement is intended This manual is not associated with nor endorsed by STS Contents CONTENTS FOREWORD WHY THIS MANUAL SCOPE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE SERGE SYNTHESIZER SYSTEM EAST COAST VS WEST COAST SYNTHESIZERS MODULES VS FUNCTION BLOCKS PATCHING THE SERGE SERGE CONTROLS INTERFACING WITH OTHER SYSTEMS THE CREATURE GETTING STARTED THE PANEL CROSS FADER VARIABLE Q VOLTAGE CONTROLLED FILTER VOLTAGE CONTROLLED TIMEGEN OSCILLATOR THE SMOOTH STEPPED GENERATOR SAMPLE PATCHES SAWTOOTH WAVEFORM FROM THE TGO TRIANGULAR WAVEFORM FROM THE TGO EXPLORING THE TGO S TRIGGER FREQUENCY MODULATION CONTROL THE PITCH OF THE TGO FROM A KEYBOARD ADD A SIMPLE ENVELOPE SIMPLE ENVELOPE SHAPING VOLTAGE CONTROLLED ENVELOPE SHAPING A MORE USEFUL AR ENVELOPE VOLTAGE CONTROLLED FILTERING THE SSG AS AN LFO A COMPLETE SYNTHESIZER VOICE THE TGO AS AN LFO e 10 10 13 17 18 19 USING THE SSG FOR PORTAMENTO THE VCFQ AS A VCO THE VCFQ AS ANALOG DRUM VOICE GRITTY AMPLITUDE MODULATION DYNAMIC TIMBRE CHANGE THROUGH CROSS FADING THE SSG TRA
5. OUT STEPPED O OUT SERGE MODULAR Set up the patch as previous but flick the TRIG ON switch to the left off position This disables the right side of the TGO Now we ll use the eft side oscillator of the TGO as an LFO to electronically enable disable the right side Set up the patch as shown in the illustration above With the FREQ knob set low the left LED shows it oscillating only a few cycles per second in low frequency oscillator range When the TRIG switch is off the output of the left side TGO cyclically enables disables the right side Turning the FREQ knob up raises the pitch of the controlling oscillator and interesting modulation occurs Note it seems to be possible in complex patches to drive the right side of the TGO into a shut down state that voltage triggers cannot re enable To clear this move the switch off and then on again This usually clears the lock out Tkacs 31 Frequency Modulation SMOOTH STEPPED MEGEN OSC GENERATOR SMOOTH OUT STEPPED 0 OUT SERGE MODULAR Set up the patch as previous Instead of having the left side control the enabling of the right side we will now have the left frequency modulate FM the right Switch the TRIG ON to on to enable the right side of the TGO Replace the last patchcord with a new one that goes into the right VC IN jack Turn the associated knob into its positi
6. Voice SMOOTH STEPPED X FADER VARIABLE Q VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR TOUCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER KV KP In the patch above the SSG is wired as an LFO by connecting the CYCLE jack into the IN jack This LFO is controlling the cutoff frequency of the filter producing a constant tremolo like effect This patch is a complete traditional synthesizer voice There is a VCO the TGO sending signal into a VCF the VCFQ and then into a VCA the XFAD An EG the TGO controls the VCA and an LFO the SSG modulates the filter Tkacs 39 The TGO as an LFO SMOOTH STEPPED X FADER VARIABLE Q VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR VC GAIN GAIN FREQUENCY TOUCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER KV KP This patch achieves the same goals as the previous one but in this case we swap the right side of the TGO and the SSG The TGO now acts as the filter s LFO By adjusting the RISE and FALL controls of the TGO wave shapes other than the triangle of the SSG are produced The SSG fills the role of envelope generator here with symmetrical attack and release times This demonstrates how a particular synthesizer task may be coaxed out of different function blocks Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Using the SSG for Portamento SMOOTH STEPPED X FADER VARIABLE Q VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR O O TO
7. few questions For information about purchasing Serge synthesizer components contact Sound Transform Systems directly at 262 367 3030 Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual The Serge Synthesizer System East Coast vs West Coast Synthesizers Modern electronic music synthesizers can generally trace their lineage back to two fathers Robert Moog and Donald Buchla the two men who firmly established voltage control as a standard for patch programming electronic components into sound shaping instruments Moog s name has become a household word even outside of the electronic music community Back in the 1970 s people freely referred to all synthesizers as Moogs whether they pronounced his name properly or not Moog Music produced the iconic modular synthesizer used by Wendy Carlos Isao Tomita Keith Emerson and others and this machine set the patterns for many synthesizer designers to follow Through the Moog Modular and its infamous little brother the Minimoog terms like voltage controlled oscillator voltage controlled low pass filter and envelope generator crept into the vocabulary of those wishing to create and shape sounds with synthesizers Moog s designs continue to inspire a new generation of modular synthesizer designers Much less familiar but working at the same time as Moog on the opposite shore of the United States wa
8. jacks on either end The Pomona part numbers reflect Model B Banana Cable Length Color of Insulator Insulator Color Cable Length Pomona Part Gray 4 B 4 8 Green 8 B 8 5 Yellow 12 B 12 4 Red 18 B 18 2 Blue 24 B 24 6 Violet 36 B 36 7 Brown 48 B 48 1 Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Those familiar with other modular synthesizers may underestimate the number of patchcords required to make best use of a Serge system Since many function blocks require intra modular wiring in order to change that block s behavior For one experienced with synthesis but new to the Serge a rule of thumb might be to double or triple the number of cords you think you will need As for the jacks into which the patchcords are inserted the flexibility of the Serge makes giving specific labels to these sometimes difficult as each jack can often assume different functions depending upon how it is used However to help make their functionality a bit easier to work with the Serge banana jacks are color coded Black Bi polar AC coupled voltages and signal voltages that may swing between positive and negative as in an audio signal ZN Blue Unipolar DC coupled voltages VY Sy usually positive only control voltages Red Logic triggers gates and other positive going pulses Violet Synchronization currently found only on volt
9. left to 1 With the OUT of the XFAD connected to headphones or an amplifier slowly turn the XFAD s GAIN knob clockwise until you can hear the sawtooth wave If you cannot hear it the frequency of the tone may be outside the audible range In this case try adjusting the FREQ knob of the TGO In this configuration the TGO s FREQ knob is the only manual control that will have any noticeable effect on the sound Tkacs 29 Triangular Waveform from the TGO SMOOTH STEPPED X FADER VARIABLE Q VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR SMOOTH OUT SERGE MODULAR Set up the patch as previous but use the right blue TGO OUTPUT jack instead of the left one Initially you may not hear any sound depending on the positions of the TGO s switch and two knobs Flick the TGO s TRIG ON Switch to the right This switch or a high voltage at the red jack next to it enables the right side features of the TGO The right side of the TGO is not controlled by the FREQ knob Instead alter the pitch and the waveshape of the tone by adjusting the RISE and FALL knobs With both at 12 00 the waveform is triangular Moving the knobs clockwise increases pitch but skews the wave shape left or right Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Exploring the TGO s Trigger SMOOTH STEPPED MEGEN OSC GENERATOR SMOOTH
10. to the trigger Attack Decay gate logic Attack Sustain Release or both Attack Decay Sustain Release Integrators may be found in the hearts of oscillators both VCOs and LFOs as well as in their waveshaping circuitry A Lowpass filter is a form of integration An Envelope Follower smoothes or integrates the amplitude of an audio signal and so on The East Coast modules are designed from the outside in with their eventual application in mind the Serge modules seem designed from the inside out In fact many of the more mysterious Serge function blocks are integrators in one form or another but the Dual Universal Slope Generator DSG is arguably the most versatile single unit in the Serge lineup STS now offers a Quad Slope M Odule with four of these function blocks and it is something of a synthesizer in itself Patching the Serge With any modular synthesizer its main strength lies in its flexibility Functional elements are not hard wired but leave the organizing of their connections to the end user the synthesist These modular functions are interconnected with a few notable exceptions through the use of patchcords cables with handy connectors on each end and the act of wiring up a collection of modules into a synthesizer voice is called patching the final configuration is commonly referred to as a patch Much of the Version 1 0 September 2010 The S
11. 5 The SSG Track and Hold SMOOTH been GENERATOR X FADER VARIABLE O VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC In this patch the top half of the SSG is wired to create a slowly changing LFO This is patched into the bottom half which will sample the voltage and use it to control the frequency of the left side of the TGO The right side of the TGO is set up as a second LFO Each time this second LFO oscillates it triggers a new sampling in the sample and hold as well as providing an envelope for the sound The end result is an evenly timed series of randomly pitched tones Try adjusting the various knobs involved The SSG s lower RATE knob adjusts the correlation of the sample amp hold To create tones that are not evenly timed remove the right side of the yellow cable from the TGO and plug it into the SSG s CUPL OUT jack Now the tone only sounds when the pitch controlling voltage of the lower half exceeds the current voltage level of the upper half of the SSG Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Random Pitches from an LFO SMOOTH STEPPED X FADER VARIABLE Q VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR GAIN FREQUENCY SERGE MODULAR This patch creates much the same effect as the previous one but it is achieved a different way Here the top half of the SSG is once again wired as an LFO its output controlling the pitch of the TGO The right side
12. CK AND HOLD RANDOM PITCHES FROM AN LFO THE SMOOTH GENERATOR AS A VC LOWPASS FILTER BLANK PATCH SHEET Foreword Why This Manual While modular synthesizers are generally regarded as icons of electronic music from the 1970 s the fact is that they have never been as plentiful and affordable as they are right now decades later But learning how to use them is certainly no easier and perhaps even more difficult than it has ever been even with the advent of the Worldwide Web Mainstream information sources seem almost wholly oblivious to the fact that these machines are more popular than ever and currently focus their efforts almost exclusively on computers and mass market software plug ins And the documentation that is shipped along with the majority of these machines is extremely cursory when it is provided at all which in my experience is almost never Because of this learning how to use a modular synthesizer is more difficult than it needs to be In the case of so called West Coast instruments such as the Serge Modular system this is doubly so the Serge can be opaque even to someone like myself who has been using modular synthesizers for thirty five years The reason for this lack of documentation is not entirely clear Most of these systems are designed and built by small shops that perhaps do not have the resources or expertise to create good documentation or perhaps feel it is cost prohibitive Further the
13. NS CYCLE AGCIN CYCLE SERGE MODULAR UTPUTS 7 066 ABCD Set up the patch as in the prior example Turn the XFAD s GAIN knob all the way to the left so that there is no sound We will use the XFAD as a VCA now to control note duration Patch the Gate from the keyboard into the XFAD s VC GAIN blue input jack On the Serge TKB the gate voltage is called Keyboard Pulse and is labeled KP Play a few notes Now the Creature only produces tones when the keys are activated Pressing a key produces an almost instantaneous high voltage as the gate pulse raises the gain of the XFAD using it as a VCA The amplitude drops as quickly when the key is released Try using the TKB s PRESSURE output instead of the KP and ease the XFAD s GAIN knob to the 9 00 position You can now control the gain of the envelope by the pressure of your finger on the keys Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Simple Envelope Shaping SMOOTH STEPPED GENET VC TIMEGEN OSC TOR CYCLE 6 SERGE MODULAR OUTPUTS RTCLOCK 4860 Set up the patch as in the prior example Instead of patching the KP gate from the keyboard directly into the XFAD move that patchcord to the black IN jack of the SSG and add a new patchcord from the SSG SMOOTH OUT j
14. UCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER KV KP Primarily the SSG s top half is a lag circuit resisting rapid changes in voltage This patch demonstrates this by using the SSG to process the Keyboard Voltage Just for the sake of using a new waveform we re using the pulse output of the TGO s left circuit Lag slew portamento and lag time integration are some of the many names used to describe this synthesizer function It is actually a form of lowpass filtering filtering out higher frequencies slows down voltage changes Tkacs 41 The VCFQ as a VCO SMOOTH STEPPED X FADER VARIABLE Q VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR SMOOTH TOUCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER KV KP The VCFQ can be used as a voltage controlled oscillator by driving it into self oscillation This is accomplished by patching the bandpass output back to the input and turning the Q to maximum The pitch can be controlled by the FREQUENCY knob and or by patching a control voltage into the VCF and or 1V OCT jacks A tone may be pulled from any of the filter s four outputs Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual The VCFQ as Analog Drum Voice SMOOTH STEPPED X FADER VARIABLE Q VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR OUTPUTS O O BAND HI AE SMOOTH TOUCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER KV KP This patch uses a pulse to drive the VCFQ into
15. ack into the XFAD s VC GAIN jack As you play notes on the keyboard adjust the SSG s RATE knob and listen to the amplitude envelope change character We are here using the SSG as a slew or lag function to soften the rise and fall of the raw gate pulse It is being used as an AR envelope generator However the attack and release of the envelope are always symmetrical Tkacs 35 SMOOTH STEPPED VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR Voltage Controlled Envelope Shaping cYCLE CYCLE SERGE MODULAR OUTPUTS RTCLOCK ABCD Set up the patch as in the prior example Add a new patchcord plug one end into the back of the cord jacked into the TGO s left VC IN jack Doing this is the same as jacking it into the TKB s KV jack but is shorter and neater The other end should be plugged into the SSG s top blue VC RATE jack Turn the VC RATE knob all the way up to get the full effect of the keyboard s voltage on the envelope rate Carefully adjust the topmost RATE knob underneath it while playing keys up and down the keyboard Notice how the higher notes have shorter envelopes and the lower notes have lengthy attack amp release phases Play each note distinctly since the attack phase of each note starts from the position of the release phase of the previous note Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creat
16. acoustic sources with filters that track the loudness of the source signal Each of the above modules has a primary function and is customized to that task However in the Serge system there are many ways to achieve each of these goals and a single nine square inch function block called the Tkacs Universal Slope Generator can do all of them to some extent depending upon how it is connected Further the Slope Generator has other available functions not explicitly mentioned in this list Now this is in many ways an apples to oranges comparison The former modules are carefully tuned to their primary function and are easily understood wide ranging more quickly accessible often more linear and it may be possible to use them in very specific ways that would be difficult if not impossible for the Slope Generator to exactly emulate But the fact remains that the more generalized low level Serge function blocks have incredible flexibility by comparison And what the Slope Generator cannot do a different circuit or group of connected function blocks probably can How is it that one small module can offer so much functionality Much of that has to do with the specifics of the electronic circuits in all of these modules A Glide Lag module is at heart a simple circuit known as an integrator a circuit which resists rapid changes in voltage An Envelope Generator is little more than a couple of integrators reacting either
17. age controlled oscillators so that one master oscillator may retrigger the waveforms of slave oscillators and help eliminate unwanted beat frequencies Master gt Slave I There is nothing that prevents the synthesist from using a gate as a control voltage a signal as a gate and so on The jack colors are simply a handy convention to display the voltage range that jack provides or expects The Serge has several colors of LED indicators too but see no consistent reasoning behind their color coding The variety of colors may simply be for aesthetic purposes In fact the LED colors on my own Creature appear to be different than on others I ve seen in photos Tkacs Serge Controls Compared to most other synthesizers Serge knobs are of a small diameter and are quite tall This makes sense as the high functional density of the Serge demands that panel features are packed quite closely together and the tall knobs aid in getting one s fingers past stacked patchcords Unlike other synthesizers which tend to mark knobs with indications such as scales 1 10 5 5 etc the Serge uses a graphic system One might argue that this is less precise than numeric indicators but anyone who has used a modular synthesizer and tried to document patches to paper quickly realizes that precise reading of a knob is a lost cause the tiniest movement of a particular knob can have a profound effect on the o
18. atching a control voltage into the VC Q jack the associated knob adjusts the strength of that voltage Q is a routing of some of the output signal back into the input of the filter It has the very noticeable effect of accentuating the portion of the audio spectrum near the frequency of interest Two different inputs are available The initial level of a signal patched into the IN jack is controlled by the GAIN knob The AGC IN jack is not affected by GAIN but rather feeds into an automatic gain control Using this input holds the output level constant and prevents the module from overloading this is cain FREQUENcy Particularly useful when using high Q settings The filter may be switched between a HI range audio and LO sub audio CV The TRIG IN jack accepts a pulse which drives the filter to damped ringing the timbre of which is dependent on the frequency and Q settings The filter can be driven into self oscillation but only by patching the BAND output back to the IN jack Tkacs 23 Voltage Controlled TimeGen Oscillator The TGO is a uniquely Serge function block It can function as a wide range waveform generator envelope follower non linear low pass filter linear or exponential glide processor attack release contour generator a low frequency oscillator as with many Serge modules the list goes on Even though the elements of this function block are graphi
19. cally grouped as Inputs Outputs Trigger and Control it s helpful to divide it first into a left and a right section The left section is generally thought of as a wide range audio oscillator while the right side provides a variety of control functions like several signature Serge modules through voltage controlled lag integration Let s examine the left side first The left OUTPUT blue jack produces a ramp VC TIMEGEN OSC waveform aka reverse Sawtooth An LED visually indicates the voltage level The left GATE red jack outputs a 50 duty cycle square waveform The pitch of these outputs is determined by the jacks and knobs below FREQ sets the initial frequency 1V OCT accepts a control voltage raising the frequency one volt per octave and the VC jack and knob accept and adjust a frequency modulation CV Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual The right side of the TGO functions independently of the left VC TIMEGEN OSC The right OUTPUT blue jack offers a triangular waveform whose symmetry can be adjusted from sawtooth to triangle to ramp by settings of the lower section An LED visually indicates the voltage level Some examples NAVAN The right GATE red jack produces a rectangular pulse waveform whose frequency and duty cycle are adjusted and voltage controllable by the same four lower controls Note that a
20. cerely feel that making public that which have discovered in working with my Serge will in no way detract from anyone s enjoyment of the Serge Modular and may in fact help at least a few others to understand the Serge system and possibly even encourage some to purchase a Creature and try the experience for themselves Even for someone familiar with modular sound synthesis the Serge experience is quite unique and if possible not to be missed If you feel you have a patch which demonstrates a function of the Creature that have overlooked probably because haven t found it yet I know they exist please use the patch sheet in this manual and send me what you have with an explanation to be included in the next release of this guide Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Scope Because of its functions and price point the Serge Creature panel is a de facto introductory purchase for many curious about the Serge synthesis system With the exception of a preparatory chapter on the overall system have tried to limit the scope of this manual only to that panel just as if this guide were shipped with that purchase As with any modular synthesizer the functionality of any particular module is magnified geometrically by the addition of more and more modules and the Creature is no exception But the primary reason for this document remains to treat the Serge Creatur
21. control the VC GAIN overall level Used as a voltage controlled amplifier Patch it as above but rotate the GAIN knob all the way CCW Patch a control voltage into the VC GAIN The level of the output signal will now respond to the control voltage for tremolo or amplitude envelope shaping Used as a cross fader With two different inputs patched in a control voltage at the VC XFADE will smoothly fade between them Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Variable Q Voltage Controlled Filter The VCFQ is a voltage controlled filter with four different simultaneous responses Band pass High pass Notch and Low pass The slope is 12 db octave for the HI and LO outputs 6 db octave for BAND and NOTCH VARIABLEQVCF The center frequency frequency of interest of the O BAND HI filter is controlled manually with the FREQUENCY control or via voltage control by patching a CV into the VCF jack The CV s strength and phase i e positive or inverted is adjusted using the VCF knob A second control input labeled 1V OCT is also NOTCH LO provided specifically designed to move the center frequency of the filter one octave for every volt and is useful for causing the filter to track the pitch of a note by patching a keyboard s pitch CV in here as well The filter s Q also called resonance emphasis is varied by p
22. d for as many jacks as you need only one ground jack is required for the entire circuit no matter how many other jacks are added Gate KP or In use the ground banana jack if needed is connected to the ground jack on the PS2A power supply Tkacs The Creature Getting Started The Creature is an M Class panel for the Serge Modular synthesizer system On its own it can make a variety of sounds but as with any modular synthesizer it becomes geometrically more powerful as more modules are added The Creature is therefore a logical introduction to the Serge Modular synthesizer and a potential starting point for a larger system The Creature requires several items in order to function e A chassis in which to mount it e A power supply e Patchcords e Headphones or an amplifier and appropriate cables usually a 16 instrument cord The preferred chassis is the M Boat offered by Sound Transform Systems It is approximately 17 x 7 x 4 5 in dimension not counting the rubber feet and is large enough to hold two M Odules M Boats are twice the depth of the cases which hold the Serge Touch Keyboard Optional rack ears may be purchased for fitting the M Boat into a standard 19 inch equipment rack M Boats have a central power indicator panel sometimes called the Obelisk which has LED indicators for 12 12v as well as a power LED If a control voltage is plugged into th
23. d into action creates a rising amp falling voltage with controllable rates Used to control various aspects of sounds primarily the gain of a voltage controlled amplifier the cutoff frequency of a filter etc e Glide Portamento Slew Lag Slows the rise and fall of a control voltage sometimes each independently to varying degrees Used primarily to slow or slur the transitions between the pitches of consecutive sound events e Low Frequency Oscillator Creates a voltage that cycles up and down often with a variety of waveshapes Useful for vibrato and tremolo effects e Voltage Controlled Oscillator An analog synthesizer s primary source of harmonic sound Creates one or more waveforms whose pitch can be controlled from an outside voltage such as a keyboard e Frequency Divider Takes in a signal at a particular frequency and outputs a new signal at a lower frequency Useful in the audio range for creating new pitches in relation to the source oscillator and for creating rhythmically related pulses in the control range e Voltage Controlled Low Pass Filter processes an incoming audio signal by rolling off high frequencies to varying degrees e Trigger Gate Delay Receives a logic pulse and passes it to its output but after a user selectable delay Useful for precisely controlling a series of events e Envelope Follower Outputs a voltage that mimics the overall amplitude of an input signal often used for processing
24. ded in mystery some of that is unavoidable owing to its radical departure from mainstream analog synthesizer structure and terminology But that is what makes the Serge interesting so hopefully clearing away some of the fog will aid in more people finding enjoyment in this unique system Tkacs Acknowledgements Naturally this manual would never have been realized without Serge Tcherepnin s creation of the Serge synthesizer system and Rex Probe and the talented people of Sound Transform Systems for not only keeping that system available and extending it but for creating the M Class M Odules that inspired this specific research Further while STS has no current worldwide web presence James D Maeir s enthusiastic and helpful web pages devoted to the Serge synthesizer www carbon111 com serge_index html continue to be an inspiration and help to me as is the site serge fans www serge fans com For anyone seeking more information on the Serge these two sites are must visit locations The only other print documentation could find explaining in any way the functioning of the Serge synthesizer are in the form of an old print catalog from 1982 perhaps the last time such official documentation was updated and the Serge Guidebook written by Rich Gold Before having hands on access to the modules found these documents unenlightening but after having experienced the Creature referring back to them does help answer a
25. e as an introduction to the Serge system And so for the most part this manual will be limited to the functionality available only on that panel The one exception to this make is in the supposition later on that the user has some kind of keyboard or other controller that s he can use with the Creature This is not much of an assumption think as low cost MIDI keyboards are plentiful and devices for converting MIDI to control voltages are readily available Anyone with the drive and purchasing power to try a Serge system most likely has a controller of some sort available Of course the preferred controller for the Serge system is the Touch Activated Keyboard Sequencer TKB a brilliant combination of a rank of customizable keys and a 16x4 analog sequencer So where do make reference to an external controller will use the TKB without diving too deeply into its functions as much as a default as to perhaps suggest to a budding Serge synthesist where the road leads While have endeavored to be as clear as can in this document it does assume some basic familiarity with the use of electronic music synthesizers particularly analog modular instruments Perhaps the audience for whom it is most intended is synthesists familiar with more conventional machines that would like to better understand the Serge Modular and like me are frustrated with the lack of reading material available The Serge has long been clou
26. e jack below this power indicator the indicator becomes a visual voltage indicator glowing more brightly with higher voltages Mounted to the back of this center panel is a power distribution board with enough connectors to service 4 M Odules The Serge PS2A power supply is an inline AC DC converter with a grounded AC wall cord at one end and a Molex connector at the other designed to mate with the distribution board inside the M Boat It provides enough power for two full Serge panels or four M Class modules Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Sound Transform Systems sells patchcords in sets of ten pieces There is a long and a short set each with several varying lengths of patchcord The recommendation for a single Creature panel is two sets of short cords twenty cords in all STS most likely shipped your Creature already mounted in the M Boat with the power connector in place To provide power to the M Boat remove the power supply from its packaging and feed the Molex connector end in through the pass through hole in the back of the M Boat Connect the power supply to the connector Remove the patchcords from their individual packaging The Panel The Creature is a single 7 7 8 x 7 panel with four Serge function blocks SMOOTH STEPPED X FADER VARIABLE O VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR OUTPUTS O O BAND SMOOTH OUT
27. erge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual mechanics and terminology of electronic music hardware was inherited from the fields of telephony and radio from where the original sound generating and shaping circuitry came from East Coast synthesizers tend to use 4 Phone plugs for interconnecting modules some use the smaller 1 8 phono plug variation to save space These two conductor patchcords are the same common connectors used in other audio equipment such as guitars amplifiers mixers and so on They have a further advantage in that the act of plugging or unplugging a patchcord on one of these systems may be able to activate an internal switch called a normal The Serge Modular uses patchcords that terminate in banana plugs These are single conductor cords as the ground is left internal to the system rather than being carried along with each cord They are the type of cords used in electronic test equipment The banana plugs themselves are stackable meaning that the user can pull more than one line out from a single output jack or connect multiple patchcords into one input jack without the use of a Y cable or jack multiple by pushing a plug into the back of another there is also a hole in the side of each plug as seen in the diagram below into which another plug can be inserted but this is less often used because of the limited space on the synthesizer panel In a pinch a lo
28. evel molecular aggregations of function that one sees on the Moog but rather much more atomic low level function blocks Just as it can be said that one builds an instrument using synthesizer modules with the Serge one builds synthesizer modules from these more elemental but ultimately more generalized and flexible circuits Modules vs Function Blocks The Serge Modular boasts a high functional density What this means is that for every square inch of front panel space there is much more utility available compared to other synthesizers This is achieved in part by tightly grouping controls in part through the use of stackable banana plugs but primarily because each control grouping can be pressed into a wide variety of behaviors depending upon how it is configured On his website James Maier makes a semantic distinction between conventional analog synthesizer modules and the more atomic kind found on the Serge He refers to the latter as function blocks and that is perhaps a more helpful way to regard them so I will use that terminology here Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual A quick comparison of several synthesizer modules and a Serge function block helps make this clear Below is listed a variety of common easily understood East Coast synthesizer modules and their functions e Envelope Generator When signale
29. iagrams could open up new vistas of sound creation for that person Third no matter how much someone knows about the use of modular electronic music synthesizers there will always be experimentation and discovery anyway This is the great joy of our instrument above all others the seemingly endless possibilities that we cannot help but uncover with every hour that we spend with these wonderful and inspiring tools To presume that the only way to foster the excitement of experimentation in a novice user is to blindfold them is in my opinion fallacious reasoning The more one knows about their synthesizer the higher the quality of experimentation The Serge synthesizer available through Sound Transform Systems STS has been with the electronic music community for decades Originally created by Serge Tcherepnin as a low cost alternative to instruments like those made by Don Buchla the Serge is now ironically among the most expensive of analog synthesizers available enjoying a prestigious boutique place in the market The peculiar physically non modular design of this modular system has created a price barrier that has discouraged many from being able to experience this instrument I myself have only now paid the entrance fee after thirty years of being curious about the Serge Modules had to be purchased in complete custom built panels and so even a first purchase bore a considerable price tag later upgrades were subject t
30. ll of the input voltage Voltage applied to the VC RATE input jack through the attenuator knob also affects the lag rate Using these basic functions the module can process a keyboard voltage to create portamento glide it can process a gate to create an AR envelope and other such functions The red CYCLE jack outputs a pulse which goes high at the end of a cycle By patching it back into the input the Smooth Generator oscillates and becomes a useful LFO The CYCLE jack outputs a pulse stream at the same frequency as the triangular waveform of the SMOOTH OUT jack A pulse going high at the HOLD jack will freeze the output voltage at the level it was at the instant when the pulse went high The output voltage will resume tracking once this HOLD pulse goes low again This O is known as track and hold HOLD also works ie while the function block is patched as an LFO The lower half of the SSG is the Stepped Generator It too has an IN jack and also a STEPPED OUT jack and associated LED In general this section is a sample and hold module when a pulse at the SAMPLE jack goes high Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual the voltage at the output jack is held until the SAMPLE pulse falls and goes high again It is similar to the track and hold of the upper module except that the STEPPED OUT changes in discreet steps and does not continuously vary track By
31. nger cord can be made from two or more smaller cords by connecting them together Tkacs Heated debates have raged for years in the electronic music community over which method is best but in my opinion after using both the argument is easily put to rest 14 phone plugs are best for East Coast high level modules and the stackable banana plugs are almost a necessity for the atomic functions of the Serge That these two camps have different interconnection methods is almost a matter of natural selection Patching the Serge sometimes feels more like running connections on an electronic engineer s proto board than it does jacking a guitar into an effects pedal Banana patchcords are unnecessary on a Moog and using phono cords on a Serge like system would quickly become unbearable One type is not better than another they are each perfectly suited to their different paradigms As with any system it is beneficial to have handy an assortment of patchcords These are available in many colors and while the color scheme is electrically arbitrary many find it helpful to use colors to denote cord length for the sake of organization and documentation Others may try to color code cords by function Based on the cords purchased with the author s Creature STS is using the color length scheme below Note that cable length in the table below is measured in inches and refers to the length of the actual cable not including the length of the
32. o the same obstacle In recent years STS has moved to a shop panels business model moving away from custom panels toward a selection of pre specified module arrangements But while that decision may have ameliorated production costs somewhat it did nothing to lower the final prices of the panels so the problem was the same a system could only be started or expanded in increments of full 17 panels which cost 3500 and up STS has now introduced a smaller format panel the M Class panels called M Odules While still not fully modular in the traditional sense these new panel arrangements are the smallest increment purchases since the earliest days of the Serge system They are essentially half panels slightly less than half of a traditional Serge panel actually that still bear the distinctive Serge appearance and functionality For the synthesist on a budget who has been curious to experience the Serge synthesizing paradigm these M Class panels are the best news in decades Tkacs One M Odule in particular seems aimed squarely at the first time Serge buyer the Creature This panel is unique in the lineup in that it is somewhat self contained it provides enough functionality to create and shape sounds in the smallest Serge form factor to date But the Creature is hardly a traditional synthesizer voice in the sense that for instance an Oberheim SEM was At first glance the only recogni
33. of the TGO is also wired as an LFO that does two things it provides an envelope for the XFAD acting as a VCA and it also freezes the current voltage level of the SSG LFO each time a new note sounds Tkacs 47 The Smooth Generator as a VC Lowpass Filter X FADER VARIABLE Q VCF OUTPUTS VC GAIN GAIN FREQUENCY TOUCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER KV KP Here the upper half of the SSG essentially an integrator is being patched as a lowpass filter The same envelope that controls the VCA functioning of the XFAD sweeps the cutoff frequency of the filter through the VC RATE jack and knob Careful adjustment of the SSG s topmost RATE knob is needed to hear the effect Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Blank Patch Sheet The following page contains a blank patch sheet that may be printed photocopied for own your use Tkacs STEPPED STEPPED OUT SERGE MODULAR GENERATOR SMOOTH VC TIMEGEN OSC OUTPUTS I VARIABLE O VCF X FADER The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual This page has been intentionally left blank Tkacs
34. patching the CYCLE jack back into the IN jack and applying pulses to the IN jack this function block produces a continuous staircase voltage contour at its output The RATE knob adjusts the amount of difference in voltage from one step of the output to the next At high settings the stepped output varies little high correlation at lower settings the steps may vary widely Voltage patched into the VC RATE jack and adjusted with its attenuator also affects this serial correlation The top and bottom halves of this module are independent of each other with the exception of the red CUPL OUT jack This is the output of an internal comparator that monitors and compares the outputs of the two module halves If the voltage level of the Stepped Generator is higher than that of the Smooth section the output of CUPL OUT goes high otherwise its output voltage is low Earlier versions of the SSG produced a very hot 10v output at the coupler output The modified SSG included in the Creature has a Ov 6v swing which makes it easier to use as a possible audio signal within the Serge system Tkacs 27 Sample Patches The patches on the following pages are not intended to be final sound programs ready for musical use Instead they are a series of tutorial configurations designed to unveil a few of the hidden secrets in the Creature panel Many of the following patches build upon the previous example so it is be
35. s Donald Buchla His machines followed a different perhaps less mass market evolutionary path than Moog s Buchla s devices were also voltage controlled but as he was less interested in developing instruments that would produce conventional music his synthesizers bore only a passing resemblance to the Moog standards with which musicians were becoming familiar This is evident even at first glance not only is the terminology different but the method of connecting modules and even the keyboard controllers followed a different development path At some point the Moog like synthesizers were dubbed East Coast machines and the Buchla inspired synthesizers West Coast The terms seemed to fit and they stuck They are a handy way of quickly differentiating these two great design paradigms seen to varying degrees in the vast majority of synthesizers even those that are no longer analog or modular Tkacs Examples of East Coast and West Coast analog modular synthesizers The Serge Modular easily falls more into the West Coast camp than the alternative It uses banana cables rather than phone plug style patchcords Its primary controller the Touch Activated Keyboard Sequencer is an extremely powerful and flexible device arguably less suited to conventional music than a standard clavier but offering amazing functionality for true electronic music Serge modules are not the macro l
36. s the duty cycle reaches its extremes a strong DC component enters the output The center section of this function block contains enables disables the right side functions With the toggle switch flipped to the right the circuitry is turned on When the switch is flipped to the left the circuitry is disabled unless a voltage pulse at the associated TRIG ON jack goes high The wave shapes of the TGO s right side as well as the pitch are interactively decided by the four controls in the bottom section The RISE knob sets the rate at which the output waveform at the blue jack rises and the FALL knob the rate of the fall Slower rates lower the overall frequency and faster raise it The red jack s slopes are not affected but the duty cycle is A control voltage at the VC jack and its attenuator affect both equally Tkacs 25 The SMOOTH STEPPED GENERATOR The SSG is another distinctively Serge module As with the TGO understanding it is best accomplished by examining it in sections The top half is the smooth function generator a SMOOTH STEPPED voltage controlled lag integrator which can also act GENERATOR SMOOTH as a track and hold circuit and can be patched to retrigger itself for LFO functions It has a black IN jack and a blue SMOOTH OUT jack with an associated LED whose brightness reflects the voltage level of the output The RATE knob manually controls lag applied to the rise and fa
37. st to try these patches in order These patches in no way demonstrate all of the possible functions of the Creature they are simply presented as a tutorial to get you started with the panel s unfamiliar functions blocks Any colored patchcord may be used to recreate these patches However the diagrams generally make good use of the standard STS patchcord color CE 1 scheme as described in the Patching the Serge section previous Be sure to patch any voltage about which you are curious into the black jack on the Obelisk panel so that you can fully understand its behavior Where control input from a keyboard is shown the Serge Touch Activated Keyboard Sequencer TKB is shown but other keyboards and controllers may be substituted Only the Key Voltage KV and Key Pulse KP aka gate of the TKB are used here In all of the following patch diagrams a connection from the output of the Cross Fader to an amplifier or headphones is presumed but omitted for clarity Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Sawtooth Waveform from the TGO SMOOTH STEPPED X FADER VARIABLE Q VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR SERGE MODULAR Turn the GAIN knob on the XFAD all the way to the left Connect the left blue OUTPUT of the TGO to IN 1 of the XFAD Turn the XFADE knob of the XFAD function block all the way
38. ure An Unauthorized User s Manual A More Useful AR Envelope SMOOTH STEPPED VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR SMOOTH OUT TOUCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER KV KP Set up the patch as in the illustration above This time we will use the right side of the TGO as an AR generator rather than the SSG The RISE and FALL knobs of the TGO can adjust the attack and decay respectively independent of each other Notice that we are patching the TKB s KP gate into the TGO s SIGNAL IN rather than the TRIG ON jack we explored earlier In fact both will work but using the SIG IN allows re triggering of the envelope Try both options Tkacs 37 Voltage Controlled Filtering SMOOTH STEPPED X FADER VARIABLE Q VCF VC TIMEGEN OSC GENERATOR SMOOTH OUT TOUCH ACTIVATED KEYBOARD SEQUENCER KV KP Patch the Variable Q VCF in as a Lowpass filter as shown above Adjust the VC Q knob so that you can clearly hear an edge to the filtering effect as you move the VCFQ s FREQUENCY knob Adjust the RISE and FALL knobs of the TGO so that the envelope which is here controlling both the amplitude of the sound and the cutoff frequency of the filter is soft enough to allow you to hear the filtering effect Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual The SSG as an LFO A Complete Synthesizer
39. ve range Now as you adjust the FREQ RISE and or FALL knobs you will hear interesting harmonics created by FM Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Control the Pitch of the TGO from a Keyboard SMOOTH STEPPED GENE VC TIMEGEN OSC TOR CYCLE CYCLE SERGE MODULAR OUTPUTS vertTCLOCK asco S 3 Let s get the TGO under keyboard control Patch the Creature to create a sawtooth waveform as in the first example If you are using a keyboard other than the Serge TKB patch its CV output into the TGO s 1V OCT input If you are using the TKB however patch the Keyboard Voltage KV from that unit into the TGO s left VC IN blue jack The reason for the difference is that the TKB s KV jack produces equally spaced voltages per key but in greater increments that the 1 1 2 volt per octave of other keyboards This allows experimentation with other equal tempered tunings but we must use the attenuator on the TGO to dial in the 12 notes per octave of the chromatic scale A setting just under 1 00 on that knob does the trick By playing keys on the keyboard or turning the TGO s FREQ knob you can tune and change the pitch of the tone Tkacs 33 Add a Simple Envelope SMOOTH STEPPED GENERATOR MOO Our VC TIMEGEN OSC SIG I
40. verall patch and this effect is cumulative Further the knob settings of several otherwise identical modules will never land in precisely the same positions for a particular sound One must always tweak a sound by feel and by ear no matter how the knobs are demarked on paper In fact the strength of the Serge indicators is that they inform the user graphically and at a glance as to their control range positive negative or both and keep the mind firmly in the right brain while creating a sound C 0 100 Attenuator Negative to Positive Attenuator Crossfade Other Version 1 0 September 2010 The Serge Modular Creature An Unauthorized User s Manual Interfacing with Other Systems The only real disadvantage of the Serge s use of banana cords is that it takes an extra step to interface the system with other equipment Function blocks such as the X FADER on the Creature have a 14 phone jack for final output of the audio signal but if you wish to connect a keyboard other than the TKB for instance you will need to buy or make an adapter Below is a diagram showing how to wire phone jacks to banana jacks The hot lug of each phone jack is soldered to the single lug on the paired banana jack The ground lug of every phone jack is tied together and to a single banana jack Only two jack pairs are shown below but this scheme can easily be extende
41. zable function on this panel even to an experienced synthesist is the voltage controlled filter There is no apparent sign of a VCO VCA LFO or EG In fact these functions are available on the Creature but only after understanding not only the Serge synthesizer paradigm but the peculiar functions of these circuits can one find them Sitting down to play with a Creature without some idea of where to start can be an exercise in frustration Many times one begins to get a feeling for how a particular function block behaves only to have it suddenly stop working never realizing that the inactivity is because of some slightly out of range voltage a gate that terminated in the wrong state or a knob being a paltry two degrees too far turned to the left or right Even after coming to some understanding of the Serge approach still found wrangling a Creature more confusing than any other synthesizer have ever owned by orders of magnitude was all but thrown into that proverbial deep end of the pool but decided to methodically document my experiences as made headway and to organize these in such a way as to help others who may be testing the Serge waters to see if they might like to experience this system first hand While am an experienced synthesist consider myself a very green Serge user Therefore please treat this document as thinking aloud as develop my own understanding of this instrument sin
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