DSI Evolver Sound Editor Manual
DSI Evolver Sound Editor Manual
DSI Evolver Sound Editor Manual
SoundEditor
User Guide
Macintosh Edition
Version 1.0
Congratulations and thank you for downloading/purchasing SoundEditor for the Dave Smith
Instruments (DSI) Evolver, PolyEvolver Rack or Keyboard! SoundEditor is designed to be the
ultimate tool for organizing and creating presets for your Evolver series instrument. Through a
MIDI connection, this program can receive single presets or an entire bank of presets from the
hardware - as well as replace individual presets or an entire bank. Once the presets are
transmitted to the computer, all preset parameters can be displayed and edited in a graphical
user interface. The program can also be used to learn the inner details of the factory presets.
Patches can be added to the program library in user-named categories for creating custom
preset banks – a terrific feature for musicians looking to organize programs for easy retrieval
later! In addition, a genetics function is available to create new presets simply by morphing or
mutating two presets together into a whole new bank. User-defined waveshapes can also be
created, stored and downloaded to the hardware for the development of new sounds. Lastly, a
hardware OS update function is available to simplify updating the Evolver-series firmware.
This manual, both a user guide and handy reference, is designed to get you up and running
quickly.
We hope you enjoy using SoundEditor for your Evolver, PolyEvolver Rack or Keyboard!
1. 1 Credits
1.2 Support
The Evolver firmware must be V2.0 or higher to work correctly with SoundEditor.
Updates are available at: www.davesmithinstruments.com. The PolyEvolver Rack
and PolyEvolver Keyboard already have the correct firmware.
To get the most out of the SoundEditor program you should first be familiar with the
operation of your Evolver-series instrument The Evolver-series instruments offer an
abundance of programmable features, and the accompanying Operation Manual is the
key resource for a complete explanation of the features and workings of the instrument.
Although this software program can be an invaluable resource to aid in understanding
your Evolver-series instrument, it is not a substitute for reading the Operation Manual.
This User Guide will walk you through the steps to setup SoundEditor with your Evolver-series
instrument. The STARTING UP and GETTING CONNECTED sections should be followed first
to get the hardware properly connected and running with the SoundEditor software. From there
you can freely explore SoundEditor, edit and audition sounds, create new ones and have some
fun!
The Evolver-series is a deep and complex set of instruments with many programming options.
With this in mind, SoundEditor has been designed to be as simple and easy to use as possible
while retaining all of the functional control needed to adjust every single Evolver/PolyEvolver
parameter.
The figure below shows some of SoundEditor’s creation and modification tools:
Open the PolyEvolver folder and launch the application by double clicking on the program icon.
The first time the program is run, you will see the dialog window shown. Evolver users should
select Evolver model, and PolyEvolver users (rack or keyboard) should select Poly model.
After making a selection, the program will display the following message window:
Note: Registration is free for PolyEvolver owners. To request the registration code visit:
www.soundtower.com/codereqmac.php
Selecting RUN DEMO will put the program in demo mode, limiting file and sysex operations,
but still allowing you to check out the program. In demo mode the program will display the
following message screen:
To register the software, select REGISTER. The program will launch your default web browser
and connect you to the DSI site, where you can purchase/register your copy of SoundEditor.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection in order to register the program.
If you have a valid registration, enter this information in the appropriate fields and select
ENTER CODE. Registered users will see their name displayed on the program splash screen.
The unregistered program lets you freely edit all of the Evolvers preset parameters and use
most of Editor's functions with the following limitations:
In order for the SoundEditor software to communicate with the Evolver or PolyEvolver
hardware, the hardware must be connected to both the MIDI In and MIDI Out connections of
your computer's MIDI interface. If these connections are not already in place, shut down the
computer (always a good idea before connecting/disconnecting anything!) and connect the
interface MIDI In and MIDI Out to the hardware.
With the proper connections between the Evolver/PolyEvolver and the MIDI interface in place,
reboot and launch the SoundEditor program. Click on the MIDI menu and select MIDI
Setup. You’ll see the following window (your window may show different port information):
You will need to select the MIDI I/O ports where your Evolver/PolyEvolver is connected. There
are also two MIDI System options available here: Bundle and CoreAudio. Choose Bundle if
you are running Mac OS 10.2.X or earlier. Choose CoreAudio if you are running Mac OS
10.3.X.
After making your configuration selections, click the POLL EVOLVER button. If MIDI
communication is working correctly, the program will display the Evolver/PolyEvolver ROM
Software Version at the top of the window (Evolver version shown):
Click the OK button to store the settings and close the dialog box. You are now ready to
explore SoundEditor!
To help familiarize you with SoundEditor, take a look at the flow diagram below. The diagram
is a ‘roadmap’ of sorts for understanding how the program components interact.
At the top of the diagram is the Main window. The Main window is always displayed and
becomes the starting point for all program editing and bank operations.
Looking below the Main window, you can see how the program functions are organized. The
Global Settings and MIDI Setup functions (in blue) are only accessible from the Main window.
Editing functions, such as the Sequencer, Waveshapes and three Envelopes (in yellow), can
only be accessed from the Editor. Other program functions including Program Genetics,
Evolver Bank Manager, Phantom Program Banks, Snapshots and V-Piano (in green) can be
accessed and used from either the Main window or the Editor window.
The Poly mode includes all of the functions shown for the Evolver mode, and adds a Combi
Edit function (shown in red) for editing Combos.
Note: If you selected PolyEvolver Mode, your startup window will look slightly different. See
PolyEvolver SoundEditor - Section 18
The Main window contains menus, a toolbar, and a Program Bank Drawer showing the
contents of the four Evolver program banks:
Note: The first time you launch SoundEditor, the four program banks are filled with the Evolver
factory sounds banks. (If you launched SoundEditor in Poly Mode, the four program banks are
filled with the PolyEvolver sounds banks.) The content of the program banks, including all edits
and changes, are stored when you quit SoundEditor. They will reappear when SoundEditor is
launched again.
Note: If you have a single button mouse, Mac OSX allows you display contextual menus by
holding down the CONTROL key and clicking.
If using the Macintosh keyboard, the following keys can be used to navigate SoundEditor’s
scrollable lists:
• The PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN keys scrolls the list in ‘blocks’ of programs, usually
about 20 per PAGE UP/DOWN.
• The UP and DOWN cursor keys will scroll one preset at a time, up or down respectively.
• Pressing the END key moves to the end of the list, while the HOME key returns to the
beginning of the list.
Note: If more than one program list is present in a window (like the Main window), the list that
displays a selected (i.e. highlighted) program will be the one controlled by the Mac keyboard.
The Combo and Write C buttons are used in Poly mode to display program combinations and
to write program combinations to the PolyEvolver. These buttons are grayed out in Evolver
mode and cannot be used. For details on PolyEvolver mode, see Section 18.
The Program button is used to display the four program banks, labeled A, B, C, and D. The
Program button is mainly for use in Poly mode to switch between displaying program banks
and combos (in Evolver mode the program banks are always displayed).
The Open button brings up the load program bank window, allowing you to load a new
program bank. The Open button duplicates the action of selecting ‘Load All Evolver Data’ from
the File menu.
The Save button brings up the save program bank window, allowing you to save a new
program bank. The Save button duplicates the action of selecting ‘Save All Evolver Data’ from
the File menu.
The Receive button receives the current program from the Evolver, allowing you to refresh
after making changes. This button resynchronizes SoundEditor with the Evolver if you have
been editing a program offline using the Evolver controls.
The Send button sends the current edited SoundEditor program to the Evolver, allowing you to
refresh after making edits. This button resynchronizes the Evolver with SoundEditor if you
have been editing a program offline using SoundEditor.
The Write P button brings up the Write Program window, allowing you to write the current
program to the Evolver at the location you specify. The Write P button duplicates the action of
selecting ‘Write’ from the Editor’s Edit menu.
The Global button brings up the Global Settings window. The Global button duplicates the
action of selecting ‘Global Settings’ from the MIDI menu.
The MIDI button brings up the MIDI Setup window. The MIDI button duplicates the action of
selecting ‘MIDI Setup’ from the MIDI menu. When connected to the Evolver through a working
MIDI connection, a red status light appears inside the MIDI button.
The Piano button brings up the V-Piano (Virtual Piano) window. The Piano button duplicates
the action of selecting ‘V-Piano’ from the Options menu.
The Start/Stop Sequencer button is below the Snap button on the left. This button duplicates
the action of pressing the Evolver/PolyEvolver Sequence Start/Stop button.
The Sequencer Reset button is on the right. This button duplicates the action of pressing the
Reset button on the Evolver/PolyEvolver. It resets the sequence currently playing. It also acts
as an emergency MIDI ‘All Notes Off’ command.
To the right of the Snap button is a MIDI status display. It shows the current MIDI status, and
will display hexadecimal transmissions of MIDI data. With normal MIDI communication
between SoundEditor and an Evolver-series instrument, the MIDI status displays
‘ON-LINE EVOLVER’.
In the Main window, select the program you wish to rename, right-click the mouse and select
Rename:
Note: There is a 16-character limit on program names. Names may include upper and lower
case characters as well as numbers and most punctuation marks.
Again in the Main menu, select the program you wish to change then click the Write P button
in the toolbar. This brings up the Write Program window:
Here you can change the name or enter a new name in the ‘New Name’ field. When done,
clicking the OK button will save the new name to the existing (default) location.
Write P also gives you the option of saving the program to another location if desired. Select
the new bank using the Destination bank pull-down menu (shown), and scroll to the desired
program location. Clicking OK will save the program to this new location.
Online (default):
When you select a program from the SoundEditor program bank (Program A001, for example),
the software sends a MIDI message to the Evolver to transfer the requested program (A001) to
the SoundEditor program bank at location A001:
SoundEditor’s bank location A001 now contains the new program, overwriting what was there
previously.
Note: If the Evolver is set to display the Program number, you will see the Evolver’s LED
display change when the MIDI program change command is sent.
Offline:
With “Offline Editing” selected, when you select a program in SoundEditor (again Program
A001, for this example), the software sends a MIDI message to the Evolver changing the
program to A001, but the Evolver does not send any data back:
Offline editing allows you select and edit any program in SoundEditor without the Evolver
overwriting it.
If your MIDI interface cannot keep up with the received or transmitted data you can adjust the
time interval between transfers from 0 to 1000 milliseconds using the slider control in the lower
left of either transfer window:
Note: When a single bank is transmitted, this bank replaces the corresponding bank in the
Evolver/PolyEvolver.
Note: SoundEditor also has features for loading/saving Sequences, Waveshapes, Phantom
(virtual) Program Banks and Library files, and PolyEvolver Combo Banks and Combi Singles.
Refer to those sections elsewhere in the User Guide for details.
SoundEditor’s Global Settings window is displayed by clicking the Global button in the toolbar
or by selecting “Global Settings” from the MIDI menu (shortcut: !"M). The Global Settings
window displays the Evolver/PolyEvolver global settings including volume, transposition,
tuning, clock, MIDI parameters and input gain. Whenever the Global Settings window is
opened the associated data is requested from the Evolver hardware and displayed:
Note: Some MIDI interfaces do not reset correctly after receiving MIDI Clock messages. If you
find that Sound Editor locks up under these conditions, change the “Midi Clock Select” setting
from “INTERNAL w/SEND” or “MIDI NOTES ADV SEQ” to any other setting while the program
is running. Also note that the adjustment of some settings in the Global Settings window can
stop MIDI communication between SoundEditor and the Evolver. For this reason, always use
caution when making changes here!
The Editor window is displayed by clicking the Edit Program button in the Main window or by
selecting Edit Program from the Program menu (shortcut: "E). Here you have access to
every Evolver programming parameter, including sequences and custom waveshapes. The
Editor’s real-time controls allow you to tweak, test and audition the sound of your presets right
from your Mac. Edits are automatically sent (so long as SoundEditor’s MIDI mode is set to
‘OnLine’).
Slider controls are used in the Editor window to display the functional equivalent of the
Evolver/PolyEvolver knobs. Adjusting any on-screen control transmits that control change to
the Evolver or PolyEvolver, instantly updating the sound.
The Editor window has several types of controls for program editing:
Buttons – Clicking on a button toggles it ON or OFF. When ON, the button has the
appearance of an LED that is lit. When OFF, the button appears dimmed. In this example, the
SYNC button is ON:
Sliders – Move a slider by clicking and dragging it in the desired direction. You can get finer
control by placing the mouse cursor in/near the slider channel and clicking. This will increase
or decrease the parameter value by 1 for each click. (You can also use the computer’s
up/down arrow keys to increment or decrement the values.)
Slider data values (shown to the left of the slider) can also be adjusted by clicking on the data
value and manually entering a new value or by selecting a value from the pulldown menu. To
complete a manual entry hit the ‘RETURN’ key to enter the value into the program:
Making a new selection updates the source or destination display fields immediately, and the
chosen selection is transmitted to the Evolver/PolyEvolver.
Like the Source menu, the Destination menu will remain open until you close it, allowing you to
easily specify multiple destination selections. When finished, close the Destination menu by
clicking the close button in the menu titlebar.
Other Editor Windows - The Editor provides additional windows to control program
envelopes, waveforms and sequencing. Accessing and using these components are covered
in the following sections. The Sequencer and Waveshapes functions are sufficiently full-
featured as to deserve their own dedicated sections.
Note: For the Evolver/PolyEvolver to send parameter change messages, the “Midi Transmit”
parameter found in the SoundEditor Global Settings menu should be set to “PARAMETER…”
An Envelope Window like the one below will be displayed. In this example, the Filter Envelope
is shown:
Windows for the VCA Envelope and Envelope 3 function just like the Filter Envelope Window
as described above, but with a few different slider controls:
When you’re finished adjusting envelope parameters, click the OK button to return to the
Editor.
Note: When a program envelope window is displayed, access to other program functions is
temporarily suspended. The envelope window must be closed before the program will resume
editing operations.
All program edits you make in the Editor are automatically applied to the edit buffer of the
Evolver/PolyEvolver, but they must be saved to make them permanent. To save an edited
program, use the Editor’s Write command located in the Edit menu (shortcut: "Y).
Select a destination bank, location and click OK to store the program. You can also change the
program name here (limited to 16 characters). Click Cancel to cancel the operation.
To exit the Editor, click the Close button in the upper left corner of the Editor window (shown
below), or use the ‘Close’ command in the File menu. Upon exiting the Editor window, you will
return to the Main window.
Note: You must exit out of the Editor before you can quit SoundEditor.
Pen makes the cursor function like a magnet. With the mouse
button held down, placing the cursor over a fader causes the fader
to follow the cursor position. Pen mode allows you to draw
envelope-like sequences by dragging the cursor across the control bars. Pen mode is not as
Once set, the Display Mode control setting remains ‘as is’ until you change it again.
Tip: You can keep the Destination menu open and select destinations for all four sequences in
turn. Simply click in the destination display field for any other sequence, and select the new
destination.
The Reset button resets all 16 sequencer control bars to zero values. This is a quick way to
zero the parameters:
Just below the Reset button is the Function button. Selecting the Function button opens a
drawer that appears below the Sequencer window. This drawer gives you access to additional
sequencer functions, including adjusting the length of each sequence, options to create
pitched sequences from preloaded sequence data, and functions to alter the sequence data.
Take a look at the example below. Here we’ve modified Sequence 4 to start at step 5 and end
at step 16. Notice the RED numerical values that appear below the control bars in Sequence
4? This indicates that Sequence 4 is the sequence that is being edited.
Notice also that we’ve selected Major from the Chords column, creating a sequence of pitch
values based on a major chord. This sequence will be simultaneously applied to all four
Evolver oscillators because ‘OSC ALL’ is the selected destination:
Preloaded chord data is available for major and minor chords, and several major and minor
sevenths to get you started. Refer to Appendix B for a list of sequencer note values and
Appendix C for details on SoundEditor chord structures.
To the right of the Chords column is a Functions column containing commands to copy, paste
and modify the selected sequence. These functions include:
The Control Adjust button acts to raise or lower the selected sequence value by 1 for each
click of the control. Holding the control button instead of clicking provides for rapid adjustment
of the sequence values.
The Undo button offers multiple levels of undo. You can undo any chord or function selection
back to the point at which you started.
At the top center of the Sequencer Window are sliders to control the Evolver’s Tempo and
Clock Divide functions. To adjust, simply click and drag on either slider control.
Sequence Templates are a way to copy and paste sequences from other programs into your
current sequence, as well as loading and saving sequences to your computer.
The Save button allows you to save all sequences that appear in the list of programs. Clicking
the Save button brings up the Save Sequence Templates window:
Enter a name for the file and select a location. Click SAVE when done. Sequence templates
are saved with an ‘.esq’ extension.
Selecting a sequence template from the list and clicking on the Send arrow (") will send all
four of the selected program’s sequences to the Evolver/PolyEvolver, along with the Tempo,
Clock Divide, and destination information for all four sequences. This can be used
experimentally to create new sequenced programs by combining one programmed sound with
the sequence information from another program.
When you close the Sequencer window, the Editor window will reappear.
The Waveshapes window is accessed from the Editor’s Program menu (shortcut: "J) or by
clicking on the Osc 3 or Osc 4 waveshape icons in the oscillator section of the Editor:
The Evolver/PolyEvolver has 128 waveshapes that can be assigned to either OSC 3 and 4.
The first 96 waveshapes are in ROM and cannot be changed. The remaining 32 waveshapes
are in RAM and are user editable. The Waveshapes window contains the tools that allow you
to copy, paste, modify and create new waveforms for the Evolver within the 32 available RAM
slots.
The Waveshape window (shown below) contains buttons for frequently used functions, a
waveform display, a scrollable list of the 128 waveshapes, a wave template tool, and
provisions for the storage and retrieval of individual waveshapes and waveshape banks. A
description of the window functions follows.
At the top of the Waveshapes window is a button bar for frequently used functions. Here’s
what they do:
The New button resets the waveform to 0. The effect is the same as selecting ‘Initial
Waveshape’ from the Edit menu (shortcut: "I).
The Open button brings up the load waveshape library window, allowing you to load a new
waveshape bank. The Open button duplicates the action of selecting ‘Load Waveshape Bank’
from the File menu (shortcut: "L).
The Save button brings up the save waveshape bank window, allowing you to save a new
waveshape bank. The Save button duplicates the action of selecting ‘Save Waveshape Bank’
from the File menu (shortcut: "S).
The Copy button copies the currently selected waveshape. The Copy button duplicates the
action of selecting ‘Copy Waveshape’ from the Edit menu (shortcut: "C).
The Paste button pastes the copied waveshape to the selected location. The Paste button
duplicates the action of selecting ‘Paste Waveshape’ from the Edit menu (shortcut: "P).
The Get button retrieves the waveform from the Evolver at the selected RAM location. The Get
button duplicates the action of selecting ‘Receive Current Waveshape’ from the MIDI menu
(shortcut: "R).
The Send button transmits the waveform to the Evolver at the selected RAM location. The
Save button duplicates the action of selecting ‘Transmit Current Waveshape’ from the MIDI
menu (shortcut: "Y).
To the right of the Send button is a button to toggle between OSC 3 and OSC 4. In the figure
above, OSC 4 is selected, indicting that all waveshape operations will apply to this oscillator.
Selecting Pen allows you to draw freehand. With the mouse button held
down, a new line will be drawn, overwriting the existing line.
Selecting Line allows you to draw in straight lines. With the mouse
button held down, a ‘rubber band’ line will extend from the starting point
to the point where you release the mouse button. Line mode is best for
creating or modifying waves having sharp angles.
Note: In LINE mode, the line must be drawn from left to right. You cannot start at a higher
sample value (right) and go backwards (left).
There are several ‘templates’ available here to further modify the selected waveshape:
‘RESET’ simply initializes the wave, similar to clicking on the New button.
Changes made to the waveshape are not applied until the Send To " button is clicked.
Waveshape changes can be automatically applied if the checkbox next to Send To " is
enabled as shown:
The label to the right of the Send To " button shows the currently selected RAM (user) wave
location. Changes are sent to this location.
The Evolver’s 128 internal waves (96 ROM and 32 RAM) are displayed in the Internal waves
list. Any of the available waveforms can be copied and modified, but only within the 32
available RAM slots.
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can quickly scroll through the waves by placing
the mouse cursor anywhere on the list and using the wheel to scroll up and down. You can
easily toggle between ROM and RAM waves by clicking on the ‘Internal Waves’ header.
Wave templates can be saved by selecting Save Waveshape Template File from the
Template menu. Template files are loaded by selecting Load Waveshape Template File from
the Template menu. Finally, the Wave Templates list can be cleared by selecting Clear
Templates from the Templates menu as shown:
When you close the Waveshapes window, the Editor window will reappear.
The Evolver Bank Manager is accessed from either the Main window or from the Editor
(shortcut: "L). The Evolver Bank Manager’s Librarian lets you organize and store an unlimited
number of Evolver/PolyEvolver programs. You can also have as many Library files on your
computer as you wish. The Librarian provides 32 sound categories to organize your
Evolver/PolyEvolver sounds and have them available for immediate use. For convenience, 16
sound categories have already been defined, but all categories can easily be renamed
according to your needs.
A view of the Evolver Bank Manager window is shown below. The User Program Bank is
shown on the left (1), Librarian sound categories are displayed in the middle (2), and a list of
the programs contained in the current Librarian sound category is on the right (3). Buttons for
Bank Manager and Library functions are at the top.
A detailed view of the buttons and checkboxes in the Evolver Bank Manager is shown below.
Here’s how the buttons and checkboxes function:
The Edit buttons opens the Editor window, where you can edit the currently selected preset.
The Edit button on the left is for the User Program Bank, and the Edit button on the right is for
the Librarian.
The Use loaded data checkbox is part of the User Program Bank functions. When Use
loaded data is unchecked (disabled), selecting a preset from the User Program Bank switches
the Evolver/PolyEvolver to the corresponding preset. This guaranties synchronization between
the hardware and SoundEditor. When Use loaded data is checked (enabled), the selected
preset data from the User Program Bank is sent to the Evolver/PolyEvolver edit buffer for
editing and audition. This feature helps to browse through presets in the User Program Bank
without the need for dumping the entire bank to the hardware.
Note: When Use loaded data is enabled, Tempo and Clock Divide data is not sent with the
program data. If a sequence is playing when you select a new program, you will hear the new
program’s sound, but it will be played at the tempo of the original program. This can be used to
quickly audition new sounds/sequences at pre-determined tempos.
Despite its location in the window, the Auto Dump checkbox is part of the Librarian. When the
Auto Dump checkbox is checked (enabled), a selected preset from the Librarian Program list
is automatically sent to the Evolver/PolyEvolver edit buffer for editing/audition. When Auto
Dump is unchecked (disabled), no data is sent.
The Add Current Program button copies the selected program in the User Program Bank to
the current Librarian category.
The User Program Bank contains a list of the programs that can be moved to the Librarian for
organization and storage. The bank displayed here will be the bank that contained the selected
program in the Main window when the Evolver Bank Manager was opened.
The User Program Bank has a pull-down menu to select any of the four banks:
By default, programs are listed in order from location 001 to 128. You can change the sort
order of the bank by clicking on the ‘No.’ column, or sort alphabetically by program name by
clicking on the ‘Program’ column:
A second click on either label reverses the sort order (1-128 " 128-1, or A-Z " Z-A).
The Librarian function contains 32 sound categories and a program list which display the
contents of each category:
The selected sound category is indicated by boldface type and a triangle to the left of the
name. As an example, in the above figure, Library (unassigned) is the current sound
category, and contains 5 programs. The programs contained in this category are displayed in
the listing on the right, beginning with Program 001 “Big Ana Orch”.
Note: When the number of presets exceeds what can be displayed in the list window, the
program will add a scroll bar to provide access to the complete list of presets.
You can change to a different category simply by clicking on the desired sound category name.
For example, in the figure below we selected the Lead category, which only contains one
preset:
The Librarian’s Add Current Panel button adds the current preset from the User Program
Bank to the selected sound category. Note that new entries are always added to the end of the
list, so if you have a lot of presets in a particular category, you may have to scroll down to see
the new entry.
You can import all 128 programs from the User Program Bank into the Library using the Load
From User Bank Data command in the Librarian menu (shown below). You can also import
the sounds from the Program Genetics Top Offspring bank using the Add From Top
Offspring command.
And here is the result. Note that after the move the number of programs in the unassigned
Library category is now 127, and 1 program is now in the Lead category:
You can also drag programs from the User Bank to the Library and from the Library to the User
Bank. When dragging from the Library to the User Bank, the Library program will replace the
currently selected program in the User Bank, and be written to the Evolver/PolyEvolver at that
program location.
The New Library command allows you to create a new Library. After selecting New Library,
you’ll see a message dialog asking if you wish to save the existing library:
Clicking the OK button will present you with a ‘Save Program Library’ dialog box that will allow
you to name and save the current library to the location you specify. SoundEditor will
automatically append the ‘.els’ suffix to the saved file name. Clicking the NO button will clear
the existing library including all 32 categories, leaving an empty library. Clicking the Cancel
button will cancel the operation and return you back to the library unchanged.
Tip: You can load a new library into an existing library to combine the presets of each.
The Save command allows you to save the library file, displaying a dialog box that will allow
you to name and save the current library to the location you specify.
When the New Bank command is selected, a dialog box appears asking if you wish to save
the current User Bank:
Clicking the OK button will present you with a ‘Save Program Bank’ dialog box that will allow
you to name and save the current bank to the location you specify. SoundEditor will
automatically append the ‘.ebp’ suffix to the saved file name. Clicking the NO button will clear
the existing bank and fill it with default programs. Clicking the Cancel button will cancel the
operation and return you back to the User Bank unchanged.
Note: Because Evolver Bank Manager is a separate window within SoundEditor, it can be
moved, resized and collapsed like a window. It can also ‘fall behind’ the Main window,
specifically when the Editor is selected. This can also happen to Program Genetics, Snapshots
and Phantom Bank windows. To view any hidden window you can either relocate the Main
window, reselect the function from the Main menu, use the applicable shortcut command,
or hit the F9 key (OSX Panther), which will reveal all open windows in all programs.
To close the Evolver Bank Manager, use the Close command in the File menu, or simply click
on the red close button.
A view of the Preset Genetics window is shown below. The two source banks (Parent banks
called Mommy and Daddy) are located in the upper left, along with buttons for the four different
genetics functions. The generated bank (Kids) and the Top Offspring bank are located in the
lower left. On the right are filters to exclude selected parameters from the genetics function,
and three buttons at the top for editing functions and resetting excluded parameters.
Any pair of programs can be used for the genetics functions (one program each from mother
and father). The result of applying the user-selected genetics functions creates a child bank of
128 new programs, and any ‘keepers’ auditioned from the child bank can then be moved into
the Top Offspring bank.
• Mix button: The parameters of each child program are randomly chosen using
parameters from either the mother or father source. For example, if the mother’s cutoff
frequency was 10 and the father’s was 88, the child’s value would either be 10 or 88.
• Morph button: The value of each parameter is linearly interpolated from one parent to
the other. The first child is identical to the mother; the last child is identical to the father.
All others are weighted towards each parent depending on their placement within the
list. The middle child program is exactly 1⁄2 of the mother and 1⁄2 of the father.
• Mutate button: The parameter values of each child preset are randomly chosen from
within the range between each parent’s parameter. For example, if the mother’s cutoff
frequency was 10 and the father’s was 88, the child values would be anywhere between
10 and 88.
• Random button: A random value from within the min/max parameter range produces
the value of each parameter for the child.
Notes: Experimentation by using vastly different parents and similar parents creates the most
interesting results. You can also ‘interbreed’ the child patches, too. In addition, you can set
filters to excluded parameters that will not take a part in the generation of new offspring.
Experiment and have fun!
The Auto Audition checkbox enables automatic transfer of the selected presets from the
mother, father, kids or top offspring banks to the Evolver's edit buffer. When the Auto Audition
checkbox is unchecked (disabled), no data is transmitted to the Evolver.
Other buttons at the top of the window include Edit, Write and Reset.
The Edit button brings up the Editor window, permitting on-screen editing of the selected
preset from the Parents, Kids or Top Offspring banks. Note: The Auto Audition button must
be checked for the Editor to correctly display the selected preset in the Genetics window.
The Write button brings up the Write Program dialog box. The Write function works on the
currently selected program, which can be from the Mommy or Daddy Bank, the Child Bank or
the Top Offspring Bank:
Both Parent banks use the programs from the ‘A’ bank by default, but any bank can be loaded
into either parent using the drop-down menu as shown:
To create a bank of sounds based on a Program Genetics function (Mix, Morph, Mutate, or
Random) you must select a pair of ‘seed’ programs, one each from the Mommy bank and
Daddy bank. Use the scroll bars to scroll through the Parent bank lists and select the desired
programs. If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel you can quickly scroll through either bank
list by placing the mouse cursor onto the list and scrolling up/down.
With a pair of programs chosen, selecting any one of the four Program Genetics functions will
create a bank of 128 programs in the Kids bank. Selecting the Program Genetics function a
second time will create a new bank of 128 programs, replacing the previously generated Kids
bank.
Notes: Program names in the ‘Kids’ bank become scrambled or rearranged when you use the
Genetics functions. This is normal.
Note: Be sure to turn down the volume before trying out “Kids” programs because the resulting
levels can be unpredictable!
Programs created in the Program Genetics window can be moved in several ways:
! Selected programs in
the Kids bank are moved
into the Top Offspring
bank by clicking on the
thin copy bar that
separates the banks.
Selected programs can be dragged from either the Top Offspring or Kids bank directly into any
Librarian category in the Evolver Bank Manager. Programs can also be dragged from either
the Top Offspring or Kids bank directly into the User Program Bank in the Evolver Bank
Manager where they are automatically written to the Evolver/PolyEvolver at the currently
selected program location.
The File menu contains commands to access the Evolver Bank Manager and Phantom
Program Banks functions, and the Close command
The Close command will close the Preset Genetics window and return you to the main
window. Alternatively, you can also click the red Close button in the upper left corner.
Snapshots allows you to quickly capture “Snapshots” of edited programs, giving you multiple
points of ‘undo’ and allowing you to check your editing at various stages. The Snapshots
Window is accessed from the Snapshots menu in the Main window (shortcut: !"A).
To add a program to Snapshots, click on the Snap button in the main window toolbar
(shortcut: "A).
Tip: Placing the Snapshots window close to the edge of the screen will keep it out of the way
of the Main window and other windows. When you click on the EDIT button the Editor window
will appear and will automatically move the Snapshots window out from the side. When you
click on the Editor close box, the Editor will close and the Snapshots window will move back to
its original position.
The Phantom Program Banks function allows you to add virtual banks of programs (phantoms)
to your Evolver or PolyEvolver. Phantom Program Banks allows you to load up to 16 banks of
programs into SoundEditor, and have any program in any bank immediately available for
auditioning. This means you can have as many as 2048 programs (16 x 128) at your disposal
(2560 program when you include the four Evolver/PolyEvolver instrument banks!).
Banks of programs can be loaded from SoundEditor’s Program Banks (A, B, C, or D), or from
the Top Offspring list in the Program Genetics window, or from any saved bank files. Banks
can also be assembled by pasting or dragging single programs to this window.
The Phantom Program Banks window is selected from the File menu in either the Main window
or the Editor window (shortcut: !"L):
Note: You can expand the Phantom Program Bank window both horizontally and vertically to
accommodate long path names and long program lists.
The Add Current Program button adds the current program to the program list.
In the above example, clicking the Add Current Program button copied the current program
“Big Ana Orch” (seen in the Main window behind the Phantom Program Banks window) into
the Phantom Banks program list. The program is copied into the selected program list location
(in this case, location S002). Note that if the selected program location is not empty, the
program in this location will be overwritten when Add Current Program is selected.
After completing your edits, clicking the Close button returns you into the Phantom Program
Banks window.
Note: If the Phantom Program Banks window is close to the edge of the screen when EDIT is
selected, the window will automatically relocate to accommodate the large Editor window. The
Phantom Program Banks window will return to its original position when the Editor window is
closed.
Phantom Banks are initially empty. You create a new bank by selecting a bank and filling it
with programs. When your Phantom Bank is complete, you assign a name using the Save As
command. The new file name will then be displayed under the File column, and the location of
the newly saved file will appear under the Path column. In the example below, we’ve created a
new Phantom Bank and saved it as “My Patches”. The save operation automatically added the
‘.els’ suffix to the file name. You can see by the path shown that the file was saved to the
Macintosh desktop:
The programs in the ‘My Patches’ bank are displayed under the Program column in the lower
part of the window. Programs listed here can be sent to the Evolver/PolyEvolver for auditioning
by clicking on the right arrow (") under the Send column.
The Save As command allows you to save the currently selected phantom bank. Selecting
Save As brings up a save window where the Phantom Bank file can be named and saved
to the location of your choice:
The Load From command has a fly-out menu of program banks to choose from:
Note: If the Top Offspring bank contains more than 128 programs, only the first 128 will be
loaded into a Phantom Bank.
To close Phantom Program Banks, use the Close command in the File menu, or simply click
on the red close button.
The Virtual Piano (V-Piano) provides a way to ‘play’ the Evolver remotely using the mouse.
V-Piano is selected from the Options menu in either the Main window or the Editor window
(shortcut: "P), or by clicking on the Piano button in the Main window toolbar. To play, simply
use the mouse to press keys on the V-Piano. When a key is pressed with the mouse, the
corresponding note will be displayed in Red on the right side of the keyboard:
Sliders on the far right of the keyboard adjust the Midi Channel and the velocity of notes
played.
You can also play notes on the Evolver/PolyEvolver using your computer's keyboard. The
middle and bottom rows of computer keys act as a single octave of keys mapped like a piano
keyboard. You can use these keys to remotely play notes on the Evolver/PolyEvolver:
Notes: C# D# F# G# A#
C D E F G A B
Keyboard: | s d g h j |
| z | x | c | v | b | n | m |
----------------------------------------------------------------
Each key press generates a MIDI Note ON message corresponding to the note as specified.
When the key is released, a MIDI Note OFF message is sent. You will see the Voyager’s MIDI
LED blink as these commands are sent, and the Voyager will play the corresponding note.
Note: This feature works in all windows, allowing you to audition sounds at any time. Note that
the CAPS LOCK key must not be ON, as only lower case letters send MIDI note data. You can
use the CAPS LOCK key to temporarily turn off remote playing if desired.
Note: If you’re using a PolyEvolver, pressing multiple note keys on the keyboard will result in
multiple notes played. If an Evolver is connected, however, it will only play single notes.
Tip: You can sustain a note by pressing down a “note” key and while it is depressed, press an
“octave” key. A MIDI Note ON command will be sent without a corresponding MIDI Note OFF,
causing a sustained, or ‘stuck’ note. To un-stick the note, press the Space Bar. The Space Bar
will send an ‘All Notes Off’ command that shuts off all MIDI notes.
Note velocities can be set from 0 to 125 in increments of 5. A note velocity of 0 is the
equivalent of no note played. When the velocity switching keys are pressed, a pop-up window
briefly appears showing the change:
Note: Some Evolver/PolyEvolver programs are not programmed to respond to Velocity. If you
select such a program, changing the velocity value here will have no effect.
Note: Refer to the documentation supplied with your OS update for full details on the update
procedure BEFORE updating the firmware with SoundEditor.
Begin by confirming that MIDI connections are established and the correct MIDI Out port is
selected (refer to Section 5 - ‘Getting Connected’ for more details). To update the
Evolver/PolyEvolver OS, use the OS Update function located under Evolver menu:
Selecting this command will initiate the update. The update is a two-step process, where two
individual files must be selected and uploaded to the Evolver/PolyEvolver. You will be
presented with a dialog box asking you to select the first update file:
Clicking the OPEN button will load the file into SoundEditor. You will be presented with a
dialog box like the one shown:
Clicking the START button will initiate the transfer of SysEx data to the Evolver/PolyEvolver.
Clicking the OK button brings up another load window, where you will select the DSP SysEx
update file:
Clicking START will initiate the transfer of the file to the Evolver/PolyEvolver. When the
transfer has finished, the Evolver/PolyEvolver update process is complete.
When you enter SoundEditor’s Poly mode you’ll find the all of the editing and sound creation
tools contained in Evolver mode along with additional tools to edit and write PolyEvolver
program combinations (combos).
Taking a look at the Main window, you can see that Poly mode looks just like Evolver mode,
but with a few previously grayed-out buttons now active on the toolbar. The toolbar buttons
that were grayed out in Evolver mode (Combo and Write C) are now active and functional in
Poly mode. A short description of these buttons appears below. For complete descriptions of
all toolbar button functions, refer to Section 7.4 – Toolbar.
• The Combo button is used to display and edit PolyEvolver program combos. A detailed
description of the Combo function follows in Section 18.1.
• The Write C button brings up the Write Combo window, allowing you to write the current
program combo to the PolyEvolver at the location you specify. The Write C button
duplicates the action of selecting ‘Write Combo’ from the Combo menu.
Note: In addition to the menu changes mentioned above, you may have noticed the absence of
the Snapshots menu. Since the Snapshots function only works with Programs, it goes away in
Combo Mode.
Note: To switch back to Program Mode, simply click the Program button in the toolbar. The
drawer in the Main window will switch back to displaying Program banks, and the Combo
menu will switch back to a Program menu.
Selecting Edit Combo will display a Combi Edit window as shown below. Here you have
access to all Combi programming parameters. A Program Banks drawer appears below the
Combi Edit window, to allow you to easily select the programs that make up a Combo.
Slider controls are used in Combi Edit for adjustable parameters such as setting velocities, key
zones, tempo, etc. Adjusting an on-screen control transmits that control change to the
Evolver/PolyEvolver, instantly updating the sound.
When the keyboard or velocity zone columns are selected, the zones can be set by using the
keyboard zone or velocity zone sliders respectively:
! Clicking in the
Keyboard Zones column
(Key-L or Key-H) allows
you to set zones using
the Keyboard Zone
sliders. The four
assignable sliders can
also be used to set the
zones.
As you set Combi parameters, a blue status display (located below the Combi Edit window
title) shows the currently selected parameter:
To exit the Editor, click the Close button in the upper left corner of the Combi Edit window, or
use the ‘Close’ command in the File menu. Upon exiting the Combi Edit window, you will return
to the Main window (in Combo Mode).
Most of the menus in the SoundEditor have key command shortcuts for frequently used items
on the menus. Many users find these key command shortcuts quicker and easier then using
the mouse for most operations.
A key command shortcut is a combination of one or more modifier keys and an alphanumeric
key. Modifier keys used in this program are the OPTION key (OPT) and COMMAND key
(CMD).
Note: The COMMAND key is also known as the Cloverleaf key, or Apple key.
Key command shortcuts are found in the program menus. To conserve space however,
symbols are used for modifier keys. Here are some examples:
! = CMD H
! = OPT-CMD H
In Evolver Mode:
MAIN WINDOW
PolyEvolver menu (note: the PolyEvolver menu is found in all windows)
CMD H Hide Evolver/Poly
OPT-CMD H Hide Others
CMD Q Quit
File menu:
CMD O Load All Evolver Data
CMD S Save All Evolver Data
CMD L Evolver Bank Manager/Librarian
OPT-CMD L Phantom Program Banks
Edit menu:
CMD C Copy Program
CMD V Paste Program/Write
CMD N Rename Program
CMD I Initialize Program
MIDI menu:
CMD R Receive All Data
CMD T Transmit All Data
OPT-CMD M Global Settings
CMD M Midi Setup
EDITOR WINDOW
File menu:
CMD L Evolver Bank Manager/Librarian
OPT-CMD L Phantom Program Banks
CMD W Close
Edit menu:
CMD C Copy
CMD V Paste
CMD I Initialize
CMD Y Write
Program menu:
CMD A Add Snapshot
OPT-CMD A View Snapshots
CMD S Sequencer
CMD J Waveshapes
Options menu:
CMD G Program Genetics
CMD P V-Piano
SEQUENCER WINDOW
File menu:
CMD W Close
WAVESHAPES WINDOW
File menu:
CMD L Load Waveshape Bank
CMD S Save Waveshape Bank
OPT-CMD P Load Preset Waveshape Bank
CMD W Close
Edit menu:
CMD C Copy Waveshape
CMD P Paste Waveshape
CMD I Initialize Waveshape
Tip: Print this page and keep it handy for working with sequences.
Major:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
C4 E4 G4 C4 E4 G4 C4 E4 G4 C4 E4 G4 C4 E4 G4 C4
Minor:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
C4 Eb4 G4 C4 Eb4 G4 C4 Eb4 G4 C4 Eb4 G4 C4 Eb4 G4 C4
Major (2):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
C4 G4 C5 E5 G5 C4 G4 C5 E5 G5 C4 G4 C5 E5 G5 C4
Minor (2):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
C4 G4 C5 Eb5 G5 C4 G4 C5 Eb5 G5 C4 G4 C5 Eb5 G5 C4
Major 7:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
C4 E4 G4 Bb4 C4 E4 G4 Bb4 C4 E4 G4 Bb4 C4 E4 G4 Bb4
Minor 7:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
C4 Eb4 G4 Bb4 C4 Eb4 G4 Bb4 C4 Eb4 G4 Bb4 C4 Eb4 G4 Bb4
Major 7 (2):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
C4 G4 Bb4 C5 E5 G5 C4 G4 Bb4 C5 E5 G5 C4 G4 Bb4 C5
Minor 7 (2):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
C4 G4 Bb4 C5 Eb5 G5 C4 G4 Bb4 C5 Eb5 G5 C4 G5 Bb4 C5
If you attempt to run the PolyEvolver version of SoundEditor while connected to an Evolver,
you will see the following message dialog displayed:
If this happens, switch the program back to Evolver mode using the Options menu:
Selecting Evolver from this menu will quit the program and allow you to restart in Evolver
mode.