The NN-19 synth parameters are used to shape and modulate samples. These are mostly similar to the parameters used to shape the oscillators in Subtractor - you have envelope generators, a filter, velocity control etc. Again, it is important to remember that these parameters do not alter the audio files in any way, only the way they will play back.
For a sample patch, the actual samples are what oscillators are for a synthesizer, the main sound source. The following settings can be made in the Osc section of the NN-19:
This changes the start position of samples in a sample patch. Turning the knob clockwise gradually offsets the samples’ start position, so that they will play back from a position further “into” the samples’ waveform. This is useful mainly for two things:
Occasionally (although not in any samples supplied with Reason) you may come across samples where the start point of the sample is slightly ahead of the start of the actual sound. There may be noise or silence in the beginning which was not intended to be part of the sample. By adjusting the sample start position, this can be removed.
For example, if you had a sample of someone saying “one, two, three”, you could change the start position so that when you played the sample it would start on “three”.
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You can also assign velocity sample start allowing to use your playing to determine the exact sample start. See later in this chapter.
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Note that the controls in this section cannot be used to tune samples against each other, as all samples will be affected equally. To tune individual samples, you use the Tune parameter below the keyboard display (see “Tuning samples”).
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The Osc section has a button named “Kbd. Track”. If this is switched off, the sample’s pitch will remain constant, regardless of any incoming note pitch messages, although the oscillator still reacts to note on/off messages. This could be useful if you are using non-pitched samples, like drums for example. You could then play a sample in a zone using several keys, allowing for faster note triggering if you wanted to play a drum roll, for example.
This parameter determines to what degree the overall pitch of the samples will be affected by the Filter Envelope (see “Filter Envelope”). You can set negative or positive values here, which determines whether an envelope parameter should raise or lower the pitch.
Lowpass filters lets low frequencies pass and cuts out the high frequencies. This filter type has a fairly steep roll-off curve (24dB/Octave). Many classic synthesizers (Minimoog/Prophet 5 etc.) used this filter type.
This type of lowpass filter is also widely used in classic analog synthesizers (Oberheim, TB-303 etc.). It has a gentler slope (12 dB/Octave), leaving more of the harmonics in the filtered sound compared to the LP 24 filter.
A bandpass filter cuts both high and low frequencies, while midrange frequencies are not affected. Each slope in this filter type has a 12 dB/Octave roll-off.
A highpass filter is the opposite of a lowpass filter, cutting out the lower frequencies and letting the high frequencies pass. The HP filter slope has a 12 dB/Octave roll-off.
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A notch filter (or band reject filter) could be described as the opposite of a bandpass filter. It cuts off frequencies in a narrow midrange band, letting the frequencies below and above through.
The Filter Frequency parameter (often referred to as “cutoff”) determines which area of the frequency spectrum the filter will operate in. For a lowpass filter, the frequency parameter could be described as governing the “opening” and “closing” of the filter. If the Filter Freq is set to zero, none or only the very lowest frequencies are heard, if set to maximum, all frequencies in the waveform are heard. Gradually changing the Filter Frequency produces the classic synthesizer filter “sweep” sound.
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Note that the Filter Frequency parameter is usually controlled by the Filter Envelope (see “Envelope Section” below) as well. Changing the Filter Frequency with the Freq slider may therefore not produce the expected result.
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The filter resonance parameter (sometimes called Q) is used to set the Filter characteristic, or quality. For lowpass filters, raising the filter Res value will emphasize the frequencies around the set filter frequency. This produces a generally thinner sound, but with a sharper, more pronounced filter frequency “sweep”. The higher the resonance value, the more resonant the sound becomes until it produces a whistling or ringing sound. If you set a high value for the Res parameter and then vary the filter frequency, this will produce a very distinct sweep, with the ringing sound being very evident at certain frequencies.
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When you use the Bandpass or Notch filter, the Resonance setting adjusts the width of the band. When you raise the Resonance, the band where frequencies are let through (Bandpass), or cut (Notch) will become narrower. Generally, the Notch filter produces more musical results using low resonance settings.
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Envelope generators are used to control several important sound parameters in analog synthesizers, such as pitch, volume, filter frequency etc. Envelopes govern how these parameters should respond over time - from the moment a note is struck to the moment it is released.
The Amp Envelope is used to adjust how the volume of the sound should change from the time you press a key until the key is released. By setting up a volume envelope you sculpt the sound’s basic shape with the four Amplitude Envelope parameters, Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release. This determines the basic character of the sound (soft, long, short etc.). The Level parameter acts as a general volume control for the sample patch.
The Filter Envelope can be used to control two parameters; filter frequency and sample pitch. By setting up a filter envelope you control the how the filter frequency and/or the sample pitch should change over time with the four Filter Envelope parameters, Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release.
This parameter determines to what degree the filter will be affected by the Filter Envelope. Raising this knob’s value creates more drastic results. The Envelope Amount parameter and the set filter frequency are related. If the Filter Freq slider is set to around the middle, this means that the moment you press a key the filter is already halfway open. The set Filter Envelope will then open the filter further from this point. The Filter Envelope Amount setting affects how much further the filter will open.
If this button is activated, the envelope will be inverted. For example, normally the Decay parameter lowers the filter frequency, but after activating Invert it will instead raise it, by the same amount. Note that Invert does not affect the Osc pitch parameter (this can be inverted by setting positive or negative values).
LFO stands for Low Frequency Oscillator. LFOs are oscillators in the sense that they generate a waveform and a frequency. However, there are two significant differences compared to normal sound generating oscillators:
The most typical application of an LFO is to modulate the pitch of a (sound generating) oscillator or sample, to produce vibrato.
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By clicking this button you activate/deactivate LFO sync. The frequency of the LFO will then be synchronized to the song tempo, in one of 16 possible time divisions. When sync is activated, the Rate knob (see below) is used for setting the desired time division.
This parameter determines to what degree the selected parameter destination will be affected by the LFO. Raising this knob’s value creates more drastic results.