CellSynth Reference Guide

Keyboard Shortcuts

Matrix Window

Cell Edit Window

Event Sequencer

Menu Items

Open MatrixŠ Load a previously saved Matrix file. A ³Matrix² is the name given to a CellSynth patch or program. Merge MatrixŠ Displays the Merge window which lets you extract cells from a saved Matrix and insert them into the current Matrix. Close This is only used to close some of the editing windows when using CellSynth. Save MatrixŠ To save the current Matrix in memory to disk. If you save the file into the ³Matrix Files² folder then the Matrix will be available in the popup menu in the round window. This can be a shortcut to aid loading favourite files. Import/ExportŠ Only active when a Harmonic editor windows or Event Sequencer window is open. Allows you to open or save harmonic tables or sequence files. Save Recorded AudioŠ To save the audio currently in the record buffer. Use this after you have recorded audio that you want to keep. CellSynth saves audio files in AIFF format. Choose Record DiskŠ CellSynth buffers its recordings to a temporary disk file. This menu option allows you to select the disk or folder that you want to use as a record buffer. Set Record & Fade TimesŠ Displays a dialog that lets you set the length of the recording and a fade out length. Undo Some (but not all) action in CellSynth are undoable. Moving dials or sliders and cell deletions are undoable. Undo can be particularly useful after accidentally moving a dial. Clear Matrix (Clear Sequence) Clears the current Matrix by deleting all of the cells and sets default values for tuning, volume and MIDI. If an Event Sequencer window is open, and has the focus, this option becomes Clear Sequence. Select All Selects all the cells in the Matrix, or if the Event Sequencer window is open, and has the focus, this option selects all events in the sequence. PreferencesŠ Shows a dialog that allows you to set the size of the CellSynth audio output buffers. If the audio output stutters you could try adjusting the buffer size. Sample Names Only This limits the display of tooltips to just the names of the audio files in the sample cells and the names of Event Sequencer cells. Disable Tips Disables the display of tooltips. If you get annoyed by the tooltips, select this menu item! Display Routing Arrows Enables or displays the display of routing arrows in the Matrix. Blue arrows show the routing of audio form one cell to another. Red arrows show the routing of modulation from one cell to another. Choose MIDI InputŠ Opens the OMS input selection dialog. To choose the MIDI source that will control CellSynth. Set MIDI ChannelŠ Displays a dialog that lets you choose the MIDI channel that CellSynth will use. Sync to MIDI Clock This activates CellSynth and puts it into a wait state. CellSynth will start playing when it receives Song Start and MIDI clock messages. Note:- This overrides the internal tempo setting and CellSynth will now play at the same tempo as the MIDI clock. Reset MIDI Controllers When this option is on (menu item is ticked) CellSynth will reset all MIDI controller values when started. When the option is off, the controller values are left in their previous state. Example:- You send MIDI control messages to adjust the volume of cells in a matrix. When this option is on and you stop and restart CellSynth , the volume will be reset. If the option is off the volume will be left as it was before restarting. OMS Studio Setup & MIDI Setup These menu items call up the OMS Studio Setup and OMS MIDI Setup applications. Refer to your OMS documentation for details on how to use them. Show Annotation WindowŠ Display the Annotation window in which you can type text or comments about the Matrix. This text is also shown in the Merge window. Auto Open If this option is ticked and a Matrix file has annotation, the annotation window is automatically opened when the Matrix file is opened. Edit AnnotationŠ Enables / Disables typing in the annotation window. Set Sync TempoŠ Shows a dialog that lets you set the internal clock tempo for CellSynth. The clock is used by cells when the ³Sync² switches in Cell Edit windows are on. Note:- this is overridden when the ³Sync to MIDI Clock² option is on. Enable Sound InŠ Lets you select the sound input source for recording audio into CellSynth. Overload Protection When enabled, Overload Protection will stop CellSynth if it detects that the processor is overloaded and the System is not responding. If you have a Matrix that is beyond the capability of your processor, this will prevent CellSynth from appearing to ³lock up². Show Recording Toolbar Shows the tool window that contains the transport controls for recording the output of CellSynth. Show Keyboard Window Shows the MIDI keyboard window. This can be used to test and play Matrix files that require MIDI note on/off. Show Master Window Shows the Master window. This is used to set the output volume and global tuning for CellSynth. Another way to open this window is to click on the Peak LEDs in the round window. CPU Load Indicator Shows the window that indicates how much processing power CellSynth is requiring. If the LED reaches the red area then the machine is struggling and you should reduce the number of active Cells in the Matrix. Note:- Reverb Cells are particularly heavy on processing, so if you are using one or more reverbs you should delete these first. Hide Sliders Hides / Shows any floating slider windows that are in use. This is useful if you have a lot of sliders and they are covering the main work area. Cell Edit Parameters Oscillator Cells - Sine, Square, Sawtooth, Triangle and Harmonic The parameters that appear on the Oscillator Cells appear on all but a few Cells, with the exception of the Frequency and the Harmonic Editor button, which only appears on the Harmonic Oscillator Cell. Harmonic Editor The Harmonic Oscillator has an editor window. When you click on the editor button the following window appears: The musical term for the various harmonics are shown on the left hand side of the window for reference. These are intervals in relation to the fundamental. You can enter values from the keyboard or use the pencil tool that appears when you move your mouse into the edit LCD. This sets the relative amplitude of the various harmonics allowing you to create many variations of sound. You can load and save Harmonic Tables from the File menu, when the Harmonic Editor is active. There are some examples provided in the ³Harmonic Tables² folder installed with CellSynth. Random / Noise Cell Used to produce random numbers for modulating other cells or, if set to Frequency is set to zero, to output white noise. Sample Cell A Sample player. The sample can be triggered in Sync with CellSynth¹s internal clock or an external clock. It can be controlled via MIDI Note on / off, either externally or from the Event Sequencer. Modulation can be routed to the Start point of the sample for some very weird effects! Sample Editor When you click on the Edit button the Sample Editor window appears. You can set the Start and End points by dragging the red triangles (cursor changes to a hand ). Click on the sample to zoom in (cursor changes to a magnifying glass with a plus sign ). Option-click on the sample to zoom out (cursor changes to a magnifying glass with a minus sign ) Command-click on the sample to fit to the window (cursor changes to ) The sample will always start from the beginning if MIDI Note on/ off is enabled and loop around the marked area. If MIDI Note on / off is not enabled only the area marked will play. Low / Band Pass Resonant Filter This cell can be switched to act as either a Low or a Band Pass Filter. Modulating this cell is like changing the ³wah² on a ³wah wah² pedal. Modulating it with something like a Sine wave will give a smooth sweep and a random cell will give a ³sample and hold² type effect. Comb Filter The Comb filter has an effect that is similar to a fixed Flanger or Phaser (depending on the state of ³Invert²). If you modulate this filter it will act exactly like a Flanger or Phaser! Mixer The Mixer Cell can be used to route signal around the Matrix, amplify or attenuate, invert the signal, and ring modulate. Panner Used to position the sound in the stereo image. Black Box Can widen the stereo image as well as working like a Noise Gate and an Expander. Delay Digital Delay effect. The delay length can be modulated. Reverb Digital Reverb effect. Envelope Can be used as a free standing envelope or with MIDI note on / off (the envelope goes into its decay phase when MID note off is received.. There is an Edit window for visual editing of the envelope. Envelope Editor You can adjust the envelope visually by dragging the Attack, Decay and Sustain points on the graph with your mouse. When you adjust Decay, sustain may be affected and likewise, adjusting Sustain may affect the Release time. The values will be displayed as you move the points. Event Sequencer The Event Sequencer is like a Mini Sequencer. You can enter Notes (which can either be output as MIDI notes or used to modulate a cell directly). You can also enter MIDI Controllers and, by assigning Controllers to Cell¹s parameters, you can program in all sorts of events, for example, volume changes (automate a mix), filter frequency changes, delay length changes, and so onŠ When you click on the Edit button, the Event Sequencer window opens: