+-=== SQ8Light VST (v0.91 beta) ===================================-+ Programming & design by Siegfried Kullmann Factory sounds in bank C by Ole Jeppesen & Siegfried Kullmann Bank D contains sounds by Ensoniq taken from the SQ80. (C)opyright 2006-2008 Mail: sigi.kullmann@googlemail.com Thanks to Rainer Buchty for SQ80 resources & disassembled OS code Homepage: http://www.buchty.net Cubase and VST are trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. Ensoniq, ESQ1 and SQ80 are trademarks of ENSONIQ Corp. +-=== Notes on the factory sounds =================================-+ Most factory sounds use the modulation wheel, but some also use the breath controller (midi controller #2). Please be aware that that some sounds use special SQ8L features and thus are not fully compatible with the real synths SQ80/ESQ1. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to create sounds which take advantage of the features new in this version (0.91b). +-=== Contents ====================================================-+ A. Installation B. What is SQ8L? C. Version history D. Synthesis E. The user interface F. Known problems G. Things to come... +-=== A. Installation =============================================-+ --- Installation ------------------------------------------------- Extract all files including sub folders from the archive to the folder containing your VST plugins. --- Installing over versions below 0.90b ------------------------- Like above, but the sub folder "data\" will no longer be used and can be deleted (remember to backup the file "data\SQ8L_backup.dat" if you need it!). The folder "user\" is no longer used to store the factory library as it is included in the plugin. --- Installing over versions below 0.83a ------------------------- You can just copy the new version over the old one. The older versions created an entry in the Windows registry which will be no longer needed. Just open "regedit", find and delete the entry "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SQ8L". +-=== B. What is the SQ8L? ========================================-+ The SQ8L is a software model (VST) of Ensoniq's classic 1980s synth SQ80. The SQ80 features 3 digital wavetable oscillators for each of its 8 voices which are fed through analog 4-pole lowpass filters (-24dB gain) with resonance. Sound parameters can be modulated by 4 envelopes, 3 LFOs and several MIDI sources. The SQ80 also has a predecessor, the ESQ1, which can do most of the same stuff. Although the technology may seem obsolete, these synths can produce a wide variety of interesting and extremely usable sounds. Thanks to the lo-fi oscillators and the analog components it can sound very digital and dirty, but also very analog and warm. Which is a good thing because modern synths often tend to sound rather clean. Now you can experience this great classic synth with the SQ8L! The SQ8L ("L" stands for "Light") is the free demo version of the forthcoming SQ8X ("X" for "eXtended"). Besides any bugs that will (hopefully) be removed in the full version (see "Known problems") and planned features that won't find their way into the light version (see "Things to come..."), there are only a few limitations. Those are: - Polyphony limited to 8 voices. - Program change messages ignored. - When used with a sequencer, the only sound the host can save within the song file is the one in the edit buffer. - No Split/Layer to combine several sounds. - No internal sequencer (and there will never be one). - No automation (only MIDI input). +-=== C. Version history ==========================================-+ --- 0.91 beta -------------------------------------------------- - Parameter changes now immediately affect playing voices (except envelope parameters). - Fixed bug in DCA4 modulation causing voices to be never terminated. - Fixed problem with high CPU load after playing one-shot waveforms. - Voice restart should work correctly now. - LOOP voice stealing mode removed. The former HQ mode is now called SOFT. - New LFO implementation with much more accurate frequency and delay and the following new features (see paragraph D.2.): - Humanization (randomize LFO frequency). ON = emulate SQ80/ESQ1 (no humanization for frequencies<7 or while fading) 1x = humanize always 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x = humanize more - All waveforms of OSC1-3 can be used for LFOs (except the drum kits) - Frequency modulation (FREQMOD). - Adjustable phase offset (PHS) (in addition to trigger phase). - Twin mode (PHS parameter, indicated by "T" in the value): Two phase-shifted waves are subtracted from each other. - 4 Playback modes (PLAY): FWD = forward REV = reversed (=backwards) 1XF = one-shot forward 1XR = one-shot reversed - Smoothing (SMTH, applied before amplitude modulation). - Different modes for amplitude/frequency modulators (AM, FM): UNI = unipolar (source is clipped below zero, used to correctly emulate the AM of SQ80/ESQ1 LFOs) BIP = bipolar (was incorrectly used for AM until this version) PHS = modulate LFO phase offset instead SMT = modulate LFO smoothing instead - Modes for LFO delay: EMU = emulate SQ80/ESQ1 SMTH = smoother fading - Frequency range extended from 0..63 to 0..127 - New envelope features (see paragraph D.3.): - Start level (L0) instead of fixed to zero. - CYC parameter for each envelope (=play full cycle without sustain). - Smoothing filter (SMTH). - Parameter MODE-T1V switches between: T1 = Velocity modulates attack time (T1) by amount in T1V SMT = Velocity modulates smoothness (SMTH) by amount in T1V - Different output shapers (SHAPE): OFF = no shaping EXP..EXP4 = exponential shaping TAN..TAN3 = hyperbolic tangent shaping - New emulation features (see also paragraph D.1.): - Smoothing of DCA1-3 volumes: EMU = emulate SQ80/ESQ1 FAST = less accurate but without latency - Smoothing of DCA4 volume: EMU = emulate SQ80/ESQ1 (soft attack) HARD = hard attack - MUFFLE: OFF = crisp sound ON = attenuate high frequencies to sound more like the SQ80/ESQ1 - DC offset blocking filter (DC-BLOCK): SMART = use filter when needed (when SYNC=ON) ON = always on OFF = always off - Changes in sound banks: - Banks A, B = user banks - Bank C = SQ8L factory bank - Bank D = original SQ80 factory bank - GUI changes: - Bigger GUI with buttons to select parameter pages (see paragraph E.3.). - Most display pages can now be scrolled/toggled to show additional parameters (see paragraph E.2.) - Fixed bug with window scaling causing wrong placement of GUI controls (has not been tested). - Fixed problems with "jumping mouse" (I hope so). - The knobs and buttons should no longer steal the keyboard focus (has not been tested). - Several emulation parameters can be overriden by settings in the options menu. - Added modulation source usage window (temporary, see paragraph E.4.). --- 0.90 beta -------------------------------------------------- - New voice management and voice stealing mechanism. - Fixed problems with monophonic glide. - Restart-Voice now correctly implemented. - Fixed bug causing clicks when using GLIDE together with SYNC. - Oscillators now working almost perfectly: - Fixed (de)tuning problems. - Waveforms like NOISE2 now played correctly. - Fixed low volume. The SQ8L is really loud now! - Amplitude is decreased with increasing saturation amount. - New shapers for DCA1-4 resulting in smoother and more authentic modulation. - Panning issues: - Changed modulation range from -63..+63 to -127..+127. The range -63..+63 matches with the SQ80/ESQ1. - Fixed SQ80/ESQ1 SysEx import/export. - The following midi controllers are now recognized (see also below under "Synthesis"): 7 (07 hex) : Master volume 10 (0A hex) : Panning 11 (0B hex) : Expression 64 (40 hex) : Hold/Sustain pedal 74 (4A hex) : Brightness - Key pressure (polyphonic aftertouch) works now. - Filter resonance slightly increased. - Range of filter modulation amount changed from -63..+63 to -127..+127. The range -63..+63 matches with the SQ80/ESQ1. - Pitch bend now available as modulation source. - Default pitch bend range is now 2 semitones (also changed in most factory sounds). - GUI changes: - New design, keyboard removed. - New sound compare function in the WRITE dialog. - Parameters on the LCD and knobs can now both be used in the same way (double clicking, mouse dragging). - The sound selection popup menu can now also be opened by right-clicking the sound program name...
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