User manual IMAGE LINE SOFTWARE SAWER OVERVIEW

[. . . ] Image-Line Sawer Sawer is a vintage modeling synthesizer, that can cut through a mix with precisely articulated and punchy sounds. Overview Sawer Development Filters & Oscillators Sawer pays homage to the envelopes and filters of a rare 1980s 'Soviet era' analog synthesizer, Polivoks . Maxx has devoted meticulous attention to the detail of Sawer's filter design, ensuring Sawer delivers a unique sonic character reminiscent of the Polivoks hardware. But Polivoks, like all analog synthesizers, wasn't without its problems. Keeping the oscillators stable and in tune has been likened to 'moving a pile of live frogs, by wheelbarrow', impossible! [. . . ] Higher levels create a wider stereo field. Image-Line Sawer - Oscillators Oscillators Oscillators are the basic sound sources of a synthesizer, Sawer has 2 Oscillators (Main and SUB Oscillator) and one 'Noise' source. The main oscillator generates SAW shapes that can be further filtered. The SUB Oscillator can generate SAW or SQUARE shapes and has level, phase, octave and detune controls. These oscillators features together with 'Unison' in the Master Controls section and the Effects Section allow Sawer to create thick, lush textures and cutting leads. Controls Main SAW oscillator NOISE LVL (Level) - Controls the level of the Noise oscillator. Noise can be used to give a sharp, breath or metallic attack quality to sounds. SYNC FREQ - When Sync is selected (the switch is to the upper right of the Sync-knob), the Mainoscillator syncronizes its phase to (an unheard oscillator's) frequency. In other words, every time the Sync-frequency oscillator completes a cycle the Main-oscillator is forced to reset it's cycle from the beginning. This adds in harmonics or overtones to the sound. Automating the Sync-frequency control is an effective way of generating cutting and evolving saw-sounds. Sub Oscillator RETRIG (Retrigger) - Resets the phase of the Sub Oscillator at note-on events. INVERT - Inverts the phase of the Sub Oscillator. SQUARE - Sets the oscillator to a square wave. PHASE - Phase relationship between the Sub-saw and Main-Saw oscillators. OCTAVE - Changes the pitch of the Sub-oscillator in octaves. DETUNE - Offsets the tune of the Sub-oscillator. Image-Line Sawer - Filter Filter Section The Sawer filter can be used to shape the output from the Oscillators transforming the sound into something completely new. The Sawer Filter operates in LowPass (two filter slopes 12 & 24 dB/Oct), High Pass and Band Pass modes as described below. Filter Controls CUTOFF - Sets the filter cutoff frequency. Try automating this filter knob for interesting sound variations. The LFO section can be used to control the Cutoff knob or the ENVELOPE section below. RESO (Resonance) - Filter resonance introduces a frequency boost, just prior to the cutoff slope, this gives the sound a metallic or 'resonant' quality. KBD TRK (Keyboard Tracking) - This links the cutoff frequency to the MIDI note number. [. . . ] Higher values make the room sound like it has hard shiny surfaces. HI-CUT - Changes the cut-off frequency of a low-pass filter. Use this to remove high frequencies from the reverb, or to make the room sound duller. DAMP (Damping) - Damping, adjusts attenuation of the high frequencies in the reverb signal. [. . . ]