Branches instruction manual

Getting started

Branches is a semi modular synthesizer. This means that audio from the oscillators are always sent through the low pass gates to the output.

Specifically, the output of the modulation oscillator is always sent to the left hand low pass gate and the output of the complex oscillator is always sent to the right hand low pass gate. Both gates are directly connected to the output. You can try this out by raising the level of the gates - you'll notice that the oscillators will start to drone.

The default patch is setup so that MIDI input on channel 1 controls the pitch of both oscillators and generates an envelope to open the low pass gate for the complex oscillator. These connections are indicated by lines between the patch points.

If you want to make a new connection, tap the jack you want to connect, then tap the jack you want to connect to. Should you want to remove an existing connection, tap the jack at either end of the connection, then tap the trash can on the cable.

You can quickly jump to a 0-setting on the encoders by double tapping them.

The modules

Each module in Branches is separated visually in a sort of “grid”. When running in standalone mode there is also a bottom bar containing buttons to toggle transport, keyboard and settings. Tap the play button to start the transport, allowing you to get clock input into the synth. Tap the settings icon to choose MIDI source and configure tempo for the transport. When loaded as a plugin in a host app only the synth engine itself is loaded.

MIDI

The MIDI module acts as the entry point for any MIDI that is sent to the app. Here the MIDI is converted to a format that can be patched in the app just as any other “control voltage”. There are output jacks for incoming MIDI on both channel 1 & 2. Clock pulse and start/stop triggers are also passed on from the host app.

Modulation oscillator

The Modulation oscillator gets its name from the fact that it is hardwired to modulate either the frequency or the amplitude of the complex oscillator. The amount and type of modulation can be controlled by the FM/AM buttons and the Modulation knob - set it to 0 to disable modulation.

This oscillator has several waveform which morphs smoothly as the Shape knob turned. The waveforms are sine, triangle, sawtooth, square.

The Tune knob allows you to fine tune the oscillator freely, with a range of -7 to +7 semitones (it doesn’t snap to full semitones). The Freq knob allows you to tune a bigger range of -2 to +2 octaves.

The output of the Modulation oscillator is hardwired into the first Low pass gate (the one on the left).

Complex oscillator

The Complex oscillator gets its name from its ability to add complex harmonic content to the waveform by applying wave folding and blending with another selectable more complex waveform.

The main waveform is a simple sine wave to which you can add harmonic content by increasing the Timbre knob. This folds the wave over itself and adds overtones to the sine wave.

It is also possible to blend the sine wave with another pre-set wave form. This is done by selecting the desired wave shape with the Tri/Saw/Sqr (triangle, sawtooth square) knobs and increasing the Blend knob. This will mix the folded sine wave with the selected wave.

See the Complex oscillator section for details on Tune and Freq.

The output of the Complex oscillator is hardwired into the second Low pass gate (the one on the right).

Low pass gates

The Low pass gates controls the volume & filtering of the oscillators. The volume can be statically raised by increasing the Level knob. Open it to make the corresponding oscillator drone.

By patching control voltage into the jacks by the CV knobs the level is essentially automated. By default a signal from the Envelope generator is patched into the LPG for the Complex oscillator. This signal opens and closes the LPG, creating a sound. The CV knob itself controls how much of this incoming control signal should be applied.

The Shape knob controls the response of the LPG, allowing you to create snappier more percussive responses for example. At 50 the response is linear.

The Low pass gates are hardwired to the main output.

Envelope

The Envelope reacts to an incoming gate signal and generates a control signal on its output that can be patched to essentially anything, but is commonly used to open and close the LPGs above.

Example: The MIDI Gate output is patched to the Gate input of the Envelope generator. When a key is pressed and the gate input receives a high signal the Envelope starts raising its output from nothing to max. The time it takes to reach max is set by the Attack knob (seconds). When it reaches max it starts falling to the level set by the Sustain knob (percent). The time it takes to reach the set Sustain level is controlled by the Decay knob (seconds). The signal then stays at the Sustain level until the key is released. When this happens the Gate input receives a low signal and its output starts to fall from the Sustain level to nothing. The time it takes to reach bottom is set by the Release knob (seconds).

Now, if this signal is sent for example to a Low pass gate, it will result in it raising the volume level, falling to the sustain level and then back to silence when the key is released.

Function generators

The function generator is a sort of multi-purpose utility module. If it is sent a trigger pulse, it will output an signal similar to the Envelope, albeit simpler in the sense that it only has rise and fall segments. The Rise knob controls the time it takes for the signal to reach it max, and the Fall controls the time it takes to go from max back to zero. The Shape knob controls the shape of the curve, away from a linear shape.

Apart from the signal output itself it also outputs two triggers, one when the rise segment has completed (EOC, end of rise) and one when the whole cycle has completed (EOC, end of cycle). These triggers can be used to trigger something else of course, for example the sequencer.

By enabling the Cycle mode the module will self-trigger, essentially turning it into a basic oscillator/LFO and/or clock.

Try this: Tap Cycle to make the module loop automatically, then connect EOR trigger to the Advance input of the sequencer. You can now change the tempo by adjusting the Rise/Fall knobs.

Sequencer

The Sequencer outputs static values, one per step. The output can be adjusted with the faders and the step can be enabled/disabled by toggling the button below the fader. Connect a trigger to the Advance input of the sequencer to advance it. If you want you can connect the Start/Stop tiggers from the host to the Reset input so that the sequencer will start over from the beginning when the host starts over.

The range of the sequencer output is static, but depending on where you connect it it can have quite different effect. For example, the range will be huge if the output is connected directly to the Pitch input of the oscillators, which can make it quite hard to control.

One trick to “tame” or “tune” the output is to patch it though an Attenuverter and use that to scale the output of the sequencer.

Try this, assuming the sequencer is at step 1: Patch the output of the Sequencer to an Attenuverter, then from the Attenuverter to the Complex oscillator pitch. Open the right LPG by setting it’s Level to max. Now raise the fader for step 1 to it’s max, then raise the Attenuverter level until the pitch of the oscillator rises by one octave. You have now tuned the output of the sequencer to be 1 octave and you are now free to set the faders to any value you please, with better control within a single octave.

Quantizer

The Quantizer takes an input signal and then forces it to fall within a certain “position”. A common use case is to control pitch. Think of the buttons as intervals in a western scale, by toggling the buttons you “enable” certain intervals, constructing your scale. The quantizer will then take whatever signals it receives on it’s In and force it to the nearest value of your scale, and send that to the Out.

Try this: Continue on the patch example in the Sequencer section above, but patch the output of the Attenuverter to the Quantizer In, and then the Quantizer Out to the pitch of the Complex oscillator. This will force the values from the Sequencer into a scale, which you can adjust by toggling the buttons in the Quantizer.

Randomizer

You can probably guess that the Randomizer outputs random signals. You can adjust how often the output value changes by adjusting the Rate knob, and you can adjust how big the difference/range of the signal is by adjusting the Width knob.

You can also patch a trigger signal to the Sample input. This will force the module to only update it’s output whenever it receives a trigger. This allows you to rhythmically sync the output if you wish.

Try this: Enable Cycle mode on the Function generator, then patch the EOR trigger output to the Sample input of the Randomizer. Then take the output of the Randomizer and patch it into the Quantizer, and the output of the Quantizer to the Complex oscillator Pitch. Now open the right LPG by raising it’s Level, and you should hear a random melody - the Function generator continuously triggers the Randomizer to generate a random pitch, which is forced into a scale internval by the Quantizer, which then controls the pitch of the oscillator.

FX

Since v2.0 the effects have been moved into the synth engine itself. This means they are now available also when running as a plugin. On top of that they are also controllable via CV signals as any other module.

This is faily self-explanatory, just patch a signal into a jack to control that parameter.

However, patch a signal into the time jack of the delay and prepare for weird glitchy side effects as the delay starts to chirp when the time change. Do with it what you please. ;)

This is a living document, it’ll be periodically updated with additional information. If anything is ridiculously unclear to you, don’t hesitate to send an email and ask for help! It also helps me to figure out what needs additional clarification.