The most distinctive part of the Manatee’s sound resides in its Spectral Generator. But in contrast to the VA-like sub oscillator, we might not have much intuition around what the generator’s parameters are or how they shape its output. So let’s tear it apart to see what makes it tick!

Spectral synthesis is a lot like wavetable synthesis (of PPG and Waldorf fame) in that it presents a space of harmonically adventurous sounds to scan over, creating unusual timbres. But it actually shares most of its DNA with (frequently misunderstood) additive classics like the Fairlight CMI or Synclavier II. In this post we’ll unpack a bit of that heritage to build up an intuition for what spectral synthesis is and how to use it effectively.

The Manatee has two pitched sound sources: a “spectral generator” and a “sub oscillator”. The sub is the topic of this post. Don’t let the name fool you, though. There’s a lot more going on in this osc than with the subs of most conventional synths.

The Manatee is thoughtfully designed to allow for quick patching, but its interface is a little different from other devices out there. There are a few tricks to it which we’ll be going over here.

I spent yesterday with the Manatee’s envelope generators. With the proviso that there’s no manual yet, so I’m making most of this up as I go along; I was put off by them at first. But after some practical use, my feelings are they might be quite clever? I think it comes down to a matter of perspective.

The LFO page of the Analog Four is dense with properties for controlling the size, shape, and frequency of the wave. It’s easy to overlook the unassuming MOD up in the corner, but it has perhaps the most dramatic effect on LFO behaviors of them all! Understanding it (and how it interacts with retriggers) really expands our modulation tool belt…

SD cards and samplers go together like chips and salsa. But the SP-404mkII handles card I/O a little differently from other hardware — and is sometimes quirky when it comes to card requirements. Let’s break down SD cards and the 404…