FL Manual 8 Harmor2 Flashcards
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
What does ENV Section do?
- The ENV panel provides access to the full suite of modulation parameters in Harmor.
- -The ENV editor shows Editor Targets (usually a synthesis control), for each target there can be a number of Articulation parts (modulation sources).
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
A quick way to find the articulation envelopes for any parameter is to do what?
- Right-click the target control and select ‘Edit articulator’ from the pop-up menu.
- -The Editor target will be automatically selected in the Envelope editor
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls above the Envelope
Editor targets
-Choose the editor target. ‘Shaping’ category targets have only one part (envelope).
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls above the Envelope
Articulator parts
-Edit & or activate any number of Articulator Parts so that the target is modulated by multiple inputs, if desired.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls above the Envelope
Articulator Smoothing (knob) does what?
- Time based smoothing of the output of the envelope.
- -Envelope values are averaged over an integration window. The width of the window is set by the knob.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls on the Envelope
Add a new Control Point, how?
-Position your cursor over the line, or envelope background, and right-click.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls on the Envelope
Reposition a Control Point, how?
- Left-click and drag control points.
- -Hold SHIFT while dragging to lock the vertical position, or CTRL to lock the horizontal position.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls on the Envelope
Delete a Control Point, how?
- Right-click a control point and select Delete.
- -Alternatively, hold ALT and Left-click.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls on the Envelope
Change a Segment Type, how?
-Right-click a control point and select a curve type (the selection applies to the preceding segment), see the control point context menu for more details.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls on the Envelope
Change Segment Tension (Acceleration), how?
- To change the amount of tension, Left-click on the tension handle (the circle located half way between the control points) and move your mouse up/down.
- -Right-click the handle to reset to a straight line. Hold CTRL during adjustments to fine-tune.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
How do the ATT, DEC, SUS, REL Knobs function?
- The ATT, DEC, SUS and REL knobs make RELATIVE changes to the ADSR envelope, snapping back after release
- -While the envelope will appear as it did prior to the change, the envelope will sound according to the relative changes made (as seen in the Hint Bar while the knob is adjusted).
- –Right-clicking the knobs will give options, in particular Create automation clip & Link to controller so automation of envelopes (and LFO parameters) is possible.
- —Similarly, Right-clicking points gives options such as Sustain loop start & Sustain loop end points can be set to loop the envelope during the sustain action.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Many envelopes need to be ______ with the __________________ before articulating the target.
- Activated
- -Switch in the lower-left corner
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Use the horizontal and vertical ___________ for more accurate editing.
-Zoom/scroll bars
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Make use of the ___________ to snap to envelope values.
-SNAP switch (lower-righ
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Notice the background shading, it will usually reflect what?
-Bars, octaves or other useful divisions related to the Articulation target.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
If an envelope is frozen and won’t respond to editing, do what?
-Uncheck the FREEZE switch on the lower right.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelopes can be synced to tempo how?
-By using the TEMPO Switch.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
The Envelope options menu usually contains what?
A list of useful pre-defined envelopes or can be used to save your own.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Drop compatible file types on envelopes and they can be what?
-Auto-analyzed. For example .fnv (envelope state files), .wav, .mp3, ,ogg etc audio files (volume envelope will be extracted and replicated).
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls below the Envelope
ADSR modifiers do what?
- These knobs are modifiers for the set envelope.
- -That is, they are designed to be automated. After they are edited/moved, the envelope will snap back to its original appearance but the duration/value of the A, D, S or R target will be multiplied by the value of the knob.
- –You can notice this by observing changes to the Envelope play-position marker as it moves across the envelope.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls below the Envelope
Tempo does what?
Locks the envelope grid to project tempo/beat. Changes in project tempo will affect envelope timings.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls below the Envelope
Global does what?
-Retriggers the envelope, including those playing, with each new note played so all notes share the same envelope phase/timing.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls below the Envelope
Freeze does what?
- Enable this switch to lock the envelope curve to its current setup.
- -This feature is useful if you have finished changing the spline structure of an envelope and want to protect it from accidental edits (it also hides the handles to provide a clear view of the shape).
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls below the Envelope
Step does what?
- Enable this option to set the Editor to step editing mode.
- -Drag within the editor to create a ‘free hand’ curve in which a new control point is defined for every step in the timeline.
- –Hold SHIFT while dragging to draw ‘pulse’ lines (straight vertical/horizontal lines only).
- —Note that each new segment created in this mode uses the same tension as the previous segment.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls below the Envelope
Snap does what?
Enable this option if you want the control points to snap to the nearest step in the timeline while dragging.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Controls below the Envelope
Slide does what?
Enable this option to preserve the relative distance between a dragged control point and all control points after it (this option is enabled by default)
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Open state file…
Opens pre-saved Editor state files (envelopes, etc).
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Save state file…
-Save an Editor state.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Copy state does what?
Copies the current Editor settings to be copied to another location.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Paste state
Paste the Editor state data in the clipboard.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Copy to Part B / A
Copies the current articulation to the same target in the matching synthesis part.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Undo change xyz
There will be an item in the menu which shows the last action performed, clicking it will undo the action. The last action before the screenshot was ‘enabling’ of the envelope, hence ‘Undo change enabled’.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Undo history shows what?
Shows the editing history since the last reset.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Bipolar LFO tension does what?
- Changes the tension knob effect (below the envelope) .
- -Selected: tension adjustments are made symmetrically around the zero line (bipolar).
- –Deselected: tension adjustments are made relative to the waveform maxima and minima (unipolar).
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Flip vertically does what?
Inverts the current envelope.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Scale levels, does what?
Opens the Scale Level tool.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Normalize levels, does what?
-Scales the envelope so the highest and/or lowest levels reach +/- 100%.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Decimate points does what?
-Opens a simple tool that allows manipulation of the number of control points in the envelope (useful in conjunction with Analyze audio file).
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Filter does what?
Opens the Envelope Filter tool (useful in conjunction with Analyze audio file)
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Smooth up does what?
Opens the Smooth Up tool that allows smoothing of the envelope shape (useful in conjunction with Analyze audio file).
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Smooth up abrupt changes does what?
Quick removal of ‘spikey’ or sudden changes in the envelope.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Turn all points smooth does what?
Preset filter to quickly filter the envelope.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Create sequence does what?
Opens the Envelope sequencer.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Analyze audio file…does what?
- Creates an envelope that mirrors the volume amplitude profile of the analyzed sound.
- -You can also drop audio files on the envelope and they will be analyzed
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope options menu
Background gradient does what?
Turn the background gradient on/off.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
-Targets are divided into what 3 categories?
- Articulation (modulation destinations)
- -Mapping (keyboard/articulator to target modifier relationships)
- –Shaping (harmonic filter shaping).
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
- Each Editor Target can respond to multiple Articulator Parts.
- -Active parts & articulators show with an indicator next to them.
- –For LFO articulation the initial state shows one point (noted below) which can be used to change the amplitude, phase & start-time of the LFO.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
One related and special Articulator part is the Held index mapping What does this do, and what is it useful for?
- Generates ‘index’ values for successively held notes.
- -When the notes of a chord are added in secession (rather than simultaneously) each additional note after the first will have an ‘index’ value 1 unit greater than the last.
- –In practice, the mapping steps 1 grid unit per note.
- —It’s useful with:
- Chords - Where you only want the first note to be bright and later ones to use a lower filter cutoff frequency for example.
- -Legato - If you want the note to which you are sliding to have different values/properties for the Editor target compared to the first.
- –Arpeggiator - Giving control over the values of each note if they are added in secession to create an arpeggiator chord.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Unison Index Mapping allows you to do what?
- Another particularly useful mapping is the Unison index mapping. –This mapping part allows you to pan, pitch, set levels, etc., for each unison voice independently, opening up many powerful synthesis techniques.
- –The horizontal grid changes to reflect the number of unison voices active. When two voices are active the extreme ends are Unison voice 1 (left) and Unison voice 2 (right) respectively.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Unison index mapping examples:
Multi-voice parts
-Set the unison number to set voices active and then use the Pitch > Unison index mapping to independently tune the unison voices to any pitch desired.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Unison index mapping examples:
Dual-voice mode
With a Unison of 2 (with the Pitch > Unison index mapping setting the second voice set an octave below the first) and the Timbre 1 & 2 mix > Unison index mapping set to play a square wave on voice 2, you now have a Saw with a Square 1 octave below at the same time, with only one part.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Unison index mapping examples:
Leslie effect
Use Global LFO phase > Unison index mapping and Panning > Unison index mapping to make a stereo-panning effect.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Random mapping
- Outputs a random value under envelope control.
- -Each time a note is triggered a random value between 0 and 1 (along the horizontal axis) is generated.
- –A corresponding output modulation value is selected according to the envelope value at that point.
- –In this way the vertical range of the envelope sets randomization range and area under the envelope probability that an output value will be generated.
As this is the same system used in Fruity Envelope Controller,
EXAMPLE: The envelope above will generate random output values between 0.25 and 1.0, notice the output values on the left side. 25% of the time the output value will be 0.25 as 1/4 of the envelope is fixed at 0.25. 50% of the time the value will be between 0.75 and 1.0 and the remaining 25% of the time the value will be 1.0 as 1/4 of the envelope is fixed at 1.0. Mathematically probability comes down to areas under the curve, for each output value. If you want simple random numbers between 0 and 1 then create a straight-line envelope from the bottom left corner to the top right.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Harmonic mapping
The following envelopes control the level and phase of partials sent to Harmor’s ‘additive synthesis’ engine.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Timbre harmonic level calibration
- The default (flat) Timbre 1 harmonic level & Timbre 2 harmonic level envelopes generate a Saw and Square wave shape due to a special per-harmonic level calibration.
- -Envelope values are scaled relative to the slope of the Brownian noise spectrum.
- –This allows Harmor to generate the useful Saw waveform using an, easy to draw, flat envelope.
- —Brownian noise is simply a frequency response curve that decreases the amplitude of frequencies in the audio spectrum by -6 dB per octave (in other words a continuous drop of 50% per octave). For example, a frequency of 1000 Hz at 1 unit amplitude will be 0.5 units and by 2000 Hz, 0.25 units at 4000 Hz and 0.125 units at 8000 Hz, etc.
- —-This means each partial in the Timbre harmonic level envelope, that is an octave above the last (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 etc), will be 1/2 the amplitude of the partial an octave below it. But why?
It turns out that a decrease in harmonic amplitude, at the rate of 50% per octave (the Brownian noise profile), is the exact recipe to additively synthesize a Saw wave. Eg. Saw wave = Partial 1 (the fundamental) + Partial 2 * 0.5 + Partial 3 * 0.333 + Partial 4 * 0.250 + Partial 5 * 0.200 + Partial 6 * 0.166 + Partial 7 * 0.142 + Partial 8 * 0.125 + etc. Notice how for each octave (bold partials), the level drops by 50%. It also transpires that filtering the even harmonics (2, 4, 6, 8, etc.) and leaving the odd harmonics (3, 5, 7, 9 etc.), in addition to the 50% per octave Brownian amplitude profile, is the additive synthesis recipe to create a Square wave. This is what the Timbre 2 harmonic level mapping (above) is doing, filtering even harmonics. This envelope is achieved with the (Right-mouse) ‘wave’ control-point menu option set on the right-most control point in the envelope. So now you know how the default Timbre 1 and 2 waveforms are generated. Timbre 1 & 2 harmonic Brownian level scaling avoids the need to program complex level envelope curves in order to synthesize a ‘standard’ Square and Saw wave.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Timbre harmonic level calibration
Just remember that Harmor’s Timbre harmonic level envelope has been pre-scaled to make it easier to get good sounds from the plugin using simple (to draw) partial level mapping envelopes.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
TIPS: While the Timbre harmonic level and phase envelopes can be used to create any waveform, it’s simpler to load single-cycle waveforms on Timbre window 1 by right-clicking it and importing a waveform OR dropping an audio file on it. The file will be analyzed and all the mappings created for you. Remember that Timbre 1 and Timbre 2 share the same phase data (set by Timbre 1 during audio import). Phase is shared as it avoids phase cancellation problems when mixing the Timbre sources.
FL STUDIO Harmor - ENV
Envelope point-transitions
- Generally the Held point type should be avoided when working with envelopes where you need to be precise about the exact harmonics active or inactive at a given point.
- -Better to zoom in on the horizontal axis and use a Single-curve type point. In the example below, Harmonic 20 may not be active in the top panel but definitely will be in the lower panel. In both cases Harmonics 19 and lower will be active while Harmonics 21 and higher will be inactive.
FL STUDIO Harmo - IMG - Image Synthesis / Resynthesis
The IMG (Image Resynthesis) section can load images OR samples:
Describe Resynthesis mode
- All post-processing and patch changes are referenced to the original sample data.
- -That is, the original sample data is re-analyzed and processed according to the new settings.
- –Maximum detail is used for the frequency & gain planes. As a reminder, Additive synthesis views audio as an evolving frequency spectrum vs amplitude on a moment-by-moment basis. NOTE: Resynthesis mode modulates the phases of partials depending on the source audio and references the original source audio every time the patch is edited. In ‘Image’ mode ‘Harmonic phase mapping’ is calculated across the sound, then fixed and is not changed by subsequent editing. This means resynthesis will maintain a more natural sound with complex post-editing.
FL STUDIO Harmo - IMG - Image Synthesis / Resynthesis
The IMG (Image Resynthesis) section can load images OR samples:
Describe Image synthesis mode
- Sample data is analyzed and converted to image files, with the advantage you can edit these 2D images in any image editor.
- -There are independent image planes for gain & pitch. You can also import any bitmap.
- –Even if it wasn’t designed to be turned into audio, it might still sound interesting. NOTE: Once a patch has been converted to ‘Image Synthesis’ mode, you can’t revert back to resynthesis mode, the link to the original sample data is lost and the sound is converted to image planes.
FL STUDIO Harmo - IMG - Image Synthesis / Resynthesis
The IMG (Image Resynthesis) section can load images OR samples:
Working with raw images
- Harmor has 516 partials so an image 516 pixels high can play all partials (1 to 516).
- -Pixel brightness is interpreted as partial level. Black means no partial, white is 100%.
- –A horizontal white line at the bottom of an otherwise black the image, 1 pixel high, will play the first (lowest) partial. A horizontal white line at the top of the image, 1 pixel high, will play the 516th (highest partial).
- —Time is represented by the image-width, although you can change the speed and scaling via the resynthesis controls as shown below. An image less than 516 pixels high is assumed to start from the bottom partial up. An image 20 pixels high will play the first 20 partials.
- —-In short, the difference between the two modes is quality (resynthesis) vs image editing flexibility (image synthesis).
FL STUDIO Harmo - IMG Tab Controls
Scrubbing does what?
- Left or right-click the image editor and drag to scrub-play the sound.
- -You can record this movement from FL Studio 10.0.5 onward using the FL Studio native version (just set FL Studio to record and start scrubbing).
- –NOTE: The VSTi specifications don’t support this. Right-click the image editor to scrub in both pitch (vertical) and time (horizontal), set the speed to 0% first.
FL STUDIO Harmo - IMG - Image Synthesis / Resynthesis
The IMG (Image Resynthesis) section can load images OR samples:
Describe Resynthesis mode
- All post-processing and patch changes are referenced to the original sample data.
- -That is, the original sample data is re-analyzed and processed according to the new settings.
- –Maximum detail is used for the frequency & gain planes. As a reminder, Additive synthesis views audio as an evolving frequency spectrum vs amplitude on a moment-by-moment basis. NOTE: Resynthesis mode modulates the phases of partials depending on the source audio and references the original source audio every time the patch is edited. In ‘Image’ mode ‘Harmonic phase mapping’ is calculated across the sound, then fixed and is not changed by subsequent editing. This means resynthesis will maintain a more natural sound with complex post-editing.
FL STUDIO Harmo - IMG Tab Controls
Image options -Tools
Clear all
Clears all image planes