Notes: Uranograph is a musical instrument that merges the expressive depth of classical instruments with the limitless possibilities of synthesis. Its capacitive tactile keys, instant note articulation, and MPE-inspired keyboard encourage musicians to develop a deep connection with its behavior, refine its technique, and master its nuances. With its ability to effortlessly reproduce microtonal notes, Uranograph is well-suited for exploring diverse musical expressions and cultural scale. Designed as a self-contained sonic ecosystem, Uranograph integrates an extensive 5 voices synthesis core, FX processing (both for internal and external sources), and looping into a seamless creative tool.
Uranograph's dual keyboards layout is more than just an input devices - it's the expressive heart of the instrument, offering an intuitive yet deeply responsive interface for performance and sound exploration. Their stainless steel touch plates provide an ultra-sensitive playing experience, responding to the most delicate gestures with precision and nuance. Unlike conventional mechanical keybeds, Uranograph's capacitive surface allows immediate, fluid articulation, enabling new microtonal performance, dynamic phrasing, and real-time sound shaping possibilities.
Uranograph's keyboard is highly responsive to touch, velocity, and aftertouch pressure. Each press translates into a continuous, organic sound variation, making it possible to shape phrases naturally, much like on stringed or wind instruments.By default, pressure is routed to the instrument's VCA/filter, and the envelope sustains level volume. An additional routing can be set to send the intensity of pressure to whatever other parameters you prefer, a dedicated knob is also implemented for instant control of the amount of this. This continuous pressure-sensitive surface offers a playing experience closer to acoustic instruments, bridging the gap between electronic synthesis and natural musical expression.
Uranograph notes output takes advantage of a series of prepared Keyboard, where each key can be easily assigned to any pitch or pure frequency, offering complete keyboard design and tuning flexibility. Whether adhering to traditional Western tuning, exploring Arabic maqams, Indian ragas, Just Intonation, or experimental microtonal divisions, Uranograph provides an expansive range of tonal possibilities. Preloaded with 50+ keyboard layouts Customizable keyboards allow users to design and store personalized layouts. Instant recall ensures seamless transitions between different tonal systems.This adaptability makes Uranograph an ideal instrument for non-standard tuning, enabling deep engagement with diverse musical traditions and avant-garde soundscapes.
Beyond pitch control, Uranograph features a dedicated control keyboard designed for dynamic, hands-on sound transformation. Unlike traditional mod wheels or faders, this touch-based control surface enables intuitive, real-time interaction with synthesis parameters, allowing for expressive, gestural modulation.
The control keyboard is divided into three functional sections: Articulation, Octave Shift, and ModKeys.
Three dedicated articulation plates provide instant access to advanced phrasing techniques and canonic musical articulations found in stringed instruments: glissando, trillo, and staccato:
Glissando: Enables smooth pitch slides between notes
Staccato: Shortens note duration, creating a percussive attack
Trillo: Rapidly alternates between notes
Each articulation can be activated momentarily (by holding the plate) or latched (by tapping once), offering precise control over phrasing. This flexibility allows musicians to engage articulations selectively, shaping expression dynamically within a phrase. They can introduce variation within a note and the successive one or as a general character of the part.
Three faders are implemented on the panel to quickly change the articulation's behaviors.
Four ModKeys serve as fully assignable, pressure-sensitive controllers for precise real-time modulation of synthesis parameters. Each plate dynamically responds to pressure, enabling simultaneous control over multiple parameters. By integrating expressive modulation gestures with the performance keyboard, players can shape fluid, evolving textures that respond organically to touch - enhancing expressivity and immediacy in synthesis. ModKey destinations and maximum values can be adjusted in the menu and stored during pattern changes.
At the bottom, two integrated octave shift plates provide instant transposition, allowing players to increase or decrease the octave range in momentary or latching modes:
Momentary Mode: Holding a plate temporarily shifts the octave.
Latching Mode: Tapping once locks the new octave until changed.
Bend Mode: Pressing both octave plates simultaneously activates the pitch bend feature, allowing for fluid and expressive pitch manipulation, similar to bending notes on stringed instruments.
Uranograph's core is built on additive and phase morphing synthesis, offering an innovative approach to shaping its five oscillators. The primary sound source is a core oscillator that starts as a pure sine wave and transforms through multiple synthesis techniques, generating a spectrum of timbres from warm, organic tones to sharp, digital textures. Uranograph provides multiple methods to modify the primary sine wave, introducing even and odd harmonics and sidebands, shaping both harmonic and inharmonic spectra. By altering the phase of a sine wave without changing its fundamental frequency, Uranograph transforms simple waveforms into dynamically evolving textures that range from warm and bell-like to metallic and aggressive:
Size (Phase Warping & Spectral Expansion): Stretches waveforms, altering harmonics similar to pulse-width modulation.
Tilt (Asymmetric Amplitude Distortion): Inspired by the Casio CZ series, this phase distortion skews waveforms asymmetrically, generating sounds from soft and vocal-like to harsh and metallic.
Fold (Wave Folding): Nonlinear reflection of signals creates a harmonic-rich spectrum, akin to West Coast synthesis.
The core oscillator can be split and harmonized into three voices, each following a chromatically quantized deviation from the main frequency set by the keyboard. This deviation can be changed trough two multi function programmable faders. This creates chord-like voicings, which are ideal for harmonic layering and ensemble effects. This enables Uranograph to function more as a harmonizer effect than a standard polyphonic synth. The three voices are direct copies of the primary waveform and inherit all parameter modifications from the panel, ensuring a cohesive harmonic response across all voices.
The central core oscillator works in a dual-spectrum configuration with a dedicated sub-octave oscillator. While the core oscillator's rich harmonics define the upper-frequency spectrum, the sub-generator reinforces lower frequencies, ensuring depth and body. Waveforms: Sine, saw, and square waveforms selectable via a switch. Selectable Sub Frequencies: unison, one or two octave below.
Completing the architecture, a dedicated modulation oscillator serves as either an additional fifth voice or a modulation source. Frequency follows the keyboard, but its base rate is controlled via the speed knob. The frequency range is 0.001 Hz to 3,000 Hz, allowing for both slow-evolving modulation and audio rate for rich spectral transformations. Waveforms: Sine, saw, and random noise selectable via a dedicated switch. A dedicated modulation amount knob determines how the modulator interacts with different synthesis parameters selected through a rotary potentiometer: AM, FM, Size, Tilt, Fold, or mix. This final layer opens the door to classic and unconventional sonic textures, making the Uranograph a versatile tool for sound design exploration and experimental synthesis.
In Uranograph's additive and phase-morphing synthesis architecture, the filter plays a different role than in traditional subtractive synthesis. Unlike classic synths where filtering is crucial for shaping harmonics, Uranograph's core oscillators inherently define the harmonic content through their phase manipulation and additive processes. As a result, harmonic reduction and spectral shaping are already embedded in the sound generation itself. After the summation of the core oscillator, SUB, and MOD, Uranograph features a versatile circuit that functions as a VCA / Low Pass Gate (LPG) hybrid. The resonance, ranging from subtle warmth to highly aggressive self-oscillation, add an organic response to dynamic playing.
Uranograph's core sound engine is enhanced by a suite of tailored DSP effects, meticulously designed to shape and refine every aspect of its timbres. These effects are fully integrated into the synthesis architecture, ensuring seamless interaction with the instrument's dynamic sound design. From spatial depth to harmonic reinforcement, these tools expand the Uranograph's sonic capabilities, offering immersive and evolving textures. Uranograph's stereo delay system is engineered for rhythmic enhancement and spectral manipulation, seamlessly blending traditional echo effects with Karplus-Strong-style resonation.
DeltaT knob controls delay time with two distinct behaviors: in the first 25% of its range, time adjustment functions as a micro-timed continuous shift, allowing the delay to function as a resonator, producing rich tonal textures.
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