Tassman 4 Manual PDF

USER MANUAL
Information in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on
the part of Applied Acoustics Systems DVM Inc. The software described in this manual is furnished under a
license agreement. The software may be used only in accordance of the terms of this license agreement. It is
against the law to copy this software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement.
No part of this manual may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, distributed or converted to any
electronic or machine-readable form in whole or in part without prior written approval of Applied Acoustics
Systems DVM Inc.
Copyright
c 2007 Applied Acoustics Systems DVM Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada.
Program Copyright
c 2000-2007 Applied Acoustics Systems, Inc. All right reserved.
Tassman is a Trademark of Applied Acoustics Systems DVM Inc. Windows 98, 2000, NT, ME, XP
and DirectX are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh, Mac OS,
QuickTime and Audio Units are registered trademarks of Apple Corporation. VST Instruments and ASIO
are trademarks of Steinberg Soft Und Hardware GmbH. RTAS is a registered trademarks of Digidesign.
Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems incorporated. All other product and company names
are either trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owner. Unauthorized copying, renting or
lending of the software is strictly prohibited.
Visit Applied Acoustics Systems DVM Inc. on the World Wide Web at
www.applied-acoustics.com
Contents
1 Introduction 9
1.1 System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.2 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3 Authorization and Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.3.1 Step 1: Generating the challenge key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.3.2 Step 2: Generating the Response key and Registering your Product . . . . 12
1.3.3 Step 3: Completing the unlock process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.3.4 Obtaining your response key and registering by fax or over the phone: . . . 16
1.4 Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.4.1 Using Tassman as a Plug-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.5 Getting help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.6 Forum and User Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1.7 About this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2 Tutorials 21
2.1 Tutorial 1. A Simple Analog Synth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.2 Tutorial 2 Playing a Synth with a Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
2.3 Tutorial 3 Using a Sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2.4 Tutorial 4 Playing with Acoustic Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
3 The Tassman Builder 48

3.1 The Builder area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.2 Creating an instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3.3 Setting MIDI Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3.4 Making Polyphonic Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3.5 Using Sub-Patches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
4 The Tassman Player 55

4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
4.2 The Tassman Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
4.3 Tweaking knobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
CONTENTS 4
4.4 Audio Device Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

4.5 MIDI Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
4.6 Latency Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4.7 Instruments and Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4.8 Output Effect Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
4.9 Performances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
5 The Browser 63
5.1 The Instruments folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
5.2 The Performances folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
5.3 The Modules folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
5.4 The Sub-Patches folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
5.5 The Import folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
5.6 Customizing the browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
5.7 Browser Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
5.8 Exporting and Importing Instruments, Performances, Presets and MIDI maps . . . 66
5.9 Backuping Instruments, Performances, Presets and MIDI maps . . . . . . . . . . . 66
5.10 Restoring the Factory Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
6 Specifications for modules 68

6.1 ADAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
6.2 ADSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
6.3 After Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
6.4 And . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
6.5 Audio In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
6.6 Audio Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
6.7 Bandpass2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
6.8 Beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
6.9 Bowed Beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
6.10 Bowed Marimba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
6.11 Bowed Membrane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
6.12 Bowed Multimode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
6.13 Bowed Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
CONTENTS 5
6.14 Bowed String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

6.15 Breath Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
6.16 Comb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
6.17 Compressor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
6.18 Constant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
6.19 Control Voltage Sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
6.20 Control Voltage Sequencer with Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
6.21 Damper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
6.22 Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
6.23 Dual Gate Sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
6.24 Dual Gate Sequencer with Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
6.25 Flanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
6.26 Flute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
6.27 Gain, Gain 2, Gain 3, Gain 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
6.28 Highpass1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
6.29 Inlets (1-12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
6.30 Inverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
6.31 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
6.32 Knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
6.33 LESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
6.34 Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
6.35 LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
6.36 Lin Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
6.37 Lowpass1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
6.38 Lowpass2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
6.39 Mallet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
6.40 Marimba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
6.41 Master Recorder Trig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
6.42 Master Sync Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
6.43 Membrane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
6.44 Mix2, Mix3, Mix4 and Mix5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
6.45 Modulation Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
CONTENTS 6
6.46 Multimode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

6.47 Multi-sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
6.48 Nand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
6.49 Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
6.50 Noise mallet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
6.51 Nor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
6.52 Not . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
6.53 On/Off, On/Off2, On/Off3, On/Off4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
6.54 Or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
6.55 Organ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
6.56 Outlet (1-12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
6.57 Panpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
6.58 Phaser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
6.59 Pickup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
6.60 Pitch Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
6.61 Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
6.62 Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
6.63 Plectrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
6.64 Polykey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
6.65 Polymixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
6.66 Polyvkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
6.67 Portamento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
6.68 Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
6.69 Recorder2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
6.70 Reverberator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
6.71 RMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
6.72 Sample & Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
6.73 Sbandpass2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
6.74 Selector2, Selector3 and Selector4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
6.75 Shifter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
6.76 Single Gate Sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
6.77 Single Gate Sequencer with Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
CONTENTS 7
6.78 Slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

6.79 Static Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
6.80 Stereo Audio In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
6.81 Stereo Audio Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
6.82 Stereo Chorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
6.83 String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
6.84 Sync delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
6.85 Sync LFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
6.86 Sync Ping Pong Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
6.87 Toggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
6.88 Tone wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
6.89 Tremolo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
6.90 Tube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
6.91 Tube4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
6.92 Tube Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
6.93 VADAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
6.94 VADSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
6.95 Vbandpass2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
6.96 VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
6.97 VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
6.98 VCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
6.99 Vhighpass2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
6.100Vkeyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
6.101Vlowpass2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
6.102Vlowpass4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
6.103Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
6.104Xor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
CONTENTS 8
7 Toolbar 163
7.1 Instrument Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
7.2 Performance Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
7.3 Preset Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
7.4 MIDI map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
7.5 Polyphony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
7.6 Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
7.7 CPU meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
7.8 Value Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
7.9 MIDI LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
7.10 Builder and Player Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
8 Quick references to commands and shortcuts 165
9 License Agreement 171

Introduction 9
1 Introduction
The Tassman is a modular software synthesizer based on physical modeling. The modular archi-
tecture of the software reproduces the very powerful features of vintage analog synthesizers letting
you construct instruments “à la carte” by patching modules together. The module library includes
many analog-type objects but also modules simulating acoustic objects and instruments. The Tass-
man makes no distinction between different object types which means that you can reproduce your
favorite vintage analog synthesizer, recreate or invent acoustic instruments but also combine analog
and acoustic modules and create very innovative hybrid instruments.
The Tassman generates sound by simulating the different modules through physical modeling.
This technology uses the laws of physics to reproduce the behavior of an object. In other words
the Tassman solves, in real-time, mathematical equations describing how an object functions. The
Tassman uses no sampling or wavetable, it just calculates the sound as you play in accordance
to the controls it receives. For example, if you choose to hit a plate with a mallet, the Tassman
simulates (1) the impact of the mallet at a particular point, (2) the resulting displacement of the
plate due to wave motion (taking into account the geometry and physical parameters of the plate
related to its material), and (3) sound radiation at a particular listening point.
Physical modeling is a very general and powerful approach since the result is obtained by
reproducing how an object generates sound rather than trying to reproduce the sound signal itself
using, for example, wavetables, additive synthesis or samples. This implies that a module can
generate very different sounds depending on the driving signals it receives. For example, different
sounds will be produced by a plate of a given geometry and material, depending on the strength of
the mallet impact and its impact point. It will behave differently again if you hit the plate when it
is at rest or when it is already vibrating. Physical modeling takes all these parameters into account
naturally since it reproduces the behavior of the real object. This results in very natural and realistic
sounds and reproduces the control musicians have on real acoustic instruments.
The Tassman software is comprised of three tightly integrated views, in a single window. In-
struments are created in the Builder by patching together modules imported from the Browser.
Modules are just “building block” having inputs and outputs which you connect together using
wires. The fully modular architecture of the Tassman lets you expand the Browser library by letting
you define groups of modules as sub-patches for later inclusion in your constructions. Instruments
created with the Tassman can be exported as short text files, which means that you can very easily
exchange them with other users.
Once an instrument has been constructed, the Player is opened, displaying the instrument’s
controls. The Player interprets the files generated in the Builder and automatically generates the
playing interface and the computational code corresponding to a particular instrument. The panels
of the different modules were inspired by vintage hardware making them very easy to use. All the
controls appearing on the screen can be moved with the mouse and keyboard but can also be linked
to external MIDI controllers. As with sub-patches, and modules in the builder view, presets for
each instrument can be easily “drag and dropped” from the browser, which means you don’t have
to worry about searching through an endless stream of “load” dialog boxes to find the components
1.1 System requirements 10
you need.
Before discussing the Tassman in more detail, we would like to take the opportunity to thank
you for choosing an Applied Acoustics Systems product. We hope that you have as much fun
playing with the Tassman as we had developing it!
1.1 System requirements
The following computer configuration is necessary to run the Tassman:
Mac OSX :
• Mac OSX 10.2 (Jaguar) or later.

• G3 Processor (G4 strongly recommended)
• 256 Mb RAM
• 800 x 600 or higher screen resolution
• MIDI Keyboard (recommended)
• Ethernet Port
• Quicktime 4.0
PC :
• Win98SE/2000/XP
• PIII 500 or better processor
• 128 Mb RAM
• 800 x 600 or higher screen resolution
• Direct X or ASIO supported sound card
• MIDI Keyboard (recommended)
This computer configuration will enable you to play fairly elaborate instruments. Keep in mind
that the computational power required by the Tassman depends on the complexity of the patch you
are playing and the number of voices of polyphony. Although it is not absolutely necessary it is
strongly recommended to play the Tassman with a MIDI keyboard or controller.
1.2 Installation
Mac OS
Insert the Tassman program disc into your CD-ROM drive. Open the CD icon once it appears
on your desktop. Click on the Tassman Install icon and follow the instructions of the installer.
If you purchased this software online, simply double-click on the installer file that you have
downloaded and follow the instructions of the installer.
1.3 Authorization and Registration 11
Windows
Insert the Tassman program disc into your CD-ROM drive. Launch Explorer to view the content
of the CD-ROM and double-click on the installer file to launch the installer.
If you purchased this software online, simply double-click on the installer file that you have
downloaded and follow the instructions of the installer.
1.3 Authorization and Registration
The Tassman uses a proprietary challenge/response copy protection system which requires autho-
rization of the product. A challenge key is a long string of capital letters and numbers that is
generated uniquely for each machine during the registration process. In other words, for each
machine you install this program on, a different challenge key will be generated by the program.
The response key is another unique string of capital letters and numbers generated from the data
encrypted in the challenge key. In order to obtain a response key, you will need to connect to the
A|A|S website and provide the following information:
• A valid email address

• Your product serial number (on the back of the sleeve of your CD or in your confirmation
email for downloads)
• The challenge key generated by the program
Note that it is possible to use the program during 15 days before completing the authorization
process. This period can be convenient if you are installing the program on a computer which is
not connected to the internet. After that period, the program will not function unless it is supplied
with a response key.
In the following sections we review the different steps required to generate the challenge keys
and obtain the response key. The procedure is similar on Windows XP and Mac OS systems.
1.3.1 Step 1: Generating the challenge key
After launching the installer for the first time, a pop-up window will appear asking you if you wish
to authorize your product now or later. If you are ready to authorize Tassman now, click on the
Next button otherwise click on the Authorize Later button. If your computer is connected to the
internet, we recommend that you authorize your product now.
When you click on the Next button, a second window appears asking you to enter your serial
number. Type your serial number as it appears on the back of the sleeve of the Tassman CD-ROM.
If you purchased Tassman online, an email with your serial number will have been sent to you at
the address which you provided during the purchase process.
After entering your serial number, click on the Next button and your challenge key will appear
automatically in the next pop-up window.
Figure 1: Choosing to authorize Tassman now or later.
Figure 2: Enter your serial number in the pop-up window.
1.3.2 Step 2: Generating the Response key and Registering your Product
If your computer is connected to the internet, click on the link to the A|A|S web server appearing
in the pop-up window. This will launch your web browser and connect you to the unlock page of
the A|A|S web server. Enter your email address, serial number and challenge key in the form as
shown below and click on the Submit button.
Figure 3: Challenge key appears automatically after entering the serial number.
Figure 4: Enter your registration information on the A|A|S webserver.
The next form asks you to provide additional information about yourself including your mailing
address and phone number. This information will be used to register your product. Note that
only a valid email address is required to register your product. We nevertheless recommend this
information be provided to ensure our support team is able to contact you to resolve any future
support issues, and notify you of product updates promptly. This information is kept completely
confidential. Registration of your product will entitle you to receive support and download updates
when available, as well as take advantage of special upgrade prices offered from time to time to
registered A|A|S users. Note that if you already purchased or registered another A|A|S product, the
information that you have already supplied under the same email address will appear in the form.
Feel free to update this information if it is outdated. Click on the Submit button and your response
key will appear on-screen.
Figure 5: Generation of the response key on the A|A|S server.
If your computer is not connected to the internet, take note of your serial number and challenge
key and proceed to an internet connected computer. Launch your browser and go to the unlock
page of the A|A|S website at:
http://www.applied-acoustics.com/unlock.htm
Enter your email address, serial number, and challenge key, and click next. You will then
receive your response code on-screen as described above.
1.3.3 Step 3: Completing the unlock process
The response key corresponding to your serial number and challenge key will be printed in your
browser window. In order to complete the unlock process, copy the response key and paste it into
the corresponding field of the installer window of Tassman. If you obtained your response key
from another computer, type the response key by hand in the installer window.
Click on the Next button and a pop-up window will appear informing you that the authoriza-
tion process has been successful. Click on the Finish button to complete the process and launch
Tassman.
You will normally only need to go this process once for a given computer except for some
special cases. On Windows computers your will need to unlock again if:
• You change your computer

• You reformat or upgrade your hard drive
• You change or upgrade your operating system
Figure 6: Final step of the unlock process. Enter your response key in the window.
Figure 7: Authorization has been successful.
On Mac OS computers, this will only be necessary if:
• You change your computer

• You change the motherboard of the computer
1.4 Getting started 16
1.3.4 Obtaining your response key and registering by fax or over the phone:
Should you not have access to the internet, A|A|S support representatives are available to assist
you in the unlock and registration process Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm EST. You may contact
us by phone at:
• North America Toll-free number: 1-888-441-8277

• Outside North America: 1-514-871-8100
• Fax Number: 1-514-845-1875
• Email: support@applied-acoustics.com
1.4 Getting started
There’s no mistaking it. Getting a new piece of gear is an occasion for excitement. At a time
when music technology is getting faster and more powerful by the day, however, the task of going
through the process of figuring out how your new toy actually works can be a little daunting to
say the least. Enter the realm of software and virtual instruments and you could be looking at
learning the “ins and outs” of the equivalent of an entire studio full of gear, in a single piece of
software! As is so often the case, the most important thing is to know yourself and the pace at
which you feel comfortable working. The Tassman has been developed with the needs of a very
wide spectrum of individuals in mind. Whether you’re new to the world of soft synths and computer
music production, or are a seasoned industry professional, the Tassman is sure to be a source of
creative inspiration, and offer up hours of virtual knob twiddling fun.
When you launch the Tassman for the first time you’ll be greeted with a familiar “file-browser-
like” interface, not unlike those your operating system generates to display the contents of your
hard disk, or your email program uses to organize your mail and address book. The left side of the
screen contains the Tassman’s browser, a “tree view” organization of all the relevant components
the Tassman uses, including:
• Imports - destination folder for imported instruments, presets and sub-patches.

• Instruments - ready to play, pre-configured groups of modules of all shapes and sizes in-
cluding physical modeled acoustic instruments, electro-mechanical emulations, analog, FM
synths, and more.
• Modules - The basic building blocks of the Tassman including Oscillators, Filters, etc.
• Sub-patches - smaller groups of pre-patched modules that are saved for use in various in-
struments such as your favorite effects, filter banks and EQs, etc.
This approach makes it possible for you to explore the Tassman at your own pace. From
scanning through the included instruments and presets, to constructing your own synths from the
ground up, the Tassman grows right along with you.
Audio and MIDI Configuration
Before you start exploring the included instruments and presets, take a moment to set up your
system configuration:
Edit menu - Preferences - This menu allows you to select whether exported folders from the
browser contain the contents of any sub-folders located in their branch of the browser tree, i.e.
when you export a synth, its presets and sub-patches will be included in the export with it if this
option is selected. For more details on import and export functions please refer to the browser
section of this manual. The General page also includes a slider which allows you to choose between
smoother graphical response or better audio performance. Save preferences and the default sound
file directory are also set from this menu. Finally, this menu lets you resize the window of the
different plug-in versions of Tassman by adjusting the height and width of the window. Note that
in order for these adjustments to take effect, you need to unload and then reload the plug-in.
Audio menu - Audio Settings - This menu allows you to select from the installed audio ports
on your computer, by driver type. If you have ASIO drivers available, these should be selected for
optimum performance. Multi-channel interfaces will have their outputs listed as stereo pairs.
MIDI menu - MIDI Settings - This menu lists all of the available MIDI ports installed on your
system. Select the port or ports you wish to use and click OK. Tassman can receive up to 16
simultaneous channels of MIDI data.
Audio menu - Audio Control Panel - This panel allows you to select the bit depth (16, 24, or
32 bit audio) sample rate (22.05, 44.1, 48, or 96 kHz) and buffer size, which affects how quickly
the Tassman responds to the control information it receives. The smaller the buffer size, the shorter
the latency, and vice versa. Why would you ever want to introduce more latency you might ask? In
some situations, such as large, self generating ambient synths and other stand-alone applications,
you may wish to ‘trade’ the resources Tassman normal utilizes to maintain low latency response
for more raw processing power. Note that the content of the dialog depends on the driver selected
in the Audio Settings menu.
ASIO Driver Configuration - Some sound cards provide their own ASIO control panel, in which
case the above information will differ from card to card. Some sound-cards also require that you
close all programs before making changes to the buffer size, sampling rate, or bit depth. If you
discover this is the case with your sound card, please refer to the manufacturer’s documentation
for details on configuring it for optimum performance. Most sound card manufacturers also update
their drivers regularly. It’s is strongly recommended that you visit your sound card manufacturer’s
website regularly to ensure you are using the most up to date drivers and support software.
96k hz Sample Rate Support - It will literally take twice as much CPU power to process audio
at a sampling rate of 96 kHz as it would to process the same data at 48 kHz, simply because you
have twice the processing to do. As a result of this, 96 kHz support is only recommended for
powerful systems.
Exploring the Factory Instruments and Presets
The Tassman comes with 50 factory instruments and around 1000 presets right out of the box,
which amounts to a huge range of sounds before you’ve even turned a single knob. As you’d
expect, the best way of coming to grips with the possibilities each synth offers is simply to go
through them one at a time. Open the Instruments folder by clicking on the “disclosure” symbol to
the left. This will expand the browser to reveal the folder’s contents. Select the type of synth that
interests you (acoustic, analog, etc) and double click on the first synth in the list. The Builder, as
the name implies, shows all of an instrument’s included modules and internal connections, while
the Player displays its editing and performance controls. You can switch back and forth between
these views from the View menu. Clicking on the “disclosure” symbol to the left of any instrument
reveals its presets. You can switch between presets by double clicking on the preset of your choice.
If you fall upon an instrument you’re having trouble understanding, or would simply like to have
more information about how it works, choose Get Instrument Info from the Edit menu. For
detailed information on the functionalities of the Builder, Browser, and Player, please refer to the
dedicated chapters on each later in manual.
As was mentioned earlier, the Tassman has been designed to meet the needs of a wide range of
users. Similarly, the included synths and presets have been created to cover an equally wide range
of tastes. Once you’ve had a chance to explore the included synths in some detail, you may find
that some of them produce sounds you feel you will use very rarely in your work, or simply aren’t
quite your style. The Browser makes it easy to organize your synths and presets in whatever manor
you choose. Click in the browser, and choose New Folder from the File menu. Name this folder
“Archive”. You can now place all those “specialty” synths in the archive, freeing up space in your
instruments folder and making it quicker and easier to find the sounds you need while you work.
Building your Own Instruments
One of the Tassman’s greatest strengths is its modularity. As you explore the various factory
instruments and presets, ideas for your own creations are sure to come up. The tutorials section of
the manual provides an excellent basis for getting your ideas off the ground, and coming to grips
with the basic functionalities of the Tassman’s Builder. Regardless of your knowledge of synthesis
and previous experience with modular environments, we recommend that you at least scan the
tutorials to learn about the basic conventions of the builder. By answering a few key questions
before beginning your first constructions, you will be able to spend less time pondering the near
infinite possibilities the Tassman offers, and more time making music.
1.5 Getting help 19
Does one of the included instruments contain some of the elements of the idea you have in
mind?
You can easily duplicate groups of modules used in one synth in another using the Copy and Paste
menu commands. If there is a group of modules you find you’re using quite frequently in your
constructions, copy and paste it to a new instrument, add the necessary inlets and outlets from the
In/Out folder of the browser, and save it as a new sub-patch.
Have you checked the sub-patch folder for elements you want to include in your synth?
The Tassman comes with a large collection of sub-patches ranging from various oscillator and filter
configurations, common output setups, and effects chains. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel
every time you sit down to build a new instrument. Save time, use a sub-patch. Is this synth going
to be used as a plug-in?
If you plan to use your synth as plug-in, a well thought out, efficient design will provide better
performance when it’s running along side several other audio and MIDI tracks. Even if you’re
using a top of the line system with the fastest processor on the market, efficient patch design means
your instruments will run more smoothly in plug-in mode, and take less of your system’s resources.
Does your patch really need 16 reverbs !?
For detailed instructions on building your first synths, please refer to the Tutorials section of
the manual. A detailed description of each module’s functionalities is also provided in chapter 6.
1.4.1 Using Tassman as a Plug-in
The Tassman integrates seamlessly into the industry’s most popular multi-track recording and se-
quencing environments as a virtual instrument plug-in. The Tassman works as any other plug-in in
these environments so we recommend that you refer to your sequencer documentation in case you
have problems running the Tassman as a plug-in.
1.5 Getting help
Applied Acoustics Systems technical support representatives are on hand from Monday to Friday,
9am to 6pm EST. Whether you’ve got a question regarding a new synth you are building, or need
a hand getting the Tassman up and running as a plug-in in your favorite sequencer, we’re here to
help. Contact us by phone, fax, or email at:
• North America Toll Free:1 888 441 8277

• Worldwide: 1 514 871 8100
• Fax: 1 514 845 1875
• Email: support@applied-acoustics.com
1.6 Forum and User Library 20
Our online support pages contain downloads of the most recent product updates, and answers
to frequently asked questions on all AAS products. The support pages are located at:
www.applied-acoustics.com/faq.htm
1.6 Forum and User Library
The A|A|S community site contains the Tassman user forum, a place to meet other users and get
answers to your questions. The community site also contains an exchange area where you will find
presets for your A|A|S products created by other users and where you can make your own creations
available to other users.
http://community.applied-acoustics.com/php/community/
http://community.applied-acoustics.com/php/forum/
1.7 About this Manual
This User Manual begins with a tutorial to help you learn quickly how to create and play instru-
ments with the Tassman. Four examples are included in the tutorial and every patch presented
in the tutorial has been pre-constructed for you. You can find the corresponding files in the Tu-
torial folder of the Tassman browser. The Tassman comes with a certain number of pre-patched
instruments and presets. We strongly recommend that you have a look at these instruments as a
complement to the tutorial.
Chapters 5, 3 and 4 of this manual describe the Tassman Browser, Builder and Player respec-
tively. Chapter 6, a reference guide, contains a description of every module included in the Tass-
man. The toolbar of the application is described in Chapter 7. Finally, Builder and Player menus
and shortcuts are listed in Chapter 8.
Tutorials 21
2 Tutorials
The following tutorials will teach you the basics of constructing and playing synthesizers with the
Tassman. We recommend that you build the different synthesizers from scratch as you go along
the different examples. If you have any problem, you can find the patches described in the different
tutorials in the Tutorials folder under the Instruments folder in the Tassman Browser. The Tassman
comes with many pre-constructed instruments and presets. We strongly recommend that you have
a look at the patches of these instruments for more elaborate examples.
2.1 Tutorial 1. A Simple Analog Synth
In this first example we will build a simple analog type synthesizer. You will learn to:
• Select modules.
• Connect modules.
• Switch to the Player view.
• Use modulation signals.
• Delete modules and wires.
• Monitor the output of an instrument.
• Save an instrument.
Open the Tassman by clicking on its icon or from the Start menu. The Builder contains three
different parts. The main section of the Builder is the construction area on which you will make
your patch. The Browser at the left, contains all the folders needed in Tassman. You will find the
Imports, Instrument, Modules and Sub-patches folders.
The different modules that you can assemble appear on the left in the Browser and are listed
under the different headings of Effects, Envelopes, Filters, Generators, etc . . . Just above the con-
struction area is a help area that will give you basic information on the currently selected module.
Step 1: VCO and Audio Out
Description
We will construct what is probably the simplest synthesizer one can build. The basis of our first
synth is a VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator). This module is a wave generator and constitutes
the sound source in our example. To hear the output of the VCO we will connect it to an Audio
Out module, which represents the output of your sound card. This module takes the digital signal
produced by the VCO and sends it to the computer sound card so that it can be heard. It is, in fact,
necessary to have one Audio Out in any instrument you make if you want to hear it.
2.1 Tutorial 1. A Simple Analog Synth 22
Construction
• In the Generators section, click-hold on the VCO and then drag it in the construction area.
A VCO module then appears in the construction area. You can select it by dragging the icon
and placing it anywhere you want in the construction area. Note that the module has three
inputs and one output. You can have some information on the use of these inputs and outputs
by positioning the mouse over them on the icon. You can also find basic information on the
currently selected module in the help area located above the construction area.
• Select an Audio Out module in the Outputs folder of the In/Out section and drag it in the
construction area. Note that this module has one input and no output.
• Now we need to connect the two modules together so that the VCO output signal can be sent
to the Audio Out module. Click on the VCO output and move the mouse toward the Audio
Out module and you will see a wire appear in the construction area. Now click on the Audio
Out input and the two modules will be connected as shown in the following figure.
Figure 8: Tutorial 1, step 1
Playing
To play and hear the instrument you need to display the Tassman Player view. In the View menu
choose the Show Player command which will switch to the Tassman Player view. You can now
see the playing interface of the two modules you have connected in the Builder. You can turn off
your new synth by clicking on the switch of the Audio Out module.
You can now play with the VCO. To change the frequency of the sound generated by the
VCO, move the coarse or fine knob. There are many different ways to move a knob. First select
it by clicking on it and, keeping button down, move the mouse upwards or downwards. Once the
knob has been selected, you can also move it by using the arrow keys. To position the cursor in
a particular spot, Shift-click (Option-click on Mac) on the circumference of the knob where you
want it to point. The frequency can also be varied by one or more octaves by using the range
selector.
The color of the sound produced by the VCO depends on the waveform you choose. To change
the waveform, click on the wavetype selector on the right of the front panel and drag the cursor up
and down. You have a choice between four waveforms: sine, pulse, sawtooth, and noise. The sine
wave consists of a single fundamental harmonic and is a very soft sound. The pulse wave is made
by combining a fundamental and the whole harmonics series; this is very rich in tone and is good
for woodwind sounds. The sawtooth wave contains all the harmonics, but its higher frequencies
are softer than in the pulse wave; it is good for brass-like sounds and strings. The noise wave, as
its name indicates, consists of white noise; it is good for unpitched percussion. Note that when a
pulse wave has been chosen, its shape can be changed with the PWM (Pulse Width) knob.
Before going on to the next step, go back to the Builder by choosing Show Builder from the
View menu or use the Ctrl-T/Apple-T shortcut.
Step 2: Adding a LFO
Description
To add some life to our synthesizer, we will use the output of a LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator)
to modulate the input of the VCO. A LFO is an oscillator which generates sine, triangle, square
and random waves with a frequency varying between 0.1 Hz and 35 Hz. The frequency of a LFO
signal is so low that it cannot be heard; a LFO, therefore, is not used to produce sound but rather
to generate control signals which modulate other signals. In our patch, we will use this signal to
vary the frequency of the VCO (i.e., to produce a vibrato effect).
Construction
• In the Generators section of the Browser, choose the LFO module and connect its output to
the first input of the VCO. This input is a pitch modulation signal. This means that the pitch
variation will follow the shape of the input signal.
Playing
Now switch back to the Tassman Player. To hear the effect of the LFO, turn the mod1 knob of the
VCO to the right and you will start to hear the frequency varying. The mod1 knob is simply a gain
knob that adjusts the effect of the input signal by multiplying it by a gain. When the knob is fully
turned to the left, the gain is zero, which means that the input has no effect. As you turn the knob
to the right, the amplitude of the modulation signal affecting the VCO increases so that you hear a
deeper vibrato. The frequency variations of the vibrato are relative to the settings of the coarse and
fine knobs on the VCO panel. The speed of the vibrato can be adjusted with the frequency knob on
the LFO panel, the oscillation of the red LEDs on the panel giving you an indication of the speed
of the vibrato. As with the VCO, the shape of the output waveform of a LFO can be varied with
the wavetype selector. Try the different waveforms and you will hear how the frequency variations
of the VCO follow the modulation signal.
Note
The mod2 knob is a gain knob for the second pitch modulation input of the VCO. This input works
exactly like the first one, which means that you can use two signals to modulate the pitch variations
of the VCO. The resulting modulation signal is the sum of the two inputs. The third input signal
modulates the pulse width of the pulse wave relative to the setting of the PW knob. Try connecting
the output of a LFO to this input and then vary the frequency of the LFO to hear the change in the
waveform.
Step 3: Adding a Filter
Description
Filters are important elements of synthesizers. They are used to color the sound by altering its
harmonic content. Now, instead of sending the output of the VCO directly to the Audio Out, we
will first filter it with a low-pass filter. This type of filter, as the name suggests, filters out high
frequency components from a sound so that only frequencies below a so-called cutoff frequency
are able to escape.
Construction
• In the Filters section, select a Vlowpass2 filter and drag it into the construction area.
• You must now disconnect the VCO from the Audio Out. To do so, click on the correspond-
ing wire to select it and then delete it by pressing on the Del or BkSp key (delete key on
Mac) of your computer keyboard.
• Place the filter between the VCO and the Audio Out and then pull one wire between the
VCO output and the first Vlowpass2 input and another one from the Vlowpass2 output to
the Audio Out input.
Playing
Vlowpass2 stands for “variable second-order low-pass filter”. This means that the cutoff frequency
of the filter can be controlled with an external modulation signal. It can, however, also be adjusted
with the cutoff frq knob on the filter panel. Launch the Player and move the cutoff knob to the right
and you will hear the sound become brighter as the cutoff frequency increases (to hear the effect
you can use any waveform from the VCO except the sine wave, which only has one frequency
component). When this knob is turned completely to the left there is no sound (since the cutoff
frequency becomes so low that all the components are filtered out from the sound). When the knob
is fully turned to the right, the full spectrum of sound is heard.
The resonance knob is used to enhance the frequency components near the cutoff frequency. If
you turn this knob to the right and then slowly tweak the frequency knob, you will hear the different
frequency components of the sound come out as the cutoff frequency is equal to these frequencies.
Try changing waveforms and playing with the frequency knob to hear the differences in harmonic
content between all waveforms. If, when working with a sine wave, you adjust the cutoff frequency
close to the signal frequency and then increase the filter resonance, the filter will act more like an
amplifier than a filter. Interesting effects are achieved as the resonance rises and the filter starts
to self-oscillate and the sound to saturate. Filters can be effectively used with the noise waveform
because of all the harmonics they contain (try it with a lot of resonance).
Note
Modules can be deleted in the construction area the same way as the wires can be. Click on a
module to select it and then use the Del or BkSp (delete key on Mac) key on your computer
keyboard.
Step 4: Modulating the filter
Description
As was the case with the VCO, the Vlowpass2 filter has a modulation input that can be used to
modulate the cutoff frequency of the filter.
Construction
• Pull a wire from the output of the LFO that we already have in the construction area to the
second input of the Vlowpass2 filter.
Playing
The amplitude of the modulation signal is controlled with the mod1 gain knob on the filter panel. As
you turn this knob to the right you will start hearing the effects of the cutoff frequency variations.
This cutoff frequency increases with the amplitude of the modulation signal. The filter also has a
second modulation input which modulates the cutoff frequency. The resulting modulation signal is
the sum of the two signals modulated by their respective gain values.
Step 5: Adjusting default module parameter values
Description
You have probably noticed that when you switch to the Player, the different modules appear with
their panel controls adjusted to specific values. In this example we will change the default cutoff
frequency, the name of the Vlowpass2 filter, and the location of its control panel on the Player.
Keep in mind that you can apply the same procedure to all the modules appearing in the construc-
tion area.
Construction
• In the construction area, double click on the Vlowpass2 module. A dialog box appears with
certain fields that you can edit.
• Set the value of the cutoff frequency to 20000.
• Change the name of the module to “my filter”.
• Change the display row to Row2 in the display row combo box.
• Click OK to exit the edition window.
Playing
When you launch the Player, the filter module appears on the second row. Note that the cutoff frq
knob on the Vlowpass2 front panel is completely turned to the right, which means that the filter
is fully open. Note also that the name appearing at the top of the front panel has been changed to
“my filter”. Naming modules can be very helpful when using several modules of the same type in
a patch.
Step 6: Monitoring the output signal
Description
We will now add two last modules to our patch, a Volume and a Level meter. These modules do
not produce sound, but are very useful for monitoring the output from a synth and they appear in
practically every instrument made with the Tassman.
Construction
• Select the Level module from the Output folder in the In/Out section of the Browser and the
Volume module from the Envelopes section and then place them in the construction area.
• Select and delete the wire going from the output of the Vlowpass2 filter to the Audio Out.
• First pull a wire from the output of the Vlowpass2 filter to the input of the Volume module
and then pull two wires from the output of the Volume module to the inputs of the Level and
Audio Out modules.
Playing
When sound is produced by the synth, you will see the needle of the level meter move with the
amplitude of the signal. The red section of the meter indicates the saturation zone. The Volume
slider is used to change the amplitude of the output signal from the synthesizer.
2.2 Tutorial 2 Playing a Synth with a Keyboard 28
Step 7: Saving your synth
We will conclude this example by saving the instrument you have just made.
• To save a patch, use the Save Instrument or Save Instrument As command from the File
menu. A dialog box will appear with “untitled instrument” highlighted, write the name you
want your instrument to have and click OK. A new instrument with the name you wrote will
appear under the Instrument section of the Browser.
You can open an instrument by double-clicking on its name in the Browser. If you want to
work again on your instrument in the Builder, hit Ctrl-T/Apple-T.
2.2 Tutorial 2 Playing a Synth with a Keyboard
The synthesizer we have constructed in the preceding tutorial gives some interesting results but is
not very convenient for playing melodies. In this second tutorial we will replace the LFO which
controlled the VCO with a keyboard so that the pitch of the VCO changes according to the note
being played on the keyboard. You will learn to:
• Use a MIDI keyboard in your instrument.

• Create envelopes.
• Link MIDI controllers to the Player interface controls.
• Create polyphonic instruments.
Step 1: Connecting a keyboard
Description
The Keyboard module reads and interprets control signals coming from a MIDI keyboard or host
sequencer. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface and is a communication protocol
used by most electronic musical instruments, computers and sound cards. Using MIDI, the key-
board sends messages such as the notes played, the status of the pitch or modulation wheel. The
keyboard communicates with your computer through a MIDI cable connecting the MIDI output of
the keyboard to the MIDI connector of the computer sound card. Some keyboards also use USB to
communicate with the sound card.
It is assumed in this tutorial that you have a MIDI keyboard which can be connected to your
computer. This is, of course, the best way to take full advantage of the Tassman. This is not a limit,
however, since there are lots of things to do with the Tassman even without a keyboard. In the next
tutorial we will replace the Keyboard module by a Sequencer module. But read this one first,
even if you do not have a keyboard.
Construction
• We will first open the instrument we constructed in the last tutorial. Double-click on it in the
Browser, this will open the instrument in the Player view, hit Ctrl-T/Apple-T to switch to
the Builder view. If you did not save the preceding synth open the “Tutorial1 Step6” in the
Tutorial folder of the instrument section.
• Select the wire linking the LFO to the VCO and delete it.
• In the module library section, select the Keyboard module from the MIDI folder in the
In/Out section. You will notice that there are four different types of keyboard: a Keyboard,
a Vkeyboard, a Polykey and a Polyvkey first select the Keyboard module and place it in
the construction area.
• Pull a wire between the second Keyboard output (pitch signal) and the first input of the
VCO.
Playing
Use your keyboard to play melodies. The Keyboard module we have selected behaves like a
classic monophonic keyboard, which means that it can only play one note at a time. The note
signal output corresponds to the highest note played when one or more keys are pressed and to the
last key played when no key is pressed. In order to change the pitch of the VCO, remember that
the mod1 gain knob of the first modulation input of the VCO must be turned to the right. In its
center position (green LED on), the gain is equal to 1 and the pitch variations will follow the notes
you play on the keyboard. If you do not want to play an equal tempered scale, tweak the mod1
knob to the left for microtonal variations or to the right for larger variations. You can also use the
pitch bend wheel of your keyboard to change the pitch. Note that the sound is uninterrupted even
after you have released a key on the keyboard. This is because a monophonic keyboard holds the
last note played. To remedy this, we will use the gate signal of the Keyboard module to stop the
note at the right time.
Step 2: Add a VCA
Description
A VCA is a Voltage Controlled Amplifier. More simply said, it is a module that multiplies two
signals. In order to obtain sound only when a key is pressed, we will connect the gate signal from
the Keyboard to the first input of the VCA. The gate signal is simply a signal that indicates whether
a note is pressed or not; its value is 1 when a key is pressed and 0 when the key is released. In
this way, if we connect a second signal to the VCA, the output of the VCA will produce no sound
when no key is pressed and will be equal to the second input signal when a key is pressed.
Construction
• Select a VCA module in the Envelopes section of the module library section in the Browser.
• Pull a wire between the first Keyboard output, the gate signal, and the first input of the VCA.
• Select the wire between the Vlowpass2 output and the Volume input and delete it.
• Now connect the output of the VCO to the second input of the VCA and the output of the
VCA to the first input of the Volume.

Playing
Make sure the mod1 knob of the VCO is in its center position. You should now be able to play
melodies on your keyboard with the sound going on or off as keys are pressed and released.
Step 3: Add an ADSR
Description
Now that we are able to trigger the sound with the keyboard, we would like to be able to shape the
sound with different types of envelopes. To achieve this we will use an ADSR module (Attack,
Decay, Sustain, Release). This module shapes the amplitude of a note according to the settings you
chose. The Attack is the time it takes for the envelope of a sound to go from zero to its maximum
value. The time it takes for the sound to go from this peak value to the sustain level is referred to
as the Decay. As to the Sustain level, it is held as long as the note is held on the keyboard. And,
finally, the Release time is the time the sound takes to vanish once the note has been released.
Construction
• Choose an ADSR module from the Envelopes section and place it in the construction area.
• Delete the wire that connects output 1 of the Keyboard (gate signal) to input 1 of the VCA.
• Pull a wire from output 1 (gate signal) of the Keyboard and connect it to the input of the
ADSR.
• Pull a wire from the output of the ADSR and connect it to input 1 of the VCA (input 2
remains connected to the Vlowpass2).
• The signal to the VCA will now be shaped by the ADSR which is itself triggered by the gate
signal of the Keyboard.

Playing
The ADSR can shape the amplitude in many different ways. This is one of the most important
components in the characterization of a sound. For example, a piano sound has a completely
different envelope than does a violin or a trumpet. They are, of course, very different in timbre too,
but for now let’s concentrate on the envelope. A piano has a very sharp attack, a long decay, no
sustain and no release. Try to set the ADSR to those settings. Because there is no sustain in this
example, the sound starts to decay shortly after you press keys.
Now let’s try to produce a violin-like envelope. This envelope is very different from that of the
preceding example, since on a string instrument a note is held as long as the string is bowed. Since
a violin’s sound doesn’t appear immediately, select a long Attack. Now choose a short Decay, a
high Sustain level (since the note is held as long as the bow plays the string), and a Release that is
not too long. Now the note will play until you release the key.
Step 4: Filter Modulation
Description
There are no new modules in this step, but we’ll explore other possibilities of modulation with
the modules we already have. First, we’ll have the Keyboard modulating the Vlowpass2, which
will cause the Vlowpass2 to change the cut-off frequency according to the notes played on the
Keyboard. This enables one to change the harmonic content of a sound with the pitch of the note
played, which is a behavior found in many acoustic instruments (piano for example). Second, the
ADSR will also modulate the Vlowpass2 so that the cut-off will move according to the envelope.
Again, this is a very natural acoustic and musical phenomenon.
Construction
• First select and delete the wire linking the LFO and the Vlowpass2 modules.
• Pull a wire between output 1 of the LFO and input 2 of the VCO module.
• Pull a wire from output 2 (pitch signal) of the Keyboard and connect it to input 3 of the
Vlowpass2 filter. Note that you can pull as many wires as you want out of an output, but you
can only connect one wire to an input.
• Pull a wire from output 1 of the ADSR and connect it to input 2 of the Vlowpass2.
• Save this instrument so that we can use it in Tutorial 3.
Playing
Try changing the parameters of the ADSR and hear the changes in the filter response. You can
control the amount of modulation of both the ADSR and the Keyboard with the two knobs, mod1
and mod2, on the filter module. Set a very slow attack and a long release on the ADSR to hear
the filter open and close at the same speed as the ADSR (you have to turn the mod1 knob to the
right to hear the effect). You can hear the keyboard modulation effect by turning the mod2 knob
all the way to the right and playing low notes followed by high notes. The higher ones will have a
richer harmonic content than the lower ones. You will hear the effect better if the resonance knob
is turned halfway up.
Step 5: Add a MIDI controller
Description
Knobs on the Player interface can be tweaked with the mouse, although this is not the most natural
way to play a synth. This method has the further limitation of allowing you to tweak only one knob
at a time. Tassman, however, allows you to link all the controllers on the front panel of the Player
to any hardware MIDI controller (such as a modulation wheel, sustain pedal, breath controller or a
knob box). In this example we will control the mod2 knob of the VCO (controlling the modulation
signal from the LFO) with the modulation wheel of the keyboard.
Construction
• In the Player, right-click (control-click on Mac) on the mod2 knob of the VCO, a contextual
menu appears. Choose Learn MIDI link.
• Move the modulation wheel on your keyboard controller. This will link it to the mod2 knob.
• To edit the MIDI link, right-click/Ctrl-click again on the mod2 knob and select “Edit MIDI
link”. This opens the Edit window for the MIDI links.
• Click on Edit to modify the MIDI link. You can also click on New to create a new MIDI
link.
• The MIDI controller number specified in the MIDI Ctrl textbox is set by default to a value
of 1. This is the MIDI controller number corresponding to the modulation wheel; you do
not have to change this. In case you want to assign a new controller to the knob, specify the
number here.
• You can also assign a different MIDI channel to the controller in the MIDI channel textbox.
By default this value will be set to channel 1.
• There are two other parameters one can adjust: the Minimum Value and Maximum Value
of the controller, which are used to limit the range of MIDI controllers. The Minimum Value
field determines the position on the Tassman controller to which corresponds the minimum
value sent by the MIDI controller; the Maximum value determines the position to which
corresponds the maximum value sent by the MIDI controller. A value of 0 corresponds to
the Tassman Player controller minimum position (left position for a knob) and a value of 1
to the Tassman controller maximum position (right position for a knob). Set the Maximum
value parameter to 0.75.
• Click OK and the link appears in the list of controllers linked to this VCO module.
• Click OK again to confirm the change and to leave the edition window.
Playing
While you are playing, move the modulation wheel of the keyboard to control the amount of mod-
ulation of the LFO on the VCO. As you move the wheel, observe that the mod2 knob also moves
on the screen. Remember that any knob of the interface on the Tassman Player can be linked to any
controller. You can, furthermore, link as many interface controls as you want and you can move
them simultaneously.
Step 6: Creating a polyphonic instrument
Description
So far we have been using a monophonic keyboard, which means that we can play melodies but not
chords. The Polykey or Polyvkey modules are used to create polyphonic instruments. Creating a
polyphonic patch involves three steps. First you have to connect the polyphonic keyboard module
to the other modules of the synth. You then need to connect the output of your polyphonic patch
to a Polymixer module. Finally, you have to set the number of voices. The number of voices is set
at construction time and the number of voices you will be able to run on your computer without
loosing real time depends on both the power of your computer and the complexity of the instrument
you are playing.
Construction
• Select and delete the Keyboard module in the construction area.
• Select the Polykey module in the MIDI folder of the In/Out section and place it in the
construction area.
• Pull a wire between the first output of the Polykey module, the gate signal, and the input of
the ADSR.
• Pull a wire between the second output of the Polykey module, the pitch signal, and the first
input of the VCO and another one between the same keyboard output and the third input of
the Vlowpass2 filter.
• Select and delete the wire connecting the output of the VCA filter to the input of the Volume
module.
• Select the Polymixer module in the Mixer section and place it in the construction area
between the VCA and the Volume module.
• Pull a wire between the VCA output and the Polymixer input.
• Pull a wire between the output of the Polymixer module and the Volume input.
• Double-click on the Polykey module and set the number of voices to 4 in the Number of
Voices textfield.
Playing
You can now start playing with the synth again, it now has four voices of polyphony.
Note
When you create a polyphonic patch, the Tassman duplicates the modules appearing between the
Polykey and Polymixer as many times as there are voices of polyphony. Although only one
polyphony line will be mapped on the player (since the voices all share the same controls) other
modules have indeed been created. This means that the computing load can quickly become very
heavy when using polyphony. If you find you are loosing real time, try reducing the number of
voices. You can also try to move some elements out of the polyphonic section. For example,
instead of using a filter at the end of a polyphonic section, you can connect the output of the
Polymixer to the input of a filter.
Step 7: Playing with presets
Description
With a given synthesizer you can achieve very different sounds by choosing different settings. But
once you have obtained a sound you like, you will find it very convenient to save those current
settings and reuse them when you play your synthesizer again later. To save presets for the whole
instrument, select the Save Preset or Save Preset As commands from the File menu. This will
display a dialog where you can write the name for your preset. After that, the preset will be listed
under its instrument in the Browser. You can recall it at any time simply by double-clicking on it
or by dragging it into the Player. Note that you can also save presets for individual modules by
clicking on the down arrow located in the lower left corner of each module. The presets you save
for a given module can be loaded by all other modules of the same type.
Playing
We now conclude this tutorial by playing some presets that we have made for you. To try them,
load the following presets from the tutorial folder in the Browser.
patch2 6 1
Our first preset gives a classic analog sound. The ADSR modulates the filter on which the reso-
nance is quite high. You can hear the sweep of the harmonics as the ADSR modulates the cutoff
frequency in accordance with its parameters (a long attack and a long release). The amount of
modulation is set with the mod2 knob on the VCO; here it is set at its maximum. Note that the
ADSR also modulates the VCA. The vibrato in the sound is created by the modulation of the LFO
on the mod2 knob of the VCO. This mod2 knob is set to a very low value so that the vibrato is
not excessive. Try changing the setting of the mod2 knob either manually or with the modulation
wheel on the keyboard. Change the waveform on the VCO to noise and you will hear some sounds
that resemble the wind.
patch2 6 2
Here, we have a marimba-like sound. This is achieved mainly with the ADSR. Note that there
is no sustain in this patch, so the sound starts fading just after the notes have been pressed. You
can make the decay time longer by turning the decay knob to the right. The VCO is set to a sine
waveform, which is good for pitched percussion sounds. Set the VCO to the noise waveform and
2.3 Tutorial 3 Using a Sequencer 37
you will hear a kind of hi-hat sound. With the VCO set to the noise waveform, you will not hear
any change in the pitch while playing the keyboard. This is because noise has no pitch.
patch2 6 3
First, note that the mod1 knob on the VCO is turned so that the keyboard has no effect on the pitch
change. The pitch change is caused by the keyboard modulation on the filter VCO (mod2 knob).
When the resonance on the filter is very high, the cutoff frequency is boosted and the cutoff itself
is modulated by the keyboard (mod2 knob) so that it follows the pitch of the keyboard.
patch2 6 4
In this sound, you can hear the fifth of any note you play. This is achieved by adjusting the cutoff
on the Vlowpass2 on the third harmonic of the fundamental (interval of a twelfth) and enhancing
it by using a high resonance. The cutoff frequency of the filter is adjusted with the Keyboard pitch
output so that the effect is transposed throughout the whole range of the keyboard. With the noise
wave on the VCO, you can still hear the isolated harmonic and play melodies.
2.3 Tutorial 3 Using a Sequencer
In the last tutorial we played the synthesizer we constructed with a keyboard. It is possible, how-
ever, to use a sequencer instead. A Sequencer is a module that records note patterns and then plays
them automatically. In this tutorial, we will use the same synth again as this will give us the oppor-
tunity to create a sub-patch and to include it in the Tassman module library. There are combinations
of modules that you will be using often or even some instruments that you will want to use as a
basis for constructing other instruments. To save you the trouble of connecting everything again,
the Tassman allows you to save patches and include them in the module library. They will appear
in the Browser, in the Sub-Patches section, like any other elementary module (such as a LFO or
a VCO) and you can use them in any other assembly you make. Note that you can move them in
another folder if you want. There is really no limit to the number of modules you can add! This
feature enables you to take full advantage of the modular architecture of the Tassman. You can
expand your module library as you use the Tassman or exchange modules easily with other users.
Do not forget to have a look regularly at our web site for new sub-patches to download.
In this tutorial you will learn to:
• Create a sub-patch.
• Use a sub-patch from the Browser.
• Use a sequencer.
Step 1: Creating a sub-patch
Description
We will use the synthesizer we constructed in the first tutorial and define it as a sub-patch to use
in our new patch. This operation involves four steps. First, the modules that will constitute the
sub-patch must be selected. Next, the number of inputs and outputs of this sub-patch must be
determined. Finally the sub-patch must be named and saved. In this example we will create a new
module with two inputs and one output. Note that a sub-patch can have between 0 and 12 inputs
and between 0 and 12 outputs, but must always have at least one input or one output. If it does not,
it cannot be connected to any other module.
Construction
• Open the patch you saved in the first tutorial. If you did not save this synth, open the Tuto-
rial2Step4 from the Tutorial folder in the Browser.
• Select and delete the Polykey module.
• Select and delete the Polymixer module.
• Select and delete the Volume module.
• Select and delete the Level module.
• Select and delete the Audio Out module.
• In the Inlet folder of the In/Out section of the module library area, select the Inlet2 and
place it in the construction area.
• In the Outlet folder of the In/Out section of the module library area, select the Outlet1
modules and place it in the construction area.
• Pull a wire between the first output of the Inlet2 module and the input of the ADSR module.
• Pull a wire between the second output of the Inlet2 module and the first input of the VCO
module and the third input of the Vlowpass2 module.
• Pull a wire between the output of the Vlowpass2 module and the input of the Outlet1 mod-
ule.
• Select the Save as command in the File menu. Note that the file will be saved in the Sub-
Patches folder in the Browser.
Note
In this example we have saved the whole synthesizer as a sub-patch. Some elements of this new
module could be sub-patches themselves.
Step 2: Using a sub-patch
Description
The sub-patch you have just created appears in the Sub-Patch section of the Browser. It can
be used just like any other module, this will enable you to connect it to other modules in the
construction area. In this example, we will connect this sub-patch to a Multi Sequencer module.
Construction
• Choose the New command in the File menu to start another instrument.
• Drag the sub-patch you just created in the construction area.
• Select a Multi Sequencer module in the Sequencers folder and drag it in the construction
area.
• Pull a wire between the fourth output of the Multi Sequencer module (a gate signal) and the
first input of the Sub-patch module.
• Pull a wire between the fifth output of the Sequencer module (a pitch signal) and the second
input of the Sub-patch module.
• Choose a Level and Audio Out module from the In/Out section and a Volume module from
the Envelopes section.
• Pull a wire between the output of the Sub Patch module and the input of the Volume and
another one between the output of the Volume and the inputs of the Level and the Audio
Out.
• Save your patch for step 4.
Playing
You have now connected the sequencer to your synth and are ready to play. In the next step you
will learn to use the Sequencer. You can view the internal connection of the new library module
by right-clicking (PC) or Ctrl+double-click (Mac) on the module in the construction area.
Step 3: Using the Sequencer
Description
In this step we will play with pre-recorded sequences.
• From the Tutorials folder in the Browser, select Tutorial3 and double-click on the Se-
quence1 preset. This will launch the patch in the Player.
Playing
Load presets for the Sequencer module by clicking on the upwards pointing arrow in the lower left
corner of the Sequencer module, this will take you the Multi Sequencer module in the Browser.
You can now select sequences on the keypad of the Multi Sequencer module. You can change
them as you want. The Sequencer is always in loop mode (unless the once button is pressed), so
the sequence keeps repeating itself. When the end of the current loop is reached, the new sequence
will start playing. The speed or tempo of the sequences can be varied with the frequency display
(the upper green window at left) on the panel. Change the settings of the controls of the different
modules and experiment with the different sequences!
Step 4: Programming the Sequencer
Description
The Multi Sequencer module is a very complete 16-step sequencer. You must manually enter each
note to be played and patterns can be up to 16 note (not every step has to play a note, some may
remain silent). The 16 steps are displayed in one row, each step representing a sixteenth-note. A
pattern can be of any length between 1 and 16 steps. To set the loop, click on the loop button below
the step you want the loop point to be. You have four banks of sequences (A, B, C, and D), each
containing eight more sequences (1 to 8) for a total of 32.You will now learn to enter your own
sequences. Let’s start with a simple sequence!
Programming
• Open the patch you saved in step 2 in the Player.
• Click on the gate button of the first step. The gate buttons are the green rounded below each
step. When clicked, the gate button will highlight in green.
• Click-Hold on the small green display at the top of the first step (you should see C3 in the
display). Drag the cursor up, the notes should start to change in the display. Select F3, this
will be the note played by the first step.
• You should now hear the Sequencer play an F at the first step of the sequence. Note that the
Sequencer plays as soon as the synth is open, so you do not have to turn it on. If you want
to stop it, press on the stop button on the front panel.
• Repeat the same operation (clicking on the gate button and selecting an F3) with steps 5, 9,
13. You will now hear four Fs playing on quarter notes.
• In the pitch display of step 5, select G3.
• In the pitch display of step 9, select G#3.
• In the pitch display of step 13, select C4.
• You are now hearing a very simple melody played by the Multi Sequencer. Add notes to
the other steps and experiment with different settings.
• Play with all the modules parameters while the sequence is playing. You can hear the changes
as you make them.
• Each step can be shifted forward in time with the shift knob. This can create unusual rhythmic
patterns.
• You can also change the playing mode of the sequence with the mode display. Five modes
are available: forward, backwards, pendulum, random 1 (this will play the steps randomly
but will repeat the random pattern, to change the random pattern click on the reset knob at
the left of the mode display) and random 2 (this mode will play the steps randomly without
ever repeating a pattern).
• The swing knob will introduce shuffle in the pattern.
• Use the frequency display to set the tempo to 72.
• To create another sequence, click 2 on the pad numbers and start again!
2.4 Tutorial 4 Playing with Acoustic Objects 42
2.4 Tutorial 4 Playing with Acoustic Objects
We will now build an instrument with modules simulating acoustic objects such as plates, strings
and mallets. The acoustic objects included in the Tassman library react just like their real physical
counterparts. The Tassman, however, allows you to do things that would be impossible to achieve
in real life and that, for sure, will stimulate your creativity! For example, modules can have a time-
varying behavior, a mallet can get stiffer or softer, a plate can change material or geometry as you
play it.
Although the acoustic modules represent objects that are completely different from those sim-
ulated by the more traditional electronic modules, the Tassman makes no distinction between the
different type of objects. You connect together the acoustic modules exactly as we have done so far
with the electronic modules. Furthermore, you can combine electronic and acoustic objects without
any restrictions. Of course, you might need to experiment a little while inventing new instruments,
but that is part of the fun!
In this tutorial you will learn to:
• Use acoustic modules

• Play acoustic modules
• Create sympathetic instruments
Step 1: A mallet and an Audio Out
Description
Acoustic objects such as plates, strings, beams, and membranes produce sound as a result of an
excitation. This driving signal can be very short, such as the impact of a hammer on a plate, or
continuous, such as when a string is bowed. In this example we will consider the excitation of a
plate by a mallet.
Construction
• In the Generators section of the browser, select a Noise Mallet module and place it in the
construction area.
• In the Output folder from the In/Out section, select an Audio Out module and connect the
output of the mallet to the Audio Out input.
• Launch the Tassman Player.
Playing
The Noise Mallet module can be triggered by the output signal from another module, but it can
also be triggered manually by clicking on the trig button from its front panel (which is how we
will use this object for the moment). The stiffness of the mallet is adjusted with the stiffness knob
on the module front panel, while the amplitude of the impact is determined by the strength knob.
To obtain a soft mallet, made out of cotton for example, turn the stiffness knob to the left; for a
harder one, which could be made out of wood, turn this knob to the right. To hear a sound, set the
stiffness and the strength in the middle and click on the trigger knob. What you hear is the impact
signal from the mallet and a certain amount of superimposed noise. You only hear a faint sound
because the mallet is not hitting anything for now. Try different settings on the stiffness knob to
hear the mallet change. For now, the two little knobs at the bottom of the module are not connected
to anything, so they have no effect on the sound.
Step 2: Add a plate
Description
We will now add a Plate module and listen to the sound it produces when hit by a Noise Mallet.
Construction
• In the Resonators section of the module library, select a Plate module and place it in the
construction area.
• Select and delete the wire connecting the Noise Mallet to the Audio Out.
• Pull a wire between the output of the Noise Mallet and the second input of the Plate.
• Select a Constant module from the Generators section of the library area. By default the
Constant module outputs a value of 1 (you can check this by double-clicking on the module).
We will keep this value.
• Pull a wire between the output of the Constant module and the first input of the Plate
module. This input determines if external dampers are lowered on the Plate or not. A value
of 0 lowers the dampers and a value of 1 keeps them above the Plate.
• Select a Level module from the output folder in the In/Out section of the Browser.
• Select a Volume module from the Envelopes section in the Browser.

• Pull one wire between the output of the Plate module and the input of the Volume module.
• Pull a wire between the output of the Volume module and the input of the Audio Out and
the Level module.
• Launch the Tassman Player with the Ctrl-T/Apple-T shortcut.
Playing
Now click on the trig button of the Noise Mallet and you will hear the sound of the Plate being
hit by the mallet. You can change the sound produced by the plate by changing the settings of the
different knobs appearing on the control panel. These settings control parameters that are directly
related to the material of the plate.
The damping of a plate affects the decay time of the sound produced by the object. This
parameter is adjusted using the decay knob on the front panel. When the knob is turned right,
the damping is light and the decay time long. Turning the knob to the left increases the damping
and reduces the decay time. Damping is characteristic of the material of an object. In wood, for
example, damping is high and the decay time is short; in steel, on the other hand, a lower damping
results in a longer decay time. But damping also varies for a given material depending on how the
object is used or connected to other objects. As an example, the response of a gong is longer than
that of the top plate of a steel guitar.
In a mechanical structure, the damping (or decay time) also varies for the different frequency
components of the oscillating motion. The variation of damping with frequency is yet another
characteristic of the material of a structure and is adjusted with the damp/freq knob on the module
front panel. In the left position, the decay time of low frequencies is shorter than that of high
frequencies; in the right position it is greater. As a rule of thumb, steel and glass are found in the
left position, nylon in the center position, and wood in the right position.
Try different combinations and tweak the knobs while you play so that you can hear the changes
gradually. Don’t forget to try different mallet parameters, since this too can change drastically the
resulting sound.
Step 3: Add a keyboard
Description
Triggering the mallet manually is rather limiting, so we will now use a keyboard to control the
mallet and “play” the Plate.
Construction
• Select a Vkeyboard module from the MIDI folder in the In/Out section of the Browser.
• Pull a wire from the first output of the Vkeyboard module (gate signal) and connect it to the
first input of the Noise Mallet module.
• Pull a wire from the second output of the Vkeyboard module (pitch signal) and connect it
to the third input of the Plate module.
• Pull a wire between the third output of the Vkeyboard (velocity signal) and the second and
third inputs of the Noise Mallet.
• Switch to the Tassman Player.
Playing
You can now trigger the mallet from the keyboard. Since the Vkeyboard sends a note signal to the
Plate module, the pitch of the sound it produces can also vary. The pitch variations are controlled
by the modulation signal entering the third input of the module; the higher the amplitude of the
signal, the higher the pitch. In other words, the size of the object is varied in order to obtain the
requested pitch. The mod knob is a gain knob affecting the amplitude of the pitch modulation
signal. In its center position (green LED on), the pitch variation will follow an equal temperament
scale.
In this patch, the velocity signal from the Vkeyboard is connected to the strength modulation
input of the Noise Mallet and to the stiffness modulation input. Try pressing the keyboard keys at
different velocities and note how the sound of the plate changes as the excitation signal varies. In
this configuration, the higher the velocity the higher the strength of the impact and the stiffer the
mallet.
Step 4: Add a second plate
Description
In many acoustic instruments, certain elements are used as passive resonators to amplify certain
components of the sound. They are called sympathetic resonators. We will now add a second Plate
which will be connected to the output of the first one. We will keep the geometry of this second
plate fixed so that it will have a different behavior depending on the note played on the keyboard.
Construction
• Select and delete the wire linking the Plate and the Volume module.
• Select a second Plate from the Browser
• Select a Mix2 module from the Mixer section.
• Select a second Volume module.
• Pull a wire between the output of the first Plate and the second input of the second Plate and
the input of the new Volume module.
• Pull a wire between the second Plate module and the first input of the Mix2 module.
• Pull a wire between the new Volume and the second input of the Mix2 module.
• Pull a wire between the Constant module and the first input of the second Plate.
• Connect together the Mix2 module and the remaining Volume module.

Playing
Change the parameters on both plates and experiment with different settings on each. Because the
sympathetic Plate responds differently to different notes being played (having a fixed geometry,
it resonates at specific frequencies), many interesting and unexpected sounds are possible. Try
different mallet types and mix the output from the two plates with the Volume module connected
on the first plate.
Step 5: Playing with presets
We now conclude this tutorial with some presets that we have made for you. To try them, load the
following presets from the tutorials/tutorial4/Step4 folder of your Tassman browser.
patch4 4 1
In this preset, the first Plate has a very short decay time, so you only hear it on the initial thump of
the sound. The second Plate, on the contrary, has a long decay time so you hear it resonating for a
longer time. Note the difference in the settings of the damp/frq knobs on the two plates.
patch4 4 2
In this example, the damp/frq knobs of the two Plates are set in their center position. The first
Plate has a short decay, while the second has a longer one. Note the setting of the stiffness on the
Noise Mallet, which results in a noisy attack.
patch4 4 3
In this sound, the two Plates have long decay times. The mod2 knob on the Noise Mallet is a
gain knob for the strength modulation signal. In this patch, the velocity output of the Vkeyboard
module is linked to this input, which means that you can hit the plate with different levels of force.
Try playing softer and harder to hear how the sound change.
The Tassman Builder 48
3 The Tassman Builder
The Tassman Builder is used to create instruments. Constructing instruments is very easy and
straightforward. One first drags modules from the Modules section of the Browser and then con-
nects them together in order to create a patch. Modules are units that either produce or transform
sound in a particular manner. They each have a certain number of inputs and outputs which are
used to transmit signals from one module to another and which can be interconnected by using
wires . The Player view is then displayed to play instruments that have been made with the Builder.
The different modules of the library are just like building blocks that can be connected to other
blocks any way you desire. The only limit is your imagination! Of course creating instruments
implies a certain amount of experimentation, but that is part of the fun! You can start with simple
instruments, trying them right away with the Player, and then come back to the Builder to modify
the patch. Very rapidly you will be able to construct the instruments you have always dreamed of.
And that’s not all! The architecture of the Tassman is entirely modular, which makes it a
powerful evolutionary creation tool. As you create patches, you can save them as sub-patches and
then reuse them in another patch just like any other elementary module. Very rapidly your library
will expand and contain many different types of instruments and synthesizers.
When you save an instrument, the Builder creates an entry in the Browser under the Instruments
folder describing the patch you have just made. This information contained in this file is used by
the Tassman to generate the instrument front panel and the computation code necessary to simulate
the instrument. These instrument files are very light and can be exchanged with other users (using
the Export/Import command) via e-mail. Check the Applied Acoustics Systems website often for
new instruments to download.
3.1 The Builder area
The Builder is divided into two different areas: the construction area and the help area. The
Browser contains the module library.
The library area
The module library, included in the Browser, contains the different modules of the library. The
modules are divided into eleven categories: Effects, Envelopes, Filters, Generators, In/Out,
Logic, Mixers, Resonators, Routing, Sequencers and Sub-patches. The different sections are
selected by clicking on the corresponding folder in the Browser, to open a section, click on the sign
at the left of the folder, this will display the list of modules contained in the folder.
The construction area
The construction area is where you build your patch. After dragging modules from the module
section of the Browser, you connect them with wires using the mouse.
3.2 Creating an instrument 49
Figure 25: The Builder area.
The help area
The help area is located above the construction area. This is where information about the module
currently selected is displayed. The information found here is limited to what is needed to create
patches in the Builder. For more information on the functioning of a module or the controls ap-
pearing on its front panel, please consult the reference section of this manual or its online version,
which can be opened from the Tassman Help menu.
3.2 Creating an instrument
Choosing modules
The first step in creating an instrument consists in adding the modules it will be made from.
• To add a module, drag it from the Browser to the construction area, it will appear at the
specified location.
• If you want to include many identical modules in your instrument, you can copy it using the
Copy/Paste commands from the Edit menu or use the Duplicate command (Ctrl-D/Apple-
D).
• An Audio Out module must always be included in your patch. You can save an unfinished
patch without an Audio Out, but you will not be able to play the instrument.
Connecting modules
Modules have a certain number of inputs (on the left of the module) and outputs (on the right of
the module) which are used to exchange signals between modules.
• To view a description of an input or output, position the arrow-cursor over it.
Modules are connected together using wires. Wires are drawn using horizontal and vertical
segments.
• To pull a wire, click on the output of a module and move the jack-cursor to the input of
another module and then click to make the connection. The Builder will automatically draw
the wire.
• If you want the wire to follow a specific path, click as you pull the wire in order to insert
breakpoints in it and then move the mouse either horizontally or vertically.
• To stop pulling a wire after clicking on an output, right-click (PC) or double-click (Mac)
anywhere in the construction area. Hitting the Escape key on your keyboard has the same
effect.
Editing wires
Once a wire has been drawn, it is possible to change its layout.
• To select a wire, click on it. To deselect a wire, click anywhere in the construction area.
• To delete the wire, select the wire and press the Del (PC, Mac) or BkSp/delete key of the
computer keyboard.
• To move a segment, click on it, hold, and move the mouse.
• To introduce breakpoints in a wire, shift-click (PC) or Option-click (Mac) on the point where
you want the new breakpoint and move the mouse horizontally or vertically depending on
whether the cursor is positioned on a vertical or horizontal segment.
Editing modules
Once they have been placed on the construction area, modules can be moved in a number of ways.
• To select a module, click on it and it will be surrounded by a red square (PC) or the highlight
color chosen by the user (Mac). To deselect a module, click in the construction area.
• To select more than one module at once, click on the construction area, keep the left button
down and drag the mouse in order to surround the modules you want to select with the
rectangle appearing on the area. You can also click on different modules while pressing on
the Shift key to achieve the same results. To select all the modules at once, use the Select
All command from the Edit menu or use the Ctrl-A/Apple-A shortcut.
• When many modules are selected, you can remove one module from the selection by pressing
the Shift key and clicking on the module you want to remove.
• Once modules have been selected, you can move them on the construction area by dragging
them.
• To delete modules, select them and press on the Del (Mac, PC) or BkSp/delete key or use
the delete/Clear command from the Edit menu.
• Modules can be aligned horizontally by selecting them and using the CenterVertically com-
mand from the Arrange menu or its F9 shortcut (PC only).
• Modules can be aligned vertically by selecting them and using the CenterHorizontally com-
mand from the Arrange menu or its Shift-F9 shortcut (PC only).
• To make copies of modules, select them and use the Copy command from the Edit menu
or its keyboard shortcut, Ctrl-C/Apple-C. Use the Paste command from the Edit menu, or
its shortcut Ctrl-V/Apple-V keys to paste the last copied modules. You can also use the
Duplicate command from the Edit menu or its shortcut Ctrl-D/Apple-D
• To place a module in a precise manner on the construction area, select it and use the arrow
keys to move it on the construction area.
Adjusting module default values
Most of the module parameters can be adjusted on their front panel in the Player. It is possible,
however, to adjust their default values during construction in the Builder.
• To edit a module in the construction area, double-click on the module and a dialog will
appear. You can also select the module and use the command Module Settings in the Edit
menu.
• The first editable field is the name of the module. By default the name given to a module
is made out of the module type followed by an integer. You can choose any name you like
for the module. The name you choose will appear on the module front panel in the Tassman
Player.
• The second editable field is the row number. This number corresponds to the row on which
the module panel will be mapped in the Player. There is a maximum of 16 rows in the Player
and if you do not want to see the module on the Player, you can choose the invisible option to
hide the modules. Note that this field is not editable for certain modules which do not have a
front panel. Note that within a row, the modules will be placed depending on their position
in the Builder (left-to right and up-down priority).
3.3 Setting MIDI Links 52
• Finally, depending on the module you are currently editing, there might be a certain number
of parameters which can be set at construction. For more information on the effect of each
parameter see the help area or the module description in the user manual.
Saving an instrument
To save an instrument use the Save (Ctrl-S/Apple-S) or Save As commands from the File menu
of the Builder.
• The instrument will be saved in the Browser under the Instruments folder. If the patch con-
tains an Inlet or Outlet module, it will be saved under the Sub-Patches folder.
• You can save an unfinished instrument, but remember that if you want to hear it, you need an
Audio Out or Stereo Audio Out in your patch.
Playing an instrument
Once you have completed your instrument, just choose the Show Player command from the View
Menu (or use the Ctrl-T/Apple-T shortcut) to display the corresponding Player view and have fun!
You can always come back to the Builder from the Player by choosing choose the Show Builder
command from the View Menu (or use the Ctrl-T/Apple-T shortcut).
3.3 Setting MIDI Links
Every control of every module that appears on the module front panel of the Tassman Player can
be linked to an external MIDI controller.
• To link a control to a specific MIDI controller, choose the Edit MIDI Links command from
the MIDI menu. A Midi links dialog for the current patch will appear.
• To add a link, click on the New button which will open the Edit MIDI Link window. From
the Name menu, choose the front panel control you want to link.
• In the Controller and Channel fields, indicate the number of the external MIDI controller
you want to use and its MIDI channel.
• To limit the range of a MIDI controller, choose a MIDI link and click on the Edit button. The
Minimum Value field determines the position on the Tassman control which corresponds to
the minimum value sent by the MIDI controller, while the Maximum Value determines the
position which corresponds to the maximum value sent by the MIDI controller. A value of
0 corresponds to the Tassman Player controller minimum position (left position for a knob)
and a value of 1 to the Tassman controller maximum position (right position for a knob).
Note that the range of knob can be inverted by setting the value of Maximum Value to a
smaller value than that of Minimum Value.
3.4 Making Polyphonic Instruments 53
• Click on the OK button of the Edit MIDI Link window and the MIDI link you have just
edited will appear in the MIDI Links window. If you wish to activate this MIDI link, click
on the OK button of the MIDI Links window.
• If you want to change a MIDI link, select it by clicking on it in the MIDI links window and
press the Edit button or simply double-click on it.
• To delete a MIDI link, select it by left-clicking on it in the MIDI links and press the Remove
button.
3.4 Making Polyphonic Instruments
A polyphonic instrument is created by including modules between a polyphonic keyboard module

(Polykey or Polyvkey module) and a Polymixer module.
• Link the input modules of your patch to the output of a Polykey or Polyvkey module.
• Link the output of your patch to the input of a Polymixer module.
• Link the output of the Polymixer module to other modules or to an Audio Out module.
• Double-click on the Polykey module and set the number of voices you want.
• You can use more than one Polymixer in an instrument.
You can choose any number of voices for your instrument but keep in mind that the computa-
tional load of a patch increases with the number of voices you choose. Basically, adding a voice is
roughly equivalent to adding another copy of the polyphonic modules in your patch. The number
of voices you will be able to run depends on the complexity of the patch you are currently using
and the power of your computer.
3.5 Using Sub-Patches
indexsub-patch
A very powerful feature of the modular or “building-block” architecture of the Tassman is that
you can define patches as new modules of the Tassman library. This means that you can reuse
patches you have already made in new patches. Using sub-patches is very useful if you often use
the same combination of modules in many patches. It will also save you a lot of time when you
want to include a complex patch into another.
Making a Sub-Patch
An instrument is saved by the Builder in an entry under the Instruments folder. When you double
click on the instrument icon, the Player will be launched with the control panel corresponding to the
instrument you have just chosen. A sub-patch, on the other hand, is saved under the Sub-Patches
3.5 Using Sub-Patches 54
folder. When you double-click on it, the Builder will be displayed. Sub-patches can be included
in other patches saving you the trouble of redoing the patch again. The only difference between
a an instrument and a sub-patch is that a sub-patch, like any other elementary module from the
library, has inputs, or outputs, or both, so that it can be connected to another patch. To create a new
sub-patch:
• Choose an Inlet or Outlet module or both in the In/Out folder of the Browser and place
them in the construction area. A sub-patch module may have between 0 and 12 inputs and
between 0 and 12 outputs, but it must always have at least one input or one output.
• Determine the inputs of your patch which you will be using to connect this patch to another
one. These inputs will appear on the sub-patch icon as the inputs of the Sub-patch module.
Connect the inputs you have chosen in your patch to the outputs of an Inlet module (Inlet
1-12 depending on the number of inputs of the new module).
• Determine the outputs of your patch which you will be using to connect this patch to another
one. These outputs will appear on the sub-patch icon as the outputs of the Sub-patch module.
Connect the outputs you have chosen in your patch to the inputs of an Outlet module (Outlet
1-12 depending on the number of outputs of the new module).
• Use the Save (or the Ctrl-S/Apple-S shortcut) or Save As command from the File menu.
Since you have at least one Inlet or Outlet in your patch, the Builder will automatically save
this patch in the Sub-Patches folder in the Browser.
It might be useful to document a sub-patch so that you will have a reminder of its purpose or
functioning when you use it in another patch. To have text appear in the help area of the Tassman
Builder when you select a sub-patch.
• In the browser, right-click/control-click on the sub-patch icon and select SubPatch Info
from the menu. Fill the required fields and they will appear in the help area when you click
on the module in the Builder.
• You can also change the names of the inputs or outputs which appear when you position
the mouse on the inputs or outputs of the Inlet, Outlet or Sub-Patch module in the inlet or
outlet text field. To do so double-click on the Inlet or Outlet of the sub-patch.
Including a Sub-Patch
Once you have defined a certain number of patches as new modules, you can reuse them in other
patches.
• In the Browser, open the Sub-Patches folder and drag and drop the sub-patches you want in
the construction area just like any other module.
• To view the patch inside a sub-patch module, select it and choose the Open Sub-patch
command from the File menu of the Builder. You can also right-click (PC) or Ctrl-click
(Mac) on the module and choose Open sub-patch from the contextual menu.
The Tassman Player 55
4 The Tassman Player
4.1 Introduction
The Player is the view used by the Tassman to play instruments. It appears on the screen as an
instrument front panel with knobs, buttons, sliders and switches which you can tweak to play the
instrument.
The Player can viewed in the following manners:
• Double click on the Tassman icon on your desktop. The default performance is then launched.
• To launch the Player from the Builder view, choose the Show Player command from the
View menu or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-T/Apple-T.
Note that it is possible to switch back and forth between the Player and the Builder when you
want to modify your instruments.
• To view the patch corresponding to the current synthesizer in the Builder, click on the Show
Builder button in the toolbar, choose the Show Builder command from the View menu or
use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-T/Apple-T.
• Once the current patch is modified in the Builder, return to the Player by clicking on the
Show Player button in the toolbar, choosing the Show Player command from the View
menu or using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-T/Apple-T.
4.2 The Tassman Player
The Player area is displayed as a rack into which you mount rows of modules. The front panels
which appear in the rack correspond to the modules you have used to make your patch in the
Builder. The name appearing at the top of each module is the one you chose when constructing the
instrument in the Builder. There is no a priori limit to the number of modules you can use in an
instrument, this will be determined by the power of your machine.
• There are sixteen rows accessible in the Player view. You can navigate through them hori-
zontally and vertically with the two scroll bars at the right and bottom of the Player.
• The row on which a module is displayed is set in the Builder. To place a module on a specific
row, double-click on the module in the Builder. In the edit window, choose the Display row
(1-16). Within a row, modules are placed according to their position in the Builder view with
a left-to-right and up-down priority.
More modules can be placed in a given row than actually appear in the Tassman Player area.
The number of modules you will be able to place on one row will be around 100-150 (depending
on which modules you include).
4.3 Tweaking knobs 56
• To move the rows horizontally when they are wider than the Player area, use the bottom
scroll bar.
• To move the Player view vertically to access bottom rows, use the right scroll bar.
It is also possible to save screen space if you have used sub-patches to construct your instru-
ment.
• To open and close modules encapsulated in a sub-patch, click on the arrow appearing on the
upper left corner of the sub-patch.
4.3 Tweaking knobs
Each of the different knobs, buttons, and switches appearing on the module front panel can be
tweaked with the mouse. There are different ways to control them depending on the effect you
want to achieve.
• For coarse adjustment of a knob, click on it and, keeping the left-button down, move the
mouse upwards or downwards to move the knob to the right or to the left.
• For fine adjustment of a knob, click on the knob to select it and move it counter-clockwise
by using the left or down arrow and clockwise with the right or up arrow. You can also move
the switches by selecting them and using the arrows. The Page Up and Page Down keys
give the same result, but the knobs then move a little faster.
• To move a knob or switch directly to a given position, place the mouse at this position and
Shift-click (PC) or Option-click (Mac). For the knob or switch to reach this position slowly,
do the same, but use the middle button of the mouse (PC only).
• Knobs with a green LED above are moved directly to their center position by clicking on the
LED.
• To adjust switches, click on them and, keeping the button down, move the mouse upwards
or downwards. You can also select them by clicking on them and using the arrows just like
the knobs.
• To change the position of buttons and switches click on them.
Remember that the keyboard shortcuts only affect the most recently selected controller. The
value of the controller currently selected is displayed on the toolbar at the top of the Tassman win-
dow. The number displayed on the counter is a value corresponding to the setting of the controller
currently selected. For knobs, the reading is a value between 0 (left) and 127 (right); for switches
it is a value that depends on the adjustment, for buttons it is 0 or 1 depending whether it is off or
on.
4.4 Audio Device Settings 57
4.4 Audio Device Settings
To select the audio device used by the Tassman:
• Go to the Audio menu and choose Audio Settings. A list of the audio devices installed on
your computer will appear in the Audio Configuration window.
• Click on the Audio device you wish to use and click on the OK button.
4.5 MIDI Settings
Selecting a MIDI device
To select the MIDI device used by the Tassman:
• Go to the MIDI menu and choose MIDI Settings. A list of the MIDI devices installed on
your computer will appear in the MIDI Configuration window.
• Select the MIDI devices you want to use and click on the OK button.
Setting MIDI links
Every control that you see in the Player can be manipulated by an external MIDI controller. In
most cases this is of course much more convenient than using the mouse, especially if you want to
move many controllers at once. For example, you can map the motion of a knob from a knob box
to that of the modulation wheel from a keyboard or link a switch to a sustain pedal. As you use
the specified MIDI controllers, you will see the controls move on the Player area just as if you had
used the mouse. MIDI links are set in the Player but can be edited in the Player or the Builder.
To assign a MIDI link to a controller:
• In the Player, right-click/(Control-click on Mac) on a control (knob, button, or slider), a

contextual menu appears. Select Learn MIDILink.
• Move a knob or slider on your MIDI controller (this can be a keyboard, a knob box or any
Device that sends MIDI). This will link the control of the Tassman to the MIDI controller
you just move.
• A MIDI link can also be created by choosing the Add MIDI link command. The controller
and channel number associated with the MIDI links are then chosen in the Add MIDI Link
window.
• MIDI links can be edited using the Edit MIDI Links command from the MIDI menu or by
right clicking/(Control-click on Mac) on a control already linked to controller and choosing
the Edit MIDI Links commands. This opens the Edit window for the MIDI links. Click on
4.5 MIDI Settings 58
the MIDI link you wish to modify and then on the Edit or Delete button to modify or delete
the MIDI link.
• There are two parameters one can adjust for a MIDI link: the Minimum Value and Max-
imum Value of the controller, which are used to limit the range of MIDI controllers. The
Minimum Value field determines the position on the Tassman controller to which corre-
sponds the minimum value sent by the MIDI controller; the Maximum Value determines
the position to which corresponds the maximum value sent by the MIDI controller. A value
of 0 corresponds to the Tassman Player controller minimum position (left position for a
knob) and a value of 1 to the Tassman controller maximum position (right position for a
knob). Note that the range of knob can be inverted by setting the value of Maximum Value
to a smaller value than that of Minimum Value. This can be useful, for example, if you
want to control the cutoff and the resonance of a filter with the same knob but you want the
resonance to increase as the cutoff decreases. The minimum and maximum values can also
be edited by right clicking/(Control-click on Mac) on a control and choosing the Set MIDI
Link Minimum Value or Set MIDI Link Maximum Value command.
• To remove a MIDI link, right-click/Control-click again on the control and choose Forget
MIDILinks. Midi links can also removed by choosing the Edit MIDI Links command
from the MIDI menu, selecting the desired MIDI link and clicking on the Remove button.
All MIDI links can be removed at once by clicking on the Remove All button.
Creating a MIDI map
MIDI links for a given instruments can be saved into a MIDI map by using the Saved MIDI Links
As from the File menu. Different MIDI maps corresponding to different MIDI controllers can
be saved for the same instruments. A MIDI map can be loaded by double clicking on the MIDI
connector icon under an instrument in the browser. Furthermore a MIDI map can be loaded by
automatically when an instrument is launched.
• To assign a default MIDI map to an instrument, right-click/Ctrl-click on the MIDI map

icon and choose the MIDI Link Info command, in the Edit Information Window, click on
Mark As Default.
Creating the MIDI program change map
MIDI program changes can be used to switch between performances while playing (more on per-
formances in a moment). To associate a program change to a performance:
• Choose the Edit Program Changes from the MIDI menu,

• The list of performances appears in the left of the Program Changes window while the
program change numbers (from 1 to 128) appear on the right.
4.6 Latency Settings 59
• To associate a performance to a given program change, click on the performance icon and
drag-and-drop it on the corresponding number.
• To unassign a program change, right-click/Ctrl-click on the performance name on the right
of the Program Changes window and click on unassign.
4.6 Latency Settings
The latency is the time delay between the moment you send a control signal to your computer (for
example when you hit a key on your MIDI keyboard) and the moment when you hear the effect.
Roughly, the total latency is due to three factors: the time taken by the sound card driver to send
MIDI signals to the Tassman, the time taken by the Tassman to compute the requested number of
sound samples and finally the time taken by the sound card driver to send back the sound samples
to the card and play them.
Within the Player you can control the amount of latency introduced by the Tassman.
• Choose the Audio Control Pannel command from the Audio menu.
• Adjust the buffer size.
• The total latency is equal to the number of buffers multiplied by the number of samples per
buffer divided by the sampling rate.
You can also choose the sampling rate and the audio format (16, 24, 32 bits) in the Latency
window. The panel and settings may look different depending on which sound card you are using.
It is of course desirable to have as little latency as possible. The Tassman will however require
a certain latency to be able calculate sound samples in a continuous manner. This time depends on
the power of your computer and the size and nature of the patch you are playing.
Note that the content of the dialog depends on the driver selected in the Audio Settings menu.
4.7 Instruments and Presets
Instruments are created in the Builder and saved in the Browser under the instruments folder. A
given instrument can be loaded into the player in the following way:
• Double-click on an instrument in the Browser. Note that the instrument will load in the
current view selected (Player or Builder) in the Tassman.
It is possible to obtain very diverse sounds with a given instrument depending on the settings of
the different controls. When you obtain a sound that you like, it is possible to save the configuration
of the different controls as Preset for the instrument so that you can rapidly reproduce the same
sound. This is one of the advantages of software over hardware: you can find again different
configurations without having to tweak all the knobs again.
4.8 Output Effect Stage 60
The modular architecture of the Tassman allows you to save and load presets for all hierarchy
level of your instruments. It is possible to save and load control settings for a given module, for
a sub-patch or for the whole instrument. Presets are saved in the corresponding folder under the
instrument, sub-patch or module name. As an example, if you create a preset for a Plate module,
it will be saved in the Module section in the Resonators folder under Plate.
• To save settings for a module, click on the downward pointing arrow on the lower left corner
of the module.
• To load settings for a module, click on the upward pointing arrow on the lower left corner of
the module, this will highlight the module in the Browser. Then, drag and drop a preset from
the Browser on the module. You can also drag and drop a preset directly from the Browser
without clicking on the arrow on the module.
When you load presets for a module, all the presets saved under the module will appear in the
browser. This means that settings saved for one module can be loaded by another module of the
same type. This is very helpful when you have several identical modules in an instrument and you
want to set them all exactly the same way (filters, for example).
Presets for sub-patches are saved and loaded (just as for modules) by clicking on the upward or
downward pointing arrows appearing in the lower left corner of the sub-patch. To save settings for
the entire instrument, use the Save Preset or Save Preset As commands from the File menu.
Note that a default preset can be assigned to a given instruments. In this way, the controls of
the instrument front panel will be adjusted according to this default preset when the instrument
is launched. To assign a default preset right-click/control-click on the preset you want to use as
default, select Preset Info from the menu and check the Mark as Default box in the Edit window.
4.8 Output Effect Stage
The output effect stage is always displayed in the top row of the Tassman. This effect stage is
added to each Tassman synth and allows one to add effects to the sound, record on the fly, export
loops as wave or aiff files for further processing and control the tempo and sync sources (internal
or sync to host) of sequencer or effect modules.
The Sync module
This module is used to control the tempo of the Sequencer, Sync LFO and Sync Delay modules
when they are connected to the Master Sync Input module. The ext/int switch is used to determine
4.8 Output Effect Stage 61
if the sync signal comes from an external source or from the internal clock of the module. When
the Tassman is used as a plug-in in a host sequencer and the ext source is chosen, the clock signal
will be that sent by the host sequencer while in standalone mode the clock will be the one received
on the MIDI channel selected in the Player toolbar. When the int source is chosen, the clock is
adjusted in the green tempo display in beats per minute. To change the tempo, click-hold on the
display and drag up or down or use the up and down arrows of the computer keyboard after clicking
on the display. The play and stop buttons are used to start or stop Sequencer modules in your patch
that have been connected to a Master Sync Input module while the reset button is used to send a
reset signal.
The Delay module
This module is a standard ping pong delay and is based on two delay lines. The time display sets
the length of the lines. When the sync button is pressed, the sync signal from the Sync module of
the output stage is used to determine the length of the delay line which is adjusted to fit the number
of steps appearing in the display, four steps representing a quarter note. The feedback knob is used
to adjust the amount of signal re-injected from the output of a line into the other one while the cutoff
knob controls the cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter applied to the signal in each line. The pan
knob is used to adjust the panning of the echoes between the left and right position. Finally the mix
knob controls the relative amount of “dry” and “wet” signal in the output signal. For more details
on the algorithm implemented in this module, please refer to the Sync Ping Pong Delay module
description in Section 6.86.
The Reverb module
This Reverberator module is the same as that included in the module library and described in more
details in Section 6.70. The size button is used to choose the size of the room from small (1) to large
hall (4). The decay knob controls the reverberation time of the room (note that the range of this
knob depends on the setting of the size of the room). The diffusion knob is used to adjust the time
density of the echoes which is related to the geometrical complexity of the room from simple (left)
to very complex (right). The low damp and high damp knobs control the relative decay time of the
room in the low and high frequencies respectively, a characteristic associated with the absorption
of the wall of a room. Turning these knobs to the right decreases the decay time of the low/high
frequencies. Finally the mix knob is used to set the relative amount of “dry” and “wet” signal which
is related to the proximity of the sound source.
The Output module
This is where the adjustments of the overall level is made. The best dynamic range is obtained
when the level meters are around 0 dB for loud sounds.
4.9 Performances 62
Master Recorder
This section is used to record the output of the Tassman to a wave or aiff file. The eject button, is
used to choose the name and location of the destination file and it should always be used before
starting a recording. The record and stop buttons are used to start or stop the recording. By using
the Master Recorder Trig in a Tassman patch and setting the selector on the gate or trig position,
you can also automate the start and stop of the recording in order to create loops precisely. For
more detailed information on cutting loops, please refer to Section 6.41.
4.9 Performances
A Performance consists in a specific Synth/Preset combination, a given setting of the different

effects of the output stage and a MIDI map. Performances enable the grouping of presets from
different synths in the same folder and therefore to rapidly and efficiently switch between different
sounds.
• To save a performance, choose the Save Performance or Save Performance As command

from the File menu.
• The current synth/preset combination, the settings of the output stage and the current MIDI
maps will be saved under the Performances folder of the browser.
• To load a performance, simply double-click on the corresponding performance icon in the
browser, use the Load Performance command from the File menu or use program changes
as explained in Section 4.5.
Note that you can select a default performance that will be loaded when you first start the
Tassman.
• To set a performance as default, right-click/Control-click on the performance icon in the

browser and select the Set Performance As Default command.
The Browser 63
5 The Browser
The Tassman’s Browser is similar to those found in most email pro-

grams. Using a hierarchical tree structure, all the objects and files used in
the building and playing of synths are available using a visually intuitive,
drag and drop approach. These different elements have been organized
under five root folders.
• Imports
• Instruments
• Modules
• Sub-Patches
• Performances
5.1 The Instruments folder
To explore the different synths and presets in Tassman click on

the “+” icon to the left of the Instruments folder, in other words, ex-
pand this branch of the browser tree, in order to reveal the various in-
strument categories based on the different synthesis techniques used
and instrument types. Increasingly specific categories can be found
within by expanding each folder. Opening an individual instrument folder reveals the instrument
file, and by expanding the individual instrument you’ll find its presets. To play an instrument sim-
ply double click on the instrument icon (piano keys) or any of the preset icon (blue knob) in order
to launch the Tassman Player.
5.2 The Performances folder
Performances consist in a synth/preset combination associated with a

specific setting of the output effect stage and allow user to scroll rapidly
between instruments and sounds (more on performances in Chapter 4.
Playing the different performances is certainly the best way to explore
the wide sonic possibilities of the Tassman. To load a performance, simply double click on the
green icon.
5.3 The Modules folder 64
5.3 The Modules folder
The modules (green cell icon) are the elementary building blocks used
to construct synths in the Builder (more on modules in Chapter 3 and 6.
Expanding the modules folder reveals the following module categories:
• Effects - delay, stereo chorus, compressor, etc.

• Envelopes - ADSR, portamento, VCA, etc.
• Filters - low-pass, band-pass, high-pass, etc.
• Generators - VCO, VCS, mallet, etc.
• In/Out - Audio outs, MIDI ins, sub-patch inlets and outlets, etc.
• Logic - AND, OR, XOR, etc.
• Mixers - basic 2 to 5 signal mixers.
• Resonators - string, bowed string, membrane, etc.
• Routing - selectors (chicken heads!), and switches.
• Sequencers - Gate, CV and pitch sequencers.
5.4 The Sub-Patches folder
Finally the sub-patches folder organizes the various sub-patch (mini-

jack icon) into similar categories as found in the modules folder. This
is an excellent place to start when building a synth. Many basic module
configurations have been saved as sub-patches.
5.5 The Import folder
The Import and Export commands, found in the File drop down menu,
allow one to easily exchange synths with other Tassman users, or decrease the number of synths in
your Browser by archiving older or rarely used instruments elsewhere, on CD-R, or a second hard
disk for example.
While one can export sub-patches or presets individually, exporting an instrument extracts all
of the associated files including sub-patches and presets, and places them in a single *.txf file, in
the specified export folder on the computer. An instrument containing several sub-patches and 20
to 30 presets is equivalent in size to short text file, making it easy to send constructions to other
users via email.
Importing instruments from the archive or from other users is just as easy. Simply click on
the Import command from the File drop down menu, and select the file to import. A new folder
will then appear under the “Imports” directory in the browser, containing all of the files contained
5.6 Customizing the browser 65
within the imported package. These can then be dragged and dropped to a new instrument folder,
or remain in the Imports directory. How things are ultimately organized, we leave entirely up to
you!
5.6 Customizing the browser
The Browser structure can be customized in various ways. New folders can be created from the
File drop down menu using the Create New Folder command. One can also move files from one
place in the Browser to another using the Copy and Paste commands from the Edit drop down
menu, or by simply dragging a file from one folder and dropping it into the folder of your choice.
While this open ended format makes it very easy to organize your instruments and presets, there
are some restrictions on what can go where:
• Modules (green box icon) - May only appear within the modules folder. They cannot be
moved.
• Instruments (piano keys icon) - May appear in the Instruments directory, in separate folders
within the instruments directory, or in import folders (more on imports in a moment!).
• Sub-patches - May appear in the sub-patches directory, in separate folders with the sub-
patch directory, or within an instrument file.
• Presets - May appear within an instrument, sub-patch, or module file.
While this all may seem a little convoluted on paper, the Tassman’s browser performs in very
much the same way as various other programs you use everyday. The most important thing to
consider when organizing your synths, sub-patches, and presets within the Browser is how you feel
comfortable working. If you find yourself struggling to find the synths you’re looking for, it might
well be time to give the Browser a spring cleaning. As was mentioned in the ’Getting Started’
guide, creating an archive folder for synths you find you’re rarely using can help to eliminate
unnecessary clutter. This becomes of particular importance if you’re exchanging synths regularly
with other Tassman users.
Lost?
If you find yourself struggling to find the modules or presets you’re looking for, the browser’s
Locate function allows you to quickly jump to the instrument, module, or preset you currently have
selected. Simply click on the module or sub-patch you wish to find in the Builder, or anywhere on
the Player interface, hit Ctrl-L/Apple-L, and the browser will jump to the appropriate position.
5.7 Browser Filters 66
5.7 Browser Filters
There are so many different entries in the browser that navigating can
rapidly become confusing once a few folders have been expending. In order
to simplify the browser view, you can apply different filters from the drop
down menu at the top of the browser in order to view only certain categories
of objects depending on what you are currently doing with the Tassman.
The list of filters is as follows:
• Show All
• Show Performances
• Show Modules
• Show Modules and Sub-Patches
• Show Instruments
• Show Performances and Instruments
• Show Imports
5.8 Exporting and Importing Instruments, Performances, Presets and MIDI maps
The Import and Export commands, found in the File drop down menu, allow one to easily ex-
change presets and MIDI maps with other Tassman users. This feature can also be used to decrease
the number of elements in the browser by archiving older or rarely used ones elsewhere, on CD-R,
or a second hard disk for example. Files containing Tassman presets and MIDI maps are equivalent
in size to short text file, making it easy to send presets to other users via email.
To export a folder, a group of folders, presets or MIDI maps within a folder, select the elements
to export in the browser and use the Export command from the File menu. When the Export
window appears, choose a file name and a destination location on your hard disk. Tassman export
files will be saved with an “txf” extension.
Importing presets and MIDI maps is just as easy. Simply click on the Import command from
the File drop down menu, and select the file to import. A new folder will then appear under the
Imports directory in the browser, containing all of the files contained within the imported package.
These can then be dragged and dropped to a new folder, or remain in the Imports directory.
5.9 Backuping Instruments, Performances, Presets and MIDI maps
There are basically two ways to backup your instruments, performances, presets and MIDI maps:
exportation and database backup. The database backup is more efficient when there is a large
number of elements to backup.
5.10 Restoring the Factory Library 67
The exportation methods consists in using the Export command from the File menu as ex-
plained in section 5.8. Once you have exported the elements you wish to archive, just save the
export file(s) to your usual backup location or medium.
The second backup method will enable you to archive the entire material present in the browser.
The content of the browser, including presets, MIDI maps and folders is saved into a database file.
This second backup method simply consists in archiving this file. The database file location is
different whether you are working on a Mac OS or Windows system.
• On Windows systems: C:\Documents and Settings\[User]\Application Data\Applied Acous-

tics Systems\Tassman.
• On Mac OS systems: [System Drive]:Users:[User]:Library:Application Support:Applied
Acoustics Systems:Tassman.
The name of the database file is Tassman.tdb. In order to archive your database, just copy this
file to your usual backup location or medium. In order to restore a database, replace the version
of the Tassman.tdb file with a previously archived one. It is also possible to synchronize different
systems by copying this file on different computers where Tassman is installed.
5.10 Restoring the Factory Library
If necessary, it is possible to restore the original factory library by using the Restore Factory
Library from the File menu. This operation makes a backup of your current database file in the
preset database folder as explained in Section 5.9 and creates a new preset database containing
only the factory presets and MIDI maps. The next time you open Tassman, the browser will be in
exactly the same state as when you first installed the application.
Note that restoring the factory library should be done with caution as you will loose all the
work you might have saved into the library and that this operation can not be undone easily. If you
wish to recuperate a certain number of presets and MIDI maps after restoring the factory library,
we recommend that you first export all the material you wish to keep using the Export command
as explained in Section 5.8. After re-installation of the factory library, you will easily be able to
re-import this material using the Import command.
If you forgot to export material before restoring the factory library or if you wish to bring
back the preset library to its state before restoring the factory library, it is still possible to recover
material from the backup file of the preset database which was created automatically when restoring
the factory library as explained in Section 5.9. This method should be considered as a last resort,
however, as recovering material from this backup file will remove the factory library which you
have just installed and force you to redo the operation. Using the Export command before restoring
the factory library is much simpler.
Note that the restore of the factory library is actually performed the next time you re-open the
application. It is still possible to cancel this operation before exiting the application by using the
Cancel Library Restore command from the File menu.
Specifications for modules 68
6 Specifications for modules
6.1 ADAR
The ADAR is an envelope generator. It uses a gate signal for input and
generates an output envelope signal. The ADAR module can generate two types
of envelopes attack/decay or attack/release. The envelope type is set using the
ad/ar selector. The behavior of the module is shown in Figure 1. In attack/decay
mode the envelope signal rises from 0 Volt to 1 Volt when the gate is triggered
and then immediately decreases form 1 Volt to 0. The time the output signal
takes to go from 0 to 1 Volt is called the attack time, it is set with the attack
knob and the time the signal takes to go from 1 to 0 Volt is the decay time and
is adjusted using the decay knob. In attack/release mode the shape of the output
signal is different since a sustain state is added. The output signal is held to 1
Volt until the gate signal falls to 0 and the release is then triggered. Finally, the lin/exp switch is
used to determine the shape of the different segments of the envelope which can be either linear of
exponential. Note that in Figure 26 the segments are exponential.
key pressed key released
gate signal
AR mode
AD mode
time
attack decay release
time time time
Figure 26: ADAR response curve
Typical Use
The ADAR is Typically used for generating amplitude envelopes through a VCA, or spectral en-
velopes by modulating the frequency of a filter module.
Note: See also the ADSR, VADSR and VADAR modules.

6.2 ADSR 69
6.2 ADSR
The ADSR is an envelope generator. It uses a gate signal for input and
generates an output envelope signal. An envelope is a time varying signal
having a value between 0 and 1 Volt. It is divided into four, the Attack, Decay,
Sustain and Release which can be adjusted as shown in Figure 2. The attack
is triggered by an input signal exceeding a threshold value of 0.1 Volt. During
this phase, the output signal goes from 0 to 1 Volt during the time set by the
Attack knob. When the output reaches 1 Volt, the decay phase begins, and the
output signal decreases from 1 Volt to the sustain level during the time set by
the Decay knob. The sustain level, set by the Sustain knob, is then held until
the input signal drops to less than 0.1 Volt. The output signal then decreases
to 0 Volt during the time set by the Release knob. The red LED beside each knob indicates the
current phase of the output envelope. Finally, the lin/exp switch is used to determine the shape
of the different segments of the envelope which can be either linear of exponential. Note that in
Figure 27 the segments are exponential.
1Volt
sustain
attack decay release
1Volt
key pressed key released
Figure 27: ADSR response curve
The default value of the following parameters is set during construction

• Attack: duration, in seconds, of the Attack phase.
• Decay: duration, in seconds, of the Decay phase.
• Sustain: level, in Volts, of the sustain phase.
• Release: duration, in seconds, of the release phase.
6.3 After Touch 70
Typical Use
The ADSR is Typically used for generating amplitude envelopes through a VCA, or spectral en-
velopes by modulating the frequency of the filter modules. An ADSR can also be used to obtain
an auto wah wah effect as shown in Figure 95 under Vbandpass2.
Figure 28: Amplitude envelope created with ADSR
Note: See also ADAR, VADSR and VADAR modules.
6.3 After Touch
The After Touch module is used to send the after touch control from a MIDI keyboard. It has one
output, the after touch signal. It outputs a value ranging between 0 and 1 volt. This module has no
front panel.
Typical Use
The After Touch module can be used to control modulation inputs on a VCO or a VCF.
6.4 And
The And module performs an AND logic operation. The one output of this module is either 1
(true) or 0 (false) depending on the values sent to the two inputs. To deliver 1 at the output, the two
inputs must receive a value of 1 otherwise the output will deliver a value of 0. This module has no
front panel. The following table shows the output value depending on the values in the two inputs.
Input signals are considered False (0) when smaller than 0.1 Volts and True (1) when greater
than 0.1 Volts.
6.5 Audio In 71
Input1 Input2 Output

1 1 1
1 0 0
0 1 0
0 0 0
Table 1: And module output as a function of its inputs.
6.5 Audio In
The Audio In module is used to process external audio in Tassman. The output of this module is a
monophonic signal from a track or a bus of a host sequencer where the Tassman has been inserted
as an effect. This signal can be then be processed on the fly by Tassman modules and then sent
back to the track or the bus trough the use of an Audio Out or Stereo Audio Out module.
Note: See also Stereo Audio In.
6.6 Audio Out
The Audio Out module represents a digital to analog converter. This module has
one input and no output. The input is converted to an analog signal by the sound
card and is sent on the left and right channels of the sound card (the same signal
on both channels). Before sending the input signal to the analog converters of the
sound card, the Audio Out applies a saturation curve to the signal similar to that of
an analog amplifier (Figure 4) in order to avoid undesirable digital saturation at high
amplitudes. Inputs between -0.7V and +0.7V will be passed on linearly to the output,
but higher voltages will be reduced to lie in the range of -1V to +1V. Subsequently,
the voltage is transformed to a 16 bit integer range. If you do not want saturation to
occur, you must ensure that the Audio Out input signal stays within the range where
the curve is linear.
+1V
output
1V
-0.7V +0.7V
input
-1V
no distortion
Figure 29: Audio Out module saturation curve

6.7 Bandpass2 72
Typical Use
To ensure a good signal/noise ratio and avoid distortion due to excessive loudness, the Audio Out
is often used in conjunction with a Volume and a Level.
Figure 30: Use of an Audio Out
Note: There must be an Audio Out in your patch if you want to hear you instrument. See also
Stereo Audio Out.
6.7 Bandpass2
The Bandpass2 module is a second-order band-pass filter (-6dB / octave). Its

one input is the signal to be filtered, and its one output is the filtered input signal.
Tuning the filter
The center freq knob tunes the center frequency of the filter to the desired level.
The resonance button is used to adjust the resonance of the filter around the center
frequency as shown in Figure 6. Note that as the resonance is increased, the am-
plitude of the filter response increases while the bandwidth of the filter decreases.
Typical Use
Bandpass2 filters can be used to make a parametric equalizer as in the patch of Figure 33. The
response of the resulting filter is shown in Figure 32.

• Center Frequency: middle frequency of the passing band.
• Resonance: resonance around the center frequency.
6.7 Bandpass2 73
Amp dB
Q = 0.01
Q = 0.1
Q=1
Q = 10
Frequency Hz
Center
Frequency
Figure 31: Frequency response of a Bandpass2.

Amp dB
Resulting Filter
Filter 2
Filter 1 Filter 3
Frequency Hz
Figure 32: Response of the parametric equalizer shown in Figure 33.
Figure 33: Parametric equalizer made with a Bandpass2.
Note: See also Vbandpass2.

6.8 Beam 74
6.8 Beam
The Beam module simulates sound produced by beams of different materials and sizes. This
module first calculates the modal parameters corresponding to beam-shaped objects according to
the value of the different parameters requested at construction time and, next, calls the Multimode
module to simulate sound production by the beam. The module has one output, the sound produced
by the beam, and three inputs. The first input signal is a damping signal which, depending on its
value, lowers or raises dampers on the structure. When the input signal is equal to 0, dampers
are lowered on the beam which shortens the decay time of the sound produced by the structure;
when the signal is greater than 0, dampers are raised. Note that this damping adds to the natural
damping of the beam itself. If this input is not connected to any other module, the default value
is set at 0, which implies that the beam motion will be damped. This input is, therefore, usually
connected to a Constant module to obtain undamped motion or to a Damper module or the gate
signal from a keyboard in order to vary the damping while playing. The second input signal is the
force signal exciting the beam, the output from a Mallet module for example. The third input is a
pitch modulation signal.
Typical Use. See Multimode module.

• Length: the length, in meters, of the beam.
• Frequency: fundamental frequency, in Hertz, of the beam when there is no pitch modulation
signal or when its value is equal to 0. Note that the fundamental frequency is independent
of the length of the beam. The software automatically calculates the physical parameters
necessary to obtain the required fundamental frequency. The default value of this parameter
is 261.62 Hz which corresponds to the middle C (C3) of a piano keyboard. This setting is
convenient when controlling a Beam module with a Keyboard module.
• Decay: proportional to the decay time of the sound produced by the beam.
• Number of modes: number of modes used to simulate the object. As the number of modes
is increased, the number of partials in the sound increases but also inevitably the calculation
load.
• Excitation point: x-coordinate, in meters, of impact point from the extremity of the beam.
• Listening point: x-coordinate, in meters, of listening point from the extremity of the beam.
Note: For more details on this module and especially the front panel controls, see the Multimode
module.
6.9 Bowed Beam 75
6.9 Bowed Beam
The Bowed Beam module simulates sound produced by bowed beams of different materials and
sizes. This module first calculates the modal parameters corresponding to beam shaped objects
depending on the value of the different parameters requested at construction time and, next, calls
the Bowed Multimode module to simulate sound production by the beam. The module has one
output, the sound produced by the beam, and three inputs. The first input signal is the bow velocity
in the direction of the motion. The second input signal is a force signal which is considered to act
perpendicularly to the motion of the beam. The third input is a pitch modulation signal.
Typical Use. See Bowed Multimode module.

convenient when controlling a Bowed Beam module with a Keyboard module.
• Decay: proportional to the decay time of the sound produced by the beam. Number of
Modes: number of modes used to simulate the object. As the number of modes is increased,
the number of partials in the sound increases but also inevitably the calculation load.
• Excitation point: x-coordinate, in meters, of bow from the extremity of the beam.
• Listening point: x-coordinate, in meters, of listening point from the extremity beam. To
obtain proper functioning, the excitation and listening points should be the same.
Note: For more details on this module and especially the front panel controls, see the Bowed
Multimode module.
6.10 Bowed Marimba
The Bowed Marimba module simulates sound produced by bowed marimba bars of different
materials and sizes. This module reproduces the characteristic tuning of marimba bars overtones
obtained with the deep arch-cut of the bars. This module, which constitutes a special case of the
Bowed Beam module first calculates the modal parameters corresponding to beam-shaped objects
according to the value of the different parameters requested at construction time and, next, calls the
Bowed Multimode module to simulate sound production by the bars. The module has one output,
the sound produced by the beam, and three inputs. The first input signal is the bow velocity in
6.11 Bowed Membrane 76
the direction of the motion. The second input signal is a force signal which is considered to act
perpendicularly to the motion of the beam. Third input is a pitch modulation signal.

convenient when controlling a Bowed Marimba module with a Keyboard module.
• Number of Modes: number of modes used to simulate the object. As the number of modes
load.
• Excitation point: x-coordinate, in meters, of bow from the extremity of the beam.
To obtain proper functioning, the excitation and listening points should be the same.
Multimode module.
6.11 Bowed Membrane
The Bowed Membrane module simulates sound produced by bowed rectangular membranes of
different materials and sizes. This module first calculates the modal parameters corresponding
to membrane-shaped objects according to the value of the different parameters requested at con-
struction time and, next, calls the Bowed Multimode module to simulate sound production by the
membrane. The module has one output, the sound produced by the membrane, and three inputs.
The first input signal is the bow velocity in the direction of the motion. The second input signal is
a force signal which is considered to act perpendicularly to the motion of the membrane. The third
input is a pitch modulation.

• length: the length, in meters, of the membrane.
6.12 Bowed Multimode 77
• Width: the width, in meters, of the membrane.

• Frequency: fundamental frequency, in Hertz, of the membrane when there is no pitch mod-
ulation signal or when its value is equal to 0. Note that the fundamental frequency is in-
dependent of the size of the membrane. The software automatically calculates the physical
parameters necessary to obtain the required fundamental frequency. The default value of
this parameter is 261.62 Hz which corresponds to the middle C (C3) of a piano keyboard.
This setting is convenient when controlling a Bowed Membrane module with a Keyboard
module.
• Decay: proportional to the decay time of the sound produced by the membrane.
load.
• Excitation point-x: x-coordinate, in meters, of bow from the lower left corner of the mem-
brane.
• Excitation point-y: y-coordinate, in meters, of bow from the lower left corner of the mem-
brane.
• Listening point-x: x-coordinate, in meters, of listening point from the lower left corner of the
membrane. To obtain proper functioning, the excitation and listening points should be the
same.
• Listening point-y: y-coordinate, in meters, of listening point from the lower left corner of the
membrane. To obtain proper functioning, the excitation and listening points should be the
same.
Multimode module.
6.12 Bowed Multimode
The Bowed Multimode module is used by the Tassman to simulate mechanical objects such as
strings, plates, beams and membranes that are excited as a result of the interaction with a bow. The
output of this module is the acoustic signal that would be produced when these objects are bowed
and given a certain geometry, material, listening point and damping. The functioning of this module
is based on modal analysis. This technique is well-known in areas of physics and mechanics and is
used to describe complex vibrational motion using modes. Modes are just elementary oscillation
patterns that can be used to decompose a complex motion. By adding together modes having
different frequencies, amplitudes and damping, one can reproduce the behavior of different type
of structures. The accuracy of the resulting signal depends on the number of modes used in the
simulation.
6.12 Bowed Multimode 78
The Bowed Multimode module is not directly accessible to the user.

Rather, other modules such as Bowed String, Bowed Plate, Bowed Beam,
Bowed Marimba and Bowed Membrane use the Bowed Multimode mod-
ule as their front. These other modules first calculate the different modal
parameters corresponding to their respective structure type as requested at
construction and, next, call the Bowed Multimode module in order to im-
plement the parameters they require. Since these different object types are
based on the same underlying simulation technique, they all have the same
number of inputs and outputs and share the same controls (which appear on
their front panel) for changing their physical properties.
Amplitude
The amplitude control is simply a gain which controls the amplitude of the output signal. It can be
adjusted with the amp knob on the front panel.
Decay
The damping of an object affects the decay time of the sound produced by the object. This param-
eter is adjusted using the decay knob on the front panel. When the knob is turned left, the damping
is strong and the decay time short; damping is light and decay time is long when the knob is turned
right. The damping is characteristic of the material of the object. For example, damping in wood
is strong and the decay time is short (knob turned to left) and in steel damping is weaker and,
therefore, decay time is longer (knob turned to right). But damping also varies for a given material
depending on how the object is used or connected to other objects. The oscillation of a string, for
example, has a much shorter decay time when used on a violin than on a mandolin.
Playing frequency
The frequency of the sound produced by an object is dependent on its “useful” size. A large metal
plate, for example, produces a sound with a lower pitch than does a smaller one. The pitch of the
output of a Bowed Multimode object is determined by the signal entering the pitch input signal
appearing on every such object. In other words, the size of the object is varied in order to obtain
the requested pitch. The mod knob is a gain knob affecting the amplitude of the pitch input signal.
When in the center position (green LED on), the gain equals 1 and the pitch variation is equal to
1 Volt/octave. This position is used to play an equal temperament scale when connecting the note
output of a Keyboard to the pitch signal input of a Bowed Multimode object.
Force
The force knob is a gain knob acting on the force input of a Bowed Multimode object.
6.13 Bowed Plate 79
Velocity
The velocity knob is a gain knob acting on the velocity input of a Bowed Multimode object.
Noise
The noise knob is used to set the amount of irregularities in the bow structure.
Damping vs Frequency
In a mechanical structure, the damping, or decay time, varies for the different frequency compo-
nents of the oscillating motion. The variation of the damping with frequency is characteristic of
the material of a structure and is adjusted, in a Multimode object, with the damp/frq knob on the
module front panel. In the left position, the decay time of low frequencies is shorter than that of
high frequencies; in the right position the opposite holds. As a rule of thumb, steel and glass are
found in the left position; nylon in the center position; and wood in the right position.
Typical Use
A good module to drive a Bowed Multimode module is an ADSR.
Figure 34: Bowed Multimode driven by an ADSR
Note: see also Bowed Beam, Bowed Marimba, Bowed Membrane, Bowed Plate and Bowed
String.
6.13 Bowed Plate
The Bowed Plate module simulates sound produced by bowed rectangular plates of different ma-
terials and sizes. This module first calculates the modal parameters corresponding to plate shaped
objects according to the value of the different parameters requested at construction time and, next,
calls the Bowed Multimode module to simulate sound production by the plate. The module has
one output, the sound produced by the membrane, and three inputs. The first input signal is the
bow velocity in the direction of the motion. The second input signal is a force signal which is
6.14 Bowed String 80
considered to act perpendicularly to the motion of the beam. The third input is a pitch modulation
signal.

• Length: the length, in meters, of the plate.
• Width: the width, in meters, of the plate.
• Frequency: fundamental frequency, in Hertz, of the plate when there is no pitch modulation
signal or when its value is equal to 0. Note that the fundamental frequency is independent of
the size of the plate. The software automatically calculates the physical parameters necessary
to obtain the required fundamental frequency. The default value of this parameter is 261.62
Hz which corresponds to the middle C (C3) of a piano keyboard. This setting is convenient
when controlling a Bowed Plate module with a Keyboard module.
• Decay: proportional to the decay time of the sound produced by the plate.
load.
• Excitation point-x: x-coordinate, in meters, of bow from the lower left corner of the plate.
• Excitation point-y: y-coordinate, in meters, of bow from the lower left corner of the plate.
plate. To obtain a proper functioning, the excitation and listening points should be the same.
plate. To obtain a proper functioning, the excitation and listening points should be the same.
Multimode module.
6.14 Bowed String
The Bowed String module simulates sound production by bowed strings of different materials and
sizes. This module first calculates the modal parameters corresponding to string shaped objects
according to the value of the different parameters requested at construction time and, next, calls
the Bowed Multimode module to simulate sound production by the string. The module has one
output, the sound produced by the string, and three inputs. The first input signal is the bow velocity
in the direction of the motion. The second input signal is a force signal which is considered to act
perpendicularly to the motion of the string. The third input is a pitch modulation signal.
6.15 Breath Controller 81

• Length: the length, in meters, of the string.
• Frequency: fundamental frequency, in Hertz, of the string when there is no pitch modulation
of the length of the string. The software automatically calculates the physical parameters
convenient when controlling a Bowed String module with a Keyboard module.
• Decay: proportional to the decay time of the sound produced by the string.
• Inharmonicity: detunes the partial, toward higher frequencies, with respect to the fundamen-
tal. This parameter varies between 0 and 1, where 0 represents a perfect string.
load.
• Excitation point: x-coordinate, in meters, of bow interaction point from the extremity of the
string.
• Listening point: x-coordinate, in meters, of listening point from the extremity of the string.
The excitation and listening points should be the same in order to obtain a proper functioning.
Multimode module.
6.15 Breath Controller
This module is used to receive signal from a MIDI breath controller (MIDI controller number 2).
It has no input. Its one output, the breath controller signal, lies between 0 and 1 depending on the
blowing strength. This module has no front panel control.

• MIDI channel: MIDI channel used by the breath controller.
6.16 Comb 82
6.16 Comb
The Comb filter enhances frequency components located at

harmonic intervals. The frequency response of the filter is com-
posed, as shown in Figure 36, of resonances around frequency com-
ponents located at multiples of a fundamental frequency (hence its
name). The effect of the filter is to color the sound with a change
of apparent pitch. This module has one output, the filtered signal,
and three inputs. The first input is the signal to be filtered. The sec-
ond and third inputs are modulation signals used to vary the tuning
(resonance frequency) of the filter.
The algorithm implemented in this module sends the input signal into a variable delay line. The
output of this delay is then re-injected in this delay line with a gain factor.
gain
depth = 0.99
depth = 0.5
depth = 0
f 2f 3f
frequency
Figure 35: Frequency response of a Comb filter
Tuning
The coarse and fine knobs and the range switch are used to tune the resonance frequency of the
filter. The variations in resonance frequency caused by changes in the modulation signals are
relative to this level. The length of the filter delay line is calculated as the inverse of the resonance
frequency (a period). When the two knobs are in their center position (green LEDs on for the
coarse knob), the range switch is set to 8 and there is no modulation signal, the filter resonance
frequency has a value of 261.6 Hz, which corresponds to the C3 key on a piano (middle C). The
range switch transposes the resonance frequency one or two octaves up or down. The reading on
the counter indicates the resonance frequency, in Hertz, of the filter. The length of the delay line
can be modulated by using the modulation inputs of the module. The amount of variation of the
resonance frequency obtained with the modulation inputs depends on the adjustment of the mod1
and mod2 gain knobs. The total modulation signal is the sum of the two inputs each multiplied
by the gain corresponding to its respective mod knob. When the knobs are in the center position
6.16 Comb 83
(green LEDs on), the gain equals 1 and the resonance frequency variation is 1 Volt/octave. This
position is used to follow an equal temperament scale when connecting the output of a Keyboard
module to a modulation input of a Comb module. The frequency variation with the modulation
signal can be increased or decreased by turning the modulation knobs clockwise or anti-clockwise.
Finally the feedback knob is used to fix the amount of “wet” signal re-injected into the delay line.
Typical Use
The Comb filter can be used to obtain a vibrato effect on a sound source. In the example of
Figure 11, the output of the LFO modulates the resonance frequencies of the Comb filter. When
the feedback knob is adjusted in the left position and the mod1 knob is opened, the frequency of
the filtered signal varies with the output from the LFO. When the feedback knob is in the right
position, the filter may start to self-oscillate and be used as a sound source as in the patch of Figure
. In this example, the output of the Noise Mallet is filtered and the resonance frequency of the filter
is controlled with the pitch output from a keyboard. In order to obtain a tempered scale, do not
forget to adjust the mod knob of the filter in the middle position.
Figure 36: A vibrato effect obtained with a Comb filter
Figure 37: Comb and Noise Mallet as a sound source

6.17 Compressor 84
6.17 Compressor
The Compressor module is used to automati-

cally compress or expand the dynamics of a signal.
This module has two inputs and one output. The
first input is the signal to be compressed and the
second input is a control signal which triggers the
compression process when it rises above a given
threshold. This control signal is usually the same
as the input signal.
The gain in slider is used to adjust the level of both the input and control signal. The gain
out slider is used to adjust the output signal of the unit. The attenuation level meter indicates the
amount of reduction due to the gain reduction unit. It displays the difference between the level of
the input signal multiplied by the input gain and the signal level after the compression. The level
meter shows the level of the signal after the input gain or after the output gain depending on the
position of the source button. The threshold and ratio knobs are used to control the behavior of the
compression unit. The threshold button sets the level above which the gain reduction occurs while
the ratio knob is used to adjust the ratio of compression to values ranging between 1:1 and 1:30.
The attack and decay knobs set the amount of time it takes for the unit to respond to the variation
of the control signal. The attack time is used when the control signal is above the threshold while
the decay time is used when the control signal is below the threshold. Finally the bypass control is
used to bring the compressor in or out of the audio chain. Note that this control has no effect on
the output gain control which is always active.
6.18 Constant
The Constant module has 1 output, a constant value (DC) which is set during construction. This
module has no input and no front panel control. To change the value of the constant in the Tassman
Player, use the Constant module in combination with a Volume module. Its value can be positive
or negative.
Typical Use
In the following example, the pitch of a Plate module is fixed to a constant value. The value of the
constant is adjusted with the Volume slider.

• Output value: value of the constant.
6.19 Control Voltage Sequencer 85
Figure 38: The pitch of a Plate module adjusted with a Constant module.
6.19 Control Voltage Sequencer
The Control Voltage Sequencer module enables you to record sequences of voltage. This
module in itself does not produce sound but is used, usually instead of a Keyboard module, to
control other modules such as VCO, VCA or filters. This module is a very complete 16-step
sequencer, which means that it plays sequences or patterns of 16 notes in loop. Sequences can
be set to have 1 to 16 steps. Because each sequence represents a bar containing four quarter
notes, each step of the sequencer itself represents a sixteenth note. The module can memorize 32
different sequences between which you can switch while playing. This module has three inputs
and four outputs. The first input is a sync signal which controls the tempo from an external source,
the second is a start/stop input which will start the sequencer when it goes form 0 to 1 volt and
stop it when it goes from 1 to 0 volt. The signal can come from another sequencer or a Keyboard.
The third one is a reset input which will restart the sequence from beginning when it goes from 0
to 1 volt. The first three outputs are the same as the inputs (sync, start/stop, reset) and are used to
control other sequencers. The fourth output is the control voltage signal.
This sequencer has 16 vertical bar sliders each controlling the output signal corresponding to
a given step. The output value ranging between -1 and 1 Volt can be adjusted by click-holing and
dragging or using the keyboard arrows once a bar is selected.
Creating Patterns
To create a pattern, you must first select its location. You can select it with a combination of letters
(A, B, C, D) and numbers (1 to 8), on the front panel, giving you a total of 32 patterns.
6.19 Control Voltage Sequencer 86
The sequencer will loop each time a pattern ends. To make the sequencer stop at the end of a
pattern the once button must be clicked.
The patterns can be played following 5 play modes using the mode control. Forward (FWD)
plays the pattern incrementally. Backward (BWD) plays the pattern decrementally. Pendulum
(PEND) plays the pattern forwards then backwards. Random 1 (RDN1) plays the pattern randomly,
the same random sequence is repeated when looping. The reset button is used to generate a new
random sequence. Random 2 (RDN2) plays the pattern randomly changing the random pattern
when looping.
The tempo display will adjust the speed of the pattern. The ext/int switch will determine if it is
the internal clock (int) that sets the tempo or an external source (ext) such as another sequencer or
a Sync Lfo. The swing knob will introduce a swing feel to the rhythm of the pattern.
The loop buttons are used to set the length of the Pattern from 1 to 16 steps.
It is possible to draw across the bars by holding down the Shift key (Windows) or Option key
(Mac OS). Also, by holding the Ctrl key (Windows) or Apple key (Mac OS) the value of every bar
will be offseted. Holding the Shift key (Windows) or the Option key (Mac OS) will draw a line
across the bars.
The smooth button enables the control voltage output to be gradually changed to the value of
the next step.
Typical Use
In this example, the CV Sequencer is used to control the cutoff frequency of a Vlowpass4 filter.
Figure 39: CV Sequencer controlling a Vlowpass4 filter.
Note: see also Multi-Sequencer, Control Voltage Sequencer with Songs, Single Gate Se-
quencer, Single Gate Sequencer with Songs, Dual Gate Sequencer and Dual Gate Sequencer
with Songs.
6.20 Control Voltage Sequencer with Songs 87
6.20 Control Voltage Sequencer with Songs
This module is the same as the Control Voltage Sequencer but with song mode added. For more
information about the song mode, please refer to the Multi Sequencer module documentation.
Note: see also Multi-Sequencer, Control Voltage Sequencer, Single Gate Sequencer, Single
Gate Sequencer with Songs, Dual Gate Sequencer and Dual Gate Sequencer with Songs.
6.21 Damper
This module is used to receive signal from a MIDI sustain pedal (MIDI controller number 64).
It has no input and one output, the damper signal, which is equal to 1 when the sustain pedal is
depressed and to 0 when it is released. This module has no front panel control.
Typical Use
The following patch is used to reproduce the behavior of a piano damper pedal with a MIDI sustain
pedal. This combination of modules is often used with Multimode objects.
Figure 40: A Damper module used to play Marimba

6.22 Delay 88
The default value of the following parameter is set at construction

• MIDI channel: MIDI channel used by the sustain pedal.
6.22 Delay
The Delay module is a feedback loop with a variable delay in the feedback.
There is one input and one output. The input signal is sent into the feedback loop.
The output is the sum of the input signal and the returning signal from the feedback
loop. The duration of the delay can be adjusted, with the time knob (between 10 ms
and 1.5 s). The feedback knob sets the gain in the feedback loop (values between
0 and 1). If the on/off switch is in the off position, the module passes the input
on with no effect. The following figure shows the effect of the Delay module on a
pulse signal with a2/a1 = feedback gain.
gain
time
a1 with feedback = a2/a1
a2
gain
time
delay delay
Figure 41: Effect of Delay Module.
Typical Use
The Delay module is used to produce an echo effect when the delay is long (>100ms) or to color
the sound when the delay time is short (< 100 ms).

• delay time: time delay, in seconds, applied to the input signal (between 1 ms and 1.5 s).
• feedback: gain applied to the delayed signal (values between 0 and 1).
Note: See also Sync Delay and Sync Ping Pong Delay.
6.23 Dual Gate Sequencer 89
6.23 Dual Gate Sequencer
The Dual Gate Sequencer module enables you to record two sequences of gates at the same
time. This module in itself does not produce sound but is used, usually instead of a Keyboard
module, to trig other modules such as Player or drum sounds. This module is a very complete
16-step sequencer, which means that it plays sequences or patterns of 16 notes in loop. Sequences
can be set to have 1 to 16 steps. Because each sequence represents a bar containing four quarter
notes, each step of the sequencer itself represents a sixteenth note. The module can memorize 32
different sequences between which you can switch while playing.
This module has three inputs and five outputs. the first input is a sync signal which controls
the tempo from an external source, the second is a start/stop input which will start the sequencer
when it goes form 0 to 1 volt and stop it when it goes from 1 to 0 volt. The signal can come from
another sequencer or a Keyboard. The third one is a reset input which will restart the sequence
from beginning when it goes from 0 to 1 volt. The first three outputs are the same as the inputs
(sync, start/stop, reset) and are used to control other sequencers. The fourth and fifth outputs are
gate signals which can be used as control sources to trigger other modules.
This sequencer has 2 sets of 16 gate buttons. Each has its own gate output that will generate
a square pulse of 1/8 of a quarter note for each active gate buttons. The two sets of 16 shift knobs
delay the output of their respective gate. The loop buttons are used to set the length of the pattern
from 1 to 16 steps.
Creating Patterns
(A, B, C, D) and numbers (1 to 8), on the front panel, giving you a total of 32 patterns. The
sequencer will loop each time a pattern ends. To make the sequencer stop at the end of a pattern,
the once button must be clicked.
(PEND) plays the pattern forward then backward. Random 1 (RDN1) plays the pattern randomly,
when looping.
6.24 Dual Gate Sequencer with Songs 90
a Sync Lfo.
The swing knob will introduce a swing feel to the rhythm of the pattern. The gate buttons
control the gate output. The gate output will generate a square pulse of 1/8 of a quarter note for
each active gate buttons. To hear a step, the gate button must be clicked (green light on). You have
two sets of gate buttons, one for each pattern.
The loop buttons are used to set the length of the Patterns from 1 to 16 steps. Note that the loop
point is set for both patterns at the same time. The shift knobs delays the output of their respective
gate.
Typical Use
In this example, one Dual Gate sequencer is used to control two Player modules.
Figure 42: Dual Gate Sequencer controlling two Player modules.
Note: see also Multi-Sequencer, Control Voltage Sequencer, Control Voltage Sequencer
with Songs, Single Gate Sequencer, Single Gate Sequencer with Songs and Dual Gate Se-
quencer with Songs.
6.24 Dual Gate Sequencer with Songs

6.25 Flanger 91
This module is the same as the Dual Gate Sequencer but with song mode added. To read more
about song mode, please refer to the Multi Sequencer module documentation.
6.25 Flanger
The Flanger module implements the effect known as “flanging” which

colors the sound with a false pitch effect caused by the addition of a signal
of varying delay to the original signal. This module has two inputs and one
output. The first input is the audio signal to be flanged and the second input
is a modulation signal that varies the delay and affects the apparent pitch.
The output is the flanged signal.
The algorithm implemented in this module is shown in Figure 43. The
input signal is sent into a variable delay line. The output of this delay is
then mixed with the “dry” signal and re-injected into the delay line with a
feedback coefficient.
mix
+ variable delay line
Output Signal
feedback
Input Signal
Figure 43: Flanger algorithm.
The effect of the Flanger module is to introduce rejection in the spectrum of the input signal at
frequencies located at odd harmonic intervals of a fundamental frequency as shown in Figure 44.
The location of the fundamental frequency f 0 and the spacing between the valleys and peaks of
the frequency response is determined by the length of the delay line (f 0 = 1/(2delay)), the longer
the delay, the lower is f 0 and the smaller the spacing between the harmonics while decreasing the
delay increases f 0 and hence the distance between the harmonics.
The amount of effect is determined by the ratio of “wet” and “dry” signal mixed together as
shown in Figure 45. As the amount of “wet” signal sent to the output is increased, the amount
of rejection increases. Finally, the shape of the frequency response of the Flanger module is also
influenced by the amount of “wet” signal re-injected into the feedback loop as shown in Figure 46.
Increasing the feedback enhances frequency components least affected by the delay line and located
at even harmonic intervals of the fundamental frequency. As the feedback is increased, these peaks
become sharper resulting in an apparent change in the pitch of the signal.
6.25 Flanger 92
Amp Amp
Long Delay Time Short Delay Time

0 dB 0 dB
Frequency Frequency
Figure 44: Frequency response of a Flanger module. Effect of the length of the delay line.
Light effect (mix=0.1)
Amp Medium effect (mix=0.25)
Strong effect (mix=0.5)

0 dB
f0 2xf0 3xf0 4xf0 5xf0 6xf0 Frequency
Figure 45: Effect of the mix between “wet” and “dry” signal on the frequency response of a Flanger
module
No Feedback
Amp Feedback = 0.5

Feedback = 0.9
0 dB
f0 2xf0 3xf0 4xf0 5xf0 6xf0 Frequency
Figure 46: Effect of the amount of feedback on the frequency response of a Flanger module.
6.25 Flanger 93
Tuning
The delay length is adjusted with the delay knob and is displayed, in milliseconds, in the counter
next to the knob. The length of this delay can be modulated by using the second input of the
module, the amount of modulation depending on the adjustment of the depth knob. In the left
position, there is no modulation and the delay line remains fixed while in the right position, with a
modulation signal varying between [-1,1] Volt, the delay line varies between 0 and twice the value
set with the delay knob. The feedback knob is a gain knob used to fix the ratio of “wet” signal
re-injected into the delay. Finally, the mix knob determines the amount of “dry” and “wet” signal
sent to the output. When this knob is adjusted in the left position, only “dry” signal is sent to the
output, in its center position (green LED On), there is an equal amount of “dry” and “wet” signal
in the output and in the right position, only “wet” signal is sent to the output.
Typical Use
The output from a LFO module can be used to control the filtering of a signal (the output of a
VCO for example) with a Flanger module. Different type of effects can be obtained with different
settings of the Flanger module.
• A chorus effect is obtained by using a delay of roughly 60 ms, a feedback value of 0.4, a low
frequency modulation signal (5 Hz) with depth adjusted to 0.3 and mix adjusted to a value of
0.4.
• A pure flanger effect is obtained with the following settings: a short delay length (5 ms),
much feedback (0.75), a low frequency modulation signal (between 0 and 2 Hz) with the
depth knob in the right position and a half and half mix between “wet” and “dry” signal (mix
knob in center position).
• A Vibrato effect is obtained with 45 ms delay (delay knob in center position), no feedback
(feedback knob in left position), a low frequency modulation signal (5Hz) with the depth
knob adjusted to its center position and sending only the “wet” signal to the output (mix
knob in right position).
Figure 47: Flanger module with LFO module

6.26 Flute 94

• delay: time delay, in seconds, applied to the input signal (values between [0, 92]ms).
• feedback: coefficient,[0, 1[, determining amount of “wet” signal re-injected into the delay
line. If feedback = 0 there is no “wet” signal re-injected while if feedback = 0.99, maximum
of “wet” signal re-injected.
• depth: gain coefficient, [0,1], multiplying the modulation signal. mix: amount of “dry” and
“wet” signal sent to output. If mix = 0 there is only dry signal while if mix =1, there is only
“wet” signal.
6.26 Flute
The Flute module simulates sound production by a flute having the geometry
of a recorder. This flute is simulated using models of the air flow in the em-
bouchure, wave propagation in the body of the instrument and note changes with
different combinations of open and closed keyholes. Since this module simulates
a real instrument, it also has the same range (C3 to G5). This module has 3 inputs
and one output. The first input is a gate signal, generally that from a Keyboard.
The second input is the driving pressure signal and is generally connected to the
output from an ADSR module, the output from a Breath Controller module or
the gate signal from a Keyboard module. Finally, the third input is a pitch signal
generally connected to the pitch output from a Keyboard. The output signal is
the sound produced by the instrument.
Four parameters can be adjusted while playing. The noise knob sets the amount of turbulence
noise in the sound. The tone knob controls the jet behavior which affects the tone color of the
recorder sound. The labium knob sets the position of the edge of labium of the recorder relative
to the jet. In its center position, the jet blows exactly in front of the recorder labium. Finally the
sharpness knob controls the sharpness of the edge of the labium (this parameter is adjusted by
recorder makers since it affects the color of the tone produced by the instrument).
Typical Use
Figure 48: A Flute module controlled with a Keyboard.

6.27 Gain, Gain 2, Gain 3, Gain 4 95
In the following example, a Flute module is controlled with a Keyboard module. The ADSR
is used to shape the driving pressure signal.
Note: For polyphonic flute-like sounds, use the Organ module.
6.27 Gain, Gain 2, Gain 3, Gain 4
The Gain, Gain 2, Gain 3 and Gain 4 knob modules have respectively one to
four inputs and one to four outputs. They are used to adjust the amplitude of a signal.
The output signal is the input signal multiplied by a constant varying between 0 and 2
(+6dB).
Typical Use
The Gain modules are used whenever the level of a signal must be adjusted.
Note: See also Slider and Volume.
6.28 Highpass1
The highpass1 module is a first order high-pass filter (-6dB/octave). Its one input is
the signal to be filtered, its one output the filtered input signal.
Tuning the filter
The cutoff frq knob tunes the cutoff frequency of the filter to the desired level.

• Cutoff frequency: value of the filter cutoff frequency.
6.29 Inlets (1-12)
These modules are used to define the inputs of a sub-patch so that it can be connected in another
patch. These modules have no input but between 1 and 12 outputs which are connected to inputs
in the sub-patch which you want to connect to outputs in another construction. These inputs will
correspond to the inputs of the sub-patch icon which will appear in the construction window when
later you include this sub-patch in another construction. These modules have no front panel.
6.30 Inverter 96
Sub-patches may have between 0 and 12 inputs and 0 and 12 outputs but they must always
have at least one input or output. As soon as an Inlet or Outlet module is included in a patch, the
Tassman Builder will consider that you want to define the current patch as a sub-patch and will save
it as so in the Sub-Patches folder of the Browser. You can then use it just like any other module.
Typical Use
A sub-patch is created with an Inlet or Outlet module or both. The inputs of the sub-patch are
determined by connecting them to an Inlet module. In the example of Figure 24, a stereo-reverb
sub-patch having two inputs and two outputs is created.
Figure 49: A reverb sub-patch.
Note: See also the Outlet (1-12) modules.
6.30 Inverter
The Inverter module has no front panel control. It has one input and one output. It is used to invert
the phase of the input signal. In other words, the output is the input signal multiplied by -1.
Typical Use
Figure 50: Modulation of the cutoff frequency of a filter using an Inverter.

6.31 Keyboard 97
This module is to invert the control voltage generated by an ADSR so that the cutoff frequency
of a VCF module first goes down when triggering a new note as shown in Figure 50. The inverter
can also be used to obtain a stereo tremolo effect (amplitude modulation) as illustrated in Figure 51.
Figure 51: Stereo tremolo effect.
6.31 Keyboard
The Keyboard module simulates the outputs of a classic monophonic analog

high-note priority keyboard. It has no input and two outputs. The first output is the
gate signal. It is equal to 0 Volt when no key is played, and 1 Volt when one or more
keys are played. The second output signal is the pitch signal. Its value corresponds
to the highest key played when one or more keys are depressed and to the last key
played when no key is depressed. The pitch signal varies by ±1 Volt per octave
which implies a change of 1/12 Volt for a pitch variation of 1 semitone. The pitch
signal is calculated with respect to the C3 key (middle C) which outputs a value of
0 Volt. This means that, for example, the C2 key signal is -1 Volt and that of the C4
key is +1 Volt. The stretch knob on the interface is used to simulate stretched tuning
used on instruments such as pianos. Turned to the left, low notes will be tuned higher and high
notes lower (inner stretch); turned to the right, low notes will be tuned lower and high notes will be
higher (outer stretch). In the center position, the tuning will be equal. The error knob introduces
some randomness in the pitch signal. Turned to the left, no error is outputted and the pitch signal
is perfect; as the knob is turned to the right, errors will start to appear causing small fluctuations in
pitch. The effect of this knob is to simulate pitch variations found in analog synths.
The default value of the following parameters is set at construction

• pitch wheel range: determines the range of pitch variations that can be obtained with the
pitch wheel. The convention is 1 Volt/octave (maximum value is 2 Volts). A semitone is
equal to a 0.08333 value.
• MIDI channel: MIDI channel used by the keyboard.
6.32 Knob 98
Note: see also the Vkeyboard and Polykey and Polyvkey modules.
6.32 Knob
The Knob module is used to adjust the amplitude of a signal. It acts in the
same way as the Slider module. It has one input and one output. The output signal
is the input signal multiplied by a constant varying between 0 and 2 (+6dB).
Typical Use
The Knob module is used whenever the level of a signal must be adjusted.
The default values of the following parameter is set at construction

• gain: default value of the volume gain (value between 0 and 2).
6.33 LESS
The LESS module performs the comparison between its two inputs. The one output of this module
is either 1 (true) or 0 (false) depending on the values sent to the two inputs. The output is true (1)
if the first input is lower than the second and false (0) otherwise.
6.34 Level
The Level module is a VU Meter used to show the RMS (root mean square)
value of a signal (1 Volt full scale). This module has one input and no output.
The red sector indicates the saturation zone of the signal which also triggers
the red LED (see saturation curve of the Audio Out module).
Typical Use
A Level module is generally used to monitor the audio signal sent to the com-
puter sound card through the Audio Out module as shown in Figure 5 under
Audio Out.
6.35 LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator 99
6.35 LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator
The LFO module has no input and one output. The output is a periodic signal
with frequency varying between 0.1 and 35 Hertz depending on the setting of the
frequency knob. The oscillation of the two red LEDs on the front panel give an
indication of the output frequency. The wave shape is set by the wavetype switch.
Waveforms include triangle, square random and sine. The amplitude of the output
signal is ±1 Volt.
Typical Use
The LFO is often used to generate tremolo (amplitude modulation) as shown in

Figure 27 or vibrato (frequency modulation) as in Figure 28. Two LFO modules
with a Sample & Hold can be used to generate a random signal as illustrated in Figure 53 under
Sample & Hold module.
Figure 52: LFO used for tremolo.
Figure 53: LFO used for Vibrato and Pulse Width modulation.
6.36 Lin Gain 100
6.36 Lin Gain
This module is used to modify the amplitude of a signal. It has one input, the signal
to be adjusted, and one output, the adjusted signal.
The amplitude of the signal is a controlled with the amount slider on the front panel.
The output signal is the input signal multiplied by a gain having a value between the
min and max range set in the dialog of the module in the Builder.
6.37 Lowpass1
The Lowpass1 module is a first order low-pass filter (-6dB/octave). Its one input
is the signal to be filtered, its one output is the filtered input signal.
Tuning the filter

Note: see also Lowpass2, Vlowpass2 and Vlowpass4.
6.38 Lowpass2
The Lowpass2 module is a second order low-pass filter (-12dB/ octave). Its one
input is the signal to be filtered, its one output is the filtered input signal.
The resonance button is used to adjust the resonance of the filter around the cutoff
frequency as shown in Figure 54.

• Resonance: resonance of the filter around its cutoff frequency.
Note: see also Lowpass1, Vlowpass2 and Vlowpass4.

6.39 Mallet 101
amp
dB res=0.02
res=0.1
res=0.5
res=1
-1
2d
B/
O
ct
cutoff frequency
frequency Hz
Figure 54: Frequency response of a Lowpass2.
6.39 Mallet
The Mallet module is used to simulate the force impact produced by a

mallet striking a structure. It is usually used in combination with acoustic
objects such as the Beam, Membrane, Plate and String modules in order to
play them. The force of the impact is adjusted with the strength knob while
the stiffness of the mallet (related to its material) is varied with the stiffness
knob. Figure 30 shows the effect of the adjustment of the stiffness on the
output signal. As the stiffness is increased the excitation signal becomes nar-
rower. The effect of the strength parameter which determines the amplitude
of the impact is also shown in the same figure.
strength=1
amp amp
stifness=5000
strength=0.5
stiffness=500
strength=0.2
stiffness=50
time time
Figure 55: Effect of stiffness and strength knob on Mallet output.
This module has one output, the impact signal, and four inputs. The first input triggers the
mallet every time a low-to-high transition is encountered in the input signal. This input is usually
connected to the gate signal from a Keyboard module. Note that the mallet can also be trig-
gered manually by using the trig button on the front panel. The second input signal modulates the
stiffness of the mallet relative to the value selected with the stiffness knob. The amplitude of the
modulation is adjusted with the mod1 knob. The greater the amplitude, the greater the stiffness.
This modulation input is used, for example, when a variation of the stiffness of the mallet with
the note played is desired. When the knob is adjusted in its center position and when this input
6.40 Marimba 102
is connected to a pitch signal, the stiffness exactly follows the pitch variation so as to ensure that
the spectral content (or color) of the sound produced by a structure is uniform when the pitch is
varied. The third input also modulates the stiffness, but in the reverse manner as for the second
input so that the stiffness of the mallet decreases when the input signal increases. This input is
usually connected to the velocity output from a keyboard module which implies that the mallet will
soften as the impact velocity increases. This is a behavior one observes, for example, on piano
hammer heads due to the non-linearity of the felt. The amplitude of this input is adjusted with the
mod2 gain knob. The last input modulates the strength of the impact relative to the adjustment of
the strength knob. This input is also generally connected to a velocity signal so as to increase the
force of the impact with the velocity signal. The amplitude of this modulation signal is adjusted
with the mod3 gain knob.
Typical Use
A Mallet module is generally used to excite Multimode objects such as Beams, Membranes,
Strings and Plates. See the example in Figure 58 under Multimode.

• Strength: default value of the impact force (value between 0 and 2).
• Stiffness: default value of mallet stiffness (value between 1 and 20 000).
Note: see also Noise Mallet.
6.40 Marimba
The Marimba module simulates sound production by marimba bars of different material and sizes.
This module reproduces the characteristic tuning of marimba bars overtones obtained with the
deep arch-cut of the bars. This module, which constitutes a special case of the Beam module,
first calculates the modal parameters corresponding to marimba bar shaped objects according to
module to simulate the sound. The module has one output, the sound produced by the marimba bar,
and three inputs. The first input signal is a damping signal which, depending on its value, lowers
or raises dampers on the structure. When the input signal is equal to 0, dampers are lowered on
the bar, thus shortening the decay time of the sound produced by the structure. When the signal
is greater than 0, dampers are raised. Note that this damping adds to the natural damping of the
marimba bar itself. If this input is not connected to any other module, the default value is set at
0, which implies that the marimba bar motion will be damped. This input is, therefore, usually
connected to a Constant module to obtain undamped motion or to a Damper module or the gate
signal from a keyboard in order to vary the damping while playing. The second input signal is the
force signal exciting the marimba bar, while the third is a pitch modulation signal.
6.41 Master Recorder Trig 103

is 261.62 Hz, which corresponds to the middle C (C3) of a piano keyboard. This setting is
convenient when controlling a Marimba module with a Keyboard module.
load.
• Excitation point: x-coordinate, in meters, of impact point from the extremity of the beam.
module.
6.41 Master Recorder Trig
The Master Recorder Trig is used to trig the Master Recorder in the output stage of the Player.
Its one input expects a gate signal such as the start/stop signal from a Sequencer. When the
switch of the Master Recorder is in the gate position, recording will start whenever a low-to-high
transition occurs in the gate signal; it will stop when a high-to-low transition is received. In the trig
position, the recording will start when a low-to-high transition occurs in the gate signal and will
continue until the stop button of the Master Recorder is pressed. When the switch is in the none
position, the gate signal from the Master Recorder Trig is ignored and the Master Recorder is
controlled by using the record and stop buttons.
Typical Use
In Figure 56, a Master Recorder Trig module is used in combination with a Master Sync Input
and a Sequencer to cut a perfect loop. In this example, the Sequencer is triggered by the gate
signal from the Master Sync Input when the play button of the Master Sync module is pressed.
When it receives the triggering signal, the Sequencer sends a start signal to the Master Recorder
module followed by a stop signal when the end of the sequence is reached. In order to respond to
the signal sent by the Sequencer, remember to adjust the Master Recorder switch in the trig or
gate position depending on if you want the recorder to react to the start signal only or both the start
and stop signals. Since the Sequencer is using the clock from the Master Sync Input module,
6.42 Master Sync Input 104
adjust its clock source switch to ext. Finally use the pat mode of the Sequencer and press on the
once button in order to make the Sequencer stop at the end of the sequence. Note that the pitch
output from the Sequencer, connected in this example to a VCO module, could be used to control
any other modules you would like to record.
Figure 56: A Master Recorder Trig is used with a Master Sync Input and a Sequencer to cut a
perfect loop.
Note: See the documentation of the Recorder of the output effect stage in Section 4.8.
6.42 Master Sync Input
The Master Sync Input module is used to route the synchronization signals generated by the Sync
module of the output stage to other modules such as a Sequencer. The first output of the module
is the sync signal itself. When the source switch of the Sync module of the output stages is set to
ext, the clock signal will be that from a host sequencer when the Tassman is used as a plug-in or,
in standalone mode, the clock signal received on the MIDI channel selected in the Player toolbar.
When the int source is chosen, the clock is adjusted, in beats per minute, in the green tempo display
of the Sync module. The second output is a gate signal equal to 1 volt when the play button of the
Sync module is pressed and 0 volt when it is inactive. This signal can be used by any module that
needs to be triggered such as a Sequencer, a Player or a Master Recorder Trig module. The
third output of the module is a reset signal generated when the reset button of the Sync module is
pressed and that can be used to re-sync modules that have a reset input.
Typical Use
In Figure 57, a Master Sync Input module is used to control a Sequencer. This module can also
be used to cut perfect loops when used in conjunction with a Master Recorder Trig as shown in
Figure 56.
Note: See the documentation of the Sync module of the output effect stage in Section 4.8.
6.43 Membrane 105
Figure 57: A Master Sync Input is used to synchronize a Multisequencer module.
6.43 Membrane
The Membrane module simulates sound production by rectangular membranes of different ma-
terials and sizes. This module first calculates the modal parameters corresponding to membrane
shaped objects according to the value of the different parameters requested at construction time
and, next, calls the Multimode module to simulate sound production by this object. The module
has one output, the sound produced by the membrane, and three inputs. The first input signal is
a damping signal which, depending on its value, lowers or raises dampers on the structure. When
the input signal is equal to 0, dampers are lowered on the membrane, thus shortening the decay
time of the sound produced by the structure. When the signal is greater than 0, dampers are raised.
Note that this damping is in addition to the natural damping of the membrane itself. If this input is
not connected to any other module, the default value is set at 0, which implies that the membrane
motion will be damped. This input is, therefore, usually connected to a Constant module to obtain
undamped motion or to a Damper module or the gate signal from a keyboard in order to vary the
damping while playing. The second input signal is the force signal exciting the membrane, while
the third is a pitch modulation signal.

• Length: the length, in meters, of the membrane.
• Width: the width, in meters, of the membrane.
• Frequency: fundamental frequency, in Hertz, of the membrane when there is no pitch mod-
dependent of the size of the membrane. The software automatically calculates the physical
parameters necessary to obtain the required fundamental frequency. The default value of this
parameter is 261.62 Hz, which corresponds to the middle C (C3) of a piano keyboard. This
setting is convenient when controlling a Membrane module with a Keyboard module.
• Decay: proportional to the decay time of the sound produced by the membrane.
load.
• Excitation point-x: x-coordinate, in meters, of impact point from the lower left corner of the
membrane.
6.44 Mix2, Mix3, Mix4 and Mix5 106
• Excitation point-y: y-coordinate, in meters, of impact point from the lower left corner of the
membrane.
membrane.
membrane.
module.
6.44 Mix2, Mix3, Mix4 and Mix5
These modules are used to mix signals together with no relative gain coefficient. The number of
inputs can vary between two and five, depending on the module chosen. The output is the sum of
the inputs. This module has no front panel control.
Typical Use
A Mix3 module is used for mixing the output of three filters in the example of Figure 33 under
Bandpass2. In Figure 42 under Damper, a Mix2 module is used to perform a logical OR function
of two gate signals (output is on when either input is on) in order to reproduce the behavior of a
piano damper pedal.
6.45 Modulation Wheel
This module is used to receive signal from a MIDI modulation wheel (MIDI controller number
1). It has one output, the modulation wheel signal, which lies between 0 and 1, depending on the
modulation wheel position. This module has no input and no front panel control.

• MIDI channel: MIDI channel used by the modulation wheel.
6.46 Multimode
The Multimode module is used to simulate mechanical objects such as strings, plates, membranes,
beams. The output of this module is the acoustic signal that would be produced by these objects
given a certain geometry, material, type of excitation, listening point and damping. The function-
ing of this module is based on modal analysis. This technique is well-known in areas of physics
6.46 Multimode 107
and mechanics and is used to describe complex vibrational motion using modes (elementary os-
cillation patterns which can be used to decompose a complex motion). By adding together modes
of different frequencies, amplitude and damping, one can reproduce the behavior of different type
of structures. The accuracy of the resulting signal depends on the number of modes used in the
simulation.
The Multimode module is not directly accessible to the user. Rather, other
modules such, as String, Plate, Beam, Marimba and Membrane, use the Mul-
timode as their front. These other modules first calculate the different modal
parameters corresponding to their respective structure type as requested at con-
struction time and, next, call the Multimode module in order to implement the
parameters they require. Since these different object types are based on the same
underlying simulation technique, they all have the same number of inputs and
outputs and share the same controls (which appear on their front panel) for ad-
justing their physical properties.
Amplitude
The amplitude control is simply a gain which controls the amplitude of the output signal. It can be
adjusted with the amp knob on the front panel.
Decay
The damping of an object affects the decay time of the sound produced by the object. This param-
eter is adjusted using the decay knob on the front panel. When the knob is turned left, the damping
is high and the decay time short; damping is low and decay time is long when the knob is turned
right. The damping is characteristic of the material of the object. Damping in wood, for example, is
high and the decay time is short (knob turned to left) and in steel damping is lower and, therefore,
decay time is longer (knob turned to right). But damping also varies for a given material depending
on how the object is used or connected to other objects. The oscillation of a string, for example,
has a much shorter decay time when used on a violin than on a mandolin.
Playing frequency
The frequency of the sound produced by an object is dependent on its “useful” size. A large metal
plate, for example, produces a sound with a lower pitch than does a smaller one. The pitch of the
output of a Multimode object is determined by the signal entering the pitch input appearing on
every such object. In other words, the size of the object is varied in order to obtain the requested
pitch. The mod knob is a gain knob affecting the amplitude of the pitch input signal. When in the
center position (green LED on), the gain equals 1 and the pitch variation is equal to 1 Volt/octave.
This position is used to play an equal temperament scale when connecting the pitch output of a
Keyboard to the pitch signal input of a Multimode object.
6.47 Multi-sequencer 108
Damping vs Frequency
In a mechanical structure, the damping, or decay time, varies for the different frequency compo-
nents of the oscillating motion. The variation of the damping with frequency is another character-
istic of the material of a structure and is adjusted, in a Multimode object, with the damp/frq knob
on the module front panel. In the left position, the decay time of low frequencies is shorter than
that of high frequencies; in the right position it is longer. As a rule of thumb, steel and glass are
found in the left position, nylon in the center position, and wood in the right position.
Typical Use
These modules are often used with a Mallet or Noise Mallet module, as shown in Figure 58.
The different Multimode modules can be cascaded to simulate coupling between structures as
illustrated by the following example.
Figure 58: Cascading of Multimode objects.
Note: see also Beam, Bowed Multimode, Marimba, Membrane, Plate and String.
6.47 Multi-sequencer
The Multi Sequencer module enables you to record sequences of notes. This module in itself
does not produce sound but is used, usually instead of a Keyboard module, to control instruments.
This module is a very complete 16-step sequencer, which means that it plays sequences or patterns
of 16 notes in loop. Sequences can be set to have 1 to 16 steps. Because each sequence represents a
bar containing four quarter notes, each step of the sequencer itself represents a sixteenth note. The
module can memorize 32 different sequences between which you can switch while playing. The
sequences can also be chained in any order with the Song mode.
This module has three inputs and seven outputs. the first input is a sync signal which controls
the tempo from an external source, the second is a start/stop input which will start the sequencer
when it goes form 0 to 1 volt and stop it when it goes from 1 to 0 volt. The signal can come from
another sequencer or a Keyboard. The third one is a reset input which will restart the sequence
from beginning when it goes from 0 to 1 volt. The first three outputs are the same as the inputs
(sync, start/stop, reset) and are used to control other sequencers. The fourth output is a gate signal
which can be used to trigger events, the fifth is the pitch signal, the sixth is the velocity signal and
the last is a slide signal used to trig a Portamento module to create a sliding effect between two
notes.
Creating Patterns
when looping. The sequencer will loop each time a pattern ends. To make the sequencer stop at
the end of a pattern, the once button must be clicked.
a Sync Lfo. The swing knob will introduce a swing feel to the rhythm of the pattern.
The pitch display controls the pitch output associated with each step of the sequencer. The
pitch signal varies by ±1 Volt per octave which implies a change of 1/12 Volt for a pitch variation
of 1 semitone. The value of the pitch can be changed by click-holding on the display and dragging.
Arrows on the keyboard can also be used once a display has been selected. The pitch signal is
calculated with respect to the C3 key (middle C) which outputs a value of 0 Volt. This implies that
the C2 key signal is -1 Volt and the C4 key is +1 Volt. Holding the Ctrl key (Windows) or Apple
key (Mac OS) will offset the value of all 16 pitch knobs. The fine buttons allows to adjust the value
of the pitch output from -63 to 64 cents of the coarse pitch value.
The velocity knobs control the velocity output. The velocity output generates values from 0 to
1 Volt. The shift knobs delays the output signal of a gate. The slide buttons are used to change
the duration of the output signal of a gate. When pressed, the slide button adjust the length of the
corresponding gate signal to 1/4 of a quarter note instead of the usual 1/8 of a quarter note. The
slide output signal will be equal to 1 Volt for duration of the gate signal. If the slide output is
connected to a Portamento module, the slide knob will create a glide effect between two notes.
The numbered gate buttons control the gate output signal. The output will generate a square
pulse of 1/8 of a quarter note with an amplitude of 1 Volt for each active gate buttons. To hear a
step, the gate button must be clicked (green light on). The loop buttons are used to set the length
of the Pattern from 1 to 16 steps.
Song Mode
The sequencer can play patterns individually or in a programmed order using a song. The song
mode is activated by placing the mode selector to song. The sequencer can hold 8 songs. A song
can hold up to 1000 events. The sequencer will loop each time a song ends. To make the sequencer
stop at the end of a song, the once button must be clicked.
Five parameters are associated with each pattern on the square display: pattern, primary loop
point (L), primary loop times (PRI), secondary loop times (SEC) and play mode (MODE). Each of
the parameters on the window is adjusted by clicking-holding and dragging. The keyboard arrows
can also be used once a parameter has been selected. The pattern parameter determines the pattern
to be played for a given event, from A1 to D8.The primary loop is a group of events that will be
played a number of times equal to the value of the primary loop times (PRI) parameter. In order
to program a primary loop of events, the beginning and the end of the loop must be selected by
the primary loop point parameter. This parameter has 3 values: none (-), start (S) and end (E).
Selecting start sets the return point of the loop to a given event and activates the primary loop times
parameter, which can be set from 1 to 99. Selecting end (E) in any subsequent event will make the
sequencer return to the start event until the number of loops is reached. Note that placing a primary
loop inside another one will not produce the desired effect. The secondary loop times parameter
sets the number of times an event will be played before switching to the next. It can be set from 1
to 99. The play mode parameter change the play mode of the sequencer. The sequencer will stay in
the selected play mode for the next events. In order to make song programming easier, use of the
play from position (PFP) button is useful. It allows to start the song from a selected event. When
clicked, the first event in the edit window will be remembered as the first and return event of the
song.
Editing a song
The song info window at the top of the event window displays the event currently being played or
selected with the wheel located at the right of the event window. Events can be removed from a
song by clicking on the “-” button on the right of the song info window. Pressing on the “+” button
inserts a new event after the event currently selected.
Note: see also Control Voltage Sequencer, Control Voltage Sequencer with Songs, Single
Gate Sequencer, Single Gate Sequencer with Songs, Dual Gate Sequencer and Dual Gate
Sequencer with Songs.
6.48 Nand 111
6.48 Nand
The Nand module performs the inverse of the logical AND operation. The one output of this
module is either 1 (true) or 0 (false) depending on the values sent to the two inputs. This module
has no front panel. The following diagram shows the output value depending on the values in the
two inputs.

1 1 0
1 0 1
0 1 1
0 0 1
Table 2: Nand module output as a function of its inputs.
than 0.1 Volts.
6.49 Noise
The Noise module outputs white noise. It has no input and one output, the noise signal. This
module has no front panel.
Typical Use
The Noise module can be used as a sound source in analog synthesizers. It can be used to create
percussion sounds or special effects.
6.50 Noise mallet
The Noise Mallet module can be used as an alternative to the Mallet

module. This module outputs the same signal as the Mallet module, but, in
addition to the impact noise, it also generates white noise. The force of the
impact is adjusted with the strength knob, while the stiffness of the mallet,
related to its material, is varied with the stiffness knob.
This module has one output, the impact signal, and three inputs. The first
input triggers the mallet every time a low-to-high transition is encountered
in the input signal. This input is usually connected to the gate signal from a
Keyboard module. Note that the Noise Mallet can also be triggered manu-
ally by using the trig button on the front panel. The second input signal modulates the stiffness of
the mallet relative to the value selected with the stiffness knob. The amplitude of the modulation is
6.51 Nor 112
adjusted with the mod1 knob. The greater the amplitude, the greater the stiffness. This modulation
input is used, for example, when a variation of the stiffness of the mallet with the note played is
desired. When the knob is adjusted in its center position and when this input is connected to a pitch
signal, the stiffness exactly follows the pitch variation so as to ensure that the spectral content (or
color) of the sound produced by a structure is uniform when the pitch is varied. The third input
modulates the strength of the impact relative to the adjustment of the strength knob. This input is
generally connected to a velocity signal which allows you to increase the force of the impact. The
amplitude of this modulation signal is adjusted with the mod2 knob.

• Strength: value of the impact force (value between 0 and 2).
• Stiffness: value of mallet stiffness (value between 1 and 20 000).
Note: See also Mallet.
6.51 Nor
The Nor module performs the inverse of the OR logic operation. The one output of this module is
either 1 (true) or 0 (false) depending on the values sent to the two inputs. This module has no front
panel. The following diagram shows the output value depending on the values in the two inputs.
than 0.1 Volts.

1 1 0
1 0 0
0 1 0
0 0 1
Table 3: Nor module output as a function of its inputs.
6.52 Not
The Not module performs the logical not operation. The one output of this module is either 1 (true)
or 0 (false) depending on the values its one input receives. The module outputs false when the input
is true and outputs true when the input is false.
than 0.1 Volts.
6.53 On/Off, On/Off2, On/Off3, On/Off4 113
6.53 On/Off, On/Off2, On/Off3, On/Off4
The On/Off, On/Off 2, On/Off 3 and On/Off 4 switch modules have respectively
one to four inputs and one to four outputs. Their behavior is very simple: when the
buttons are in the Off position, the output is zero regardless of the input signals and
when the buttons are pushed in the On position, the output signal is the exact copy of
the input signals. The transition between the two states (On/Off ) is smoothed in order
to avoid clicks when turning the switches On or Off.
Typical Use
An On/Off switch can be used as a mute button or to create modulation matrices.
Figure 59: On/Off switch used to mute the output of a VCO module
Note: See also Volume, Slider, Gain, Selector.
6.54 Or
The OR module performs an OR logic operation. The one output of this module is either 1 (true)
or 0 (false) depending on the values sent to the two inputs. To deliver 1 at the output, either one or
the two inputs must receive a value of 1, otherwise the output will deliver a value of 0. This module
has no front panel. The following diagram shows the output value depending on the values in the
two inputs.
than 0.1 Volts.

1 1 1
1 0 1
0 1 1
0 0 0
Table 4: Or module output as a function of its inputs.

6.55 Organ 114
6.55 Organ
The Organ module simulates a simple polyphonic street pipe organ. Every
note played on the organ excites a pipe of different length, thereby changing the
pitch. This module has three inputs and one output. The first input is a gate signal,
generally that from a Keyboard. The second input is the driving pressure signal and
is generally connected to the output from an ADSR module or the gate signal from
a Keyboard module. Finally, the third input is a pitch signal generally connected to
the pitch output from a Keyboard. The output signal is the sound produced by the
instrument.
Three parameters can be adjusted while playing. The noise knob sets the amount
of turbulence noise in the sound. The tone knob controls the jet behavior which affects the tone
color of the organ sound. The labium knob sets the position of the edge of the labium of each organ
pipe relative to the jet. In its center position, the jet blows exactly in front of the pipe labium
Typical Use
This module is generally played with a Polykey module as shown in Figure 60.
Figure 60: An Organ module controlled with a Polykey.
Note: This module is designed to be played with a Polykey or Polyvkey module. Although it
works with one voice, you will hear clicks with note changes as the output switches abruptly from
one pipe to the other. For monophonic flute-like sounds, use the Flute module.
6.56 Outlet (1-12)
These modules are used to define the outputs of a sub-patch so that it can be connected in another
patch. These modules have no output but between 1 and 12 inputs which are connected to the
outputs of the sub-patch which you want to connect to inputs in another construction. These inputs
will correspond to the outputs of the sub-patch icon which will appear in the construction window
when later you include this sub-patch in another construction. These modules have no front panel.
Sub-patches may have between 0 and 12 inputs and 0 and 12 outputs but they must always
have at least one input or output. As soon as an Inlet or Outlet module is included in a patch, the
6.57 Panpot 115
Tassman Builder will consider that you want to define the current patch as a sub-patch and will save
it as so in the Sub-Patches folder of the Browser. You can then use it just like any other module.
Typical Use
A sub-patch is created with an Inlet or Outlet module or both. The outputs of the sub-patch are
determined by connecting them to an Outlet module. See example of Figure 49 under Inlet.
Note: See also the Inlets (1-12) modules.
6.57 Panpot
The Panpot module (panoramic potentiometer) is used to position a sound source

in stereo space by adjusting the relative amplitude of signals sent to the left and right
channels of the sound card. This module has two inputs and two outputs. The first
input is the signal to be panned, and the second is a modulation signal that can affect
the relative amount of right and left distribution of the signal. The Panpot distributes
the first input between the two outputs in such a way that the power remains constant,
i.e. (IN 1)2 = (OU T 1)2 + (OU T 2)2 . When there is 0 Volts on the second input
or when the mod knob is set to zero, the pan knob alone controls the distribution of
the input signal over the two outputs. When the pan knob is turned to the left, all
the signal goes to output 1 (left); turned to the right, all the signal goes to output 2
(right); and in the center position (green LED on) the signal is equally distributed between the two
channels.
The second input is used to control the Panpot through an external signal. The strength of this
effect can be adjusted using the mod knob. A negative value of the input moves the source toward
the left, while a positive input moves it to the right. The resulting source position depends on the
combination of both the pan knob position and the input modulation signal.
Typical Use
The Panpot is often used for positioning a sound in stereo space such as shown in Figure 61. Or it
can be used for producing special effects using the modulation input as illustrated in Figure 62.
Figure 61: Panpot used for Stereo Output.

6.58 Phaser 116
Figure 62: Panpot modulated by LFO.

• Angle: default source position. A value of 0 positions the source on the left, 0.5 in the middle
and 1 on the right.
• Range: determines the maximum possible amount of source excursion from its original po-
sition, varies between 0 and 0.5 (90 degrees).
6.58 Phaser
The Phaser module implements the effect known as “phasing” which

colors a signal by removing frequency bands from its spectrum. The effect
is obtained by changing the phase of the frequency components of a signal
using an all-pass filter and adding this new signal to the original one. This
module has two inputs and one output. The first input is the audio signal
to be phased and the second input is a modulation signal that varies the
phase variations introduced in the spectrum of the first input signal. The
output is the phased signal.
The algorithm implemented in this module is shown in Figure 63. The
input signal is sent into a variable fourth order all-pass filter. This “wet” signal is then mixed down
with the original “dry” signal. A feedback line allows the resulting signal to be re-injected into the
filter. The effect of the Phaser module is to introduce rejection in the spectrum of the input signal
depending on the tuning of the filter.
The all-pass filter modifies a signal by delaying its frequency components with a delay which
increases with the frequency. This phase variations will introduce a certain amount of cancellation
when this “wet” signal is mixed down with the original “dry” signal as shown in Figure 64. The
rejection is maximum when the phase delay is equal to 180 degrees and a given component is out of
phase with that of the original signal. The amount of effect is determined by the ratio of “wet” and
“dry” signal mixed together as shown in Figure 64. As the amount of “wet” signal sent to the output
is reduced, the amount of rejection increases. The shape of the frequency of the Phaser module is
also influenced by the amount of “wet” signal re-injected into the feedback loop. Increasing the
feedback enhances frequency components least affected by the all-pass filter. As the feedback is
6.58 Phaser 117
mix
Fourth order
+ All Pass Filter
Output Signal
feedback
Input Signal
Figure 63: Phaser algorithm.
increased, these peaks become sharper. The functioning of the Phaser is very similar to that of the
Flanger module. The filtering effect is different however, since the Phaser module only introduces
rejection around two frequencies which, in addition, are not in an harmonic relationship.
Light effect (mix=0.1)
Amp Medium effect (mix=0.25)
Strong effect (mix=0.5)

0 dB
250 Hz 2435 Hz Frequency
Figure 64: Frequency response of a Phaser module. Effect of the mix between “wet” and “dry”
signal on the frequency response.
Tuning
The location of the first notch in the frequency response of the module is adjusted with the fre-
quency knob and is displayed, in Hertz, in the counter next to the knob. This frequency can be
modulated by using the second input of the module, the amount of modulation depending on the
adjustment of the depth knob. In the left position, there is no modulation and the frequency re-
mains fixed while in the right position, with a modulation signal varying between [-1,1] Volt, the
6.59 Pickup 118
frequency varies between 0 and twice the value set with the frequency knob. The feedback knob is
used to fix the amount of “wet” signal re-injected into the delay. Finally, the mix knob determines
the amount of “dry” and “wet” signal sent to the output. When this knob is adjusted in the left
position, only “dry” signal is sent to the output, in its center position (green LED On), there is an
equal amount of “dry” and “wet” signal in the output and in the right position, only “wet” signal is
sent to the output.
Typical Use
The output from a LFO module can be used to control the filtering of a signal (the output of a VCO
for example) with a Phaser module as shown in Figure 65.
Figure 65: Phaser modulated with an LFO module.
A wah-wah effect is obtained by using much feedback. This has the effect of increasing the
peak in the frequency response located between the two notches in the curve. In these conditions
the module acts as bandpass filter.
• frequency: frequency, in Hertz, of the first notch in the frequency response of the filter,
[50,2000] Hertz.
• feedback: coefficient,[0, 1[, determining amount of “wet” signal re-injected into the filter.
If feedback = 0 there is no “wet” signal re-injected while if feedback = 0.99, maximum of
“wet” signal re-injected.
• depth: gain coefficient, [0,1], multiplying the modulation signal.
• mix: amount of “dry” and “wet” signal sent to output. If mix = 0 there is only dry signal
while if mix =1, there is only “wet” signal.
6.59 Pickup
The Pickup module simulates the function of magnetic pickup coils which are used, for example,
in electric guitars and electric pianos. This type of transducer is sensitive to the motion of metallic
6.59 Pickup 119
objects (such as a string or a beam) near the pickup. As such an object vibrates near a pickup, the
latter outputs an oscillating signal determined by the varying distance between the object and the
pickup. The waveform of the output signal can be varied by adjusting the pickup position relative
to the object.
The Pickup module has one input and one output. The input can be any
oscillating signal that one wants to process through the Pickup. The shape of
the output signal depends on the settings of the controls on the module front.
The symmetry and distance knobs are used to adjust the position of the pickup
relative to a signal source as shown in Figure 6.59. The pickup can be posi-
tioned precisely in front of the source by adjusting the symmetry knob in the
center position (green LED on). The position of the pickup determines both the
amplitude of the signal transmitted by the pickup and the amount of “distortion”
applied to the input signal. Distortion occurs because the distance between the
vibrating source and the pickup does not vary in the same way as the original
vibrating motion. The ampin and ampout knobs on the front panel determine the gain of amplifiers
placed respectively at the input and output of the pickup module.
symmetry
pickup magnet
pickup coil vibrating object
distance
Figure 66: Symmetry and distance settings in a Pickup module.
Typical Use
Figure 67: A Pickup is used to create an electric piano.

6.60 Pitch Wheel 120
The Pickup module is used in Figure 67 to construct an electric piano. In Figure 68, a Pickup
module is used as a distortion. The effect is applied to the signal coming out from a Polyphonic
Mixer.
Figure 68: A Pickup used as a distortion.

• symmetry: vertical position of the pickup relative to the oscillating object. This parameter
varies between -2 and 2, 0 is exactly in front of the object.
• distance: proportional to the horizontal distance between the oscillating object and the
pickup. Varies between 0.1 and 2.
• ampin: gain of amplifiers placed at the input of the pickup module.
• ampout: gain of amplifiers placed at the output of the pickup module.
6.60 Pitch Wheel
The Pitch wheel module reads the signal from the pitch wheel of a keyboard. The output signal
lies between -1 and +1, its value depending on the position of the pitch wheel. The output signal
is equal to 0 when the pitch wheel is not moving. This module has no input and no front panel
control.

• MIDI channel: MIDI channel used by the pitch wheel.
6.61 Plate
The Plate module simulates sound production by rectangular plates of different materials and sizes.
This module first calculates the modal parameters corresponding to plate-shaped objects according
to the value of the different parameters requested at construction time and, next, calls the Multi-
mode module to simulate the sound. The module has one output, the sound produced by the plate,
and three inputs. The first input signal is a damping signal which, depending on its value, lowers
or raises dampers on the structure. When the input signal is equal to 0, dampers are lowered on
6.62 Player 121
the plate thus shortening the decay time of the sound produced by the structure. When the signal is
greater than 0, dampers are raised. Note that this damping adds to the natural damping of the plate
itself. If this input is not connected to any other module, the default value is set at 0 which implies
that the plate motion will be damped. This input is, therefore, usually connected to a Constant
module to obtain undamped motion or to a Damper module or the gate signal from a Keyboard
in order to vary the damping while playing. The second input signal is the force signal exciting the
plate and the third is a pitch modulation.

• Length: the length, in meters, of the plate.
• Width: the width, in meters, of the plate.
• Frequency: fundamental frequency, in Hertz, of the plate beam when there is no pitch modu-
lation signal or when its value is equal to 0. Note that the fundamental frequency is indepen-
dent of the size of the plate. The software automatically calculates the physical parameters
convenient when controlling a Plate module with a Keyboard module.
• Decay: proportional to the decay time of the sound produced by the plate.
load.
• Excitation point-x: x-coordinate, in meters, of impact point from the lower left corner of the
plate.
• Excitation point-y: y-coordinate, in meters, of impact point from the lower left corner of the
plate.
plate.
plate.
module.
6.62 Player
The Player module is used to read sound files from a disk. This module has one input and two
outputs, the latter being the left and right channel from the signal read from the sound file. When
the sound file is mono, both output pins carry the same signal. The outputs from the Player can
6.62 Player 122
be sent to any other module for processing. The input signal is a gate signal, typically the gate
signal from a Keyboard, or a Sequencer which triggers the Player according to the gate-trig-
none selector. When the selector is at the gate position, the Player starts whenever a low-to-high
transition occurs and stops whenever a high-to-low transition occurs. When the selector is at the
trig position, the Player starts whenever a low-to-high transition occurs. When the selector is at
the none position, the gate signal is ignored. Every time the Player module is triggered, it starts to
play again the file from the beginning even if it has not yet reached the end of the file.
The Playermodule can also be started by pressing on the play button. If

the Player was already playing a file, pressing on the play button makes the
module start playing again from the beginning. The Player module can be
stopped by pressing on the stop button. The Player can also be put in a loop
mode by pressing on the loop button. In this mode the Player will start to play
again the file from the beginning when it reaches the end of the recording and
will keep on doing this until the stop button is pressed.
The Player first starts to play an empty sound file. One can select a given
file by pressing on the select button (located above the play button) which will
make a browse window appear on the screen. Sound files can also be drag’n’dropped on the Player
module. The name of the file currently playing appears on the module front panel while its format
is indicated by the red LEDs on the bottom-left of the module.
Another way to have the Player playing a given file is to load a file and then save a preset with
the save arrow on the lower left corner of the module panel. The Player will play the same file the
next time the preset is loaded.
Typical Use
In the example of Figure 82 under Shifter, a sample played with the Player module is pitch-shifted.
Notes: When small sound files are involved, it may be advantageous to preload the file in memory
using the preload button.
In order to facilitate the exchange of patches and presets between them, users are encouraged
to copy their sound files in the folder which name appears in the General Preferences dialog box.
File format supported

• PC: mono, stereo 8 or 16-bit wave files. The sampling rate of the file must match the sam-
pling rate of the audio settings.
• Mac: any AIFF, AIFC, Wave or MP3 file readable by QuickTime.
See also the Recorder and Recorder2 modules.

6.63 Plectrum 123
6.63 Plectrum
The Plectrum module is used to simulate the excitation of a string when it is

plucked by a finger or a pick. The output of this module is the force signal applied
by the plectrum on the string. Before a string starts to vibrate, the plectrum moves
the string. A force is supplied to the string while the plectrum and the string are in
contact. The shape of the force signal is dependent on the stiffness of the plectrum
which can be adjusted with the stiffness knob. The harder the pick, the sharper the
force signal while a soft plectrum results in a smoother signal. The amplitude of
this force signal is adjusted with the strength knob.
This module has four inputs. The first input triggers the plectrum every time a low-to-high
transition is encountered in the input signal. This input is usually connected to the gate signal
from a Keyboard module. Note that the Plectrum can also be triggered manually by using the
trig button on the front panel. The second input signal modulates the stiffness of the plectrum
relative to the value selected with the stiffness knob. The amplitude of the modulation is adjusted
with the mod1 gain knob. The greater the amplitude, the greater the stiffness. This modulation
input is used, for example, when a variation of the stiffness of the plectrum with the note played is
desired. When the knob is adjusted in its center position and when this input is connected to a pitch
signal, the stiffness exactly follows the pitch variation so as to ensure that the spectral content (or
color) of the sound produced by a structure is uniform when the pitch is varied. The third input also
modulates the stiffness but in the reverse manner of the second input which implies that the stiffness
decreases when the input signal increases. This input is usually connected to the velocity output
from a keyboard module which implies that the plectrum softens as the impact velocity increases.
The amplitude of this input is adjusted with the mod2 gain knob. The last input modulates the
amplitude of the force signal relative to the adjustment of the strength knob. This input is also
generally connected to a velocity signal in order to increase the amplitude of force supplied by the
plectrum with the velocity signal. The amplitude of this modulation signal is adjusted with the
mod3 gain knob.
Typical Use
A Plectrum can be used to excite a String module as in the following example.
Figure 69: A Plectrum module exciting a String.

6.64 Polykey 124

• Strength: value of the impact force (value between 0 and 2).
• Stiffness: value of plectrum stiffness (value between 1 and 20000).
6.64 Polykey
The Polykey module reads signal from a MIDI keyboard and is used to create
polyphonic instruments. This module must always be used in combination with a
Polymixer module. A polyphonic patch is created by inserting modules between a
Polykey and a Polymixer module as shown in Figure 70. Tassman will automati-
cally duplicate the modules appearing between the Polykey and Polymixer module
one time for each voice requested during construction in the Polykey module edit
pop-up menu. The outputs of the different voices of the polyphonic patch are mixed
by the Polymixer module. The resulting signal, coming out from the Polymixer
module can then be sent to any other module. The front panel of the different mod-
ules included in a polyphonic section of a patch are only mapped once on the Player.
This means that every voice of the patch is similarly affected by the settings of the front panel con-
trols. Keep in mind that the computational load inevitably increases with the number of voices.
This means that the number of voices that can be played really depends on the complexity of the
patch one is playing and on the computer processing power.
The Polykey module has no input and two outputs which are similar, for every voice, to that of
a Keyboard module. The first output is the gate signal. It is equal to 0 Volt when no key is played,
and 1 Volt when a key is played. The second output signal is the pitch signal. The pitch signal
varies by 1 Volt per octave which implies a change of 1/12 Volt for a pitch variation of 1 semitone.
The pitch signal is calculated with respect to the C3 key (middle C) which outputs a value of 0
Volt. This means that, for example, the C2 key signal is -1 Volt and that of the C4 key is +1 Volt.
The stretch knob on the interface is used to simulate stretched tuning used on instruments such
as pianos. Turned to the left, low notes will be tuned higher and high notes lower (inner stretch);
turned to the right, low notes will be tuned lower and high notes will be higher (outer stretch). In
the center position, the tuning will be equal. The error knob introduces some randomness in the
pitch signal. Turned to the left, no error is outputted and the pitch signal is perfect; as the knob is
turned to the right, errors will start to appear causing small fluctuations in pitch. The effect of this
knob is to simulate pitch variations found in analog synths.
Typical Use
A polyphonic instrument is created by inserting modules between a Polykey and a Polymixer

module as shown in Figure 70. The number of voices is determined during construction.
6.65 Polymixer 125
Figure 70: Creating a polyphonic synth with a Polykey and Polymixer module.

• pitch wheel range: determines the range of pitch variation that can be obtained with the pitch
wheel. The convention is 1 Volt/octave (maximum value is 2 Volts). A semitone is equal to
a 0.08333 value.
• number of voices: number of voices requested for the modules enclosed within a Polykey
and Polymixer module.
Note: see also the Keyboard, Vkeyboard and Polyvkey modules.
6.65 Polymixer
The Polymixer mixes the outputs of the different voices of a polyphonic patch. This module is
always used in combination with a Polykey or Polyvkey module. A polyphonic patch is created by
inserting modules between a Polykey or a Polyvkey and a Polymixer. Tassman will automatically
reproduce the modules appearing between the Polykey and Polymixer module one time for each
voice requested during construction in the Polykey or Polyvkey module edit pop-up menu. The
output of the Polymixer module is the sum of the outputs of the different voices of the polyphonic
patch. The front panel of the different modules included in a polyphonic section of a patch are only
mapped once on the Player. This means that all the voices of the patch are similarly affected by the
settings of the front panel controls. Keep in mind that the computational load inevitably increases
with the number of voices. This means that the number of voices that can be played really depends
on the complexity of the patch one is playing and on the computer processing power. You can use
multiple Polymixer modules in an instrument.
Typical Use
See the example of Figure 70 under Polykey.

6.66 Polyvkey 126
6.66 Polyvkey
Similar to the Polykey module except that there is an additional output which
is proportional to the velocity with which the key was pressed. The stretch knob
on the interface is used to simulate stretched tuning used on instruments such as
pianos. Turned to the left, low notes will be tuned higher and high notes lower
(inner stretch); turned to the right, low notes will be tuned lower and high notes will
be higher (outer stretch). In the center position, the tuning will be equal. The error
knob introduces some randomness in the pitch signal. Turned to the left, no error
is outputed and the pitch signal is perfect; as the knob is turned to the right, errors
will start to appear causing small fluctuations in pitch. The effect of this knob is to
simulate pitch variations found in analog synths. The velo knob adjusts the velocity
curve of the Polyvkey. In the center position, the curve is linear. Turned to the left, the velocity
increases more quickly; conversely, turning the knob to the right results in a slower velocity curve.

• number of voices: number of voices requested for the modules enclosed within a Polykey
and Polymixer module.
Note: see also the Keyboard, Vkeyboard and Polykey modules.
6.67 Portamento
The Portamento module is an integrator and is used to smooth a signal. The

module has two inputs: a gate signal which turns it on or off, and the signal to be
smoothed. The output of the Portamento is the input signal smoothed according
to the time constant set by the glide knob. The higher the time constant, the slower
the response of the Portamento.
When the front panel on/off switch is on, the gate signal is ignored and the
input signal is always smoothed. When the switch is off the input signal is only
smoothed if the gate signal is greater than 0.1 Volt, otherwise the output is a copy
of the input. The following figure shows the Portamento behavior.
6.67 Portamento 127
amp
time =1s
time=0.25s
time=0.1s
input signal
time
Figure 71: Behavior of Portamento as a function of time constant.
amp +1V +1V
gate signal
time
amp
input signal
time
amp
output signal
time
Figure 72: Portamento triggered by gate signal.
Typical Use
The Portamento is often used to create a glissando effect between two notes. Figure 45 shows
a complete example of a Portamento triggered by a gate signal (when the on/off switch is off).
The Portamento is frequently inserted between a Keyboard module and a VCO to smooth the note
output of the Keyboard as shown in Figure 46. It is then switched on or off manually.
6.68 Recorder 128
Figure 73: Portamento used with Keyboard.

• glide time: sets the time constant of the integrator (values between 0.01s and 10s); the higher
the time constant the slower the response of the integrator.
6.68 Recorder
The Recorder module is used to record the output of an instrument to a

sound file. This module has two inputs which are respectively the left and right
channel signals to be recorded.
Recording is triggered by pressing on the record button which has a red
LED on it. Recording is stopped by pressing on the stop button located below
the record button. One can record to a specific file by pressing on the load
button located above the record button which will make a browse window ap-
pear on the screen. The name of the file being written onto is displayed above
the select button. The file format is determined by the settings in the browse
window.
The recorded signal is not compressed so that it can be reloaded again without any loss. How-
ever, when the amplitude of the signal is too high, it will be clipped according to the “Soft Clip”
selector on the panel. When clipping occurs during a recording, the red clip LED is switched ON
and remains ON until the record button is pressed again.
Notes:
• Because the Recorder starts recording at the beginning of the file, it will erase what might
already have been recorded. The Recorder has the same behavior if you press on stop and
press on the record button again without changing the destination file.
• For the saturation characteristics of the soft clip, refer to the Audio Out module.

• PC: stereo 16-bit wave files. The sampling rate will match the sampling rate of the audio
settings.
• Mac: stereo 16-bit wave or AIFF files.
6.69 Recorder2 129
See also the Player and Recorder2 modules.
6.69 Recorder2
The Recorder2 module is used to record the output of an instrument to a

sound file. This module has 3 inputs which are respectively the gate signal and
the left and right channel signals to be recorded.
Recording is triggered from the module front panel or from the gate signal
according to the gate-trig-none selector. When the selector is at the gate posi-
tion, the Recorder2 module starts recording whenever a low-to-high transition
occurs and stops recording whenever a high-to-low transition occurs. When the
selector is at the trig position, the Recorder2 module starts recording whenever
a low-to-high transition occurs. When the selector is at the none position, the
gate signal is ignored.
Recording can also be stopped by pressing on the stop button located below the record button.
One can record to a specific file by pressing on the load button located above the record button
which will make a browse window appear on the screen. The name of the file being written onto
is displayed above the select button. The file format is determined by the settings in the browse
window.
The recorded signal is not compressed so that it can be reloaded again without any loss. How-
ever, when the signal’s amplitude is too high, it will be clipped according to the “Soft Clip” selector
on the panel. When clipping occurs during a recording, the red clip LED is switched ON and re-
mains On until another recording is initiated.
Notes:
• Because the Recorder2 starts recording at the beginning of the file, it will erase what might
already have been recorded. The Recorder2 has the same behavior if you press on stop and
press on the record button again without changing the destination file or if the recording is
initiated from the gate signal.
• For the saturation characteristics of the soft clip, refer to the Audio Out module.

• PC: stereo 16-bit wave files. The sampling rate will match the sampling rate of the audio
settings.
• Mac: stereo 16-bit wave or AIFF files.
Note: See also the Player and Recorder modules.

6.70 Reverberator 130
6.70 Reverberator
The Reverberator module is used to recreate the effect of the

reflexion of sound on the walls of a room or a hall. These reflex-
ions add spaciousness to the sound and make it warmer, deeper,
and more “real”. This makes sense as we always listen to instru-
ments in a room and thus with a room effect. This module has
two inputs, the left and right source signals and its two outputs
are these signals as they would be heard in a given room.
Impulse Response of a Room
The best way to evaluate the response of a room is to clap hands

and to listen to the resulting sound. Figure 74 shows the amplitude of the impulse response of a
room versus time. The first part of the response is the clap itself, the direct sound, while the remain-
ing of the response is the effect of the room which can itself be divided in two parts. Following the
direct sound, one can observe a certain amount of echoes which gradually become closer and closer
until they can not be distinguished anymore and can be assimilated to an exponentially decaying
signal. The first part of the room response is called the early reflexion while the second is called the
late reverberation. The total duration of the room response is called the reverberation time (TR).
Amp dB
Direct Sound Room Response
Time
Early reflexions Late Reverberation
Reverberation Time (TR)
Figure 74: Impulse response of a room.
Adjusting the room effect
The size of a room strongly affects the reverberation effect. The size button is used to choose this
size from small (1) to large hall (4). The duration of the reverberation time (TR) depends on both
the size of the room and the absorption of the walls, which can be adjusted with the decay knob. In
a real room the reverberation time is not constant over the whole frequency range. As the walls are
6.70 Reverberator 131
often more absorbent in the very low and in the high frequencies the reverberation time is shorter
for these frequencies. This can be adjusted in the Reverberator module with the low and high
decay knobs. Another parameter which affects the response of a room is its geometry; the more
complex the geometry of a room, the more reflexion are observed per unit of time. This quantity is
known as the time density and can be set trough the diffusion knob. In a concert all the time density
is supposed to be quite high in order not to hear separate echoes which are characteristic of poor
sounding rooms.
The last parameter which affects our listening experience in a room, is the distance between
the sound source and the listener. While the room response is quite constant regardless of the
position of the source and the listener, the direct sound (the sound which comes directly from the
source) depends strongly on the position of the listener. The farther we are from the sound source
the quieter is the direct sound relatively to the room response. The ratio between the direct sound
and the room response is adjusted with the mix knob which in other words is used to adjust the
perceived distance between the source and the listener. In its leftmost position, only the direct
sound is heard while when fully turned to the right, one only hears the room response.
One important feature taken into account by the Reverberator module is the difference be-
tween the signal reaching the left and right ear. In the first part of the response, the echoes are
panned right and left from the position of the source in the stereo space helping to create the sensa-
tion of space and in the second part of the response (the late reverberation) the signals from the left
and right channel are uncorrelated which is an important property of the “diffused field” observed
in real rooms.
Typical Use
In Figure 75, a panpot is used to position a mono signal in the stereo space before adding a room
effect with a Reverberator module.
Figure 75: Adding a room effect to a mono signal.
Note: A Reverberator is included in the output stage effect stage as explained in Section 4.8.
See also Tube Reverb
6.71 RMS 132
6.71 RMS
The RMS (Root Mean Square) module is an envelope follower. Its output is the root mean square of
the input signal. The inverse of the integration time (1/τ ) is set during construction and determines
the response time of the circuit. This module has no front panel control.
amp amp amp

input signal ouput signal output signal
T=0.1s T=0.01s
time time time
Figure 76: RMS value of a signal.
Typical Use
This module can be used to extract the envelope of a signal as in the following example:
Figure 77: RMS Module Used to Extract Volume.
In the example of Figure 51, Root Mean Square modules are used to make a vocoder. The
RMS modules are used to extract the envelope of different frequency bands of an audio signal from
a Player (typically a voice recording) which is then used to modulate the amplitude of correspond-
ing frequency bands in the signal from a VCO.

• Cutoff frequency: Inverse of the integration time (in Hertz, values between 0.2 and 100). Sets
the response time of the circuit.
6.72 Sample & Hold 133
Figure 78: Use of RMS in Vocoder.
6.72 Sample & Hold
The Sample & Hold module performs a sample & hold function. It has two
inputs, the first a triggering signal and the second the signal to be sampled. The
module has one output which holds the last sampled value of the second input. The
second input is sampled every time a low-to-high transition is detected in the signal
of the first input. The level of a signal is considered to be “high” for amplitudes
above 0.75 Volts while it is considered to be “low” for values below 0.25Volts. The
signal of the first input must drop again (below 0.25V) before it can trigger another
sample. This prevents minor variations (less than 0.5V) in the gate signal, due to
noise, from triggering a new sample. The hold button on the front panel is used to
manually sample the input signal independently of the value of the gate signal.
Typical Use
The Sample & Hold can be used with two LFOs for generating pseudo-random signals as shown in
Figure 80. One LFO acts as the trigger of the Sample & Hold module while the second generates
the signal to be sampled.
6.73 Sbandpass2 134
0.75V
0.25V
time
time
time
Figure 79: Behavior of Sample & Hold module.
Figure 80: A Sample & Hold module is used to generate pseudo random signals.
6.73 Sbandpass2
This module is a static second-order band-pass filter (-6dB/octave). It is the same as the Bandpass2
module but without the playing interface. The center frequency and resonance are static and set at
the time of construction.
Typical Use
See Vocoder example, Figure 78, under RMS module.

• Center frequency: frequency of the middle of the passing band.
6.74 Selector2, Selector3 and Selector4 135
• resonance: resonance around the center frequency.
6.74 Selector2, Selector3 and Selector4
The Selector module comes in 3 flavors: Selector2, Selector3 and Selector4.

These modules have 2, 3 or 4 inputs respectively and one output. The purpose of
these modules is to connect the input corresponding to the position of the knob on the
front panel to the output.
Typical Use
Selector modules can be used when one wants to change the cabling of a synth. It can
be useful, for example, to be able to choose between an ADSR or a LFO to modulate
the cutoff frequency of a filter.
Figure 81: A Selector2 switch is used to choose the modulation signal for the cutoff frequency of
a Vlowpass2 filter.
6.75 Shifter
The Shifter module is used to change the pitch of an audio sig-

nal. It functions similarly to analog hardware where a magnetic
tape is scrolled in front of a two head system. In this way the pitch
of the signal is changed without affecting the duration of the signal
(unlike the effect obtained by simply slowing down or accelerating
a tape).
This module has one output, the pitch shifted signal, and four
inputs. The first input signal is the audio signal to be shifted. The
pitch shift is adjusted with the coarse and fine knobs and the range
switch. When the two knobs are in their center position (green LEDs on for the coarse knob), the
range switch is set to 8 and there is no modulation signal, the playing frequency has a value of
6.76 Single Gate Sequencer 136
261.6 Hz, which corresponds to the C3 key on a piano (middle C). The range switch transposes the
pitch one or two octaves up or down. The reading on the counter gives the frequency of the output
signal, in Hertz, when there is no modulation signal. The second input is used to give the module
an estimate of the pitch of the original signal in order to minimize the artifacts it introduces. The
convention followed here is 1 Volt/octave where a value of 0 Volt is C3 (middle C on the piano). For
example, A3 is equivalent to a value of 9/12 Volts since this note is located 9 semitones above the
C3. This input is usually connected to a Constant module. If you are not certain of the pitch of the
original signal, you can use a Constant followed by a Volume module in order to tune this input
signal. Finally the third and fourth input signals are used to modulate the pitch variation relative to
the setting of the coarse, fine and range knobs and selectors. The gain of these modulation signals
are controlled with the mod1 and mod2 knobs. The total modulation signal is the sum of the two
inputs each multiplied by the gain corresponding to its respective mod knob. When the knobs are in
the center position (green LEDs on), the gain equals 1 and the pitch variation is 1 Volt/octave. This
position is used to play an equal temperament scale when connecting the output of a Keyboard.
Typical Use
In the example of Figure 82, a sample from a Player module is pitch-shifted with a Shifter, the
final pitch being controlled by the Keyboard. The pitch of the original sample is adjusted with a
Constant module.
Figure 82: A sample from the Player is pitch-shifted with a Shifter.
6.76 Single Gate Sequencer
The Single Gate Sequencer module enables you to record sequences of gates. This module in
itself does not produce sound but is used, usually instead of a Keyboard module, to trig other
modules such as a Player. This module is a 16-step sequencer, which means that it plays se-
quences or patterns of 16 notes in loop. Sequences can be set to have 1 to 16 steps. Because each
6.76 Single Gate Sequencer 137
sequence represents a bar containing four quarter notes, each step of the sequencer itself represents
a sixteenth note. The module can memorize 32 different sequences between which you can switch
while playing.
This module has three inputs and four out-

puts. the first input is a sync signal which con-
trols the tempo from an external source, the
second is a start/stop input which will start the
sequencer when it goes form 0 to 1 volt and
stop it when it goes from 1 to 0 volt. The sig-
nal can come from another sequencer or a Key-
board. The third one is a reset input which will
restart the sequence from beginning when it goes from 0 to 1 volt. The first three outputs are the
same as the inputs (sync, start/stop, reset) and are used to control other sequencers. The fourth
output is the gate signal which can be used as control source for other modules.
This sequencer has 16 gate buttons. The gate output will generate a square pulse of 1/8 of a
quarter note for each active gate button.
Creating Patterns
The sequencer will loop each time a pattern ends. To make the sequencer stop at the end of a
pattern, the once button must be clicked.
when looping.
The tempo display will adjust the speed of the pattern. The ext/int switch will determine if it
is the internal clock (int) that sets the tempo or an external source (ext) such as another sequencer
or a Sync Lfo. The swing knob will introduce a swing feel to the rhythm of the pattern. The gate
buttons control the gate output. The gate output will generate a square pulse of 1/8 of a quarter
note for each active gate buttons. To hear a step, the gate button must be clicked (green light on).
The loop buttons are used to set the length of the Pattern from 1 to 16 steps.
Typical Use
In the following example, two Single Gate Sequencers are synced together to control two Player
modules.
6.77 Single Gate Sequencer with Songs 138
Figure 83: Single Gate Sequencers controlling Player modules.
with Songs, Single Gate Sequencer with Songs, Dual Gate Sequencer and Dual Gate Se-
quencer with Songs.
6.77 Single Gate Sequencer with Songs
This module is the same as the Single Gate Sequencer but with song mode added. To read
more about song mode, please refer to the Multi Sequencer module documentation.
with Songs, Single Gate Sequencer, Dual Gate Sequencer and Dual Gate Sequencer with
Songs.
6.78 Slider 139
6.78 Slider
The Slider module is used to adjust the amplitude of a signal. It acts in the same
way as the Knob module. It has one input and one output. The output signal is the
input signal multiplied by a constant varying between 0 and 2 (+6dB).
Typical Use
The Slider module is used whenever the level of a signal must be adjusted.
Note: See also Gain, Selector, Volume.

6.79 Static Delay
The Static Delay is a simple delay line with no feedback. Its single input is
the signal to be delayed and its one output is the delayed signal. The delay time
is adjusted with the delay knob on the front panel. The delay can have a maximum
length of 5 seconds. To get a longer delay time, simply cascade multiple Static Delay
modules.
Typical Use
The Static Delay will often be used to delay the gate signal triggering an ADSR
module.
Note: See also Delay, Sync Delay and Sync Ping Pong Delay.
6.80 Stereo Audio In
The Stereo Audio In module is used to process external audio in Tassman. The outputs of this
module is the left and right signals received from a track or a bus of a host sequencer where the
Tassman has been inserted as an effect. This signal can be then be processed on the fly by Tassman
modules and then sent back to the track or the bus trough the use of an Audio Out or Stereo Audio
Out module.
6.81 Stereo Audio Out 140
Note: See also Audio In.
6.81 Stereo Audio Out
The Stereo Audio Out module is used to output stereo signals. It has two inputs, the
first sent to the left audio channel of the sound card, the second to the right channel. For
the saturation characteristics of this module, refer to the Audio Out module.
Typical Use
A stereo signal can be produced from a mono signal using a Panpot module. Here sound
sources one and two are transformed to stereo using the Panpot modules:
Figure 84: Use of Panpot module and a Stereo Audio Out to obtain a stereo output.
Note: See also Audio Out.
6.82 Stereo Chorus
The Stereo Chorus module implements a wide range of stereo

effects such as flanging, chorusing and vibrato. This module has
three inputs and two outputs. The first and second inputs are re-
spectively the left and right audio signals to be filtered while the
third input is a modulation signal. The outputs are respectively the
left and right filtered signals.
The Stereo Chorus module consists, as shown in Figure 58, of
two Flanger modules, one for the left channel and one for the right
channel, with cross feedback between the two channels.
6.82 Stereo Chorus 141
Input Signal
Output Left Signal
mix
+ left variable delay line
left feedback
+
cross feedback
+
right feedback
+ right variable delay line
mix Output Right Signal
Figure 85: Stereo Chorus module.
Tuning
The length of the delay lines associated with the left and right channel, are adjusted with the delay
left and delay right knob respectively. The length of the two lines are displayed, in milliseconds, in
the counter next to these knobs. The feedback knobs located on the right of the delay knobs are used
to fix the amount of “wet” signal re-injected into the left and right delay lines. The length of these
delay lines can be modulated by using the third input of the module, the amount of modulation
depending on the adjustment of the depth knob. In the left position, there is no modulation and
the delay lines remain fixed while in the right position, with a modulation signal varying between
[-1,1] Volt, the delay lines varies between 0 and twice the value set with the delay knobs. Note that
the modulation on the left and right channels can be set out of phase by pressing the inv button on
the right channel. The feedback knob located on the right of the depth knob is used to adjust the
amount of cross-feedback between the two channels. Finally, the mix knob determines the amount
of “dry” and “wet” signal sent to the output. When this knob is adjusted in the left position, only
“dry” signal is sent to the output, in its center position (green LED On), there is an equal amount
of “dry” and “wet” signal in the output and in the right position, only “wet” signal is sent to the
output.
6.83 String 142

• delay: time delay, in seconds, applied to the left and right input signals (values between [0,
92]ms).
• feedback: coefficient,[0, 1[, determining amount of “wet” signal re-injected into the delay
lines. If feedback = 0 there is no “wet” signal re-injected while if feedback = 0.99, maximum
of “wet” signal re-injected.
• depth: gain coefficient, [0,1], multiplying the modulation signal.
• mix: amount of “dry” and “wet” signal sent to left and right outputs. If mix = 0 there is only
dry signal while if mix =1, there is only “wet” signal.
Note: For typical uses, see Flanger module.
6.83 String
The String module simulates sound production by strings of different materials and sizes. This
module first calculates the modal parameters corresponding to string-shaped objects according to
module to simulate the sound. The module has one output, the sound produced by the string, and
three inputs. The first input signal is a damping signal which, depending on its value, lowers or
raises dampers on the structure. When the input signal is equal to 0, dampers are lowered on the
string, thus shortening the decay time of the sound produced by the structure. When the signal
is greater than 0, dampers are raised. Note that this damping adds to the natural damping of the
string itself. If this input is not connected to any other module, the default value is set at 0, which
implies that the string motion will be damped. This input is, therefore, usually connected to a
Constant module to obtain undamped motion or to a Damper module or the gate signal from a
Keyboard in order to vary the damping while playing. The second input signal is the force signal
exciting the string, and the third is a pitch signal which is multiplied by the gain corresponding to
the adjustment of the mod knob on the module front panel.
Typical Use
In the following example, the output from a String is filtered by a Plate module.
The default values of the following parameters is set at construction

• Length: the length, in meters, of the string.
• Frequency: fundamental frequency, in Hertz, of the string beam when there is no pitch mod-
dependent of the length of the string. The software automatically calculates the physical
6.84 Sync delay 143
Figure 86: A String exciting a Plate.
parameters necessary to obtain the required fundamental frequency. The default value of this
parameter is 261.62 Hz which corresponds to the middle C (C3) of a piano keyboard. This
setting is convenient when controlling a String module with a Keyboard module. Decay:
proportional to the decay time of the sound produced by the string.
• Inharmonicity: detunes the partial toward higher frequencies with respect to the fundamental.
This parameter has a value between 0 and 1 where 0 represents a perfect string.
load.
• Excitation point: x-coordinate, in meters, of impact point from the extremity of the string.
• Listening point: x-coordinate, in meters, of listening point from the extremity of the string.
module.
6.84 Sync delay
This modules is a simple delay line. Its main feature is that the delay time is
adjusted in steps relatively to a sync input. The first input of the module is used
to plug the sync input coming from a sequencer or from a Sync LFO. The second
input if the signal to be delayed. The output of the module is the same as the input
signal delayed by the amount of steps displayed in the front panel window, four steps
representing a quarter note. The LED light is illuminated when there is a sync signal
and the delay time does not exceed the delay line size.
Note: See also Delay, Static Delay and Sync Ping Pong Delay.
6.85 Sync LFO
The Sync LFO is a low frequency oscillator that can be synced to an external clock signal. The
sync signal can come from a Sequencer or another Sync LFO. This module generates signals at
6.86 Sync Ping Pong Delay 144
very low frequencies used as control signals rather than audio ones. It has two inputs and three
outputs. The first input is the sync input signal which is used to sync the module to an external
source. The second input resets the waveform at the beginning of its cycle each time a signal above
0.1 Volt is received. The first two outputs are the same as the first two inputs and are used to control
other Sync LFO or Sequencers. The third output is the waveform signal delivered by the module.
The module can generate four waveforms: sine, sawtooth, square and ran-
dom. The waveform is selected with the four position switch on the front panel.
The width of the waveform can be adjusted with the pw knob. The polarity
knob inverses the phase of the waveform. The reset knob enables one to man-
ually resets the waveform at the beginning of its cycle each time it is pressed.
The ext/int switch selects if the sync signal comes from another source (ext) or
the internal clock of the module (int). The green tempo display is used to set
the tempo of the module, to adjust it, click-hold on it and drag up or down. The
step control is used to multiply or divide the sync signal by the number of steps
indicated in the display. When the ext/int switch is set to ext the internal tempo
controls have no effect.
Typical Use
Two Sync LFO can be linked to create double synced modulation source for other modules.
6.86 Sync Ping Pong Delay
The Sync Ping Pong Delay is a module which generates echoes

that can be panned in order to regularly alternate between the left
and the right channel. This module has three inputs and two out-
puts. The first input is a sync signal from a Master Sync Input,
Sync LFO or a Sequencer module. The second and third inputs
are source signals sent into the left and right channel while the two
outputs of the module are the left and right channel output signal
respectively.
The algorithm implemented in this module is presented in Fig-
ure 87. It is based on two delay lines each including a low-pass filter. The signal at the end of each
delay line is fed back into the input of the other line with an attenuation coefficient. This algorithm
results in a signal traveling from one channel to the other, each time attenuated and filtered in the
high frequencies due to the gain factor and the presence of the low-pass filter.
Tuning the delay
The time knob sets the length of the delay line and therefore the time between echoes. When the
sync button is pressed, the sync signal from the first input of the module is used to determine the
6.86 Sync Ping Pong Delay 145
Left Input Left Ouput

Lowpass Left Delay Line
Pan Feedback Mix
Lowpass Right Delay Line Right Ouput

Right Input
Figure 87: Ping Pong Delay algorithm.
length of the delay line which is adjusted to fit the number of steps appearing in the display, four
steps representing a quarter note. The feedback knob is used to adjust the amount of signal re-
injected from the end of one line into the input of the other one. The cutoff knob controls the cutoff
frequency of the low-pass filter applied to the signal in the feedback loop and is used to reduce
the brightness of each echo. The pan knob is used to balance the input signals between the left
and right channels. In its leftmost position, signal will only be fed into the left delay line and one
will hear clearly defined echo first from the left channel and then from the right channel and so
on. In its rightmost position, the behavior will be similar but with the first echo coming from the
right channel. These two extreme position correspond to the standard ping pong effect but a a less
extreme behavior can be obtained by choosing an intermediate position. Finally, the mix knob is
used to control the amount of “dry” and “wet” signal in the output signal. In its leftmost position
only dry signal is sent to the output while when fully turned to the right, only wet signal is heard.
Typical Use
In Figure 88, a Sync Ping Pong Delay module is used to add a space effect to a mono signal.
Figure 88: Creating a stereo delay effect with mono signal.
Note: A Sync Ping Pong Delay is included in the output stage effect stage as explained in Sec-
tion 4.8. See also Delay and Sync Delay.
6.87 Toggle 146
6.87 Toggle
The Toggle module is a clock divider. This module has two inputs and one output. The first input is
the clock signal to be divided. The second input is used to reset the circuit. The output is the input
signal with a frequency divided by two. To perform this operation properly, this module should
only be used with clock signals in the first input.
6.88 Tone wheel
The Tone wheel module is used to build combo organs. It is

mainly based on a Hammond tone wheel but also allows to generate
different tone colors ranging from flute-like sounds (Hammond) to
reed-like sounds. This module has two inputs, a gate and a pitch
signal (1 Volt/octave), and one output, the signal produced by the
tone wheel.
Tuning
The nine buttons on the front panel are used to determine the note
played by the tone wheel. The different note possibilities follow har-
monic relationships and are labeled in feet (as a reference to pipe lengths in organs). When the
8b́utton is pressed, the tone wheel will play the note corresponding to the signal received on the
pitch input of the tone wheel (usually connected to the pitch output of a Keyboard module, con-
vention is 1 Volt/octave). When the 16b́utton is pressed the output is one octave below. The other
buttons, 5 1/3, 4, 2 2/3, 2, 1 3/5, 1 1/3, output a note a fifth, an octave, a twelfth, 2 octaves, 2 octaves
and a major third, 2 octaves and a fifth and 3 octaves above the pitch input respectively. The pitch
of the output can be fine tuned by plus or minus 3 semitones using the fine knob.
Switch effect
In addition to the sound of the tone wheel itself, the timbre of original hardware electric organs
also contains very typical noise components. This noise is due to two separate effects. First, when
a key is depressed on an organ, mechanical imperfections result in a slight random triggering delay
between tone wheels which has the effect of blurring the attack. The second component is a contact
noise. The Tone Wheel module reproduces this characteristic behavior of organs. When the switch
selector is in the left position there is no noise and the random delay is minimal. In the right
position, the amount of noise and random delay are maximum
6.89 Tremolo 147
Timbre
The timbre of the output of the tone wheel can be varied with the flute reed selector. In the left
position, the module outputs a sine-like tone. As the selector is turned to the right, the signal gets
distorted and evolves toward a triangle-like tone as its harmonic content increases.
Typical Use
Tone wheel modules are usually used in parallel. In the example of Figure 89, three modules
are connected to a polyphonic Keyboard module. Each of the Tone wheel module is tuned to a
different note in order to create a complex tone. The amplitude of every component of the tone can
be adjusted with a Volume slider reproducing drawbars on hardware organs.
Figure 89: A simple polyphonic organ.
6.89 Tremolo
This module has one input and two outputs. It applies a tremolo effect to
the input signal and outputs the resulting signal on the two outputs.
A tremolo effect consists in modulating the amplitude of a signal with a
low frequency wave. The speed and depth knobs of the front panel is used to
adjust the speed and depth (frequency) of the modulation wave respectively.
The waveform selector is used to switch between a triangle and square modu-
lation signal. With the mono/stereo switch in stereo position the tremolo will
bounce with a 180 degrees phase from left to right. When the switch is on
mono the left and right output signals are the same. The on switch is used to
switch the tremolo on or off. The red LED indicates the speed of the vibrato.
6.90 Tube 148
6.90 Tube
The Tube module simulates sound propagation in a cylindrical tube of a given

length and radius. The effect of a tube is to color an input signal by enhancing
frequencies located around its resonance frequencies. When the tube is very long, it
produces an echo effect. The source is assumed to be at an extremity of the tube. The
output of this module is the signal that would be measured by a microphone placed
at the other extremity of the tube. The geometry of the tube is determined during
construction.
Tuning a tube
The resonance frequencies of a tube depend on its length and termination. A tube
with open extremities has resonances located at harmonic intervals, i.e. located at 1, 2, 3 . . . times
any fundamental frequency as can be see in Figure 90. When an extremity is closed, the tube only
has resonance for odd harmonics of its fundamental frequency.
A tube can be tuned by adjusting its length in order to obtain a given fundamental resonance
frequency. When the tube is open at both of its extremities, the fundamental frequency is given by
c/2length where c is the speed of sound (approximately 344 m/s in air, depending on the tempera-
ture) and length is the tube length. For a tube with one extremity closed, the fundamental frequency
is given by c/4length.
amp
dB
frequency
f0 2f0 3f0 4f0 5f0 6f0 Hz
cutoff frequency
Figure 90: Resonance frequencies of a cylinder with both extremities open.

6.90 Tube 149
Amplitude of the tube resonances
The amplitude of the resonances can be adjusted with the radius of the tube when it is open at
the listening point. At the extremity of a tube sound energy is radiated toward the exterior, the
termination in fact acting like a low-pass filter. Increasing the radius of the tube, both increases the
amount of energy radiated (thereby decreasing the amplitude of the tube resonances) and lowers
the cutoff frequency of the filtering effect of the termination. In other words, you can obtain very
strong resonances and long decay time by using tubes of small radii. Note that changing the radius
of a tube has no effect when a closed termination is used. The decay time in the tube can also be
adjusted with the decay knob on the module front panel.
Typical Use
The Tube module can be used to introduce delay in a patch. Tubes can also be used as sympathetic
resonators as illustrated in Figure 62. In this example the output of a String module is sent into an
array of three tubes each having a different length. The tubes enhance certain notes depending on
their resonance frequencies.
Figure 91: Sympathetic tubes.

• length: length, in meters, of the tube (between 0.01 and 1000m).
• radius: radius, in meters, of the tube (between 0.001 and 1 m).
• termination: specifies whether the tube is open or closed at its extremity. A value of 0
indicates that the tube is closed and a value of 1 that it is open.
Note: See also Tube4 and Tube Reverb.

6.91 Tube4 150
6.91 Tube4
The Tube4 module simulates sound propagation in a resonator made from 4 tubes
of variable lengths and radii connected in series as shown in Figure 92. The input
signal, or source, is assumed to be localized at the extremity of the first tube while
the output, or listening point, is placed at the extremity of the fourth tube.
The discontinuities in the resonator scatter acoustic energy at these points and
thereby create different standing wave patterns in the different sections of the res-
onator. This results in a complex filtering effect that varies according to the relative
lengths and radii of the different tubes. The decay knob controls the decay time of
sound wave traveling inside the resonator.
source position mic position
2r3
2r1
2r2
2r4
l1
l2 l4
l3
Figure 92: Tube4 module geometry.
Typical Use
Tube4 modules can be used to obtain reverb effects. When the total length of the tube is long, the
module will introduce delay in the patch. The discontinuities in the resonator filter the input signal
depending on their relative lengths and radii. In the example of Figure 93, under reverb, a Tube4
module is used in combination with two Reverb modules in order to make a stereo reverb. The
Reverb modules produce early reflections in a room while the Tube4 module produces the late
reflections.
The default values of the following parameters are set at construction

• length: length, in meters, of the 4 tubes (between 0.01 and 1000m).
• radius: radius, in meters, of the 4 tubes (between 0.001 and 1 m).
6.92 Tube Reverb 151
• termination: specifies whether the final tube is open or closed at its extremity. A value of 0
indicates that the tube is closed and a value of 1 that it is open.
Note: For more details on the filtering effect of tubes see the Tube module.
6.92 Tube Reverb
The reverb effect obtained with this module is obtained with an assemblage of
three tubes. The tubes are assumed to be connected at one of their extremities and
the sound source to be located at this connection point. Each tube of the array filters
the source according to its resonance frequencies, but, since the three are connected
together, the output of each tube is also distributed to the other tubes which results
in interesting reverb effects. This module has one input, the source signal, and its
one output is the signal that would be measured by a microphone located at the tube
connection point.
mic position
l2
2r2
l1
2r1
source position
2r3
l3
Figure 93: A reverb made out with three tubes.
Tuning the reverb
The reverberation effect obtained with the module can be tuned by adjusting the lengths and radii
of the different tubes. The longer the tube, the longer the reflection time and the smaller the radii,
the lower the absorption. Small radii will also increase the amount of high frequencies in the sound.
As a rule of the thumb, use tubes having a length similar to the size of the room or space you are
imagining.
6.93 VADAR 152
Typical Use
In the example of Figure 94, two Tube Reverb modules are used to make a stereo reverb effect.
The Reverb modules are adjusted with short tubes in order to simulate early reflections in a room.
The Tube4 module is used to introduced a delay and simulate late reflections.
Figure 94: A stereo reverb.

• length: length, in meters, of the 3 tubes (between 0.01 and 1000m).
• radius: radius, in meters, of the 3 tubes (between 0.001 and 1 m).
Note: For more details on the filtering effect of tubes see the Tube module. See also Reverber-
ator.
6.93 VADAR
The VADAR acts exactly like the ADAR module except that the VADAR
has two additional inputs for controlling the attack time and the decay time. It
also has two more knobs to adjust the gain of those two inputs. The modula-
tion signals affect the duration of the attack and decay stages: the higher is the
amplitude of the modulation signal the shorter is the attack or decay time; the
lower is the amplitude of the modulation signal the longer is the attack of decay
time.
Typical Use
The ADAR is typically used for generating amplitude envelopes through a

VCA, or spectral envelopes by modulating the frequency of the filter modules. The modulation
entries can be connected to the velocity output of a Vkeyboard or a Sequencer module.
6.94 VADSR 153
Note: See also the ADAR, ADSR and VADSR modules.
6.94 VADSR
The VADSR acts exactly like the ADSR module except that the VADSR
has four additional inputs for controlling each phase of the envelope. It also
had four more knobs for adjusting the gain of these four inputs. The first,
second and fourth modulation signals affect the duration of the attack decay
and release phases: the higher is the amplitude of the modulation signal, the
shorter is the attack, decay or release time; the lower is the amplitude of the
modulation signal, the longer is the attack, decay or release time. The third
modulation affects the sustain level.
Typical Use
The VADSR is typically used for generating amplitude envelopes through a VCA, or spectral
envelopes by modulating the frequency of the filter modules. The modulation entries can be con-
nected to the velocity output of a Vkeyboard or a Sequencer.
Note: See also the ADAR, ADSR and VADAR modules.
6.95 Vbandpass2
The Vbandpass2 module is a voltage-controlled second-order band-pass

filter (-6dB/octave). This module has one output, the filtered signal, and three
inputs. The first input is the signal to be filtered, while the second and third
inputs are modulation signals which are used to vary the center frequency of
the filter. The amplitude of the two modulation signals is adjusted with the two
gain knobs mod1 and mod2 respectively.
Tuning the Center Frequency
The center frq knob tunes the center frequency to the desired level. The vari-
ations in center frequency caused by changes in the modulation inputs are
relative to this level. The resonance knob is used to emphasize the frequencies near the center
frequency as is shown in Figure 31 under Bandpass2.
6.96 VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier) 154
Center Frequency Variation
The amount of variation of the center frequency obtained with the modulation inputs depends on
the adjustment of the mod1 and mod2 gain knobs. The total modulation signal is the sum of the
two inputs each multiplied by the gain corresponding to its respective mod knob. When they are
in the center position (green LEDs on), the gain equals 1 and the pitch variation is 1 Volt/octave.
When the modulation signal is the note output from a Keyboard module, this position can be used
to make the center frequency follow an equal temperament scale. The modulation signal of the
second input can be inverted by pressing the inv button. This can be useful when generating bass
sounds, for example, where one wants to close the filter with an upward going envelope such as
during the attack of a note.
Typical Use
A Vbandpass2 and an ADSR module can be used to obtain an auto wah wah effect. In this
example, the center frequency of the filter is modulated with the output from the ADSR module.
Figure 95: Auto wah wah effect obtained with an ADSR and Vbandpass2 module.
Note: See also the Bandpass2 module.
6.96 VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier)
The VCA module has two input signals, a signal to be amplified, and a gain. The output is the
product of the two inputs. This module has no front panel control.
6.97 VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) 155
Typical Use
A VCA is mainly used to apply an amplitude envelope to a signal. An ADSR can be used to supply
the appropriate gain signal.
Figure 96: ADSR as Gain Signal to VCA.
Figure 97: VCA in Ring.
A VCA can also be used to obtain a ring modulation effect. In this case the gain signal is a sine
wave around 50 Hz.
Note: Since a multiplication operation is involved, the order of the inputs is not important. For
the same reason, if one of the two input signals is null, the output will also be null.
6.97 VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator)
The VCO module is an oscillator used to generate signals of

different frequencies and waveforms. This module has 3 mod-
ulation inputs and 1 output.
The sum of the first two inputs controls the pitch of the out-
put signal. Each of these two inputs is multiplied by its respec-
tive gain knob, mod1 or mod2. The third input controls the pulse
width for the pulse wave subject to the setting of the PWM knob.
6.97 VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) 156
Tuning the Output Pitch
The coarse and fine knobs and the range switch are used to tune
the output frequency (or pitch) to the desired level. The variations in output pitch caused by changes
in the modulation signals are relative to this level. When the two knobs are in their center position
(green LED on for the coarse knob), the range switch is set to 8 and there is no modulation signal,
the playing frequency has a value of 261.6 Hz, which corresponds to the C3 key on a piano (middle
C). The range switch transposes the pitch one or two octaves up or down. The reading on the
counter gives the frequency of the output signal, in Hertz, when there is no modulation signal.
Pitch Variation
The amount of variation of the playing frequency obtained with the modulation inputs depends on
the adjustment of the mod1 and mod2 gain knobs. The total modulation signal is the sum of the two
inputs each multiplied by the gain corresponding to its respective mod knob. When the knobs are in
the center position (green LEDs on), the gain equals 1 and the pitch variation is 1 Volt/octave. This
position is used to play an equal temperament scale when connecting the output of a Keyboard
module to a modulation input of a VCO. The frequency variation with the modulation signal can
be increased or decreased by turning the modulation knobs clockwise or anti-clockwise.
Waveform
The wavetype switch switches between the four well-known waveforms: noise, sawtooth, pulse
and sine. When choosing the pulse wave, the width of the pulses is adjusted with the PWM knob.
When the PWM knob is adjusted in the right position the waveform is square and only includes
odd harmonics. The pulse width can be modulated by an external signal through the pulse width
modulation input. The PWM knob is used to control the amount of modulation applied by this
third input signal. When this knob is in the left position, there is no modulation applied to the pulse
width while when it is in the right position, the amplitude of the modulation is almost equal to the
width of the pulse. Figure 98 shows the result of the modulation of the pulse width by a sine wave
amp
time
amp
+1V
time
-1V
Figure 98: Sine Wave Modulation of Pulse Width.

6.98 VCS 157
Typical Use
The VCO is used for generating the starting signal of an analog synthesizer. Figure 99 shows a
standard patch using this module.
Figure 99: Typical VCO Use.
6.98 VCS
The VCS module is very similar to the VCO module except that
it only generates sine waves. This module has 2 modulation inputs
and 1 output.
The first input controls the pitch of the output signal. The signal
of this input is multiplied by a value determined by the adjustment
of the mod1 gain knob. The second input signal is used to perform
frequency modulation (FM modulation).
Tuning the Output Pitch
The coarse, fine and range are used to tune the output frequency (or
pitch) to the desired level. The variations in output pitch caused by changes in the modulation
signals are relative to this level. When the two knobs are in their center position (green LEDs on for
the coarse knob), the range knob is in the left position and there is no modulation signal, the playing
frequency has a value of 261.6 Hz, which corresponds to the C3 key on a piano (middle C). The
range knob transposes the pitch by multiplying the frequency appearing in the frequency counter
by the number appearing in the range counter. This enables to generate the different harmonics of
the fundamental frequency appearing in the frequency counter. The reading on the counter gives
the frequency of the output signal, in Hertz, when there is no modulation signal.
Pitch Variation
The amount of variation of the playing frequency obtained with the modulation inputs depends on
the adjustment of the mod1 and FM gain knobs. The total modulation signal is the sum of the two
6.99 Vhighpass2 158
inputs each multiplied by the gain corresponding to their respective knob. When the mod1 knob is
in the center position (green LEDs on), the gain equals 1 and the pitch variation is 1 Volt/octave.
This position is used to play an equal temperament scale when connecting the output of a Keyboard
module to this modulation input. The FM modulation input is used to apply frequency modulation
to the signal generated by the VCS module. The amount of frequency modulation applied by the
modulation signal is controlled with the FM knob.
Typical Use
The FM synthesis technique can be reproduced by using VCS modules connected in cascade as in
the following example.
Figure 100: FM synthesis with VCS modules.
6.99 Vhighpass2
The Vhighpass2 module is a voltage-controlled second-order high-pass fil-

ter (-12dB/octave). This module has three inputs and one output. The first input
is the signal to be filtered, while the second and third inputs are modulation sig-
nals which are used to vary the cutoff frequency of the filter. The amplitude of
the two modulation signals is adjusted with the two gain knobs mod1 and mod2
respectively. The output is the filtered signal.
Tuning the Cutoff Frequency
The cutoff frq knob tunes the cutoff frequency to the desired level. The varia-
tions in the cutoff frequency, caused by changes in the modulation inputs, are
relative to this level. The resonance knob is used to emphasize the frequencies near the cutoff
frequency as shown in the following figure:
6.100 Vkeyboard 159
Cutoff Frequency Variation
The amount of variation of the cutoff frequency obtained with the modulation inputs depends on
inputs each multiplied by the gain corresponding to its respective mod knob. When the mod knobs
are in the center position (green LEDs on), the gain equals 1 and the pitch variation is 1 Volt/octave.
When the modulation signal is the pitch output from a Keyboard module, this position can be used
to make the cutoff frequency follow an equal temperament scale. The modulation signal of the
second input can be inverted by pressing the inv button.
Typical Use
A Vhighpass2 can be used as a filter to reduce the low frequencies in a signal, as shown in the
following example :
Figure 101: Use of Vhighpass2 to reduce low frequencies.
6.100 Vkeyboard
Similar to the monophonic Keyboard module except that there is an additional

output proportional to the velocity with which a key is depressed. The error knob
introduces some randomness in the pitch signal. Turned to the left, the pitch signal
is correct; as the knob is turned to the right, small fluctuations start to appear in
pitch. The effect of this knob is to simulate pitch variations found in analog synths.
The velocity knob adjusts the velocity curve of the Polyvkey. In the center posi-
tion, the curve is linear. Turned to the left, the velocity increases more quickly;
conversely, turning the knob to the right results in a slower velocity curve.

6.101 Vlowpass2 160

6.101 Vlowpass2
The Vlowpass2 module is a voltage-controlled second-order low-pass fil-

ter (-12dB/octave). This module has three inputs and one output. The first
input is the signal to be filtered, while the second and third inputs are mod-
ulation signals which are used to vary the cutoff frequency of the filter. The
amplitude of the two modulation signals is adjusted with the two gain knobs
mod1 and mod2 respectively. The output is the filtered signal.
Tuning the Cutoff Frequency
The cutoff frq knob tunes the cutoff frequency to the desired level. The vari-
ations in the cutoff frequency, caused by changes in the modulation inputs,
are relative to this level. The resonance knob is used to emphasize the frequencies near the cutoff
frequency as shown in the following figure:
amp
dB res=0.02
res=0.1
res=0.5
res=1
-1
2d
B/O
ct
cutoff frequency
frequency Hz
Figure 102: Frequency Response of Vlowpass2.
Cutoff Frequency Variation
The amount of variation of the cutoff frequency obtained with the modulation inputs depends on
inputs each multiplied by the gain corresponding to its respective mod knob. When the mod knobs
are in the center position (green LEDs on), the gain equals 1 and the pitch variation is 1 Volt/octave.
When the modulation signal is the pitch output from a Keyboard module, this position can be used
to make the cutoff frequency follow an equal temperament scale. The modulation signal of the
second input can be inverted by pressing the inv button. This can be useful when generating bass
6.102 Vlowpass4 161
sounds, for example, where one wants to close the filter with an upward going envelop such as
during the attack of a note.
Typical Use
A Vlowpass2 can be used as a filter to reduce the high frequencies in a signal, as shown in the
following example :
Figure 103: Use of Vlowpass2 to Reduce High Frequencies.
Or it can be used as a sound source by turning the resonance knob up (clockwise). This gives the
filter a more drawn out response (a longer transient), and generates a sound at the cutoff frequency,
as shown in the following example :
Figure 104: Use of Vlowpass2 to generate Sound.
6.102 Vlowpass4
The Vlowpass4 module is a voltage-controlled fourth-order low-pass filter

(-24dB/octave). This module has three inputs and one output. The first input is
the signal to be filtered, while the second and third inputs are modulation signals
which are used to vary the cutoff frequency of the filter. The amplitude of the
two modulation signals is adjusted with the two gain knobs mod1 and mod2 re-
spectively. The output is the filtered signal. The behavior of this filter module is
exactly the same as that of the Vlowpass2 module except for the attenuation after
the cutoff frequency which is steeper.
6.103 Volume
6.104 Xor 162
The Volume module is used to adjust the amplitude of a signal. It has one input
and one output. The output signal is the input signal multiplied by a constant varying
between 0 and 2 (+6dB).
Typical Use
The Volume module is used whenever the level of a signal must be adjusted. A
Volume is usually placed just before an Audio Out module (see Figure 29.

6.104 Xor
The XOR module performs an XOR logic operation. The one output of this module is either 1
(true) or 0 (false) depending on the values sent to the two inputs. To deliver 1 at the output, To
deliver 1 at the output, only one of the two inputs must receive a value of 1, otherwise the output
will deliver a value of 0. This module has no front panel. The following diagram shows the output
value depending on the values in the two inputs. Input signals are considered False (0) when smaller

1 1 0
1 0 1
0 1 1
0 0 0
Table 5: Xor module output as a function of its inputs.
than 0.1 Volts and True (1) when greater than 0.1 Volts.
Toolbar 163
7 Toolbar
The toolbar at the top of the Tassman interface allows you to monitor important information related
to your current set-up.
7.1 Instrument Display
Displays the name of the currently loaded instrument.
7.2 Performance Display
Displays the name of the currently or last loaded performance.
7.3 Preset Display
Drop down menu listing all the presets available for the currently loaded instrument. One can
switch from preset to preset using this menu.
7.4 MIDI map
In the center of the toolbar, displays the name of the currently opened MIDI map.
7.5 Polyphony
Drop down menu enabling to choose the number of polyphony voices in the case of polyphonic
instruments.
7.6 Channel
Drop down menu enabling to choose the MIDI channel to which Tassman listens. All keyboard
modules will respond to this channel unless they are set to a channel different from number 0 in the
Builder. A specific MIDI channel can be chosen in the Builder for a given keyboard module by first
right-clicking/(Control-click on Mac) on the module and choosing the Module Settings command.
Once the MIDI channel has been set in this way, the keyboard module will always listens to this
MIDI channel independently of the channel chosen in the toolbar.
7.7 CPU meter 164
7.7 CPU meter
On the right of the toolbar, displays the percentage of the total CPU resources currently used by
Tassman.
7.8 Value Display
Just before the CPU meter, displays the value of the currently selected control on the interface. The
values range from 0 to 127 for knobs and 0 or 1 for buttons depending on whether they are in their
on or off position. For some controls, the value is displayed in the appropriate units.
7.9 MIDI LED
This red LED is turned on when Tassman receives MIDI signal.
7.10 Builder and Player Button
Button used to switch between Player and Builder view.

Quick references to commands and shortcuts 165
8 Quick references to commands and shortcuts
File Menu
Command PC Mac OS Description
New Ctrl+N Apple+N New patch
New Folder Apple+Shift+N New Folder in the

Browser
Open Ctrl+O Apple+O Open the selected patch
Close Current Patch Ctrl+W Apple+Shift+W Close the current patch
Save Instrument Ctrl+S Apple+S Save the current patch
Save Instrument As Save the current patch

under a new name
Save Preset Apple+Option+S Save the current preset
Save Preset As Ctrl+Shift+S Save the current preset under

a new name
Save Midi Links Save the current MIDI links
Save Midi Links As Save the current MIDI links

under a new name
Save Performance Save the current performance
Save Performance As Save the current performance under

a new name
Import Import a .txf file
Export Export a .txf file
Restore Factory Library Replace the current

library by the factory one
Exit (Quit on Mac) Quit the application

Edit Menu
Undo Ctrl+Z Apple+Z Undo last command
Redo Ctrl+Y Apple+Shift+Z Redo last command
Cut Ctrl+X Apple+X Cut selected item
Copy Ctrl+C Apple+C Copy selected item
Paste Ctrl+V Apple+V Paste
Delete Del Delete selected item
Select All Ctrl+A Apple+A Select all items
Duplicate Ctrl+D Apple+D Duplicate selected item
Info Ctrl-I Apple+I Edit information about a

selected item (browser)
Module Settings Alt-Enter Apple-J Edit module settings

(builder)
Preferences Open the General

Preferences window
Audio
Command Windows Mac OS Description
Audio Settings Display the Audio Settings window
Audio Control Panel Display the Latency Settings window

if DirectSound is used, the ASIO
control panel when ASIO drivers are
used and the Audi MIDI setup
configuration tool on Mac OS systems
MIDI
Command Windows Mac OS Description
MIDI Settings Display the MIDI Settings window
Learn MIDILink MIDI link learn mode for the

last control touched
Add MIDI Link Enables one to add a MIDI link on the

last controlled touched
Forget MIDILink Drop a MIDI link
Set MIDI Link Limit the value of a MIDI

Minimum Value link to a minimum value
Set MIDI Link Limit the value of a MIDI

Maximum Value link to a maximum value
Edit MIDIlinks Display the Edit MIDI links

window
Edit Program Changes. . . Associate presets with MIDI

program changes
All Notes Off Send an all note off signal

Arrange Menu
Align Left Edges Alt-Left Align the left edges of the

selected modules (builder)
Center Horizontally Shift F9 Align horizontally the selected

modules (builder)
Align Right Edges Alt-Right Align the right edges of the

Align Top Edges Alt-Up Align the top edges of the

Center Vertically F9 Align vertically the selected

modules (builder)
Align Bottom Edges Alt-Down Align bottom edges of the

Simplify Wire Simplify the selected wire

(builder)
Set Module Row Select the Player row on which a

module will appear
View Menu
Show Player/Builder Ctrl-T Apple-T Toggle between the builder

and player views
Show/Hide Browser Apple-B Show/Hide the browser panel
Show/Hide Help Show/Hide the help panel

(builder)
Locate Ctrl-L Apple+ Select and make visible in

the browser the current
instrument or the module
currently selected in the
builder
Previous Patch Ctrl-Shift-Tab Apple+= Walk forward in the list of

opened instruments
Next Patch Ctrl-Tab Apple+- Walk backward in the list of

opened instruments
Help Menu
About Tassman Display the About Tassman window
User Manual F1 Display the user manual
Authorize Lounge Tassman . . . Display the Authorization

window. Active only if the
application has not been
authorized.
Visit www.applied-acoustics.com . . . Launch the browser and go

to the AAS website.
Join the user forum . . . Launch the browser and go

to the AAS forum.
Get support . . . Launch the browser and go

to the support section of the
AAS website.
License Agreement 171
9 License Agreement
IMPORTANT! CAREFULLY READ ALL THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREE-
MENT BEFORE OPENING THIS PACKAGE. OPENING THIS PACKAGE INDICATES YOUR
ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH
THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT, PROMPTLY RETURN THE UN-
OPENED PACKAGE AND ALL COMPONENTS THERETO TO THE PARTY FROM WHOM
IT WAS ACQUIRED, FOR A FULL REFUND OF ANY CONSIDERATION PAID.
This software program, any printed materials, any on-line or electronic documentation, and any
and all copies of such software program and materials (the “Software”) are the copyrighted work
of Applied Acoustics Systems DVM Inc. (“AAS”), its subsidiaries, licensors and/or its suppliers.
1. LICENSE TO USE. The Licensee is granted a personal, non-exclusive and non-transferable

license to install and to use one copy of the Software on a single computer solely for the per-
sonal use of the Licensee. The Software contains a construction interface (the “TassBuilder”
) that allows Licensee to create, from custom patches, synthesizers or other materials (“TassPlayer”)
for Licensee’s personal and/or commercial use in connection with the Software. Use of the
TassBuilder and TassPlayer are subject to this Agreement.
2. RESTRICTIONS ON USE. The Licensee may not nor permit third parties to (i) make copies
of any portion of the Software, other than as expressly permitted under this Agreement; (ii)
modify, translate, disassemble, decompile, reverse engineer or create derivative and/or com-
petitive products based on any portion of the Software; (iii) provide use of the Software in a
network, timesharing, interactive cable television, multiple CPU service bureau or multiple
user arrangement to users not individually licensed by AAS, other than as expressly permit-
ted by the terms of this license; and, (iv) to use the TassBuilder for commercial purposes in-
cluding but not limited to, distribution of TassPlayer on a stand alone basis or packaged with
other software or hardware through any and all distribution channels, without the express
written consent of AAS. The Software is licensed to you as a single product. Its component
parts may not be separated for use on more than one computer. Patches resulting from the
TassBuilder and presets for the Tassplayer may be used on other computers.
3. OWNERSHIP. AAS retains title to the Software, including but not limited to any titles,
computer code, themes, objects dialog concepts, artwork, animations, sounds, audio effects,
methods of operation, moral rights, any related documentation and “applets” incorporated
into the Software. AAS retains ownership of and title to all intellectual property rights in the
Software, underlying technology, related written materials, logos, names and other support
materials furnished either with the Software or as a result of this Agreement, including but
not limited to trade secrets, patents, trademarks and copyrights therein. Licensee shall not
remove or alter any copyright or other proprietary rights notices contained on or within the
Software and shall reproduce such notices on all copies thereof permitted under this Agree-
ment or associated documentation.
4. LIMITED WARRANTY. Except for the foregoing, THE SOFTWARE IS provided “AS IS”
without warranty or condition of any kind. AAS disclaims all warranties or conditions, writ-
ten or oral, statutory, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of
merchantable quality or fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement of rights
of any other person. AAS does not warrant that THE SOFTWARE will meet the Licensee’s
requirements or that the operation of the software will be uninterrupted or ERROR-FREE.
5. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLI-
CABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL AAS BE LIABLE TO THE LICENSEE OR ANY
THIRD PARTY FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL
OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
LOSS OF REVENUE OR PROFIT, LOST OR DAMAGED DATA, BUSINESS INTER-
RUPTION OR ANY OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT,
TORT OR OTHER CAUSE OF ACTION, EVEN IF AAS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, EXCEPT IN RELATION TO GROSS NEGLIGENCE
OR WILFUL BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT BY AAS. NO AAS AGENT, REPRE-
SENTATIVE OR DEALER IS AUTHORIZED TO EXTEND, MODIFY OR ADD TO THIS
WARRANTY ON BEHALF OF AAS. THE TOTAL LIABILITY OF AAS FOR DAM-
AGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT, UNDER OR RELATED IN ANY WAY TO
THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE LICENSE FEES ACTUALLY PAID
BY LICENSEE TO AAS, OR IF NO FEES WERE PAID, AAS’ LIST PRICE FOR THE
SOFTWARE COVERED BY THIS LICENSE. THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WAR-
RANTIES AND/OR THE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY IS NOT PERMITTED IN SOME
JURISDICTIONS, AND SOME OR ALL OF THESE EXCLUSIONS MAY THEREFORE
NOT APPLY.
6. TERMINATION. This License also shall extend to the Software and any updates or new
releases thereof obtained by the Licensee, if any, subject to any changes to this License made
by AAS from time to time and provided to the Licensee, provided AAS is under a separate
obligation to provide to Licensee such updates or upgrades and Licensee continues to have a
valid license which is in effect at the time of receipt of each such update or new release. This
License shall remain in effect until terminated. The Licensee may terminate this Agreement
at any time, upon notification to AAS. This Agreement will terminate immediately without
notice from AAS if the Licensee fails to comply with any provision of this License. Any
such termination by AAS shall be in addition to and without prejudice to such rights and
remedies as may be available, including injunction and other equitable remedies. Upon
receipt of notice of termination from AAS, the Licensee must (a) immediately cease to use
the Software; (b) destroy all copies of the Software, as well as copies of all documentation,
specifications and magnetic media relating thereto in Licensee’s possession or control; and
(c) return all original versions of the Software and associated documentation. The provisions
of Sections 1, 3, and 5 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
7. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the Province of Quebec, without regard to the United Nations Convention On
Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and conflict of laws provisions, if applicable,
and the parties hereby irrevocably attorn to the jurisdiction of the courts of that province. Les
parties sont d’accord à ce que cette convention soit rédigée en langue anglaise. The parties
have agreed that this agreement be drafted in the English language.
8. SEVERABILITY. If any of the above provisions are held to be illegal, invalid or unenforce-
able, such provision shall be severed from this Agreement and this Agreement shall not be
rendered inoperative but the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
9. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement is the entire agreement between AAS and the
Licensee relating to the Software and: (i) supersedes all prior or contemporaneous oral or
written communications, proposals and representations with respect to its subject matter; and
(ii) prevails over any conflicting or additional terms of any quote, order, acknowledgement,
or similar communication between the parties during the term of this Agreement except as
otherwise expressly agreed by the parties. No modification to the Agreement will be binding,
unless in writing and signed by a duly authorized representative of each party.
10. NON-WAIVER. No delay or failure to take any action or exercise any rights under this
Agreement shall constitute a waiver or consent unless expressly waived or consented to in
writing by a duly authorized representative of AAS. A waiver of any event does not apply to
any other event, even if in relation to the same subject-matter.
Index
acoustic objects, 41 damper, 86, 101, 104, 105, 120, 141
adar, 67 database
adsr, 30, 68, 93, 96, 154 backup, 66
after touch, 69 restoring, 66
analog synth, 20 default preset, 59
and, 69 delay, 59, 87, 147, 149
audio configuration, 16 static, 138
audio device, 56 sync, 142
audio in, 70 sync ping pong, 143
audio out, 70, 97 distortion, 119
dual gate sequencer, 88
bandpass2, 71, 105 dual gate sequencer with songs, 89
beam, 73, 100, 101, 106
bowed beam, 74, 77 echo, 87, 147, 149
bowed marimba, 74, 77 effect, 59
bowed membrane, 75, 77 envelope, 27, 30, 67, 68, 151, 152, 154
bowed multimode, 74–76, 78, 79 equalizer, 71
bowed Plate, 78 export, 63, 65
bowed plate, 77
factory presets, 66
bowed String, 79
filter, 23
bowed string, 77
bandpass, 71
breath controller, 80, 93
comb, 81
browser, 62
delay, 87
customizing, 64, 65
highpass, 94
filters, 65
low frequency, 98
buffer size, 58
lowpass1, 99
builder, 8, 47
lowpass2, 99
challenge key, 10 modulation, 24, 31
chorus, 92 sbandpass2, 133
comb, 81 vbandpass2, 152
commands, 162 vhighpass2, 157
community, 19 vlowpass2, 159
compressor, 83 vlowpass4, 160
constant, 83, 101, 104, 120, 141 flanger, 90
construction, 47 flanging, 139
control voltage sequencer, 84 flute, 93
control voltage sequencer with songs, 86 FM synthesis, 156
forum, 19
dac, 20
gain, 94
INDEX 175
gain1, 94 mallet, 41, 100, 107, 110

gain2, 94 marimba, 86, 101, 106
gain3, 94 master recorder trig, 102
gain4, 94 master sync input, 103
generator, 154 membrane, 100, 104, 106
getting started, 15 MIDI
device, 56
help, 18 settings, 56
highpass1, 94 MIDI configuration, 16
hold, 132 MIDI controller, 56
MIDI links, 27, 32, 33, 51, 56
import, 63, 65
factory, 66
inlet, 94, 113
MIDI links range, 57
installation, 9
MIDI map, 57
instruments, 58, 62
preset, 65
creating, 17, 47, 48
MIDI program change, 57
playing, 55
mix, 105
saving, 20, 27, 51
modulation, 20, 22
inverter, 95
modulation wheel, 105
keyboard, 27, 28, 93, 96 modules, 47, 63
monophonic, 96 connecting, 20, 49
polyphonic, 123, 125 default value, 50
knob, 97 default values, 25
knobs, 55 deleting, 20
tweaking, 55 editing, 49
inputs, 47
latency, 58 outputs, 47
less, 97 selecting, 20
level, 26, 71, 97, 160 monitoring, 26
lfo, 22, 82, 92, 98, 115, 117, 132 multi-sequencer, 107
library, 47 multimode, 73, 86, 101, 104–106, 119, 141
lin gain, 99 multiply, 153
logic gates
and, 69 nand, 110
less, 97 noise, 110
nand, 110 noise mallet, 41, 82, 107, 110
nor, 111 nor, 111
not, 111 not, 111
or, 112
on/off, 112
xor, 161
or, 112
lowpass1, 99
organ, 113, 145
lowpass2, 99
outlet, 113
INDEX 176
output stage, 59 sample and hold, 98, 132

saturation, 70
panpot, 114, 139 sbandpass2, 133
performance, 62 selector, 134
performances, 61, 62 sequencer, 36, 142
phaser, 115 control voltage, 84
physical modeling, 8 control voltage with songs, 86
pickup, 117 dual gate, 88
pitch wheel, 119 dual gate with songs, 89
plate, 42, 83, 100, 106, 119, 142 multi, 107
Player, 54 programming, 39
launching, 20, 54 single gate, 135
layout, 54 single gate with songs, 137
player, 8, 89, 120, 135 using, 39
launching, 20 shifter, 134
plectrum, 122 shortcuts, 162
plug-in, 18 single gate sequencer, 135
polykey, 123, 124 single gate sequencer with songs, 137
polykeyboard, 28 slider, 97, 138
polymixer, 123, 124 static delay, 138
polyphony, 27, 33, 52, 123, 124 stereo audio in, 138
polyvkey, 125 stereo chorus, 139
portamento, 125 stereo out, 139
preset, 58, 62 string, 100, 106, 122, 141
backup, 65 sub-patch, 37, 63, 94, 113
database, 65 creating, 36
default, 59 importing, 38
exporting, 65 presets, 59
factory, 66 sympathetic resonator, 45
importing, 65 sync, 59
loading, 35, 59 sync delay, 142
saving, 35, 59 sync lfo, 142
sub-patches, 59 sync ping pong delay, 143
System Requirements, 9
random signal, 98
recorder, 59, 127 toggle, 145
recorder2, 128 tone wheel, 145
registration, 10, 11 tremolo, 98, 146
response key, 11, 13 tube, 147
reverb, 59, 147, 149 tube4, 149
reverberator, 129 tuber reverb, 150
ring, 154 tutorials, 20
rms, 131
INDEX 177
unlocking, 10
user library, 19
vadar, 151
vadsr, 152
vbandpass2, 69, 152
vca, 29, 67, 69, 153
vco, 20, 154
vcs, 156
velocity, 125
vhighpass2, 157
vibrato, 82, 92, 98, 139
vkeyboard, 28, 158
vlowpass2, 23, 159
vlowpass4, 85, 160
vocoder, 132
volume, 26, 71, 83, 160
wah, 117
wah wah, 153
website, 19
wire, 47
editing, 20, 49
xor, 161

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USER MANUAL

3 The Tassman Builder 48

4 The Tassman Player 55

4.4 Audio Device Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

6 Specifications for modules 68

6.14 Bowed String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

6.46 Multimode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

6.78 Slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

8 Quick references to commands and shortcuts 165

9 License Agreement 171

1.1 System requirements

The following computer configuration is necessary to run the Tassman:

• Mac OSX 10.2 (Jaguar) or later.

1.3 Authorization and Registration

• A valid email address

1.3.1 Step 1: Generating the challenge key

Figure 1: Choosing to authorize Tassman now or later.

Figure 2: Enter your serial number in the pop-up window.

Figure 4: Enter your registration information on the A|A|S webserver.

Figure 5: Generation of the response key on the A|A|S server.

1.3.3 Step 3: Completing the unlock process

• You change your computer

Figure 7: Authorization has been successful.

On Mac OS computers, this will only be necessary if:

• You change your computer

• North America Toll-free number: 1-888-441-8277

1.4 Getting started

• Imports - destination folder for imported instruments, presets and sub-patches.

Audio and MIDI Configuration

Exploring the Factory Instruments and Presets

Building your Own Instruments

1.4.1 Using Tassman as a Plug-in

1.5 Getting help

• North America Toll Free:1 888 441 8277

1.6 Forum and User Library

1.7 About this Manual

2.1 Tutorial 1. A Simple Analog Synth

Step 1: VCO and Audio Out

Figure 8: Tutorial 1, step 1

Step 2: Adding a LFO

Figure 9: Tutorial 1, step 2

Step 3: Adding a Filter

Figure 10: Tutorial 1, step 3

Step 4: Modulating the filter

Figure 11: Tutorial 1, step 4

Step 5: Adjusting default module parameter values

Figure 12: Tutorial 1, step 5

Step 6: Monitoring the output signal

Figure 13: Tutorial 1, step 6

Step 7: Saving your synth

2.2 Tutorial 2 Playing a Synth with a Keyboard

• Use a MIDI keyboard in your instrument.

Step 1: Connecting a keyboard

Figure 14: Tutorial 2, step 1

Step 2: Add a VCA

Figure 15: Tutorial 2, step 2

Step 3: Add an ADSR