Audio/MIDI multitrack recording software
MultitrackStudio
Manual : Poly Modulator

Poly Modulator

Poly Modulator window
Poly Modulator window
The Poly Modulator generates per-note controllers using an envelope and a low frequency oscillator (LFO). Each note gets its own envelope and LFO, they both start when the note starts.

The Poly Modulator works with instruments that respond to MIDI 2.0 per-note controllers, CLAP/VST3 note expressions, MPE or CLAP polyphonic modulation.

Envelope

The envelope consists of four phases, the duration if the phases it controlled by the Delay, Attack, Hold and Release knobs.

The Note to Time Velocity and Note knobs make the envelope phase times depend on the note velocity and note number (pitch) respectively.

The Vel button makes the envelope level depend on the note velocity.

LFO

The 3 buttons next to the graph offer sine, triangle or square wave forms. The Shape knob moves the middle zero crossing, so it can turn the triangle into a sawtooth etc.

The Speed knob controls the oscillator frequency. If the Beat button is engaged the Speed knob offers several beat values instead of Hz, so the actual speed depends on the song tempo at the time the note is played.

The Envelope to Speed and Level knobs apply the envelope to the LFO speed and amplitude. At positive values the envelope's Hold level is neutral, and the rest reduces speed/amplitude. At negative values the envelope's Delay level (and the level after the Release phase) is neutral, and the rest reduces speed/amplitude.

Destination

There are 3 Destination sections, each one can send a mix of the envelope and the LFO to a per-note controller.

Env and LFO control the amount of the Envelope an LFO that's added to the destination controller. It can be positive or negative.

Note adds an amount to the destination controller depending on the note's note number (pitch). Middle C is neutral, so either lower notes get a negative value and higher note a positive value, or vice versa. This is a 'static' modulation, it doesn't depend on the Envelope or LFO.

Offset adds a fixed offset to the destination controller.

The display shows the amount of modulation for the notes that are playing. The center values represent 'no modulation', higher or lower values represent positive or negative modulation respectively.

The knobs can't be automated. You can use the option menu's "Apply to track" option. Then you can use the Per-Note Controller Editors.

CLAP polyphonic modulation

CLAP instrument plugins can have parameters that can be modulated polyphonically. These parameters can be selected in the Destination boxes if the Poly Modulator is used in a track that uses a CLAP instrument plugin. If the Poly Modulator is in a Multi Effect it must be in the last (right hand) slot in order to use CLAP polyphonic modulation.

Note: "Apply to track" doesn't work with CLAP polyphonic modulation (they don't map to MIDI).