The layout is simple and leaves enough space for the constant tweaking this section will no doubt receive. The Filter section consists of three knobs (cutoff, resonance, keys follow +/-), five sliders (ADSR envelope and depth +/-) and two buttons (filter mode and slope). A pitch envelope is also provided with attack and decay sliders and an envelope depth control.Īs with the LFO section, this is a comprehensive system that doesn't drown the user in controls and options, and the results are excellent both tonally and creatively. There is a 'mod' function here that uses Osc 2 to modulate Osc 1 either in Sync mode or as Ring Modulation and two sliders are dedicated to the Pulse/PWM waveform. The pitch and detune knobs lead double lives thanks to the SHIFT function where they control the master tuning and oscillator pan position respectively. It's great to stack three of the same waveforms (or variations thereof) across the three Tones, especially with the infamous SuperSaw (add detune and panning to taste!). Though these are not explained in the literature, these variations possess slightly different harmonic weightings and effectively give you 21 waves to start from. The SH-01 does not disappoint on this score and provides a healthy selection of waveforms (sawtooth, supersaw, square, triangle, sine, noise and pulse/PWM), each with three variants. For a section that only has one knob, two buttons and four sliders there is a wide range of modulation possibilities available, from the subtly evolving to the out and out crazy.Īs with all synths, the oscillators are where a lack of quality spells certain doom whatever's going on elsewhere. The Amp Depth control also doubles as the Tone pan LFO modulation control when used with SHIFT. The Gaia possesses a deceptively deep control system that neither hinders playability by offering too many 'at hand' parameters nor restricts sound manipulation and system integration due to an over simplifi d feature set.
![roland gaia patches roland gaia patches](https://idmmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Roland-Gaia.png)
At a global level the SHIFT button accesses (in combination with other controls) system parameters such as master tuning, velocity sensitivity, D-Beam sensitivity, clock sources, MIDI parameters, etc.
![roland gaia patches roland gaia patches](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3OqsfURLEK4/maxresdefault.jpg)
#Roland gaia patches Patch#
At a patch level the SHIFT button can access two more controls for each effect (as there are only two control dedicated knobs), oscillator panning, modulation LFO assignments, pitch bend ranges and so on. Speaking of the SHIFT button, if something doesn't have a dedicated control then some combination of this and another control will access it.
![roland gaia patches roland gaia patches](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0269/7802/5585/products/Box-RolandGaia-ElectroSensations_480x480.jpg)
This extra layer of control comes courtesy of the Modulation lever (ie, the vertical motion of the pitch bender) and, with the help of the SHIFT button has its own waveform and speed and can be assigned to alter any of the LFO parameters.
![roland gaia patches roland gaia patches](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yZu6cL78Dzk/maxresdefault.jpg)
The LFO can itself be modulated further by the seemingly invisible Modulation LFO. The LFO features six waveforms (triangle, sine, sawtooth, square, S&H and random) with a rotary speed knob, a tempo sync button, flashing speed LED and sliders for the LFO assignment: Fade Time, Pitch Depth, Filter Depth and Amp Depth. "The layout is so 'left to right' intuitive that you can get straight into tweaking and playing the second the Gaia is plugged in."Īfter Tone selection come the LFO controls, followed by the OSC (oscillator) section, the Filter controls and ending with the Amp section. There is also a Tone Copy button to duplicate tone settings to speed up editing and patch creation. Tones can be edited singly or together by pressing and holding the appropriate Tone Select buttons. Patched and performed by Stefano Angiulli for Leadsounds.You start on the left with the Tone selection buttons that select and operate the three Tones (effectively three synths, each with its own oscillator, LFO, modulation LFO, filter and amplifier). This collection of 64 new sounds includes pads, leads, arpeggiators, brass, organs, strings and all you need to best exploit the potential of the Gaia SH-01 by Roland®.