Waldorf Rocket manual

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Foreword Rocket User´s Manual 2 Foreword Thank you for purchasing the Waldorf Rock et s ynthesizer. You now o wn a very compact analog synthe si zer with an extraordinary look and a stonishing sound. We know that already and you will know soon too. You have our word ! What to read? The biggest problem with any manual is to find a way to cover both[...]

Foreword 3 Rocket User´s Manual The Rocket Development Team Hardware : Oliver Rockst edt , Frank Schneider Software : Oliver Rockstedt , Stefan Stenzel , Wolfr am F rank e Design: Axel Hartmann Manual/ Layout: Holger Steinb rink Revis ion : 1. 0 , February 2013 w Please visit our website http://rocket.waldor fmusic.de . It is possible a n ewer ope[...]

Content Rocket User´s Manual 4 Content Foreword ................................................................................ 2 What to read ? .................................................................. 2 Hint ................................................................................ 2 The Rocket Devel opment Te am ................[...]

Content 5 Rocket User´s Manual Sound Synthe sis Basics ..................................................... 25 Oscill ators Intr oducti on ................................................. 25 Filter Introduction .......................................................... 29 Appendix .................................................................[...]

Control Fe atures a nd Connections Rocket User´s Manual 6 Control Features and Connecti ons Front Panel a Headphone Volume Di al b Oscill ator Contro ls c Filter Controls d Launch Button / MIDI Inpu t Indicator e LFO/ Arpeggiator Controls f Envelope Controls[...]

Control Featur es and Conne ctions 7 Rocket User´s Manual Connections A MIDI Out Jac k B MIDI C hannel Se lection Button C MIDI I n Jac k D USB P ort for power supply and connection to a suited computer E Audio Line Out put (Mono J ack) 6 VCF Audio Li ne Input (Mono Jack) 7 Stereo Headphone Jack[...]

Introduction Rocket User´s Manual 8 Introduction About this Manual This manual was written to help you be come famil iar with the Rocket s ynthesi zer. I t will also ai d experi enced users with routi ne tasks. To avoid confusion, the terminology in this m anual is based on the Rocket parameter names. You will find a glossary at the end of this ma[...]

Introduction 9 Rocket User´s Manual General Safety Guidelines m Please read the following safety tips carefully! They include several precautions you should a l- ways observe when dealing with electronic equipment. Read all of the instructions before ope- rating your device Suitable Operating Conditions • Use the device indoors only. Outsid e it[...]

Introduction Rocket User´s Manual 10 Maintenance • Do not open the device or remove the cover. Refer all service and repair tasks to qualified personnel. There are no user serviceable part s inside the chassis. • Use only a dry, soft cloth or brush to clean the d e- vice. Never use alcohol, cleaning solutions or s imilar chemicals. They will d[...]

Setup and Connection 11 Rocket User´s Manual Setup and Connection Package Contents The Waldorf Rocket packa ge comes complete with: • the Waldorf Rocket Synthesizer • an external USB power supply as w ell as an USB cable • a CD - ROM with the comple te PDF manual and other tools w You own a computer wi th out a CD drive? D on´t worry, you c[...]

Setup and Connection Rocket User´s Manual 12 4. If y ou w ant to use a com puter w ith a MIDI i n- te r face, connect your interface ´s M IDI Out jack to the Rocke t´s MIDI In jack 5 . 5. Optionall y you can connect the Rockets ´s USB port 4 with a USB cable to your computer. A f- ter that the Rocket is automatically available as a MIDI unit an[...]

13 Rocket User´s Manual The USB Connection Using a USB cable you can connect the Rocket to your computer observing the following system requir ements : • Window s PC: Windows XP or newer is reco m- mended, a USB port • Linux PC, a USB port • Apple: Inte l Mac with Mac OS X 10.5 or newer, a USB port The USB connection of t he Rocket allows ?[...]

Basic Operation Rocket User´s Manual 14 Basic Operation Switching on/ off The Rocket is ready - to - operate after the connection to the U SB p ower sup ply or via USB cable to a suitable computer. System Volume What do you know ? The He adphone Volume knob a controls the Rocket’s headphone volume The main au dio output always deli vers a line l[...]

Sound Parameters 15 Rocket User´s Manual Sound Parameter s Overview of Functions The Waldorf Rocket consists of numerous sound - sh aping components w Is the R ocket you r first syn thesizer? A re you cur i- ous about sound synthesis? If so, we recommend to read the chapter " Sound Synthesis Basics " in this manua l. You should know that[...]

Sound Parameters Rocket User´s Manual 16 The Osc Switch Pulse/ Saw Sets the type of w aveform generated by the Oscill ator : • Pulse selects th e pulse waveform. A P ulse wave form with a p ulse width of 50% has only the odd harmonics of the funda mental fre quency p resent. This waveform produces a hollow / metallic sound . • Saw selects the [...]

Sound Parameters 17 Rocket User´s Manual • If Saw is selected and the Wave knob is in the exact center position, a single sawtooth is gener a- ted. If the Wave knob is increased further, the sound is enriched by more sawtooth osc illators up to a m a xi mum of eight oscillator s. Within the rang e of leftmos t to center position you can control [...]

Sound Parameters Rocket User´s Manual 18 VCF Filter Section The Rocket offers a multimode filt er. w A detailed introduction of the filters can be found in th e c hapter " Sound Synthesis Basics " of this manual . Type LP / BP / HP Selects the filter type : • The LP Low pass cuts frequencies above the cutoff point. • The BP Bandpass [...]

Sound Parameters 19 Rocket User´s Manual You can bring more movement into the sound by mod u- lating the cutoff frequ ency via the LFO, the envelo pe or the Ke ytrack parameter of the filter. At center position (100% Ke yt racking) and m aximum Re s on an ce le vel, the then self - oscillating fil ter can be played in a tempered scale. Re so na nc[...]

Sound Paramete rs Rocket User´s Manual 20 without a Sus tain phase whi le t he ampl ifier envel ope offers a switch for Sustain. Everytime a note comes in, both envelopes are triggered with an Attack rate of zero Boost on / off Boost saturates the signal . If set to off , no saturation w ill be added or, i n other words, the signal will rem ain cl[...]

Sound Parameters 21 Rocket User´s Manual The Lau nch Button More about this butt on can be found in the chapter " B a- sic Operation ". LFO/ ARP Section In addition to the m ain oscillato r, the Roc ket is equip ped with a low freque ncy oscillat or (LFO) that can be used for m odulation purposes. The LFO generates a periodic waveform wi[...]

Sound Parameters Rocket User´s Manual 22 • ARP activates the Arpeggiator . The LFO is auto- matical ly de activa ted i n thi s set ting. w If the Arpeggiato r is selected, Glide is co n tro l led by the selected arpeggiator pattern . w Aftertouch ( if your MIDI m aster key board is able to send this d ata) is always rou ted to filter cutoff. Dep[...]

Sound Parameters 23 Rocket User´s Manual When ARP is select ed, the switch sets the direction that is used to play back the arpe ggio: • If Up is selected , th e note list is played forward and the octaves are transposed u pward. Th e a r peggio starts in the original octave and goes up to the highest octave. Then the arpeggio is repeated. • I[...]

Additional Functions Rocket User´s Manual 24 Additional Functions MIDI C hannel Sett ings By using the M IDI Channel Selection button 6 on the Rocket´s backside you can simultaneously set the desired MIDI t rans mitti ng a s well as rec eiving channel: • Press and hold the MIDI Channel Selection button. • Send any M IDI note f ro m your MIDI [...]

Sound Synthesis Basics 25 Rocket User´s Manual Sound Synthesis Basics Oscillators Introduction The oscillator is the first building block of a synthesizer. It delivers the signal that is tr ansformed by all other c o m- ponents of the synth esizer. In th e early da ys of electro nic synthesis, engineers found that m ost re al aco ustic in str u- m[...]

Sound Synthesis Basics Rocket User´s Manual 26 Additive c omponents of the Sawto oth wave The sawtooth wa ve was thought as an abstraction of the timbre of string and brass in struments. You c an easily understand that when you think of a violin. Imagine a bow pulling the string slightly into one direction. At one point, the string abruptly comes [...]

Sound Synthesis Basics 27 Rocket User´s Manual Additive c omponents of the squa re wave wit h 50% pulse width The Pulse Wa ve The Pulse Wave is the most versatile wave in a classic synthesizer because its shape and therefore its harm onic content can be changed in real time. This is done by changing the width of the upper and lower p ortion of the[...]

Sound Synthesis Basics Rocket User´s Manual 28 Additive c omponents of Pulse wav e with di fferent pulse widths The first fact you can probably observe is that the lower part of the wave has a narrower excursion. This is becau- s e the energy o f the wider pulse is higher than the on e o f the narrower pulse. If this w ere not compensated, the ove[...]

Sound Synthesis Basics 29 Rocket User´s Manual Filter Introduction Once the audio signal leaves the oscillato r, it is sent to the filter. The filter is a com ponent that h a s significant influence on the Rocket’s sound cha racteristics. For now , we’ll explain the basic function of a filter di s- cussing the type u sed most commonly in synth[...]

Sound Synthesis Basics Rocket User´s Manual 30 If the reso nance is raised to a great extent, th en the filte r will begi n to self - oscillate , i.e. the filter gene rates an audible sine wave even when it does not receive an incoming s ignal. ! "#$%#&'( )#*#+ ,%-.// 0#1.&2&'#[...]

Appendix 31 Rocket User´s Manual Appendix Updating the Firmware The Rocket has a service - friendly fe ature that m akes it possible to update the system software without changing any parts. All firmware up dates c ome in the form of a standard MIDI file that can be read by nearly any sequencer. T he fastest way to get this file is by downloa ding[...]

Appendix Rocket User´s Manual 32 Issues during Firmware Upgrade Process If you have any pro blems during firm ware upgrade pr o- cess, please proceed as fol lows: • Disconnec t the Rocket from the USB connection. • Press and hold the MIDI Channel Selection button 6 of the Rocket . • Reconnect the USB connection of the Rocket. This starts the[...]

Appendix 33 Rocket User´s Manual Technical Data Powe r S up ply Maximum curr ent c onsump tion : 5 00 mA Dimensions and W ei ght Width : 185 mm Depht : 185 mm Height (incl uding k nobs): 65 mm Total weight : 0,9 kg Factory S ettings MI DI Re ceive Channel 1 MIDI T ransmi t Channel : 1[...]

Appendix Rocket User´s Manual 34 MIDI Controller Numbers The follo wing control s can not send MIDI Contro ller data : Headphone Volume , Filter Type switch , Boost switch and the Lau nch button . Ctrl Alt Ctrl Contro l- le Range Contro l ler or Sound Param e ter Value Ra n ge 1 1 0…127 Modulat ion Wheel 0…127 70 33 0…127 Osc Wave 0…12 7 7[...]

Appendix 35 Rocket User´s Manual w The standard controller assignment can be found in the c olumn "C trl #", the alternative assignment in the column "Alt Ctrl#" . This alternative assig n- ment can be used by sen ding a S ysEx co mmand to t he Rocket . It enable s you to use the Rocket a s co n tro l ler for other Waldorf synt[...]

Appendix Rocket User´s Manual 36 Glossary Aftertouch The majority of contemporary MIDI keyboards are cap- able of gen erating aftertouch messages. On this type of keyboard, wh en yo u press harder on a key you are a l- ready holding d own, a MID I Aftertouch messa ge is gen e- rated. This feature is used to co ntrol the Cutoff fre quency of the Ro[...]

Appendix 37 Rocket User´s Manual Envelope An envelope is used to modulate a sound - shaping co m- ponent within a given time frame so that the sound is changed in some manner. For instance, an envelope that modulat es the cutoff frequency of a fil ter opens and closes this filter so that some of the signal's frequencies are filtered out. An e[...]

Appendix Rocket User´s Manual 38 Low Pass Fil ter Synthesizers are often equipped with a low pass filter. A low pass filter dampens all frequen cies above its cutoff frequency. Frequencies below the cutoff point are not affected. MIDI The acronym MIDI stands for "musical ins trument digital interface." It was d eveloped in th e early 198[...]

Appendix 39 Rocket User´s Manual tion destina tion is sou nd - shaping com ponent such as a filter or a VCA. Note o n / Note off This is the most important MIDI message. It sets the pitch and velocity of every generated note. The time of arrival is simultan eously th e start time of the note. Its pitch is derived from the n ote number, which lies [...]

Appendix Rocket User´s Manual 40 data include transfer of entire memories and com plete control of a device via a computer. Trigger A trigger is a signal that activates events. Trigger signals are very diverse. For instance, a MIDI note or an audio signal can be us ed as a trigger. The events a trigger can initiate are also very dive rse. A common[...]

Appendix 41 Rocket User´s Manual EG Konformitätserklärung Declaration of Conformity des Herstellers / of the manufa cturer: Waldo rf Music GmbH Landskroner Str. 52 53474 Bad Neuenahr / Germany Verantwortl iche P erson / Responsible pe rson: Stefan Stenzel erklärt hiermit, dass das Produkt / will b e hereby declare d that the followin g named pr[...]

Appendix Rocket User´s Manual 42 Am 15.12.2004 wurde die überarbeitete Richtlinie 2004/108/EG zur Elektromagnetischen Verträglichkeit vo n der Europäischen Kommission veröffentlicht (AB. L 390/2004 ). Sie ersetzt die bisher geltende EMV - Richtlinie 8 9/336/EWG. Im Zusamme nhang mit dies er Überarbeitung gelten folgende Übergangsfr isten: Im[...]

Appendix 43 Rocket User´s Manual FCC Information (U.S.A.) 1. IMPORTANT NO TICE: DO NOT MODIFY THIS UNIT! This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions co n- tained in this M anual, meets FCC requirements. Modifica tions not expressly approved by W aldorf may void your authority, granted by the FCC, to use this product. 2. IMPORTANT[...]

Appendix Rocket User´s Manual 44 Product Warranty Thank you for choosing this Waldorf product. It is a dependable device and is designed to last. However, the potential for defects in material or workm anship cannot be er adicated completely. This is why we prov ide an extended warranty for you. Thi s warranty covers all defects in material and wo[...]

W aldorf Music GmbH • Landskroner Straße 52 • D-53474 Bad Neuenahr © 2013 W aldorf Music GmbH • All rights reserv ed www .waldorfmusic.de[...]