EWV-2000 Programming Basics Part II
by Todd Barton

Print or refer to the table below, EWV-2000 Patch Comparisons, and have it handy while we explore and fiddle with the parameters of JUDD. Be sure that your MEMORY PROTECT Switch on the back is set to ON so that none of the changes we make even have a chance of altering your pre-set programs.

With the low note droning away press the EDIT button once: the window display should now read OSC-1 FREQ : 00. The oscillator controls pitch. There are two independent oscillators on the EWV-2000. We are dealing with OSCILLATOR ONE which is the pitch source for SOURCE ONE. Now quickly move the VALUE slider to the DOWN position and hear OSC-1 drop to an octave below OSC-2. The display should now read OSC-1 :-12. Slowly move the slider toward the UP position and listen to the semitone increments ascend, forming intervals with OSC-2, which is a steady drone. Now return OSC-1 to ; 00. This may sound a bit out of tune to you. You can press AUTOTUNE just for kicks but when the tone comes back in it will still sound like it is phase shifting. This is due to the detuning of the next edit step, i.e. FINE. Press the SOURCE/BANK 1 number 1 button bringing the display to FINE :+02. Use the VALUE DOWN BUTTON to bring the display to FINE : 00. It is still not quite in tune, this is because OSC-2 FINE is set to -02. Press the SOURCE/BANK 2 number 1 button/twice and set FINE to 00. If you still don t have a perfectly steady tone just set PULSE WIDTH TO 00 (press number 1 button to scroll to PULSE WIDTH then use the VALUE slider to decrease the parameter to 00) and set SYNC to ON. Of course, purely steady electronic tones are usually not as interesting nor rich in harmonic content but at least now you know how to get to the zero point.

Now that you have a feel for changing parameters experiment with all of the OSCILLATOR settings in SOURCE ONE and TWO. Remember should you need to get back to the JUDD pre-set just press EDIT once then press number 1 in SOURCE/BANK 1 -- all changes will be erased and you will be back to home base.

This lesson in PROGRAMMING BASICS will focus on keeping the waveform constant so that you can hear how the filters (VCF, parameter 2 and the EFFECT FILTER, parameter 8 shape and change the sound).

Look at the EWV-2000 PATCH COMPARISON pages. You will notice, reading from left to right across the VCO section 1 that going from P-11/JUDD to P-22/ V.CELLO UN that the only parameter that changes is EG DEPTH, going from 08 to 00. Subsequently, the changes from P-22 to P-72, D.GUITAR occur among five parameters, namely FREQ, FINE, PW, SYNC, and WE FM.

Begin with P-11/JUDD, there is no need to enter these parameters since they are pre-set, this is home base. You may want to play the drone game mentioned above so that your hands are free to poke buttons, however, when you reach changes in VCF, VCA, EG, VIB/BEND, BREATH INT and EFFECTS you will want to "feel" the changes by playing notes throughout the entire range of the EVI/EWI.

Now, while in JUDD, just press the EDIT button and slowly enter the the parameter changes for P-22, V.CELLO UN. As you enter each successive change try to describe what you hear, maybe even write your responses down, it will help you get a handle on this etherial stuff we call sound.

Once you have finished entering all of the P-22 changes, move to P-72. And if you still have the stamina try P-45, ENG HORN to hear how changing the waveform in SOURCE ONE from a SAWTOOTH to a SQUARE wave , dramatically changes the quality of sound.

Generally speaking a SAWTOOTH wave, is a good starting point for creating BRASS and STRING sounds, while a SQUARE wave, with its hollow sound is good for CLARINET and similar woodwind sounds and the TRIANGLE wave, is good for FLUTE or RECORDER sounds. Happy exploring!