VISCOUNT DOMUS 6 PhysisPlus Line Organs User Guide

VISCOUNT DOMUS 6 PhysisPlus Line Organs User Guide

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

WARNING : READ THIS FIRST!

AVIS IMPORTANT!

WARNING RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN

This symbolis intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

This symbolis intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

WARNING
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK: DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE AND OBJECTS FILLED WITH LIQUIDS, SUCH AS VASES, SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ON THIS APPARATUS. DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK) NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL

“INSTRUCTIONS PERTAINING TO A RISK OF FIRE,
ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS”

WARNING:

1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water. 6) Clean only with dry cloth
6. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
7. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
8. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wider blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
9. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
10. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
11. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
12. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
13. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

NOTE: The socket-outlet shall be installed near the equipment and shall be easily accessible. To completely disconnect this apparatus from the AC MAINS, disconnect the power supply cord plug from the AC receptacle.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
INSTRUCTIONS A CONSERVER

IMPORTANT NOTES

Product Care

• Do not apply excessive force to the instrument’s structures and controls (knobs, buttons, keyboard etc…).
• Whenever possible, do not place the instrument close to units that generate strong interference, such as radio – TV sets, monitors, etc …
• Do not place the instrument close to heat sources, in damp or dusty places or in the vicinity of strong magnetic fields.
• Do not expose the instrument to direct sunlight.
• Never insert foreign bodies or liquids of any kind into the instrument.
• For cleaning use only a soft brush or compressed air; never use detergents, solvents or alcohol.
• Always use good quality screened cables for connection to amplification or diffusion systems. When disconnecting cables from sockets, always take hold of the connector and not the cable itself; when winding cables do not knot or twist them.
• Before making connections make sure that the other units you are about to connect (especially amplification and diffusion systems) are switched off. This will prevent noisy or even dangerous signal peaks.
• Connect the net cable to an earthed socket.
• Check that the voltage corresponds to the voltage shown on the serial number plate of the organ.
• If the instrument is to be out of use for long periods, disconnect the power cable from the power socket.
• Do not place the power cord near heat sources. Do not bend the cable too much, or damage it.

Notes about this manual

• Keep this manual with care.
• This manual is an integral part of the instrument. The descriptions and illustrations contained in this publication are not binding.
• While the instrument’s essential characteristics remain the same, the manufacturer reserves the right to make any modifications to parts, details or accessories considered appropriate to improve the product or for requirements of a constructional or commercial nature, at any time and without undertaking to update this publication immediately.
• All rights reserved; the reproduction of any part of this manual, in any form, without the manufacturer’s specific written permission, is forbidden.
• All the trademarks referred to in this manual are the property of the respective manufacturers.
• Please read all the information carefully, so that you obtain the best performance and will from your instrument.
• The codes or numbers in square brackets ([ ]) indicate the names of the buttons, sliders, trimmers and connectors on the instrument. For example, [EXIT] refers to the EXIT button.
• The illustrations are purely for information purposes and may differ from your product.
• The instructions provided in this manual only concern the instrument’s operating system version that was up to date when the document was released. Therefore, such instructions might not describe faithfully your current operating system release. Please, visit the website www.viscountinstruments.com to check for the newest operating system release and manual.
• This is a Quick Guide. Check the Reference Manual for detailed descriptions of all the organ’s functions. The manual can be downloaded from the website www.viscountinstruments.com.

This quick guide is updated to version 1.0.5 of the instrument’s operating system.

Visit the Physis Plus page on our web site for the detailed description of the Physis Plus technology!

GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS

3-manuals drawknobs model with general combinations only

3-manuals tabs model with general and divisional combinations

3-manuals positiv model

2-manuals tabs model

NOTE
All the controls present in the Physis Plus organ models are described below. Depending on the model, some of the controls may not be present.

Stops

• PEDAL section: contains pedal stops and manual-pedal couplers.
• MAN II or GREAT section: contains stops, couplers and tremulant of Manual II or Great.
• MAN III or SWELL section: contains stops, coupler and tremulant of Manual III or Swell.
• MAN IV or SOLO section: contains stops and tremulant of Manual IV or Solo.
• MAN I or CHOIR section: contains stops coupler and tremulant of Manual I or Choir.

For each stop a different voice can be selected. You can also adjust the main sound-generation parameters.
Further information can be found on page 16.
Two tremulants are available for each section, and both can be activated through the [TREMULANT] or [TREM] controls, depending on the model. For each tremulant it is possible to adjust speed, depth, amplitude and waveform and assign it to each voice. Further information can be found on page 15 and Reference Manual.
It is also possible to play one or two orchestral voices in each section. In some models, in which orchestral stops are not present, it’s necessary to activate the orchestral voice through the functions described on page 16.
The list of stops available to play orchestral voices may change, according to the sound configuration of the organ. Check the web site www.viscountinstruments.com for further information.
For some models, these sections also contain a [MIDI] control, to transmit MIDI-note codes to the MIDI [OUT] port.

Upper panel

• Light switch: on-off button for the music stand and manuals lights.
• SPEAKERS section: amplification controls.
  • [CONSOLE]: switches on/off the instrument’s internal amplification system.
  • [EXTERNAL]: this command activates the PROG.OUT outputs in the rear panel (page 7), in order to link external speakers to the instrument and use them to diffuse the sound around the ambience.
• PEDAL section: couplers, sub and super octave of the pedalboard.
• MAN II or GREAT section: couplers, sub and super octave of the Manual II or Great.
• MAN III or SWELL section: couplers, sub and super octave of the Manual III or Swell.
• MAN I or CHOIR section: couplers, sub and super octave of the Manual I or Choir.
• COUPLERS section: couplers, sub and super octave of the manuals and pedalboard.
• SOLO TO section: couplers of Solo section to the other manuals and pedalboard.
• MIDI section: these controls, provided for each manual and the pedalboard, allow transmission of the note MIDI messages on the MIDI [OUT] port to be enabled and disabled. All the instrument’s other MIDI messages will continue to be transmitted, even with the MIDI control is off.
• TREMULANTS or TREMOLO section: here are the tremulants of each section. Further information are available in STOPS.
• ORCHESTRA section: contains the orchestral voices. It is possible to select the voice activated by the stop and adjust the main sound generation parameters of each voice. For further information see page 16.
• Additional displays.
  • [CRESC] or [CRESCENDO]: shows the step currently reached by the [CRESCENDO] pedal.
  • [I] or [CH]: Manual I or Choir expression level regulated by the [MAN. I] or [CHOIR] expression pedal.
  • [II]: Manual II expression level regulated by the [MAN II] expression pedal.
  • [III] or [SW]: Manual III or Swell expression level regulated by the [MAN III] or [SWELL] expression pedal.
  • [TRANSPOSER]: the transposition set by the TRANSPOSER parameter (page 8).
  • [MEM. BANK]: displays the memory bank of the combinations, selected using the [- -] or [MEM BANK +] and [MEM BANK -] thumb pistons.

Thumb pistons

• General combinations.
  • [- -]: press this thumb piston and then the [0] / [9] pistons to select the desired memory bank and general combination. The first two presses of [0] / [9] piston select the memory bank, the third press selects the combination. For example, pressing pistons [2], [0] and [4] selects the combination 4 of the memory bank 20.
  • [HR]: restores the voice setup prepared in manual mode before a memory was recalled.
  • [0] / [9] or [1] / [8] / [10] / [12]: pistons to recall the combinations saved in the selected memory bank. These combinations can be modified. To do so, follow the procedure described for [S] or [SET] thumb piston.
  • [ <] / [>] or [PREV] / [NEXT]: general combinations sequencers. [<] or [PREV] selects them in descending order, [>] or [NEXT] in ascending order.
• Divisional combinations.
  [1] / [6] / [8]: under each manual there are thumb pistons for recalling the divisional combinations. The Pedal ones can be under the Manual I or Choir (on the left) or as toe pistons. These combinations can be modified. To do so, follow the procedure described for [S] or [SET] thumb piston.

NOTES

• When the organ is switched on, memory bank 0 (in the models equipped with the [- -] thumb piston or 1 is always selected.
• Combinations Sets are available in the Physis Plus organs thanks to which the number of usable combinations is extended. For more information see page 8.
• [TUTTI]: thumb piston that recalls Tutti. The Tutti can be modified. To do so, follow the procedure described for [S] or [SET] thumb piston.
• [PLENUM]: Plenum thumb piston whose content is added to the stop configuration prepared by hand or by combination. The Plenum can be modified. To do so, follow the procedure described for [S] or [SET] thumb piston.
• [S] or [SET]: piston to save general or divisional combinations, Tutti, Plenum and Crescendo steps. To save a combination in the actual memory bank:

1. Press and hold the [S] or [SET] thumb piston.
2. Press the desired combination thumb or toe piston.
3. Release the [S] or [SET] thumb piston.

To save a combination in another memory bank,

In the organ models equipped with [- – ] thumb piston:

1. Select the memory bank pressing [- -] then press two [0] / [9] pistons.

2. Press and hold [S] or [SET].

3. Press [0] / [9] piston to select the combination to be saved.
   For example, pressing pistons [2], [0] and [4] saves the combination 4 of the memory bank 20.

4. Release the [S] or [SET] thumb piston.

In the organ models equipped with MEM BANK thumb pistons:

1. Press [MEM BANK +] or [MEM BANK -] to select the memory bank
2. Press and hold [S] or [SET].
3. Press the thumb piston of general or divisional combination you have to save.
4. Release the [S] or [SET] thumb piston.

To save Tutti or Plenum:

1. Press and hold the [S] thumb piston.
2. Press the [TUTTI] or [PLENUM] thumb or toe piston
3. Release the [S] or [SET] thumb piston.

To save a Crescendo step:

1. Select it through the [CRESCENDO] pedal.
2. Press and hold the [S] or [SET] thumb piston.
3. Press the [HR] or [ENC] (where [HR] is not present) thumb piston.
4. Release the [S] or [SET] thumb piston.

To copy the content of one Crescendo step to another:

1. Select the step you wish to copy.
2. Press and hold the [S] or [SET] thumb piston.
3. Select the step in which you wish to paste the content.
4. Press the [HR] or [ENC] (where [HR] is not present) thumb piston.
5. Release the [S] or [SET] thumb piston.

• [PIPE SET]: this thumb piston allows you to select the desired Pipe Set. To do this press this piston and within 5 seconds one of the general combination lit pistons
  In the organ models not equipped with this thumb piston, to select a Pipe Set follow the procedure described at page 10.

• ORCH thumb pistons: orchestral voices pistons of each organ section.

• Coupler thumb pistons: under each manual there are the thumb pistons to enable and disable the couplers to the other manuals and/or pedalboard.

• MIDI thumb pistons: thumb pistons that provided, for each manual and the pedalboard, allow transmission of the note MIDI codes on the MIDI [OUT] port to be enabled and disabled. All the instrument’s other MIDI messages will continue to be transmitted, even with the MIDI control is off.

• [ORGAN SOLO] or [ORG SOLO]: activates the Organ Solo function. By default, using this function you can play the melody with Swell stops when the III/II or II/I or Swell/Great (depending on the organ model) coupling is active. Therefore, all the while the function is active, the highest notes are played with monophonic Swell voices. However the function can be customized among the ORGAN SOLO function in the KEYBOARDS menu (see Reference Manual).

• [AUTO PED] or [AUTO PEDAL]: activates the Automatic Pedal or the Pedal Automatic Piano function. Select the mode of the piston among the A.P. MODE parameter in the KEYBOARDS menu (see Reference Manual).

• [ENC] or [SWS]: when the Enclosed or All Swells in Swell function is active, the main volume can be controlled through the [MAN.III] or [MAN.II] or [SWELL] (depending on the organ model) expression pedal.
  Which expression pedal and which section are controlled can be customized among the ENC or SWS CONFIG function in the CONTROLS menu (see Reference Manual).

• [C] or [CAN]: Cancel thumb piston to turn off all stops, tremulants, couplers, and the other pistons on the manuals (except when differently set through the functions in the CONTROLS menu, see Reference Manual).

• [CYMB STRN] or [ZIMB]: switches on and off the Zimbelstern sound.

• [MAN TRANS]: Manuals Transfer thumb piston. By default, using this thumb piston it is possible to invert the Manual II or Great with Manual I or Choir. However the function can be customized among the INVERSION function in the KEYBOARDS menu (see Reference Manual).

• [REED 32]: switches on and off the reed 32’ pedalboard’s stops.

• [DIAP 32]: switches on and off the diapason 32’ pedalboard’s stops.

• [MAIN ON]: switches on and off the Main audio outputs. For further information concerning the audio outputs configurations, see Reference Manual.

• [ANT ON]: switches on and off the Antiphonal audio outputs. For further information concerning the audio outputs configurations, see Reference Manual.

• [P / D]: Pipe / Digital thumb piston which allows to play voices with the internal sound generation or with organ pipes through systems of external interfacing as Viscount VPI.

To the left of the manuals there is the Power switch to switch on/off the instrument.
In the models with rool top, to the right of the manuals there is the roll top lock.

Control and programming section

The buttons and the display in this section allow the user to program and set up the instrument and use the internal sequencer. Depending on the model, this section is located in a drawer on the right underneath the manuals, or in the upper panel, or on the right of the manuals. The buttons to visualize and navigate through all the display screens are located near the display and are:

• [SONG]: access the video pages of the internal sequencer.
• [LEVELS]: access the video page for all the volume settings available in the instruments.
• [ ] and [ ]: buttons used to move the cursor, identified by the field in reverse. [ ] moves it in the field above or the previous field, [ ] in the field below or the next field.
• [+] and [-]: buttons which regulate the values of the parameters, whether they are numerical or alphanumerical. [+] increases, [-] decreases.
• [EXIT] and [MENU/ENTER]: access and quit the display screens and menus, or confirm or cancel prompts made by the system. [MENU/ENTER] accesses menus/screens and confirms, [EXIT] quits menus/screens and cancels. If it is held pressed for a while, the main screen is immediately displayed, regardless of the current menu level

Expression pedals and toe pistons

• [CRESCENDO] pedal: with this pedal you can select the Crescendo level (step). These levels activate a fixed set of stops, linked with an equal number of loudness, from pianissimo to fortissimo. The current level is shown on the [CRESCENDO] or [CRESC] additional display (see point 2) and in the display by the CRESC. field in the main video page (see page 8). The Crescendo controls all the registers and couplers. Each level of the Crescendo can be programmed. To save the Crescendo configuration, see [S] or [SET] thumb piston description.

• Expression pedals: the expression pedals control at every time the volume of one or more sections, and can be used to obtain the most diverse dynamic effects. The number of the pedals depends on the model and its number of manuals:

  • [MAN IV] or [SOLO]: continuous control of Manual IV or Solo volume.
  • [MAN III] or [SWELL]: continuous control of Manual III or Swell volume.
  • [MAN II]: continuous control of Manual II volume.
  • [MAN I] or [CHOIR]: continuous control of Manual I or Choir volume.
    One of the pedals is equipped with a leverage system and can be used to control the sustain effect for Orchestral voices.

• Couplers toe pistons: same function of the couplers thumb pistons.

• [0]…[9], or [GEN 1]…[GEN 12]: same function of the general combinations thumb pistons.

• [ <] / [>] or [PREV] / [NEXT]: same function of the general combinations sequencers thumb pistons.

• [PED 1]…[PED 12]: same function of the Pedal divisional combinations thumb pistons.

• [REED 32]: switches on and off the reed 32’ pedalboard’s stops.

• [FLUE 32]: switches on and off the flute 32’ pedalboard’s stops.

• [BOMB 32]: switches on and off the Bombarde 32’ pedalboard’s stop.

• [BOURD 32]: switches on and off the Bourdon 32’ pedalboard’s stop.

• [PLENUM]: same function of the [PLENUM] thumb piston.

• [TUTTI]: same function of the [TUTTI] thumb piston.

• [ZIMBEL]: switches on and off the Zimbelstern sound.

Forward connection panel

Underneath the manuals, on the left, there is a panel where you can find the most frequently used connections
and controls

• [MASTER VOLUME]: regulates the main volume.
• MIDI [IN]: MIDI input port.
• MIDI [OUT]: MIDI output port.
• [USB]: two USB ports. The right port links the organ to a computer, in order to use the “Physis Plus The Editor” Windows / Mac OS / iOs application. The left port is dedicated to USB pen drive (not included with the organ) to save and load configuration files and songs recorded using the internal sequencer.
• AUX [IN]: RCA line inputs which allow other instruments to be played using the organ’s internal and external amplification.
• AUX [OUT]: RCA line outputs with non-amplified signal, for connecting optional amplified speakers, remote amplification systems or recording systems.
• [PHONES]: plug for a headphone set.
• [PHONES VOLUME]: regulates the volume of the headphone set connected to the [PHONES] plug.

N.B.

• For further information about the MIDI interface, see Reference Manual.
• For further information about the USB devices and internal memory, see Reference Manual.

Rear connections panel

On the rear of the organ, there are various sockets to connect it to an external speaker systems, together with line and microphone input.

• [EXT. +12V DC]: +12 Volt can be obtained from these connectors to switch-on any VISCOUNT speaker connected to the PROG. OUT outputs.

• PROG. OUT: the instrument’s general line outputs, allowing simulation of the windchests of pipe organs.
  The signals are distributed over the outputs on the basis of the OUTPUTS settings available in the “Physis
  Plus The Editor” application. These settings allow you to select the type of windchest, its size based on the position in space of the speakers. Each output also has dedicated type, mode, level, equalization and reverb controls.

• INPUT [L(+R)] / [R]: line inputs which allow other instruments to be played using the organ’s internal and external amplification. If the source is monophonic use the [L+(R)] connector only.

• INPUT [MIC]: microphone input allowing amplification of the signal from a microphone.

• [GAIN]: trimmer for regulating the gain of the input signal received at the [MIC] connector.

WARNING!
This group of rear connections is not visible from the outside and the organ’s wooden rear panel has to be removed to access it. Contact qualified staff for this procedure.

SWITCHING ON AND MAIN VIDEO PAGE

After turning on the instrument, the display shows the Physis Plus logo video page and, once ready, the main video page:

containing the following display field:

• PIPE SET: Pipe Set currently in use (page 10).
• CMB: selected combination. The first two numbers indicate the memory bank, the third number (in reverse) indicates the combination selected as showed by the illuminated general combination thumb piston. The number of the selected Combinations Set is indicated next to the writing “CMB”.
• TRANSP: transposition set in TUNING (page 15).
• TEMPERAMENT: temperament currently in use, selected in TUNING (page 15).
• PITCH: instrument’s tuning, expressed as the frequency of A4, set in TUNING (page 15).
• CRESC: currently selected Crescendo step.
• EXPRES: expressions levels in according to the expression pedals position.

When the main page is displayed, [+] and [-] buttons can be used to adjust one of these parameters. To select
which parameter is adjusted, use the and buttons, “+” and “-“ symbols are displayed in the field of the
adjusted parameter. It is also possible to regulate the reverb level or no parameter, selecting these using
and (showed by a pop-up message)

What are Combinations Sets

A Combinations Set contains all the memory banks and combinations that can be selected directly on the instrument. By selecting a different Combination Set it is possible to use other memory banks and combinations.
In an organ model with 99 banks and 10 combinations per bank for example, selecting another Combination Set makes another 99 banks and 10 combinations per bank available, replacing those of the previous Combination Set.
The number of Combinations Sets available depends on the organ model used

To select a Combinations Set, follow this procedure:

1. in the main video page press the [MENU/ENTER] button,
2. select the COMBINATIONS field,
3. select the SELECT field,
4. select the desired Combinations Set from those displayed in the list. The first Combinations Set, indicated as MAIN, contains the memory bank n. 1 programmed by Viscount.

How to navigate in the menus
Here a simple explanation how to display a specific video page, regulate a parameter and come back to the main video page. Bear in mind this procedure to reach all the parameters described in the Quick Guide and Reference Manual.
Example: you have to regulate the general pitch at 439,19 Hz:

ABOUT THE PIPE SETS

A Pipe Set identifies the entire configuration of an organ, that is the voice and the relative parameters of each stop, tuning, configuration of several controls and functions, allowing the appropriate use to the repertoire to be performed. The many Pipe Sets allow the musician to use several organ configurations, as if several different instruments were present at the same time in the same place.

The number of Pipe Sets available in the instrument depends on the model purchased:

• Opera models: 10 Pipe Sets of which 5 supplied by Viscount
• Maestro models: 8 Pipe Sets of which 4 supplied by Viscount
• Domus models: 6 Pipe Sets of which 3 supplied by Viscount

The Pipe Sets supplied by Viscount are already present in the instrument at the time of purchase and
programmed by our laboratories on the basis of the appropriate organ schools, however it can be modified by the user.
The remaining Pipe Sets are free locations, starting from an already existing Pipe Set it is possible to copy it in a free location (but also overwrite an already existing Pipe Set) and modify each parameter and function to create a completely different Pipe Set based on the needs and musician’s preferences.

To select a Pipe Set it is possible to follow two procedures:

A. Using the [PIPE SET] thumb piston (in the models in which it is present) as described at page 5.
B. In the main video page

1. press the [MENU/ENTER] button,
2. select the PIPE SET field,
3. select the SELECT field,
4. select the desired Pipe Set from those displayed in the list.

In this list the currently selected Pipe Set is indicated by the symbol. Use the and buttons to move
the cursor to other Pipe Sets, then press [MENU/ENTER] to confirm the new selection and make it usable,
press [EXIT] to avoid the change and leave the currently selected Pipe Set.

To copy a Pipe Set in an other location, follow this procedure:

1. In the main video page press the [MENU/ENTER] button,
2. select the PIPE SET field,
3. select the COPY/RENAME field,
4. select the Pipe Set you want to copy and press the [MENU/ENTER] button,
5. select the location where you wish to place the Pipe Set you are copying.

SETTINGS THE VOLUMES (LEVELS function)

The Physis Plus organs allow the user to adjust several volumes, in order to obtain a perfect sound balance among the sections and between internal and external amplifications.

To display the volumes video page, press the [LEVELS] button:

• MST (Master): the organ’s overall volume, which can also be adjusted with the [MASTER VOLUME] knob underneath the manuals.
• REV (Reverb): reverb effect level on the internal amplification, which can also be adjusted using [+] / [-] buttons when the main page is displayed (see page 8).
• SUR (Surround): volume of the side speakers expands the sound stage, giving the feeling of being in a bigger environment. Not present in the organ models without side speakers.
• PRS (Presence): volume of the front side speakers makes the sound more natural and detailed, emphasizing on the dynamic evolution of the pipes sound. Not present in the organ models without additional front speakers.
• BAL (Balance): stereophonic balance of the side speakers.
• EXT (External outputs): general volume of the PROG. OUT connectors of the rear panel.
• ERV (External reverb): reverb effect level on the PROG. OUT connectors of the rear panel.
• PED (Pedal): pedalboard divisional volume.
• II or GRT: Manual II or Great divisional volume.
• III or SWL: Manual III or Swell divisional volume.
• I or CHR: Manual I or Choir divisional volume.
• IV or SOL: Manual IV or Solo divisional volume.
• ORC (Orchestra): volume of the orchestral voices.

Press [EXIT] or [LEVELS] or wait about 4 seconds to quit the screen and return to the previous video page.

MAIN MENU BASIC DESCRIPTION

The MAIN MENU gives access to all the instrument’s settings.

NOTE
Menus can contain two or more display pages. In this case a or symbol is displayed on the top right of
the video page, indicating the presence of a next or previous page.

To access to this menu, in the main video page, press the [MENU/ENTER] button.
The MAIN MENU sections are the following:

adjustment (see page 16).
SETUP| Instrument general settings.
MIDI| MIDI settings.
BACKUP/RESTORE| Save/Load of the entire organ configuration, reset to factory settings.
UTILITY| Accessory functions

Pipe Set menu
The PIPE SET menu contains the following functions:

slots and rename.
Restore Default| Reset of a Pipe Set to the initial configuration.

Combinations menu
The COMBINATIONS menu contains the following functions

all instrument’s combinations.
Copy/Rename| Copy of a Combinations Set allocating it in one of the available slots and rename.
Clear| Deleting the contents of a Combinations Set.
Set/Remove PIN| Enter/delete a security code (PIN) to lock/unlock the editing of a Combinations Set.
Export| Saving a Combinations Set in a USB pen.
Import| Loading a Combinations Set from a USB pen allocating it in one of the available slots.
Reset Main CMB| Reset of the factory Combinations Set.

Setup menu
The SETUP menu consists of four sub-menus containing several functions

NOTE
All the functions of the SETUP sub-menus present in all organ models are described below. Depending on the model, some of the functions may not be present.

KEYBOARDS menu: manuals and pedalboard settings, contains the following functions:

manuals and pedalboard keys.
Inversion| Enable/disable and configuration of the Keyboards Inversion function.
1st Short Octave| Enable/disable and configuration of the Short Octave for each manual and pedalboard.
Pist. Combine| Enable/disable and configuration of the Piston Combine function.
Organ Solo| Configuration of [ORGAN SOLO] or [ORG SOLO] thumb piston operating mode.
A.P. Mode| Selection of the [AUTO PEDAL] or [AUTO PED] thumb piston operating mode.

CONTROLS menu: console controls settings, contains the following functions:

pedals.
Crescendo Pedal| Selection of the [CRESCENDO] pedal operating mode.
Link Master Vol.| Selection of the [MASTER VOLUME] knob operating mode.
Orchestra Couplers| Selection of which type of coupler affects the orchestral voices.

COMBINATIONS menu: organ’s combinations operating modes, contains the following functions:

combinations have Memory Banks.
MIDI Out Controls in Combinations| Enable/disable of storing the status of MIDI tab/thumb pistons in the combinations.
MIDI Out Controls affected by Cancel| Enable/disable to switch off MIDI tab/thumb pistons by [C] or [CANC] thumb piston.
Couplers in Divisional Combinations| Enable/disable of storing the status (and which type) of couplers in the divisional combinations.
Couplers in Crescendo| Enable/disable of storing the status (and which type) of couplers in the Crescendo.
Tremulant parameters in Combinations| Enable/disable of storing the tremulant parameters in the combinations.
ENC/SWS in Combinations| Enable/disable of storing the status of [ENC] and [SWS] thumb pistons in the general combinations.
ENC/SWS affected by Cancel| Enable/disable to switch off [ENC] and [SWS] thumb pistons by [C] or [CANC] thumb piston.
A.P. in Combinations| Enable/disable of storing the status of [AUTO PEDAL] or [AUTO PED] thumb piston in the general combinations.
A.P. affected by Cancel| Enable/disable to switch off [AUTO PEDAL] or [AUTO PED] thumb piston by [C] or [CANC] thumb piston.
Speakers in Combinations| Enable/disable of storing the status of Internal, External, Main, Antiphonal amplifications switches in the general combinations.
PIPES/DIGITAL in Combinations| Enable/disable of storing the status of [P/D], [PIPES] e [DIGITAL] thumb piston in the general combinations.
Orchestra Params in Combinations| Enable/disable of storing the configuration parameters of orchestral voices in the combinations.
Tutti Mode| Selecting wheter Tutti combination controls stops as a general combination (replaces its content) or in layered mode (adds its content).

AUDIO menu: audio settings, contains the following functions:

amplification.
Surround Sound| Settings of the side and front speakers.
Ext. Out Volumes| Settings of the volumes of the PROG. OUT audio outputs.
Input to Output| Routing of the audio inputs to the PROG. OUT audio outputs.

MIDI menu
The MIDI menu contains the following functions, contains the following functions:

each organ section.
TX/RX Filters| Enable/disable of input and output MIDI filters.
PRG in Combinations| Store of Program Change and Bank Select MIDI messages in combinations.
Coupled Notes Out| Enable/disable the transmission of MIDI notes generated by couplers.

Backup/Restore menu
The BACKUP/RESTORE menu contains the following functions:

combinations, settings) in a USB pen.
Load Snapshot| Load the entire organ configuration or single sections (Pipe Sets, combinations, settings) from a USB pen.
Factory Reset| Restore of the entire organ configuration (Pipe Sets, combinations, settings) to the factory-set state.
Restore Def. Setting| Restore the instruments settings to the factory- set state.

Utility menu
The UTILITY menu contains the following functions:

instrument and other infos.
Op.Sys Upgrade| Upgrade of the instrument’s operating system.
Organ Lock| Set a code to lock out the organ to prevent access to the instrument’s set-up screens and the modifying / saving of instrument settings, combinations and song recording.
Set Date/Time| Internal date and time setting.
LCD Contrast| Display contrast adjustment.
Shoes Calibration| Expression pedals calibration.

TUNING THE INSTRUMENT (TUNING menu)

The TUNING menu gives access to all the instrument’s tuning parameters.
To access to this menu, in the main video page,

1. press the [MENU/ENTER] button,
2. place the cursor on the TUNING field and press [MENU/ENTER].

-6 to +5
NOTES –           When switched on, the organ’s transposition is always set at 0. –           Transposition does not have any effect on playback of pieces with the internal sequencer (unlike recording, where the notes are acquired with the current transposition). A specific transposer is provided for this purpose (see page 19 )
Pitch| General fine tuning, indicated as the frequency of A4 (based on a 8’ pitch stop). Settings: 415,3 Hz (-100 cents) to 466,16 Hz (+100 cents)
[third field on the display] (“Equal” in the screen shown above)| Selector for setting historical temperaments of various periods and countries of origin. Settings: Equal, Kirnberger II, Werckmeister III, Pythagorean, Meantone 3#, Vallotti, Chaumont, Kellner 1975, Kirnberger III, Werckmeister IV, Werckmeister V, Silbermann, Meantone 3b, Meantone Purem3rd, Zarlino, Sauver 1, Sauver 2, Barca, Neidhardt II, Custom 1, Custom 2, Custom 3, Custom 4
NOTE Custom temperaments are programmable. See below.
Base Key| Key on which the chain of 12 fifths that make up the temperament starts. Settings: C to B
Tremulants Tremolos| Press [MAIN/ENTER] to access to the setting parameters of each tremulant. Settings: see Reference Manual
Ensemble| Level of tiny natural differences in pitch between one organ pipe and another, simulating the tuning error that occurs in the organ’s pipes due to wear over time and variations in temperature. Settings: 0 (pipes perfectly tuned) to 8 (maximum pitch instability)
Air Pressure| Simulates the drop in air pressure when a large quantity of air is requested in a short time (e.g. when large chords are played with the Tutti). This is reflected in a temporary, gradual drop in pitch, more evident in the longest, widest pipes (flutes, bourdons, principals). Settings: 0 (no drop of air pressure) to 8 (maximun drop of air pressure)
Air Supply Conf| Fine adjustment of the AIR PRESSURE parameter. Settings: see Reference Manual

Programming Custom temperament

In addition to the historical temperaments it is possible to program up to 4 custom temperaments, adjusting the pitch difference with respect to the Equal temperament for each note of the octave. To program a temperament, select one of the four CUSTOM items in the display field and press [MENU/ENTER].

In the video page the 12 notes of the octave are shown and the variation in 0.1 cents of semitone in a range from -50 to +50 cents. After making the desired adjustments, press [EXIT] to store them in the previously selected CUSTOM temperament and return to the TUNING screen.

SELECTING AND REGULATING THE VOICES (VOICING menu)

One of the main features of the Physis Plus synthesis technology is that it offers the user a wide array of options for customising the instrument with a very large number of organ timbres, and also makes available several parameters which can be adjusted to further increase the setup potential.
The VOICING menu contains all the functions for selecting and regulating the voices’ audio parameters. To access to this menu, in the main video page,

1. press the [MENU/ENTER] button,
2. place the cursor on the VOICING field,
3. press [MENU/ENTER] or hold down/out for a few moments the tab (in the ON position) or drawknob of stop you wish to edit.

Once you have entered the VOICING video page, you can select other stops to edit, using the tab or drawknob in the same way explained above.
The Led of the stop being modified will flash to prevent modification errors; the stop will be on and can be played for better, quicker adjustment. Other stops can also be switched on to assess the overall effect of the changes.

NOTES

• The voices selected for each stop and the sound generation parameters are automatically saved in the current Pipe Set. This means that when another Pipe Set is recalled, the voices will be reset with new parameters taken from the last Pipe Set recalled. The changes made earlier are not lost, and will be made available when the style in which they were made is selected again.
• While adjusting the VOICING parameters, in order to assign a voice to a stop and to adjust it, we advice to select the desired voice first and then to adjust its generation parameters. Please do so, as when a new voice is selected, its parameters are reset to default values.

The screen-printed on the drawknob or tab being edited is shown at the top of the VOICING video page.
The SELECT VOICE field allow you to access to the list of alternative voices. In this list the currently selected voice is indicated by the symbol. When the and [ ] buttons are used to move the cursor to other voices, the symbol will be moved as soon as the new voice can be played to be evaluated immediately. Other stops can also be switched on to assess the overall effect of the changes. Press [MENU/ENTER] to confirm the new voice and make it usable, press [EXIT] to avoid the change and reselect the previous voice.

In the VOICING video page, below the SELECT VOICE field, are displayed the main sound generation parameters of the selected stop. The parameters displayed are not the same for every voice, since some families have specific setting parameters not required for other types of voice.
The settings which can be made are:

Settings: -4 to +4
Tremulant Type Tremolo Type| Select which tremulant modulates the stop. Settings: ·  Off: tremulant is not applied to the stop.· 1st: 1st tremulant.·  1st: 1st tremulant automatically applied to the stop when it will be switched on.·  2nd: 2nd tremulant.·  2nd: 2nd tremulant automatically applied to the stop when it will be switched on.
Tremulant Sens. Tremolo Sens.| How much the tremulant affect the stop. Settings: 0 to 8
Ensemble Rescale| Rescaling of the overall ensemble set with the ENSEMBLE parameter (see page 15). Settings: 0 to 8
Character| Harmonic richness. Settings: -4 to +4
Noise (only flue voices)| Noise of the air blowing through the pipe. Settings: -4 to +4
Aeolian Chiff (not for reed voices)| Chiff noise at the key attack. Settings: -4 to +4
Celeste Type (detuned voices only)| Types of beating. Settings: Orig (original), A-, A+, B-, B+, C-, C+ (different detuning curves)
Celeste Depth (detuned voices only)| Depth of beating. Settings: 0 to 8
Mix Brilliance (mixture voices only)| Mixture brilliance. Settings: 0 to 8
Ranks Swirl (mixture voices only)| Random lock/unlock of the pitch between the different pipe ranks. Settings: 0 to 8
Wavering (not for mixture voices)| Random pitch variations. Settings: 0 to 8
Frequency Skew (reed voices only)| Gradual change of the pitch in the attack and release phases. Settings: 0 to 8
Release Detune (not for reed voices)| Gradual change of the pitch in the release phase. Settings: 0 to 8
Int. Chest| Voices stereophonic reproduction (panning) in the internal amplification. Settings: C-C#, C#-C, Wing L (left), Wing R (right), Cusp, Dbl Csp (double cusp), Dbl (double) Wing, Pan L (left), Pan R (right), Center, Poly, Off
Brilliance (orchestral voices only)| Sound brilliance. Settings: -8 to 8
Oct. Shift (orchestral voices only)| Shift the notes played with the stop one octave higher or lower. Settings: -1 to 1
Sustain (orchestral voices only)| Sets the status of the sustain pedal. This function is useful for those orchestral voices for which applying a sustain effect is unrealistic. Select NO to prevent the sustain effect from affecting the stop. Settings: YES, NO
Pan (orchestral voices only)| Stereophonic distribution of the sound. Settings: -6 (left) to 6 (right)
Split Key (splitted double orchestral voices only)| Split point key. Settings: F2 to E6

PLAYING AND RECORDING OF MUSICAL SEQUENCES (SEQUENCER)

The Physis Plus organs are equipped with an internal sequencer (digital recorder) capable of recording performances on the instrument, and the commands and controls used and MIDI data received through the MIDI [IN] port.
Recordings can then be saved on the USB stick or in the internal memory as MIDI files and played back at any time.
To recall the sequencer press the [SONG] button beside the display. The screen for selection of the system’s four operating modes is displayed.

the USB pen.
PLAY OPTIONS| Options for playing back songs.
RECORD| Recording of performances.
SONG LIST| Programming of lists of songs.

The memory unit currently used appears in the bottom of the screen. Remember that the USB stick has priority over the internal memory; to use the latter, first remove the USB stick.

NOTES

• Once the USB pen is inserted please wait some seconds before recalling the sequencer. In case of failed recognition, press [EXIT] to leave the sequencer, then re-enter
• If using a USB pen, remember to format it with FAT or FAT32 (no NTFS) file system.
• Transposition set in the TUNING menu does not have any effect on playback of songs (unlike recording, where the notes are acquired transposed). To do this you have to set the transposer described at page 19

Playing back a song (PLAY mode)

In the sequencer mode selection screen described above, select the PLAY field.
The display shows the MIDI files stored in the memory unit currently in use.
Now select the MIDI file you wish to play back.
The new screen provides information about all the controls necessary for use of the sequencer:

• [MENU/ENTER]: starts playback of the song.
• [EXIT]: quits the sequencer.
• selects the previous song saved in the memory or transferred to a Songlist.
• selects the next song saved in the memory or transferred to a Songlist.
• [-] (press once): slow down play speed. It can be seen on top left as percentage (100 in the picture above).
• [+] (press once): increase play speed. It can be seen on top left as percentage (100 in the picture above).
• [-] (press and hold): rewind.
• [+] (press and hold): fast forward.

Once the playback of a song has been started, the display changes, the functions of the [MENU/ENTER] and [EXIT] buttons have changed to:

• [MENU/ENTER]: pause /restart playback of the piece.
• [EXIT]: stop playback of the piece.

[-], [+] keep the functions already described.

Recording a song (RECORD mode)
In the sequencer mode video page, select the RECORD field. The display will show the file list.
Select [NEW SONG] to start a new recording. Otherwise, a MIDI file can be loaded to overdub it, or in other words make a new recording which will be added to the performance already recorded.

At the bottom of the screen screen again are displayed the functions of the buttons:

• [MENU/ENTER]: starts the recording.
• [EXIT]: quits the sequencer function.
  

Once recording has started, the functions change to:

• [MENU/ENTER]: pause/restart recording.
• [EXIT]: stop recording.
  

Press [EXIT] to end the session. The display will show the screen allowing the recording just made to be saved.
The functions displayed allow:

• SAVE: saving of the recording as a MIDI file.
• PLAY: playback of the recoding before saving it.
• OVERDUB: creation of a new recording to be added to the sequence just acquired.
• DISCARD AND EXIT: delete the recording and quit sequencer Record mode.
  

If the SAVE field is selected, the system prompts the user to assign a name to the MIDI sequence about to be saved.
When composing the name, use the [ ] and [ ] buttons to move the cursor and [+] and [-] to select the character. The first three characters can only be numbers, since they are required for future expansions of the instrument.
To confirm the name and proceed to save the data, press the [MENU/ENTER] button; use [EXIT] to return to the previous screen, aborting the saving operation.
The “SONG SAVED” message confirms that the file has been saved.

NOTE
If you wish to rename .mid files saved to the USB stick using a computer, always make sure that the names are shorter than 12 characters (either numbers or letters). In add of this please pay attention to do not delete the first three characters and the “_”

Play options of the sequencer (PLAY OPTIONS menu)
Select the PLAY OPTIONS field. The menu offers several options.

sequencer.
Song Loop| Select ON to automatically loop any song.
List Autoplay| Select ON to automatically play the next song when the previous is over, without pressing the [ ] button. Only works with song lists.
List Loop| Select ON to automatically loop a song list.

APPENDIX

Stop Local Off
Setting a stop in Local Off mode means that it will not be played by the organ’s internal sound generation system, but the relative MIDI (System Exclusive code) message will be transmitted, so that it can be turned on and played on a connected instrument.
To set a stop in Local Off mode, while the main screen is on the display, press the [S] thumb piston, keep it pressed and also press the [C] or [CANC] thumb button. The Leds of all the stops will light up and the display will show a pop-up.
To set a voice in Local Off mode, operate its draw-stop or rocker switch so that its light goes out.
After setting the setup required, press [S] and [C] or [CANC] together to save it.
Accessing the Local Off setting function after this will trigger display of the status of the stops as follows:

• Light on: stop in Local On mode (plays with internal generation)
• Light off: stop in Local Off mode
  

Upgrading the operating system
The operating system of the Physis Plus organs can be easily and quickly update. Each time an update file is released it will be made available on the website http://www.viscountinstruments.com. After the .ZIP file has been downloaded, extract the .PHX file and copy it to the main folder (root) of a USB flash drive, plug it in the USB connector under the manuals, then recall the OP.SYS. UPGRADE function located in the UTILITY menu.
After this, the display will inform you the release number that will be installed and after [MENU/ENTER] button is pressed, the upgrade phase starts.

IMPRTANT NOTES!

• Do not disconnect the USB flash drive or switch off the instrument during the update procedure.
• It is strongly recommended to use USB flash drives containing only one partition. If USB flash contains two or more partitions (even if hidden), copy the update file to the first partition. By copying the update file to other partitions, this is not detected by the instrument, displaying the error message “No version found on USB pen”.
• Please make sure that the root folder of the USB flash unit contains only one .PHX update file.

Viscount International S.p.A.
Via Borgo, 68 / 70 – 47836 Mondaino (RN), ITALY
Tel: +39-0541-981700 Fax: +39-0541-981052
Website:www.viscountinstruments.com

References

• Viscount Instruments | Classic and professonial

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