BASTL Soffpop Sp II Portable Experimental Analog Synth Instruction Manual
- June 3, 2024
- BASTL
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
FIG. 01
0. Connect USB power, flip POWER switch UP and connect headphones or speaker
to the OUTPUT
1. Put all controls into the indicated position to start
2. Start playing with PITCH and CUTOFF
3. Bring PITCH MOD and CUTOFF MOD faders UP to modulate them
4. Use the envelope RATE and SHAPE to change the modulation
5. Explore the RESONANCE and POP faders along with the filter mode HP/BP/LP
switch
SEQUENCER
is the digital brain of the softPop2 and will make it sound musical in no time.
OSCILLATOR
is your source of tonality.
Left fader is the PITCH of the oscillator.
SCALE selects the semi-tones used. Hold SCALE and press one of the 8 GATE
buttons to select a scale.
Right fader is the PITCH MOD. It adds pitch modulation which is randomized
each time the envelope is triggered.
FINE-TUNE adjusts the tuning. Keep it to the right.
FILTER
shapes the color/timbre of your sound by cutting the sound spectrum at the
CUTOFF frequency.
Left fader is the CUTOFF frequency.
The HP/BP/LP switch selects the filter type.
HP=Highpass: passes frequencies above cutoff (cuts bass)
BP=Bandpass: passes frequencies around cutoff (cuts bass and treble)
LP=Lowpass: passes frequencies below cutoff (cuts treble)
Right fader is CUTOFF MOD: how much the envelope affects the cutoff frequency.
RESONANCE makes the filter self-oscillate and emphasize frequencies around the
cutoff frequency.
POP increases the cross modulation between the oscillator and filter,
resulting in a harsher sound to the right. Keep left for softer sounds.
ENVELOPE
shapes the character of your sound in time.
RATE controls the speed of the envelope.
SHAPE adjusts the proportion between the attack and decay phase of the
envelope.
CYCLE makes the envelope oscillate like an LFO.
TRIG will trigger the envelope once.
The DRONE/ENV switch lets you select between DRONE (sound always on) or ENV
(volume increases with the envelope).
FIG. 01
FIG. 02
SEQUENCER INTRODUCTION
FIG. 02
0. To start, set the CYCLE switch of the envelope to the lower position
(off).
2. Press the GATE buttons to select when the envelope is triggered. Flip the
DRONE/ENV switch or pull the CUTOFF MOD fader to hear the effect of the
envelope.
3. To RECORD a melody:
a) hold down PATTERN+SLIDE to RECORD
b) move the PITCH FADER to RECORD (keep the PITCH MOD fader down for start)
c) release PATTERN+SLIDE buttons to hear your melody.
4. Bring up PITCH MOD to apply randomness to your melody.
5. Hold SCALE and press GATE to select a scale. Press multiple GATES to chain
scales.
6. Hold PATTERN and press GATE to select and repeat from step 2.
7. When you have more patterns, let’s make them play one after another. Hold
PATTERN and press several GATES to chain the patterns.
8. Press SLIDE + SCALE to SAVE all your music for the next time you turn on
the softPop2.
QUICK START
TUNE THE SOFTPOP BY HOLDING SLIDE+MIDI BUTTONS FOR 2 SECONDS.
Keep the FINE-TUNE fader all the way to the right to be in tune with most
other instruments.
Softpop SP2 has a fully analog signal path. The oscillator tuning can be
sensitive to various conditions. We recommend tuning it a few minutes after
powerup and when necessary.
Pressing SLIDE+MIDI for less than 2 seconds will not tune all the octaves but
only quickly fix potential pitch drift.
BUTTON COMBOS
BASICS
PLAY= ▲ and TRIG=▼ when used with other buttons
GATE=press any one gate
GATES=press multiple gates one after another while still holding the context
button
PATTERN+SLIDE=RECORD pitch sequence
SLIDE+MIDI=fix oscillator pitch drift
SLIDE+MIDI >2s=full automatic tuning in all octaves
SCALE+SLIDE=SAVE bank
SCALE+PATTERN+GATE=LOAD bank
SCALE+GATE=select a scale
SCALE+GATES=chain scales
SCALE+ ▲/▼ =select a semitone
SCALE+TEMPO=semitone on/off (indicated by PLAY LED and GATE 1)
SCALE+TEMPO+ ▲/▼ =transpose whole scale by one semitone
SCALE+MIDI=copy MIDI defined scale to currently edited scale
MIDI
MIDI >5s=MIDI learn
MIDI+GATE=set MIDI channel to 1 to 8
MIDI+ selected GATE=set MIDI channel to 8+1 to 8
MIDI+PLAY=activate/deactivate MIDI clock
MIDI+SCALE=activate/deactivate MIDI scale mode
MIDI+PATTERN=activate/deactivate CV Out generating Velocity CV
FIRMWARE UPDATE
Hold MIDI at startup and play wav file into Reset input.
SEQUENCER
PATTERN+GATE=select a pattern
PATTERN+GATES=chain patterns
PATTERN+ ▲/▼ =shift a whole pattern by 1 step
PATTERN+TEMPO=copy currently selected pattern to the next selected pattern
SLIDE+GATE=activate/deactivate slide on that step SLIDE+ ▲/▼ =set slide rate (1=no slide)
PLAY (short)=start and stop sequencer
PLAY+GATE=select playmode
PLAY+GATES=chain playmodes
TEMPO+TEMPO=tap tempo
TEMPO+ ▲/▼=increase/decrease tempo
TEMPO+ ▲/▼ >1s= gradually increase/decrease tempo
TEMPO+GATE=select divider/multiplier
TEMPO+ ▲+▼ =learn tempo from looping envelope
TRIG=trigger envelope
TRIG+GATE=activate temporary FX (hold several to combine)
TRIG+PLAY+GATES=record loop of temporary FX
TRIG+PLAY=erase loop of temporary FX
STEP EDIT MODE
PATTERN+SLIDE (when seq. stopped)=enter/leave step edit mode
In the step edit mode (one step is blinking):
GATE=preview and select step (always triggers envelope)
GATE+ move PITCH FADER=edit steps pitch
GATE+ ▲/▼ =transpose step in quarter tones
EXPLORE THE UNIT AND TRY TO DECODE
ALL THE COOL THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH SOFTPOP2!
Documents / Resources
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BASTL Soffpop Sp II Portable Experimental Analog
Synth
[pdf] Instruction Manual
Soffpop Sp II, Portable Experimental Analog Synth, Soffpop Sp II Portable
Experimental Analog Synth, Experimental Analog Synth, Analog Synth
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References
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