Dreamsynth User Guide

Last updated 2024.09.23

Dreamsynth DS-1 is our first all-original virtual instrument. We describe it as

a love letter to the hybrid analog/digital synthesizers that proliferated from
the mid-80s to the early 90s. Innovative instruments like the Ensoniq ESQ-1,
the Kawai "K" series, and the Sequential Prophet VS used various cutting-
edge flavors of digital synthesis, frequently combined with the warmth of
Curtis or SSM analog filter chips, resulted in a really exciting time period for
poly synths that went far beyond the strictly-analog synthesis of the 70s.
Dreamsynth is not a recreation of any particular instrument, but it (excuse
the pun) cherry picks desirable features from some of the best digital/analog
hybrids of the period. Because it's not an emulation of a particular synth, we
were free to create a full-tilt, power synth with massive sound and
modulation capabilities, but as you'll quickly discover, the user interface is
hands-on and super easy to use. If you're comfortable creating sounds with
classic Minimoog/Prophet-style analog synths, you'll be creating killer layered
sounds in a flash.

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Getting back to that "full-tilt, power synth," we weren't kidding -
Dreamsynth's three dual-waveform morphing oscillators include independent
range and detune controls for each waveform, amounting to six
simultaneous virtual analog- or PCM sample-based oscillators (featuring over
400 onboard looping, one-shot, and single-cycle waves) with up to 16 voices
of polyphony. The unique A/B wave mix control can set a static balance
between two waves, or it can be modulated for a myriad of evolving or
rhythmic vector synth-style tones. Dynamically changing oscillator timbres
have never been this easy to create!
Each oscillator includes its own fully modulatable volume and pan controls,
feeding 12 dB/octave multimode stereo filters for super-wide layered and
detuned patches. The stereo filters are a classic OB-style with continuously
variable low- to high-pass curves, as well as a bandpass mode, and all
parameters are CV modulatable.
Did we mention modulation? Dreamsynth includes three powerful, tempo-
syncable LFOs with multiple waveforms, selectable bias, cycling and one-
shot modes, and a free-run or retrigger operation. Each oscillator also
includes a dedicated triangle-wave LFO, so you won't need to "waste" the
main LFOs for oscillator vibrato.

Strings Attached
Dreamsynth also incorporates a beautiful-sounding classic polyphonic string
synthesizer, operating completely independently of the main synthesizer
tone generation. Furthermore, the main synth and string synth sections can
be layered and split across the keyboard, and the arpeggiator and individual
effects are all separately assignable.
Mod Madness

Dreamsynth features tremendous modulation routing capabilities capabilities

with 20 mod sources and over 40 destinations. All of the "standard" mod
sources are here, but we've also included more esoteric mod sources such as
four LFO phase choices, audio-rate oscillator to oscillator FM, arpeggiator
mod, and more. Mod destinations are equally plentiful, including oscillator
A/B wave mixing, panning and level, filter LP to HP curve, and modulation of
all effects parameters. Best of all, the modulation setup couldn't be simpler:
every mod source/destination has a dedicated pop-up source menu and
invertible amount knob - no confusing grids or "hidden" tabs.
Affectation

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Dreamsynth features our most flexible and powerful effects implementation
to date, including distortion, phaser, chorus/flange, delay (including our killer
tape delay algorithm), and reverb with our amazing new "Galactic"
algorithm. Effects can be independently applied to the synth and string
sections and all parameters of all effects are CV controllable.
Pre-Purchase Demo Mode

If you haven't purchased the full version of Dreamsynth, it will run in demo
mode. All functions will work, but inharmonic tones will occasionally sound
(the LED next to Demo in the top toolbar will illuminate when the ugly tones
are sounding). We've also added a handy button to make purchasing easy, so
you've got no excuse! As you might expect, all this demo nonsense
disappears once Dreamsynth is purchased.

Technical Assistance

Cherry Audio's unique online store and automatic updating should make
operation a smooth experience, but if you run into any issues or have
questions, you can discuss issues online at the Cherry Audio forums at:
[Link]

... or you can communicate directly with our grumpy except for the-new guy
outgoing and friendly tech support staff at:
[Link]

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Top Toolbar and Preset Browser

The purple strip at the top of Dreamsynth's interface is where you’ll load,
save, and create sound presets. It also contains utility functions such as
undo/redo, UI zoom and Focus controls, under-the-hood settings, and more.
Let’s go over them:

New- Opens a new blank patch preset. If an unsaved patch is currently open
or you’ve modified an existing saved patch, a dialog asks if you’d like to save
the patch in its current state. This greatly reduces the possibility of losing an
edited unsaved patch.

Save- Use this to save patches. There are a couple of levels of hierarchy:
Collection- This is the top level of organization, and contains entire
“sets” of presets. The Dreamsynth Presets are the main included

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 collection. We also include a User Presets Collection for storing your own
presets, but you’re free to create your own collections. To create a new
collection, click in the Collection text field (where it says User
Presets above) and type a name. User-created sounds can be freely saved
to any collection; we like to keep ‘em separated for organizational
purposes.

Categories- Within each Collection are a number of sound categories. As

with collections, you’re free to create as many categories as you like. To
create a category, click in the Category text field of the Save dialog
window and type a new category name.

Patch- A patch is an individual sound. To save a patch, simply type the

name in the Name field and click Save.
Keywords- You can add descriptive words such as “stacks,” “noisy,”
“stringy,” etc., to patches to make them appear when terms are typed in
the Search field. Use commas to separate multiple keywords entries.

Browsing Patches- Patches can be browsed by clicking the <Select Preset>

field. To select a preset collection, click in the area that says <All
Collections> or on the downward-facing arrow next to it.
Clicking on the left-side categories narrows down which patches are
displayed.

<All Presets> will show presets from all collections and categories.

<Recent> displays recently used presets.

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 Refresh- This is the circular arrow button to the right of the downward
arrow; clicking this checks the Cherry Audio server for new or updated
presets.

Pin- Clicking the push-pin icon locks the patch selection list open, allowing
fast and easy browsing and auditioning of patches. Click the icon again to
disable pin mode. when in pin mode, the up and down arrow keys can be
used to select patches.
Preset- Step Back/Forward Arrows- These step to the previous or next
preset. macOS [⌘+left/right arrow key] or Windows [CTRL+left/right arrow
key] will navigate through presets back and forth in the currently selected
collection/category.

Undo/Redo- These circular arrows will undo or redo the last action. It
remembers many steps, so if you really loused something up, keep on
clickin'...

Settings- This is where user preferences for user interface, audio interfaces,
user account, and more are configured. See the Settings section for full
information.

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Importing Presets with drag-and-drop
Presets can be imported singly or en masse (as a single compressed ZIP file)
simply by dragging and dropping from the desktop anywhere on the user
interface.
If a single .*preset file is dragged and dropped, the sound is immediately
loaded and the standard Save Preset dialog appears; this lets you save the
sound to the instrument's preset browser. Note that you don't have to save
the sound to preset browser; if you just want to hear and play the sound,
click the Cancel button in the Save Preset dialog - the sound will still be
loaded.
Compressed zip files containing multiple sounds can also be drag and
dropped onto the UI. This works the same as with single sounds, but instead
of the Save Preset dialog, you'll see the Import Preset Collection dialog. The

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presets will be added as a new collection and available in the categories for
which they were tagged.

Zoom Magnifying Glass- Click to resize the Dreamsynth interface.

Selecting 100% returns the user interface to native size.
MIDI Tab- Opens the MIDI controllers tab for configuring internal and
hardware MIDI controls. See the MIDI Controllers Setup and MIDI Tab
section for full information.
! (MIDI Panic) - Click to send an all-notes-off message in case of, "why
won't this thing stop making noise?!?" stuck-note incidents.

Tempo (Standalone Version Only)- Displays Dreamsynth's current

internal tempo setting. Dreamsynth's internal tempo affects the Arpeggiato,
LFO, and Delay sections when their corresponding Sync switches are
enabled. The tempo setting can be changed by moving the mouse up and
down anywhere in the tempo section, or by double-clicking the number and
entering the desired BPM value.

The tempo display only appears in the standalone version of

Dreamsynth. VST, AU, and AAX plug-in versions receive tempo data
from their host DAW app.

QWERTY Musical Typing Keyboard- Opens an onscreen keyboard allowing

a standard QWERTY computer keyboard to be used for playing music notes.
For more information, see QWERTY Musical Typing Keyboard (MTK)
section.

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Oversampling Quality (Q)- The Q button sets Dreamsynth's internal
oversampling rate; the higher the setting, the better audio fidelity will be,
with the caveat that more computer processing power will be required.
Internal processing can be set to 1x (same rate as the current sample rate of
the host DAW or in the Settings>Audio/MIDI window for the standalone
version) or to 2x, 3x, or 4x the current sample rate. The sample rate is
downsampled at the instrument output stage to match the current host
sample rate.
For example, if the current DAW/instrument sample rate setting is 48 kHz,
and oversampling is set to 2x, Dreamsynth's internal processing runs at 96
kHz, and is then reduced back to 48kHz at the output stage.
If the current DAW/instrument sample rate setting is 192 kHz and
oversampling is set to 4x, Dreamsynth's internal processing will run at 768
kHz, and you will very briefly hear the most ameeeezing synthesizer sound
quality ever experienced by mankind before your computer instantaneously
explodes in a fiery, white-hot supernova blaze. Ok, maybe not.

When oversampling is set to any multiple greater than 1x, the Q button
glows yellow.

Dependent on a number of factors (audio system D/A converter quality,

monitor speakers, the nature of the current Dreamsynth patch, etc.), you
may not hear a big difference with higher settings. Generally speaking,

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audible differences may be noticeable when using digital waves with a great
deal of high harmonics (which is pretty much most them!).

Help- Clicking this launches your web browser and opens the help document
you’re currently reading, which is a really meta concept.

Cherry Dreamsynth logo (left side of panel)- Clicking this displays

“about” information, and shows the version number and current registered
user ID.

Focus Button

If you're using a tiny laptop, the user interface can potentially be hard to see.
With this in mind, the Focus button conveniently blows up Dreamsynth's view
to roughly twice its normal size within the current window size. Unlike the
Zoom "magnifying glass" function, Focus doesn't affect the current window
size. By default, the patch panel section fills the current window, but the
view can be scrolled vertically and horizontally with a mouse wheel, track
pad, or Apple Mighty Mouse finger-scrolling. Or if you're the last person on
earth still using a single-button mouse, scroll bars will appear at the window
edges when in Focus mode. (Drop us a line from your Angel Cities email
account, umkay?)

Using Focus mode couldn't be easier - just click the Focus button the top
menu bar. To return to standard view, click Reset. There's also a superfast
key shortcut - on Mac, hold the ⌘ [COMMAND] key and click the mouse; in
Windows, hold the [OPTION] key and click the mouse. Focus can be reset
with the same key shortcuts.

Preset List Right-Click Functions

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Show File- This displays the selected preset in the Mac or Windows folder
containing it. This is useful for backing up or sending a preset file to another
user.
Show In Original Category- Selects the preset within its category, i.e. the
category will highlight in the left preset menu. The Show In Original Category
command only displays if the preset was selected within the <All Presets>,
<Favorites>, or <Recent> categories.
Favorites- Favorited presets will show in when the <Favorites> category is
selected. A star will display next to the preset name. Right-click on the preset
and reselect Favorite to un-favorite it. (Or say something nasty about its
mother.)
Delete- Deletes the selected preset.

Restore Factory Preset- If one of the factory (i.e. not user) patches is
edited and saved, selecting this command restores the patch to its unaltered
"factory" setting. This menu will be grayed-out for user bank patches.

Restore All Factory Presets From 'Dreamsynth Presets'- If any patches

from the "factory" Dreamsynth bank are edited and saved, selecting this
command restores all of them to their unaltered "factory" setting.

Restore All From Factory- If any patches from the "factory" banks are
edited and saved, selecting this command restores all of them to their
unaltered "factory" setting. At the time of writing, the Dreamsynth bank
mentioned above is the only factory bank, so this function and the Restore
All Factory Presets From 'Dreamsynth Presets' above have the same effect.

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Oscillators

Dreamsynth’s three dual-waveform oscillators are perhaps its most special

component. The basic concept is that each oscillator simultaneously outputs
two virtual analog or sampled waves, with their blend set either manually, or
CV-controlled via one of Dreamsynth’s numerous mod sources.
The initial inspiration was to allow a simplified, two-plane version of the
morphing “vector” synthesis made famous by the vintage Prophet VS and
Korg Wavestation synthesizers, but once the A/B wave modulation was
implemented, we found this arrangement enabled a tremendous level of
tonal flexibility. In this section, we’ll go over the oscillator controls, and offer
some power user tips and tricks.
With exception of Osc 3’s Lo range setting, controls and operation are
identical for all three oscillators.

Pitch LFO

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Each oscillator has its own dedicated triangle-wave low-frequency oscillator,
hard-wired to oscillator frequency. These let you add oscillator vibrato
without having to "waste" one of the main LFO's (which can be used for more
serious sound mangling!). Note that the Pitch LFO always affects wave A
and B equally.

Rate/Sync- Sets the Pitch LFO rate from 0.01 to 30 Hz. Toggling the Sync
button locks the rate to host tempo when using Dreamsynth within DAW
software, or to the current tempo in the top menu bar when using the
standalone version. When the Sync button is enabled, the Rate knob snaps
to musically relevant settings ranging from 8 bars to 1/64th-note triplets.
Depth- Sets the depth of pitch modulation from zero up to one octave.

Mod Wheel- Toggling the Mod Whl button routes your MIDI controller's mod
wheel to control depth - this a fast and easy way to set up mod wheel-
controlled vibrato. When enabled, the maximum amount of mod wheel depth
is set by the Depth knob.
Setting Equal Pitch Mod Wheel Depth For Multiple Oscillators: If you'd like an
equal amount of pitch for all three oscillators, there are some things to be
aware of. The three Pitch LFO's are free-running - in other words, they don't
reset when keys are struck, and though they may be set to the same rate,
they aren't phase locked - that is, each LFO will always be at a different point
in its modulation sweep. If you're modulating all three oscillators with all
three Pitch LFO's this means the pitch of each oscillator will always be a little
different. Depending on the nature of the patch, this may not be a concern,
but if you'd like identical pitch mod for all three oscillators, there are a couple
of ways to accomplish this:

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Set the Pitch LFO to the desired settings for one oscillator - in this example,
we'll use Osc 1. Now we'll use Oscillator 1's Pitch LFO to modulate Oscillator
2.

Click on one of the square mod source buttons in Oscillator 2's Pitch Mod box
(see above image), and select OSC 1 Pitch LFO. Make sure both oscillators'
Level knobs are up and increase the mod attenuator knob until the vibrato
depth matches up. This will be easier if both oscillator Tune knobs are
zeroed, and the Master section Analog Drift knob (at the bottom right) is all
the way down. If you're using the Mod Whl button, note that it only needs to
engaged for the one Pitch LFO used. Repeat the above assignment process
for the third oscillator and/or Strings section Pitch Mod.

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Another method to get equal pitch mod for all oscillators would be to assign
one of the main LFO's to multiple oscillators' Pitch Mod sections. Mod wheel-
controlled depth can be set up by clicking the LFO's mod source pop-up and
selecting Mod Wheel, then turning up its associated attenuator.

Main Oscillator Controls

Tune- Allows fine-tuning of pitch or creating intervals between Wave A and

Wave B. It's also useful for fattening up multi-oscillator patches by detuning

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a small amount. Its range is a smidge over a fifth, up or down.
Pitch Mod Source buttons and Attenuator knobs- These allow positive
or inverted modulation of the Tune knob. Clicking one of the small square
buttons opens a pop-up menu where the mod source can be selected. The
attenuator knobs next to buttons set a positive or inverted mod amount for
the selected mod source. To choose a different mod source, click the button
and choose another modulator, or choose None to disable modulation. The
button turns green to indicate a mod source is currently active; hovering
over the button displays the current mod source.
(The tooltip pops up relatively slowly by default. To adjust how quickly the
tooltip displays, click the Settings gear icon in the top purple menu strip,
select the Interface tab, and adjust the Tooltip Delay parameter.)
Both Pitch Mod selector buttons and attenuators have the same function, we
just provide two in order to enable two separate pitch mod sources.
Octave- These slide switches independently set the coarse pitch range for
Wave A and Wave B in standard organ footage settings of 32', 16', 8', and 4'.

Wave A/B select buttons- These allow selection of Dreamsynth's over 400
waveforms. Wave A and B always play simultaneously (unless None is
selected for one or both). To select a wave from the pop-up menus, click the
Wave A or Wave B button, or on the red name displays beneath the buttons.
Dreamsynth includes the following four different wave types:
Analog- These are modeled virtual analog waves (they are not samples).
They're designed to include the aperodicity (dude, check out our big
words) and mojo you'd expect in a vintage analog synth.
Looped PCM Samples- These comprise the bulk of Dreamsynth's waves,
divided across 11 categories. Following their attack portion, these will loop
infinitely.
Single-Cycle- As their name implies, these are sampled digital waves
that are just one-cycle long. Conceptually, they're similar to analog
waves, but with more complex shapes. Single-cycle waves were used in
the early digital synths such as the Ensoniq ESQ-1 and the Korg DW-
6000/8000, when digital memory was still pricey.
One-Shot- These are also PCM samples, but they play briefly and end
without looping. They're useful for drum, percussion, and transient
sounds.

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Wave A/B up/down buttons- Located next to the wave display windows,
these allow quick selection of the previous or next wave in the pop-up wave
menu. Though you won't be able what the next wave is, these are handy for
rapid sound exploration.
Wave A/B mix knob and Mod box- Here's where the magic happens - this
sets the volume balance between Wave A and Wave B. On its own, it's useful
for creating composite waveforms, but it really comes into its own when the
Mod box beneath is used to modulate the mix of two waves, allowing all
manner of evolving or rhythmic vector synth-style tones, or all points in-
between (quite literally).
Keyboard- Shutting this off disconnects the keyboard's control voltage. This
allows the oscillator frequency to remain constant regardless of keys played
on the keyboard. This can be useful in a number of situations:
When an oscillator is playing a drum or transient sound, and you want the
pitch to stay constant across the keyboard.
If an oscillator is being used as a mod source (either in audio range, or in
the case of OSC 3, as a low-frequency oscillator), and you don't want the
mod rate to change as you play up and down the keyboard.
The oscillator is being used as a "drone," that is, to play the same note.

Helpful range trick: If the Keyb button is disabled and the oscillator's pitch
won't go low (or high) enough using the Octave and Tune controls, set its
Pitch Mod box source to +10V and use the mod attenuator knob to add or
subtract - this will increase the pitch range immensely.
Glide - Also known as "portamento," glide delays the voltage change
between pitches for a sliding effect. Clicking the button enables glide
independently for each oscillator. Glide speed is set globally using the Glide
knob in the Synth Voice Assign section at the far left.
Sync 3>1 (OSC 1 only)- This causes VCO 1 to force reset the start of VCO
3's waveform to the beginning of its cycle, resulting in the classic Cars “Let’s
Go” tearing harmonics sound (or No Doubt’s “Just A Girl,” for children of the
90s) when the oscillator 3's pitch is swept.
Quick Sync Sweep Patch Tutorial (no extra charge!)
Enable the Sync 3>1 switch.
Set Osc 1's Level knob to zero, and turn up Osc 3's Level knob.

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 Set Osc 1 and Osc 3's Wave A pop-ups to Analog>Pulse, and make sure
the A/B mix knobs are set to A.
Set Osc 1 and Osc 3's Octave controls to 16'.

Click one of Osc 3's Pitch Mod box mod destination buttons, set it to VCF
Envelope, and turn the attenuator knob up to max.
Set the VCF Env controls to Attack=0, Decay=4, Sustain=0, Release=0.
Play A, B, D... D, Db, B, then A on the keyboard. Ponder how cool The Cars
are/were.

Filter Bypass (OSC 2 and 3 only)- As its name implies, this removes the
filter section from the oscillator audio path. This is really useful if, for
example, one oscillator is playing juicy sawtooth waves with a pronounced
filter sweep, but you'd like to layer in a plingy, crystalline bell without its high
frequencies getting squashed by the filter. Similarly, the Filter Bypass button
is useful for maintaining the impact of one-shot drum and percussion
samples.

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Tune B- The Tune B button disables the Tune knob for Wave B only. This is a
super cool feature because it enables detuning of Wave A and Wave B.
The simplest example would be to disable the Tune B button, center the A/B
mix knob, set Wave A and Wave B to Analog>Ramp, then set the Tune knob
to around 0.10 semitones. This results in a classic big, fat dual oscillator
analog synth tone using just one oscillator.
Pulse Width and Mod box- Sets the width or "duty-cycle" of pulse waves
(Analog>Pulse), from a perfect square (50%) to a very narrow pulse. It has
no effect on other waveforms. The Pulse Width Mod section can be used to
dynamically vary the pulse width.

Oscillator Pan and Level Controls

Pan and Mod box - Sets the oscillator panning position left to right.
Remember that following the oscillators, Dreamsynth's audio path is fully
stereo (including the filter section), so stereo pan positions are maintained.
The Mod box beneath the Pan knob allows all manner of modulation of pan
position.
Level and Mod (VCA) box - Sets the overall oscillator volume. The Mod box
beneath the Level knob allows volume modulation - for all intents and
purposes, this means each oscillator has its own independent voltage-
controlled amplifier (VCA). This enables a lot of functionality, from simple
LFO tremolo affects, to audio-rate amplitude modulation (using one of the
oscillators as a mod source), to elaborate rhythmic layered patches when
modding with LFO rates synced to host tempo.

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Solo button- When toggled, the Solo button disables all other oscillators, as
well as the Strings section. It's very useful when programming patches. Note
that the oscillator and Strings section Solo buttons can be combined as
desired.

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Filter and VCF Envelope

Dreamsynth uses a 12 dB/oct state-variable filter. "State-variable" refers to

its curves - its Notch knob lets you choose lowpass, highpass or anywhere in
between. The BP button bypasses the Notch knob and enables bandpass
mode. The 12 dB/oct curve gives it a brighter overall tonality than a typical
ladder filter, which works well with Dreamsynth's many brighter, bell-like
digital waves.
If you're not familiar with how filters work, a lowpass filter allows frequencies
below the cutoff frequency setting to pass through, but blocks frequencies
above the cutoff frequency. Highpass is the opposite of lowpass mode: high-
frequency content remains, but low frequencies are removed as the cutoff
frequency increases. The BP button enables bandpass mode, combining
both lowpass and highpass modes, leaving sound only "in the middle." The
cutoff frequency lies roughly halfway between the falloff on each side.
Setting the LP>HP/Notch knob to its center position (BP button disabled)
results in a notch response - this is the opposite of bandpass, i.e. a small
band of the frequency spectrum is removed but all frequencies above and

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below pass through. This may not sound very useful, but sweeping the
frequency of a notch filter results in an interesting phaser-like sound.

Frequency- Sets the frequency where frequency attenuation begins. Its

effect is dependent upon the currently chosen filter mode (lowpass,
highpass, bandpass, or notch).
Cutoff Frequency and Mod boxes- Sets the frequency where frequency
attenuation begins with its effect dependent upon the currently chosen
lowpass/bandpass/notch/highpass/etc. filter mode. The modulation controls
beneath allow CV control of the cutoff frequency; two identical sets of mod
controls are provided allowing two independent cutoff mod sources.

Resonance- Emphasizes sound energy at and around the cutoff frequency

by adding feedback from the filter's output back to its input. This is useful for
creating commonly heard synth "wah" tones, especially when the cutoff
frequency is modulated with an envelope generator or one of the LFO's.
Resonance and Mod box- Emphasizes sound energy at and around the
cutoff frequency by adding feedback from the filter's output back to its input.
This is useful for creating commonly heard synth "wah" tones, especially
when the cutoff frequency is modulated. The modulation controls beneath
allow CV control of the resonance
LP>HP/Notch control, BP button, and Mod box- The Notch knob
continuously varies the filter response from lowpass to highpass as the knob
is rotated from left to right. The middle position creates a notch response.
Clicking the BP button puts the filter in bandpass mode and disables the
LP>HP/Notch knob - the knob and its markings will dim when the BP switch is

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engaged. The modulation controls beneath allow CV control of the
LP>HP/Notch knob.
BP (bandpass) switch- Alters the filter response to bandpass when
engaged (i.e. combination of lowpass and highpass leaving frequencies "in
the middle." The LP>HP knob disappears when the BP switch is enabled.

Envelope Mod and Mod box- Sets the amount of modulation from the VCF
Env section beneath. Turn clockwise from center for positive modulation, or
counterclockwise from center for inverted modulation. The modulation
controls beneath allow CV control of the amount of envelope mod.
Keyboard Track and Mod box- This causes the cutoff frequency to
increase as ascending notes are played on the keyboard. The idea behind
this is, because actual note frequencies rise as higher pitches are played, the
KB Track control applies a rising CV to the cutoff frequency in order to
maintain the brightness of notes as higher pitches are played. Turn clockwise
from center for positive modulation (filter gets brighter as higher notes are
played), or counterclockwise from center for inverted modulation (filter gets
duller as notes higher notes are played). The modulation controls beneath
allow CV control of the amount of keyboard tracking.

Filter Envelope Generator

The filter section includes a dedicated envelope generator for control of
cutoff frequency (via the Envelope Mod knob). Here's an overview of how an
ADSR envelope generator works:

When Dreamsynth sees a gate voltage from a note, the envelope generator
outputs a dynamically changing voltage, according to the settings of its four
stages. The attack stage defines how long it takes for the output voltage to
rise from 0 to 5 volts. Once the attack stage reaches 5V, it moves to the
decay phase, which defines how long it takes to fall from 5V to the setting of

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the sustain phase. Unlike the attack, decay, and release phases, which define
times, sustain simply sets the held voltage level following the attack and
decay phases - this equates to the envelope output level while holding down
a key. Finally, the release slider defines the length of time it takes for the
voltage to fall back to 0V when the gate input voltage is removed, i.e. when
the key is released.

Attack- Defines the length of time for voltage to rise from 0V to 5V when a
key is played.
Decay- Defines the length of time for voltage to fall from the attack stage 5V
peak to sustain stage setting.
Sustain- Sets the voltage level following attack and decay phases while a
note is held.
Release- Defines the length of time for voltage to fall from sustain level to
0V when a key is released.
Velocity- Defines how much the envelope affects the filter cutoff frequency
via keyboard velocity. When set to zero, keyboard velocity has no effect on
cutoff frequency; all the way up results in maximum control range.

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VCA Envelope

The VCA section consists of an envelope generator for control of amplitude -

in other words, the "shape" of a sounds volume over time.
Here's an overview of how an ADSR envelope generator works:

When Dreamsynth sees a gate voltage from a note, the envelope generator
outputs a dynamically changing voltage, according to the settings of its four
stages. The attack stage defines how long it takes for the output voltage to
rise from 0 to 5 volts. Once the attack stage reaches 5V, it moves to the
decay phase, which defines how long it takes to fall from 5V to the setting of
the sustain phase. Unlike the attack, decay, and release phases, which define
times, sustain simply sets the held voltage level following the attack and
decay phases - this equates to the envelope output level while holding down
a key. Finally, the release slider defines the the length of time it takes for the
voltage to fall back to 0V when the gate input voltage is removed, i.e. when
the key is released.
Attack- Defines the length of time for voltage to rise from 0V to 5V when a
key is played.

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Decay- Defines the length of time for voltage to fall from the attack stage 5V
peak to sustain stage setting.
Sustain- Sets the voltage level following attack and decay phases while a
note is held.
Release- Defines the length of time for voltage to fall from sustain level to
0V when a key is released.
Velocity- Defines how much the envelope affects the amplitude via
keyboard velocity. When set to zero, keyboard velocity has no effect on
amplitude; all the way up results in maximum control range.

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LFO 1/2/3

LFO is short for "low-frequency oscillator." The three onboard LFOs generate
sub-audio range signals for modulation purposes. Dreamsynth actually has
six LFOs, as each oscillator features its own dedicated Pitch LFO; these are
discussed in the Oscillators section. In this section, we'll be discussing the
three standalone LFOs.
The functionality of all three LFOs is identical.
Wave slide switch- Selects sine, triangle, ramp, sawtooth, exponential saw,
exponential ramp, square, or sample and hold (i.e. stepped random) waves.
Rate knob and Sync button- The Rate knob defines the speed of the LFO,
from 0.01 to 30 Hz (with Sync switch off) or from 8 beats up to 1/64th note
triplets (Sync button enabled). The Sync button locks the LFO to host tempo
when using Dreamsynth within DAW software, or to the current tempo in the
top menu bar when using the standalone version.

Bias switch- Bias defines the range of the LFO wave's swing, illustrated
above.
Positive- CV swings from 0V to +5V back to 0V, etc.
Bipolar- CV swings from -5V through 0V to +5V back through 0V to -5V,
etc.

Negative- CV swings from 0V to -5V back to 0V, etc.

The effect of LFO bias differs depending on mod depth and inversion settings
(i.e. negative amounts of mod), as well as the parameter the LFO is
modulating.
One Shot- LFOs typically are cycling constantly (that whole "oscillation"
thing), but the engaging the One Shot button causes the LFO to move

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through its cycle a single time when a key is struck. For all intents and
purposes (or "intensive purposes," as the kids say), this converts the LFO to
a simple envelope generator (particularly when the sine, triangle, ramp,
sawtooth, expo saw, or expo ramp waves are selected). Note that the Rate
control defines the duration of the single LFO cycle (and that the Sync button
still works, which can be useful; we'll explain later).
Because One Shot mode uses a section of a wave that normally be endlessly
repeating, and in order for them to be most useful, the individual waves have
slightly varying behaviors. We'll do our best to explain how each of them
function when in One Shot mode, with Bias set to Bipolar.

Sine- CV begins at 0V, up to 5V, falls to -5V, returns to 0V and holds.

Triangle- CV begins at -5V, up to 5V, falls to -5V and holds.

Saw- CV begins at +5V, falls to -5V and holds.

Ramp- CV begins at -5V, rises to +5V and holds.
Expo Saw- CV begins at +5V, falls to -5V and holds.
Expo Ramp- CV begins at -5V, rises to +5V and holds.
Square- CV begins at +5V, instantaneously falls to -5V and holds.
Sample and Hold- CV lands on a random voltage and holds until note
retrigger.

If you're like to experiment with them to gain a better understanding,

perhaps the best way is to create a very simple one oscillator patch using
one of the analog waveforms, and modulate oscillator pitch with the LFO with
the One Shot button enabled. Make sure to try each at positive, bipolar, and
negative bias.
Retrigger- Defines LFO restart behavior when keys are struck.
In normal cycling mode (One Shot disabled), enabling Retrig restarts the LFO
cycle monophonically, that is, if no notes are currently on and a new note is
struck, the LFO cycle restarts. If additional keys are played, the LFO won't
restart until all keys are released. This may seem counterintuitive, but it
makes sense - imagine a polyphonic patch with square wave modulation
applied to oscillator amplitude (i.e. OSC Level knob mod). If you played a
chord, with each note struck at a (slightly) different time, the "on/off" mod of
each note would be occurring at a different time, resulting in a sloppy-
sounding mess. Having the modulation "synchronize" in this way generally
has much more musical results.

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Conversely, if both One Shot and Retrigger are enabled, the LFO sweep
restarts with every note played, regardless of previously held notes. This
makes sense if you're using the One Shot LFOs in the role of envelope
generators controlling amplitude, pitch, filter cutoff, etc.
LFO Mod Box button and attenuator- This operates a little differently
than the Dreamsynth's other mod box button/knob combos in that it doesn't
modulate an adjacent knob. Instead, it affects the amount of modulation the
LFO outputs when used a mod source. For this reason, its attenuator range is
positive-only. This has a number of possible uses, but the most typical
application is for delayed vibrato or filter cutoff mod (think of the song "True"
by Spandau Ballet. On second thought, no one should ever think of that
song.)
How To Create Delayed Vibrato

Set Oscillator 1 Pitch Mod source to LFO 1 (0 deg) and its attenuator to
around 0.5%.

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 Set LFO 1 Wave to sine or triangle, Bias to Bipolar, and Rate to around 4
Hz. Click the Mod source button, set it to LFO 2 (0 deg), and turn the
attenuator all the way up.

Set LFO 2 Wave to the ramp position, Bias to Positive, enable One Shot,
and set Rate to around 1 Hz (when an LFO is in One Shot mode, the Rate
knob defines the length of the single wave cycle.)

This adds a delayed vibrato to Oscillator 1. The same delayed vibrato can be
added to the other oscillators or the Strings section by duplicating the Pitch
Mod box mod source and attenuator settings.

Multi-Phase LFOs

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When setting the LFOs as modulation sources, you may have noticed that
each LFO has a submenu with four degree settings. For those of you who
managed to stay awake during geometry class (your humble UI designer
flunked, no joke!), you'll know that 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° correspond to
four equidistant points on a 360° circle. The same concept can be applied to
a cycling waveform:

In the above diagram of a triangle wave LFO, the control voltage cycles from
-5V through 0V, up to 5V, back down through 0V, down to -5V, etc. The
phase setting corresponds to where in the waveform the control voltage is
"tapped." If the LFO is being used for an application such as pitch mod
(vibrato) or repeating filter wahwah, you won't hear any audible difference
between phase settings. But here's an example of where multiple LFO
phases can be useful:

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 Create a simple patch as shown above with LFO 1 Wave set to a sine or
triangle and Rate around 4 Hz. Make sure One Shot mode is disabled.

Set Osc 1 and Osc 2 Level to zero.

Set Osc 1 Level Mod (VCA) mod source to LFO 1 (0 Deg), and Osc 2 Level
Mod (VCA) mod source to LFO 1 (180 Deg). Turn both Mod (VCA)
attenuators all the way up.

When notes are played, the output of Oscillator 1 and Oscillator 2 alternate
at LFO 1's Rate setting. This is because the level is being modulating on
exactly "opposite sides" of the triangle wave at any given time. If Oscillator
2's mod source is changed to LFO 1 (0 Deg), both oscillators' level will go up
and down in lock-step. If Oscillator 2's mod source is changed to LFO 1 (90
Deg) or LFO 1 (270 Deg), the modulation will be 1/4 or 3/4 of the way
"across" the wave in relation to Oscillator 1's LFO 1 (0 Deg) setting, resulting
in a somewhat herky-jerky rhythm.
LFO wave phase is easiest to understand in the context of sine and triangle
waves. The behavior of ramp, saw, square waves can be a little trickier to
conceptualize due to their instantaneous state changes (i.e., the straight up
and down sections of the wave). Note that LFO phase setting has no
effect when using the sample and hold wave. This is because a sample
and hold wave cannot have a phase setting, because it inherently has no
vertical axis, that is, it's always holding a given fixed voltage.

LFO Phase Settings and One Shot Mode

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Phase settings also apply to LFO waves in One Shot mode. The overall length
remains the same (isn't that a hokey Led Zeppelin movie?), but the start and
end point of the single cycle are shifted according to the degree setting.

LFO Phase and "Vector" Synthesis - A Sidebar

The impetus for including multi-phase LFO modulation came from the
concept of vector synthesis. For those not familiar, this is a voice architecture
wherein four oscillators are configured in the corners of a "diamond" shape,
and the relative level of each is set either manually with a joystick, or the
joystick's X/Y axes is controlled with specialized envelope. The result is a
complex, morphing composite of all four oscillator waves. (Vector Synthesis
was first seen in Sequential's Prophet VS synth, and shortly thereafter in the
Korg Wavestation and Yamaha SY22/TG33 synths.)
Though Dreamsynth doesn't have a true "four-oscillators-in-four-corners"
diamond implementation seen in vector synths, a close facsimile of the
signature morphing vector character can be achieved using its modulatable
A/B morphing oscillators in conjunction with a single multi-phase LFO.
Following is a patch demonstrating this idea:

Set LFO 1 Wave to triangle and Rate around 0.60 Hz. Set Bias to Bipolar,
and make sure One Shot mode is disabled.
Select A and B waveforms for Osc 1 and Osc 2. Make sure not to use One-
Shot waves. Using tonally contrasting, different-sounding waves set to
different octaves is recommended in order to maximize the morphing
effect (we particularly like combining tonal and atonal/noisy waves).
Set the oscillator Level knobs equally. The Pan controls can optionally be
spread between the oscillators.

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 Make sure the Filter section Cutoff Freq knob is open all the way, and that
the Sustain knob in the VCA Env section is all the way up (Attack and
Release can be set to taste. Long=good.)
Now for the secret sauce:
Set Osc 1 A/B knob to center position, click its A/B Mod source button, set
the mod source to LFO 1 (0 Deg), and set its attenuator knob to max.

Set Osc 2 A/B knob to center position, click its A/B Mod source button, set
the mod source to LFO 1 (90 Deg), and set its attenuator knob to max.
The 90° setting is what shifts the modulation 25% forward relative to Osc
1's mod - this is what makes the level of each of the four waves rise
separately. Experiment with different phase settings for Osc 2's mod to
hear how each of them affect the relationship between Oscillator 1 and
2's waves.

This a relatively basic version of the vector concept - there are plenty of
ways to add more mod and motion, particularly to the Oscillator Pan and
Level parameters. And it should go without saying that patches of this nature
sound great with a liberal helping of chorus, delay, or reverb. As always,
experimentation is encouraged!

Cherry Audio Dreamsynth User Guide - 34

Modulation Routings
Dreamsynth's modulation routings are extensive and really easy to use -
there are no hidden menus, tabs, or routing grids. All mod destinations have
a source popup menu button and bipolar attenuator adjacent to the
parameter they affect. They're mostly a "what-you-see-is-what-you-get"
affair (isn't that a Ratt tune?), but there are a few things we'll explain to
make things 100% clear.

Mod Source Select button- Click to open a popup menu that selects the
modulation source. If the button is dim (gray), no modulation source is
currently selected. The button illuminates in green when a mod source is
selected. (The attenuator still needs to be increased or decreased from its
center position to apply mod.)
Mod Attenuator knob- Sets the amount of mod applied to the parameter
for the currently chosen mod routing. The Mod Attenuator knobs are bipolar,
so center position is off; turning the knob to the right applies positive
modulation, and turning to the left applies negative modulation.

Monophonic vs. Polyphonic Mod Sources

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This is important to understand, so please put on your propellerhead beanie.
Polyphonic Modulation
A simple example of a polyphonic modulation routing would be the VCF
envelope modulating filter cutoff frequency (this is a "hardwired" routing - all
you have to do is turn up the Filter section Env Mod knob, but the same mod
routing could be set up using the Cutoff Freq mod box pop up and
attenuator). If the VCF envelope controls are set for a rapidly decaying
envelope, and multiple notes are played, the rapid cutoff envelope is heard
individually for each note played, regardless of whether they're played
simultaneously or in succession. This is referred to as "individually
articulated" response, because under the hood, each note played (up to 16)
has its own individual VCF envelope generator. Other examples of poly mod
sources include oscillators, VCA Envelope, Keyboard CV, and Velocity.
Monophonic Modulation
Conversely, some mod sources are a single entity applied to all currently
sounding voices - these are referred to as monophonic mod routings. This
may seem like an inferior arrangement, but mono mod routings are actually
very useful. The best example of mono mod sources are Dreamsynth's low-
frequency oscillators (LFOs).

To demonstrate, we'll use another of Dreamsynth's hardwired mod routings -

the humble Pitch LFO. When its Depth knob is increased, a triangle wave LFO
modulates oscillator pitch for vibrato effects. If multiple notes are played, the
pitch of all currently played notes changes at the same speed, depth, and
phase - the phase part is the important thing. In layman's terms that means
all notes rise and fall in lock step. If each voice had its own independent LFO

Cherry Audio Dreamsynth User Guide - 36

mod, when multiple notes are played, the pitch of one might be rising while
the other was falling, etc., creating a warbly, modulated mess, which
(usually) isn't what you want.
(Incidentally, if you want full poly, non phase-coherent LFO mod, set Osc 3's
octave range to Lo, select one of the basic Analog waves, and set the Mod
Source popup menu to Osc 3. We thought of everything!)
Note that many mod sources are inherently mono by nature, for example, a
mod wheel (I'm sure some wacko company makes a controller with 16 mod
wheels, but we've never seen one). Other examples of mono mod sources
include pitch wheels, LFOs, and the arpeggiator.
Generally speaking, some mod destinations are inherently mono (the Strings
section Pitch, Pan, and Level controls, for example) and some are inherently
polyphonic (all Filter sections controls, for example)

MOD
MOD SOURCES FUNCTION
TYPE

OSCILLATOR 1 COMBINED A/B OSCILLATOR OUTPUT POLY

OSCILLATOR 2 COMBINED A/B OSCILLATOR OUTPUT POLY

OSCILLATOR 3 COMBINED A/B OSCILLATOR OUTPUT POLY

VCF ENVELOPE FILTER ENVELOPE GENERATOR POLY

VCA ENVELOPE AMPLITUDE ENVELOPE GENERATOR POLY

KEYBOARD NOTE - HIGHER NOTE =

KEYBOARD CV POLY
HIGHER CV

VELOCITY HOW HARD A KEY IS STRUCK POLY

POLY KEY PRESSURE FOLLOWING INITIAL

POLY
AFTERTOUCH STRIKE

POLY RANDOM HELD RANDOM CV EACH TIME A NOTE IS

POLY
DC STRUCK
MOD
MOD SOURCES FUNCTION
TYPE
LFO 1 SWEEP BEGINNING AT 0° WAVE

Cherry Audio Dreamsynth User Guide - 37

 LFO 1 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 0 WAVE
LFO 1 - 0° MONO
PHASE

LFO 1 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 90° WAVE

LFO 1 - 90° MONO
PHASE

LFO 1 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 180° WAVE

LFO 1 - 180° MONO
PHASE

LFO 1 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 270° WAVE

LFO 1 - 270° MONO
PHASE

LFO 2 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 0° WAVE

LFO 2 - 0° MONO
PHASE

LFO 2 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 90° WAVE

LFO 2 - 90° MONO
PHASE

LFO 2 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 180° WAVE

LFO 2 - 180° MONO
PHASE

LFO 2 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 270° WAVE

LFO 2 - 270° MONO
PHASE

LFO 2 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 0° WAVE

LFO 3 - 0° MONO
PHASE

LFO 2 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 90° WAVE

LFO 3 - 90° MONO
PHASE

LFO 2 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 180° WAVE

LFO 3 - 180° MONO
PHASE

LFO 2 SWEEP, BEGINNING AT 270° WAVE

LFO 3 - 270° MONO
PHASE

OSC 1 PITCH LFO TRIANGLE WAVE OSC 1 PITCH LFO MONO

OSC 2 PITCH LFO TRIANGLE WAVE OSC 2 PITCH LFO MONO

MOD
MOD SOURCES FUNCTION
TYPE

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OSC 3 PITCH LFO TRIANGLE WAVE OSC 3 PITCH LFO MONO

ARPEGGIATOR ARPEGGIATOR CV OUTPUT MONO

PITCH BEND MIDI/USB CONTROLLER PITCH WHEEL MONO

MOD WHEEL MIDI/USB CONTROLLER MOD WHEEL MONO

CHANNEL
MIDI/USB CONTROLLER AFTERTOUCH MONO
PRESSURE

WHITE NOISE RANDOM WHITE NOISE MOD MONO

PINK NOISE RANDOM PINK NOISE MOD MONO

+10V DC STEADY VOLTAGE SOURCE MONO

HELD RANDOM CV EACH TIME A NOTE IS

RANDOM DC MONO
STRUCK

Cherry Audio Dreamsynth User Guide - 39

Synth Voice Assign

The Synth Voice Assign section determines how notes are assigned to the
synthesizer section, i.e. Oscillators 1, 2, and 3. Controls in the Synth Voice
Assign have no effect on the Strings section.
Glide- Also known as "portamento," glide delays the voltage change
between pitches for a sliding effect. Glide is individually enabled or disabled
using the Glide buttons in each oscillator section; the Synth Voice Assign
Glide knob sets glide speed globally (say that fast three times). Lower values
= faster glide times, higher values = slower glide times.

Max Voices- Sets the maximum number of notes that can sound
simultaneously, from 2 to 16.

Voice Assign Modes

Poly 1- This is the standard polyphonic mode. If the number of notes
played exceeds the current maximum setting, it uses a sophisticated
allocation scheme to steal the most recently played notes. In use, this
means if you're holding a bass note with your left hand, it won't disappear
while playing chords and melodies with your right hand.
Poly 2- Poly 2's allocation is optimized for use with Dreamsynth's glide
function. Generally speaking, implementing polyphonic glide can be a
tricky proposition (because we don't know whatcher gonna play next,
Miles Thelonius Zawinul), but Poly 2 mode does an impressively good job
of "knowing" which notes to glide from and to when holding notes while

Cherry Audio Dreamsynth User Guide - 40

 playing melodies (regardless of whether notes are played legato or
separately).
Mono Single- One note can be played a time with one voice sounding.
The Max Voices display changes to 1 and its button is disabled when Mono
Single is selected.
Mono Unison and Detune knob- One note sounds at a time. Multiple
voices will "stack" according to the current Max Voices setting. The Uni
button should be used in conjunction with the Detune knob which
"spreads" the tuning of the oscillators for fat sounds. Note that the setting
of the Master section Analog Drift knob will add to the overall amount of
oscillator detune. (Watching The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift will not
affect detuning, but it may give you a headache or a general disdain for
tacky body kits.)
Note that the Detune knob has no effect in Poly 1 and Poly 2 modes. Use
the Master section Analog Drift knob if you'd like to add some global
detuning/analog vibe.
Chord Memory- Allows chords to be memorized and played with a single
key. To memorize a chord, click the Chord Memory button. The button
flashes to indicate that it's in learn mode. Play a chord up to 16 notes
(hey, we don't know how many fingers you have); when the last note is
released, the button illumination turns solid and the chord is memorized.
The Max Voices number display will show how many notes are in the
memorized chord. To disable Chord Memory mode, click the button again.

Chord Memory only works in Poly 1 and Poly 2 modes; its button goes dim
if one of the mono modes is selected.
Note that Chord Memory isn't just for "chords" per se; it can be used for
octaves, fifths, or any desired combination of notes.

Note Priority (Mono modes only)- These three buttons define how voices
responds to incoming note data when Mono Single or Mono Uni modes are
selected.
Last- The most recently played note takes priority.
Low- The lowest note played takes priority.
Hi- The highest note played takes priority.

Multi Trigger (Mono modes only)- Defines triggering behavior for the VCF
Envelope and VCA Envelope generators. When Multi Trigger is enabled in any

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of the mono assign modes, the envelopes retrigger from the beginning every
time a new key is pressed. When Multi Trigger is disabled, the envelopes will
only retrigger if no other notes are currently held; this is known as "single
trigger" or legato mode. Single trigger mode is useful for emulating the
sounds of some acoustic instruments - for example, the sound of plucking a
note on a guitar, then sliding on the string to different notes without plucking
again. Multi Trigger mode generally feels more responsive to play and is
useful for more aggressive passages - in guitar lingo, something like picking
every single note.

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Strings Section

The Strings section emulates a classic, “top-octave divide” string synthesizer.

Like vintage string synths, the signal is routed to an always-on "tri-chorus" -
a clever and really great-sounding implementation of chorus seen in a
number of 70s strings machines that used three BBD delay chips with six
modulation sources to create that lovely, syrupy string chorus sound made
famous by the Solina String Synthesizer.
The Strings tri-chorus is entirely separate from the Mod Effect chorus in the
bottom row (and has no external panel controls), but the Strings section can
still be routed through the Mod Effect section, because far be it from us to
stop you from double-chorusing for your fab new tribute band, "Cure
Division: Everything More Chorused Than Everything Else."
Tune- Allows fine-tuning of pitch or creating intervals between Wave A and
Wave B. It's also useful for fattening up multi-oscillator patches by detuning
a small amount. Its range is a smidge over a fifth, up or down.
Pitch Mod Source button and attenuator knob- Allows positive or
inverted modulation of the Tune knob. Clicking one of the small square
buttons opens a pop-up menu where the mod source can be selected. The
attenuator knobs next to buttons set a positive or inverted mod amount for
the selected mod source. To choose a different mod source, click the button
and choose another modulator, or choose None to disable modulation. The
button turns green to indicate a mod source is currently active; hovering
over the button displays the current mod source.

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Range- These select the octave range, displayed in standard organ
footages. Multiple ranges can be enabled in any combination.

Attack / Release - The Strings section envelope generator is an “AR,” or

attack/release envelope. The Attack Time slider defines the length of time to
reach maximum amplitude; the Release Time slider defines the length of
time until amplitude falls to zero following key release. Notes will sustain at
full volume as long as keys are held.
Unlike many classic "paraphonic" string synthesizers, Dreamsynth's Strings
section features individual AR envelope generators for each of its 16 voices
of polyphony. This enables fully independent amplitude articulation for all
individual notes. (Phew, that was a mouthful of wordverbalsyntax.)
Velocity- Defines how much the envelope affects the amplitude via
keyboard velocity. When set to zero, keyboard velocity has no effect on
amplitude; all the way up results in maximum control range.

Strings Pan and Level Controls

Pan and Mod box - Sets the Strings panning position left to right. The Mod
box beneath the Pan knob allows modulation of pan position.
Level and Mod (VCA) box - Sets the overall Strings volume. The Mod box
beneath the Level knob allows volume modulation - this essentially means
the Strings section has its own independent voltage-controlled amplifier
(VCA), and like the oscillator VCA's, this offers a lot of sound flexibility (like
mangling the strings with pink noise as a mod source, for example).

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Solo button- When toggled, the Solo button disables the synth oscillators.
It's useful when programming patches. Note that the Strings and synth
oscillator Solo buttons can be combined as desired.

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Arpeggio

An arpeggiator is basically a step sequencer that plays each note of a chord

individually in a pattern across one or more octaves.
Enable - Synth/Strings- Enables and disables the Arpeggio section for the
Synth or Strings section. Either or both can be selected.
Sync- Engaging the Sync button locks arpeggio timing to master tempo.
When engaged, the Rate knob snaps to note values ranging from 1/64th note
triplet to 8 beats. Sync mode locks to the tempo in the top toolbar when
using the Dreamsynth standalone version or the current project tempo when
the plug-in version is used in a DAW.
Rate- Sets the rate of the arpeggiator, from 0.25 to 30 Hz (with Sync
disabled).
Range- Selects how many octaves the pattern will play before repeating.
Pattern- Click to open a popup menu defining note play order:
Up- Plays notes in order from lowest to highest.
Down- Plays notes in order from highest to lowest.
Up/Down- Plays notes from lowest to highest then back to lowest again
(the highest and lowest note will be play twice in a row)
Key Order- Plays notes in the order they are struck.
Random- Randomly plays notes within the current range.

Hold- When engaged, arpeggios continue to run without having to

continuously hold down keys. This allows you to play a series of chords
without the arpeggiator stopping as keys are released. Be aware that it will
not stop until you disengage the button again. Mapping this to a sustain

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pedal or button on a MIDI controller can be useful for conveniently toggling
this on and off.

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Transpose and Split/Layer

These controls are relatively self-explanatory and affect both the Synth and
Strings sections.

Transpose
Octave- Shifts the overall tuning for the entire instrument up or down by an
octave. Useful if you're using one of those fabulous 25-key MIDI controllers.

Split/Layer
In the case the name didn't give it away, Split/Layer enables easy
independent assignment of the Synth and Strings sections to any continuous
region of the keyboard.
To set the range for either the Synth or Strings, click the corresponding
button between the LED displays; the left display flashes. Hit the lowest key
desired for the range. The right side display will flash; hit the highest key
desired for the range. The right display stops flashing and assignment is
done. The top and bottom notes can be "manually" set by clicking on the LED
displays and selected a MIDI note number from the popup menu.

Cherry Audio Dreamsynth User Guide - 48

Effects

Dreamsynth features our most flexible and powerful effects implementation

to date, including distortion, phaser, chorus/flange, delay (including our killer
tape delay algorithm), and reverb with our amazing new "Galactic"
algorithm. Effects can be independently applied to the synth and string
sections and all parameters of all effects are CV controllable.
Input source select- Use these buttons to route the Synth, Strings, or both
sections (or neither) to an effect.
Select button/Modes- Each of the effects has multiple modes - click on its
Select button and choose from the popup menu. The Select button dims if no
input source is currently engaged.

Distortion

Dreamsynth's distortion effect operates in dual-mono mode; that is, it

doesn't stereo-ize incoming mono signals, but incoming stereo imaging (i.e.
panning the Synth or Strings) is maintained - the stereo image isn't summed
to mono.
Distortion Modes-

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 Tube- This is the mellowest distortion mode. Use it to add just little bit of
vintage hair to sounds.
Grunge- Loud, aggressive, and raunchy. Like The Melvins.
Fuzz- Also aggressive and raunchy, but in more fizzy and vintage.
(Describing distortion is like dancing about architecture, amiright
people?!?)

Sample Crush- This actually changes the sample playback rate - going
all the way down to 500 Hz (not kHz, but Hz!), so it can make a real mess.
Tone & Level- Not a distortion effect at all - in fact the Drive knob is
disabled in this mode, but the Tone knob is usable as a surprisingly
flexible one-knob tone control. Amongst other uses, we find it very handy
for getting different sounds from the Strings section.

Drive- Amount of distortion.

Tone- Relative brightness of tone.
Level- Overall volume; this doesn't affect the amount of distortion.
Increasing drive will cause an overall volume increase, Level can used to
balance things out.
Mod assign and attenuators- Drive, Tone, and Level parameters can all be
modulated using the popup menu and attenuator.

Phaser

A super-sweepy phaser with multiple stage options. Generally speaking, the

more stages a phaser has, the more "swooshy" the sound, but keep in mind

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that some of the world's greatest phasers used only four stages (MXR Phase
90 and Electro-Harmonix Small Stone come to mind).
The phaser operates in dual mono in the same manner as the distortion
describe above - it doesn't stereo-ize incoming mono signals, but incoming
stereo imaging (i.e. panning the Synth or Strings) is maintained - the stereo
image is not summed to mono.
Phaser Modes- The phaser includes 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-stage modes,
with each getting progressively swooshier. BTW, Swooshie Kurtz put on an
amazing performance in the madcap hockey flick, "Slap Shot."
Rate- Sets the phaser's internal LFO speed from 0.10 to 5.0 Hz.
Depth- Sets the overall amount of effect.
Feedback- This sets the amount of internal feedback, increasing effect
intensity.
Mod assign and attenuators- Rate, Depth, and Feedback parameters can
all be modulated using the popup menu and attenuator.

Mod Effect

The Mod Effect features chorus, flanger, and rotary speaker modes.
Mod Effects operate in stereo, that is, incoming mono audio will be
stereoized, but dry panned audio will maintain its pan position.
Mod Effect modes- Selects either Flanger, Chorus, or Rotary Speaker.
Flange and Chorus are very closely related, with the general difference being
that Flangers use a shorter time range and some amount of feedback (which

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intensifies the "jet-flyby" effect), whereas choruses utilize a comparatively
longer delay, and no feedback.
Time- Sets the amount of delay time when in Flanger mode, from 1-13ms.
The Time control is disabled when in Chorus and Rotary Speaker modes.
Rate- Sets the modulation from 0.01- 8 Hz speed.
When in Rotary Speaker mode, the Rate knob acts as a two-position slow/fast
switch. Settings from 0-50% will be slow, and 50% to 100% will be fast. When
the rate is changed, the rotary effect accelerates and decelerates just like a
real rotary speaker. The mod wheel or other mod sources can be assigned to
switch the speed via the Rate knob modulation popup menu and attenuator.
Feedback- Sets the amount of internal feedback when in Flanger mode.
Because chorusing and rotary speakers doesn't make use of feedback, the
Feedback control is disabled when in Chorus mode or Rotary Speaker modes.
Depth- Sets effect depth, i.e. the amount of modulation.
Mix- Sets mix of dry vs. effected signal. Typically 50% is optimal when using
Flanger or Chorus mode. The Mix amount is automatically set to 100% when
the Rotary Speaker mode is chosen (but it can be changed if you like).
Mod assign and attenuators- Time, Rate, Feedback, Depth, and Mix
parameters can all be modulated using the popup menu and attenuator.

Delay

A handy and DAW sync-able delay with standard and tape delay modes.

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The delay operates in dual mono so incoming stereo imaging (i.e. panning
the Synth or Strings) is maintained - the stereo image is not summed to
mono. It can widen the stereo image of incoming mono or stereo signals by
using the Spread knob described below.
Delay Modes-
Stereo Delay- A standard, clean sounding delay.
Tape Delay- Reproduces the effect of a vintage "space echo" tape delay.

Sync- Enabling the Sync switch locks the delays time to master tempo.
When engaged, the Time knob snaps to note values ranging from 1/64th
note triplet to 8 beats. Sync mode locks to the tempo in the top toolbar when
using the standalone version or the current project tempo when using the
plug-in version in a DAW.
Time - Sets delay time, from 1 to 2000 ms. If the Sync button is enabled,
time settings snap to synchronized note values (see preceding Sync switch).
The ms display always shows the exact delay time in milliseconds.
Damp- Attenuates high frequencies as the knob amount is increased. Not
only does this create more natural sounding decays, it also reduces the
"stacking" effect that occurs with high feedback levels.
Feedback- Routes the output to the input for additional repeats.
Spread- This subtracts delay time from the left channel and adds time to the
right channel, creating a wide stereo effect, as well as preventing echoes
from "piling up" in the center of the image. Note that the subtracted and
added delay effectively offsets the overall delay time setting with each
repeat, so long delays combined with high feedback settings can become off
time (just back off the Spread knob a bit to fix).
Mix- Balances the level of dry and wet signal.
Mod assign and attenuators- Time, Damp, Feedback, Spread, and Mix
parameters can all be modulated using the popup menu and attenuator.

Reverb

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A smooth, studio-quality stereo reverb. The stereo implementation allows it
to be used to stereoize mono (i.e. centered) sounds, but panning positions
are retained.
Reverb Type- Allows selection of Room, Plate, Hall, Galactic, and Spring
reverb types. In case you're wondering, Galactic mode is a mega large, super
vibey, super-spacey algorithm that you'll dig.
Decay- Sets the length of reverb release time/size of room.
Damp- Attenuates high frequencies as the knob amount is increased.
Mix- Sets the level of wet/dry reverb signal.
Mod assign and attenuators- Time, Damp, Feedback, Spread, and Mix
parameters can all be modulated using the popup menu and attenuator.

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Master

The master controls affect the entire instrument globally. All Master settings
are saved with patches.
Bend Range- Globally sets maximum bend depth for synth oscillators and
Strings section, up to 12 semitones.
Analog Drift- Applies a random amount of independent tuning drift to the
synth oscillators and filter frequencies for a more authentic analog character.
We recommend always leaving it turned up a bit, unless you have a specific
situation where you'd like perfect tuning (organ emulations come to mind -
they inherently have no tuning drift).

Tune- Sets the overall tuning for the entire instrument up or down by one
semitone.
Limit- This is a switch that applies a transparent limiting effect to help
prevent overloading and clipping.
Volume- Controls the overall instrument volume.
Output Level- Overall output level meters. You'll want to optimize the
output to avoid clipping using the Master Volume knob as well as the
oscillator and Strings Level knobs. Try to keep this out of the red or you may
experience ugly digital clipping.

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MIDI Controllers Setup and the MIDI
Tab
Assigning internal and external hardware controls adds a whole new
dimension of control and musicality to patches, and it's really easy to do. The
MIDI Tab is where all controller assignments can be viewed and tweaked.
First we'll show how to assign an external hardware controller to a
Dreamsynth control, then we'll go over all parameters in the MIDI Tab.

Basic External Hardware Control

Assignment
This is the quick, "I just want to assign a hardware control right now!,"
section. We recommend reading this whole section to best take advantage of
Dreamsynth's swell MIDI control assignments.
In this example, we’ll assign a hardware slider control to the Filter section
Cutoff Freq knob.

Begin by right-clicking on the Cutoff Freq knob in the Filter section and
selecting MIDI Learn. A transparent purple overlay appears over the knob
indicating that it's in learn mode. Now move the desired hardware control
device. The purple overlay disappears and the hardware control will move
the onscreen knob. If you get cold feet (or accidentally put the wrong control
into learn mode), learn mode can be aborted by right-clicking and selecting
Stop Learning.

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This is the basic procedure for assigning hardware controllers to almost any
Dreamsynth control.

When in MIDI learn mode, any previously assigned controller numbers will
show in squares. These indicate the MIDI continuous controller number of the
assigned hardware control (these are also displayed in the MIDI library tab at
left).
Once a MIDI controller has been assigned, in addition to real-time control of a
Dreamsynth parameter, you’ll also be able to record and play back controller
data from a DAW.

The MIDI Tab

This is command central for all MIDI controller assignments. Here you’ll be
able to see information about all currently assigned controllers and adjust
control ranges.

To view or hide the MIDI Tab, click the MIDI button in the top toolbar.

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MIDI Learn button- This is almost exactly the same as enabling MIDI learn
mode by right-clicking a control. Click the MIDI Learn button to enter learn
mode (all controls turn purple). Unlike right-clicking on specific knobs, where
Dreamsynth automatically exits controller assignment mode, clicking the
MIDI Learn knob "stays on" to enable assignment of multiple hardware
controls. This is handy for quickly assigning a bunch of continuous controls or
the buttons of a grid-style controller.

To assign multiple controls, click MIDI Learn, click an on-screen control, move
the desired hardware knob or slider, continue clicking and assigning on-
screen controllers until all desired controls are assigned, then click Stop
Learning to exit learn mode.
Remember that a single hardware knob/slider/button isn't limited to
controlling just one parameter - a single hardware controller can
simultaneously operate as many controls as you'd like.

MIDI Tab Columns

Name- Displays the name of the parameter being controlled.

Type- There are five possible types of controller automation in Dreamsynth:

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 Note- Notes played on a MIDI keyboard controller, expressed as C-1 to G9
CC (MIDI Continuous Controller)- The standard 128 MIDI controller
numbers as defined in the MIDI spec. More specifically, these are the
controllers transmitted by hardware knob and slider controls. MIDI CC’s
can be used to control parameters in real-time or recorded and played
back within DAW software.
MMC (MIDI Machine Control)- The MIDI control protocol for tape machine-
style transport controls. Back in the dark ages, this was used to control
wonky old Tascam and Fostex reel-to-reel monsters, but it's useful if your
MIDI controller has tape-style transport control buttons.
Pressure- Some keyboard controllers transmit controller data when keys
are pressed and released as they're held down; this is known as a
"pressure" or "aftertouch." The vast majority of keyboard controllers with
aftertouch transmit "mono" aftertouch only; in other words, aftertouch
data is the sum of all keys to one single data stream.
The Touch Sensor section allows super fast assignment of aftertouch
control to basic Poly Synthesizer and Lead Synthesizer controls, but this
can be used to control any Dreamsynth parameter.
Key- This allows keys of the computer QWERTY keyboard to at as button
controls for Dreamsynth's onscreen controls.

Value- Displays the specific automation controller. In the case of a Note this
would show a MIDI note number (C-1 to G9, for a MIDI CC, this would be the
MIDI CC controller number, etc. Clicking on the value opens a pop-up menu
where all values are displayed and can be selected.
Min- Sets a limit on the lowest value any automation control can set a
mapped controller to. This actually recalibrates the range of the automation
controller to the remaining parameter range.
Max- Sets a limit on the highest value any automation control can set a
mapped controller to. This actually recalibrates the range of the automation
controller to the remaining parameter range.
Super Tricky Min-Max Tricks- Not only can parameter ranges be limited
via the Min and Max knobs, mapped control destinations can be
completely inverted by setting the Min knob all the way up and the
Max knob all the way down (or anywhere in between).
Limiting and inverting parameter ranges with the Min/Max controls is
particularly useful when multiplexing a single hardware control to operate

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 multiple parameters. Along with the Curve control, the customization
possibilities are super flexible.

Curve- These allow the customization of how incoming MIDI CC controls

affect the movement of Dreamsynth's onscreen controls, ranging from
exponential to linear to logarithmic curves.

MIDI Tab Column Configuration

Right-Click Menus

Right-clicking anywhere in the top row (Name, Type, Value, etc.) displays the
column configuration menu. Checking/unchecking these allows hiding and
display of each column. This has no effect on assignments.

MIDI Tab Parameters Right-Click

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Right-clicking on an assigned parameter opens the menu above.
MIDI Learn- This is used to change the controller assigned to a particular
parameter.
Unlearn- Deletes the selected automation parameter.
Unlearn All- Deletes all controller assignments for the patch. Dreamsynth will
display a warning dialog prior to deletion in order to thwart potential unlearn-
related disasters.

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Using MIDI Polyphonic Expression
(MPE)

Dreamsynth supports MPE, short for "MIDI Polyphonic Expression." It's a

specialized MIDI protocol enabling multidimensional controllers for controlling
multiple parameters of individual notes. MPE specifies the MIDI messages
used for three dimensions of control, regardless of how a particular controller
physically expresses them. MIDI channel 1 is used as a master channel for
global pitch bend, aftertouch, etc.; MPE utilizes MIDI channels 2-15 for the
remaining controller data.
To enable MPE mode, MPE needs to be be enabled in the Settings menu.
Click the Settings gear icon in the top purple toolbar, then the Interface tab,
then check the Enable MPE mode box. Exit out of the Settings window and
click the MPE icon in the top tool bar.

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Dreamsynth displays this fanciful graphic in the Synth Voice Assign section
when MPE is enabled:

Do not enable MPE mode if you're not using

an appropriate MPE controller. Dreamsynth

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will not play correctly with a standard USB
MIDI controller.

MPE Control Tab

Pitch Bend check box and Range controls- At the top of the tab is a
checkbox which enables pitch bend; to its right is the pitch bend range
control. Its default setting is 48 semitones (four octaves). For best results you
will need to match this number with your MPE controller's pitch bend setting
(most MPE controllers default to 48 semitones).
IMPORTANT: If MPE mode is enabled, you must use a MPE controller set to
”Lower Mode” to achieve full MIDI control. If you're using a non-MPE MIDI
Controller, or the QWERTY Musical Typing keyboard, only one mono voice will
trigger.

Show/Hide Button - Clicking the Show button in the MPE panel highlights all
of the available MPE mappable control sliders for the Dreamsynth with blue
overlays atop panel controls. Click the Hide button to hide them.

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To map a control slider, right-click or [OPTION]+click (Windows) /
[CONT]+click (Mac) the slider you wish to map. This reveals the controller
mapping menu. Select MPE Assign.
Options are:
X (Pitch)
Y (Timbre)
Z (Pressure)
Note: Some MPE controllers such as the Roli Seaboard may have as many as
five dimensions of expression. Dreamsynth utilizes the three standard
dimensions: Pitch, Channel Pressure, and Timbre. Also, not all MPE controllers
are equipped with a master/global pitch bender.
Once mapped, the Name and Parameter will be visible in the MPE tab. A
yellow square indicator (X,Y,Z) also appears atop each of the mapped
controls.

MPE Tab Columns

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Right-clicking any of the column headers opens a popup menu allowing each
header to be shown or hidden.
Name- Displays the name of the parameter being controlled.

Parameter- Displays and allows selection of the three controller types: X

(Pitch), Y (Timbre), and Z (Pressure).
Absolute- Sets the Amt/Range of the controller to absolute or relative control.
Bipolar- Enables bipolar controller, i.e. the ability to add and subtract the
parameter amount, as opposed to positive only.
Amount/Range- Sets the intensity of control range. If set to Absolute mode,
two knobs appear for min/max settings.
Curve- These allow the customization of how controller data affect the
movement of Dreamsynth's onscreen controls, ranging from exponential to
linear to logarithmic curves. Click and drag on the red line and pull up or
down to adjust the curve.

MPE Tab Parameters Right-Click

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Right-clicking on an assigned parameter opens the menu above.
Remove- Deletes the selected MPE controller parameter.
Remove All- Deletes all MPE controller assignments for the patch.
Dreamsynth displays a warning dialog prior to deletion in order to thwart
potential disasters.

MPE Mappable Parameters

Below are all mappable Dreamsynth MPE parameters. Only polyphonic
parameters (i.e. parameters that independently affect individual
notes) can be mapped with MPE.

SECTION PARAMETER

OSC 1 TUNE

OSC 1 A/B WAVE MIX

OSC 1 PULSE WIDTH

OSC 1 PULSE WIDTH MOD DEPTH

OSC 1 PAN

OSC 1 PAN MOD DEPTH

SECTION PARAMETER

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OSC 1 LEVEL

OSC 1 LEVEL MOD DEPTH

OSC 1 PITCH LFO MOD DEPTH

OSC 1 PITCH MOD 1 DEPTH

OSC 1 PITCH MOD 2 DEPTH

OSC 1 A/B WAVE MOD DEPTH

OSC 2 PITCH LFO MOD DEPTH

OSC 2 TUNE

OSC 2 PITCH MOD 1 DEPTH

OSC 2 PITCH MOD 2 DEPTH

OSC 2 A/B WAVE MIX

OSC 2 A/B WAVE MOD DEPTH

OSC 2 PULSE WIDTH

OSC 2 PULSE WIDTH MOD DEPTH

OSC 2 PAN

OSC 2 PAN MOD DEPTH

OSC 2 LEVEL

OSC 2 LEVEL MOD DEPTH

SECTION PARAMETER
OSC 3 PITCH LFO MOD DEPTH

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OSC 3 PITCH LFO MOD DEPTH

OSC 3 TUNE

OSC 3 PITCH MOD 1 DEPTH

OSC 3 PITCH MOD 2 DEPTH

OSC 3 A/B WAVE MIX

OSC 3 A/B WAVE MOD DEPTH

OSC 3 PULSE WIDTH

OSC 3 PULSE WIDTH MOD DEPTH

OSC 3 PAN

OSC 3 PAN MOD DEPTH

OSC 3 LEVEL

OSC 3 LEVEL MOD DEPTH

FILTER CUTOFF FREQUENCY

FILTER CUTOFF FREQUENCY MOD 1 DEPTH

FILTER CUTOFF FREQUENCY MOD 2 DEPTH

FILTER RESONANCE

FILTER RESONANCE MOD DEPTH

FILTER NOTCH

SECTION
FILTER PARAMETER
NOTCH MOD DEPTH

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FILTER ENVELOPE MOD

FILTER ENVELOPE MOD MOD DEPTH

FILTER KEYBOARD TRACK

FILTER KEYBOARD TRACK MOD DEPTH

VCF ENVELOPE ATTACK

VCF ENVELOPE DECAY

VCF ENVELOPE SUSTAIN

VCF ENVELOPE RELEASE

VCF ENVELOPE VELOCITY AMOUNT

VCA ENVELOPE ATTACK

VCA ENVELOPE DECAY

VCA ENVELOPE SUSTAIN

VCA ENVELOPE RELEASE

VCA ENVELOPE VELOCITY AMOUNT

STRINGS TUNE

STRINGS TUNE MOD DEPTH

STRINGS VELOCITY AMOUNT

STRINGS ATTACK
SECTION PARAMETER

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 STRINGS RELEASE

STRINGS PAN

STRINGS PAN MOD DEPTH

STRINGS LEVEL

STRINGS LEVEL MOD DEPTH

Popular MPE Controller Devices

Following is a list of popular MPE controllers as of 2022. We're sure your
Sweetwater rep is just dying to sell you one (and follow up that sale with 47
phone calls: "Hi, this is Chad! How are those RCA to 1/4" adaptors workin' out
for ya?")
Roli - Seaboard
Sensel - Morph
Expressive E - Osmose
Keith McMillen Instruments - K-Board Pro 4, QuNexus Red
Haken Audio - Continuum Fingerboard
Roger Linn Designs - Linnstrument
Artiphon - Instrument 1

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QWERTY Musical Typing Keyboard
(MTK)

If you don't have a MIDI keyboard attached to your computer, the standard
QWERTY computer keyboard can be used to play notes - we're pretty sure
you've got one of those! We'll refer to this as the "MTK." Following is a list of
MTK keyboard modifiers and functions:

Opening and Closing the MTK - click the circular keyboard icon in the top
toolbar. To close the MTK, click the keyboard icon in the top toolbar, or click
the X in the top right corner.
Play Notes- To trigger notes, simply press the corresponding computer
keyboard key or mouse click the onscreen keys.
Adjust Currently Visible MTK Range- Slide the purple scroll bar
horizontally to adjust the currently visible keyboard range.
Adjust Overall Visible Keyboard Range- Clicking and dragging the right
edge of the MTL window allows the overall size of the window to be adjusted.
This lets you view more or less of the onscreen keyboard. Note that the MTK
window's borders cannot exceed the overall outside dimensions of the
Dreamsynth window.
Shift Range Up/Down Octave- Click the Oct- and Oct+ buttons at the top
left and right of the onscreen MTK. The current range is displayed above the

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keyboard.

Shift Range Up/Down Semitone- Click the Step- and Step+ buttons at the
bottom left and right of the onscreen MTK. The current range is displayed
above the keyboard.
Hide/View Controllers- Clicking Control at the far left hides and displays
velocity, bender, mod, and sustain control parameters. Hiding the control
view makes more space available for the keyboard.
Set Note Velocity- Move the purple Velocity bar to adjust the output
velocity of notes.
Pitch Bend- To pitch a note or notes, press the + or - computer keyboard
keys while playing a note. Bend depth is determined by the Bend Range
knob in the Master section at the bottom right of Dreamsynth's UI. Notes can
also be pitchbent by clicking the mouse in the Bend area.
Mod Wheel- To add mod wheel modulation, press the number keys from 0-9
(above the character keys) while playing a note. The modulation amount will
vary from none (0) to full modulation (9). Note that modulation will "stick" at
the selected number; to disable modulation, click the 0 key. Mod can also be
engaged by clicking the mouse in the mod bar area.
Sustain- The Sustain button mimics the functionality of a standard sustain
pedal. Click the [TAB] key to engage sustain, or [SHIFT]+[TAB] to lock it. The
Sustain button can also be engaged by mouse clicking it.
Reset- Initializes all MTK parameters including keyboard range and control
parameters.

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Settings
Clicking the settings gear opens a window with multiple tabs for configuring
various "under-the-hood" settings. These are mostly set-and-forget kind of
parameters - all the stuff you'll want to tweak is on the front panel, as the
heavens intended!

General

Add Undo For Control Changes With The Mouse- Enabling this allows
undo of knob/slider/button adjustments. You’ll want this on if you want the
ability to undo all aspects of patch editing and programming.
Create A Log File For Usage- This creates a text doc of all of
Dreamsynth's internal and routines during use. It is mainly intended for
our tech staff should you experience any issues. Clicking Show Log
Folder opens the folder containing Dreamsynth log file docs.
Load Last Preset On Startup (Standalone Only)- Automatically loads
the last preset used when Dreamsynth standalone version is started.
Preset Folder- Displays the current location of Dreamsynth's sound
presets. This can be changed by clicking and typing in the field.
Browse... - Displays the current location of preset folder in the file
manager.
Set Default- Sets the current displayed Preset Folder path as the
default location
Clear Cache Files- Deletes all log files, temporary sounds, and the
image cache.

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Interface
Allows customization of Dreamsynth's user interface settings.
Reset To Default Window Size- Resets the Dreamsynth workspace to
100%. Use this to reset the window size if Dreamsynth's workspace
somehow becomes too large for your display and can't be resized.
Tooltip Delay- Tooltips are those informative bits of text that pop up
when hovering over a control (go ahead and try it, we’ll wait…). The
Tooltip Delay setting defines how long you must hover before the tooltip
pops up.
Knob Movement- Defines how mouse movements relate to turning
onscreen knobs. It defaults to Vertical Drag, but can be changed to
Horizontal Drag, or Rotary Drag if you're one those folks that cut their
teeth on the Steinberg Model E VST back in 2000.
On Control Double-Click- Defines what happens when the mouse is
double-clicked on a control. If Edit Value is selected, an exact number can
be entered by typing the number and hitting [ENTER] or [RETURN]. If Sets
Default Value is selected, double-clicking a control resets it to its default
value.
Mouse Wheel Adjusts Control Value- Enabling this lets you adjust
knob, slider, and switch values by moving the mouse wheel. This works
great with a standard mouse wheel, but you'll want to disable it if you're
using an Apple Magic Mouse (which will move the control AND scroll the
window).
Show Tooltips When Adjusting Controls With Mouse- Displays
parameter tooltips/values when the mouse is hovered over a control or as
a control is moved with mouse button down.
Show Tooltips When Automating Controls- Displays parameter
tooltips/values next to controls a if a control is moved via an assigned
MIDI controller or automation.
MIDI Program Changes Should Change Current Preset- Allows MIDI
program change messages to change Dreamsynth patches.
Ask To Save Modified Presets- This opens a dialog window asking if
you'd like to save changes if a patch has been edited and a new patch is
selected. If you're the type that likes to click through presets and tweak a
control here and there, it can be annoying to have a window pop-up

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 asking if you'd like to save every time you switch presets - if you're that
person, keep this off.
Remember MIDI Mappings For New Plug-in Instances- When
enabled, Dreamsynth remembers all MIDI Tab controller settings.

Account
Settings for your personal login information and account.
Email- Displays the email address of the current login.
Update Login Info- Clicking this opens the same email and password
login screen you’ll see when initially launching Dreamsynth. Click here for
information about soft rock superstars, Loggins and Messina.
View Account Settings- This opens your personal account page on the
Cherry Audio Store website containing information about modules
purchased and more.

Software Update
We often fix bugs and make improvements; below are options defining
how Dreamsynth handles updates.
Check For Update- Click this to see if an updated version of Dreamsynth
available.
Status:
Automatically Install Updates- Updates are automatically downloaded
and installed.
Ask Before Installing Updates- By default, Dreamsynth automatically
downloads new versions of modules when available. Checking this box
defeats automatic updates and will ask if you’d like to install updates
when they become available.

We’ll never make changes that can potentially “break” existing patches

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 but we recommend enabling Ask Before Installing Updates if you’re using
Dreamsynth for live performances or other mission-critical situations.
Never Install Updates- Dreamsynth never automatically installs
updates.
Show Updates On Toolbar- Checking this will display an icon in the
toolbar next to the logo letting you know there's an update available.

Show Notifications From Cherry Audio- We occasionally will fire off in-
app advertisements; disabling this checkbox will hide them. We hate
repetitive, annoying ads as much as you do, so we won't use this feature too
often. When we do, it'll be for something super cool (like a killer sale), so we
recommend leaving it on.

Audio/MIDI
Settings for audio and MIDI hardware input and output.
This tab is only visible in the standalone version of Dreamsynth.
Output- Use this drop-down menu to choose a physical audio output
source. This defaults to Built-In Line Output, i.e. your computer’s onboard
system audio, but you’ll get better fidelity with an external professional
audio interface. The biggest audible difference is usually reduced
background noise or hum, but external audio hardware also offers greater
flexibility in terms of number of inputs and outputs and built-in mic or low-
level instruments pres (i.e. electric guitars). These are especially useful if
you’re using Dreamsynth's external inputs to process sound. The Test
button will produce a brief sine wave when clicked; this will help with
troubleshooting, aka, “WHY THE HECK ISN’T THIS MAKING ANY NOISE?!?”
Sample Rate- This sets Dreamsynth’s global sample rate. Lower sample
rates offer better performance, but if you have a fast computer, high
sample rates may offer slightly improved fidelity.
Audio Buffer Size- As with any digital audio app, this defines
performance vs. note latency, and will largely depend upon computer CPU

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speed. A professional external audio interface will almost always exhibit
better performance than “built-in” system audio. Lower settings will result
in less latency (in the form of faster response to notes played), but will
increase the chances of audio gapping or crackling noise.
Active MIDI Inputs- Displays all available MIDI input sources, i.e.
keyboards, pad controls, MIDI knob/fader control surfaces, etc. Check
boxes to enable one or more devices. If notes aren't playing when
using Dreamsynth in standalone mode check to make sure your
USB/MIDI controller is checked in this area.

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