Phase Distortion Synthesizer

Take a trip back in time to the underappreciated 12bit era of synthesis. A time of experiments built for mass appeal. Finally, synthesizers were available to the everyday musician. One new idea was phase distortion synthesis.  Casio sold it as the answer to Yamaha’s FM synthesis. Ultimately, Casio discontinued the CZ phase distortion synthesizers, but these synthesizers garnered a cult following for their versatility and relative affordability.

The PixelWave covers a wide range of synthesizer sounds. From string ensembles to filter sweeps and resonant noise. Oscillators can be offset over four octaves by half-step increments and fine-tuning. Use this to create massive 80s unison leads or modern one key dance chords.

So Many Options. Where are all the controls?

The EDIT MODE switch and SELECT knob put the R G and B knobs in control individual parameters. Find these parameters listed as MATRIX on the face of the PixelWave. Parameters allow direct control of waves shapes, modulation, pitch, LFOs, and more.

Set the EDIT MODE switch to LOCK to disable the R G and B knobs. This avoids unintentional changes while using the pedal live. In LOCK mode only two parameters are available. The master volume is available and the SELECT knob chooses the preset.

RGB Pixel Matrix

Flip the EDIT switch to MATRIX for deep programming options. Then use the R G and B knobs to take control. Each knob corresponds to parameters for its oscillator (with a few exceptions noted in red in the table below.) The SELECT knob chooses the parameter from the matrix.

In MATRIX mode hold down the bypass switch for two seconds to save a preset. Then choose the preset location with the SELECT knob. Finally, press the bypass switch again to save.
In ADJUST mode the R G and B knobs change to alternate functions: FILTER, SENSITIVITY, and CLEAN MIX.

Oscillators and waveshaping.

The PixelWave has three oscillators and one sub-oscillator. Chose from eleven waveforms for each oscillator. The sub-oscillator is limited to Saw, PWM, Hard Res, and Sync.

Why Phase Distortion?

Phase distortion is based on sine waves. The wave distorts to achieve other timbres. These timbres include saw waves, pulse waves, resonance, and more. It’s often compared to FM synthesis, but the implementation is quite different. Some FM sounds are possible, but it will also mimic analog filter sweeps which were impossible in FM synthesis. Programming is also more intuitive and easier to understand. Phase distortion combines digital with the versatility to emulate analog sounds.  This made it an ideal candidate for a deeply programmable guitar synthesizer.

Pure analog tone with modern features.

Subdecay has been designing and building Quasar phasers since 2005. For the new Quasar we explored new territory. We love defying effects conventions and breaking the rules. The Quasar’s next evolution is here and we’ve built in so much more than before.

Many of the new features are normally only found in fully digital effects. A wide variety of options are under your control. Pairing the analog and digital world together means there’s no compromise of analog headroom or that organic swirl that digital units just can’t match.

Modes & Controls:

In most modes the controls do what you’d expect. The offset knob is the exception. The offset knob is mode dependent. It sets anything from the phaser sweep center point to synchronized modulation ratios.

Rate: Always controls modulation speed.
Depth: Controls modulation depth.
Color: Usually controls phaser resonance. In mode 5 it controls a portamento function.
Mode: Set to any of the eleven modes. Modes are broken down into four categories:

1-4 Cross modulation (X-MOD)
5-6 Step Sequencing (STEP)
7-8 Envelope (ENV)
9-11 Traditional

X-MOD:

Cross modulation is our fancy way of saying the effect is modulated two different ways at the same time.

1 & 2 -Triangle + Sine & Triangle + Square:
The phaser is modulated by a slow triangle LFO and a faster Sine or Square wave LFO.
Offset: Sets LFO ratio to 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32.

3 – X-Fade:
A cross fade effect. This is kind of like when the radio DJ fades out from one song and into the next one, but instead this crossfades the phaser effect and the clean signal.
Offset: Controls how often the effect crossfades over each cycle of the phases. Set to a ratio of 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32.
Depth: Controls the cross fade depth.

4 – Tremolo:
Synchronized phaser and tremolo.
Offset: Sets tremolo ratio to 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32.
Depth: Controls tremolo depth.

Step Sequencer:

Rather than traditional smooth phasing these modes create rhythmic phaser/filter patterns.

5 – Step Pattern:
A stepping pattern based on a triangle waveform.
Offset: Sets how far steps skip ahead on the triangle waveform creating repeating patterns.
Color: Portamento control. Turn to the left to soften step patterns. Turn all the way to the left and modulation will smoothly glide from each step to the next step creating a myriad of unique wave forms.

6 – RND:
Random Phaser sequencer with volume chopper (square wave tremolo)
Offset: controls how long the volume is chopped per step. (0 – 50%)

Envelope modes:

Modulation is manipulated by touch dynamics.

7 – Envelope speed control:
A phaser effect where the modulation speed is altered by playing dynamics. (Similar functionality to our Vagabond Tremolo, and (discontinued) Siren Vibrato.)
Offset: slows down or speeds up modulation when you hit the guitar strings.

8 – Envelope Phaser:
Similar to an envelope filter… but with a phaser.
Offset: Controls phaser resting point.
Depth: Controls how much playing dynamics modulate the phaser (just like an envelope filter.)
Rate: Controls envelope attack and decay speed.

Traditional:

9 – Rotary / Vibrato:
Inspired by the long discontinued DOD FX22 with a deceptively huge range going from straight tremolo or vibrato, to very present filter/phaser tones.
Offset: Controls tremolo depth.
Color: Turn to the right for resonance. Turn to the left for a pitch vibrato effect.

10 – Slow Triangle LFO:
Long linear phaser sweep perfect for slow speeds.
Offset: controls center point of modulation.

11 – Fast Sine LFO:
A faster phaser using a sine wave LFO.
Offset: controls center point of modulation.