Getting Started
Elka-X Voice Architecture
Top Toolbar, Sound Presets, and Focus Control
Oscillators
Noise Generator
Multimode Filter and Filter Envelope
Amplifier Envelope
Keyboard
Low Frequency Oscillators
Glide/Portamento
Arpeggio
Effects
Panel Control and Lower and Upper Layers
Master
Step Sequencer
MIDI Controllers Setup and The MIDI Tab
QWERTY Musical Typing Keyboard (MTK)
Settings
The original Elka instrument featured a unique implementation of note glide. "Glide" and "portamento" are often used interchangeably, but here "portamento" refers to the standard gradual pitch changes from note to note, whereas "glide" is what is more commonly referred to as a pitch envelope for each note played.
Osc 1 / Osc 2 destination buttons- These simultaneously enable or disable glide and portamento for oscillator 1 and oscillator 2.
Glide- Enables the glide function, more commonly referred to as a pitch envelope. To be clear, "glide" isn't affected by prior notes; it simply applies a rising or falling pitch envelope to each note as it's played. (see Glide Amount below).
Portamento- Enables the portamento function; this is a standard glide effect where notes glide from one pitch to the next instead of discretely changing pitch, much like sliding one's finger up and down a guitar string.
Speed- This sets both the Glide and Portamento functions with higher settings corresponding to longer times.
Glide Amount- Sets the range for the glide "pitch envelope" function described above. Turning the knob left starts the pitch up to 32 semitones beneath the target pitch, turning the knob right starts the pitch up to 31 semitones above the target pitch.
Glide and Oscillator Sync
You might have noticed that Oscillator 1 includes an Oscillator 2 Sync button. Oscillator sync is most commonly used for the famous Cars "Let's Go" sync sweep sounds - on most synths, the filter envelope generator is used to sweep the pitch of the second oscillator. But like the original instrument, Elka-X has no way to route the envelope generators to oscillator pitch... or does it? The Glide function can be used to sweep Oscillator 2's pitch for proper sync sweeps:
Enable the Oscillator 2 Sync button, reduce Oscillator 1's Octave to a low footage and its volume to zero, set Oscillator 2's Octave to a higher footage, then enable Glide and set the Glide Amount knob to a non-zero value.