manual/QuickStart.md

Quick Start

Once Rack is installed and launched (see Installing), you will see the default template project.

This patch is designed to familerise yourself with how VCV Rack works. The modules in this patch are from VCV Fundamental plugins, from left to right they are:

• Midi CV: Takes input from the user and converts it into voltages which VCV Rack understands.

• VCO-1: Voltage Controled Oscillator with individual Sine, Triangle, Saw and Square waveform ouputs. The Frequency knob sets the pitch of the oscillator.

• VCF: Voltage Contolled Filter, applies a filtering effect to the sound output which in this case is coming from the Saw output on VCO-1.

• ADSR: Attack Decay Sustain Release, Converts note on/off or triggered intput into time based envelope signal which can shape how the volume of the sound is preceived by the ear. Each stage on the envelope can be set by a knob or by modulation from another source.

• Scope: Displays voltages of any cable connected to it, in this patch the Saw waveform will display (channel output 1) from the mixer is connected (Yellow Cable). The time or zoom of the waveform can be set with the Time knob.

• Mixer: Mixes different signals together the sliders set the volume of the connected signal. In the default patch the output is coming from the Voltage Controlled Filter(VCF) via VCO-1 Saw output. There is also modulation coming from the ADSR envelope, when a note on/off message is recieved from Midi-CV the volume will go up/down respective to the envelope shape being generated by ADSR.

• Audio-8: Sends digital information, generated by plugins in your Rack, to your audio device / interface which is then converted into anolog information to be heard.

You can move modules around by clicking and dragging an empty space on its panel. Additionally you can make room for another module in between two or more modules by pressing CTRL / CMD and clicking an empty space on the panel you want to move.

Getting sound

The sound from VCO-1 or any oscillator is constantly playing in the background. In the default patch it is set up in such a way that you only hear sound when you want to. To get sound first select an audio device on the Audio-8 module, in my case it will be ASIO and my interface's device driver.

The patch is already set up to take input from your computer keyboard and convert it into MIDI messages which are interpreted by VCO-1 v/oct input. Once your sound driver is selected on Audio-8 pressing certain keys on your keyboard will simultaneously send a Gate signal to ADSR telling it to start and send the midi note information to VCO-1 telling it what key to play. Refer to this image to see which keys on the keyboard produce which notes.

If you have a midi keyboard installed on your system this can be selected in the list of devices from Midi-CV.

Further exploration

By now you may have seen that Scope shows the waveform coming from VCO-1 via Mixer

You may want to visualise the envelope coming from ADSR you can do so by dragging a cable from the Y input on Scope and connecting it to the Output on ADSR now each time you press a key the envelope will be displayed overlayed by the Saw waveform.

Adding additional modules can be done by right-clicking on an empty space on the rack or by pressing <enter>.

By clicking left mouse on a module in the browser it will be added immediatly in the nearest available space but you may want to add and move a module to a specific spot in the Rack you can do so by holding onto Left Mouse while dragging. You may want to add an additional module to the patch so perhaps lets add LFO-1.

Let's see what the LFO is doing! Right Clicking on any cable at a Port will remove the connection. Fear not if like me you happen to remove the wrong cable there is an undo CTRL / CMD + Z and redo CTRL / CMD + SHIFT + Z by keyboard shortcut or from the edit menu.

As mentioned earlier an Oscilattor's output will send out a constant voltage. LFO-1 (Low Frequecy Oscillator) as its name implies is somewhat similar to VCO-1, in the sense of being an oscillator, the only difference is its frequency is slower. Frequency in sound is divisional, meaning if you divide it by 2 it will be half as much. Lets turn on Tooltips and see what the default LFO frequency is. To Do so click View > Parameter tooltips. Now when you mouse over any knob some useful information can be seen that might helpful when patching.

Technically we could use LFO-1 as a sound device but for the purposes of the quick start guide lets just use it as it was intended. In the default template patch locate the VCF voltage controlled filter. You may want to modulate something here with the LFO. The wave output from the LFO is constanly oscillating just like VCO-1. Voltages in VCV Rack can be Bipolar (with 2 poles) a negitive and positive or Unipolar (1 pole) positive. Volume in VCV Rack can be manipulated by Unipolar signals, as seen with the ADSR envelope on the scope.

There are many useful things you can do with an LFO. Modulate a level or frequency set a pitch v/oct inputs etc.. too many to list here. Lets show an example of modulating the frequency on the VCF...

Remove the ‘Freq’ cable from the VCF by clicking and holding the cable input on the VCF then dragging the cable away from the port or by right clicking, whichever you prefer.

The previous connection to the frequency modulation was the ADSR envelope output, the frequency on the filter was increased each time a note message was recieved. The envelope was unipolar and its shape was set by the knobs which were triggered over time. Now the connection is from the LFO, each time a note is recieved the ADSR is still doing something, modulating the volume on the mixer. Playing some notes should reveal the capabilities of LFO's.

Experiement further with this effect by changing the LFO frequency or outputs. The tooltips we turned on earlier are not necessary but they can be helpful...

The relationship between frequency and BPM can help keep LFO's in sync to a tempo. The Hz value on an LFO or VCO is Cycles Per Second. If there is 60 seconds in 1 minute then converting Hz to BPM is rather easy Hz value * 60 = BPM.

So far everything we have done to the default patch has been dependant on user input but what if you wanted to sequence something?

Adding a sequencer

Seq-3 is an 8 step 3 channel step sequencer. It has a clock knob to set the tempo or BPM for the step rate. The gate output and row outputs can be your note on/off and v/oct signals. If you prefer to keep the keyboard input and add another voice to the patch lets do this!

There is another Oscillator in Fundamental VCO-2 lets add this and Seq-3 to the patch. Now Maybe you want to add some other modules like another VCF and ADSR. You can do so in 2 ways adding them manually from the module browser, like before or by duplicating modules already in the patch. To duplicate modules already in the patch press CTRL / CMD + i when moused over a module will duplicate the module or right clicking an empty space on module's panel will bring up a context menu which also has an option to duplicate.

The choice of melody is completely up to yourself for the sequence but I'll show you some basic functions that will get you patching, then you are on your own grasshopper!

First off lets take a look at volts per octave (v/oct), we will break this down:

• There are 12 notes in 1 octave
• 1v is equal to 1 octave.
• So if we divide 1 by 12 1 / 12 we get 0.083 volts.
• So therefor, each note in 1 octave is equal to 0.83v.

If 1 octave is 1 volt then 6 semitones is equal to approximatily 0.5 volts (0.498v) easy peasy!

The tooltips we turned on are now starting to be invaluable. On Seq-3 for the purposes of demostration lets program the first 3 knobs to step in 4 semitones the first knob 0v next 0.332v next 0.664v. The next knob, #4 we'll jump an octave, to make it easier 1v 1.332 etc.

Now the fun part, Patching. Drag a cable from the “OUT” of ADSR, insert this into the level input on Mixer “CV 2”. Take the “OUT” of VCO-2 and insert this into Mixer “IN 2”. We need a gate to trigger the envelope so take the gate output on Seq-3 and insert it into “GATE” on ADSR. Congradualtions you have a sequence playing! What about note changes?

Rememeber v/oct from earlier. VCO-2 does not seem to have an input labeled v/oct. What it does have is FM (Frequecy Modulation). Patch to here (row 1), But wait still no notes? The FM CV knob on VCO-2 will help you out here, this is what some call an attenuation knob. It controls the amount of signal recieved, turning this to full 100% will send the programmed sequence (v/oct) to the oscillators frequency.

At this point, you are ready to learn the rest of the Fundamental modules to build your own unique patches. I personally recommend that you attempt to push the Fundamental modules to their limits before moving on to other official or third-party plugins. They are more capable than they might appear, and learning how to use them effectively will give you more power and understanding when installing more modules later. When you are ready, install more plugins with the Plugin Manager.

When you do have more plugins added via your VCV account they will display in the module browser when it is opened. Filtering for specific modules can be done by searching or by clicking on indivdual tags.