UDO Audio Super 6  

The Super 6 is a 12-voice polyphonic, binaural analog-hybrid synthesizer.
A harmonious marriage of state of the art FPGA digital hardware oscillators and
voltage controlled analog technology. It is flexible, immediate, powerful and
refined with a gorgeous analog tone. Rich and evolving textures are easily
teased from the unique super-wavetable core and can be shaped and manipulated
with the binaural analog signal path and flexible modulation. Robust, compact
and inviting to pick up and play with smooth, solid and responsive controls
throughout, it cries out to be played.

 INSPIRED BY THE CLASSICS,
BUILT FOR TODAY

The Super6 is an instrument that is borne of a long-held passion for synthesizers. In designing the Super 6 we wanted to create an instrument that feels familiar at first glance, but offers new and inspiring opportunities when delving deeper. The layout and aesthetic is an homage to some of the classic synthesizers that have inspired us for many years — the instrument's features and capabilities bring these ideas firmly into the 21st century.

 BINAURAL ANALOG
SIGNAL PATH

In Binaural mode, the Super 6 features a true stereo signal path in which the instrument’s twelve voices are twinned to form six stereo ‘super’ voices. Consequently, the left and right channels — and each of the player’s ears — are assigned their own complete synthesizer voice. Parameters for bothchannels of each super voice may be independently controlled, facilitating the player to create rich and unique stereo images. The effect ranges from subtle to extreme stereo movement, creating an enhanced sense of spatial positioning relative to “conventional” monaural signal-chains panned at their output.

 MASSIVEMODULATION
WITHOUT MENUS

Enormous flexibility at the player's fingertips through simple controls and a carefully designed front-panel. Going deeper, there is an intuitive and immediate modulation system based around the performance area switches. For those who want to go further, every panel control can be targeted for modulation, all simultaneously and all with unique amounts.

 ANALOG VOICE
ARCHITECTURE

The Super 6’s main filter is an analog 4-pole, 24 dB per octave, resonant low-pass filter using a classic polysynth filter design from Sound Semiconductor (SSI). ?Itis preceded in the signal chain by a voltage controlled high-pass filter that can either be off, fixed, or can also track the low-pass filter cutoff frequency for band-pass operation. The Super 6 also contains an analog amplifier section that can further be used to shape the sound by adjusting and modulating the amplitude or loudness over time.

 BINAURAL SYNTHESIS – EXPLORING NEW TERRITORY FOR SOUND DESIGN

SUPER VOICES:
WHAT IS BINAURAL?

Binaural refers to the twin synthesizer signal paths. In Binaural mode, each channel ‘ear’ has a complete synthesizer voice. You can detune and de-phase the left and right oscillators, amplitudeand filter (and indeed other parameters) relative to each-other. Ranging from subtle to extreme, this unique feature allows forexperimenting with the 'width' of the sound and creates an improved sense of 3D positioning relative to conventional mono signal-chains panned at the output. It has in this sense 6 “Super voices” that each use two “conventional” voices, hence “Super 6”.

SUPER 6 VOICE ARCHITECTURE

• Traditional Voice Architecture

 DDS 1 (OSCILLATOR 1)

 • FPGA-based Super-wave oscillator core sampled at 50MHz with a centroid oscillator and six sister oscillators that can be dynamically de-phased in the stereo field

• Waveshapes: sine, sawtooth, square, triangle, noise and 16 userdownloadable alternative waveforms

• Alternative DDS 1 waveform format:

• Normalized, single-cycle waveform with 4096 points

• 16-bit signed integer format samples

• Bandlimited at sampling frequency/8 (Nyquist/4). If 4096 Hz is your sampling frequency, then 512 Hz is the upper limit of your passband.

• Binaryfile with no header data and file extension .ws6

DDS 2 (OSCILLATOR 2)

• FPGA-based algorithmic oscillator core sampled at50MHz

• Waveshapes: sine, sawtooth, square, triangle, noise, pulse

• Can be hard-synced to DDS 1

• LFO mode

• Sub oscillator mode (can be activated when in LFO mode)

• Pulse waveform with variable pulse width and PWM

DDS MODULATORS

• LFO and envelope modulation of DDS 1 & DDS 2 pitch

• Selectable ½ Super or full Super mode for DDS 1

• Sister oscillator detune spread control for Super waves

• Pulse-width control for pulse waveform

• LFO and/or ENV 1 can modulate the sister oscillator detune spread for the Super waves and the pulse-width for the standard waves

• DDS 2 to DDS 1 cross-modulation for deep FM Sounds 01

AUDIO INPUT

• Stereo audio input that feeds through the VCA,VCF and effects section

• Gate triggering of envelopes and LFO1 based on audio input level with a variable-gain input stage

LFO 1

• Main LFO with low and high-frequency modes, rate adjustable from 0.05 Hz to 20 kHz

• Left-right phase control for stereo effects, harnessing the binaural sound engine

• Can be free-running or reset on note press

• One-shot mode allows LFO 1to act as an additional envelope

• Keyboard tracking mode for high-frequency LFO (useful for FM sounds)

• LFO 1 can be mappedthrough the DDS 1 or DDS 2 audio path in either fixed or tracking high-frequency modes for use as a drone or a third oscillator

• Can be synchronized with the sequencer and arpeggiator as well as an external clock

MIXER

• Adjusts the mix-level of DDS 1 and DDS 2 audio signals

• When in X-Fade mode, adjusts split point on the keyboard of crossfaded DDS 1 and DDS 2 (or audio input) signals

 VOLTAGE CONTROLLED FILTER

• The SSI2144 reprises the SSM2044 of legacy chipmaker Solid State Micro Technology, which many believe to be the best-sounding analog synthesis filter IC ever produced. Based on Dave Rossum’s patented classic improved ladder topology, the SSI2144 allows rich tonal characteristics that showcase the very best attributes of subtractivesynthesis.

• Analogue 4-pole low pass self-resonant filter

• Two levels of overdrive

• High pass filter with fixed frequencyor linked to low pass filter for a bandpass response

• Selectable keyboard tracking modes with filter autotune for accurate keyboard tracking

• Modulation by ENV 1 and/or ENV 2, LFO 1 and DDS 2 VOLTAGE CONTROLLED AMPLIFIER

• Analogue VCA with selectable fixed or variable envelope (ENV 2) modulation

• LFO 1 modulation

• Dynamics control for selectable velocity sensitivity

ENV 1

• Invertible Hold-Attack-Decay-Sustain-Release, mappablethrough modulation matrix

• Looping mode with selectable keyboard tracking for use as an LFO or FM source

ENV 2

• Attack-Decay-Sustain-Release, multiple destinations 02

KEYBOARD AND CONTROLLER SECTION

• 49-key Fatar mechanism with velocity and aftertouch

• Two-axis bender with LFO trigger

• Voice modes:Poly 1, Poly 2, Solo, Legato, variable size and type Unison

• Keyboard-adjacent dedicated controls for bender DDS 1/2 pitch and VCF cutoff modulation

• LFO 2 with rate and delay controls, selectable triggered and always-on modes

• Variable portamento

• Expression pedal and sustain pedal inputs

• Playable spring-lever keyboard octave selector

• MPE MIDI compliance with response to note on and off velocity, polyphonic aftertouch, polyphonic pitch bend and polyphonic expression

MODULATION MATRIX

•Intuitive modulation matrix with pre-defined destinations and also mapping to a wide range of front panel controls

• LEDs giveclear feedback on mappings and modulation depths

• 20x audio-rate modulation computation

ARPEGGIATOR/SEQUENCER

• MIDI-syncable, multi-mode arpeggiator with smart-hold

• MIDI-syncable 64-step sequencer with programmable note, rest, slide, accent and length tracks

• LFO 1 and delay controls can be locked to thearpeggiator/sequencer clock

• 16 rewritable memory locations for storing sequences

EFFECTS

• Dual-mode stereo chorus using 24-bit 192 kHz processing

• Syncable and modulatable stereo delay with 24-bit 192 kHz processing

PERFORMANCE

• 128 rewriteable patch memories with 64 factory patches and 64 empty slots for user patches

• Superior build quality, easy access buttons, sliders, knobs and a menu-free interface

IO CONNECTIONS

• MIDI in, out and thru on DIN connectors

• USB IO for MIDI and patch, sequence and waveform management

• Audio input for stereo ¼” jack

• Main left and right outputs for unbalanced ¼” jacks

• High-quality stereo headphone power amplifier

 INTEGRATION

• Easy file upload and download of patches, sequences andwaveforms via simple USB ‘memory stick’ type interface with no extra drivers or applications required

• Easy OS upgrade over USB