9. Effects
Synth81Z Effects form a five-slot serial chain for shaping tone and space.
Single and Performance each have their own chain. In Performance, the parts are summed before the rack; there is no separate audio rack for each part.
9.1 Operating the Chain
The signal runs from left to right: Slot 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → Patch Volume → Master Volume.
- Click a tab body to edit that slot.
- Click its down arrow to choose a Type: Off or one of twelve effects.
- The dot on the left toggles Bypass. Lit means enabled.
- Drag a tab horizontally to change the processing order.
- Copy / Paste duplicates the complete chain settings.
You can copy and paste effect chains in both directions between Synth81Z and Synth-80 / Synth-80FX. Click Copy in the source Effects rack, then Paste in the destination Effects rack. This works in both Single and Performance modes in Synth81Z. The copy includes the Type, parameters, and Bypass state of all five slots; it does not include Patch Volume or Effect Chain Lock.
Changing Type resets that slot's parameters to the new effect's defaults. Save settings you want to keep first. Click a knob's readout for numeric entry; selector controls such as Model use their listed choices.
9.2 Effect Chain Lock
With EFFECT LOCK On, loading a Voice / Performance or switching modes preserves both the current chain and Patch Volume. Use this to compare sounds through the same processing.
With the lock Off, mode changes switch to the corresponding chain and reset the previous reverb/delay tail. Loading a Voice that has no effects data leaves the current chain in place.
9.3 Description of Each Effect
From here, we describe the 12 effects that can be assigned to a slot. The label, unit, range, and initial value of each knob are shown as well.
The "Initial value" in the tables is the actual value set immediately after selecting that effect. Knobs shown in % are basically 0–100%, while some stereo-width parameters (Width) are 0–200% (100% being center).
Off
Disables the slot. There are no knobs. Set slots you are not using as effects to this.
Synth Chorus
A chorus aiming to reproduce the BBD chorus circuit built into Japanese poly synths (JUNO-60 / JUNO-106). Rate / Depth are fixed values within the model; rather than being adjusted by the user, this reproduces the feel of the classic synth choruses you select with a button.
| Label | Unit | Range / Choices | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | — | 60 / 106 | 60 | The circuit lineage being modeled. 60 is a somewhat darker, thicker blend; 106 is a little brighter with a stronger sense of stereo inversion. |
| Mode | — | I / II / I+II | I | The operating mode of the fixed chorus. I = slow, gentle spread; II = deeper modulation and doubling; I+II = an effect like a rotary speaker. |
| Width | % | 0–200% | 100% | Stereo width. 0% = mono, 100% = original width, 200% = wider. |
| Amount | % | 0–100% | 100% | The strength of the effect, from dry to the chorus circuit output. |
Studio Chorus
A 2-BBD matrix chorus aiming at a studio rackmount chorus (Roland Dimension D type). It produces preset-like textures using only the four Mode choices.
| Label | Unit | Range / Choices | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | — | 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 | 2 | Rack-chorus-style mode presets. 1 = a longer delay for a soft, restrained spread. 2 = a shorter delay and deeper modulation, adding thickness and spread. 3 = faster movement for a studio-chorus-like spread. 4 = an emphasized setting that pushes Mode 3's wet a little further forward. |
| Width | % | 0–200% | 100% | The width of the generated chorus component. 0% = no wet-side spread, 100% = default, 200% = wider. |
Pitch Chorus
A detune chorus in the style of 1980s rack harmonizers that creates thickness by slightly shifting the pitch. Its principle differs from other choruses that wobble the delay time with an LFO: it makes the left and right voices slightly different in pitch and produces the spread from that beating.
| Label | Unit | Range | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitch A | cent | −50 to +50 cent | +9 cent | The pitch shift amount of Voice A (left). |
| Pitch B | cent | −50 to +50 cent | −9 cent | The pitch shift amount of Voice B (right). Setting it to the opposite sign of A produces the classic 1980s rack-detune stereo spread. |
| Delay A | ms | 0–500 ms | 0 ms | A fixed delay applied to Voice A after pitch shifting. |
| Delay B | ms | 0–500 ms | 25 ms | The fixed delay for Voice B. 10–30 ms gives a slap-style stereo feel; beyond that, a layered echo. |
| Mod Depth | % | 0–100% | 10% | The amount by which the LFO wobbles the pitch shifter's read position (up to ±2 ms). At 0, a completely static detune. |
| Mod Rate | Hz | 0.05–6 Hz | 0.50 Hz | The LFO speed of the wobble above. |
| Feedback | % | 0–100% | 0% | Returns the pitch-shifted signal to the input. When detune is applied, this produces "pitch dive / rise" type effects. |
| Mix | % | 0–100% | 50% | Wet / Dry mix (equal-power crossfade). |
Digital Chorus
A general-purpose digital chorus. It runs multiple Voices in parallel and uses Detune to scatter how each Voice wobbles, creating thickness and spread.
| Label | Unit | Range / Choices | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | Hz | 0.05–6 Hz | approx. 1.52 Hz | The speed of the LFO that wobbles the delay time. |
| Depth | % | 0–100% | 5% | The LFO wobble amount (the sweep width of the delay time). |
| Voices | — | 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 | 2 | The number of Voices modulated in parallel. The more, the thicker and denser. |
| Detune | % | 0–100% | 30% | The LFO rate spread between Voices. At 0, all Voices share the same rate; raising it makes the movement more complex. |
| Width | % | 0–200% | 100% | Stereo width. 0% = mono, 100% = original width, 200% = wider. |
| Feedback | % | 0–100% | 50% | Recirculates the chorus signal to add depth. |
| Mix | % | 0–100% | 50% | Wet / Dry mix. |
Delay
A digital delay that can switch between tempo sync (Sync) and direct ms specification (Free). For stereo, you can choose Mono or ping-pong.
| Label | Unit | Range / Choices | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | — | Sync / Free | Sync | How the delay time is specified. Sync = synced to the host BPM, Free = direct ms specification. |
| Time (Sync) | note value | 1/64–1/2 | 1/8 | The note value when synced to BPM. Displayed only when Mode = Sync. |
| Time (Free) | ms | 1–2000 ms | 350 ms | The delay time when in Free. Displayed only when Mode = Free. |
| Stereo | — | Mono / Ping-Pong | Mono | How the stereo sounds. Ping-Pong applies the delay alternately to the left and right channels. |
| Feedback | % | 0–95% | 40% | The feedback amount. The larger it is, the more repeats. Capped at 95% to prevent oscillation. |
| Tone | Hz | 500–18000 Hz | approx. 8 kHz | An LP filter in the feedback path. Low is dark (tape / BBD type), high is bright (digital type). |
| Width | % | 0–200% | 100% | The stereo width of the delay output. Has no effect in Mono mode. Center detent (100%). |
| Mix | % | 0–100% | 30% | Wet / Dry mix. |
Phaser
A phase effect with a multi-stage cascade of all-pass filters. It sweeps notches (dips) along the frequency axis to create an undulating texture.
| Label | Unit | Range / Choices | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | Hz | 0.05–10 Hz | approx. 0.13 Hz | The LFO sweep speed. |
| Depth | % | 0–100% | 85% | The amplitude by which the notch frequency is wobbled. |
| Feedback | % | 0–97% | approx. 70% | The feedback amount. Raising it sharpens the notches and makes them resonant. |
| Stages | — | 4 / 6 / 8 / 12 | 8 | The number of cascaded all-pass stages. The more, the more notches and the denser the sweep. |
| Center | Hz | 200–4000 Hz | approx. 1200 Hz | The center frequency of the sweep. Higher makes the notches stand out in the mid-high range. |
| Stereo | — | Mono / Stereo | Stereo | Stereo offsets the L / R LFO phase by 90° for a wide undulation. |
| Mix | % | 0–100% | 100% | Wet / Dry mix. |
| Sharp | — | 0.5–4.0 | approx. 1.15 | The Q of each all-pass (the sharpness of the notches). |
Note
For the Phaser, the phase interference between the dry and wet sounds is itself the heart of the effect. For this reason the initial Mix is 100% (fully wet). Lowering Mix weakens the interference component and makes the effect more subtle. Real pedals also have no concept of Dry / Wet, and 100% is standard.
Flanger
A flanger that creates a comb filter by wobbling a very short delay. It is characterized by a metallic undulation like a jet plane passing by.
| Label | Unit | Range / Choices | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | Hz | 0.05–8 Hz | approx. 0.30 Hz | The LFO speed. |
| Depth | % | 0–100% | 60% | The amplitude by which the short delay time is wobbled. |
| Feedback | % | 0–97% | approx. 80% | The feedback amount. Raising it makes the comb peaks stand out, giving a metallic jet feel. |
| Manual | ms | 0.5–12 ms | approx. 2 ms | The static central delay time. Together with Depth, it determines the notch position. |
| Stereo | — | Mono / Stereo | Stereo | Stereo offsets the L / R LFO phase by 180° for a wide jet feel. |
| Mix | % | 0–100% | 100% | Wet / Dry mix. |
| Color | — | Normal / Inv | Normal | The polarity of the comb. Inv is an inverted (subtractive) comb, with a hollow, scooped character. Combined with TZF, all frequency bands cancel out at the instant of the zero crossing. |
| TZF | — | Off / On | Off | Through-Zero flange. A tape flange in which the modulated tap "crosses zero" past the dry reference point. Because a delay equal to Manual is added to the wet, Mix 100% is recommended. |
Note
Like the Phaser, the heart of the Flanger is the comb interference between the dry and wet sounds. The initial Mix is 100% (fully wet); lowering Mix weakens the interference and makes the notches shallower.
EQ
A 3-band equalizer with Low / Mid / High. Each band has gain and frequency knobs. The gain can cut boldly (up to −36 dB), while the boost side is modest (up to +12 dB) — an asymmetric range inspired by the Kill EQ of a DJ mixer.
| Label | Unit | Range | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Gain | dB | −36 to +12 dB | 0 dB | Low shelf gain (0 dB is the center detent). |
| Low Freq | Hz | 50–500 Hz | approx. 200 Hz | The corner frequency of the Low shelf. |
| Mid Gain | dB | −36 to +12 dB | 0 dB | Mid peak gain (0 dB is the center detent). |
| Mid Freq | Hz | 200–5000 Hz | approx. 1000 Hz | The center frequency of the Mid peak. |
| High Gain | dB | −36 to +12 dB | 0 dB | High shelf gain (0 dB is the center detent). |
| High Freq | Hz | 2000–12000 Hz | approx. 5000 Hz | The corner frequency of the High shelf. |
Note
The three Gain knobs have a detent at the center (0 dB), and the strength of the effect changes between the cut and boost sides across that point. It can be used both for boldly removing low or high frequencies (Kill) and for gently lifting them.
Compressor
A compressor with four switchable characters (Mode). Even when you change the Mode, the Threshold / Ratio / Knee and other knobs work in common.
| Label | Unit | Range / Choices | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | — | Clean / Opto / FET / Vari-Mu | Clean | The character of the detector / curve. |
| Thresh | dB | −60 to 0 dB | −12 dB | The threshold. Signals exceeding it are compressed. |
| Ratio | :1 | 1:1–20:1 | 4:1 | The compression ratio. Larger means stronger compression (closer to a limiter). |
| Knee | dB | 0–24 dB | 6 dB | The soft-knee width. Wider makes the transition around the threshold smoother. |
| Attack | ms | 0.1–200 ms | approx. 10 ms | The speed of response to crossing the threshold. |
| Release | ms | 5–1000 ms | approx. 100 ms | The speed at which gain reduction recovers after the signal falls below the threshold. |
| Mix | % | 0–100% | 100% | Wet / Dry mix. |
Mode choices
| Choice | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Clean | A transparent VCA type. The fastest and most neutral, acting straightforwardly according to the set values. |
| Opto | An optical-compressor-style curve. Program-dependent and smooth, with slower onset and release. |
| FET | A fast, aggressive 1176 type. The attack is snappy and punchy. |
| Vari-Mu | A vacuum-tube-style soft knee. The gentlest and most natural compression. |
Note
Because auto makeup (automatic gain compensation) works internally, even the initial Mix of 100% yields a unity-level compressed signal. For parallel compression, lower Mix and blend with the original sound.
Distortion
A saturation / distortion that distorts the input and adds harmonics. You choose the color from 5 algorithms (Algo). The design pushes the signal into the curve with Drive and matches the level with Output.
| Label | Unit | Range / Choices | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algo | — | Clip / Overdrive / Waveshaper / Tube / Tape | Overdrive | The type of saturation curve. |
| Drive | dB | 0–36 dB | 6 dB | The input gain into the distortion stage. Raising it increases harmonics. |
| Output | dB | −24 to +12 dB | 0 dB | The output trim after distortion (0 dB is the center detent). |
| Mix | % | 0–100% | 100% | Wet / Dry mix. Usually fully wet for flavoring. |
Algo choices
| Choice | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Clip | A hard clip at ±1. A hard, digital-fuzz color dominated by odd-order harmonics. |
| Overdrive | A tanh soft clip. A warm, Tube Screamer type color. |
| Waveshaper | An algebraic soft saturation. A gentler curve than tanh with a distinctive "fizz." Being a symmetric function, odd-order harmonics dominate. |
| Tube | An asymmetric curve (compressing the positive side more strongly). It emulates the cathode bias of a class A vacuum tube, bringing up even-order harmonics. |
| Tape | A round-knee saturator. With a rounder knee than tanh, it has the gentle color of tape saturation. There is no envelope-following compression element (coloration only). |
Reverb
An algorithmic reverb that adds space. You can switch among three modes: Hall / Plate / Room.
| Label | Unit | Range / Choices | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | — | Hall / Plate / Room | Plate | The reverb algorithm. |
| Pre-Delay | ms | 0–200 ms | 35 ms | The delay before the reverb tail begins. |
| Decay | s | 0.3–10 s | approx. 2.7 s | The target RT60. The time for the tail to decay by 60 dB. |
| Damping | % | 0–100% | 35% | The high-frequency damping inside the tank. Raising it makes the tail darker over time. |
| Diffusion | % | 0–100% | 50% | The density of the tail. 0% = sparse (discrete echoes), 100% = a dense, smooth tail. |
| Tone | % | 0–100% | 50% | The tonal balance of the reverb output. Low is darker, high is brighter. |
| Width | % | 0–200% | 100% | Stereo width. 0% = mono, 100% = normal stereo, 200% = wider. |
| Mix | % | 0–100% | 15% | Wet / Dry mix. |
Mode choices
| Choice | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hall | A smooth, high-density, lush, long tail. Suited to pads and long ambience. |
| Plate | An algorithm inspired by 1980s digital reverbs. Dense and bright from the start, a metallic studio plate reverb. |
| Room | Parallel L / R loops. The discrete early reflections come quickly and the tail is shorter. An intimate character of a small space. |
Arpeggiator
An arpeggiator that plays the held notes one at a time, in sequence, synchronized to the host tempo.
Unlike the other effects, what this slot processes is notes (performance data), not audio. The audio passes straight through, so the result is the same no matter where in the chain you place it.
| Label | Unit | Range / Choices | Initial value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | — | Up / Down / Up-Down / Random / Played / Chord | Up | How the pattern advances (see the table below). |
| Range | — | 1 Oct / 2 Oct / 3 Oct / 4 Oct | 1 Oct | How many octaves the pattern spans. At 2 Oct and above, the held notes repeat one octave higher on each pass. |
| Rate | note value | 1/64–1/2 | 1/16 | The length of one step as a note value, locked to the host BPM (T = triplet, . = dotted). |
| Gate | % | 5–100% | 50% | How long each step sounds, as a percentage of the step length. Short = staccato, long = more sustained. |
| Swing | % | 50–75% | 50% | Delays every second step to create a shuffle feel. 50% = straight, around 67% = a triplet feel. |
| Hold | — | Off / On | Off | Latch. When On, the pattern keeps playing after the keys are released. |
Mode choices
| Choice | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Up | From the lowest note to the highest, then up through the octaves set by Range. |
| Down | Descends from the top note of the highest octave. |
| Up-Down | Ascends, then turns around and descends. The end notes are not repeated. |
| Random | Picks a random held note (and octave) on every step. |
| Played | Cycles through the notes in the order the keys were pressed. |
| Chord | Retriggers all held notes together on every step, cycling through the octaves set by Range. |
Note
- The pattern restarts from the beginning on the first key pressed after all keys are released. The same applies with Hold On: pressing a new key after releasing everything rebuilds the pattern from the new notes.
- While the DAW transport is playing, the steps snap to the host's beat grid, so the arpeggio locks naturally with a running sequence.
- In environments without a host tempo (Standalone / the web version), the clock runs at 120 BPM. On the web version, it follows the MIDI player's tempo while it is playing.
- If you assign Arpeggiator to more than one slot, only the first one in signal order (that is not bypassed) is active.
Tip
At 100% Gate, steps join legato. See Chapter 7 for Mono and Portamento conditions.
9.4 Patch Volume
PATCH VOLUME ranges from -12 to +12 dB, default 0 dB. It trims the sound after the rack and is included in normal Voice / Performance saves. EFFECT LOCK preserves its current value when loading a preset.
Double-click the knob or click its readout for direct entry. Ctrl / Command-click restores the default. See Chapter 12 for the difference from Master Volume.
9.5 Automation and MIDI Learn
Effect parameters support host automation. CC Learn addresses the slot and the visible knob position, so check assignments after reordering. Patch Volume supports host automation but is not a CC Learn target. See Chapter 10.