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4. Classic modular effects with XILS 3 CM

1 EMS’ VCS 3 was a pioneering semimodular synth that ranks among England’s greatest contributions to electronic music. Wildly expensive on the collector’s market, yet derided as “pathetic” by its creator, the VCS 3 is quirky, cantankerous and hard to control. Thankfully, XILS 3 CM fares slightly better. Let’s instantiate it and call up the CM INIT patch. 2 As was the case with the original, XILS 3 CM makes no sound without user intervention. However, it ditches patch cables in favour of a pin matrix. We’ll start with the left matrix. Outputs are on shown vertically the left, while inputs are represented across the top. Click on the pinholes that intersect Keyb 1 with Osc Freq 1 and Osc Freq 2. 3 We can’t hear it yet, but we’ve just patched the keyboard so that it controls the pitch of the first two oscillators. Now, in the right matrix, patch the Osc 1 sawtooth wave into the R.M. A input and Osc 2’ s square wave into the R.M. B input. This sends those oscillators to the ring modulator. Turn the Ring Mod up to about 2 o’clock. 4 Next, patch the Ring Mod into the Signal » Filter input, then patch the Filter’s output into the Envelope. Now, the Env signal output should be patched into the Reverb and the Reverb should then be patched to both OUT 1 and 2. Whew! Now, increase the levels of Osc 1’s sawtooth wave, Osc 2’ s square wave, and the Reverberation’s Level and Mix. 5 We can at last hear a sound. Let’s now crank up the Enveloper Shaper’s On and Decay knobs. Dial the Filter’s Frequency down to 220Hz and push up the Response (resonance). Back in the right matrix, connect Osc 3’ s triangle output to the Controls » Filter input. Set Osc 3 itself to Low, and turn its triangle wave’s level up to around 1 o’clock. 6 Let’s now patch the Stick’s horizontal throw to Osc 3 Freq and the Controls » Filter input. Patch the Stick’s vertical throw to Osc 2 Freq. Try playing and holding a note while waggling the joystick. The sounds are oh-so-Radiophonic! Do experiment further, as there’s a lifetime of neat effects to explore in this superb and inspiring synthesiser.