Sweeper Modulation Effect | Reason Studios

Reason 13 Operation Manual

DAW | Rack Plugin

Sweeper Modulation Effect

The Sweeper Modulation Effect device is a great sounding Phaser/Flanger/Filter device.

By drawing your own unique modulation curve in the display and assigning this curve to the desired effect parameters, you also get a very flexible system for repeatedly sweeping/modulating the effects parameters - in perfect sync with the sequencer.

Sweeper is designed to be used mainly as an insert effect, for spicing up instrument sounds with nice sweeps and modulations, but you could of course use it as you like!

#Panel reference

#Global controls

#Loading and saving patches

Loading and saving patches is done in the same way as with any other internal Reason device, see “Loading patches” and “Saving patches” for details.

This is the master volume control.

Click the Routing selector to select “Stereo” or Dual Mono” from the pop-up menu.

Stereo: With this selected the L+R input signals are mixed before being sent into the stereo effect. This means you can connect a mono input signal and get stereo output signals.

Dual Mono: The L+R input channels are processed independently.

The Spread control detunes the stereo channels to generate a nice and wide stereo effect. Note, though, that the Spread control works a little differently and has different ranges in the Phaser, Flanger and Filter.

This controls the mix of the dry and processed signals.

This controls the modulation amount from the LFO (see “LFO”) to the Frequency control of the Phaser (see “Frequency”), Flanger (see “Frequency”) and Filter (see “Frequency”) section.

The control is bipolar, which means that negative values will invert the modulation.

This controls the modulation amount from the Modulator (see “The Envelope Modulator” and “The Audio Follower Modulator”) to the Frequency control of the Phaser (see “Frequency”), Flanger (see “Frequency”) and Filter (see “Frequency”) section.

The control is bipolar, which means that negative values will invert the modulation.

This controls the modulation amount from the LFO (see “LFO”) to a separate built-in amplifier. The control is bipolar, which means that negative values will invert the modulation.

This controls the modulation amount from the Modulator (see “The Envelope Modulator” and “The Audio Follower Modulator”) to a separate built-in amplifier.

The control is bipolar, which means that negative values will invert the modulation.

The Phaser consists of a number of all-pass filters (1 to 40) with feedback, which can be used for creating really nice phasing effects. An all-pass filter lets all frequencies of a signal through - but phase inverted 180 degrees. The principle is to split the input signal in two, run one signal dry and the other through a series of all-pass filters, and then sum the two signals. The picture below shows the basic principle of a phaser:

Here you set the frequency of the all-pass filter(s) in the phaser.

Range: 37.6 Hz to 16.17 kHz

This controls the bandwidth of the all-pass filter(s) in the phaser.

This controls the level/intensity of the phaser peaks and notches.

In a phaser, a stage (also known as “pole”) is represented by an all-pass filter. Here you set the number of all-pass filters you want to use. Each all-pass filter contributes with one notch/peak in the frequency spectrum.

Range: 1-40 stages (notches)

Pressing this button will invert the polarity of the Phaser filter, so that instead of notches in the frequency spectrum, there will be peaks:

Pressing this button mutes the dry signal in the Phaser section, turning the effect into a frequency-dependent delay. Since no dry signal is mixed with the effect signal, there will be no notches in the frequency spectrum:

This will give more of a “tremolo” effect rather than phasing.

The Flanger is basically a Comb Filter with adjustable feedback, which can be used for creating a wide variety of chorus effects and frequency swirls. The principle is to split the input signal in two, run one signal dry and the other through a comb filter delay, and then sum the two signals. The picture below shows the basic principle of a flanger:

Here you set the comb filter frequency (in practice, the delay time between the dry and processed signals).

Range: 37.6 Hz to 16.17 kHz

This intensifies the flange effect by increasing the resonance peaks via feedback.

Pressing this button will invert the polarity of the Flanger, so that instead of peaks in the frequency spectrum, there will be notches:

Pressing this button mutes most of the dry signal in the Flanger section:

The Filter section features a selection of great sounding filters with various characteristics, derived from the Europa Shapeshifting Synthesizer.

This amplifies and introduces an overdrive type of distortion to the signal in the filter.

Here you set the cutoff frequency (for the HP and LP filter types) or the center frequency (for the BP and Notch filter types).

This controls the resonance amount, i.e. the amplification of the signal around the cutoff frequency.

In the SVF Notch filter, the Resonance knob controls the width of the notch - from wide to narrow.

Click the TYPE selector to select one of the following filter types from the pop-up menu:

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A state variable (SVF) highpass filter with a 12dB/octave slope.

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A state variable (SVF) bandpass filter with 12dB/octave slopes.

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A state variable (SVF) lowpass filter with a 12dB/octave slope.

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A state variable (SVF) notch filter.

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A ladder-type lowpass filter with a 24dB/octave slope. The resonance peak more narrow in this filter type than in the MFB LP 24dB filter (see below). The filter can be driven to self-oscillate.

Be careful when using this filter type as high Resonance values could generate quite extreme audio levels!

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A multiple feedback (MFB) lowpass filter with a 12dB/octave slope. If you turn up the Resonance high, additional resonance peaks appear.

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A multiple feedback (MFB) lowpass filter with a 24dB/octave slope. The resonance peak is wider in this filter type that in the Ladder filter (see above). The filter can be driven to self-oscillate. If you turn up the Resonance high, additional resonance peaks appear.

Be careful when using this filter type as high Resonance values could generate quite extreme audio levels!

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A multiple feedback (MFB) highpass filter with a 24dB/octave slope. If you turn up the Resonance high, additional resonance peaks appear.

Be careful when using this filter type as high Resonance values could generate quite extreme audio levels!

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An “early MS-20 type” of lowpass filter with a 12dB/octave slope. The filter can be driven to self-oscillate.

Be careful when using this filter type as high Resonance values could generate quite extreme audio levels!

The LFO can be used for cyclic modulation of the Frequency parameter of the Phaser/Flanger/Filter section - and/or for modulating the Volume. The LFO Rate can also be synced to the Reason sequencer. You can also modulate the LFO Rate from the Modulator (see “The Envelope Modulator” and “The Audio Follower Modulator”).

#Waveform selector

Click the up/down triangles - or drag the waveform display up/down - to select the desired LFO waveform.

Ten different LFO waveforms are available. Besides the standard waveforms (sine, triangle, pulse, etc.) there are random, slope and stepped waveforms. The shape of the waveforms are shown in the display.

Note that all waveforms except the “Decay” are bipolar, i.e., they generate both positive and negative levels.

Here you set the LFO Rate.

Range: 0.050-50.00 Hz

Click the SYNC button to sync the LFO Rate to the main sequencer tempo.

Range in Sync mode: 8 Bars to 1/64.

If you like, you can modulate the LFO Rate from the Modulator signal (see “The Envelope Modulator” below). If the LFO is in SYNC mode, modulating the Rate will force the LFO to switch between the sync divisions.

Set the desired LFO Rate Modulation amount with the knob.

#The Envelope Modulator

The Modulator section features an Envelope and an Audio Follower. You can use either the Envelope or the Audio Follower (but not together).

The Envelope is taken straight from the Europa Shapeshifting Synthesizer, so if you are familiar with Europa you will find your way around easily. The Envelope is extremely flexible, and you can draw your own custom modulation shapes by clicking and drawing in the display area. There are also a number of preset shapes that you can use as starting points (or use as is). If you use Loop mode, you could turn the envelope into an advanced LFO and design your own wave shapes.

The Envelope can then be used for modulating the Frequency parameter of the Phaser/Flanger/Filter section, for modulating the Volume, and for modulating the LFO Rate.

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The envelope/loop playback starts as soon as there is audio present in Sweeper - or you can trigger playback using the Audio Trig function (see “Audio Trig”) or a CV trig signal on the rear panel (see “Trig Envelope”) instead.

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Click the Preset button to bring up a palette of envelope preset curves:

2.

Click the desired envelope preset curve to place it on the display.

Let’s select a standard ADSR style of envelope curve:

#Adding and removing envelope points

Double click, or hold down [Ctrl](win) or [Cmd](Mac) and click in the envelope display to add points to the
envelope curve:

To remove a point, double click, or hold down [Ctrl](win) or [Cmd](Mac) and click, on an existing point on the envelope curve.

#Changing the envelope curve shape

Click a line segment (between two points) and drag up/down to change the curve shape:

#Looping the envelope

Click the Loop button to turn the envelope into a kind of LFO.

Here we have edited a stepped curve from the Presets. We have also enabled Sync and set the rate to 4/4. This means that each step in the curve now represents an 1/16th note.

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The loop playback is synced to the Reason sequencer and time line (so that the loop always start on the “one”) and continues for as long as there is still audio present through the Sweeper device.

#Editing levels only

To restrict the editing to levels only, without affecting the time positions, click the Edit button:

In this mode you cannot change the time positions of the envelope points, only their levels (height). This is extra useful with a stepped Preset curve, because dragging up or down will change the value of an entire segment, turning the Envelope into a pseudo-sequencer.

To be able to adjust the level of a segment, the two points on either side of the segment have to be on the exact same time positions. Otherwise, only the closest point will be changed. Also, any inclining/declining segment will automatically turn horizontal when edited:

Adjusting the level of a segment.

#Creating “free form” envelope curves

In the Edit mode, you can also draw “free form” curves:

To continuously add new consecutive points, hold down [Ctrl](win) or [Cmd](Mac) and drag in the envelope display:

To erase points, hold down [Shift] and [Ctrl](win) or [Cmd](Mac) and drag in the envelope display.

It’s also possible to trigger the envelope from the audio running through Sweeper.

Activate the Audio Trig function and set the Threshold value as desired.

When the audio level in Sweeper exceeds the set Threshold value, or quickly increases when above the Threshold level, the envelope is triggered.

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If the envelope is not in Loop mode, one complete cycle is completed at the most. The cycle continues to play back as long as there is audio present through the Sweeper device.

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If the envelope is in Loop mode, the loop plays back from the very beginning when an Audio Trig signal is received. The loop continues to play back as long as there is audio present through the Sweeper device.

#The Audio Follower Modulator

The other part of the Modulator section is the Audio Follower. This is basically an envelope follower, which tracks the level of the audio running through Sweeper and outputs a control signal that can be used for modulating the Frequency parameter of the Phaser/Flanger/Filter section, for modulating the Volume, and for modulating the LFO Rate. The tracked (followed) audio level is shown in real-time in the display.

Here you can attenuate or gain the modulation signal level, to adjust it to the audio signal level.

This controls how fast the envelope follower should react after the input signal level has increased from one value to a higher.

This controls how fast the envelope follower should react after the input signal level has decreased from one value to a lower.

This CV input can be used for modulating the Frequency parameter in the Phaser/Flanger/Filter. The input accepts bipolar control signals. The input signal can be attenuated with the corresponding attenuation knob.

This CV input can be used for modulating the Feedback or Resonance parameter in the Phaser/Flanger/Filter. The input accepts bipolar control signals. The input signal can be attenuated with the corresponding attenuation knob.

This CV input can be used for modulating the Spread parameter in the Phaser/Flanger/Filter. The input accepts bipolar control signals. The input signal can be attenuated with the corresponding attenuation knob.

This CV input can be used for modulating the Dry/Wet parameter in the Phaser/Flanger/Filter. The input accepts bipolar control signals. The input signal can be attenuated with the corresponding attenuation knob.

This CV input can be used for triggering the Envelope Modulator. The Envelope Modulator is triggered as soon as the CV value goes from zero to a positive value.

If the Audio Trig function is active (see “Audio Trig”), the Trig Envelope function will co-exist with this.

This sends out the LFO signal as a bipolar CV signal.

This sends out the Audio Follower or Envelope signal as a unipolar CV signal.

This sends out a unipolar CV trig signal as soon as the Audio Trig function (see “Audio Trig”) is triggered.

#Input Left & Right

Patch the audio signals you want to process here.

If your input signal is in mono, connect only to the L (left) input.

Note that the result also depends on the current Routing setting (see “Routing”).

#Output Left & Right

These are the stereo audio outputs.

Note that the result also depends on the current Routing setting (see “Routing”).