Yamaha AN1x - Voice Architecture

Voice Architecture

In monotimbral mode the AN1x has 10-note maximum polyphony, though the actual polyphony depends on scene settings and unison. Scene layering halves polyphony, unison uses five notes per note played, thus in layered unison mode the synthesizer is monophonic, though capable of 10x unison with careful programming. Using keyboard split assigns five voices to each scene, which may also be unisoned into two monophonic voices. Unison is also possible in poly mode - it uses two notes per note played.

The voice architecture is a typical twin oscillator multi-mode filter design with separate pitch, filter and amplitude envelopes and two LFOs. Available waveforms include saw and PWM-capable square, saw2 (which behaves in a different way than basic saw when used with PWM) and saw/square mix waves. Additional waveforms (Inner1-3) are available for OSC1 when in oscillator sync mode.

To the typical twin oscillator synthesis AN1x added a non-resonant high-pass filter in series with the resonant multimode filter, basic wave shaping, VCA feedback, frequency modulation that can be used simultaneously with either hard or soft oscillator sync modes. A multieffect, reverb and delay units were also built in.

The AN1x also features both an arpeggiator that can receive and output via MIDI and step sequencer. The step sequencer can be used to send control data such as filter cutoff value or notes to the synth's own tone generator or to MIDI output. Furthermore, the notes may be fixed or transposed via the synth's own keyboard or MIDI input. Both arpeggiator and step sequencer sync to MIDI timecode.