The Kawai K1 was released in 1988, after the Sequential Prophet VS was released in 1986. Like the Roland D-50 before it, it’s my sense that the K1 team scrambled to respond to the relatively new concept of a joystick in the unit’s user interface. Also, like the D-50, the design team figured out practical ways to use the joystick for programming, but still avoided implementing Vector Synthesis within its synthesis engines. K1v is an accurate recreation of the Kawai K1, and its ability to do Vector Synthesis is even more possible on it than on the Kawai K1, and in this post, we’ll recreate it.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about when I talk about K1v, I’ve created a K1v Owners Manual. If covers everything from downloading and getting started to using it in a DAW.

Let’s open the hood and take a look.

What is Vector Synthesis, exactly?

Vector Synthesis was conceived by Chris Meyer, a former work colleague at Sequential, and additionally, my former housemate. While explaining different approaches for wavetable synthesis to a colleague, he conceived the idea of blending waveforms in two dimensions using envelopes and other modulation sources to create a synthesizer voice. Initially called the “Diamond Patch,” he patched it a on a collection modular synthesis gear, demo’ed it in-house, and a new method of synthesis was born.

The VS had the advantage of a dedicated looping Mix Envelope for programming the waveform mix over time. What we can do in K1v is modulate the levels of the four source waveforms within the synthesis engine to create a mix, much like the Prophet VS did (although admittedly, without Curtis filters.  Still, we can simulate by cross-fading, with our modulation sources, between the many waveform combinations in K1v to get something close.

Ways we can modulate Waveform Levels in K1v

Our goal here is to define modulation sources that act in concert to mix waveforms. While one mod source might increase the level of one of K1v’s sources, the other will decrease it. That way, we get our “Diamond” mix of waveforms that is the core of Vector synthesis.

Ways to control the Vector: MIDI Controllers

As I mentioned in our Turbocharge K1v in a DAW post, one of the nice things that Nils did in the implementation of K1v was to virtually attach two MIDI controllers to the X-Y controller – something that the original K1 did not have. 

General Purpose MIDI Controllers 1 and 2 (GP 1 and 2, respectively) from the MIDI Specification are 16 (10 hex) and 17 (11 hex). GP 1 controls the X-axis, and GP 2 controls the Y-axis. If you are fortunate to have a MIDI Controller with either a joystick for an X-Y pad, you are in luck. Just program the MIDI Controller outputs to those two parameters. The now-deprecated SL Remote series from Novation had an X-Y pad, as an example. Current devices include the Korg nanoPad2 and nanoKey and the Kaoss pad series also has one. On the higher end of the scale, the Expressive E-Touche’ has the capability as well.

If you can’t get your hands on an X-Y MIDI Pad or Joystick, then using two MIDI Controllers as a pair, as I do on the Launch Control 3, also works, once you get used to it. It takes a bit of practice, but soon you can use two knobs to control the direction in the X-Y field.

But hardware isn’t the only answer – there are iOS apps like TouchOsc that allow the creation of an X-Y and the attachment of MIDI Controller transmission. I’ve also just purchased AudioSwift, an app that turns an Apple Magic Touchpad into a MIDI controller. For people like me who are carefully limiting their hardware choices, either of these may be a solution.

Ways to control the Vector: DAW MIDI Modulation Generators

I have two DAWs that I’m learning to get the most from – Logic Pro and Bitwig. Both of them have programmable modulators that can send MIDI controller information to K1v. In our Turbocharge K1v post, we routed two LFOs – one controlling the X-direction and the other controlling the Y-direction. We created smooth, flowing, modulating mixes of the four K1v sources to create sounds very reminiscent of of repeating envelopes of the Prophet VS.

We can do the same with MIDI Envelopes, and the result is a more designed flow between the sources. In Logic Pro, it’s easy to “stack” multiple MIDI modulation sources in the MIDI FX section of each track’s mixer. Envelope A would be one shape and Envelope B would in the inversion of that shape, controlling the mix of the four sources.

Ways to control the Vector: Tedious programming

My last choice would be to program the volume envelopes of each Source, keeping track of the envelope shapes, their inverses, and visualizing the X-Y plane with each step. It’s sounds tedious, and it is. It may be best reserved for designs of sounds where you think that you’ll only need two sources – that seems much more manageable. In all honesty, with the easy visual programmability of the DAW modulation sources, why would you want to put yourself through it?

Sound Examples

I’ve created a K1v bank of a few sounds feature Vector Synthesis-like programming. Now, we don’t have the built-in chorus (noisy) of the VS to thicken things up; we are running Nils’ K1v in a DAW, so we have plenty of options with Chorus, Delay, and Reverb. There’s a small ZIP file with both the Logic Pro presets and the .SYX files here for you to download. The .SYX files are there in case readers aren’t using Logic, they can still access the sounds using K1v. (Just remember to create the modulation sources in your DAW).

Example 1 – Vector Crockett: I’ve taken the Factory “Crockett” patch and added vector envelopes to create transitions in both the X and Y directions. 

[Vector Crockett]

Example 2 – Vector Wave: Here I’ve simulated a looping envelope, one of the hallmarks of VS patch programming, with two LFO Mod sources on the track, and the Env Mod source handing the initial transition from the Square wave to the sustained bell tone.

[Vector Wave]

Example 3 – Vector Ahh: Starting with the first preset of the factory sound set, this sound uses two LFOs to create motion in the original static choral sound, making it a much more sonically interesting pad.

[Vector Ahh]

Example 4 -Vector Reflection: Uses two envelopes to manage the Source mix, transitioning from a chime-like tone to a sustained string sound. Much more interesting than the original.

[Vector Reflection]

Summary

So there it is – pseudo Vector Synthesis on K1v. We don’t have a programmable mix envelope, but we can make do with other options. K1v has 256 waveforms – more than the original VS! No, it doesn’t have Curtis filters, that’s true. Nevertheless, with creative keeping a virtual X-Y plan in our heads as we set up MIDI Controllers, MIDI Generators, and Envelopes, we can generate sounds in K1v that are definitely bring the Prophet VS to mind. 

Like all of the posts in the K1v Owner’s Manual, I’ve attempted to reveal some insights into this cool little free VST instrument. From getting it up and running, to what it’s parameters are, to programming tips and tricks. Stay tuned, or better yet, sign up for our K1v Owner’s Manual Mailing List, so that you don’t miss any tips. Consider the Dexed Owner’s Manual, or the Logic Sampler Owner’s Manual, too. They both offer deep tutorials related to these great resources. 

Until next time, thank you for reading!