Manual

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WELCOME
B.I.T. stands for Back In Time…

Instead of combining the best of analogue modelling and hybrid synthesis, as demonstrated in
other Rob Papen synthesizers, B.I.T. focuses on Analogue Modelled Synthesis. Why this move
you might think? The idea behind it is that the classic analogue type of synthesis has its own
charm and simply was not yet covered by the Rob Papen brand. So, no spectrum waveforms, or
samples inside B.I.T? Nope – it is pure Analogue Modelled Synthesis.

Although B.I.T. has no patch cables, it is modular by all means! The Modulation Matrix is used
for patching. The Matrix is complemented by the smart Advanced Panel below the Oscillators.
The advanced features enable you to make often used connections between LFO, Envelope
and Oscillator quickly. Oscillator 1 and Oscillator 2 can modulate each other in various
configurations such as Phase Modulation, Frequency Modulation and Ring Modulation.

A Rob Papen synthesizer would be incomplete without an arpeggiator. A fully featured Arp (also
works in sequencer mode) is available and has a dedicated row to be used as a programmable
modulation source.

The icing on the B.I.T. cake is the FX section. Some superb sounding effects are available. Our
top-notch Reverb is part of B.I.T., eliminating the need to go outboard for reverb.

As already mentioned B.I.T. stands for Back In Time. However, we like to think of it as Be
Inspired Today while using our new Analogue Modelled Synthesizer.

Enjoy!

Rob Papen and Team, June 2019

Rob Papen B.I.T. 2

 NAVIGATING B.I.T.
First, we’ll give you a quick overview of B.I.T., so you can find your way around. You will find all
the details that make up B.I.T. in the following chapters.

2
3

1 Presets and In this section, you select Presets and Banks and gain access to the Bank
Globals Manager, External MIDI Controller Setup and this manual. Click on the B.I.T.
logo to open the Back Panel
2 Oscillators The Oscillator area contains all the controls to adjust the parameters of the
oscillators 1 and 2 and Noise Oscillator.
3 Play Mode, Access the Play Mode settings for Polyphonic / Monophonic / Unison styles.
Modulation and There is a dedicated Pitch LFO for Vibrato. The modulation side is covered by
Pitch LFO an 8-slot Modulation Matrix. Not that the Mod Matrix can be switched to
display the B.I.T. sound output.
4 Filter and This section contains the controls to shape the raw sound of the oscillators
Amplifier through filtering and volume control. Itr also includes dedicated Filter
Envelopes and a modulation LFO
5 Arpeggiator The Arpeggiator is fully programmable in 16 steps
6 Effects B.I.T.’s effect section contains a Chorus, Phaser / Flanger, Delay and Reverb

Rob Papen B.I.T. 3

CONTROLS
B.I.T. uses controller knobs, sliders, buttons and drop-down menus to adjust its parameters.
You operate the controls with the mouse. In most cases, you click-and-hold the control and
move it to the desired value. As you move the control, the readout at the top of the screen
displays the parameter name and its value.

If you hold the shift-key while moving the mouse, you can make minor adjustments with high
accuracy. Consider this to be a fine-tuning method. To reset a control to its default value you
can either double-click or ctrl-click the control.

There are three kinds of buttons:

On / Off Buttons The value toggles between On and Off with every mouse click. An
example is the Free button in the oscillator section.
Radio Buttons Radio buttons select one option out of several predefined settings by
clicking on the desired value, as in the Filter Envelope invert buttons
Trigger Buttons A Trigger Button starts an action, such as the sound preview (Note
Symbol) to the left of the Preset Browser

Menus

Drop-down menus Drop-down menus work similarly to radio buttons, as they select one
out of many predefined values. The first click opens a menu which
lists all possible values. The second click selects the value. An
example is the ECS menu near the top of B.I.T.

MIDI / Control Menu

Right clicking (or control-click on Mac) on a control opens the MIDI / control menu. This menu
displays the parameter name, its current value and which MIDI control is linked (latched) to the
parameter. It allows you to do the following:

• Set control values

• Assign MIDI CC numbers
• Work with modulation paths

Rob Papen B.I.T. 4

Set Control Values

The control value menu items operate directly on the control value.

Set to default Sets the control to its default value

Set to Zero Sets the controller to zero (0)
Set to Minimum Sets the control to its minimum value
Set to Maximum Sets the control to its maximum value
Set to Mid Sets the control to its medium value
Set to Value Enter the value as a numerical value in a text box
Set to Random Sets the control to a random value
Increase Increases the control by 1% or to the next menu-entry
Decrease Decreases the control by 1%.or to the previous menu-entry

MIDI Control through Latching

The Latching constructs sets up connections between MIDI Continuous Controllers (CC) and
B.I.T. controls.

Latch to MIDI Latches the control to the next MIDI control message received.
Unlatch MIDI Clears the B.I.T. parameter from any MIDI controls.
Set MIDI CC Enter the MIDI Controller as a numerical value in a text box
Clear MIDI Clears all MIDI latching.
As an example, to latch Volume to an external MIDI expression controller, go through the
following steps:

1. Right click on the Volume Knob

2. Select Latch to MIDI in the pop-up menu
3. Next, move the MIDI Expression controller.
From now the Expression controller will move the B.I.T. Volume knob. You can still operate the
B.I.T. Volume knob directly in B.I.T. though. The latched MIDI controllers are global and will
work for all Presets and active B.I.T. instruments in your host.

Note: In the Preset section you can save or load your whole MIDI (latch) controller setup to
disk. This function is called ECS (External Controller Setup). For an explanation of this
function, please see the ECS section later in this manual.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 5

Modulation Settings
The third part of the MIDI / Control menu gives access to modulation routing. More details are
provided in the Modulation Matrix chapter.

Modulated by Displays the modulation source that controls this parameter.

Set Modulation To Creates an entry in the Modulation Matrix that has this parameter as
its destination.
Default Modulation Slot Sets all the entries in the modulation matrix that have this parameter
Amount as their destination, to the default amount.
Bypass / Un-Bypass Bypasses or un-bypasses all modulation matrix entries using this
Modulation Slot parameter as a destination.
Clear Modulation Slot Clears all entries in the modulation matrix that have this parameter
as their destination.

Drag and Drop Controls

You can drag and drop controls onto the modulation matrix. When you drop the control, the
control is added to the modulation matrix.

Computer Keyboard
You can select Presets and Banks using the computer keyboard. B.I.T.’s back panel is where
you enable and disable this function. To access the back panel, click on the B.I.T. logo.

Up Arrow key Previous Preset.

Down Arrow key Next Preset.
Right Arrow key Increase Preset number by 32 (useful in the Bank Manager)
Left Arrow key Decrease Preset number by 32 (useful in the Bank Manager)
Page Down key Next B.I.T. Bank
Page Up key Previous B.I.T. Bank
Note: Rolling the mouse wheel up and down scrolls through the Presets

Rob Papen B.I.T. 6

PRESETS and GLOBALS

B.I.T. uses a Preset/Bank model to select and manage Presets. Please note that this is in
addition to the Bank Manager section in B.I.T., which is aimed at managing Presets in the
context of Folders.

To select a Preset, click on the Preset display to open the Preset Menu. The top five entries in
the menu give you access to the Presets in the current Folder. They are grouped in sub-menus
of 50 entries each. To step through the Presets one by one, use the < and > keys. These will
take you to, respectively, the previous or next Preset in the current Folder.

Please note: The Presets are stored as individual files on your drive. The Banks are
represented as Folders on disk and the Presets are files within the Folders. You may store up to
256 Presets in a Folder but have an unlimited number of Folders.

Quick Browser
The Quick Browser shows all available Folders and their Presets. When you select a Preset, the
Preset itself and its corresponding Folder will be loaded.

Recently Browsed
Recently Browsed displays a list of all recently used Presets. Selecting an entry loads that
Preset. The Clear Recent function removes all entries from this menu.

Favorites
Favorites shows the list of Presets that were saved in the 001 Favorites Folder. Selecting a
Preset immediately loads that Preset.

Save Current Preset in Favorites

This will save the current Preset to the 001 Favorites Bank Folder. The Favorites feature is used
for collecting Presets that you use often. This Folder holds up to 256 Presets. If you have more
than 256 Favorites, you will need to create a new Folder. You could create one called 001
Favorites 02 for instance.

Keep in mind that this new Folder will not be used with the Save Current Presets in Favorites
function. This function is hard wired (connected) to the original Favorites Folder. You can use
the Bank Manager to manage multiple Favorite Folders and copy Presets between them.

Please note: B.I.T. has a feature in the Bank Manager called Star. This allows you to highlight
favorite Presets and work with them as if they resided within a single Folder. The Star function
and Favorites Folder complement one another and allow you to work with your most cherished
sounds.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 7

Save Preset
Save Preset writes any changes you have made to the current Preset to disk, overwriting the
old version.

Save Preset As
Save Preset As writes any changes you have made to the current Preset to disk with a new
name. This Preset will be saved in the current Folder.

Save Preset in Folder

Save Preset in Folder writes any changes you have made to the current Preset to disk in a
Folder other than the current Folder. B.I.T. will prompt you to select the Folder you want to use.

Rename Preset

Rename Preset asks you for a new Preset name. The Preset will be then saved with the new
name. The older version of the Preset is deleted.

New Preset

New Preset creates a new Preset with default settings.

Load Preset

This function loads a Preset from disk or any other attached storage, including USB drives.

Revert to Original Preset / Revert to Edit Preset

The Revert function is the same function that you find as a button in the top section of B.I.T.. It
allows you to toggle between, and compare, an edited Preset and the original version of the
Preset.

Clear Preset

This function sets all parameters to their default values but leaves the Preset name unchanged.

Default Preset

This function sets all parameters to their default values and sets the Preset name to Default.

Bank
B.I.T. uses a Bank menu to select and manage Bank Folders. Please note that this is in addition
to using Bank Manager section in B.I.T.. To select a Bank Folder, click on the Bank display to
open the Bank Menu. To step through the Banks one by one, use the Page Up and Page Down
keys. These will take you to the previous and next Bank Folder.

Create New Folder

This function creates a new Folder on your hard disk in the following location (by default)

• PC: Documents\Rob Papen\B.I.T.\Bank Folder\

• Mac: Applications\Rob Papen\B.I.T.\Bank Folder\

Rob Papen B.I.T. 8

On a PC you can select any Folder to install the Banks to in the installer, though we recommend
that you use the Documents Folder.

Edit / Orig
As soon as you start editing a Preset (i.e. change a B.I.T. control), the Edit button will light up. If
you the click on the Orig button it will return the Preset to its original settings (please note that
your edited sound is still available!). To return to the edited Preset, click on the Edit button and it
will reflect all changes that you have made previously. This function allows you to compare the
original Preset with the edited one, to hear the differences and impact of any parameter
changes.

External Controller Setup (ECS)

B.I.T. responds to external MIDI messages to change its sound parameters dynamically. The
assignment of external MIDI messages to B.I.T. controls is defined in the ECS. ECS is short for
External Controller Setup. It contains all assignments of MIDI controllers to B.I.T. controls that
are being targeted for real time interaction. Remember, you set each individual MIDI controller
assignment by using the right button (or control-click on a Mac) menu and selecting latch to
MIDI. You may unlatch MIDI controls the same way or clear all MIDI control assignments. The
ECS button allows you to load and save a complete external MIDI controller setup. Once set, it
is shared by all Presets and all instances of B.I.T. that are loaded in your DAW.

Load ECS Load ECS opens the Folder that holds ECS set-ups. The B.I.T.
installer creates a Folder called ECS that holds all ECS files

Save ECS Save ECS saves the MIDI set-up you created so you may use it in
other songs. It is saved as an ECS file

Reset all MIDI This clears all MIDI settings for B.I.T. Useful if you want to start from
scratch

Direct Access Buttons

Across the Presets and Globals section you find four buttons that give you direct access to
various B.I.T. functions. These are:

Manager Click to open the Bank Manager

Note (C3) Click to play a C3 note to audition the current Preset
ECS Click to open the ECS menu
Help Click to open the B.I.T. manual

B.I.T. Logo
A click on the B.I.T. logo takes you to the Back Panel. The Back Panel hosts several global
settings and infrequently accessed controls.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 9

OSCILLATOR SECTION

At the heart of B.I.T. you find two analogue modelled Oscillators and a noise generator. The two
Oscillators are similar in setup. However, Oscillator 2 has additional controls related to cross
modulation with Oscillator 1 and it has a Sub-Oscillator.

In the Oscillators section, you will find an Advanced switch. The Adv switch toggles between the
Oscillator’s graphic waveform oscilloscope display and the Advance panel.

The Advanced panel gives you access to dedicated LFOs and Envelopes for modulation
purposes. In addition, Oscillator 2 delivers Phase Modulation (PM) / Frequency Modulation (FM)
and Ring Modulation. These additional features in Oscillator 2 give B.I.T. sound sculpting
opportunities that lie far beyond a basic Analogue modelled synthesizer!

Oscillator 2’s Sub-Oscillator generates Sinus, Square and Sawtooth waveforms. So here too the
RP Team has been thinking outside the box a bit. Each Oscillator generates White Noise, Pink
Noise and even Tuned Noise. There is an additional separate Noise module that provides White
and Pink Noise. B.I.T. has many sound sources that combine into a very powerful Oscillator
section!

Oscillator On/Off
Clicking on the LED-style buttons next to the oscillator label turns the corresponding oscillator
On and Off.

Free

The Free button is used to select the reset-behaviour of the oscillator. If Free is turned Off, the
oscillator waveform is reset to its initial waveform (zero phase) position each time you play a
note. When Free is turned On, the Oscillator phase continues in an uninterrupted cycle,
regardless whether a key is played or not. It is free-running. This can be useful in pad sounds
because it spreads the initial attack part of the sound to create a lush character.

Track

The Track switch enables and disables keyboard tracking. It controls whether the oscillator pitch
follows the keyboard or is fixed regardless of the note played.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 10

Waveform
The waveform selection sets the basic shape or harmonic content of the Oscillator. It is known
as its Waveform. B.I.T. has a total of 11 Waveforms: 8 classic analogue waveforms plus White
Noise, Pink Noise and Tuned Noise. Tuned Noise is White Noise passed through a Band Pass
Filter that is tuned to the Oscillator's pitch.

Octave
The octave control sets the base pitch of the oscillator in octave increments. An octave is
equivalent to 12 semitones. The range of this control is from -4 octaves to +4 octaves.

Semi
Semi sets the root note tuning of the oscillator in semitones. The range is from -48 semitones
(-4 octaves) to +48 semitones (+4 octaves).

Fine
The Fine control, next to the Semi control sets the fine-tuning of the oscillator in cents, with a
range from -100 cents to +100 cents.

Sym
Sym controls the symmetry of the Oscillator waveform. This is most commonly used with the
Square waveform where it changes the Pulse Width. It is also applicable to other waveforms
except Noise. Use the Sym control for subtle harmonic changes.

Note: For many waveforms, symmetry changes can be interesting. The Saw waveform is an
exception. The Saw’s sound quality may deteriorate with symmetry changes. To avoid
unwanted side-effects (as possible with the Saw wave) the Symmetry parameter will reset
to zero when you select a new waveform.

BW (Tuned Noise)
When using Tuned Noise, the Sym Dial label changes to BW (Bandwidth). This control now
changes the Bandwidth of the Tuned Noise Bandpass Filter. The effect ranges from noisy (very
wide) to almost tonal (very narrow bandwidth).

Feed
When not in PM/FM/Ring Mod mode, Feed controls the amount of self-modulation. The
Oscillator signal is fed back into itself, creating a Phase Modulation effect. With a Sine Wave as
the initial waveform, turning up Feed creates a Saw-like wave. In extreme settings this turns into
a Noise-like sound with high levels of feedback of feedback. The Feedback control does not
work with White / Pink / Tuned Noise.

>Filter
The >Filter switch determines whether the oscillator signal is passed on to the filter. When using
an oscillator as a modulation source, you may want to exclude the oscillator from the sound
signal path.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 11

Note: When Oscillator 1 is used as a modulation source for Oscillator 2 and [1>2 PM]. [1>2 FM]
or [1>2 Ring] are active, the Oscillator 1 [>Filter] button turns Off by default. Oscillator 1
will not feed the Filter as it is being used as a modulation source rather than as a sound
source You can at any time override this setting and feed Oscillator 1 to the Filter too.

Volume
The Volume control sets the level of the Oscillator before it enters the Filter section. In
PM/FM/Ring Mod modes it affects the modulation amount.

These controls can be altered via the Oscillator LFO or Envelope in the Advanced screen. More
details follow later in this chapter.

Oscillator 2 Controls
Oscillator 2 can be synchronized to or modulated by Oscillator 1. Each option comes with its
own set of controls.

Sync To 1
The Sync control allows you to synchronize the pitch of Oscillator 2 to the pitch of Oscillator 1.
The synchronized waveform is reset every time Oscillator 1 waveform ends its cycle. This
essentially cuts of the synchronized waveform and resets it to zero, in sync with oscillator 1. The
reset binds the Oscillator 2 frequency to the Oscillator 1 frequency. Because of the (forced)
reset, the synced oscillator waveform will undergo abrupt changes in its shape. These abrupt
changes are audible as additional overtones (harmonics). The Oscillator 2 pitch control now
operates as a harmonics control. To demonstrate this effect, while in Sync mode, change the
pitch and detune Oscillator 2.

Sync also works with the White / Pink Noise. It creates a repeated noise output which sounds
more like a heavily digitized waveform. Sync does not work with Tuned Noise.

Note: The Sync feature will also work if Oscillator 1 is turned Off.

Modulation Mode Oscillator 2

B.I.T. has 3 Modulation Modes whereby Oscillator 1 modulates Oscillator 2. The Oscillator
feedback control operates within a single Oscillator only. While in any of the PM / FM / Ring
Mod modes, the Feed control label changes to Mod amount. In these cases the control sets the
modulation amount.

Select the Modulation Mode via the [1>2 PM], [1>2 FM] and [1>2 Ring] buttons.

Note: When Oscillator 1 is used as a modulation source for Oscillator 2 and [1>2 PM].
[1>2 FM] or [1>2 Ring] are active, the Oscillator 1 [>Filter] button turns Off by default.
Oscillator 1 will not feed the Filter as it is being used as a modulation source rather
than as a sound source You can at any time override this setting and feed Oscillator 1
to the Filter too.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 12

1 > 2 PM
The output of Oscillator 1 changes the phase of Oscillator 2. This is also known as Phase
Modulation (PM). The modulation adds overtones to the sound. The Mod control changes the
modulation amount. Increased modulation means more and louder overtones for Oscillator 2.
When in PM mode, the output of Oscillator 1 to the Filter is turned Off by default.

1 > 2 FM
The output of Oscillator 1 changes the frequency of Oscillator 2. This is also known as
Frequency Modulation (FM). The modulation adds overtones to the Oscillator 2 waveform. The
Mod control changes the modulation amount. Increased modulation means more and louder
overtones for Oscillator 2. When in FM mode, the output of Oscillator 1 to the Filter is turned Off
by default.

1 > 2 Ring
The outputs of Oscillator 1 and Oscillator 2 are multiplied. This is known as Ring Modulation
(Ring Mod). Ring Modulation creates a metallic sound. The Mod control sets the mix between
Oscillator 2 and the Ring Modulation Signal. When in Ring Modulation mode, , the output of
Oscillator 1 to the Filter is turned Off by default.

Sub-Oscillator
In addition to the two main Oscillators, B.I.T. has a Sub-Oscillator. The Sub-Oscillator is linked
to Oscillator 2. It is tuned one octave below Oscillator 2. Available waveforms for the
Sub-Oscillator are Off (none), Sine, Saw or Square. The Sub-Oscillator Volume has its own
dedicated control.

Note: In the Modulation Matrix we have included Sub-Oscillator Pitch, Volume and Symmetry
as possible modulation destinations

ADVANCED CONTROLS
Each Oscillator in B.I.T. has a
dedicated Sine Wave LFO and
Envelope. These can be used to control
the Oscillator’s parameters. You can
access these modules by clicking on
the ADV switch.

The advanced controls are available so that you can address some of the modulation for each
oscillator without the need for the Modulation Matrix. It leaves the Modulation Matrix free for
other creative connections and most of all keeps JoMal happy!

Note: When any of the Advanced amount controls are non-zero (i.e. they do something), the
LED colour indicates that there is an active modulation path.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 13

OSCILLATOR 1 LFO / OSCILLATOR 2 LFO
Speed
The Speed control sets the Oscillator LFO frequency. If the Sync button is On, speed follows the
host tempo.

Sync
With the Sync switch On, the Oscillator LFO speed follows the host tempo. In Sync Mode, you
can use the Speed parameter to select the desired beats / divisions setting.

Free
Normally the Oscillator LFO works in Poly mode, so each note has its own Oscillator LFO. In
Free Mode the Oscillator LFO is free running. In this case all notes share the same Oscillator
LFO. The LFO is running continuously and does not reset when you play a new note.

Destinations / Amount
Select the Oscillator LFO modulation amount for four different destinations:

Volume Modulation amount for Oscillator Volume

Tuning Pitch Modulation amount. The range is from -24 to +24 semitones
Sym / BW For the first 8 Waveforms: Symmetry modulation amount. For instance,
use Oscillator LFO – Square Wave combination to create Pulse Width
Modulation.
For Tuned Noise it controls Bandwidth modulation
Feed / Mod When not in PM/FM/Ring Mod Mode, this sets the Feedback
Modulation amount. When in PM/FM/Ring Mod Mode, this sets the
Modulation amount
Note: When any of the Advanced amount controls are non-zero (i.e. they do something), the
LED colour indicates that there is an active modulation path.

OSCILLATOR 1 ENVELOPE / OSCILLATOR 2 ENVELOPE

Each Oscillator has a dedicated Envelope with Attack, Decay and Sustain segments. This
Envelope does not have a Release stage. When the Decay stage is complete, the envelope
maintains a Sustain level.

Sync
Sync On synchronizes the Attack and Decay times to the host tempo.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 14

Retrigger
The Retrigger option puts the Envelope in cycle mode. Upon completion of the Decay stage, the
envelope jumps to the Attack phase at the Sustain level. With the Sustain level at 0, the
outcome is blend of sawtooth – triangle - inverse sawtooth, depending on the actual Attack and
Decay time settings. Use the sustain level to adjust the height or amplitude of the cycled phase
of modulation signal.

Destinations / Amount
Select the Oscillator LFO modulation amount for four different destinations:

Volume Modulation amount for Oscillator Volume

Tuning Pitch Modulation amount. The range is from -24 to +24 semitones
Sym / BW For the first 8 Waveforms: Symmetry modulation amount. For instance,
use Oscillator LFO – Square Wave combination to create Pulse Width
Modulation.
For Tuned Noise it controls Bandwidth modulation
Feed / Mod When not in PM/FM/Ring Mod Mode, this sets the Feedback
Modulation amount. When in PM/FM/Ring Mod Mode, this sets the
Modulation amount
Note: When any of the Advanced amount controls are non-zero (i.e. they do something), the
LED colour indicates that there is an active modulation path.

Additional Modulation of the Oscillator section.

In addition to the controls available on screen, more Oscillator parameters are available in the
Modulation Matrix as modulation sources and modulation destinations. These are listed below
and further explained in the Modulation Matrix section.

Oscillator Modulation Destinations

• Oscillator 1 / 2 Phase – Phase of the Oscillators.
• Oscillator 1 / 2 LFO Phase – Phase of the Oscillator's LFO, so that the LFO can start a
position other than zero.
• Sub-Oscillator Semi-tune, Symmetry and Phase – controls the Tuning, Symmetry (useful
in combination with the Square wave for Pulse-Width Modulation) and phase of the Sub-
Oscillator.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 15

Oscillator Modulation Sources
• You can use the Oscillators LFO and Envelopes as modulation sources in the
[Modulation Matrix].
• You can also use the LFOs and Envelopes multiplied together help craft more complex
sources.
• You can also use the outputs of Oscillator 1, Oscillator 2, and Oscillator 1 + 2 as
modulation sources, this allows the Oscillators to modulate their own (or the other
Oscillator) parameters, plus anything else, for example the Filter Frequency. Here we
start getting creative…

NOISE OSCILLATOR
B.I.T. incorporates a separate Noise Oscillator. Its controls are Noise Volume and Noise Type
(White and Pink).

Rob Papen B.I.T. 16

FILTER SECTION

B.I.T. includes two high quality analogue modelled filters that apply subtractive filtering to the
soundwaves generated by the oscillators. The filters have their most used modulation
parameters hard-wired in the B.I.T. structure, such as Envelope, Velocity and Modulation
Wheel. The controls are the same for both Filter 1 and Filter 2. The Filters can be connected in
several configurations. The Filter Mode defines how the filters are connected.

Serial Oscillators 1 and 2 feed Filter 1. Filter 1 is followed by Filter 2 and the audio
follows its path through the output stages from there.
Split Osc Oscillator 1 and the Noise Oscillator are the source for Filter 1. Oscillator 2 and
again the Noise Oscillator make their way into Filter 2. A mix between the Filter
1 and Filter 2 outputs follows through the output stages (Amplifier and FX). The
output volume of the Filters can be set by using Filter Volume as a modulation
destination in the Modulation Matrix.
Note: When [ 1>2 PM ]. [ 1>2 FM] or [1>2 Ring] are active, the Oscillator-1
[>Filter] button turns Off by default. The Oscillator 1 output is prevented from
going into the Filter. It is only used for modulating Oscillator 2. You can undo this
default setting at any time. If you don’t hear any sound in Filter 1 from Oscillator
1, please check and see if the >Filter button is On.
Split Noise Oscillator 1 and 2 are the source for Filter 1. The Noise Oscillator only makes its
way into Filter 2. A mix between the Filter 1 and Filter 2 outputs follows through
the output stages (Amplifier and FX). The output volume of the Filters can be set
by using Filter Volume as a modulation destination in the Modulation Matrix.
Note: When 1>2 PM. 1>2 FM or 1>2 Ring are active, the Oscillator 1 >Filter
button turns Off by default. The Oscillator 1 output is prevented from going into
the Filter. It is only used for modulating Oscillator 2. You can undo this default
setting at any time. If you don’t hear any sound in Filter 1 from Oscillator 1,
please check and see if the >Filter button is On.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 17

FILTER CONTROLS
Frequency
The Cutoff Frequency sets the frequency above or below which the Filter begins to filter out
frequencies. For instance, if you set the Cutoff to 2000Hz and use a 12dB Lowpass filter, it
reduces any frequencies above 2000Hz, and frequencies at 4000Hz will be reduced by 12dB.
The Cutoff frequency can be static at a single programmed frequency, but for more dynamic
sounds, try modulating the Cutoff Frequency with the Filter Envelope, Keyboard tracking,
Modulation Wheel and LFO.

Q (Resonance)
Q is the resonance level of the filter. Resonance emphasizes frequencies at and directly around
the filter cutoff frequency and creates a peak in the frequency spectrum. As you increase the
Resonance, the effect becomes more pronounced until the Filter self-oscillates. In the Comb
Filter the Resonance controls the amount of feedback.

Filter Type

Bypass The filter is in bypass mode and any sound passes through
unaffected
12dB LowPass Low frequencies pass through this filter; those above the Cutoff
frequency are reduced by 12dB per octave.
12dB HighPass High frequencies pass through this filter; those below the Cutoff
frequency are reduced by 12dB per octave. The filter is fully open
if the Cutoff frequency control knob is turned fully counter-
clockwise.
12dB BandPass This Filter mode is a combination of 12dB Low Pass and 12dB
High Pass Filters. Only those frequencies near the Filter Cutoff
frequency pass through (a band of frequencies). The resonance
(Q), controls the width of the band. Frequencies below and above
the Cutoff frequency are filtered out.
12dB Notch The band of frequencies around the Filter Cutoff frequency is
reduced in volume (12dB / octave). The Resonance controls the
width of the band. Frequencies below and above the Cutoff
frequency are passed through unaffected.

12dB LPZ The 12dB LPZ Filter is a zero delay, analog modelled 12 db Low
Pass filter

12dB HPZ The 12dB HPZ Filter is a zero delay, analog modelled 12 db High
Pass filter

Rob Papen B.I.T. 18

 12dB BPZ The 12dB BPZ Filter is a zero delay, analog modelled 12 db High
Pass filter

12dB NPZ The 12dB NPZ Filter is a zero delay, analog modelled 12 db Notch
filter

24dB LowPass I Low frequencies pass through this filter; those above the Cutoff
frequency are reduced by 24dB per octave.

24dB LowPass II This Filter operates in the same way as the 24db Lowpass Filter
Type 1, but has a different tonal character.

24dB HighPass High frequencies pass through this filter; those below the Cutoff
frequency are reduced by 24dB per octave. The filter is fully open
if the Cutoff frequency control knob is turned fully counter-
clockwise.

24dB BandPass This Filter mode is a combination of 24dB Lowpass and 24dB
Highpass Filters. Only those frequencies near the Filter Cutoff
frequency pass through (a band of frequencies). The resonance
(Q), controls the width of the band. Frequencies below and above
the Cutoff frequency are filtered out.

24dB Notch The band of frequencies around the Filter Cutoff frequency is
reduced in volume (24dB / octave). The Resonance controls the
width of the band. Frequencies below and above the Cutoff
frequency are passed through unaffected.

24dB LPZ The 24dB LPZ Filter is a zero delay, analog modelled 24 db Low
Pass filter

24dB HPZ The 24dB HPZ Filter is a zero delay, analog modelled 24 db High
Pass filter

24dB BPZ The 24dB BPZ Filter is a zero delay, analog modelled 24 db High
Pass filter

24dB NPZ The 24dB NPZ Filter is a zero delay, analog modelled 24 db Notch
filter

Rob Papen B.I.T. 19

 Comb Positive This filter type is based on a very short delay. It emphasizes the
comb filter frequency. The Cutoff frequency controls the length of
the delay. Resonance (Q) controls the feedback of the filter.

Vowel The Vowel Filter creates a voice-like character. The Vowel control
(repurposed Q control) morphs the vowel from a, via e-i-o to u.

Cutoff Frequency Modulation

Velocity (Vel)
Velocity modulation changes the Filter 1/2 Frequency based on how hard you strike the keys (its
velocity). If B.I.T. is in Arp mode, any Arpeggiator velocity settings will change the Filter 1/2
Frequency.

Key Track
Key tracking affects Cutoff Frequency modulation based on note position. Typically, the Cutoff
frequency increases, i.e. the Filter opens, with notes played higher on the keyboard. When you
use negative modulation values, the Filter 1/2 Frequency decreases with increased pitch.

LFO
The LFO amount controls how much the Free LFO changes the Cutoff frequency. It can be
used with positive or negative modulation amounts. The centre position represents no
modulation.

Modulation Wheel
The Mod Wheel control sets the level of Cutoff modulation by the Modulation Wheel. It is a hard-
wired modulation path.

Filter Pan
The Filter Pan controls set the panning position the Filters. In serial mode, only Filter 2 has a
Pan control because that is the only Filter hooked into the output sections. In Split Osc and Split
Noise modes both filters have a pan control as both Filters feed the output independently.

Filter Envelope
Each Filter has its own Envelope section. The Filter Envelope appears below the other filter
controls.

The Filter Envelope Amount controls how much the Filter Envelope alters the Filter Cutoff
Frequency.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 20

An Envelope is a time-based modulation section in a synthesizer. When you play a key, the
Envelope moves from 0% to 100% and back to 0% when you release the key. The Envelope is
made up of five segments. The first part is known as the Attack. The Attack control represents
the time it takes to reach 100%. The second part is known as the Decay and controls the time it
takes to reach the Sustain level. The Sustain level is the level maintained while the key is being
held. Finally, when you release the key, the Release segment sets the time for the Envelope
level to return to 0%.

An additional Envelope feature of B.I.T. is Fade. Fade operates as a second Attack or Decay
stage and starts as soon as the Decay reaches the Sustain level. Positive values the take the
Envelope from the Sustain level up to 100%. Negative values take the Envelope from the
Sustain level down to 0%.

To hear the full effect of the Filter Envelope you should open the Env amount, which you can
find in the Filter section.

Attack
An Envelope rises from 0 to 100% and back to 0% when the key is released. Attack controls
how quickly it rises to 100%. The further you open the Attack control, the longer it takes to reach
100%. An Attack time of 0 start the Envelope instantly at full level (100%).

Decay
After the Attack stage, with the Envelope at 100%, the Decay stage begins. Decay reduces the
Envelope level to the Sustain level over a set time. If you use a long Decay, it takes longer to
reach the Sustain level. If the Sustain level is 100% the Decay stage plays no role as the
Sustain level is reached immediately after the Attack stage.

Sustain
Sustain is a level control. After the Attack and Decay stage, the Envelope reaches the Sustain
level and remains at this level while you hold the key. Sustain level in the Filter Envelope
represents the Cutoff Frequency while you hold the key(s).

Sustain Fade
If the Fade is set to 0 (Off), the Sustain works as a classic Sustain. If you open the Fade amount
clockwise it creates a second Attack stage. In this case when the Decay reaches the Sustain
level, the Envelope level starts to rise to 100% in the time set by the Fade control. If you turn the
Fade control counter-clockwise it creates a second Decay. In this case, when the Decay
reaches the Sustain level, the Envelope level starts to fall to 0% in the time set by the Fade
control.

Release
When you release a key (note), the Release stage starts. The Envelope drops from its current
level to 0%, in a time set by the Release control.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 21

Env mode Normal/Inverted
Normal mode for the Envelope is default. The Envelope has a positive movement/modulation of
the Filter Cutoff Frequency. The Inverted mode moves the Filter Cutoff Frequency in the
opposite direction. The result of this is that the Attack behaves sound-wise as a Decay and the
Decay becomes an upwards movement. The symbols used next to the button indicate this.
Normal mode is the most commonly used, however you will find that many a classic synth
employ an inverted filter envelope.

Sync
The Sync switch (in the On position) synchronizes the Filter Envelope Attack, Decay, Fade and
Release times to the tempo of the host.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 22

AMPLIFIER
While the oscillator section controls the pitch
and the filter section the timbre, the amplifier
section is responsible for the volume. It
amplifies the signal and controls the volume.

Note that since B.I.T. is a virtual synthesizer,

the amplification of the Filter signal is not
really happening/needed. For a good
understanding of the signal flow however,
and the general naming conventions used in
subtractive synthesis, we still refer to the Amplifier Section.

A very nice feature is the distortion control in the AMP section. The distortion operates on a per
voice level. This means that each voice (B.I.T. is capable of playing 16 voices simultaneously)
has its own distortion. It ensures that the level of distortion is controlled, programmable and
predicatble, even when playing polyphonically.

An important component of the amplifier section is the Volume Envelope. The envelope defines
the loudness contour. The amplifier section also contains the velocity control. This sets the
response of B.I.T. to the velocity information.

Volume
The Volume sets the overall volume of the Presets. Use this control to adjust the relative
volumes between Presets in a Bank.

Distortion
The Amplifier incorporates a Distortion section. In practice, it increases the volume of the signal
and adds distortion (additional overtones) to the signal. The Amount control sets the level of
distortion.

What makes it special is that it gives each B.I.T. voice its own distortion! When you play multiple
notes, each note maintains its own Distortion effect. This gives you more control over the overall
sound compared to having all voices going through a single distortion unit.

Velocity (Vel)
The Velocity control determines how the volume responds to changes in note velocity. It applies
to notes played on a keyboard and those triggered by the B.I.T. arpeggiator.

AMP Volume Envelope

An Envelope generates a time-based modulation signal. When triggered – typically by playing a
note – it moves from 0% up to 100% and back to 0% when you release the key. The Volume
Envelope determines the volume contour of a sound.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 23

Attack
The first part is known as the Attack stage. It represents the time it takes for the Envelope to
reach 100%. If you open the Attack knob, it takes longer to go from 0 to 100%. With Attack
closed, the Envelope starts at 100%.

Decay
After the Attack stage, with the Envelope at 100%, the Decay stage starts. The Decay stage
brings the volume down to the Sustain level. If the Sustain is set to 50 %, the Decay brings the
Volume down to 50% and stays there for as long as the key is held. If you use a high Decay
settings, it will take a longer time to reach the Sustain level. This is useful for evolving pad
sounds. Short Decay times are a good ingredient for percussive sounds. If the Sustain level is
100% the impact of the Decay stage is effectively eliminated.

The Sustain stage is characterized by a (Sustain) level setting. After the Attack and Decay
stage, the Envelope reaches the sustain stage and remains here for as long as you hold a key.
The sustain level is the volume of this sustain stage and as such is main control for the
perceived volume of a sound.

Release
The Envelope Release stage starts when you release a key. The Envelope fades out from the
sustain level to 0% in the time set by the Release control.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 24

PLAY MODE
The Play Mode section contains controls to set
the Play settings for B.I.T.. It defines how B.I.T.
responds to notes played, either polyphonic /
monophonic or by passing them on to the
Arpeggiator

Play Mode
Poly Multiple notes (up to 16) can be played at the same time. B.I.T. is
polyphonic
Mono Only a single note can be played at a time. Any new note will stop the
previous note.
Mono Hi Mono Hi plays like Mono Mode but only notes above any held note are
played
Mono Lo Mono Lo plays like Mono Mode but only notes lower than any held note are
played
Legato Legato mode is similar to mono mode and plays a single note at a time. If
you play overlapping notes, the Envelopes and LFOs will not retrigger for
the new note. The pitch is the only thing that changes.
Legato Hi Legato Hi plays like Legato Mode but only notes above any held note are
played
Legato Lo Legato Lo plays like Legato Mode but only notes lower than any held note
are played
Arpeggiator The Arpeggiator is active and is triggered by the first note played. Please
see the Arpeggiator Chapter for details on all the Arpeggiator settings.

Port Mode
Portamento creates a glide effect whereby the pitch change between notes is a gradual one.
The Portamento Speed defines the time it takes to transition from one note’s pitch to another.

Portamento operates in the following modes:

Rob Papen B.I.T. 25

 None No portamento.
Constant Rate The note pitch changes at a constant rate from one note to the next.
Larger note intervals take a longer time.
Constant Time The note pitch changes between notes always take the same time,
regardless of the note interval.
Held Rate The Held Rate mode works the same as Constant Rate, but only
affects overlapping notes (legato style)
Held Time The Held Time mode works the same as Constant Time, but only
affects overlapping notes (legato style)

(Portamento) Amount
The Amount control sets the rate or time for the portamento effect.

Unison
In Unison mode, B.I.T. plays up-to 4 unison voices, for each note played. This works at an
Oscillator / Filter level, so you can still play up to 16 voices in poly mode.

The Unison detune parameter changes the pitch slightly for all these voices. This gives you an
extremely rich sounding stack of voices. The Unison parameters are an excellent tool for
creating fat lead sounds or pads.

B.I.T.'s Unison can also be used to play chords, so you can press a single note and a chord is
played. This is especially creative when used in the Arpeggiator, since you can set each step to
play a different Unison mode / chord!

And each Unison voice can have Pitch, Volume, Pan and Filter Frequency as a modulation
destination, giving you great control over the Unison voices. You will need to program this in the
MOD (modulation) section of B.I.T.

The table below lists the Unison modes:

Rob Papen B.I.T. 26

 Unison 2 – 4 This combines multiple voices for each note played. If you use the Unison
detune all voices are detuned resulting in a fatter sound.
2 Octave Plays 2 voices for each note played. B.I.T. at normal pitch, the other one
octave up. Unison detune has no effect in this Unison mode.
3 Octave Plays 3 voices for each note played. B.I.T. at normal pitch, a second one
octave down and the third one, one octave up. Unison detune has no effect in
this Unison mode.
2 SP Plays the original note plus an additional note one octave below. Both will play
in Unison 2 mode, so a total of 4 voices will play for each note that is played.
Major to Diminished Plays the selected chord instead of playing the voices in unison. With the
7th pressed note as the base note. For instance, Major will play the base note,
then the 2nd voice 4 semitones up from the base note, and the 3rd voice 7
semitones up from the base note. The chords added are 3 or 4 voice chords.
Note: the Unison detune parameter has no effect in this Unison modes.

Detune Amount
Unison Detune Amount controls the level of detuning between the stacked voices in Unison
2/3/4 play modes. It creates a natural chorus effect.

Note: With Major up to Diminished 7th chord settings, detune is deactivated.

Stereo Spread
Stereo spread places the unison voices in a stereo image, and in doing so widens the sound
and creates a spatial effect. In modes with 2 unison voices they are panned left and right, in
those with 3 unison voices they are panned left, panned right and centred.

Pitch Bend Up / Down

The maximum range for the Pitch Bend wheel is defined through separate Up and Down
amounts. The unit used is semitones.

Drift
When the Drift switch is engaged, the Oscillators exhibit Analog Drift as experienced with early
analogue synthesizers. It results in a very slight and slow shift in tuning over time. For
continuous rock-solid tuning, keep Drift Off.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 27

PITCH LFO
The Pitch LFO is a dedicated sinus LFO which is
used for vibrato-effects. Its workings are similar to
the other LFOs in B.I.T. It is a global module, so
all voices use the same Pitch LFO.

Speed parameter.
Speed sets the Pitch LFO frequency. It determines speed of the vibrato effect.

Sync
If you turn Sync On, the speed of the Pitch LFO will be based on the tempo of the host DAW.
This enables it to synchronize with the song tempo. To find the right setting manually you need
to adjust the Speed parameter.

Amount
The Amount parameter controls the depth (strength) of the vibrato effect. At the maximum
setting, the pitch goes up and down by one semitone.

Amount Control and Modulation Source

This is where you can adjust how much the Pitch LFO Amount value is changed by the
modulation source and which modulation source is used. It can be a positive or a negative
amount and thus lets you increase the modulation or decrease the modulation.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 28

ARPEGGIATOR

B.I.T. incorporates a classic style Arpeggiator. If you select the Sequencer mode, it works as a
classic analogue style sequencer.

An Arpeggiator (Arp) plays a chord as individual notes in sequence. For example, if you play a
C-major chord, the Arpeggiator will first play the C, then the E and finally the G. Depending on
the Arpeggiator mode, it will then cycle through these notes again and again, up and down until
you release the notes. The Arpeggiator has controls for making rhythmic patterns, and offers
Tune, Tie, Velocity and a Free parameter for each step. The Free row can be used in the
Modulation Matrix to control the other B.I.T. parameters.

Other features of B.I.T.s Arpeggiator include Sequencer Mode and Modulation Mode. The latter
may be used in the Non-Arpeggiator Play modes Poly, Mono and Legato. The Arpeggiator
becomes a Modulation Source.

To turn on the arpeggiator, select arpeggiator (Arp) in the Play Mode section or click the On
button in the Arpeggiator screen.

Arpeggiator Screen
The Arpeggiator has up to 16 steps. Per step you can set the following values:

Step Number Click on a Step Number to Mute/ Unmute it

Tie Tie links the step to the previous steps and as such extends the note lengths.
Slide Slides the pitch from one step to the next. The slide rate is set by the Slide
control.
Tune Each step has a range of -3 octaves to +3 octaves in semitones.
Vel Vel defines the Velocity value of the step.
Free The Free property can be used in the Modulation Matrix as a modulation
source.

What follows is a listing of Arpeggiator controls that affect the Arpeggiator as a whole and that
apply to all steps

Steps
The number of steps in the arpeggiator ranges from 1 – 16.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 29

Speed
This control sets the speed of the arpeggiator relative to the speed of your DAW, for example
2 x tempo or ¼ x tempo.

Arp Mode
The arpeggiator mode controls the order in which the arpeggiator plays its notes

Up The notes are played from low to high

Down The notes are played from high to low
Up/Down The notes are played from low to high followed by from high to low
Down/Up The notes are played from high to low followed by from low to high
Random The notes are played in random order
Ordered The notes are played in the order in which they were triggered, i.e. first note
played first, and last note played last
Rev. Ordered The notes are played in the reverse order in which they were triggered, i.e.
last note played first, and first note played last
Ordered Up/Down The notes are played from first to last followed by last to first
Ordered Down/Up The notes are played from last to first followed by first to last
Chord The arpeggiator plays all notes as chord in a rhythmic pattern
Mod Source The Arpeggiator can be used as a modulator. This is to be used if the Play
mode is Poly, Mono or Legato.
Note: the Arpeggiator switches to Off the moment you select Modulator as
mode. However, it will still run through its steps for modulation purposes.
Sequencer In this mode the Arpeggiator acts as a sequencer and plays the programmed
pitches relative to the played note. It continues playing in sequence with
every new note played.
Note: The Octave setting remains active, which allows you to create more
complex sequences.
Sequencer Reset In this mode the Arpeggiator acts as a sequencer and plays the programmed
pitches relative to the played note. The Sequencer Resets to step 1 with
every new note played.
Note: The Octave setting remains active, which allows you to create more
complex sequences.

Octave
The octave setting gives you the option to play the arpeggiated notes in multiple octaves,
relative to the original notes. For example, an octave setting of 2 means that the original notes
will play first, followed by the same notes one octave higher.

Note: The [Octave] setting remains active also if the [Sequencer] or the [Sequencer Reset]
mode is active.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 30

Tie Mode
Tied mode lets you select whether tied steps use their own programmed values for Tuning,
Velocity etc or use the values of the step they are tied to. The options are:

Normal Tied steps do not have individual slide, tune, velocity and free settings.
Special Tied steps do have still individual slide, tune, velocity and free settings.
Toggle 1 The Arpeggiator alternates between Special Mode and Normal Mode (Special
Mode on the first cycle).
Toggle 2 The Arpeggiator alternates between Normal Mode and Special Mode (Normal
Mode on the first cycle).

Lock Mode
Lock Mode locks the current Arpeggiator sequence. It keeps it going even when you change
Presets. There are 3 modes:

Off Lock is turned Off.

On Lock is turned On. The Arpeggiator sequence carries over between a change
of Presets, but it can’t be modified. It will not change the new Preset.
Set The current (locked) Arpeggiator sequence is saved with the new Preset.
Locking is turned off in the new Preset.

Swing
Swing is a control that allows you to change the rhythmic feel of the arpeggiator. It does this by
slightly moving every other note relative a fixed timing grid. Whether it suits your work depends
very much of the musical piece you are working on, so you we encourage you to experiment
with different values here.

Slide
Slide works as an intra-sequence portamento. It sets the time it takes for the pitch to change
from the selected step to the next.

Vel / Key
The velocity of the steps in the arpeggiator sequence can be controlled by their programmed
values, by the velocity of the key played that is used to trigger the arpeggiator or a combination
of both. The Vel / Key control sets the balance between these.

Host Sync
The Host Sync switch synchronises the arpeggiator with your DAW’s tempo. It will start on a
quarter beat and is On by default.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 31

Latch
Latch frees your hands. When latch is turned on you don’t need to keep holding notes for the
arpeggiator to continue playing. Tip: you can use also the sustain pedal to latch and unlatch the
arpeggiator.

Key Entry
This switch enables keyboard entry of the notes in the Arpeggiator sequencer. A value of 0 is
used as middle C.

Arpeggiator Command Menu

The Arpeggiator command menu allows you to Edit, Copy, Paste, Clear, Save and Load
Arpeggiator settings. A right click in the Arpeggiator or the Command menu button activates this
menu.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 32

LFO
B.I.T. has an LFO that generates modulation
signals that can be used as a source in the
Modulation Matrix. The LFO also has
hardwired connections to Filter 1 and Filter 2.

Mode

The Mode setting determines the running and reset behavior of the LFO in relation to key
triggers.

Poly In poly mode, each note played has its own LFO.

Free The LFO is free running and all the notes share the same LFO. The
LFO is always running and does not reset when you play a new
note.

Mono Similar to free mode. All notes share the same LFO. However, for
every new note in Mono mode, the LFO is reset to its initial phase
(start position)

Waveform type

The available waveforms are Sine, Triangle, Saw Up, Saw Down, Square and S&H. The
waveform determines the modulation pattern of the LFO. Sinus and Triangle are often used
because these move the LFO up and down in a smooth fashion. The other waveforms are more
suitable for a more pronounced impact or special effects.

Phase

The Phase sets the starting point of the LFO waveform. It is measured in degrees, where 0
equals the start of the wave, 90 is a quarter in, 180 is the halfway point and 270 is 3 quarters
through. In practice, this lets you choose the start level of the Oscillator. The actual level
depends on the selected waveform.

LFO Speed

The speed control determines how fast the LFO cycles through its selected waveform. It is
measured either in hertz (cycles per second) (Sync Off) or note lengths (Sync On).

LFO Sync Off / On

If you turn Sync On, the Speed of the LFO will follow your DAW. It will synchronise with the
song tempo. In Sync Mode, please use the Speed parameter to select the desired beats /
divisions setting.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 33

Modulation Controls

As well as the Free LFO visible controls, you can also change the LFO Shape / Symmetry (this
is useful for changing the pulse-width of the Square LFO wave) and the smooth the LFO output
via the modulation matrix.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 34

MODULATION MATRIX / OUTPUT DISPLAY
The Modulation Matrix allows you to dynamically alter B.I.T.'s
parameters. As modulation sources you can apply internal
modules such as Envelopes and LFOs, and external MIDI
Controllers such as Pitch Bend, Aftertouch and other control
messages defined in the MIDI-standard.

Note: In this section you can also select OUT

DISPLAY as an alternative view. It displays, in
real time, the waveform of the main output of
B.I.T.

The last selected view, being MOD MATRIX or

OUT DISPLAY will also remain active if you
change between presets.

By default, B.I.T. will start up with the OUT

DISPLAY selected.

There are eight separate Modulation Matrix slots.

The Bypass / Slot column enables you to turn individual modulation paths On and Off by clicking
on the number. When in bypass-mode, the modulation slot is shown in grey.

The Source column gives you access to all modulation sources.

The Destination column lists all possible modulation destinations.

In the Amount column, you define the modulation strength for each modulation slot. It sets the
level of impact that the modulation source has on its destination or target. It speaks for itself that
depending on the selected source and the amount the effect ranges from subtle variations to
outrageous manipulation. The amount control displays its value relative to its destination as a
percentage. As an example, a modulation amount of 25% represents a quarter of the total
parameter range, in a positive direction.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 35

FX SECTION
B.I.T. features 4 FX units. First comes the
Chorus unit, followed by either a Flanger or a
Phaser effect. Next comes a Delay, with a
Reverb at the end of the chain.

Each of these FX can be turned On and Off

individually. You have to make a choice between
using a Flanger or Phaser effect.

The effect units are connected in series: The

signal flow is:

Chorus ➔ Flanger / Phaser ➔ Delay ➔ Reverb

The All FX Bypass button switches all FX units in

bypass mode.

The Mix control sets the balance between the input signal and the processed signal. In the fully
counter-clockwise position you’ll hear the unprocessed signal only. In the fully clockwise
position only the effect signal can be heard.

Chorus
The chorus effect combines the original signal with one or more copies of the input. All copies
are slightly delayed. The effect simulates multiple players playing the same music. In practice, it
creates a richer sound. An LFO is used to modulate the delay time(s)

Length Length sets the delay time used to create the Chorus effect

Width Width sets the maximum modulation amount of the delay time
(length)

Speed Speed sets the frequency of the LFO that drives the delay time
modulation.

LP Filter LP Filter sets the low pass filter frequency applied to the chorus effect.
HP Filter HP Filter sets the high pass filter frequency applied to the chorus
effect.

Flanger / Phaser
B.I.T. has two modulation effects, the Flanger and the Phaser. Select between them using the
Flanger / Phaser button. There is dedicated button to turn the modulation effect unit On and Off
On / Off.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 36

Flanger
The Flanger effect is created by creating two copies of the sound source with one of
these subject to a very short modulated delay. In contrast with the chorus effect, the
delay time is even shorter. The result is an enriched signal with comb filter
characteristics. It is sometimes described as a whooshing sound.

Length Length sets the delay time used to create the flanger effect
Width Width sets the maximum modulation amount of the delay time (length)
Speed Speed sets the frequency of the LFO that drives the delay time modulation.
Feedback Feedback determines how much of the delayed signal is fed back to its input.
In the context of the Flanger effect, increased feedback creates a more
pronounced effect with a high level of resonance peaks.
Pan Mod Pan sets the amount of panning modulation

Phaser
A phaser uses several comb filters that create moving peaks and troughs in the frequency
spectrum. It gives the effect of continuous movement in the sound.

Pitch Pitch sets the initial frequency of the comb filters

Feedback Feedback determines how much of the phased signal is fed

back to its input

Width Width sets the maximum amount of modulation of the filters

Speed Speed determines how fast the filters move through the
frequency spectrum

Pan Mod Pan sets the amount of panning modulation

Delay / Reverb
B.I.T. incorporates Delay and Reverb effects that can be used simultaneously. The signal flows
through the Delay first, and then moves on to the Reverb. The controls on display are selected
by the Delay / Reverb button. The effects can be turned On / Off individually.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 37

Delay
The stereo delay is made up of two tempo-based delays. Each of the audio channels (Left and
Right) uses its own delay line. This effect type is useful for making deep pad sounds if you use
different delay times for left and right, e.g. 1/8* (Left) and 1/4 (right).

Left Delay Left Delay sets the delay time for the left channel.
Right Delay Right Delay sets the delay time for the right channel.
Sync When Sync is turned On, the length of the delays (in quarter beats) is synced
to the tempo of the host. When it is Off the delay time is set in milliseconds.
Feedback Feedback determines how much of the delayed signal is fed back to its input.
It is useful for creating dense delay patterns.
LP Filter The LP Filter applies a low-pass filter to the delayed signal. The control sets
the filter frequency. Use it in combination with the feedback control
HP Filter The HP Filter reduces the low frequency content in the delayed signal. The
control sets the filter frequency. Use it to take out some of the woolliness of
the delayed signal.

Reverb
This effect reproduces the sound of acoustics in rooms using different sizes and reflections.

Pre-Delay Pre-delay determines the time it takes for the first reverb
reflections to appear

Size The Size control represents the size of the reverberation room.

Length Length sets the duration of the reverb

Damp The Damping control sets the amount of low-pass filtering

applied to the early reflections of the reverb signal

HP Filter The high pass filter is applied to the overall reverb signal. The
HP Filter control sets the HP Filter Frequency. Use it when the
input signal contains many low frequencies and the reverb signal
becomes boomy.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 38

BANK and PRESET MANAGEMENT

In the Manager Section, you find and organize your Presets and Banks. A click on the Manager
button opens the Preset Manager page. Click on it once more to return to the Main page.

There are four sections: Presets, Find, Search Category and Set Category. For each section,
the Banks are visible on the right-hand side.

PRESET MANAGER
Click on the Preset button to open the Preset screen. This lists the Presets in the current Folder
(Bank). Presets in B.I.T. are single.fxp files stored in Folders (Banks), you can have up-to 256
Presets in a single Folder.

In the Preset screen, the current Preset is highlighted in red, and clicking on a Preset will load it.
Shift - clicking allows you to select a range of Presets and Ctrl - clicking allows you to select
non-consecutive Presets. A right click on a Preset, previews it.

Star Presets
While in the Preset screen in the Bank Manager you can mark any Preset with a Star if you like
the Preset. The Star appears after each Preset name and can be checked and unchecked with
a mouse click. With so many Presets available in B.I.T., the Star system helps you to recall
favourite Presets that you encountered in previous B.I.T. sessions.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 39

To filter on Star-marked Presets, click on the Star symbol adjacent to the Preset button. B.I.T.
will only display Star Presets.

Behind the scenes, B.I.T. builds a file that contains all the Star Presets. This can be found in
your documents Folder (see below). Use this file to back-up your Star settings or to use your
Preset selection on a 2nd computer system.

The file that holds the Star info is called Star.txt. It can be found here in the following locations:

• PC: Documents\Rob Papen\B.I.T.\Bank Folder\Star.txt

• Mac: Applications\Rob Papen\B.I.T.\Bank Folder\Star.txt

We recommend to backup this file regularly and copy it over to a 2nd system if you have B.I.T.
installed there too.

Preset Commands
Select All Selects all Presets.
Unselect All Deselects all Presets.
Load Loads a Preset using a file dialog screen. B.I.T. will attempt to
move to the current Folder for this Preset. If it can't then it will put it
in the 98 Unsaved Preset Folder.
Save Overwrites the current Preset with any changes you have made to
it.
Save As Saves the current Preset with a different name, the original Preset
still exists.
Copy Copies the current or selected Presets.
Cut Copies the current or selected Presets, but when you paste them
the original Preset(s) are deleted.
Paste Pastes the last copied Presets. This is primary used for copying
Presets from one Folder to another.
New Creates a new Preset with default settings.
Delete Deletes the current or selected Presets. When a Preset is deleted,
the extension of its name is changed to.~fx from.fxp, so you can
recover it manually.
Rename Renames the current Preset. This means that the original version is
deleted (its extension is changed from to.~fx), and the Preset is
saved with the new name.
If in doing any of the above you create too many Presets for that Folder (I.e. over 256), then the
Preset is moved to the 98 Overflow Preset Folder.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 40

Find

Clicking on the Find button shows the Find Preset screen. This allows you to search through all
the Banks for Presets that are named in the search for text box.

To search for the text “Seq”, for instance you enter “Seq” in the “Search For” box, and then
press “Find”, and all Presets that contain the string “Seq will be listed”. Presets are displayed in
the format B[Bank no][Preset no]Name of Presets, and Presets in the current Bank are shown
against an aqua background. The current Preset is highlighted in red.

Clicking on a found Preset will load it. Unless you have saved the current Preset, any changes
will be lost. Right Clicking on a found Preset will preview it. Clicking on Clear will clear the
search.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 41

Search Category

Clicking on the Search Category button opens the category search screen. In B.I.T., Presets
can have tags in the categories Type, Tempo/Feel and Timbre. Clicking on a tag in a category
will toggle that tag. The Preset section will show all Presets with a matching tag.

As with Find, Presets are listed in the format B[Bank no][Preset no]Name of Presets. Presets in
the current Bank are highlighted with a light red background. The current Preset is also
highlighted in red. Clicking on a found Preset will load it. Unless you have saved the current
Preset, any changes will be lost. Right Clicking on a found Preset will preview it.

Clicking on Clear will clear the current search tags.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 42

Set Category

Clicking on the Set Category button displays the Set Category screen. Here you can set the
tags for the Presets in the current Bank, clicking on a tag will toggle it On / Off. You can select
Presets and set their tags. These tags will be saved with this Preset when you click on Apply
and Save.

You can select ranges of Presets with shift + left click (for continuous ranges) or ctrl + left click
for non-continous sets of Presets. Select All selects all Presets in the current Folder and
Unselect will deselect all Presets in the current Folder. In these ranges all tags are visible. If all
selected Presets share a tag, their background is highlighted in light red. If the Presets do not
share the tag, the tag is shown against a darker red background.

Clicking on Clear will clear all tags for the selected Presets.

Clicking on Set to Current, will set the tags for all the selected Presets to the tags for the current
Preset.

Clicking on Combine Selected will set the tags for the selected Presets to be the combination of
the individual Presets tags. For example, if you have two Presets selected and one Preset has
the tag “Bass”, and other the tag “Dark”, after pressing Combine Selected, both Presets will
have both tags i.e. “Bass” & “Dark”.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 43

BANK MANAGER
The Banks are always visible on the right side of the Manager screen. In B.I.T., Banks are
Folders on your hard drive in which Presets are stored. In the Bank Screen, the current Bank is
highlighted in red. A click on a Bank loads it and moving the scroll bar on the right scrolls
through available Banks.

Bank Commands
Copy Copies the current Folder; all the Presets in that Folder are copied
to this new Folder.
New Creates a new Folder.
Delete Deletes the current Folder, by renaming it to ~[original name of
Folder]. For example, deleting the Bass Folder will cause it to be
renamed as ~Bass, so you can recover it later if you need to.
Rename Renames the current Folder, deleting the original Folder (by
renaming it with a ~ as explained above).
Update Rebuilds B.I.T.'s Folder and Preset structure. You may to do this if
you have changed B.I.T. Presets or Folders outside of B.I.T..

Rob Papen B.I.T. 44

BACK PANEL

A click on the B.I.T. logo reveals the back panel. The back panel contains several global
controls that affect all instances of B.I.T.. Typically, the settings you make here are of the type
Set-and-Forget; i.e. you only need to do it once right after installation of the plug-in. Think of
these as a collection of preferences.

MIDI Channel
The MIDI Channel setting selects the MIDI channel to which B.I.T. will respond. The Omni-
setting means that B.I.T. responds to messages on any MIDI-channel.

MIDI Program / Bank Change

These switches enable B.I.T. to respond to MIDI Bank Select and MIDI Program Change
commands to select Banks and Presets. If set to Off, B.I.T. will ignore any Program Change and
Bank Select commands received over MIDI.

External MIDI Control Capture Mode

The Capture Mode switch, when enabled, ignores incoming MIDI controller messages that are
latched to a B.I.T. control, until the value of the MIDI controller matches that of the value of the
B.I.T. control. It prevents sudden jumps in parameter values that otherwise may occur as soon
as you touch a latched external MIDI controller.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 45

Computer Keyboard on/off
When enabled, you can leaf through the Presets and Banks using the computer-keyboard. The
assigned keys are:

Up Arrow Button Previous Preset

Down Arrow Button Next Preset
Left Arrow Button Decrease Preset number by 32
Right Arrow Button Increase Preset number by 32
Page Up Previous B.I.T. Bank
Page Down Next B.I.T. Bank

Preset Changed Warning

With the Warning button turned On, B.I.T. will warn you when you try to change Presets and
your current Preset has not been saved yet.

Screen Options
The B.I.T. plugin can work in various screen size options. Choose between 100%, 150% and
200% size. Depending on the host (DAW), you may need to close and re-open B.I.T., or close
and re-open the project for the changes to take effect. You can also select the size options in
the Preset menu.

A4
A4 sets the reference tuning for B.I.T.. The default frequency is A4 440 Hz.

Tuning
It is possible to work with alternative tuning scales. B.I.T. comes with several tuning definition
tables upon installation. These are accessible through a drop-down menu. Click on the current
tuning name to display all the available tuning scales. Simply select the required scale from the
menu. Be aware that this setting affects all instances and sounds of B.I.T.. Click on the Reset
label to revert to Standard Tuning.

Rob Papen B.I.T. 46

APPENDIX 1 – MODULATION SOURCES
None

MIDI Source Modulations UniPolar Note Random 1 – Random value

generated when note pressed from 0 to
Mod Wheel
+100%
Mod/After - Modulation-wheel or aftertouch
UniPolar Note Random 2
Channel After – Channel Aftertouch
Poly After – Poly Aftertouch
Velocity Osc 1 Modulation Sources

Pitch Bend Osc 1 LFO – Polar Oscillator 1 LFO output

Breath from -100% to +100%

Foot
Unipolar Osc 1 LFO – Unipolar Oscillator 1
Expression LFO output from 0 to +100%

CC16
Osc 1 Envelope
CC17
CC18 Osc 1 Envelope x Osc 1 LFO – Oscillator 1
LFO multiplied by envelope
CC19
CC20
CC21
Osc 2 Modulation Sources
CC84
Osc 2 LFO – Polar Oscillator 2 LFO output
CC85 from -100 to +100%

CC86 Unipolar Osc 2 LFO – Unipolar Oscillator 2

LFO output from 0 to +100%
CC87
Osc 1 x 2 – Oscillator 1 LFO multiplied by
CC88
Oscillator 2 LFO
CC89
Unipolar Osc 1 x 2 – Unipolar Oscillator 1
CC90 LFO multiplied by Oscillator 2 LFO
Note – Modulation value from 0% (MIDI Note Osc 2 Envelope
0) to 100% (MIDI Note 127)
Osc 2 Envelope x Osc 2 LFO – Oscillator 2
Centre Note – Modulation value centred at LFO multiplied by envelope
MIDI Note 57, going up an Octave increases
Osc 1 x 2 Envelope – Oscillator 1 Envelope
it by 100%, down by 100%.
multiplied by Oscillator 2 Envelope
Note Random 1 – Random value generated
when note pressed from -100 to +100%
Note Random 2

Rob Papen B.I.T. 47

 Modulation Mod Sources Output Mod Sources
Pitch LFO Oscillator 1 Output
UniPolar Pitch LFO Oscillator 2 Output
Free LFO Oscillator 1 + 2 Output
UniPolar Free LFO Filter 1 Output
Filter 1 Envelope Filter 2 Output
Filter 2 Envelope Output
Arp Velocity Offset – Constant 100% value
Arp Free White Noise
UniPolar White Noise
Pink Noise
UniPolar Pink Noise
Note: UniPolar LFO / Noise modulation
sources range from 0 to 100%. The
regular LFO / Noise modulation
sources range from -100% to%100

Rob Papen B.I.T. 48

APPENDIX 2 – MODULATION DESTINATIONS
None

Global – Main Control destinations Unison Pan 4

Portamento Amount Unison 2 -4
Global Semi-Tune Unison Filter 2
Global Fine-Tune Unison Filter 3
Arp Speed Unison Filter 4
Arp Swing
Arp Velocity/Key
Oscillator 1 – Oscillator 1 destinations
Pitch LFO Speed
Osc 1 Volume
Pitch LFO Amount
Osc 1 Semi-Tune
Osc 1 Fine-Tune
Unison – these destinations allow you to Osc 1 Sym/BW
control each of the 4 unison voices
Osc 1 Feed
individually
Osc 1 Phase
Unison Detune
Osc 1 LFO Speed
Unison Stereo Spread
Osc 1 LFO Phase
Unison Semi-Tune 2-4
Osc 1 LFO > Volume
Unison Semi-Tune 2
Osc 1 LFO > Tune
Unison Semi-Tune 3
Osc 1 LFO > Sym/BW
Unison Semi-Tune 4
Osc 1 LFO > Feed
Unison Fine-Tune 2-4
Osc 1 Envelope Speed
Unison Fine-Tune 2
Osc 1 Envelope Attack
Unison Fine-Tune 3
Osc 1 Envelope Decay
Unison Fine-Tune 4
Osc 1 Envelope Sustain
Unison Volume 2-4
Osc 1 Envelope > Volume
Unison Volume 2
Osc 1 Envelope > Tune
Unison Volume 3
Osc 1 Envelope > Sym/BW
Unison Volume 4
Osc 1 Envelope> Feed
Unison Pan 2-4
Unison Pan 2
Unison Pan 3

Rob Papen B.I.T. 49

 Oscillator 2 – Oscillator 2 destinations Filter 1
Osc 2 Volume Filter 1 Frequency
Osc 2 Semi-Tune Filter 1 Q
Osc 2 Fine-Tune LFO > Filter 1 Frequency
Osc 2 Sym/BW Filter 1 Envelope Amount
Osc 2 Feed/Mod Filter 1 Envelope Speed
Osc 2 Phase Filter 1 Envelope Attack
Osc 2 LFO Speed Filter 1 Envelope Decay
Osc 2 LFO Phase Filter 1 Envelope Sustain
Osc 2 LFO > Volume Filter 1 Envelope Fade
Osc 2 LFO > Tune Filter 1 Envelope Release
Osc 2 LFO > Sym/BW Filter 1 Output
Osc 2 LFO > Feed/Mod Filter 1 Pan
Osc 2 Envelope Speed
Osc 2 Envelope Attack
Filter 2
Osc 2 Envelope Decay
Filter 2 Frequency
Osc 2 Envelope Sustain
Filter 2 Q
Osc 2 Envelope > Volume
LFO > Filter 2 Frequency
Osc 2 Envelope > Tune
Filter 2 Envelope Amount
Osc 2 Envelope > Sym/BW
Filter 2 Envelope Speed
Osc 2 Envelope > Feed/Mod
Filter 2 Envelope Attack
Filter 2 Envelope Decay
Sub-Osc + Noise – Sub-Oscillator & Noise Filter 2 Envelope Sustain
Oscillator destinations
Filter 2 Envelope Fade
Sub-Osc Volume
Filter 2 Envelope Release
Sub-Osc Semi-Tune
Filter 2 Output
Sub-Osc Symmetry
Filter 2 Pan
Sub-Osc Phase
Noise Osc Volume

Rob Papen B.I.T. 50

 Amp – Amp destinations Chorus Speed
Main Volume Chorus LP
Distort Amount Chorus HP
Main Pan Chorus Mix
LFO > Volume Flanger Length
Amp Envelope Speed Flanger Width
Amp Envelope Attack Flanger Speed
Amp Envelope Decay Flanger Feedback
Amp Envelope Sustain Flanger Pan Mod
Amp Envelope Release Flanger Mix
Phaser Pitch
Phaser Feedback
Mod – LFO / Modulation Matrix
destinations Phaser Width

Free LFO Speed Phaser Speed

Free LFO Phase Phaser Pan Mod

Free LFO Shape Phaser Mix

Free LFO Phase Delay Left Length

Mod 1 Amount Delay Right Length

Mod 2 Amount Delay Length

Mod 3 Amount Delay Fine Length

Mod 4 Amount Delay Feedback

Mod 5 Amount Delay LP

Mod 6 Amount Delay HP

Mod 7 Amount Delay Mix

Mod 8 Amount Reverb Pre-Delay

Reverb Size
Reverb Length
FX – Destination for the Chorus, Phaser /
Flanger, Delay & Reverb. Reverb Damp

Chorus Length Reverb HighPass

Chorus Width Reverb Mix

Rob Papen B.I.T. 51