VEKTOR
Four sounds at the corners, one point moving between them.
Vector synthesis on the K2700: four layers mixed by a point that orbits, travels a path, follows a score or your hands. Every sound is a real K2700 program.
Four corners, each any of the K2700's keymaps with its own filter, filter envelope, attack and release. A point inside the square sets the mix: it can orbit, travel a looped path, follow a 64-step score played by the K2700's own CC sequencer, or follow your hands on sliders 1 and 2.
Every movement is the K2700's own (its LFOs, envelopes and CC sequencer), so a stored program moves by itself on the instrument, with no computer attached. The effects are one factory chain (EQ, presence, a wide dual chorus, flanger and a ping-pong delay, each on the K2700's own knobs, sliders and buttons) and a recital-hall reverb up to 46 seconds, its time measured on the K2700.
All 64 factory programs
Recorded directly from a Kurzweil K2700's audio output, with no external processing: every sound and effect is the K2700's own, playing the program VEKTOR sends it. Each plays a riff or chords that suit it; only the levels are matched.
- 001 Warm VectorWARM MOTION0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point circling the square at 0.12 Hz. Corners: OB Wave 1, OB Wave 2, AHP SAW, Stereo Strings.
- 002 Velvet DriftWARM MOTION0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Saw Wave Dull, Triangle Wave, Take6 Ooh Loop, Melltrn String.
- 003 Amber OrbitWARM MOTION0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point circling the square at 0.06 Hz, its speed swelling. Corners: SEM PW 50%, SEM PW 30%, Chrma PW Saw 20, Orch Pad.
- 004 Slow HoneyWARM MOTION0:14
Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus an octave up; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: AHP SAW, AHP PW30%, Mellow Vox, kEnsemble String.
- 005 Analog BreathWARM MOTION0:14
Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus an octave up; the point circling the square at 0.3 Hz. Corners: Mini Saw, Square Wave Dull, Synth Vox, Saw Wave Duller.
- 006 Warm Choir SwellWARM MOTION0:14
Open triads, as a choir sings them; the point travelling once to its place. Corners: Saw Wave Dullest, Choir, Take6 Aah Loop, Melltrn Choir.
- 007 Tape StringsWARM MOTION0:14
String chords: Dm, B♭, C, A; the point circling the square at 0.09 Hz. Corners: Melltrn String, Melltrn Flute, AHP String Ens, Saw Wave Dull.
- 008 Sunset SawsWARM MOTION0:14
Am9 held while the score plays; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: RC Sawtooth Wave, Sawtooth Wave, Saw Wave Dull, Saw Wave Dullest.
- 009 EmberWARM MOTION0:14
Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus an octave up; the point circling the square at 0.1 Hz (the wheel speeds it up). Corners: OB Wave 3, OB PW25%, Very Dull Square, Orch Pad.
- 010 Felt CloudWARM MOTION0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Triangle Wave, Partials 1 2, Take6 Ooh Loop, Sine Wave.
- 011 Bronze PadWARM MOTION0:14
String chords: Dm, B♭, C, A; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Synth Brass, French Hrn Sec, OB Wave 2, Saw Wave Duller.
- 012 MossWARM MOTION0:14
Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus an octave up; the point circling the square at 0.08 Hz, its speed swelling. Corners: Saw Wave Duller, Koreana, Hybrid Pan, Very Dull Square.
- 013 Lazy SundayWARM MOTION0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: kSynstrings 1, kSynstrings 2, AHP SAW, Mello Vox 2.
- 014 HushWARM MOTION0:14
Open triads, as a choir sings them; the point circling the square at 0.05 Hz. Corners: Syn Voices, Syn Voices 2, Triangle Wave, Saw Wave Dullest.
- 015 Vs WarmthWARM MOTION0:14
One note held; the point circling the square at 0.1 Hz, its speed swelling. Corners: VS Wave 34 Redux, VS Wave 56 Redux, VS Wave 89 Redux, VS Wave 115Redux.
- 016 Golden HourWARM MOTION0:14
String chords: Dm, B♭, C, A; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Stereo Strings, Choir, OB Wave 1, Bowed Crotales.
- 017 WoolWARM MOTION0:14
Am9 held an octave up while the score plays; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: Square Wave Dull, SEM PW 5%, Saw Wave Dull, Synth Vox.
- 018 Dark HoneyWARM MOTION0:14
Dm9, B♭maj7, Gm9, Asus two octaves up; the point circling the square at 0.07 Hz. Corners: Saw Wave Dullest, Organ Wave 2, Mellow Vox, Orch Pad.
- 019 CampfireWARM MOTION0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point circling the square at 0.15 Hz. Corners: AHP PW30%, OB PW25%, Triangle Wave, Take6 Aah Loop.
- 020 LullabyWARM MOTION0:14
Open high chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj7, Gsus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Melltrn Flute, Flute 2, Sine Wave, Choir.
- 021 Warm PulseWARM MOTION0:14
Am9 held while the score plays; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: Pulse Wave 1/3, SEM PW 30%, Square Wave Dull, Stereo Strings.
- 022 Thick AnalogWARM MOTION0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point circling the square at 0.18 Hz. Corners: Mini Saw, AHP SAW, OB Wave 2, Chrma PW Saw 20.
- 023 Soft FocusWARM MOTION0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point circling the square at 0.06 Hz. Corners: Saw Wave Dullest, Take6 Ooh Loop, kEnsemble String, Triangle Wave.
- 024 Warm GlassWARM MOTION0:14
Open high chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj7, Gsus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Glass Rim Tone, OB Wave 1, Stereo Strings, Sine Wave.
- 025 Night BusWARM MOTION0:14
Am9 held while the score plays; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: Synth Vox, Hi Formant Wave, AHP SAW, Saw Wave Duller.
- 026 CaramelWARM MOTION0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point circling the square at 0.12 Hz (the wheel speeds it up). Corners: kSynstrings 2, Saw Wave Dull, Mellow Vox, OB Wave 3.
- 027 Evening ChoirWARM MOTION0:14
Open triads, as a choir sings them; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Choir, Voices, Take6 Ooh Glide, Melltrn Choir.
- 028 Deep VelvetWARM MOTION0:14
Low chords: Dm9, B♭maj7, Gm9, Asus; the point circling the square at 0.05 Hz. Corners: Saw Wave Dullest, Triangle Wave, OB Wave 2, Orch Pad.
- 029 Silk RoadWARM MOTION0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Koreana, Hybrid Pan, Bowed Crotales, AHP String Ens.
- 030 Warm MachineWARM MOTION0:14
Am9 held while the score plays; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: SEM PW 50%, OB PW25%, AHP PW30%, Chrma PW Saw 20.
- 031 Last LightWARM MOTION0:14
String chords: Dm, B♭, C, A; the point circling the square at 0.04 Hz, its speed swelling. Corners: Db/Vc/Va/Vn DivL, Db/Vc/Va/Vn DivR, Melltrn Choir, AHP SAW.
- 032 Warm TideWARM MOTION0:14
Am9 held while the score plays; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: Saw Wave Dull, Mello Vox 2, Stereo Strings, OB Wave 3.
- 033 Glass CathedralPADS0:14
Open high chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj7, Gsus; the point circling the square at 0.1 Hz, its speed swelling. Corners: Glass Rim Tone, Heaven Bells, Cathedral Organ, Choir.
- 034 Ice FieldPADS0:14
Open high chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj7, Gsus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Ice Rain, Bell Wave, Sine Wave, Partials 13-20.
- 035 Air ChoirPADS0:14
Open triads, as a choir sings them; the point in the middle (sliders 1 and 2 move it). Corners: Take6 Aah Loop, Take6 Ooh Loop, Choir, Synth Vox.
- 036 Dust StormPADS0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point circling the square at 0.6 Hz, its speed swelling. Corners: Chiff, Bottle, Stereo Tam Tam, Sawtooth Wave.
- 037 Frozen LakePADS0:14
Open high chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj7, Gsus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Bowed Crotales, Waterphone, Sine Wave, Glass Rim Tone.
- 038 Neon GridPADS0:14
Am9 held while the score plays; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: Buzzy Square, Pulse Wave 1/3, Sawtooth Wave, Buzz Wave.
- 039 Cinema BrassPADS0:14
String chords: Dm, B♭, C, A; the point travelling once to its place. Corners: Stereo Strings, French Hrn Sec, Trombones, Synth Brass.
- 040 SpectralPADS0:14
Open high chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj7, Gsus; the point circling the square at 0.15 Hz, its speed swelling. Corners: Partials 1 3 5, Partials 4 5 6 7, Partials 13-20, Partials prime.
- 041 Organ SpacePADS0:14
A hymn cadence; the point circling the square at 0.7 Hz (the wheel speeds it up). Corners: Organ Wave 1, Organ Wave 5, Organ Wave 7, Organ Wave 8.
- 042 TemplePADS0:14
Low chords: Dm9, B♭maj7, Gm9, Asus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: OCT TibetGngA 2R, Church Bell, Voices, Sine Wave.
- 043 Dark MatterPADS0:14
Low chords: Dm9, B♭maj7, Gm9, Asus; the point circling the square at 0.03 Hz. Corners: Saw Wave Dullest, Square Wave Dull, Metal Clank, Waterphone.
- 044 ShimmerPADS0:14
Open high chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj7, Gsus; the point circling the square at 1.5 Hz. Corners: Celeste v06-R, Glockenspiel, Sine Wave, Heaven Bells.
- 045 String MachinePADS0:14
String chords: Dm, B♭, C, A; the point in the middle (sliders 1 and 2 move it). Corners: kSynstrings 1, AHP String Ens, Melltrn String, Meteor Strings.
- 046 Ethereal VoxPADS0:14
Open triads, as a choir sings them; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Syn Voices, Mellow Vox, Hi Formant Wave, Ahh Buzz Wave.
- 047 Harp RainPADS0:14
Cmaj9, then Fmaj9, arpeggiated and held; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: Harp Gliss, Plucked Harp, Marimba, Sine Wave.
- 048 Crystal VectorPADS0:14
Open high chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj7, Gsus; the point circling the square at 0.08 Hz, its speed swelling. Corners: VS Wave 122Redux, VS Wave 89 Redux, Bell Wave, Ping Wave.
- 049 Wide StringsPADS0:14
String chords: Dm, B♭, C, A; the point circling the square at 0.07 Hz. Corners: Vlns I Full L, Vlns I Full R, Celli Full L, Violas Full R.
- 050 Dream FlutesPADS0:14
Open high chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj7, Gsus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Flute, Melltrn Flute, FlutePipeChiff, Sine Wave.
- 051 Fm Bell PadPADS0:14
Cmaj9, then Fmaj9, arpeggiated and held; the point travelling once to its place. Corners: FM Bell Trans, Bell Wave, Hbell, Stereo Strings.
- 052 GhostPADS0:14
Low chords: Dm9, B♭maj7, Gm9, Asus; the point circling the square at 0.06 Hz. Corners: Take6 Ooh Glide, Waterphone, Sine Wave, Synth Vox.
- 053 Sub BloomPADS0:14
Low chords: Dm9, B♭maj7, Gm9, Asus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Sine Wave, Triangle Wave, Saw Wave Dullest, Orch Pad.
- 054 KaleidoscopePADS0:14
Cmaj9, then Fmaj9, arpeggiated and held; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: Mbira, Koto, Vibes, Bell Wave.
- 055 Northern LightsPADS0:14
Open high chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj7, Gsus; the point circling the square at 0.09 Hz, its speed swelling. Corners: VS Wave 56 Redux, Partials 16-21, Heaven Bells, Choir.
- 056 Ancient ReedPADS0:14
String chords: Dm, B♭, C, A; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: ReedPipeBassoon, Oboe Wave, Accordion, English Horn.
- 057 PulsarPADS0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point circling the square at 2 Hz. Corners: Buzz Wave, Hi Formant Wave, Pulse Wave 1/3, Square Wave.
- 058 Deep SpacePADS0:14
Low chords: Dm9, B♭maj7, Gm9, Asus; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Stereo Tam Tam, Sine Wave, Partials prime, Glass Rim Tone.
- 059 Hollow WoodPADS0:14
Cmaj9, then Fmaj9, arpeggiated and held; the point travelling a looped path. Corners: Wood Bars, Marimba, Triangle Wave, Flute 2.
- 060 Solo SectionPADS0:14
String chords: Dm, B♭, C, A; the point in the middle (sliders 1 and 2 move it). Corners: Solo Section 1, Solo Section 2, Solo Cello, Solo Violin.
- 061 Metal GardenPADS0:14
Am9 held while the score plays; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: Metal Clank, Bowed Crotales, Waterphone, Ice Rain.
- 062 FinalePADS0:14
String chords: Dm, B♭, C, A; the point circling the square at 0.06 Hz (the wheel speeds it up). Corners: Orch Pad, Stereo Strings, Choir, French Hrn Sec.
- 063 Vocal MorphPADS0:14
Open triads, as a choir sings them; the score moving the point step by step. Corners: Synth Vox, Mello Vox 2, Syn Voices 2, Take6 Aah Loop.
- 064 HorizonPADS0:14
Warm chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Fmaj9, G6sus; the point circling the square at 0.05 Hz. Corners: VS Wave 34 Redux, VS Wave 115Redux, Db/Vc/Va/Vn DivL, Melltrn Choir.
What it does
Four corners
Any K2700 keymap in each corner: tune, fine, pan, level, an LP, HP or BP filter with resonance and its own envelope, attack and release. Over them, the program's own LEVEL.
Four motions
ORBIT, PATH, SCORE and LIVE, drawn on the big display as the point moves.
Speed
The orbit's speed by the mod wheel or by an envelope, once or in a loop.
Effects
One factory chain: EQ, presence, dual chorus, flanger and a ping-pong delay in time; a recital-hall reverb.
64 factory programs
32 warm pads in motion and 32 pads of every kind.
LINK, STORE, READ
Live edits in the K2700's edit buffer; STORE writes a program the K2700 then plays by itself; READ turns it back into the panel.
In your browser too
Open it in Chrome or Edge with your K2700 on USB: the same panel and LINK, all 64 factory programs, STORE and READ. Nothing to install; your K2700 plays and keeps every program.
Four sounds and one point
Vector synthesis mixes four sounds placed at the corners of a square. One point inside the square, the vector, decides how much of each you hear: in a corner, that corner alone; on an edge, the two corners it joins; in the middle, all four in equal shares.
Move the point and the sound changes what it is, smoothly. A breathy voice becomes a string section, a bright wave a dark one, a bell a pad. Nothing is filtered away and nothing is switched over: the four sounds play all the time, and the point only sets their balance.
The rule is simple. With the point at x across and y up, corner A (bottom left) gets (1−x)(1−y), B gets x(1−y), C gets (1−x)y and D gets xy. Each share is the area of the rectangle on the far side of the point, so the four always add up to 1. Drag the point below, or let one of VEKTOR's factory programs move it.
Drag the point anywhere in the square.
x 0.30 · y 0.35 · the four together −1.6 dB
Sound that keeps moving
A filter sweep makes one sound brighter or darker. Vector synthesis travels between sounds that have nothing in common, and it does it while you hold the chord. It became the sound of the long, living pads of the late 80s and the 90s, and it still turns up wherever a sound has to evolve: film and game scores, ambient music, sound design.
Timbres a filter cannot make
Halfway between a choir and a glass, or a saw wave and a string section: mixtures that exist only while the point is there.
Pads that breathe
Four sounds rising and falling against each other keep a held chord moving for as long as you hold it, never quite the same from one second to the next.
One gesture, four levels
One hand on a joystick, or two sliders, moves four levels at once, along a rule that never lets the sound drop out.
Motion you can write
The point can circle, travel a route of four points, loop or follow a 64-step score, and every note plays it again at the speed you set.
Starts here, ends there
Each corner has its own attack and release, so a note can open on one sound and settle into another as the point travels.
Four sounds, endless mixtures
With its own filter, envelope and tuning in each corner, even two corners on the same wave sound apart, and every point between them is a sound of its own.
Where it comes from
- 1986
Sequential Prophet VS
The first. Four digital oscillators reading single-cycle waves, mixed by a joystick and by a mix envelope that could loop. VS stood for vector synthesis.
- 1990
Korg Wavestation
Built by engineers who had made the VS. Each of its four oscillators could play a sequence of waves, mixed by a joystick and a looping mix envelope: the sound of countless 90s pads.
- 1990
Yamaha SY22 and TG33
A joystick between two sampled and two FM voices, which recorded the hand's movement and played it back with every note.
- Today
Hardware and software
The four corners and the joystick live on in newer instruments and in plug-ins, often with wavetables in the corners.
- 2026
VEKTOR on the K2700
Vector synthesis on an instrument that never had it: any of the K2700's keymaps in each corner, written as ordinary K2700 programs.
What these instruments share is the idea: four sources, one point, and a way of moving the point that is part of the sound. What sits in the corners changed with each generation, from single-cycle waves to samples, FM voices and sequences of waves. On the K2700 the corners are its own keymaps, from a sine wave to a whole string section.
The K2700 has no vector synthesis. VEKTOR builds it from what it has
There is no joystick on a K2700 and no vector mixer in its synthesis. What it has is VAST: a program of up to 32 layers, each a complete voice with its own keymap, DSP algorithm, three envelopes, two LFOs, two ASRs and four FUNs, small function generators that combine two control sources with an equation. And on each layer's OUTPUT page, a Crossfade that any control source can drive.
VEKTOR writes a program of four layers, one for each corner. Each layer works out its own share from x and y in its FUNs, and its Crossfade turns that share into level. Where x and y come from is the motion: two sliders, two envelopes, two LFOs or the CC sequencer, all of them the K2700's own. The four layers then go through one insert chain and a reverb, both factory chains of the K2700.
Nothing runs on the computer while you play. The editor builds the program and sends it; from then on the K2700 does everything, and a stored program moves in the same way with no computer attached.
Four layers, four voices
Every note plays all four layers, so it uses four of the K2700's voices. A corner with a share of 0 sits at −62 dB, the bottom of the Crossfade's curve: silent under the others, but still playing.
40 to 60 ms behind
Measured on the K2700, the mix follows x and y 40 to 60 ms late, the time its control signals take. In a moving sound you never hear it.
A program like any other
Nothing hidden and nothing to install on the K2700: the program opens, plays and edits on its own panel like a factory one.
Each corner is a whole K2700 layer
The corners are not bare oscillators. Each one is a K2700 layer with its own keymap, pitch, filter, filter envelope, level, amp envelope and pan, so even two corners on the same wave can sound apart: one an octave down and dark, the other bright and slow to arrive.
Times on the K2700's grid. The envelope times are the K2700's own steps: 0, 2, 5 and 10 ms, then 20 ms steps up to 2 s, 40 ms to 5 s, 0.1 s to 10 s, 0.5 s to 15 s, 1 s to 25 s and 5 s up to 60 s. VEKTOR's knobs land on those steps, so the panel shows what the K2700 will play.
LEVEL comes before the vector. A quiet corner stays quiet even with the point sitting on it, and a loud one colours the whole square. The levels of the four corners are the mix's palette; the point moves within it.
MUTE and SOLO. MUTE takes a corner out (its AMP at −96 dB) and is stored with the program. SOLO is for listening while you edit, and never goes into the program.
| Control | Range | On the K2700 |
|---|---|---|
| KEYMAP | any factory keymap | the layer's keymap, by name, and by its ID where two share a name |
| TUNE, FINE | ±24 semitones, ±100 cents | PITCH: coarse and fine |
| PAN | L64 to R63 | OUTPUT: pan |
| LEVEL | −30 to +6 dB | AMP: level, with 12 dB of velocity |
| FILTER | LP, HP, BP | ALG 1 with a 2POLE LOWPASS, 2POLE HIPASS or BANDPASS |
| CUTOFF | 20 Hz to 20 kHz | the filter's frequency, following the keys by 50 cents a key |
| RESO | 0 to 24 dB | the resonance; on BP the width, 2.8 octaves at 0 down to 0.5 at 24 |
| FLT ENV | ±72 semitones | ASR1, in Norm mode, as Src1 of the frequency |
| FLT ATT, FLT DEC | 2 ms to 30 s, 20 ms to 30 s | ASR1: attack and release |
| AMP ATT, AMP REL | 2 ms to 10 s, 20 ms to 20 s | AMPENV, User: attack and release |
| MUTE | on or off | AMP at −96 dB |
| SOLO | on or off | while editing only: never written into the program |
Equal power, and a flat centre
The Crossfade does not turn a share into level in a straight line. The K2700 gives a layer sin(π/2 · share) of its level: half the share plays at −3 dB, not at −6. Two corners that share an edge keep the same loudness all the way along it, as a good crossfade should.
In the middle of the square each corner has a share of 0.25 and plays at −8.3 dB, and four different sounds at that level add up to 2.3 dB less than one corner alone. That small dip is the K2700's law, and on many sounds it is welcome: the middle is a blend, not a peak.
FLAT CENTRE lifts it out. VEKTOR gives each layer's AMP a second source, x(1−x), whose depth y(1−y) moves from 0 to 37 dB. The lift is nothing on the edges and +2.3 dB in the middle, just what the Crossfade takes away there. It costs two FUNs a layer, which is why a few combinations do not fit (see the budget below). The MIX LAW switch on the panel chooses.
The vector, written in FUNs
Each corner's share is worked out inside its own layer, by its FUNs. A FUN takes two inputs, a and b, and one of the K2700's equations. VEKTOR uses a·(1−b) and a·b for the shares, and a/2+b, a+b and a lowpass where a motion needs them.
Corner A · the start corner
FUN1 = a·(1−b)a = ON, b = x= 1−xFUN3 = a·(1−b)a = FUN1, b = y= (1−x)(1−y)
OUTPUT Crossfade: FUN3, sense Reverse
Corner B
FUN1 = a·(1−b)a = x, b = y= x(1−y)
OUTPUT Crossfade: FUN1, sense Reverse
Corner C
FUN1 = a·(1−b)a = y, b = x= y(1−x)
OUTPUT Crossfade: FUN1, sense Reverse
Corner D
FUN1 = a·ba = x, b = y= xy
OUTPUT Crossfade: FUN1, sense Reverse
Corner A needs two FUNs because (1−x)(1−y) has two factors that each need a 1−: FUN1 makes 1−x from the constant ON, and FUN3 multiplies it by 1−y. The other three corners need one FUN each. All of it is local to each layer: VEKTOR uses no global FUNs.
| Motion | x | y | What else it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIVE | MIDI12, Slider 1 (CC 12) | MIDI13, Slider 2 (CC 13) | an entry value for each, and the PARAMS labels Vector X and Vector Y |
| PATH | ENV2 | ENV3 | the four points as the envelopes' segments |
| ORBIT | LFO1 | LFO2 | for a smaller circle, FUN2 = LFO1/2 + 0.50 and FUN4 = LFO2/2 + 0.50 |
| SCORE | FUN2 = lowpass of MIDI20 | FUN4 = lowpass of MIDI31 | the CC sequencer's two lanes, their entry values and the labels Vector X and Vector Y |
Four FUNs a layer
A layer has four FUNs, and the start corner already spends two on its share. Everything else a patch asks for comes out of the same four. VEKTOR counts them as you edit, and what would need a fifth it refuses, with NOT ON THE K2700 on its display.
- FUN1FUN2FUN3FUN4
- LIVE, PATH or ORBITsharefreesharefree2 of 4
- with FLAT CENTREshareflatshareflat4 of 4
- ORBIT, a smaller circlesharex, ysharex, y4 of 4
- ORBIT, wheel and envelope togethersharea+bsharefree3 of 4
- SCOREsharex, ysharex, y4 of 4
- SCORE with FLAT CENTREsharex, ysharex, y6 of 4 · NOT ON THE K2700
Four ways to move the point
The point can follow your hands, travel a path, circle the centre or follow a score. Each motion is a different part of the K2700 giving x and y, and each is one button on VEKTOR's panel.
LIVE
x is MIDI12 and y is MIDI13: the K2700's Sliders 1 and 2, which send CC 12 and CC 13. Push the sliders while you play and the sound moves under your hands, in the stored program too.
A K2700 program listens to a MIDI controller only when two things are there, and VEKTOR writes both: an entry value (64, the middle, for each slider) and the controller among the program's PARAMS labels, here Vector X and Vector Y. Without the label the program does not hear the controller at all, as tests on the K2700 showed.
With the LINK on, VEKTOR's joystick sends the same CC 12 and CC 13, up to 50 times a second.
REC turns a movement of the hand into a PATH. Press it, move the joystick for up to 20 s (VEKTOR reads it 50 times a second), and press it again. VEKTOR finds the start corner and the four points, with their times on the K2700's envelope grid, that follow the movement best, and the display says how far off they are on average.
From then on it is a PATH like any other, played by the K2700's envelopes, with nothing of the hand left to send.
PATH
x is ENV2 and y is ENV3, two of the layer's envelopes. A K2700 envelope has seven segments, each a time and a level: three of attack, one of decay and three of release. VEKTOR makes Att1, Att2, Att3 and Dec1 the path's four points: each segment's level is a coordinate, and its time is how long the point takes to get there, divided by SPEED. ENV2 holds the four x values, ENV3 the four y values, and both start together on every note.
START picks the corner the path leaves from. Envelopes always begin at 0, so VEKTOR turns the square round for the layers until the chosen corner is where both envelopes begin. The panel stays as you drew it.
LOOP repeats from segment 1, 2 or 3, forward (FW) or back and forth (BID), for ever or a set number of times.
When you let go, the point stays where it is: in these programs the K2700 leaves ENV2 and ENV3 where they were when the key went up. Each corner's AMP REL then fades the note from there.
ORBIT
x is LFO1 and y is LFO2, the same +Sine at the same rate. A +Sine runs from 0 to 1, so each LFO alone sweeps the square from edge to edge, and LFO2's phase decides the shape the two draw together. A quarter of a turn apart (90°) they make a circle; in step (0°) or opposite (180°), a line along a diagonal.
RATE is the LFOs' rate, from 0.01 to 24 Hz on the K2700's own steps; 001 WARM VECTOR goes round once in a little over 8 s (0.12 Hz). RADIUS is 0.5, 0.375, 0.25 or 0.125. PHASE is LFO2's, 0, 90, 180 or 270°.
Both LFOs belong to the layer, not to the program, so each note starts its own circle from the same place: a chord moves as one, and a new note starts its turn again.
SCORE
The K2700 has a CC sequencer: four lanes of steps that play controller values in time. VEKTOR uses two lanes of 64 User steps, x on MIDI20 and y on MIDI31, at 1/32, 1/16, 1/8 or 1/4 of the program's own tempo (SPEED moves the tempo). Its destination is Local, so the sequence belongs to this program, and its sync is All Keys Up.
Steps jump, and a vector should glide. Each layer smooths x and y with a lowpass FUN, FUN2 on MIDI20 and FUN4 on MIDI31, its constant set by the panel's SMOOTH.
As in LIVE, the program carries the PARAMS labels Vector X and Vector Y and an entry value for each lane: without them it would not hear its own sequencer.
How fast the point moves
SPEED scales every motion: it divides a PATH's times, multiplies a SCORE's tempo and an ORBIT's rate. An ORBIT can also change speed while it plays, by the mod wheel, by an envelope or by both.
Each K2700 LFO has a lowest rate, a highest rate and a controller that moves between them: MnRate, MxRate and RateCt. VEKTOR sets MnRate to RATE × SPEED and MxRate to MnRate × MAX SPEED, up to ×8. The controller is the mod wheel (with an entry value on CC 1 and the PARAMS label Vector Speed), ENV2 (free in an ORBIT), or the two added together by a FUN a+b.
The rate rises evenly in octaves, not in hertz: halfway up the wheel the orbit is at the geometric middle of the two rates. Measured on the K2700 between 0.25 and 2 Hz: 0.82 Hz at 57 %, 1.32 Hz at 82 %.
ENV EDIT opens the speed envelope on the big display: all seven segments of ENV2 to drag, and the loop. ONE SHOT plays it once on each note, so the orbit speeds up or slows down and stays there; LOOP keeps it rising and falling for as long as the note lasts. With the loop on, the envelope has no release.
One program holds all of it
Everything VEKTOR does ends up in one K2700 program, which the LINK sends and STORE writes. This is what it holds.
| Part | What VEKTOR writes |
|---|---|
| Program | the name (16 characters), category Synth, keywords vector and vektor; the panel's LEVEL as the program's Out Gain, −30 to +24 dB |
| Layers 1 to 4 | VK A, VK B, VK C and VK D across the whole keyboard: each corner as above, with its FUNs and its Crossfade |
| Motion | LIVE: nothing more. PATH: ENV2 and ENV3. ORBIT: LFO1 and LFO2, and ENV2 for the speed. SCORE: the CC sequencer and the program's tempo |
| Effects | the insert, factory chain 2744; the reverb, factory chain 2627 RecitalHallAux on aux 2, with its send |
| Entry values | a starting value for every controller the program reads: the insert's 18 controls, the reverb's time on CC 9, and CC 12, 13, 20, 31 or 1 as the motion needs |
| PARAMS labels | Vector X and Vector Y (LIVE and SCORE), Vector Speed (the wheel in an ORBIT) |
| Info | VEKTOR1 and 16 bytes in hexadecimal: the version, which corners are muted and their levels, SPEED, MAX SPEED and the keymaps' IDs, the few things a program cannot say by itself |
LINK
Every change compiles the program again. The LINK sends only the parts that changed into the K2700's edit buffer, and after a whole program the CCs of its entry values.
STORE
Writes the program to a free USER ID, without SOLO, and reads it back to check that it came out the same.
SCAN
Reads the USER programs from 4096 to 4223 and marks VEKTOR's own by the tag in their Info.
READ
Opens a VEKTOR program in the panel, field by field, so what you changed on the K2700's own panel comes back too. Only the Info's few bytes come from the tag.
The compiler is tested on every kind of patch: 400 random ones, over all the motions, mix laws, start corners, loops, radii and speed sources and all 964 factory keymaps. Each is compiled, read back and opened again in the panel, and has to come back exactly as it went in. 356 did; the other 44 asked for more FUNs than a layer has, and were refused, as they should be.
One insert chain and a reverb, on the K2700's own controls
The effects are two factory chains of the K2700, so they sound as the K2700 sounds. What VEKTOR adds is control: every part is switched and set by a CC that is one of the K2700's own buttons, sliders and knobs, and the program holds where each one starts.
The reverb on aux 2 is RecitalHallAux, its send VEKTOR's REVERB knob. Its time had to be measured: the K2700 plays it much shorter than the chain's own values suggest, so VEKTOR turns seconds into CC 9 by the times measured on the instrument, up to 46.6 s.
What you need
- Platform
- A native macOS app, in the making; a web version runs free on this site (see Web).
- K2700
- Required: a K2700 on USB, for the LINK, STORE and READ.
- Programs
- 64 factory programs, and your own.
- Web
- Chrome or Edge on a computer, the K2700 on USB (Web MIDI). No sound of its own: the K2700 plays and keeps every program. Safari and the iPad have no Web MIDI.
VEKTOR
Available soon.