CA2600 User Guide

Last updated 2022.12.19

The Cherry Audio CA2600 is a powerful, self-contained duophonic synthesizer

inspired by the classic ARP 2600. Every aspect of the original, from the
quirky oscillator waves to the powerful ladder filter was modeled with
tremendous precision. And although it features very similar functionality,

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we've added numerous updates to increase its flexibility and usefulness.
Most notably, we've added distortion, delay, and reverb effects - instead of
being "tacked-on" like most softsynth effects, these are fully integrated into
the user interface with CV control of almost every parameter - we think you'll
enjoy them!
CA2600 features semi-normalled audio and modulation paths for modular
synth-style flexibility, but like the original ARP 2600, the normalled
connections allow rapid sound creation without the use of patch cables.
Incidentally, CA2600 uses the same highly refined and super-fast patching
system as its big brother, Voltage Modular, making routing, moving, and
multing cables a pleasure.
The number-one design goal was to place everything immediately in front of
the user for an unprecedented hands-on, "everything right in front of you,
right now!" vintage synthesis experience. We think you'll find CA2600 to be
the best 2600 emulation ever created, and hope you enjoy scaring the
neighbor's dog with it as much as we have!
Pre-Purchase Demo Mode

If you haven't purchased the full version of CA2600, it will run in demo mode.
All functions will work, but inharmonic tones will occasionally sound (the LED
next to Demo in the top toolbar will illuminate when the ugly tones are
sounding). We've also added a handy button to make purchasing easy, so
you've got no excuse! As you might expect, all this demo nonsense
disappears once CA2600 is purchased.

Technical Assistance
Cherry Audio's unique online store and automatic updating should make
operation a smooth experience, but if you run into any issues or have
questions, you can discuss issues online at the Cherry Audio forums at:
https://forums.cherryaudio.com/viewforum.php?f=39

... or you can communicate directly with our surly and grumpy outgoing and
friendly tech support staff at:
https://cherryaudio.kayako.com/

About This Manual

Each of CA2600's sections is explained in the following chapters. Instead of
going across the panel, we've arranged the chapters in the order of signal
flow (more or less). In other words, oscillators>filters>amplifiers, etc. If
you're not familiar with modular synthesizers, we strongly recommend

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reading the Semi-Normalled Patching section, because it's really
important to understand how CA2600 works.

Terminology
The 2600 uses standard analog synthesis building blocks such as oscillators,
filters, amplifiers, etc. The full name for an oscillator would be a "voltage
controlled oscillator," which often is abbreviated to "VCO," for example. The
following table shows full names and abbreviations of CA2600's components:

FULL NAME ABBREVIATION

voltage-controlled oscillator VCO

voltage-controlled filter VCF

voltage-controlled amplifier VCA

low-frequency oscillator LFO

sample & hold S&H

envelope generator EG

attack, decay, sustain, release ADSR

attack, release AR

Twisted Sister TS

Blue Öyster Cult BOC

Top Toolbar and Preset Browser

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The purple strip at the top of the CA2600 interface is where you’ll load, save,
and create sound presets. It also contains utility functions such as undo,
redo, UI zoom and Focus controls, under-the-hood settings, and more. Let’s
go over them:

New- Opens a new blank patch preset. By default, if an unsaved patch is

currently open or you’ve modified an existing saved patch, a dialog asks if
you’d like to save the patch in its current state. This greatly reduces the
possibility of losing an edited unsaved patch. (This can be disabled by
disabling the checkbox Settings>Interface>"Ask To Save Presets.")

Save- Use this to save patches. There are a couple of levels of hierarchy:
Collection- This is the top level of organization, and contains entire “sets”
of presets. The CA2600 Presets are the main included collection. We also
include a User Presets Collection for storing your own presets, but you’re
free to create your own collections. To create a new collections, click in
the Collection text field (where it says User Presets above) and type a

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 name. User-created sounds can be freely saved to any collection; we like
to keep ‘em separated for organizational purposes.
Categories- Within each Collection are a number of sound categories. As
with collections, you’re free to create as many categories as you like. To
create a category, click in the Category text field of the Save dialog
window and type a new category name.

Patch- A patch is an individual sound. To save a patch, simply type the

name in the Name field and click Save.

Keywords- Descriptive words such as “huge,” “noisy,” “poly,” etc., can be

added to patches to make them appear when terms are typed in the
Search field. Use commas to separate multiple keywords entries.

Browsing Patches- Patches can be browsed by clicking the <Select Preset>

field. To select a preset collection, click in the area that says <All
Collections> or on the downward-facing arrow next to it.
Clicking on the left-side categories narrows down which patches are
displayed.

<All Presets> will show presets from all collections and categories.

<Recent> displays recently used presets.

Refresh- This is the circular arrow button to the right of the downward
arrow; clicking this checks the Cherry Audio server for new or updated
presets.

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Pin - Clicking the push-pin icon locks the patch selection list open, allowing
fast and easy browsing and auditioning of patches. Click the icon again to
disable pin mode. when in pin mode, the up and down arrow keys can be
used to select patches.

Preset- Step Back/Forward Arrows- These step to the previous or next preset.
macOS [⌘+left/right arrow key] or Windows [CTRL+left/right arrow key] will
navigate through presets back and forth in the currently selected
collection/category.

Undo/Redo- These circular arrows will undo or redo the last action. It
remembers many steps, so if you really loused something up, keep on
clickin'...

Settings- This is where user preferences for user interface, audio interfaces,
user account, and more are configured. See the Settings section for full
information.

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Zoom Magnifying Glass- Click to resize the CA2600 interface. Selecting 100%
returns the user interface to native size.

MIDI Tab- Opens the MIDI controllers tab for configuring internal and
hardware MIDI controls. See the MIDI Controllers Setup and MIDI Tab
section for full information.

! (MIDI Panic) - Click to send an all-notes-off message in case of, "why won't
this thing stop making noise?!?" stuck-note incidents. If that doesn't shut it
up, check the Initial Gain slider in the Voltage Controlled Amplifier section
(toward the right, near the top). If that doesn't work, try turning down the
Mast Vol at the top right. If THAT doesn't work... try kicking it?
Tempo (Standalone Version Only)- Displays CA2600’s current internal
tempo setting. CA2600's internal tempo affects the Sample & Hold, Low
Frequency Oscillator, and Delay sections when their corresponding Sync
buttons are toggled. The tempo setting can be changed by moving the
mouse up and down anywhere in the tempo section, or by double-clicking
the number and entering the desired BPM value.
The tempo display only appears in the standalone version of
CA2600. VST, AU, and AAX plug-in versions receive tempo data from
their host DAW app. 
Cable Transparency- Clicking the checkerboard icon displays the cable
transparency slider. Slide this to the left for more transparent cables, or to
the right for more opaque cables.
Cable Color Select- Click this to select the global cable color, i.e. the color of
any newly patched cable. Clicking Random randomly chooses a color for
each new cable.

Show/Hide Cables- Clicking this hides or shows all cables. It has no effect on
sounds, and its status does not save with patches. Cables can also be shown
or hidden using the key shortcuts [CONTROL-D] (PC) or [⌘-D] (Mac).

Special Cool Cable Color Select Feature- The color of any existing cable
can be changed by right-clicking in jack area. Right-clicking on a jack that
doesn’t have a cable plugged in will change the global cable color (i.e. the
same as changing the color with the toolbar button).

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QWERTY Musical Typing Keyboard- Opens an onscreen keyboard allowing a
standard QWERTY computer keyboard to be used for playing music notes. For
more information, see QWERTY Musical Typing Keyboard (MTK) section.

Help - Clicking this launches your web browser and opens the help document
you’re currently reading. This some serious circular logic when you think
about it.

CA2600 logo (lower-right corner, it's huge, how could you miss it?)- This isn't
really in the top toolbar, but clicking this displays “about” information, and
shows the version number and current registered user ID.

Focus Button

Since the original 2600 is beastly large, and maybe your computer display
isn't, the UI can potentially be hard to see. With this in mind, the Focus
button conveniently blows up the user interface to roughly twice its normal
size within the current window size. Unlike the Zoom "magnifying glass"
function, Focus doesn't affect the current window size. By default, the patch
panel section fills the current window, but the view can be scrolled vertically
and horizontally with a mouse wheel, track pad, or Apple Mighty Mouse
finger-scrolling. Or if you're the last person on earth still using a single-button
mouse, scroll bars will appear at the window edges when in Focus mode.
(Drop us a line from that hotmail.com email account, umkay?)
Using Focus mode couldn't be easier - just click the Focus button the top
menu bar. To return to standard view, click Reset. There's also a superfast
key shortcut - on Mac, hold the ⌘ [COMMAND] key and click the mouse; in

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Windows, hold the [OPTION] key and click the mouse. Focus can be reset
with the same key shortcuts.

Preset List Right-Click Functions

Show File- This displays the selected preset in the Mac or Windows folder
containing it. This is useful for backing up or sending a preset file to another
user.

Show In Original Category- Selects the preset within its category, i.e. the
category will highlight in the left preset menu. The Show In Original Category
command only displays if the preset was selected within the <All Presets>,
<Favorites>, or <Recent> categories.
Favorites- Favorited presets will show in when the <Favorites> category is
selected. A star will display next to the preset name. Right-click on the preset
and reselect Favorite to un-favorite it.
Delete- Deletes the selected preset.
Restore Factory Preset- If one of the factory (i.e. not user) patches is
edited and saved, selecting this command restores the patch to its unaltered
"factory" setting. This menu will be grayed-out for user bank patches.
Restore All Factory Presets From 'CA2600 Presets'- If any patches from
the "factory" CA2600 bank are edited and saved, selecting this command
restores all of them to their unaltered "factory" setting.
Restore All From Factory- If any patches from the "factory" banks are
edited and saved, selecting this command restores all of them to their
unaltered "factory" setting. At the time of writing, the CA2600 bank

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mentioned above is the only factory bank, so this function and the Restore
All Factory Presets From 'CA2600 Presets' above have the same effect.

Semi-Normalled Patching
If you've worked with patch bays in recording studios, you may be familiar
with the concept of semi-normalled connections. This means that certain
connections are invisibly patched by default if no cable is plugged into a jack,
but plugging a cable into the jack interrupts the "normalled" signal flow and
replaces it with the patched cable. The adjacent orange boxes indicate the
default signal source if nothing is plugged into the the jack. If an audio or
control signal is plugged into the jack, the normalled source is
overridden and replaced with the the patched cable.

Almost all normalled inputs have an attenuator slider either above or next to
them. This adjusts the amount of the normalled signal or currently patched
cable.
One notable exception are the Oscillator Kybd FM Control input jacks - the
slider above controls controls keyboard glide amount, or adds glide to
incoming CV signals plugged into the jack. Losing the input attenuator for
this input isn't a big deal, because you can always use any of the three
remaining FM control inputs, but we'll further explain this in the Voltage
Controlled Oscillators section.

To Cable, or Not to Cable?

Because of its extensive and logically arranged normalled connections,
CA2600 is a 100% usable synthesizer without ever using patch cables. But
using patch cables reveals a world of flexibility, making it just as flexible as
any modular synthesizer. As a result, you truly get the best of both worlds.
And even if you're an experienced modular user, the numerous normalled
connections make sound creation super fast and fun.

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It should go without saying that we're a bunch of hardcore synthesizer nerds
around these parts, so we encourage you to take advantage of the power
and creativity of patch cables.

Using Cables
Basic use of cables is super easy, but since CA2600 utilizes the same highly
developed cabling system used in its big brother, Voltage Modular, it's got a
number of tricks up its sleeve that aren't immediately obvious.

Patching A Cable- Simply click on a jack, drag the cable to the desired
destination jack and release the mouse button. Cables can be
Inputs and Output Jacks

Unlike a hardware modular synth, where some jacks can be used as inputs
or outputs, all Voltage Modular jacks are exclusively an input or an
output. To clarify this, when a jack is clicked and held to patch a cable, jacks
not available as destinations are grayed out. For example, if you’re patching
a cable from an output jack, all other output jacks are temporarily grayed
out. The same applies if you’re patching a cable from an input jack- all other
input jacks are grayed out.

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That said, cables can be patched in either direction - in other words, CA2600
doesn't care if the connection is initiated on the input jack or output jack
side.

In the screenshot above, Oscillator 1's square wave output is being patched,
causing all of other output jacks to temporarily gray out, with all input jacks
available as potential destinations.

Disconnecting A Cable- Cables can be disconnected by grabbing one end of a

jack and dragging to any area that isn’t a jack, or by right-clicking on a jack
and selecting Disconnect Cables.

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Selecting Cable Colors- There are a couple of ways to select cable colors. The
most obvious way is to click the colored dot in the top menu bar to reveal the
color picker palette and select a global color. By "global," this means all
newly patched cables will appear in the chosen color (or a random color, if
Random is selected). Existing cables are not affected.
To change the color of an existing patched cable, right-click on one of the
jacks it’s connected to, then click a new color. This changes only that cable,
and won’t affect the global cable color in the top menu bar.
Super Handy "Pre-Patching" Cable Color Selection- Right-clicking a
jack that doesn’t have a cable plugged in opens the color palette and
changes the global color; the same as clicking the color selector in the top
menu bar. This is convenient for specifying a cable color prior to patching
a new cable.

Adjust Cable Transparency- Clicking the checkerboard icon in the top toolbar
displays the cable transparency horizontal slider. Slide this to the left for
more transparent cables, or to the right for more opaque cables.

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Show/Hide Cables- Clicking this hides or shows all cables. It has no effect on
sounds, and its status does not save with patches. Cables visibility can also
be toggled with the key shortcuts [CTRL-D] (PC) or [⌘-D] (Mac).

Advanced Cable Shortcuts and

Tricks
Following are some not-so-obvious shortcuts that seriously speed up
patching operations.
The Unlimited Mult Hiding Beneath Every Jack

In the image above, we've routed three cables from the LFO ramp wave
output to the PWM inputs of each oscillator. Single-clicking on any CA2600
input or output jack reveals a six-way multiple jack (aka, a "mult"), which is
super convenient for routing or mixing multiple sources. The mult stays
visible while routing or if the mouse is hovering on it, and is hidden when a
cable is routed.
Though mults initially display six jacks, if more than six connections are
added, the "ring" grows and additional jacks appear. Here't the nifty part:
there's no limit to the number of mult jacks that can be added to a
connection, so patch like crazy!

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Move or Unplug Multiple Cables Plugged Into A Single Jack
Multiple cables plugged into a single jack can be move all at once by holding
the [SHIFT] key and clicking and dragging to a new destination. If the mouse
button is released in an "empty" area, this is a quick way to unplug all cables
into a jack at once.

Rapidly Routing A Cable To Multiple Destinations

This one’s not so obvious, but it’s really handy. To patch cables from a single
jack to multiple destinations, press and hold the [CTRL] key in Windows or
the [⌘] key on Mac , click the source jack, then click as many destination
jacks as desired and release the modifier key when you’re done. This works
with input or output jacks, and is particularly useful for patching pitch and
gate CV’s from the I/O panel to multiple oscillators or envelope generators.

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Voltage Controlled Oscillators
CA2600 includes three super-wide range oscillators that accurately model
the imperfect waveforms of vintage ARP synthesizers. Unlike the original ARP
2600, all three have full functionality with all waveforms and pulse-width
modulation capabilities. Their controls are almost identical, with a few
sensible differences.

Initial Freq- Sets the basic pitch of the oscillator, displayed in traditional
organ footage. Unlike the original ARP 2600, with its continuous pitch Initial
Freq slider, CA2600 has stepped settings displayed in traditional organ
octaves, making it much easier to tune to useful musical intervals. The
Lo setting is beneath the audible range and is intended for use as a mod
source.

Fine Tune- This can be used to fatten up two-oscillator patches by detuning

a small amount, or for "building-in" a set interval. Its range is a smidge over
a fifth, up or down.
Like a vintage ARP 2600, the oscillators do not have switches for
wave selection. Instead, VCO 1's and 2's pulse wave and VCO 3's ramp
wave are normalled to the Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF) audio inputs and
gain sliders. To select a different oscillator wave, patch a cable from the

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appropriate VCO wave output jack to any of the VCF Audio input jacks to
override the normalled routing. 
Waveform output jacks- All three oscillators include triangle, ramp, sine,
and pulse wave outputs; oscillator 1 adds a Sub out - this is a 50% square
wave one octave below the Initial Freq setting. The Sub out is not affected by
pulse width settings. 
All oscillators have a ramp wave out, but no saw wave out (i.e. reverse
ramp). There is no audible difference between ramp and saw waves if you're
using the oscillators as audio sources, but you may want saw waves for
"falling" mod effects when using the oscillators as low-frequency control
sources. This can be accomplished by patching a ramp wave output to one of
the inverters in the Voltage Processors section. (more on this in the, you
guessed it, Voltage Processors section)
Sync (VCO 2 and VCO 3 only)- Feeding a wave or signal to this force resets
the start of the waveform to the beginning of its cycle. Most often used to
create the "tearing" sweep sounds made famous in The Cars' "Let's Go," by
routing the output of another oscillator to the Hard Sync input and sweeping
the pitch of the first oscillator.
Hard Sync is also useful when creating drum and percussion sounds to
ensure that the wave starts precisely at the beginning of its cycle.
Keyb CV In- This switch connects or disconnects incoming MIDI pitch
control. This defaults to on position, for standard keyboard (or sequencer)
playing. Turning it off is useful for drones or sound effects when you don't
want oscillator pitch to be affected by keyboard CV. Pitch can still be
controlled with Initial Freq and Fine Tune controls as well as all FM Control CV
inputs.
Glide- Also known as "portamento," glide delays the voltage change
between pitches for a sliding effect. Though the Glide slider is situated above
the normalled Pitch source and jack, it is not an attenuator for it, but it is in
the signal path, so it will affect the normalled pitch CV or any signal plugged
into the Kybd FM jack. CA2600 includes separate Glide controls for each
oscillator - applying glide to only one oscillator is nice effect.
FM Control inputs and attenuators- These are the normalled and jack
frequency modulation inputs for the oscillators. The slider control above each
jack is an attenuator, affecting the amount of the normalled source, or if a
cable is plugged into the jack, the amount of the signal from the patched
source.

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PW Initial- This sets the width or "duty-cycle" of the pulse wave. It has no
effect on any other waveform. This defaults to 50%, i.e., a perfect square
wave. Moving the slider up or down narrows its width as well as the thickness
of sound until it almost disappears at its extremes.
PWM Control input and attenuator- Allows CV control of the pulse wave
pulse width.

The table below shows the default sources and destinations for all three
VCO's:

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MOD SOURCE NAME NORMALLED SOURCE NORMALLED D

VCO 1/FM Control - Keyb CV incoming MIDI note data VCO 1 frequen

VCO 1/FM Control - S/H sample and hold output VCO 1 frequen

VCO 1/FM Control - ADSR ADSR envelope output VCO 1 frequen

VCO 1/FM Control - VCO 2 Sine VCO 2 sine wave output VCO 1 frequen

VCO 1/PWM - LFO Triangle LFO triangle output VCO 1 pulse wi

VCO 2/FM Control - Keyb CV incoming MIDI note data VCO 2 frequen

VCO 2/FM Control - S/H sample and hold output VCO 2 frequen

VCO 2/FM Control - AR AR envelope output VCO 2 frequen

VCO 2/FM Control - VCO 1 Pulse VCO 1 pulse wave output VCO 2 frequen

VCO 2/PWM - LFO Triangle LFO triangle output VCO 2 pulse wi

VCO 3/FM Control - Keyb CV incoming MIDI note data VCO 3 frequen

VCO 3/FM Control - S/H sample and hold output VCO 3 frequen

VCO 3/FM Control - AR AR envelope output VCO 3 frequen

VCO 3/FM Control - VCO 1 Pulse VCO 1 pulse wave output VCO 3 frequen

VCO 3/PWM - ADSR ADSR envelope output VCO 3 pulse wi

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Voltage Controlled Filter
CA2600's filter section models the early ladder-style filter used in early ARP
synthesizers, but unlike the original ARP 2600, It can be switched between
lowpass, bandpass, and highpass modes, with 12- or 24-db per octave
slopes.
If you're not familiar with how filters work, a lowpass filter allows
frequencies below the cutoff frequency setting to pass through, but blocks
frequencies above the cutoff frequency. A highpass filter does opposite: it
allows frequencies above the cutoff frequency setting to pass through, but
blocks frequencies below the cutoff frequency. In practice, this means a
lowpass filter is useful for removing high frequencies, and a highpass filter is
useful for removing low frequencies. A bandpass filter combines both
lowpass and highpass filters thus allowing the "in-between" frequencies to
pass.
Modulating cutoff frequencies via envelope generators, low-frequency
oscillators, and more opens the door to endless tone colors. 
Cutoff Freq- Sets the frequency where attenuation begins. Attenuation
occurs above (Iowpass mode) or below the cutoff frequency (highpass
mode). In the case of a bandpass filter, the cutoff setting determines a
center freq with a band of frequencies above and below passing through.

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Resonance- Emphasizes sound energy at and around the current cutoff
frequency by adding feedback from the filter's output back to its input. At
lower settings, this can be used to create mild resonances such as those
heard in acoustic instruments. At more extreme settings, resonance can
create a pure sine wave at its own frequency (you can adjust its pitch with
the Cutoff knob). Be careful with this knob as it can get loud at extreme
settings.
Mode- Selects highpass, bandpass, or lowpass modes (as described above).
Slope- The nature of how a filter works is that frequencies "fall off" above or
below the cutoff frequency. Slope adjusts the steepness of this slope. Set to
lowpass mode, a 12db per/octave filter has a shallower slope, whereas a
24db per/octave filter has a steeper slope (as well as more pronounced
character with the resonance knob turned up).
Output jack- The direct audio out of the VCF section, routable to any
CA2600 input.. 
Audio inputs and attenuators- These are the filter's audio inputs; these
effectively act as a mixer for all audio sources routed through the filter. When
the input jacks are used, any CA2600 audio output can be routed through the
filter. Although there are "only" five jack inputs, CA-2600's unlimited mult
jacks allow an unlimited number of sources to be routed to the filter.
The slider control above each jack is an attenuator, affecting the amount of
the normalled source, or if a cable is plugged into the jack, the amount of the
signal from the patched source. 
Control inputs and attenuators- These are the frequency modulation
inputs, affecting cutoff frequency. Because these work additively with the
Cutoff Freq slider setting, it's generally a good idea to turn down the initial
Cutoff Freq setting when using mod sources. The slider control above each
jack is an attenuator, affecting the amount of the normalled source, or if a
cable is plugged into the jack, the amount of the signal from the patched
source. 

When the Resonance control is toward max, the filter will "ring"- used in
conjunction with the Keyb Control slider, this allows the filter to act as an
additional sine wave oscillator. It's particularly effective when carefully mixed
with the noise generator for half-noise/half-tonal "snowflake" tones.

The table below shows the filter's default sources and destinations.

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MOD SOURCE/AUDIO INPUT NORMALLED
NORMALLED SOURCE
NAME DESTINATION

VCF/Audio Input - Ring Mod ring mod output VCF audio input

VCF/Audio Input - VCO 1 Pulse VCO 1 pulse wave output VCF audio input

VCF/Audio Input - VCO 2 Pulse VCO 2 pulse wave output VCF audio input

VCF/Audio Input - VCO 3 Ramp VCO 3 ramp wave output VCF audio input

VCF/Audio Input - Noise noise generator output VCF audio input

VCF/Control - Keyb CV incoming MIDI note data VCF cutoff frequ

VCF/Control - ADSR ADSR envelope output VCF cutoff frequ

VCF/Control - VCO 2 sine VCO 2 sine wave output VCF cutoff frequ

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Voltage Controlled Amplifier
You can think of the Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA) as a "gate" to start,
stop, and shape the volume of audio or control signals. Applying a simple
gate voltage will abruptly open and close the VCA; the CV output of an
envelope generator allows shaping of audio and control signals with more
finesse. 
Initial Gain- Sets the static gain of the amplifier; a good analogy would be
opening a faucet. For standard instrument-type sounds, you'll likely leave
this set to minimum, and use AR and ADSR envelope generators CV's to
control the VCA. Turning up the Initial Gain is useful for "hands-off" droning
sounds. 
If you're trying to figure out why CA2600 is continuously making
noise and won't shut up, the first thing to check is VCA Initial Gain.
Output jack- Audio output of the VCA; this allows routing the signal
anywhere desired. The LED next to the jack lights to indicate signal level.
Audio inputs and attenuators- These are the VCA audio input. Although
there are only two jack inputs, CA-2600's unlimited mult jacks allow an
unlimited number of sources to be routed to the amplifier.
The slider control above each jack is an attenuator, affecting the amount of
the normalled source, or if a cable is plugged into the jack, the amount of the
signal from the patched source. 
Control inputs and attenuators- These are the gain modulation inputs,
affecting VCA level. These work additively with the Initial Gain slider setting,
it's generally a good idea to turn it down to zero when using mod sources.
The slider control above each jack is an attenuator, affecting the amount of
the normalled source, or if a cable is plugged into the jack, the amount of the
signal from the patched source. 
The table below shows the filter's default sources and destinations.

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 MOD SOURCE/AUDIO INPUT NORMALLED NORMALLED
NAME SOURCE DESTINATION

VCA/Audio Input - VCF filter output VCA audio input

VCA/Audio Input - Ring Mod ring mod output VCA audio input

VCA/Control - ADSR ADSR envelope VCA amplitude

VCA/Control - AR AR envelope VCA amplitude

ADSR and AR Envelope Generators

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CA2600 includes two independent envelope generators; one is a standard
ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release), and the other is an AR (attack,
release) with some unique features. These are generally used to shape VCA
amplitude contours and VCF cutoff frequency, but can be used to control
numerous other CA2600 parameters.

ADSR Envelope Generator

If you're not familiar with how envelope generators work, here's how an
ADSR works:

When CA2600 sees a gate voltage from a note, the envelope generator
outputs a dynamically changing voltage, according to the settings of its four
stages. The attack stage defines how long it takes for the output voltage to
rise from 0 to 5 volts. Once the attack stage reaches 5V, it moves to the
decay phase, which defines how long it takes to fall from 5V to the setting of
the Sustain phase. Unlike the attack, decay, and release phases, which
define times, sustain simply sets the held voltage level following the attack
and decay phases - this equates to the envelope output level while holding
down a key. Finally, the release slider defines the the length of time it takes
for the voltage to fall back to 0V when the gate input voltage is removed, i.e.
when the key is released.
Atk (Attack)- Defines the length of time for voltage to rise from 0V to 5V
when a key is played.
Dec (Decay)- Defines the length of time for voltage to fall from the attack
stage 5V peak to sustain stage setting.
Sus (Sustain)- Sets the voltage level following attack and decay phases
while a note is held.

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 25

Rel (Release)- Defines the length of time for voltage to fall from sustain
level to 0V when a key is released.
Gate In and LED- This accepts a gate voltage; the envelope will run through
the attack, decay, and sustain stages as long as the gate voltage stays high,
then move to the release stage when the gate voltage goes low. The LED
illuminates any time the ADSR is receiving a gate signal from the normalled
connection or the CV jack.
Manual Trigger- Sends a gate signal to both the ADSR and AR envelope for
as long as the button is held. This can be useful for testing sounds or playing
on the fly (remember that USB controller buttons can be assigned to the
Manual Trigger button as well).

AR Envelope Generator
A simple envelope generator with attack and release segments only. It may
seem "stripped down," but AR generators are very useful for basic envelope
applications, particularly drum and percussion sounds (which CA2600 is
surprisingly good at). 

The AR envelope functions a little differently than the ADSR envelope. If the
Sustain switch is on, it moves through the attack segment when a 5V gate is
applied and remains at maximum as long as the gate voltage is present
(equivalent to an ADSR envelope with its sustain control set to maximum). If
the Sustain switch is off, it moves through the release segment regardless of
whether the 5V gate voltage is present.
Its controls are as follow:

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 26

Atk (Attack)- Defines the length of time for voltage to rise from 0V to 5V
when the gate voltage is applied.
Trig- Enabling this causes the AR envelope to move through both of its
segments regardless of the gate voltage length (i.e. how long the key is
held).
Sustain- Adds a 5V sustain segment following the attack segment for as
long as gate voltage is high. The release segment occurs when the gate
voltage is removed.
Rel (Release)- Defines the length of time for voltage to fall to 0V following
the attack segment (Sustain switch off) or when gate voltage is removed
((Sustain switch on).

Keyb Gate / S/H Gate switch, jack, and LED- Selects the trigger source
for the the AR envelope. In Kyb Gate the AR envelope is triggered by
keyboard or DAW MIDI notes. If the switch is in the S/H Gate position, the AR
envelope is triggered by the sample and hold section's internal clock. This
can be overridden by plugging a clock source into the adjacent jack. The LED
illuminates any time the AR is receiving a gate signal from the normalled
Keyb Gate, S/H Gate, or the CV jack.
Out jack- CV output of the AR envelope generator.

Master Section

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 27

Master Tune- Sets master tuning up or down by a half-step. 
Master Volume- Sets CA2600 master volume. 
Output Meters- Not really a control, but this displays the master output.
Like any other meter, it's best to keep these out of the red.
Pan- Adjusts the position of the dry VCF and VCA outputs between the left
and right channels. This is useful if for panning the dry vs. effected signals.

Master Input Mixer

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 28

The Master Section's inputs jacks and faders are the final output mixer. As
with CA2600's other sections, the orange boxes beneath the faders indicated
the normalled input routings, and can be overridden with patch cables by
plugging into the jacks above them.
Mixer Upper Output jacks- The jacks above the faders are outputs. Their
levels are affected by the fader amount. They do not break the signal flow to
the master output bus; think of them as extra points to tap signals for further
routing and mangling.
The table below shows the filter's default sources and destinations.

AUDIO INPUT NAME NORMALLED SOURCE NORMALLED DE

Master Out/Audio Input - VCF VCF output master out bus /

Master Out/Audio Input - VCA VCA output master out bus /

Master Out/Audio Input - Dist distortion effect output master out bus /

Master Out/Audio Input - Del delay effect output master out bus /

Master Out/Audio Input - St Verb reverb effect output master out bus /

Preamp and Sidechain Input

The Preamp and Sidechain input section enables processing of the external
audio signals.

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 29

Sidechain normalled input and jack- Obviously you won't be able to plug
real cables into the front-panel jack (unless you know something we don't),
so the default routing is to receive signals from a DAW sidechain signal path.
The specifics of sidechain routing vary dependent on DAW software, but once
the signal is routed to CA2600, the three-LED meter in the corner will display
signal level. You'll ideally want the first two green LED's to illuminate, and
avoid the top red LED.
As with other normalled connections, the default sidechain routing can be
overridden by plugging any CA2600 output signal into the jack above the
orange box.
Using The Sidechain Input in Standalone Mode

If CA2600 is running in standalone mode (i.e. not as a DAW virtual

instrument), the sidechain input can still be used, provided your computer
system audio hardware has input capabilities.
To select the input source, click the Settings gear in the top tool bar, and
click the Audio/MIDI icon. The sidechain input source can be selected via the
Input pop-up menu.
Gain- Sets the incoming signal input level. The gain amount is affected a
great deal by the Range switch.
Range- Allows three different amplification levels. Note that CA2600
includes a very analog-style overdrive at high Gain and Range settings. This
really useful when processing electric guitar signals (and exactly what Pete
Townshend was known to do on Who classics such as "Who Are You," and
"Going Mobile.")
Output- The preamp section output; allows routing to any other section for
processing.
Tuning- Sets master tuning up or down by a half-step. 
Output Meters- Not really a control, but this displays the master output.
Like any other meter, it's best to keep these out of the red.

MIDI Control

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 30

The MIDI Control section selects whether CA2600 plays in mono (single-note)
or duophonic modes (two-note polyphony) and contains individual CV
outputs, as well as a pitch bend depth control. It's basically the incoming
"traffic director" of CA2600.
MIDI In- Illuminates to indicate incoming MIDI note data. Betcha never
would've guessed that?
CV Outs

Pitch- Pitch CV. This is normalled to the oscillators (Kybd) as well as one
of the filter control inputs.
Gate- This is an "on/off" voltage typically used for engaging envelope
generators. The gate out is normalled to both the ADSR and AR envelope
generators, but can be useful for other purposes.
Velocity- Outputs a voltage upon keydown that varies from 0-5V,
dependent on how hard the key is struck. Amongst other things, this is
useful for controlling filter cutoff amount and amplitude envelope
intensity.
Mod Wheel- Outputs a constant voltage dependent on mod wheel
position.

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 31

 Bend / Semi Tones slider- Outputs a negative or positive voltage as the
pitch wheel is moved from its center position. Its maximum output level
(i.e., bend depth) is controlled with the Semi Tones slider. At max position,
pitch bend range is one octave, up or down.

As shown by the orange Kybd box, pitch bend is normalled to the

oscillator FM Control Kybd CV inputs. This means pitch bend will work
without plugging in any cables (provided the Semi Tones control is set
above 0). Plugging a patch cable into one of the oscillator Kybd inputs will
disable the pitch bend connection, but you can always mult another patch
cable from the Bend output to the oscillator Kybd CV input(s) to regain
pitch bend.

Note Priority- CA2600 will usually be played as a monophonic (i.e. one-

note-at-a-time) synthesizer, but it includes ARP's model 3620 keyboard
controller "duophonic" (dual-voice) mode.
Last- This is the default voice mode. If more than one key is pressed, the
most recently struck note will always take priority.
Low- If more than key is pressed, the lowest note will always sound. This
how the original ARP 2600 works (as well as most vintage monophonic
synths).
High- If more than key is pressed, the highest note will always sound.
Duo (Duophonic) / Second Voice CV- Duophonic mode is based on the
original ARP 2600's primitive duophonic circuit. The primary pitch output
is always the lowest key pressed. The Second Voice CV pitch output is
always the highest key pressed. When a new key is pressed, the highest
and lowest key voltages are sampled and held by the two outputs. If only
one key is pressed, the highest and lowest key voltages will be identical.
However, as soon as a second key is pressed, the highest key voltage is
sampled and sent to the Second Voice output, and the lowest key voltage
is sampled and sent to the Pitch output. In this mode, legato playing often
gives undesirable results, as any time two keys overlap, even for a
moment, their voltages are split between the two outputs.
Duo mode is also the most desirable note priority mode when performing
covers of songs by The Captain and Tennille, Donny and Marie, and
Peaches & Herb.

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 32

Retrigger/Legato- If Retrigger is selected, CA2600's envelopes will
retrigger from the start every time a new key is pressed. If Legato is
selected, the envelopes will only retrigger if no other notes are currently
held. Legato mode is useful for emulating the sounds of some acoustic
instruments - for example, the sound of plucking a note on a guitar, then
sliding on the string to different notes without plucking again. Retrigger
mode generally feels more responsive to play and is useful for more
aggressive passages.
Incidentally, almost all vintage monophonic analog synths are legato-mode
only (including the original ARP 2600), as this was a technological limitation.

Noise Source
CA2600 includes a noise source capable of generating a spectrum of noise
tones with a continuously variable control.
White Noise- Random noise containing all frequencies at relatively equal
amplitude.
Pink Noise- Random noise with equal energy per octave. This has audibly
more low-frequency content than white noise.

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 33

 Low Frequency Noise- Random noise with an even stronger low-
frequency bias than pink noise.

Out jack- The Noise Generator's output is normalled to one of the filter
inputs, but the jack can be used to route noise wherever desired. Keep in
mind that in addition to audio applications, noise can be used as a
modulation source.

Voltage Processors
The Voltage Processors section is perhaps the most misunderstood section of
the original ARP 2600, but it's actually easy to use, and very useful. It
essentially consists of three invertible signal attenuators (the first one with
an integrated VCA), a lag generator (aka, glide), and a 1/2 step voltage
quantizer. As with other 2600 inputs, the input jacks include normalled signal
paths for ease of use.
Since the horizontal sliders aren't labeled on the panel, we've Photoshopped
in the green boxes and extra labels in the screenshot above to make it easier
to understand the following descriptions:
Voltage Processor Attenuator 1/2 and VCA 2 (Input jacks #1 and #2)-
This is a signal attenuator with an integrated VCA. If you're not familiar with
attenuators, it's just a fancy word for "amount" control. The attenuator #1
slider acts as a static level control for signals plugged into the #2 jack. If the

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 34

slider is set fully left, it's at zero; sliding to the right increases the amount.
The level can be CV controlled if a cable is patched to the VCA 2 Ctrl input.
The top VCA 2 Mod Amt slider determines the amount of CV controlling slider
attenuator #1's amount. TheVCA 2 Mod Amt slider is bipolar; that is, it can
reduce or increase the amount of of slider 2 depending on its position from
the middle (and whether the incoming CV is positive or negative). The VCA 2
Mod Amt slider is at zero in center position.
To attenuate an external signal, override the normalled source by plugging a
cable into the #2 jack. The attenuated output will be on the 1/2/3/4 Out jack.
If nothing is plugged into the #2 input, a constant -10V signal is normalled to
the #2 jack. This can be used to "bias" any CA2600 CV control input. The
slider will control the voltage amount from zero, down to -10 volts.

Jack #1 directly feeds the 1/2/3/4 Out jack - it bypasses the attenuator #1
slider. This is useful if you want to invert a signal without altering its level. On
the original 2600, this jack also acted as an additional mix input; but since
you can stack as many inputs as you like on a single jack in CA2600, it's not
really necessary.
Invert (Inv) button- This inverts the polarity of any signals traveling
through, and has many uses. If the -10V source is being used, enabling
the Inv button will make the voltage range 0 to +10V. The Inv button is
also useful for "reversing" oscillators waveforms, particularly for
transforming the ramp wave to a saw wave. All five voltage processor
amount sliders include an invert button.

Voltage Processor Attenuator 2- Almost identical to attenuator #1, but

the normalled source is the keyboard MIDI pitch CV. In conjunction with the
Inv button, this can used to recreate the jazz legend Joe Zawinul's famous
"reverse keyboard" trick (where low keys play highest notes and vice-versa).
Simply hit attenuator #2's Inv button, then patch the 1/2/3/4 Out jack to the
oscillator FM Control Kybd input jacks. The normalled input can be overridden
by patching to jack #4. Jack #3 directly feeds the 1/2/3/4 Out jack - it
bypasses the attenuator #2 slider.
Voltage Processor Attenuator 3- Attenuator #3 is also almost identical to
attenuator #1, but the normalled constant voltage source is +10V instead of
-10V (but it can be changed to -10V by engaging the Inv button). The
normalled input can be overridden by patching to jack #6. Jack #5 directly
feeds the 5/6 Out jack - it bypasses the attenuator #3 slider.

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 35

Voltage Processor Lag Time (Lag)- The Lag Time slider looks like the
others, but it's not - it's not an attenuator, it's a lag (aka glide or slew)
generator. Lag generators are most commonly used to create sliding effects
by slowing down the stepped changes in pitch from a keyboard, but they're
useful for other things, such as smoothing the changing the stepped voltages
from random/sample & hold voltages.
Note that CA2600 has an individual lag generator built into each oscillator,
so you won't need to use the Voltage Processors lag generator for keyboard
glide.

Voltage Processor Quantize In Level (Quantizer)- Control voltages fed

through the quantizer voltage processor will be rounded to the nearest 1/12V
step, i.e., the nearest half-step. This is useful for transforming constantly
changing (ramp, saw, triangle, or sine waves) or randomly stepped (sample
& hold) waves into musically useful melodies. Note that quantizing occurs
after the attenuator slider, so adjusting it alters the amount of signal going to
the quantizer, which effectively changes the pitch range.
In order to properly hear 1/2 step pitches, make sure to set the mod
destination attenuator (usually one of the oscillator FM Control inputs) all
they way up. Use the horizontal slider and the speed of whatever you're
feeding into the quantizer to fine-tune the note range and speed.
Since we love making tables, here's one illustrating all inputs, outputs, and
processing of the Voltage Processors section:

SECONDARY OUTPU
SLIDER NORMALLED SOURCE
INPUT? JACK

VCA 2 Mod Amount VCA 2 CTRL jack only N/A N/A

Attenuator #1 -10 volt source yes 1/2/3/4

Attenuator #2 keyboard pitch CV yes 1/2/3/4

Attenuator #3 +10 volt source yes 5/6 Ou

Lag Time envelope follower output no 7 Out

Quantize Input Level sample & hold output no 8 Out

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 36

Sample & Hold and Electronic
Switch

The sample and hold section repeatedly “samples” a varying input signal
voltage, and outputs the "snapshot" voltage (i.e. a constant voltage) until it
is triggered to sample again. Note that when we say "sample," we're
referring to a simple incoming voltage - this isn't an audio sampler that you
can sample and playback beats with. (Though this is the basic principle of
how digital audio samplers operate).
Therefore a sample and hold has two inputs - the sample input, i.e. where it's
grabbing the voltage samples from, and a clock input, which determines the
duration between sample.

The Electronic Switch is alternates two input sources feeding a single output
jack. By default, its normalled to the Sample & Hold clock, but it has a jack
allowing switching from any CV source.

Sample & Hold

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Sample Source (Noise Gen) input and jack- The noise generator is the
default sample signal source. Because a noise source has all possible
frequencies distributed in a random fashion, it makes an excellent source for
"grabbing" completely random voltages. This signal can then be used to
modulate oscillator pitch or filter frequency.
Alternate sample signals can be substituted by patching to the jack above
the orange Noise Gen box. When modulating oscillator pitch, constantly
moving low frequency waveforms such as triangle, sine, ramp, and saw work
particularly well. Differing sample Rate slider and low-frequency oscillator
rates yield endless melodic permutations.

Clock Source (Int Clock) input, jack, and rate LED- By default, the
Sample & Hold uses its internal clock source to determine the rate at which
the sample source is sampled. The LED above the orange box flashes to
indicate the current clock rate.
Internal Clock Out jack- This output allows the Sample & Hold clock to be
routed to any CA2600 input.
Level- Overall amount control for the S/H Out jack.
Rate- Sets the speed of the Sample & Hold's internal clock.
Sync button- Engaging the Sync button locks the Sample & Hold clock to
master tempo. When engaged, the Rate slider snaps to note values ranging
from 1/64th note triplet to 8 beats. Sync mode locks to the tempo in the top
toolbar when using the CA2600 standalone version or the current project
tempo when the plug-in version is used in a DAW.

Electronic Switch

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 38

The electronic switch alternates between two patched inputs sources at rate
specified by the Sample & Hold clock or an alternate clock/switching source.
A and B input jacks and LEDs- These are the two inputs and can be
CA2600 audio or control signals. The red and green LEDs will glow to show
which input is currently active.
Clock Source (Int Clock) input and jack- By default, the Electronic Switch
uses the Sample & Hold internal clock source to determine the rate at which
the A and B inputs alternate. The Sample & Hold internal clock can be
overridden by plugging any signal source into the jack above the Int Clock
orange box. The Electronic Switch alternates any time it sees a 5V spike, so
the "clock" source doesn't need to change at regular intervals - a keyboard
gate signal could be used, for example.
Electronic Switch Out- Output jack for the alternating signal.

Low Frequency Oscillator

A low frequency oscillator or "LFO," is similar to an audio oscillator, but it
typically runs at frequencies below the range of human hearing, and it isn't
used an audio source. Instead, its cycling waveforms are used as a control
source to add modulation to oscillators, filters, and amplifiers. 

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 39

A typical application would be to slightly modulate an oscillator’s frequency
to create vibrato (pitch modulation), or to modulate a VCA’s amplitude to
create a tremolo effect (amplitude modulation). Modulating the cutoff
frequency of a filter can create a dubstep-style wobble, or if modulated very
slowly, long sweeping tonal shifts.

Unlike the original ARP 2600, we've added an "extra" low frequency oscillator
(LFO) - on the original, it was necessary to use one of the voltage controlled
oscillators for modulation. The extra LFO leaves all three oscillators available
for audio (or extended mod purposes).
Waveform output jacks- Available waveforms include triangle, ramp,
sawtooth, sine, square, and random.
Mod Wheel switch and LED- Sliding this to the right normals incoming
MIDI mod wheel data to control overall LFO depth; the LED to the right will
light. This simplifies setting up CA-2600 for vibrato, pulse-width mod, or filter
wah wah with a mod wheel - turn the switch on, patch a cable from the LFO
Out to one or multiple oscillator FM mod jacks, and push up the
corresponding FM slider.
Important Note: If the Mod Wheel switch is on and your controller's mod
wheel is at zero, the LFO won't have any signal output, so... if the LFO
doesn't seem to be working, make sure the Mod Wheel switch is in
the off position (or push up your controller's mod wheel). 
Sync- Engaging the Sync button locks the LFO master tempo. When
engaged, the Rate slider snaps to note values ranging from 1/64th note
triplet to 8 beats. Sync mode locks to the tempo in the top toolbar when
using the CA2600 standalone version or the current project tempo when the
plug-in version is used in a DAW.
Rate- Sets the rate of the LFO from 0.01 Hz-20 Hz.
Delay- Moving this slider up gradually delays the onset of LFO depth - think
of it like an attack control for LFO depth. By default, the delay is triggered by
the keyboard gate (i.e. playing MIDI notes), but can be overridden by
plugging a cable into the adjacent jack (try this with a slow clock, for
example). The delay range is 0 to 3000 ms.

Note about the Mod Wheel switch and LFO Delay: If the Mod Wheel
switch is in the on position (LED lit), the Delay slider grays out and is
disabled (because you wouldn’t want the onset of LFO mod delayed when
controlling mod amount with a mod wheel). 

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 40

Effects
CA2600's effect implementation is somewhat unique in the sense that,
instead of being "tacked on" and hidden behind menus, they're integrated
into the main interface, and have CV inputs for almost all of their controls.
Applying CV's to the effects parameters can range from subtle (reverb mix)
to total insanity (delay time mod with high feedback settings).
Keep in mind that all three effects have separate level sliders in the Master
Out section (beneath the orange FX-Bus block); in addition to enabling the
effects with the red buttons, you'll need to turn up the sliders in the
Master Out section to hear them.
Note that the effects have no wet/dry controls - they are always 100% wet in
the Master Out faders. Wet/dry signal mix is achieved by blending in the
Master Out VCF and/or VCA signals. This arrangement is useful, because it
allows a great deal of flexibility if, for example, you'd like totally wet reverb
signals (incidentally, "all-wet" reverb signals aren't possible with the original
ARP 2600 master mixer).

Distortion

On/Off- The red button in the orange box enables and disables the distortion
effect.
FM Control inputs and attenuators- These are the normalled and jack
parameter modulation inputs. The slider control to the right of each jack is an
attenuator, affecting the amount of the normalled source, or if a cable is
plugged into the jack, the amount of the signal from the patched source. This
is is the same as bulk of parameters in the top section of the control panel;
we just turned them sideways to save space. See table below for control
details.

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 41

 NORMALLED NORMALLED
MOD SOURCE NAME
SOURCE DESTINATION

Distortion/Audio Input - VCA VCA output distortion input amount

Distortion/Control - LFO LFO output amount of distortion

Output level slider and jack- The slider beneath the orange DIST block
sets the output level. The output jack allows the distorted signal to be routed
to any CA2600 input. You don't necessarily need to use the output jack, as
the signal it normalled to the Master Out FX-Bus/ Audio section.

Delay

On/Off- The red button in the orange box enables and disables the delay
effect.
FM Control inputs and attenuators- These are the normalled and jack
parameter modulation inputs. The slider control to the right of each jack is an
attenuator, affecting the amount of the normalled source, or if a cable is
plugged into the jack, the amount of the signal from the patched source. See
table below for control details.

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 42

 NORMALLED NORMALLED
MOD SOURCE NAME
SOURCE DESTINATION

Delay/Audio Input - VCA VCA output delay input amount

Delay/Control - LFO LFO output delay input

Delay/Control - LFO LFO output delay time

Delay/Control - Mod Whl mod wheel delay feedback amount

Delay/Control - LFO LFO output damping amount

Invert (Inv)- Inverts the delayed signal from the incoming dry signal. Along
with the Damping slider, this can be useful if repeats are stacking up and
audibly "cancelling out." It's also useful for achieving different tones when
using the delay at short times for flanging and chorus effects (in the 1-20 ms
range).
Sync- Engaging the Sync button locks the delays time to master tempo.
When engaged, the Rate slider snaps to note values ranging from 1/64th-
note triplet to 8 beats. Sync mode locks to the tempo in the top toolbar when
using the CA-2600 standalone version or the current project tempo when the
plug-in version is used in a DAW.
Time- Sets delay time, from 1 to 2000 ms. If the Sync button is enabled,
time settings snap to synchronized note values. The LED number display
shows the current time.
Feedback- Routes the output to the input for additional repeats. Be careful
at high settings as this can result in runaway feedback madness.
Damping- Attenuates high-frequencies as the slider amount is increased.
Not only does this create more natural sounding decays, it also reduces the
"stacking" effect that occurs with high feedback levels.
Output jack- The output jack allows the fully wet delay signal to be routed
to any CA2600 input. You don't necessarily need to use the output jack, as
the signal it normalled to the Master Out FX-Bus/ Audio section.

Reverb

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 43

On/Off- The red button in the orange box enables and disables the reverb
effect.
FM Control inputs and attenuators- These are the normalled and jack
parameter modulation inputs. The slider control to the right of each jack is an
attenuator, affecting the amount of the normalled source, or if a cable is
plugged into the jack, the amount of the signal from the patched source. See
table below for control details.

NORMALLED NORMALLED
MOD SOURCE NAME
SOURCE DESTINATION

Reverb/Audio Input - VCA VCA output reverb input amount

Reverb/Control - LFO LFO output reverb input

Reverb/Control - LFO LFO output reverb decay time

Delay/Control - Mod Whl mod wheel reverb damping

L+R Output jack- The output jack allows the fully wet reverb signal to be
routed to any CA2600 input. You don't necessarily need to use the output
jack, as the signal it normalled to the Master Out FX-Bus/ Audio section.
About CA2600's stereo reverb- The reverb section is takes CA2600's
mono output and converts it to a wide-sounding stereo signal. The single

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 44

Master Out/FX-Bux St Verb fader affects the level of both channels to the
master output bus, however both channels are summed to a mono signal at
the output jack in the Reverb effect section. This was done to simplify
patching, because CA2600 doesn't have any stereo input destinations.
Decay- Sets the overall length of reverb; the actual time varies dependent
on the reverb type.
Type - Spring/Plate- Allows selection of two different types of reverb.
Spring sounds like the crude spring-type reverb found in the original ARP
2600; plate is has more hifi and refined sound, as well as longer decay times.
Damp- Attenuates high-frequencies as the slider amount is increased for
more natural reverb sounds.

Settings
Clicking the settings gear opens a window with multiple tabs for configuring
various "under-the-hood" settings. These are mostly set-and-forget kind of
parameters - all the stuff you'll want to tweak is on the front panel, because
that's how we do things around here!

General

Add Undo For Control Changes With The Mouse- Enabling this allows
undo of control adjustments and cable patching. You’ll want this on if you
want the ability to undo all aspects of patch editing and programming.
Load Last Preset On Startup (Standalone Only)- Automatically loads
the last preset used when CA2600 standalone version is started.

Create A Log File For Usage- This creates a text document of CA2600's
internal routines during use. Our tech support may request these docs
should you encounter any issues. Clicking Show Log Folder opens the
folder containing CA2600 log file docs.

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 45

Cherry Audio strictly adheres to safe forestry practices when creating log
files.
Preset Folder- Displays the current location of CA2600's sound presets.
This can be changed by clicking and typing in the field.
Browse... - Displays the current location of preset folder in the file
manager.
Set Default- Sets the current displayed Preset Folder path as the
default location
Clear Cache Files- Deletes all log files, temporary sounds, and the
image cache.

Interface
Allows customization ofCA2600’s user interface settings.

Cherry Audio CA2600 User Guide - 46

Reset To Default Window Size- Resets the CA2600 workspace to
1817x800 pixels (i.e. 100% zoom). Use this to reset the window size if
CA2600's workspace somehow becomes too large for your display and
can't be resized.
Theme- Select from three color schemes, "Blue Marvin," (earliest ARP
2600's), Gray (1971-1976), or Orange and Black (1977-1980). This only
changes the color, sound is not altered in any way.

Tooltip Delay- Tooltips are those informative bits of text that pop up
when hovering over a control (go ahead and try it, we’ll wait…). The
Tooltip Delay setting defines how long you must hover before the tooltip
pops up.
Knob Movement- Defines which how mouse movements related to
turning onscreen knobs. It defaults to Vertical Drag, but can be changed
to Horizontal Drag, or Rotary Drag.

On Control Double-Click- Defines what happens when the mouse is

double-clicked on a control. If Edit Value is selected, an exact number can
be entered by typing the number and hitting [ENTER] or [RETURN]. If Sets
Default Value is selected, double-clicking a control resets it to its default
value.
Mouse Wheel Adjusts Control Value- Enabling this lets you adjust
knob, slider, and switch values by moving the mouse wheel. This works
great with a standard mouse wheel, but you'll want to disable it if you're
using an Apple Magic Mouse (which will move the control AND scroll the
window).
Show Tooltips On Any Control Change- Displays parameter
tooltips/values next to controls any time a control is changed, i.e. if a
control is moved via an assigned MIDI controller.

Show Control Tooltips Under Mouse- Displays parameter

tooltips/values when the mouse is hovered over a control or as a control is
moved with mouse clicked.
MIDI Program Changes Should Change Current Preset- Allows MIDI
program change messages to change CA2600 patches.
Ask To Save Presets- This opens a dialog window asking if you'd like to
save changes if a patch has been edited and a new patch is selected. If
you're the type that likes to click through presets and tweak a control here
and there, it can be annoying to have a window pop-up asking if you'd like
to save every time you switch presets - if you're that person, keep this off.

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 Use Open GL Hardware Acceleration- If your computer has Open GL
graphics capabilities, this can increase graphic performance.

Account
Settings for your personal login information and account.
Email- Displays the email address of the current login.
Update Login Info- Not a place for news about yacht-rock superstar,
Kenny Loggins. Clicking this opens the same email and password login
screen you’ll see when initially launching CA2600
View Account Settings- This opens your personal account page on the
Cherry Audio Store website containing information about purchases and
more.

Software Update
We often fix bugs and make improvements; below are options defining
how CA2600 handles updates.
Check For Update- Click this to see if an updated version of CA2600 is
available.
Status-
Automatically Install Updates- Updates are automatically downloaded
and installed.
Ask Before Installing Updates- By default, CA2600 automatically
downloads new versions of modules when available. Checking this box
defeats automatic updates and will ask if you’d like to install updates
when they become available.

We’ll never make changes that can potentially “break” existing patches
but we recommend enabling Ask Before Installing Updates if you’re using
CA2600 for live performances or other “mission critical” situations.
Never Install Updates- CA2600 never automatically installs updates.

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 Show Updates On Toolbar- Checking this will display an icon in the
toolbar letting you know there's an update available.

Show Notifications From Cherry Audio- We occasionally will fire off in-
app advertisements; disabling this checkbox will hide them. We hate
repetitive, annoying ads as much as you do, so we won't use this feature too
often. When we do, we promise it'll be something super cool that'll you'll like,
so we recommend leaving it on.

Cables
These preferences define how CA2600’s virtual patch cables behave.
Animate Cables- When checked, CA2600 cables will bend and dangle like
real cables. This makes everything sound better (not really, but it looks
cool).
Move Cables Away- When checked, hovering over a cable (or multiple
cable spaghetti) will temporarily shift them out of the way to make it
easier to see modules beneath.
3D Cables- Checking this shades cables to appear more well, three-
dimensional, No silly red and green glasses required.
Draw Shadow- Causes cables to cast a shadow upon modules.
Cable Thickness- Adjusts the thickness of all cables.
Transparent Cables- This works in conjunction with the Cable Transparency
button discussed previously.
All Cables- Cable Transparency slider affects all cables.
All But Current Jack - Hovering over a jack will make its cables opaque. If
the Cable Transparency control is set to its maximum setting, Transparent
Cables will have no effect.
Show Signal Animation- Enabling this superimposes a stream of
“marching ants” over cables displaying signal flow and direction. (They’re

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 easier to see at wider cable width settings.) The Speed slider adjusts the
speed of display, but has no effect on signals.
Enable Animations For Jacks- Selecting this shows a nifty little animation
when a jack is clicked to use its built-in mult. If you’re a super impatient
weirdo (like the guy typing this), unchecking this box disables the
animation, which will make the mult pop up more quickly.

Audio/MIDI
Settings for audio and MIDI hardware input and output. This tab is only
visible in the standalone version of CA2600.
Output- Use this drop-down menu to choose a physical audio output
source. This defaults to Built-In Line Output, i.e. your computer’s onboard
system audio, but you’ll get better fidelity with an external professional
audio interface. The biggest audible difference is usually reduced
background noise or hum, but external audio hardware also offers greater
flexibility in terms of number of inputs and outputs and built-in mic or low-
level instruments pres (i.e. electric guitars). These are especially useful if
you’re using CA2600’s external inputs to process sound.
The Test button will produce a sine wave when clicked; this will help with
troubleshooting, aka, “WHY THE HECK ISN’T THIS MAKING ANY NOISE?!?”
Input- Clicking the drop-down menu lets you select which physical
input(s) feed CA2600's sidechain input (in the upper-left corner of the
main panel). The small horizontal input meter to the right illuminates
when the selected input is receiving an audio signal. And just to be super
clear, this only applies to the standalone version of CA2600 - if you're
using it as a virtual instrument, your DAW software will have a sidechain
input routing menu.
Sample Rate- This sets CA2600's global sample rate. Lower sample rates
offer better performance, but if you have a fast computer, high sample
rates may offer slightly improved fidelity.

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 Audio Buffer Size- As with any digital audio app, this defines
performance vs. note latency, and will largely depend upon computer CPU
speed. A professional external audio interface will almost always exhibit
better performance than “built-in” system audio. Lower settings will result
in less latency (in the form of faster response to notes played), but will
increase the chances of audio gapping or crackling noise.
Active MIDI Inputs- Displays all available MIDI input sources, i.e.
keyboards, pad controls, MIDI knob/fader control surfaces, etc. Check
boxes to enable one or more devices.

MIDI Controllers Setup and The MIDI

Tab
Assigning internal and external hardware controls adds a whole new
dimension of control and musicality to patches, and it's really easy to do. The
MIDI Tab is where all controller assignments can be viewed and tweaked.
First we'll show how to assign an external hardware controller to a CA-2600
control, then we'll go over all parameters in the MIDI Tab.

Basic External Hardware Control

Assignment
This is the quick, "I just want to assign a hardware control right now!,"
section. We recommend reading this whole section to best take advantage of
CA-2600's swift MIDI control assignments.
In this example, we’ll assign a hardware slider control to the filter cutoff
frequency.

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Begin by right-clicking on the Cutoff Freq slider in the Voltage Controlled
Filter section and selecting MIDI Learn. A transparent blue overlay appears
over the slider indicating that it's in learn mode. Now move the desired
hardware control device. The blue overlay disappears and the hardware
control will move the onscreen slider. If you get cold feet (or accidentally put
the wrong control into learn mode), learn mode can be aborted by right-
clicking and selecting Stop Learning.
This is the basic procedure for assigning hardware controllers to almost any
CA-2600 control.

When in MIDI learn mode, any previously assigned controller numbers will
show in squares. These indicate the MIDI continuous controller number of the
assigned hardware control (these are also displayed in the MIDI library tab).
Once a MIDI controller has been assigned, in addition to real-time control of a
CA-2600 parameter, you’ll also be able to record and play back controller
data from a DAW.

The MIDI Tab

This is command central for all MIDI controller assignments. Here you’ll be
able to see information about all currently assigned controllers and adjust
control ranges.

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To view or hide the MIDI Tab, click the MIDI button in the top toolbar.

MIDI Learn button- This is almost exactly the same as enabling MIDI learn
mode by right-clicking a control. Click the MIDI Learn button to enter learn
mode (all controls turn blue). Unlike right-clicking on specific knobs, where
CA-2600 automatically exits controller assignment mode, clicking the MIDI
Learn knob "stays on" to enable assignment of multiple hardware controls.
This is handy for quickly assigning a bunch of sliders or the buttons of a grid-
style controller.
To assign controls, click MIDI Learn, click an on-screen control, move the
desired hardware knob or slider, continue clicking and assigning on-screen
controllers until all desired controls are assigned, then click Stop Learning to
exit learn mode.
Remember that a single hardware knob/slider/button isn't limited to
controlling just one parameter - a single hardware controller can
simultaneously operate as many controls as you'd like. This "macro" control
feature combined with customized ranges and curves for each assigned
parameter is really powerful (see next section for a full explanation).
MIDI Tab Columns

Name- Displays the name of the parameter being controlled.

Type- There are five possible types of controller automation in CA-2600:

Note- Notes played on a MIDI keyboard controller, expressed as C-1 to G9

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 CC (MIDI Continuous Controller)- The standard 128 MIDI controller
numbers as defined in the MIDI spec. More specifically, these are the
controllers transmitted by hardware knob and slider controls. MIDI CC’s
can be used to control parameters in real-time or recorded and played
back within DAW software.
MMC (MIDI Machine Control)- The MIDI control protocol for tape machine-
style transport controls. Back in the dark ages, this was used to control
wonky old Tascam and Fostex reel-to-reel monsters, but it's useful if your
MIDI controller has tape-style transport control buttons.
Aftertouch- Besides sounding like a 1979 Neil Diamond record, some
keyboard controllers transmit controller data when keys are pressed and
released as they're held down. The vast majority of keyboard controllers
with aftertouch transmit "mono" aftertouch only; in other words,
aftertouch data is the sum of all keys to one single data stream.
Key- This allows keys of the computer QWERTY keyboard to at as button
controls for CA-2600's onscreen controls.

Value- Displays the specific automation controller. In the case of a Note this

would show a MIDI note number (C-1 to G9, for a MIDI CC, this would be the
MIDI CC controller number, etc. Clicking on the value opens a pop-up menu
where all values are displayed and can be selected.
Min- Sets a limit on the lowest value any automation control can set a
mapped controller to. This actually recalibrates the range of the automation
controller to the remaining parameter range.
Max- Sets a limit on the highest value any automation control can set a
mapped controller to. This actually recalibrates the range of the automation
controller to the remaining parameter range.
Super Tricky Min-Max Tricks- Not only can parameter ranges be limited
via the the Min and Max knobs, mapped control destinations can be
completely inverted by setting the Min knob all the way up and the
Max knob all the way down (or anywhere in between).
Limiting and inverting parameter ranges with the Min/Max controls is
particularly useful when multiplexing a single hardware control to operate
multiple parameters. Along with the Curve control, the customization
possibilities are super flexible.

Curve- These allow the customization of how incoming MIDI CC controls

affect the movement of CA-2600's onscreen controls, ranging from

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exponential to linear to logarithmic curves.

MIDI Tab Column Configuration

Right-Click Menus

Right-clicking anywhere in the top row (Name, Type, Value, etc.) displays the
column configuration menu. Checking/unchecking these allows hiding and
display of each column. This has no effect on assignments.

MIDI Tab Parameters Right-Click

Right-clicking on an assigned parameter opens the menu above.

MIDI Learn- This is used to change the controller assigned to a particular
parameter.
Unlearn- Deletes the selected automation parameter.
Unlearn All- Deletes all controller assignments for the patch. CA-2600 will
display a warning dialog prior to deletion in order to thwart potential unlearn-
related disasters.

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QWERTY Musical Typing Keyboard
(MTK)

If you don't have a MIDI keyboard attached to your computer, the standard
QWERTY computer keyboard can be used to play notes - we're pretty sure
you've got one of those!

 We'll refer to this as the "MTK." Following is a list of
MTK keyboard modifiers and functions:

Opening and Closing the MTK - click the the circular keyboard icon in the
top toolbar. To close the MTK, click the keyboard icon in the top toolbar, or
click the X in the top right corner.
Play Notes- To trigger notes, simply press the corresponding computer
keyboard key or mouse click the onscreen keys.
Adjust Currently Visible MTK Range- Slide the purple scroll bar
horizontally to adjust the currently visible keyboard range.

Adjust Overall Visible Keyboard Range- Clicking and dragging the right
edge of the MTL window allows the overall size of the window to be adjusted.
This lets you view more or less of the onscreen keyboard. Note that the MTK
window's borders cannot exceed the overall outside dimensions of the
CA2600 window.
Shift Range Up/Down Octave- Click the OCT- and OCT+ buttons at the top
left and right of the onscreen MTK. The current range is displayed above the

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keyboard.
Shift Range Up/Down Semitone- Click the STEP- and STEP+ buttons at
the bottom left and right of the onscreen MTK. The current range is displayed
above the keyboard.
Hide/View Controllers- Clicking CONTROL at the far left hides and displays
velocity, bender, mod, and sustain control parameters. Hiding the control
view makes more space available for the keyboard.
Set Note Velocity- Move the purple VELOCITY bar to adjust the output
velocity of notes.
Pitch Bend- To pitch a note or notes, press the + or - computer keyboard
keys while playing a note. Notes will bend up to an octave. Notes can also be
pitchbent by clicking the mouse in the Bend area.
Mod Wheel- To add mod wheel modulation, press the number keys from 0-9
(above the character keys) while playing a note. The modulation amount will
vary from none (0) to full modulation (9). Note that modulation will "stick" at
the selected number; to disable modulation, click the 0 key. Mod can also be
engaged by clicking the mouse in the mod bar area.
Sustain- The Sustain button mimics the functionality of a standard sustain
pedal. Click the [TAB] key to engage sustain, or [SHIFT]+[TAB] to lock it. The
Sustain button can also be engaged by mouse clicking it.
Reset- Initializes all MTK parameters including keyboard range and control
parameters.

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