■ the 'P' of the P/V Synth's tname stands for pitch, and the 'V' stands for generated out voltage — main function is to translate an audio signal, from a monophonic instrument e.g a guitar, voice or wind instrument, into note control voltages and trigger capable of playing a synthesizer with control voltage (1v oct with normal trigger, no strigg) . The SPV355 does the translation and plays relative note-frequency to the own internal synthesizer.
Not really appreciated for the unreliable guitar translation sluggish and poorly precise.
■ Front panel features and Input (pitch detector) and a three‑way switch for selecting input signal type: Guitar (, Voice or Brass wind . Relative LEDs indicate signal activity to avoid overload — a Threshold control for adjusting the Gate trigger sensitivity to the EG. It's quite important to set the right amount for correct tracking.
■Two VCOs, a sub‑oscillator, VCF, VCA, envelope generator, two audio router mixers.
The VCO oscillator have over three pitch ranges (4', 8' and 16'), and each VCO is able to generates variable waveforms: Sawtooth, Square and Pulse waves. What's really limit the use as classic synth (they can be controlled by CV gate bypassing the tracker) is that VCOs share same controls for Range, Waveform and Tune.
Second VCO also includes an footswitch‑controlled A/B tuning function, which makes it possible to set and octave below or upper the VCO1 . VCO1 features and excellent square‑wave sub‑oscillator output (set at relative lower octave).
■ A footswitch‑controlled variable Portamento glissando is available for both osc but unfortunately this only works with internally tracker and won't work with external signal.
■The VCA is quite simple with a switch to select control via the Envelope Follower or the Envelope Generator.
he Envelope Follower generates a control voltage that follows the amplitude of the input signal as close as possible. Generated CV signal can modulate both VCF and VCA,
EG is a simple 3 segments ADS (Attack, Decay, Sustain) type
■ Filter is a LPF a 24dB/octave type with a range of 10Hz‑20kHz with self-oscillation.
Sad enough it's not possible to filter external signal.
■ NO LFO