Alesis A6 User Manual

Chapter 9: The A6 Modulation Matrix

198

A

NDROMEDA 

A6 R

EFERENCE 

M

ANUAL

 

T

HE 

C

ONTROL 

R

OUTES 

S

ECTION

As we said earlier in this chapter, modulators can be constant at the level set on the
Mod page, or they can be controlled from still more modulation sources.  This
“modulating the modulator” control panel is called the Control Routes display. The
CRoutes are Mod Route scaling control assignments.  Think of them as
a sort of “behind the scenes” modulation route.  For example, if you’ve ever
wondered why the MW appears to be hardwired to control LFO 1 modulation for

both Osc 1 and 2 when you enable their respective Mod 1’s, the CRoutes are
the reason why.  And the CRoutes are what you would use to undo that, as well.

You reach the Control Routes display by pressing the 

 or

 buttons twice.  The first press of the button shows you the variables of the

controller itself, but a second displays the Control Routes section, or 

CROUTES

 for

short.  There are two pages in the Control Routes display: 

CROUTE

 and 

GRID

.

Unlike the custom modulators, in the CRoutes display a Mod Route can be assigned
only one controller at any time (in the CRoutes screen, mod sources are assigned to
Mod Routes). Also, only 35 of the Mod Routes can be controlled from here.

    

T

O CHANGE MODULATION AMOUNTS USING THE 

CROUTES 

PAGE

:

The easiest way to understand this section is to use it to change the most common
modulation route in a program.

1. Call up a program for which the Mod Wheel brings in vibrato.

2. Double-press the Mod Assign button.  This will take you to the Control Routes

section and call up the Grid page showing a list of the mods that are being
controlled by the Mod Wheel.
Note that the Mod Wheel is highlighted in the box to the left of the LCD. That means the

3. Turn soft knob 

 (

SOURCE

) and watch the list in the box on the left.  If it looks

suspiciously like the Source list for every other modulation path on the A6,

you’re right!  That’s because it is the same list. Any modulation source can be
used as a source for a Control Route.
As you change sources, you’ll see what destinations they control, if any. Any destinations

OFFSET

4. Double-press the Mod Assign button again to return to the Mod Wheel’s Grid

page.  Notice the list in the Grid on the right.  Depending on the program, it

probably has Osc 1 Mod 1 and Osc 2 Mod 1 listed in the farthest column on the
right.  The next column over to the left has the words 

ON

 or 

OFF

, and the leftmost

column shows numbers. These numbers show the amount of control the Mod
Wheel currently exerts over the Mod 1 paths of each oscillator.

5. Move the Mod Wheel up and down while playing a note.  You should hear

vibrato on the note. Now turn soft knob 

, which is directly under the word

ENABLE

 in the display. You should see the word 

ON

 change to 

OFF

 in the first

row of the Grid.

6. Carefully turn soft knob 

, the one under the word 

SCROLL

, until you have

selected the next row of the Grid and highlighted the words Osc 2 Mod 1. Now

turn soft knob 

 again until you see the word 

ON

 change to 

OFF

 in the second row

of the Grid.