Snazzy FX TRACER CITY - Manual (Page 6)

distinct, which can be good for creating strange high resonance soundscapes.
One useful experiment is to turn the output volume all the way down. Set all other depth controls to zero.
Turn the depth control for the RAND section to FULL. Set the A/B switch to A. Turn the resonance to max
in LOW PASS Mode of the Filter. Turn the cutoff control to around 50 percent. Now, slowly start brining
up the output volume, so as to avoid hurting your ears or the amplifier. Even with little or no input signal,
if the resonance is turned up all the way, the pseudo random modulator should allow you to create liquidy
bleeps and bloops. Turn the RAND SPEED up and down and turn the RAND LAG up and down and see
how it effects the bleeps and bloops.
FLW SENS, FLW TIME, FLW DEPTH:
This modulator section is the ENVELOPE FOLLOWER. When first setting the TRACER CITY it is
recommended that you start with the FLW DEPTH set to zero or low amounts and then slowly start to
bring it in to see how it is working with the other sections. The reason for this is that the envelope
follower can at times over-ride the other modulator sections if you are not careful. This section listens to
the incoming signal and creates a CV (control voltage) in response to the peaks and valleys in the signals.
For certain signals, like drums, it is very easy to get it to control the cutoff of the filter in a percussive
fashion. Other input signals may take more work. The envelope filter section of the TRACER CITY, has an
UP and a DOWN mode. What this means it that it can either sweep the filter UP or sweep it DOWN. Keep
in mind that turning the FLW LAG control to the RIGHT, slows down the response of the CV and creates
far more subtle swells.
Getting the Envelope follower to work properly with the other 2 modulator sections can require a bit of
practice. One thing to watch out for is not pushing its respective SENS (sensitivity) or DEPTH control too
hard. Remember, this section responds to what is coming INTO the Tracer City. The other modulator
sections do not. Also, be aware of what filter mode you are in. Band Pass (BP) mode works very well with
the FLW section to create slow-WAH kind of sounds.
Another trick is to set the FLW section so that ONLY WHEN THE INPUT IS LOUD will it push the cutoff of
the filter UP or down enough to allow you to hear the other modulators. Often it is beneficial to start with
the other 2 modulators, pull their respective depths back a bit and then see how mixing in some of the
FLW SENS and DEPTH effects the Filter.
LP/BP/HP: Put simply these are three modes of a Filter. Each mode will suit certain input material better
than others, or put another way, will filter out different areas of the input signal. LP mode removes the
high end as you turn the cutoff to the left, the BP mode attenuates frequencies in a certain range, and the
HP mode removes the low frequencies as you turn it to the right. Turning the resonance up on the filter
makes the curve sharper and allows for a very different kind of sound. BE VERY CAREFUL at high
resonance levels without compression or over-drive, as the volume can jump from high to low very
quickly.