There is complexity but it’s not overwhelming. You need to dig in some, but once you do, you start to pick apart the separate modules and what they can do, and you get some flow to the sound design. It still will blow my mind once i hear the sounds, the whole is definitely more than a sum of the parts. It helps me to go over the summary sheets on the three sorts of modules toward the end of the manual.
These summaries are similar to the summary i posted up thread, just up to date.
I find the factory patches are more just examples, ideas to start a design from. The AP is really wide open to all sorts of intricacy.
The fact that it’s both a synth (with extra strength in voicing alternate controllers) and an effects box, with the stereo inputs, and is also capable to blend both these features simultaneously — that is one of its stronger features. I’ve been thinking of other equipment that can function similarly. The Zoia comes to mind. The AP has a more conventional UI, and has the computer based editor. The AP is pretty deep, i’d have to compare closely, but perhaps it is a little less extensive with its effects. Anyone have another example of a synth/effects hybrid box ?
The summaries in the manual shows the three groups of modular functions. Oscillators (page 72), Effects (page 106), and Modulators (page 131). I’ve made a lot less use of the Modulators so far, that’s where i am concentrating at the moment to learn more of how they can be used. They are:
Envelope, LFO, DAHDSR Envelope, Advanced LFO, XForm, Clamp, Wrap, Fold, Interpolate, Interpolate (4 point), Calculate, Curve, Quantize, Smooth, Accumulate, Impulse, Count, Time, Latch, Minimum, Maximum, Envelope Follower.
This allows for extensive alteration. The Calculate is for instance a four variable math equation, that you get to define. How exactly to use all this i’m still working out.