1 The Sylphyo at a glance

Sylphyo is an electronic wind instrument that reproduces the feeling of an acoustic wind instrument. Like them, it is played by blowing into a mouthpiece and selecting notes using keys on the front of the instrument. However, unlike other wind instruments, the Sylphyo is also sensitive to your movements, as well as the way you touch it, offering novel expressive possibilities.

To be able to hear the sound of your Sylphyo, plug it to your headphones, amp, or any other sound system. Your Sylphyo also allows you to control any hardware synthesizer or virtual instrument on your computer¹.

Your Sylphyo becomes wireless when paired to a Link receiver, which you might have already bought. This means that instead of connecting the Sylphyo directly to your sound system, computer, or synthesizer, you can connect the Link receiver instead, and use your Sylphyo freely without being bothered with cables.
Of course, nothing prevents you from using it both wired and wireless. For instance, you could use the headphones output of the Sylphyo as an in-ear monitor on stage while the Link is connected to the control booth.

1.1 Overview

1.2 What’s in the box?

Unboxing

Two accessories² are included along with your Sylphyo:

	5W charger Plug the 5W charger into a mains socket in order to charge the battery of the Sylphyo using the USB cable.
	USB cable Use the USB cable to connect the receiver device to your computer.

You might also have bought a Link wireless receiver to turn your Sylphyo into a wireless instrument. You can use the charger and USB cable to power your Link receiver, or to connect it to a computer. For more information about the Link receiver, please see the dedicated section.

1.3 First steps

When you unbox your Sylphyo, its battery might not be fully charged. Before turning it on for the first time, make sure you charge it for up to 8 hours. This ensures that the battery is not in deep discharge mode, which could prevent the instrument from functioning correctly.

Once the battery is fully charged, you can begin using your Sylphyo. Connect your headphones into the headphone output near the bell, and turn on your Sylphyo using the power-on switch just next to the headphone output.

Quick start with headphones

Then, follow the instructions that appear on the display.

Select a language using the three octave keys just below the display. The middle one acts as a ◆ (“OK”) button, while the other two act as ↑ and ↓ buttons.

Hold the Aodyo key using your left index finger.
Make sure your finger stays in contact with it until you see the main screen.

While continuing to hold the Aodyo key, swipe your right thumb from the bottom to the top of the slider to dismiss the text and enter the main screen.

When you finally reach the main screen, blow into the mouthpiece. Congratulations, you just made your first note!

In the next section, you’ll learn how to play different notes and change the timbre of your sound. But before that, let’s get to know your Sylphyo a bit better.

1.4 What is there to see?

The display of your Sylphyo provides you with three main screens that provide you with all the relevant information to perform and configure it according to your needs.

1.4.1 Performance screen

This is where you will spend most of your time. You can see a quick recap of your performance parameters, such as the base key, the current sound, or the currently played note. You can also have a quick glance at important information about your Sylphyo, such as battery life or wireless status.

1.4.2 Quick settings

Holding the Aodyo key while in the performance screen moves you to Quick settings, which we designed to allow you to very quickly change your performance parameters (base key, sound selection, and MIDI channel) during your performance, without even having to look at your screen. More parameters (volume, and breath intensity CC) can be selected by simply tapping on the slider with your right thumb.

1.4.3 Settings menu

Holding the Aodyo key while swiping your thumb from the bottom to the top of the slider moves you to the Settings menu, where you can customize many aspects of your Sylphyo, from the fingerings to the way it responds to your movements.

1.5 What is there to touch?

The following explains the different keys and touchable elements you can interact with.

1.6 What is it, exactly?

Your Sylphyo is a musical instrument: it is a tool that turns your gestures into sounds. Once you learn how to play it, it becomes an extension of your mouth and hands, allowing you to convey emotions and intentions in a musical form, respecting most nuances you put into playing.

Your Sylphyo can also be a controller: when it processes input from its various sensors (breath, inertial, capacitive…), it determines what you are doing, and then can send orders (e.g., start playing a soft C note) to a software or hardware synthesizer that processes these orders and produces sounds. These orders are formatted as messages in the MIDI communication protocol, an industry standard for more than 30 years. Most synths understand MIDI, so you can really control almost anything that produces sound using the Sylphyo.

With the Link receiver, your Sylphyo is also wireless: what the Sylphyo interprets from your gestures is continuously transmitted from the Sylphyo to the Link receiver through radio waves (typically in less than a millisecond), and the Link receiver turns that into sound and into MIDI messages, that it then passes on to your computer, smartphone, tablet, or hardware synth, which then produces sound. When using internal sounds, the whole process does not take more than a few milliseconds, and when using MIDI it should take between 5 and 20 milliseconds (gesture-to-sound), depending on the computer, device, or synth at the receiving end.

Finally, your Sylphyo is future-proof: it is designed so that you can benefit from further software and hardware improvements³. Updates to the internal software are free, designed for all existing Sylphyo units, and you can download them on our website. In the future, you will also be able to buy an active mouthpiece with extra sensors for even more expressiveness.

2 Playing the Sylphyo

Like any wind instrument, your Sylphyo is played by blowing air into its mouthpiece. Your breath then flows through the body of the instrument, which produces sound as a result. Although the Sylphyo has a very different way of making sound compared to acoustic instruments, it has been designed to be played just like one.
If you are familiar with wind instruments, feel free to skip the first few subsections.

2.1 Playing position

Grab your Sylphyo with your left hand, and put your right thumb below the thumbrest. Then, place the fingers of your left hand on the four topmost note keys, and place the fingers of your right hand on the remaining four bottom keys. In the base playing position, your left thumb should touch the middle octave key.

Holding the Sylphyo

2.2 Breath control

Now, place the mouthpiece between your lips, and gently blow into it. You should hear a sound coming out of your headphones. Don’t worry if you don’t really like what you hear, because your Sylphyo can play several different sounds, and you’ll soon learn how to play them.

When you blow more air, the sound intensifies, and when you blow more lightly, its intensity decreases. When you stop blowing, the sound stops.
Take a moment to appreciate the relationship between how hard you blow and how intense the sound is. You should notice that the way you breathe has an impact on the timbre of the instrument: loud notes seem brighter, and soft notes seem darker.

Even if the sound sometimes seems to linger or reverberate for a bit after you stop blowing, your breath is its fuel: it provides it with energy, makes it exist, and keeps it going. Using your breath, you can shape a note a bit like you would brush a stroke on a canvas: during your gesture, you determine exactly how and where you want to apply your ink to the painting⁴. There are many ways to shape a note. Let’s try some of them:

	Short and long Try several note durations, from really short notes to really long ones.
	Soft and loud Try to make a soft note, then a really soft one, and finally a really loud one that becomes a little more muted at the end.
	Crescendo and descrescendo Start by making a really soft note, then increase its intensity in a very gradual way. Stay at the loudest for a moment, then make it softer and softer until it vanishes.
	Tremolo Try maintaining a note for a second, then use your throat to softly oscillate the amount of air.
	Staccato Have you paid attention at how you use your throat and tongue when playing a note? Some people naturally do fuu, while others do tuu, duu or kuu, but all have a different effect on your sound. Try them all to see how they more or less detach each note from the other.
	Flutter-tonguing Rolling the “R”s, or flutter-tonguing, has a dramatic effect on the sound, but should be used sparingly.

Different ways to shape a note

Now that you can shape notes and create rhythm, let’s focus on how you can apply melody.

2.3 Fingerings

When you are in the playing position, each of your fingers is assigned to a specific note key, and your left thumb touches any of the five octave keys above the thumbrest.

First, touch all the note keys in the front except the one under your left little finger. Also touch the middle octave key on the back of your Sylphyo using your left thumb.
To represent this particular fingering, we’ll use the notation XxxxOxxxX (or XxxxOxxxX in textual form).

If you blow into the mouthpiece, you will hear a C note on the third octave (C3).

Then, raise your right little finger (XxxxOxxxO), and blow into the mouthpiece again: you now hear a D3.

Continue raising your fingers one by one, from bottom to top, blowing into the mouthpiece each time so as to hear the notes you play. When only your left index finger remains in the front of the Sylphyo (XxooOoooO), you are playing a B3.

Finally, raise your left index and touch the left middle finger key (XoxoOoooO), then blow into the mouthpiece: you just ended the C major scale with a C4 (C note on the fourth octave).

Playing the C major scale

The fingerings are very close to the modern recorder, and if you are familiar with it you will quickly be able to play any note in the chromatic scale. There is one addition though: the left little finger key raises any note by a semitone (for example, C3 will become Db3).

One of the later sections of this guide describes all the available fingering modes.

2.4 Shake vibrato

To emphasize specific notes in your melody, you might want to apply vibrato while playing. Vibrato is a common performance technique where the played pitch slightly varies in a periodic fashion, introducing a feeling of movement and expression.

To make a vibrato, repeatedly and slightly shake your Sylphyo away from and towards your mouth while playing a note.

Using shake vibrato

Usually, electronic instruments only allow you to control vibrato at a fixed rate or intensity, but with shake vibrato you can control all aspects of your vibrato. Just vary the speed at which you shake the instrument.

2.5 Inertial mode

Using inertial mode, you can also make music without blowing into it, just by moving your Sylphyo around.

	Shake to move Activate the inertial mode by gently, but firmly shaking your Sylphyo from top to bottom (shake-to-move), while maintaining contact with the slider using your thumb. You should see a white line with the caption INERTIAL MODE on the bottom edge of the performance screen.
	Tilt for slow variations Now, slowly tilt your Sylphyo from the vertical to the horizontal position. You should start hearing sound at a 45° angle, and it should reach its maximum intensity when the Sylphyo is horizontal. In inertial mode, the elevation angle of your Sylphyo (how you tilt it) always replaces the intensity of your breath in the control of sounds.
	Shake for fast attacks Tilting is fine for slow variations, but you can also produce fast attacks using the same gesture that activates inertial mode: shaking the Sylphyo from top to bottom. The intensity of the attack will be proportional to the velocity of your movement.

To stop inertial mode, just blow into the Sylphyo.

Using inertial mode

2.6 Elevation, roll, and compass control

Aside from inertial mode, you can also move your Sylphyo around while playing to get all kinds of different effects on your sound.

	Elevation control Elevation control works just like in inertial mode (by tilting your Sylphyo), but instead of replacing your breath it modulates sound in a certain way, which depends on the sound you’ve chosen.
	Roll control Roll control is an additional way to access a second kind of sound modulation. It only works when you already play a note, and the roll angle is relative to the position of the Sylphyo when starting to play the note.
	Compass control There is also a third way to modulate sound: compass control, which behaves like roll, but takes the direction you’re heading to (when the Sylphyo is horizontal) instead of the roll angle. It can be useful to control a third kind of sound modulation in your own synths and virtual instruments, but you must enable it first in the Settings menu.

Using elevation and roll

2.7 The slider

Elevation and roll control are spectacular, and body movements are very nice to add visual expression to your performance, but sometimes you want more intimate ways to control and shape your sound. This is what the slider is for. Usually, your right thumb is placed just below the thumbrest and presses against the top of the slider.

While playing, move your thumb along the surface underneath the thumbrest, and listen how it affects the sound. The effect should be different depending on where you start touching the slider.

	Sliding from the top If you start touching the top edge of the slider, just below the thumbrest, and then slightly roll your thumb downwards, the current note bends downwards, until you release the slider.
	Sliding from the middle If you start touching between the top and bottom edges, and then move your thumb along the entire surface, the Sylphyo modulates its timbre. The actual effect depends on which sound you’re using, and the timbre will stay that way when you stop touching the slider.
	Sliding from the bottom If you start touching the bottom edge of the slider, and then move your thumb along the entire surface, you enable an effect that depends on which sound you’re using. For most sounds of the Sylphyo, it will enable you to play portamento: when you go from a note to another, the time it takes to smoothly transition between both depends on how far you’ve travelled from the bottom edge of the slider.

Using the slider

2.8 Changing sounds

The sound you’ve been playing with is called MacGuffin, but there are several others to try.

To change to another sound, hold the Aodyo key using your left index finger, and press the middle octave key ◆ using your left thumb. You will see the name of the current sound on the screen. Keep holding Aodyo + ◆, and use your right thumb to press the + and - settings key to switch to the next or previous sound, respectively. Once you’re done selecting your sound, just release the Aodyo key and start playing.

Changing sounds

Having different sounds is exciting because you’ll notice it can completely change how you play the instrument. Some will encourage you to use breath control techniques, while others will leverage your movement skills. The following video should give you a good idea of the various tones and styles you can achieve with the first sounds.

Overview of the first seven sounds

You will find a complete description of all the internal sounds in one of the later sections.

2.9 Adjusting breath resistance

If you find your Sylphyo doesn’t offer enough resistance to your breath, you can adjust its air exhaust size at the bell and change its breath settings.

In order to make this process easier, we sell a breath adjustment kit with three plugs offering different resistances. You can also 3D-print them yourself by getting our STL files on Thingiverse.

2.9.1 Overview

Our kit offers three numbered plugs, drilled to different diameters. The higher the force, the quicker the pressure increases while breathing into the Sylphyo.

These plugs change the volume of air needed to produce a sound with the same breath settings. Therefore, plug #3, which requires less air, will avoid the feeling of breathlessness that can occur when using a Sylphyo without a plug. But it can also give the impression that not enough air is passing. Plugs #1 and #2 offer intermediate sizes so as to find the perfect tradeoff for your needs.

Together with different breath settings (minimum, range, curve), these plugs will allow you to explore new playing possibilities: precision, nuance, technique, etc.

2.9.2 Setup

Insert the plug manually into the air exhaust hole located at the bell. The plug is removed the same way.

It is recommended to setup your Sylphyo in correlation with the characteristics of the plug used. To this end, just go to the Settings menu, in the Breath section, and change the settings according to the following table:

3 Using the Sylphyo as a controller

3.1 Quick start using a Windows or macOS computer

Connect your Sylphyo directly to a USB port of your computer using the included USB cable. No drivers are required: it is immediately recognized as a standard USB-MIDI peripheral.

To allow you to get playing as quickly as possible, we created Sylphyo Bench, a small application for Windows and macOS⁵ with five different sounds that are setup to respond well with the Sylphyo. Even if you already own other virtual instruments, you may want to keep this application handy if you want to quickly test your computer configuration or identify potential problems.

Download the Sylphyo Bench application corresponding to your operating system:

• Windows: downloads.aodyo.com/sylphyo/sylphyo-bench-win.zip
• macOS: downloads.aodyo.com/sylphyo/sylphyo-bench-osx.zip

You may then have to unzip the archive before you can open the application.

You should be able to play right away and see the on-screen controls update according to what you play.

If not, make sure the MIDI input at the top of the window is set to Sylphyo. If you don’t see it on the list, make sure your Sylphyo is plugged to a USB port on your computer, then hit the Refresh button before selecting the MIDI input again.

If the application reacts to your Sylphyo but doesn’t make any sound, you might have to select appropriate audio settings at the bottom of the window. First verify that the Driver and Output are set to appropriate values, and click the speaker icon at the bottom left corner if it becomes dark. You can also adjust the volume control slider underneath if necessary.

If you hear a delay between your actions and the resulting sound, you may have to tweak Buffer sizes. Put the same number in both boxes, ideally 128, 64, or 32 samples. Note that there is always a tradeoff with audio buffer sizes: they should not be too high (or else there will be a delay between your breath and the sound), but they should not be too low either (or else you will hear cracking noises).

3.2 Quick start with an iOS smartphone or tablet

You can also use the Sylphyo to control sounds generated from any iOS app on your iDevice (iPhone, iPod, or iPad). However, you will need to get Apple’s official Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.

First, connect the adapter to a power source, such as a USB charger or a portable power bank. Then, connect the powered adapter to the Lightning port of your iDevice. Now, turn on your Sylphyo but do not use it. Instead, plug it to the powered adapter using the included USB cable.

Now that your Sylphyo is connected to your iDevice, you now need an app with sounds to control. Garageband is free and responds well to breath control.

If Garageband is not already installed, download it from the App Store. Once Garageband is open, select a Keyboard track. Then, tap the downwards arrow in the upper left corner of the screen, and select the last item of the menu (Grand Piano in the image below).

Then, go to Synth Leads and select Retro Lead. You can now play your Sylphyo and you will hear the sound coming out of your iDevice.

Garageband has many other interesting sounds in the Synth Leads section, as well as in the Alchemy Synth, Synth Bass, and Others section. The latter contains brass and woodwind sounds as well.

Besides Garageband, you can find other iOS apps that work out of the box with the Sylphyo, such as Yamaha Synth Book (free, select AN2015 to access 128 synth sounds such as 07 Odyssolo) and bismark bs-16i (paid). In addition, there are many more paid iOS apps that can be quickly setup to accept most MIDI messages sent by the Sylphyo (mainly the one controlled by breath intensity, CC11): Thumbjam, Propellerhead Thor, Yonac Kauldron, iProphet and other Arturia synth apps, Korg apps such as iM1, iWavestation, and ODYSSEi, iGear Instruments Laplace… See below for details on how to configure them.

3.3 Setting up virtual instruments and apps to work with the Sylphyo

Your Sylphyo is automatically recognized as a standard USB-MIDI device by your computer, smartphone, or tablet, hence you can directly use any virtual instrument (VSTi, Audio Unit, app…) that accepts MIDI.

However, many virtual instruments are not made for wind controllers and might not respond to your breath and to the other controls. In this case, you might need to assign some of their parameters to the MIDI messages sent by the Sylphyo.

See the documentation of your virtual instrument or plugin host to learn how to control parameters through MIDI. Usually, a MIDI Learn function will allow you to visually select a parameter, and then to send the MIDI message (usually a MIDI CC) you’d like to assign to this parameter.

To facilitate the mapping of a specific control of the Sylphyo through MIDI Learn, go to the Settings menu in the MIDI Mappings section, select the relevant control using ↑/↓ or the slider, and blow into your Sylphyo to send only the corresponding MIDI message.

Without MIDI Learn, you will have to enter the MIDI message manually. At the end of this section, you will find a summary table of the MIDI messages sent by your Sylphyo that you can map to parameters of your virtual instrument.

We have successfully used the following virtual instruments and audio workstations with the Sylphyo:

Audio Modeling / SWAM (audiomodeling.com, paid)

We highly recommend the Audio Modeling instruments based on their SWAM engine. They offer very realistic and tremendously expressive control of many classical instruments (saxophones, flutes, clarinets, double reeds, brass instruments, violin and other stringed instruments…). For the best effect with SWAM instruments, please follow our recommendations at the end of this section.

Garageband (apple.com, free, Mac only) and Logic Pro (paid)

Most included virtual instruments work out of the box.

Massive (native-instruments.com, paid, demo available)

Use MIDI Learn to assign breath intensity and other controls to sound parameters.

Live (ableton.com, paid, 30-day trial available)

Many Live instruments can be controlled using the Sylphyo if you use Aftertouch instead of MIDI CC 11 (see the MIDI Mappings section of the Settings menu). Some instruments, such as Operator or Wavetable, require that you manually map Aftertouch to volume and/or filter frequency, for example.

Reason (propellerheads.se, paid, 30-day trial available)

The Subtractor synth has a Ext. Mod section where you can directly assign breath intensity (select Expr) to variations of sound intensity (Amp) or timbre (F. Freq). To control other synths, use a RPG-8 arpeggiator and route the relevant CV outputs to another device’s inputs (especially Expression CV Out). If needed, split outputs using one or more Spider CV.

3.4 Default MIDI mappings and general recommendations

Your Sylphyo assumes a default pitch-bend range of ±2 semitones.

The following table summarizes the MIDI messages sent by the Sylphyo for each of the parameters you control, with the default mapping (although you may have to enable some of these parameters first). You can always change these messages in the MIDI Mappings section of the Settings menu.

If you cannot use these mappings (e.g., with a simple Soundfont expander or sample-based synthesizer), you can at least configure the Sylphyo to use dynamic velocity: the velocity of the MIDI notes you play will be commensurate to the intensity of your breath at the beginning of the note. To do so, go to the MIDI Mappings section of the Settings menu, and set the Velocity parameter to Dynamic.

3.5 Playing the SWAM virtual instruments

Audio Modeling’s SWAM Engine virtual instruments are arguably one of the best options out there if you’re looking for realistic reproductions of the beautiful acoustic sound of traditional wind and string instruments.

However, because they’re designed to be played live and support many different controllers, they offer a large number of settings that can be difficult to master. And while the default settings are perfectly fine when starting to play with the Sylphyo, a tailored setup makes a world of difference in realism, expressiveness, playability, and enjoyment.

Here is a recap of our preferred settings (only those that change from the defaults), both on the SWAM virtual instrument and on the Sylphyo.

The main thing to keep in mind when configuring and playing the SWAM virtual instruments is that dynamics (i.e., the breath intensity) should work like in traditional instruments: when playing mezzoforte, the breath CC value should be near the middle of the dynamic range (or a bit lower), not near the maximum.

Just like in a traditional instrument, you should have to exert a high effort to be able to play fortissimo (that’s why I recommend to set the Sylphyo’s breath range to the maximum you can tolerate, and to set all expression curves to Linear).

If you feel it’s too quiet with these settings, then increasing the volume of your sound system is better than decreasing the dynamic range.

3.5.1 Setting up your SWAM virtual instrument

These settings can generally be applied to any SWAM engine virtual instrument (Flute, Oboe, Saxophone, Cello…), however some options are only featured in a few instruments and not others. We also differentiate some settings between the Winds and the Strings.

Don’t forget to save your settings to be able to reuse them later!

3.5.1.1 Main screen

• Attack sens.: Express
  This allows you to nuance the intensity of sound only with your breath.
• PB U/D: ±2.0 (Pitch-bend)
  This matches the pitch-bend range of the Sylphyo.
• Transit. time / Port. time: CC
  This is not used on the Sylphyo now, but maybe in a future update.
• Expr.Rel.Stop: OFF (Strings only)
  This way, pianissimo notes sound right away.
• Compressor: 1
  Ensures the maximum volume difference between pianissimo and fortissimo.

3.5.1.2 Options

• Expression Curve: Lin 0 (Ex 0.7 for Strings)
  This way, the amount of breath you produce to play mezzoforte notes stays in the first half of the dynamic range.
• Env Attack Speed: 10.0 (Strings only)
  This enables you to play tremolos by flutter-tonguing.
• KS Oct.Transp.: Off
  Disables the key-switch functionality that might get in your way while playing.
• Attack Start: 2
  Set 4 for the lowest latency, and set 0 to get more realistic attacks.
• Expr. Trigger Mode: Off
  This way, pianissimo notes sound right away.
• Breath ppp: On
  This makes the sound more realistic, and allows you to better utilize the pianissimo part of the breath range.

3.5.1.3 MIDI Mapping (for the Winds only)

This is only for the Winds family.

• Expression: CC 11
  This maps to the intensity of your breath.
• Vibrato Depth: Not mapped
  This disables the automatic vibrato. Use Shake vibrato instead.
• Harmonic Structure: CC 76
  This maps to roll control. It slightly changes the sound depending on your posture.
• Growl: CC 1
  This maps to the slider. It allows you to make growling sounds when you slide downwards from the middle (get back to a clean sound by sliding upwards from the middle).
• Formant: CC 75
  This maps to elevation control. It adds a bit of brillance when your Sylphyo is horizontal, and makes the sound darker when it is vertical.
• OverBlow (ON OFF): CC 13
  This maps to the bottom edge of the slider. It offers a transient way to do overblowing.

3.5.1.4 MIDI Mapping (for the Strings only)

This is only for the Strings family.

• Expression: CC 11
  This maps to the intensity of your breath.
• Vibrato Depth: Not mapped
  This disables the automatic vibrato. Use Shake vibrato instead.
• Accent: CC 76
  This maps to roll control. It slightly changes the sound depending on your posture.
• BowPressure: CC 1, from 64 to 127
  This maps to the slider. It allows you to make scratching sounds when you slide downwards from the middle (get back to a clean sound by sliding upwards from the middle).
  Alternatively, assign CC 1, from 0 to 127, to Play Mode instead if you’d like to switch to Pizzicato and Col Legno playing during your performance.
• Bow Position: CC 75, from 64 to 0
  This maps to elevation control. It positions the bow further from or closer to the bridge, adding a bit of brillance when your Sylphyo is horizontal.
• Harmonics: CC 13
  This maps to the bottom edge of the slider. It offers a transient way to perform two levels of harmonics.

3.5.2 Settings on the Sylphyo

All these settings can be found in the Settings menu. Please note that while the following settings will improve your experience with SWAM virtual instruments, they might not be good for playing with some other virtual instruments. Also, make sure you are on the last version of the internal software.

3.5.2.1 MIDI Mapping

• Breath > Breath rate: Medium to Maximum
  This depends on the processing power of your computer; the higher the better. This allows flutter-tonguing and other very quick effects to be played with higher fidelity by SWAM virtual instruments.
• Velocity: 127
  This disables dynamic velocity, which introduces a very slight delay and is not needed with SWAM virtual instruments.

3.5.2.2 Breath

• Range: 800 to 3000
  Set this to the highest possible value that doesn’t make you breathless. If you want to increase air resistance to get closer to, e.g., a saxophone feel, cover part of the hole in the bell with some adhesive tape.
• Curve: Linear
  You might prefer the default Log curve, but Linear allows you to play pianissimo to mezzoforte comfortably in the first half of the dynamic range of the SWAM virtual instruments, and to be still able to go up to fortissimo if you put in extra effort.

3.5.2.3 Keys

• Key-bend (BETA): Disabled (Enabled for Strings)
  It is more useful to be able to bend both sides on the Strings, but perfect key-bends are a bit difficult to perform.
• Key noise (BETA): if you like it, Enabled (Disabled for Strings)
  With the SWAM winds, this allows you to make key noises without even blowing, just by touching the keys of the Sylphyo.
  If you set this and find key noise volume too high, set Key noise to 0 or 1 in the main screen of your SWAM virtual instrument.

4 The Link receiver

The Link turns your Sylphyo into a wireless instrument, allowing you to plug it to an amp, a mixer, or a hi-fi system while you play a few meters away, without being bothered by wires. In addition, it makes your Sylphyo a wireless MIDI controller for your computer, smartphone, tablet, or hardware synthesizer.

But it is also very useful on its own. You can use the Link as a USB-MIDI router to connect MIDI devices to your computer, or use it as a synthesizer and play its sounds using another MIDI or USB-MIDI controller.

4.1 Overview

4.1.1 Front panel

4.1.2 Rear panel

4.2 Pairing with a Sylphyo

Connect the Link to the mains using the included USB cable and charger. The cable must be connected to the smaller USB power supply port of the Link.

Then, turn on your Link using the power-on switch, and turn on your Sylphyo as well. If the Link displays a green light (paired Link light), then they are already paired (i.e., they already know each other), and you can skip the rest of this subsection.

Else, you will need to initiate pairing on both sides before being able to use your Sylphyo wirelessly. Each side will then look for a counterpart that is available, and once they have found each other they will remember their association.

First, on the Link side, press both ▲ and ▼ at the same time to start the pairing process. The light will become yellow (pairing Link light) until the Link has found an available Sylphyo.

Then, on your Sylphyo, go to the settings menu by holding the Aodyo key while swiping your thumb from the bottom to the top of the slider. Make sure the Wireless (Link) item is checked, and select the Receiver device item just below to start the pairing process from the Sylphyo side. The icon of the menu item should become (pairing symbol) until the Sylphyo has found an available Link.

A few moments after, you should see the light changing to green (paired Link light) on your Link, and the icon changing to (paired symbol) on your Sylphyo: your Sylphyo and Link are paired!
If not, just restart the pairing process again.

From the moment your Sylphyo and Link are paired, they will constantly look for each other. If your Sylphyo doesn’t find your Link, it will display the (unpaired symbol) icon. If your Link doesn’t find your Sylphyo, it will display a red light (unpaired Link light).

Pairing with the Link receiver

4.3 Playing wirelessly using the internal sounds

If your Sylphyo and Link receiver are paired, you can now play wirelessly.

Connect the Link to a power supply. Then, connect it to an amp, a mixer, a hi-fi system, or any speakers or sound system, using either the headphone output port or the line output ports (the sound will be louder when using the headphone output port).

Finally, turn on your Link and your Sylphyo, and play. In addition to hearing sound, you should see the indicator light responding to your breath.

Quick start with the Link receiver

From then on, to use your Sylphyo wirelessly as a controller, you can connect your Link to any other equipment you would have directly connected your Sylphyo to, and it will transparently convey what you play on your Sylphyo.

4.4 Playing wirelessly with a computer

Connect the included USB cable to the smaller USB power supply port of the Link, connect the other end to a USB port on your computer, and turn on your Link. As with the Sylphyo, no drivers are required, and it should be immediately recognized as a standard USB-MIDI peripheral.

You can use Sylphyo Bench or any virtual instrument just like you would do when the Sylphyo is connected directly. Just turn on your Sylphyo and you can start playing.

Quick start with a PC/Mac computer

Note that the Link shows up in your computer as three different MIDI input/output ports in the following order:

• Sylphyo. This is the wireless MIDI input and output to your Sylphyo.
• MIDI DIN. This represents the two MIDI DIN ports on the rear panel of your Link, which you can use to communicate with other hardware.
• USB-MIDI Host. This represents the USB-MIDI device, if any, connected to the USB host port of your Link.

4.5 Playing wirelessly with an iOS smartphone or tablet

Playing wirelessly with an iOS smartphone or tablet is no different from playing with a direct USB connection to the Sylphyo. You still need to get Apple’s official Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.

First, turn off your Sylphyo if it is powered on. Connect the adapter to a power source, such as a USB charger or a portable power bank. Then, connect the powered adapter to the Lightning port of your iDevice, and connect your Link receiver to the powered adapter using the included USB cable. Now, turn on your Link, wait a few seconds, then turn on your Sylphyo. You should now be able to play on any music app that handles MIDI.

Quick start with an iOS smartphone or tablet

4.6 Playing wirelessly with a hardware synthesizer

You can control any MIDI-compatible hardware synthesizer with the Sylphyo+Link. However, you will need to get a MIDI cable to connect your synthesizer to the Link.

First, connect the Link to a power supply. Then, plug one end of the MIDI cable to the MIDI Out port of your Link, and plug the other end into the MIDI In port of your synth. Finally, turn on your Link and Sylphyo, as well as your synth.

You should now be able to play, but note that synthesizers specialized in wind instruments simulations need to receive breath control data on MIDI CC2, in which case you will have to change the MIDI Mapping configuration of the Sylphyo in the MIDI Mappings section of the Settings menu.

We have successfully used the following synthesizers with the Sylphyo: Waldorf Blofeld, Korg Kronos, Arturia Origin, Mutable Instruments Elements and Shruthi1. Axoloti Core, Yamaha VL-70m, and Nord Modular G2. See also the great patches at www.patchmanmusic.com.

Quick start with a MIDI synth

4.7 MIDI routing

The following diagram explains the routing between the different MIDI inputs and outputs:

5 Settings

On the Sylphyo, settings can be quickly accessed using the Aodyo key (Aodyo), which you can find in the upper part of the front of the instrument.

From the playing position, you can easily reach the Aodyo key with your left index finger. Position your left thumb near the octave keys, and position your right thumb near the slider or the settings keys.

There are two places from which you can setup the Sylphyo in various ways:

• Quick settings allow you to quickly change the base key, the MIDI channel, and other parameters.
• the Settings menu offers other, more specific but less often used parameters.

5.1 Quick settings

We designed Quick settings so that once you have learned how to operate them, you can quickly change a setting in the middle of your performance, without even having to look at the display.

Each octave key allows you to access a different Quick setting. In addition, there are two additional settings that are accessed differently.

To enter Quick settings, hold the Aodyo key, as well as the octave key corresponding to the quick setting you’d like to change (see below). To get out of Quick settings, simply stop touching the Aodyo key. When inside a Quick setting, you can adjust the value either by pressing settings keys + or -, or by sliding upwards or downwards on the slider.

To access the additional parameters (Volume and Breath intensity CC), just hold the Aodyo key and tap the slider. Perform more taps to access the other additional parameters, and adjust their value just like other quick settings.

5.2 Settings menu

The Settings menu allows you to change many parameters that are less often tuned.

To enter the Settings menu, hold the Aodyo key and swipe your thumb all the way from the very bottom to the top of the slider⁶.

Once in the menu, to select a menu item, tap the ↑ and ↓ octave keys, or slide upwards or downwards on the slider. To confirm the menu item, execute its action, or start modifying its value, press the ◆ octave key, or tap the slider.

To go back a page, tap the Aodyo key, or swipe the slider from top to bottom. To exit the Settings menu, repeatedly tap the Aodyo key, or swipe the slider from top to bottom while holding the Aodyo key.

The following will recapitulate the different sections of the Settings menu.

5.2.1 Sound

This is where you can setup the internal sounds of the Sylphyo and Link.

Volume

Set the volume of the internal sounds.

Default: 80%

Reverb

Adjust the general level of reverb in all internal sounds.

Default: 100%

5.2.2 MIDI Mappings

This is where you review or select which MIDI messages (e.g., MIDI CC) are sent by the Sylphyo for every gesture you can make while playing.

Breath

Set the MIDI message (CC or Aftertouch) sent in response to the intensity of your breath. If no MIDI message is selected, then the Sylphyo will not send anything regarding breath and will send MIDI note messages every time a new note is selected using the note keys.

Default: CC 11 (Expression)

Velocity

Set the velocity value sent with every note. You can select any fixed velocity value from 1 to 127, or select Dynamic if you want the Sylphyo to set velocity based on the intensity of your breath.

Default: 127

Slider ctrl.

Set the MIDI CC sent when moving the thumb across the slider.

Default: CC 1

Top slider ctrl.

Set the MIDI CC sent when moving the thumb across the slider, if the slide has begun on the top edge of the slider and a Top edge slider function is set in the Slider section.

Default: CC 12

Btm. slider ctrl.

Set the MIDI CC sent when moving the thumb across the slider, if the slide has begun on the bottom edge of the slider and a Bottom edge slider function is set in the Slider section.

Default: CC 13

Elevation ctrl.

Set the MIDI CC sent when varying the elevation angle of the Sylphyo if the Elevation control option is set in the Movement section.

Default: CC 75

Roll ctrl.

Set the MIDI CC sent when varying the roll angle of the Sylphyo if the Roll control option is set in the Movement section.

Default: CC 76

Compass ctrl.

Set the MIDI CC sent when varying the compass direction of the Sylphyo if the Compass control option is set in the Movement section.

Default: CC 77

Key-bend ctrl.

Set the MIDI CC sent when performing a key-bend on the keys of the Sylphyo if the Key-bend (BETA) option is set to Control in the Keys section.

Default: CC 78

Note-off delay

Set the time before a note-off MIDI message is sent. Increasing the delay will help the Sylphyo send no more MIDI note messages than is necessary, but might prevent the MIDI flow from accurately describing dead notes and flutter-tongues. Decreasing the delay will help polyphonic synthesizers better understand the MIDI flow from the Sylphyo.

Default: 10ms

5.2.3 Breath

This section allows you to setup the breath sensor of the Sylphyo.

Minimum

Set the minimum amount of breath intensity (in arbitrary units, between 0 and 3000) that will trigger a note start. Usually, you might want to decrease the minimum to get the fastest response, or to increase it to avoid spurious notes.

Default: 20

Range

Set the dynamic range of breath intensity (in arbitrary units, between 0 and 3000). A lower value allows you to reach the maximum note intensity with less air, while a higher value allows you more precise control of the breath response.

Default: 600

Curve

Set the curve of the breath response, between Linear (more realistic), Logarithmic (faster response with less breath), and Lin-log (intermediate curve).

Default: Logarithmic

Filtering

Smoothen the data of the breath sensor, while keeping reactivity intact, to avoid artifacts in some synths. If you play with a plug or cover some of the exhaust hole, you do not need this setting, and we recommended to disable it so that fast advanced techniques such as flutter-tonguing and growling can be reproduced without any issue.

Default: Enabled

5.2.4 Keys

This section allows you to change the fingerings of the Sylphyo, as well as several parameters and functions pertaining to the note keys.

Fingering

If you are used to a particular wind instrument, you can select the corresponding fingering in this list. For details on the fingerings, please see the corresponding section at the end of this guide.

Default: Recorder

Reaction time

Set the time taken to react to changes in fingering (in milliseconds, between 0ms and 79ms). Increase reaction time if you hear unintended notes when playing legato: if so, the Sylphyo reacts too fast to your finger movements. Conversely, decrease reaction time if you’d like to make faster trills and other effects.

Default: 25ms

Reaction time octaves

Set the additional time taken to react to changes in fingering when changing from one octave key to another (in milliseconds, between 0ms and 79ms). Increase reaction time if you hear unintended notes when playing legato and “crossing the break”: if so, the Sylphyo reacts too fast to your finger movements.

Default: 30ms

More sensitive

Increase sensitivity for the octave keys.

Default: Enabled

Key-bend (BETA)

When set to Pitch-bend +, allows note keys to behave like recorder tone holes with respect to pitch-bend: the amount of skin in contact with the bottommost key determines whether the note is bend upwards, and by which amount (to do so, you can either slide your finger on the key, or raise it slightly). When set to Control, the same gesture allows you to control any CC (set in the MIDI Mappings section) instead of pitch. Note that this option will soon be available for Sylphyo Pearl Limited Edition.

Default: No

Key noise (BETA)

Generate MIDI note-on/note-off messages even without breathing into the Sylphyo. This is used to hear key noise with the Audio Modeling / SWAM virtual instruments.

Default: Disabled

5.2.5 Slider

In this section, you will be able to configure the various functions of the slider.

Function

Select the main function of the slider, between None, Control (issue the control CC defined in the MIDI Mappings section during contact, and return to 0 as soon as there is no contact), Control (latch) (same, but do not return to 0), Breath (play notes using the slider instead of your breath), Pitch-bend ± (use the slider like a pitch-bend wheel), Pitch-bend + (only bend upwards), or Pitch-bend - (only bend downwards).

Default: Control (latch)

Top edge

Select the function of the slider if you start sliding by touching its top edge (just below the thumbrest).

You can choose between Nothing, Ignore slides, Control (issue the control CC defined in the MIDI Mappings section during contact, and return to 0 as soon as there is no contact), Control (latch) (same, but do not return to 0), Breath (play notes using the slider instead of your breath), Pitch-bend + (bend upwards, and return to 0 as soon as there is no contact), or Pitch-bend - (same, but bend downwards).

Default: Nothing

Bottom edge

Select the function of the slider if you start sliding by touching its bottom edge (at the end of the sliding surface). See above for a list of functions.

Default: Control

Edge size

Adjust the size of the top and bottom slider edges (in millimeters, between 2mm and 20mm).

Default: 8mm

5.2.6 Movement

In this menu, you can activate different features of the Sylphyo related to movement and inertial control.

Shake to move

Allow the activation of the inertial mode by shaking the Sylphyo once in a downwards movement, while touching the slider surface using the thumb. To exit inertial mode, just blow into the mouthpiece.

Default: Enabled

Shake vibrato

Allow the Sylphyo to interpret slight repeated shakes away from and towards your mouth as vibrato.

Default: Enabled

Elevation control

Allow the Sylphyo to send MIDI CC messages (defined in the MIDI Mappings section) corresponding to the elevation angle of the Sylphyo (altitude of the bell) when not in inertial mode.

Default: Enabled

Roll control

Allow the Sylphyo to send MIDI CC messages (defined in the MIDI Mappings section) corresponding to the roll angle of the Sylphyo (around its axis, when it is almost horizontal).

Default: Enabled

Compass control (BETA)

Allow the Sylphyo to send MIDI CC messages (defined in the MIDI Mappings section) corresponding to the compass direction of the Sylphyo (where it is heading when it is almost horizontal).

Default: Disabled

Always on

When active, there is no need to be physically touching the Sylphyo for the inertial controls (shake vibrato, as well as elevation, roll, and compass control) to be active.

Default: Disabled

5.2.7 Other main menu items

Base key

Change the reference note of the Sylphyo.

Default: C3

Output

Select the MIDI channel to which the Sylphyo sends its MIDI messages.

Default: MIDI Channel 1

Invert display

Select this item to switch between a white-on-black and a black-on-white display.

En français

Select this item to switch the Sylphyo to the French language.

Wireless (Link)

Disable this item to prevent the Sylphyo from sending any wireless data.

Receiver device

Select this item to pair the Sylphyo with a Link.

Diagnostics

Display some information (such as the version of the internal software and various sensor values) that our technical support might want to get in order to troubleshoot your Sylphyo.

Reset

Perform a factory reset. This changes all the settings of your Sylphyo to the default ones.

6 Sounds

6.1 MacGuffin

Bright, brassy, inconspicuous, yet surprisingly able to sustain even the most trancey of anthems when least expected.

• 

  Slider

  Timbre

  Thickens the sound in a “trance” fashion.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  High-pass filter

  Thins the sound.
• 

  Roll

  Filter resonance

  Adds a “wow” quality to attacks.

Sylphyo Sounds: MacGuffin

6.2 Daphnis Flute

A windy flute equally suitable for light folk melodies, ambient music, and huge bass lines.

• 

  Slider

  Bass voice

  Adds a bass voice.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Fife voice

  Adds a high-pitched voice.
• 

  Elevation

  Reverb

  Emphasizes the reverberation effect.
• 

  Roll

  Less air

  Removes air noise.

Sylphyo Sounds: Daphnis Flute

6.3 House of Chords

A collection of various organ flavors to morph between, with the ability to perform chord progressions. Especially good for deep house, blues, or funk grooves.

• 

  Slider

  Chord

  Play a chord instead of a single note: min, min7, min9, 7#5, 7, maj9, maj7, maj, 5, detune.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Timbre

  Morphs between 12 different timbres.
• 

  Roll

  Filter resonance

  Adds a “wow” and ringing quality to the sound.

Sylphyo Sounds: House of Chords

6.4 Meow

A saw-style sound that can be turned into trenchant bass lines, screaming acid patterns, and delicate melodies. Extremely responsive to different breathing and tonguing attacks. Even starts meowing when movement is involved.

• 

  Slider

  Brilliance

  Adds brightness to the sound.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Harmonics

  Makes the sound scream.
• 

  Roll

  Harmonics tuning

  Detunes the screaming part of the sound up to a major third higher, with max. brilliance.

Sylphyo Sounds: Meow

6.5 Sync Asset

Classic “hard sync” synth tone for funky leads or fat bass sounds, with all the richness and timbral evolution possibilities at your fingertips.

• 

  Slider

  Sync envelope

  Controls how the sync effect evolves.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Sync amount

  Emphasizes the sync effect.
• 

  Roll

  Pulse width

  Thins the sound.

Sylphyo Sounds: Sync Asset

6.6 Soyuz LT

A pure, soft sound for ethereal moods, space FX, and sub basses, made of cosmic waves that either untangle or unite in response to your gestures and movement.

• 

  Slider

  Brilliance

  Adds brightness to the sound.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Reverb / Timbre

  Emphasizes the reverberation effect; with brilliance, changes timbre.
• 

  Roll

  Timbre

  With brilliance, changes timbre even more.

Sylphyo Sounds: Soyuz LT

6.7 Corroboree

The sound of tribes from ancient to modern ages. By the power of your breath and tonguing, the wind can become an ethnic percussion, a spirit catcher, or a hardcore kick.

• 

  Slider

  Overdrive

  Adds distortion to the sound.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Reverb diffusion

  Turns reverberation into echoes.
• 

  Elevation

  Reverb

  Emphasizes the reverberation effect.
• 

  Roll

  Reverb damping

  Darkens the reverb and adds echoes.

Sylphyo Sounds: Corroboree

6.8 Chalumeau

This physical model inspired by the ancestor of the clarinet will lead you from the rich and warm sounds of folk melodies to more psychedelic sounds.

• 

  Slider

  Reed stiffness

  Makes sound richer, but harder to control.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Brilliance

  Adds brightness to the sound.
• 

  Roll

  Inharmonicity

  Creates weird intervals and beating tones.

Sylphyo Sounds: Chalumeau

6.9 Chameleon Bass

A classic synth sound straight from the 70’s. Versatile and funky, good for heavy basses and high-pitched leads.

• 

  Slider

  Brilliance

  Adds brightness to the sound.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Attack and Timbre

  Controls how attacks evolve and influence timbre.
• 

  Roll

  Filter resonance

  Emphasizes the “wow” quality of the sound.

Sylphyo Sounds: Chameleon Bass

6.10 Electro Fuse

A sound for guitar heroes, overdriven to the extreme, with plenty of feedback that you can accurately control just by moving your instrument around.

• 

  Slider

  Attenuation

  Darkens the sound.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Feedback

  Adds feedback to the distorted sound.
• 

  Roll

  Attenuation

  Darkens the sound and reduces distortion.

Sylphyo Sounds: Electro Fuse

6.11 Sylphatty

A sound inspired by legendary analog synths and their legacy, featuring breath-controlled filter sweeps and gesture-controlled screams and rattles.

• 

  Slider

  Attenuation

  Gently darkens the sound.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Sync frequency

  Controls the sync effect.
• 

  Roll

  LFO rate

  Makes the sound oscillate to the point of “rattling”.

Sylphyo Sounds: Sylphatty

6.12 Unreasonable

A dirty, gritty bass sound from the beginning of the century, with comb-filtered goodness. Please make sure to wash your hands after touching it!

• 

  Slider

  LFO rate

  Controls how fast the sound oscillates.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  LFO depth

  Controls how much the sound oscillates.
• 

  Roll

  Harmonics

  Adds high-pitched elements to the sound.

Sylphyo Sounds: Unreasonable

6.13 Justin Whistle

A sound inspired by penny whistles and other high-pitched traditional flutes, suitable for celtic music, kwela, and other kinds of folk music.

• 

  Slider

  Attenuation

  Makes the sound thinner.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Reverb

  Emphasizes the reverberation effect.
• 

  Roll

  Inharmonicity

  Creates weird intervals and beating tones.

Sylphyo Sounds: Justin Whistle

6.14 Braveheart

A bagpipe sound featuring a chanter and a slider-controlled drone, which is tuned to the last note played before activating the slider.

• 

  Slider

  Drone

  On activation, tunes the drone, and otherwise makes it louder or quieter.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Reverb

  Emphasizes the reverberation effect.
• 

  Roll

  Timbre

  Slightly changes the timbre of the chanter.

Sylphyo Sounds: Braveheart

6.15 Cheap Tunes

The retro sound of classic video games, from main themes to coin pickups, with a hint of bitcrushing. All their base are belong to you!

• 

  Slider

  Second voice

  Adds a delayed voice to the upper octave (reverts to a single note when at 100%).
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Downsampling

  Degrades and distorts the sound.
• 

  Roll

  Resolution

  Bitcrushes the sound, making it more noisy and clicky.

Sylphyo Sounds: Cheap Tunes

6.16 Vocobot

A breath-controlled voice synthesizer that simulates the production of different vowels. Great for robotic and guttural sounds.

• 

  Slider

  Vowels

  Selects a different range of vowels to morph between using breath.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Filter resonance

  Adds a “wow” and ringing quality to the sound.
• 

  Roll

  Timbre

  Darkens the sound.

Sylphyo Sounds: Vocobot

6.17 Sylphyridoo

From tribal vibes to acid leads and basses, a sound to explore with breath or movement control.

• 

  Slider

  Harmonics

  Makes harmonics more prominent.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Growl

  Makes the sound rattle.
• 

  Roll

  Timbre

  Brightens the sound.

Sylphyo Sounds: Sylphyridoo

6.18 Vagualame

Turn your Sylphyo into an ocean wave generator and control the tides with your movements.

• 

  Slider

  Tide height

  Makes the waves larger.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Swell / Wind

  Agitates the waves.
• 

  Elevation

  Swell / Wind

  Agitates the waves.
• 

  Roll

  Surf amount

  Increases spume when waves hit the land.

Sylphyo Sounds: Vagualame

6.19 Classic SineTri

An almost pure electronic sound inspired by the first analog electronic instruments.

• 

  Slider

  Waveform

  Enriches the sound by fading from a sine to a triangle waveform.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Delay

  Adds an echo effect.
• 

  Roll

  Vibrato

  Controls an automated vibrato effect.

6.20 Classic SquareSaw

A rich electronic sound inspired by analog synths, ready to be modulated and filtered.

• 

  Slider

  Waveform

  Enriches the sound by fading from a square to a saw waveform.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Depth

  Thickens the sound.
• 

  Roll

  Timbre

  Makes the sound darker by removing harmonics.

6.21 1984 Pad

A reminiscence of the iconic pad chords of the 80’s, equally suitable for sci-fi and for fluo leggings.

• 

  Slider

  Chord

  Fades between a major and minor chord.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Timbre

  Changes the harmonics of the sound.
• 

  Roll

  Chorus

  Controls the rate of a chorus effect.

Sylphyo Sounds: 1984 Pad

6.22 Antimatter Pad

An atmospheric, cinematic sound, perfect for playing slow and deep chords.

• 

  Slider

  Chord

  Fades between a major and minor chord.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Vibrato

  Controls an automated vibrato effect.
• 

  Roll

  Timbre

  Makes the third of the chord stand out.

6.23 Kokomo Drums

A tuned percussion sound, somewhere in between steel drums, xylophones, bongos, and flower shirts.

• 

  Slider

  Strike position

  Determines whether the strike happens near the center or the rim.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Timbre

  Increases attack but decreases resonance.
• 

  Elevation

  Ensemble

  Adds another pitched voice to the upper octave.
• 

  Roll

  Tension

  Increases the tension of the skin.

Sylphyo Sounds: Kokomo Drums

6.24 Boom Tschak

A modern take on the classic drum machine sounds. Pitch controls which percussion is played using breath, and movement changes its timbre.

• 

  Slider

  Kick/snare

  Fades between the family of kick, toms, rimshots and percs (0%), to that of snares and cymbals (100%).
• 

  Elevation

  Timbre

  Darkens the sound.
• 

  Roll

  Decay/distortion

  Increases resonance and adds distortion.

6.25 Deep Organs

Jazz and rock organ sounds inspired from the 70’s, to play with or without mustaches and long hair.

• 

  Slider

  Overdrive

  Distorts the sound.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Percussion

  Adjusts the level of the organ “click”.
• 

  Elevation

  Chorus / Leslie

  Adds an effect inspired from Leslie speakers.
• 

  Roll

  Vibrato

  Adds an automatic vibrato that also influences the Leslie effect.

6.26 Breathed-on Bach

Organ sounds inspired from baroque and classical music, to play with or without church.

• 

  Slider

  Timbre

  Navigates between different harmonics.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Fundamental

  Adjusts the level of the first harmonic.
• 

  Elevation

  Reverb

  Increases the level of the reverb effect.
• 

  Roll

  Vibrato

  Adds an automatic vibrato.

6.27 Da Funk

A lead sound straight from classic P-Funk albums. Free your mind… and your Sylphyo will follow!

• 

  Slider

  Timbre

  Changes the color of the resonance.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Resonance

  Adds resonance.
• 

  Roll

  Vibrato

  Adds an automatic vibrato.

6.28 The Big Blue

A dive into the world of deep sea creatures, where you can hear whales singing and moaning.

• 

  Slider

  Echo

  Accentuates the echo effect.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Drone

  Makes the sound last arbitrarily long.
• 

  Elevation

  Filter

  Removes low frequencies.
• 

  Roll

  Timbre

  Changes the timbre of the sound.

6.29 Alto Sax Phi

The first offspring of our new physical modeling technology Aodyo Phi, a model of an alto saxophone sound over 3 octaves (from C2 to C5), exclusive to the Sylphyo. Your ticket to Birdland.

• 

  Slider

  Brightness

  Makes the sound brighter (mouthpiece tip opening).
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Reverb

  Increases the level of the reverberation effect.
• 

  Elevation

  Muffling

  Attenuates high frequencies (breath noise, harmonics), useful to liven up the interpretation.
• 

  Roll

  Vibrato

  Controls an automatic vibrato effect, to complement the shake vibrato.

Sylphyo Sounds: Alto Sax Phi

6.30 Flute Phi

A model of a transverse flute over 3 octaves (from B2 to D6), made using our new Aodyo Phi physical modeling technology. Another Sylphyo exclusive that’ll leave you enchanted!

• 

  Slider

  Attack / Overblow

  Changes how attacks behave, from soft (classical music) to more noisy (jazz, ethnic music).
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Reverb

  Increases the level of the reverberation effect.
• 

  Elevation

  Tremolo

  Controls an automatic tremolo effect, to complement the shake vibrato.
• 

  Roll

  Multiphonics

  Imitates “multiphonics” techniques by adding a supplementary note to the one currently played.

Sylphyo Sounds: Flute Phi

6.31 El Harrachi Phi

An extended physical model of an Oud, a traditional plucked string instrument from the Middle East⁷, powered by our Aodyo Phi technology.

• 

  Slider

  Phaser

  Adds a slight phasing effect, especially adapted for stringed instruments.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Pluck position

  Varies the position where the string is plucked between the neck and the bridge.
• 

  Roll

  Palm mute

  Imitates a “palm mute” technique by muffling the resonance of the string.

Sylphyo Sounds: El Harrachi Phi

6.32 Laraaji Phi

A model of a Zither-like instrument resembling traditional struck string instruments like the Iranian Santur⁸, enriched with sympathetic string resonances thanks to our Aodyo Phi physical modeling technology.

• 

  Slider

  Drone

  Tunes the sympathetic strings over one octave.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Reverb

  Increases the level of the reverberation effect.
• 

  Elevation

  Balance

  Balances levels between the struck strings and the sympathetic strings.
• 

  Roll

  Attack

  Makes plucks more percussive.

Sylphyo Sounds: Laraaji Phi

6.33 Synthbrass 80’s

A classic synthbrass sound typically found in the synths from the 80’s. Can be played lead in its base position, and turns into a brass ensemble when using the slider.

• 

  Slider

  Variation

  Progressively turns the base sound into the following variations: chorus effect, brass ensemble, bigger brass ensemble, and monster synth.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Filter

  Darkens the sound.
• 

  Roll

  Vibrato

  Controls an automatic vibrato effect.

Sylphyo Sounds: Synthbrass 80’s

6.34 Resozen

An ambient sound from the Anyma Phi synth, adapted for the Sylphyo. Movement mode is highly recommended.

• 

  Slider

  Distortion

  Distorts the sounds and adds harmonics.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Portamento

  Increases the time to smoothly transition to another note.
• 

  Elevation

  Vibrato

  Controls an automatic vibrato effect.
• 

  Roll

  Resonance

  Adds a resonant effect to the sound.

Sylphyo Sounds: Resozen

6.35 Trumpet

An acoustic trumpet-like sound based on our brass physical model.

• 

  Slider

  Mute

  Gradually puts on a trumpet mute, dampening the sound.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Reverb

  Increases the level of the reverberation effect.
• 

  Elevation

  Growl

  Makes the timbre grittier when blowing harder.
• 

  Roll

  Vibrato

  Controls an automatic vibrato effect.

Sylphyo Sounds: Trumpet

6.36 Muted Trumpet

An acoustic trumpet-like sound based on our brass physical model, with a trumpet mute effect. This is another version of Trumpet with alternative mappings and response.

• 

  Slider

  Growl

  Makes the timbre grittier when blowing harder.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Reverb

  Increases the level of the reverberation effect.
• 

  Elevation

  Unmute

  Gradually removes the trumpet mute, making the sound clearer.
• 

  Roll

  Vibrato

  Controls an automatic vibrato effect.

6.37 Kalinka

A balalaika sound based on a string resonator physical model. Continuous breath control will adjust the pick tremolo effect on the string.

• 

  Slider

  High-pass filter

  Thins the sound.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Reverb

  Increases the level of the reverberation effect.
• 

  Elevation

  Tremolo speed

  Increases the time between two attacks when continuously blowing.
• 

  Roll

  Attack timbre

  Modulates the timbre of the attacks.

Sylphyo Sounds: Kalinka

6.38 Kalinka Alt

A balalaika sound based on a string resonator physical model. Continuous breath control will adjust the pick tremolo effect on the string. This is another version of Kalinka with alternative mappings.

• 

  Slider

  Tremolo

  Increases the time between two attacks when continuously blowing.
• 

  Slider from the bottom edge

  Reverb

  Increases the level of the reverberation effect.
• 

  Elevation

  High-pass filter

  Thins the sound.
• 

  Roll

  Timbre

  Modulates the timbre of the pick attacks.

7 Fingerings

7.1 Recorder

This is the default fingering of the Sylphyo. It is designed for close compatibility with soprano recorders, and includes most Baroque and German fingerings and trills up to C at the third octave, as well as some flute-compatible fingerings.

All half-open holes in soprano recorder fingerings must be played as fully open keys on the Sylphyo. In addition, the left pinky key on the Sylphyo acts as a universal # (sharp) key, adding a semitone to any fingering.

• C
  XxxxOxxxX
• C#
  XxxxXxxxX
• D
  XxxxOxxxO
• Eb
  XxxxXxxxO
• E
  XxxxOxxoS
• F
  XxxxOxosS
• F#
  XxxxOoxsS XxxxXxosS
• G
  XxxxOoooS
• G#
  XxxoOxxoS XxxxXoooO
• A
  XxxoOoooS
• Bb
  XxoxOoooS XxoxOxoxO XxooOxooS
• B
  XxooOoosS
• Cʹ
  XoxoOossS
• C#ʹ
  XoooOossS OxxoOoooO
• Dʹ
  OoxoOsssS

7.2 Clarinet

This fingering has been designed for close compatibility with Bb soprano Boehm-System clarinets, mainly in the Clarion register, with adaptations to the keys of the Sylphyo.

• C
  XxxxXxxxO
• C#
  XxxxXxxxX
• D
  XxxxOxxxO
• Eb
  XxxxOxxxX
• E
  XxxxOxxoO
• F
  XxxxOxooO
• F#
  XxxxOoxoO
• G
  XxxxOoooO
• G#
  XxxxXoooO XxxxOoxoO
• A
  XxxoOoooO
• Bb
  XxooOxooO XxxoXoooO
• B
  XxooOoooO
• Cʹ
  XoooOoooO
• C#ʹ
  XoxxOxxoO OxooOoooO
• Dʹ
  XoxxOxooS OoooOoooO
• Ebʹ
  XoxxOoxoS
• Eʹ
  XoxxOoooS
• Fʹ
  XoxxXoooS
• F#ʹ
  XoxoOoooS
• Gʹ
  XoxoOxxoS XxooOxxoO

7.3 Flute

This fingering has been designed for close compatibility with C concert (transverse) flutes, with adaptations to the keys of the Sylphyo. It includes most usual fingerings from the first octave. In addition, it extends fingerings of the beginning of the second octave (without the left index finger) up to the high A, which needs to be performed without the thumb.

• C
  XxxxOxxxX
• C#
  XxxxXxxxX
• D
  XxxxOxxxO
• Eb
  XxxxXxxxO
• E
  XxxxOxxoS
• F
  XxxxOxooS
• F#
  XxxxOooxS XxxxOoxsS
• G
  XxxxOoooS
• G#
  XxxxXoooS
• A
  XxxoOoooS
• Bb
  XxooOxooS
• B
  XxooOoooS
• Cʹ
  OxooOoooS XoxoOoooS
• C#ʹ
  SoooOoooS SoxxOxxxX
• Dʹ
  XoxxOxxxO
• Ebʹ
  XoxxXxxxO
• Eʹ
  XoxxOxxoS
• Fʹ
  XoxxOxooS
• F#ʹ
  XoxxOooxS SoxxOoxoS
• Gʹ
  XoxxOoooS
• G#ʹ
  XoxxXoooS
• Aʹ
  OoxoOoooS

7.4 Flute (alt.)

This alternative flute fingering changes the right little finger key from a low C key to a low Eb key. In other words, performing XxxxOxxxX will not result in a C but in an Eb note.

• C
  XxxxXxxxO
• C#
  XxxxXxxxX
• D
  XxxxOxxxO
• Eb
  XxxxOxxxX
• E
  XxxxOxxoS
• F
  XxxxOxooS
• F#
  XxxxOooxS XxxxOoxsS
• G
  XxxxOoooS
• G#
  XxxxXoooS
• A
  XxxoOoooS
• Bb
  XxooOxooS
• B
  XxooOoooS
• Cʹ
  OxooOoooS XoxoOoooS
• C#ʹ
  SoooOoooS SoxxOxxxX
• Dʹ
  XoxxOxxxO
• Ebʹ
  XoxxOxxxX
• Eʹ
  XoxxOxxoS
• Fʹ
  XoxxOxooS
• F#ʹ
  XoxxOooxS SoxxOoxoS
• Gʹ
  XoxxOoooS
• G#ʹ
  XoxxXoooS
• Aʹ
  OoxoOoooS

7.5 Saxophone

This fingering has been designed for close compatiblity with saxophones, with adaptations to the keys of the Sylphyo.

• C
  XxxxOxxxX
• C#
  XxxxXxxxX
• D
  XxxxOxxxO
• Eb
  XxxxXxxxO
• E
  XxxxOxxoO
• F
  XxxxOxooO
• F#
  XxxxOoxoO XxxxOooxO XxxxOxoxO
• G
  XxxxOoooO
• G#
  XxxxXoooO
• A
  XxxoOoooO
• Bb
  XxooOxooO XxooOoxoO XxxoOooxO XxoxOoooO
• B
  XxooOoooO
• Cʹ
  XoxoOoooO XxooOooxO
• C#ʹ
  XoooOoooO
• Dʹ
  XooxOoooO
• Ebʹ
  XoooOooxO
• Eʹ
  XooxOooxO

7.6 Saxophone (alt.)

This alternative saxophone fingering changes the right little finger key from a low C key to a low Eb key. In other words, performing XxxxOxxxX will not result in a C but in an Eb note.

• C#
  XxxxXxxxX
• D
  XxxxOxxxO
• Eb
  XxxxOxxxX
• E
  XxxxOxxoO
• F
  XxxxOxooO
• F#
  XxxxOoxoO XxxxOooxO XxxxOxoxO
• G
  XxxxOoooO
• G#
  XxxxXoooO
• A
  XxxoOoooO
• Bb
  XxooOxooO XxooOoxoO XxxoOooxO XxoxOoooO
• B
  XxooOoooO
• Cʹ
  XoxoOoooO XxooOooxO
• C#ʹ
  XoooOoooO
• Dʹ
  XooxOoooO
• Ebʹ
  XoooOooxO
• Eʹ
  XooxOooxO

7.7 Saxophone (alt. 2)

In this variant of the previous fingering, performing XxxxXxxxX will not result in a C# but in an Eb note.

• D
  XxxxOxxxO
• Eb
  XxxxOxxxX XxxxXxxxX
• E
  XxxxOxxoO
• F
  XxxxOxooO
• F#
  XxxxOoxoO XxxxOooxO XxxxOxoxO
• G
  XxxxOoooO
• G#
  XxxxXoooO
• A
  XxxoOoooO
• Bb
  XxooOxooO XxooOoxoO XxxoOooxO XxoxOoooO
• B
  XxooOoooO
• Cʹ
  XoxoOoooO XxooOooxO
• C#ʹ
  XoooOoooO
• Dʹ
  XooxOoooO
• Ebʹ
  XoooOooxO
• Eʹ
  XooxOooxO

7.8 Oboe

This fingering has been designed for close compatibility with oboes, with adaptations to the keys of the Sylphyo. It includes most usual fingerings from the first octave.

• C
  XxxxOxxxX
• C#
  XxxxXxxxX
• D
  XxxxOxxxO
• Eb
  XxxxXxxxO
• E
  XxxxOxxoO
• F
  XxxxXxxoO XxxxOxoxO
• F#
  XxxxOxooO
• G
  XxxxOoooO
• G#
  XxxxXoooO
• A
  XxxoOoooO
• Bb
  XxxoOxooO
• B
  XxooOoooO
• Cʹ
  XxooOxooO
• C#ʹ
  XoxxOxooX XoxxOxxxX
• Dʹ
  XoxxOxxxO XoxxOoxoX
• Ebʹ
  XoxxXxxxO XoxxXoxxO XoxxXoxoX
• Eʹ
  XoxxOoooO
• Fʹ
  XoxoOoxxO