1. Power switch
2. Power input
3. USB port
4. USB host port
5. MIDI in
6. MIDI out
7. Headphone output
8. Main left & right outputs
9. Individual voice outputs

Parva uses a consistent approach to selecting and editing information. There are three basic movements - turning, clicking (briefly pressing and releasing), and holding (pressing and holding until the display changes) a knob. Take a few moments to become familiar with the menus and controls.

The black knobs offer direct access to the most commonly used parameters. No matter what else is currently being displayed, turning a black knob with show the parameter and it’s value as it changes. The only exception is the Volume knob in the upper right corner. No value is displayed when that knob is adjusted.

The silver OSC, ENV, LFO, VCF, A, and B knobs are clickable rotary encoders used to navigate their respective menus.

Turn the knob to scroll through the available menu options or adjust a value. Click the knob to toggle the currently selected option. Press and hold to return to the previous menu.

Parva has three digitally-controlled analog oscillators (DCOs) per voice. To select the oscillator you would like to edit, turn the OSC knob. The selected oscillator’s current settings will be displayed, and the Range, Fine, Wave, and Level knobs can be used to directly adjust their respective parameters.

Click the OSC knob to access additional settings. Turn the OSC knob to scroll through the available options. Click it again to edit the highlighted parameter. Press and hold the OSC knob to return to the previous menu.

There are four envelopes per voice, each of which can be routed to one or more modulation destinations. The first two envelopes’ destination settings are fixed: ENV1 is routed to the VCA, controlling the amplitude of each note, and ENV2 is routed to the filter cutoff. However, both of these can also be used to modulate any other parameter through the Modulation Matrix.

To select the envelope you would like to edit, turn the ENV knob. The selected envelope’s current settings will be displayed, and the Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release knobs can be used to directly adjust their respective parameters.

Press the ENV knob to access additional settings. Turn the ENV knob to scroll through the available options. Press it again to edit the highlighted parameter. Press and hold the ENV knob to return to the previous menu.

There are four low frequency oscillators (LFOs) per voice, each of which can be routed to one or more modulation destinations. To select the LFO you would like to edit, turn the LFO knob. The selected LFO’s current settings will be displayed, and the Rate, Level, and Wave knobs can be used to directly adjust their respective parameters.

Click the LFO knob to access additional settings. Turn the LFO knob to scroll through the available options. Click it again to edit the highlighted parameter. Press and hold the LFO knob to return to the previous menu.

Each voice contains two two-pole multi-mode filters in series, which can be combined to form various low-pass, high-pass, and bandpass filter topologies. Use the Cutoff and Resonance knobs to adjust the filter frequency and resonance. Resonance, or Q, causes a peak at the cutoff frequency. At high resonance settings, the filters will self-oscillate.

To access other filter parameters, click the VCF knob. The filter frequency can be increased or decreased based on the note played, for a more natural sound throughout the keyboard range. Additionally, OSC3 can modulate the filter at audio frequencies, creating metallic and bell-like tones. Note that OSC3 Level can be at 0 if it is being used purely for modulation.

Parva’s Modulation Matrix enables you to route signals from the envelopes, LFOs, and external controllers to virtually any synthesis parameter. From the main menu, turn the A knob until Mod Matrix is highlighted, then click the knob to enter the matrix. Turn the A knob again to scroll to the desired modulation slot. If there is an existing route, you can use the B knob to adjust the modulation level directly. Or, click the A knob again to edit the routing settings. The first setting is the modulation source. Turn the B knob to select your desired source. Turn the A knob to highlight the destination setting, and use the B knob to choose a destination. Turn the A knob once more, then use the B knob to set the amount of modulation. Press and hold the A knob to return to the previous menu.

Modulation Sources

• OFF
• MIDI Velocity
• MIDI Aftertouch
• MIDI ModWheel
• LFO1
• LFO2
• LFO3
• LFO4
• ENV1
• ENV2
• ENV3
• ENV4
• Breath Control
• MIDI Note
• CC74
• Release Velocity

Modulation Destinations

• OSC1 Frequency
• OSC2 Frequency
• OSC3 Frequency
• Global Oscillator Frequency
• OSC1 Level
• OSC2 Level
• OSC3 Level
• Noise Level
• OSC1 PWM
• OSC2 PWM
• OSC3 PWM
• Global Oscillator PWM
• VCF Cutoff Frequency
• VCF Resonance
• VCF Audio Modulation
• VCA Level
• Pan Left/Right
• LFO1 Frequency
• LFO2 Frequency
• LFO3 Frequency
• LFO4 Frequency
• Global LFO Frequency
• LFO1 Level
• LFO2 Level
• LFO3 Level
• LFO4 Level
• Global LFO Level
• ENV1 Level
• ENV2 Level
• ENV3 Level
• ENV4 Level
• Global Envelope Level
• ENV1 Attack Time
• ENV2 Attack Time
• ENV3 Attack Time
• ENV4 Attack Time
• Global Envelope Attack Time
• ENV1 Decay Time
• ENV2 Decay Time
• ENV3 Decay Time
• ENV4 Decay Time
• Global Envelope Decay Time
• ENV1 Release Time
• ENV2 Release Time
• ENV3 Release Time
• ENV4 Release Time
• Global Envelope Release Time
• OSC1 Fine Tune
• OSC2 Fine Tune
• OSC3 Fine Tune
• Global Oscillator Fine Tune
• VCF1 Cutoff Frequency
• VCF1 Resonance
• VCF2 Cutoff Frequency
• VCF2 Resonance

These settings control overall aspects of the Parva’s sound. For example, a change to the Envelope Response from exponential to linear will change it for all four envelopes. Since the Voice settings are saved with a patch, each slot in a Multi Mode setup can have different Voice settings. This allows you to create a multi program using both clean and dirty oscillators, a mono voice plus a polyphonic patch, different bend ranges per voice, and so on.

Parva can store up to 512 patches in eight banks (A-F, M-N) of 64. Patches contain all of the synthesis parameters covered in the previous sections of this manual. From the main menu, turn the A knob until the Patch option is highlighted, then click the A knob to enter the patch menu. From here, you can load, save, or delete any patch, or you may rename the currently active patch.

To load a patch, select Load and click the A knob to enter the menu. Use the A knob again to scroll through the available patches, or turn the B knob to skip to the next bank. If Patch Browse is enabled, each patch will be loaded automatically as it’s highlighted. Otherwise, when the patch you wish to load is highlighted, press the A knob. To exit without loading a patch, press and hold the A knob. The process for saving and deleting patches is the same as for loading.

To rename the current patch, select Rename and click the A knob. Turn the A knob to move the cursor, and the B knob to select a letter or number to enter. Click the A knob once more to save the new name. Names can be up to 16 characters long.

Multi Mode allows you to combine multiple patches in a variety of ways. A multi program is made up of eight slots, which hold patch and voice configuration information. You can specify the patch to be used, number of voices to allocate, the MIDI channel offset from the global setting, as well as the note range to respond to. Create layers, splits, and multi-timbral sounds, in any combination.

To enable Multi Mode, navigate to the Multi menu and set Multi to On. A list of eight available slots will be displayed below. The currently loaded patch and all available voices will be assigned to the first slot by default. Use the A knob to select the first slot and press the A knob to begin editing. All voice and synthesis settings can be adjusted normally, and apply to the currently selected Multi slot.

Global settings control basic aspects of the Parva like the MIDI Channel and what patch is loaded on power up. This is where the firmware version is displayed and also where the calibration options are found. Global settings are divided into four sub-sections: User Settings, MIDI Settings, Calibration, and Firmware.

Back Panel

The back panel audio connections are arranged in 2 rows. The Left and odd number outputs are across the bottom row and the Right and even number outputs are across the upper row. The individual outputs are TRS jacks with the Left output on the Tip and the Right output on the Ring. Use a typical Insert cable (TRS to dual TS connectors) to split any individual voice out to a Left/Right pair. In multi mode, this will allow control over dynamic panning of each voice.

Also note that both Pan and Spread effects the positioning of voices in the stereo field. Pan (as controlled via MIDI CC values) precisely locates a voice. Spread adds an offset to the pan setting based on voice number to create a wider field of sound. If Pan is center for all voices, the effect of using Spread is more noticeable. However, creative combinations of Pan and Spread can be used to create truly wide and dynamic stereo fields of sound. Note that high values of Spread can override Pan settings.

Oscillators

The oscillator levels are wide ranging and can have a large influence on the overall sound even before filtering takes place. The oscillators can be set to a clean mode or not based on the Clean OSC setting found in the Voice menu. Turning Clean Off increases the volume of the oscillators. Note that overdriving the oscillators will cause clipping and introduce additional harmonics, which can be a useful feature if more grit is needed for a particular sound.

Creating a 3 oscillator patch will all oscillator levels set to 127 will guarantee that the filter input is being overdriven. Here are some approximate values to use for a single oscillator in the current (0.4) OS if a loud but not overdriven sound is desired.

Clean OSC Off: Triangle, Sawtooth level = 40 or less; Square level = 32 or less Clean OSC On: Triangle, Sawtooth level = 90 or less, Square level = 60 or less

When two or three oscillators are sounding, the Filter input can be more easily overdriven. Use the above numbers as guidelines and make adjustments using your ears.

The production of Parva was crowdfunded on Kickstarter. This project wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing support of the following people: