LFO sync determines whether timbral modulation restarts with each note or runs continuously

When LFO Sync is enabled, the LFO restarts from the same phase each time a key is pressed, so every note begins at the same point in the modulation cycle and timbre is consistent. When Sync is disabled (free-running), the LFO continues regardless of key presses; notes struck at different moments in the cycle start with different timbres. Free-running LFO creates organic, unpredictable variation — each note of a chord or arpeggio sounds slightly different, mimicking natural acoustic instruments where successive notes are never identical. The TM-Organ demo exploits this: ‘each note is likely to have a slightly different timbre depending on where in the LFO cycle the key is depressed.‘

Examples

TM-Organ: LFO Sync off means tapping a rhythmic pattern produces notes with varying timbres — some bright, some dark — because each hit lands at a different LFO phase.

Assessment

Compare the musical result of LFO Sync on versus off when playing staccato repeated notes on a patch with LFO-controlled FM modulation. Which setting produces more natural, acoustic-like variation and why?