Like it or not, Dubstep is a genre of music that is gaining in popularity. To have taken a music tech course in synthisis and to not at least mention dubstep would be a tremendous oversight on my part. The word dubstep comes from drums (du) and bass (b) it is characterized by two basic components:
1. Half time drums
2. Wobble bass
Half time drums
When we did our first project, I told you that your drums should have a kick on all four beats, a snare (or clap) on beats 2 and 4 and a hi hat subdividing that (eighth notes- or every other dot in the step sequencer starting on the first dot).
Half time drums will be well, half of that. Kick on every other beat (instead of all 4) and snare only once per measure instead of twice and hi hat on all four beats. Try writing a kick on beats 1&3, a snare on beat 3 and hi hat on all four beats. Or something like this (kick on beats 1 and 2, snare on 3):
since dubstep consists primarily of bass and drums, the drums are very important. what I have described to you is the half time feel. variations on this groove are essential. do some listening - go Google some dubstep and listen to the drums.
Wobble bass
The wobble in the bass is created by an LFO (low frequency oscillator). Many generators in FL Studio have these, but the easiest one to use (in my opinion) is the 3xosc. Guess how many oscillators it has... Go to channels -add one- 3xosc.
You'll see your 3 oscillators on the main panel. There are a number of ways to make a great sounding dubstep bass sound with this generator. Try these settings:
Osc1 triangle wave
osc2 Saw wave
osc3 rounded saw wave
or...
Square wave on all three oscillators
coarse tune all three oscillators to -12
fine tune osc 2 up a little bit.
fine tune osc3 down a little bit.
stereo detune osc 2 and 3 up a little bit.
Either one will work fine.
Now go to the ins (instrument properties) tab and select cut (cutoff frequency) and look at the LFO section. Here you can choose your wave shape (sine, triangle or pulse). There is no wrong answer here- choose what you like. They all sound different, so experiment and choose what appeals to you. When you make a selection, 6you'll see that the red wave shape changes to the shape you selected. Just below the red wave shape are 4 controls. the first one is predelay. Here, you can dial in an interval of time before the LFO kicks in. I have this set to 0% because I want my LFO to get to work right away. next is the attack parameter. I have this set to 0% as well because I want the LFO to be in full force right away. But you should experiment with this one. Turn the attack up and hold out a note. Notice that the wobble isn't obvious at first, but as time goes by it really gets noticeable. The amount control determines how much of each side of the wave you'll hear. at the 12:00 position, you don't get much wobble at all. All the way to either side, you get a ton. Mine is all the way to the right. That leaves us with the fun one- speed. hold down a note and give this knob a tweek.
Before we go any further with this, we should write something. Dubstep bass lines are usually very low- but not so low that the sound breaks up. We want strong, clear bass, so find some low notes that sound strong and full. In the piano roll write a simple bass line. try using two or three long notes that are fairly close together in pitch- check out my example at the end of these instructions or just Google some dubstep and listen to other recordings for ideas. Here's mine:
Controlling the wobble
There are essentially three ways to control the wobble bass in your piece.
1. Draw your automation. Create an automation clip on the speed parameter. This will put the clip into the playlist, and you can draw (manually) the shape that you want when you want it.
2. Record your automation- Right click the speed parameter and select link to controller. Now reach up to your MIDI keyboard and touch the modulation wheel. If prompted, click accept (sometimes it just automatically makes the link). Now the automation wheel of your keyboard is controlling your speed parameter and you can record the automation by clicking the record button, selecting automation and score and playing your piece live. The computer will remember your wheel motions and recreate them when you play back the piece.
3. The last way would be to link the wobble to the tempo. To do this, right click on the speed parameter and choose set. Then from the dropdown menu, choose a number (try 2 at first). When you close out of the dropdown menu, note that the TB (Time Based) control is now on. The wobble is now linked to the tempo of your song.
More goodies
As a guitarist, I love distortion. To put a little distortion on your bass sound, send the output of your 3xosc to the mixer for some FX. In the upper right corner of your 3xosc there is a little window with the letters FX on it. We did a similar procedure when we added the fruity filter to the slayer in our filters project. Select a channel (1 if it's not already being used for something) and then open up the mixer. You'll notice there are 8 slots available for FX plug-ins. Choose the first slot and look for the Fruity Blood Overdrive. Now try your sound. Play with the gain parameters for some variation.
Filters
One of the best things about the 3xosc is that they put a filter right next to the LFO. Great design. Hook up the XY controller to it- just like we did in our automation unit and choose a filter. Now when your song plays back you can record automation from the MIDI keyboard (your wobble) and 2 parameters of the filter (x and y) in real time. Live!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Project 7: Sine wave and saw wave in Sytrus
In this lesson, we will design two synths from the ground up using Sytrus instead of PoiZone. One synth will be based on a saw wave and the other will be based on a sine wave. After we create the waves, we'll add effects and apply a filter to one of them. Then we'll write a pitch envelope and a volume envelope. If you don't know what any of that stuff is, it's okay. You're here to learn.
Adding Sytrus
Start by adding the Sytrus generator to the step sequencer. (Channels, add one, sytrus). Go to presets (the dropdown arrow in the upper left corner of the sytrus window), and choose default (it's the first one in the list). NOTE: I learned a lot about Sytrus by going into the presets and messing around with them to see what the controls do. I encourage you to do the same.
The Waveform
Across the top, you'll see Main, then Operators 1-6, Filters 1-3 and FX. Directly under Main, you'll see a wave. That is a sine wave./ If you right click on it, you'll see a dropdown menu with the four basic wave shapes. Go ahead a play with them and compare them to one another. Then, try using the slider to the left of the wave icon- it's the shape slider. With this controller, you can change the shape of the wave to any of the 4 basic shapes and anything in between. the remaining 4 slider (excluding the noise slider) all affect the shape of the wave. Play with them to see what they do. I gave a more detailed explanation in class and I won't type all of that out here. After you have played around to your satisfaction, select a saw wave and move on.
The Matrix
That area on the right hand side of the Sytrus is the matrix. it even says so in the lower right corner. By default, the output of operator 1 is at 100%- which is fine. Try turning it to the 12:00 position and observe what happens. Notice that at the 12:00 position you are at 0. If you go all the way to the left you're at -100%. More on why it's like this in another lesson. Right next to the output level is the FX control. Set this to 100% in operator 1. Now click on the FX tab in the top row. It's right above the lemon slice graphic.
FX
Sytrus comes with a powerful FX generator for Chorus, Delay and Reverb. By default, the chorus is on and set to an order of 4. You can change this to a value of 0 (off) to 9. The sliders next to the order number control various parameters of chorus which I discussed in class. You can set up your chorus settings anyway you like. next to the chorus is a series of delay banks (D1, D2, and D3) Click on D1 (it should be selected already) and click enable. You have just activated the delay function. You can fine -tune your delay settings with the sliders in the delay band. Under the delay band is the reverb control. Select R, and then click enable to hear the effect.
Filters
In order to use the filter section(s) we have to route the output of operator 1 into the filter section. To do this, go to the matrix and turn up Op1 in F1 (it's the first control on the left next to F1). then turn the FX output and the main output to 100% in the same row. Once you have done that, you can turn the FX and OUT controls in operator 1 (the ones we started with) to 0% because we are mixing in the filter now.
Click on the Filt 1 tab. You'll notice a lot of things in common with the filter project that we did as project 4. There is a State Variable Filter selected by default (you can change it by scrolling over the name of the filter and selecting a different one. There is a cutoff frequency which you can set as well as resonance and filter intensity radio buttons. Ignore the WS (waveshaper) for now. Set up your filter the way you like (I used a Low Pass filter with the cutoff frequency all the way up and the resonance set to about 30%). You now have a fairly good sounding synth. let's move on to the next one
Sine Wave synth
Follow the instructions above to add a new sytrus to the step sequencer and select the default preset. In op 1, select the sine wave (it should be selected already) and then mix it directly into the filter section at 100%. While you're there, mix in op 2 as well, but not at 100%, go a little less (65% or so). A second sine wave in the mix will strengthen the original wave, and we will be changing the pitch of this one down an octave but before we do that lets turn our FX output all the way to 100% and our output to 100% (This is all in the F1 row in the matrix). Now Select op 2, and hover your mouse over the frequency ratio control. It's right under OP5 and 6. Change the value from 2 to 1 and notice the drop in pitch. You can select whatever number you want. What you are doing is telling operator 2 to sound a particular frequency (i.e. pitch) instead of the default along with op1. Cool!
Now that we have this set up, adjust your filter settings the way you want them (or turn the filter off by selecting the off radio button in the filter 1 tab, and set your FX (chorus, delay, reverb) the way you want them as I explained in the section above.
Pitch Envelope
let's add a pitch envelope to this synth. in Op 1, select pitch (it's in the row that says PAN, VOL, MOD, PITCH, etc) and then ENVelope in the row just below. You are now ready to draw your own envelope in the place of the default envelope that you see there in red. If you would like to hear that envelope, just click the circle in the lower left corner of the window above the keyboard (next to the ATT DEC SUS and REL controls). this will enable the envelope. Go ahead and play a note.
You'll notice the pitch takes a wild ride following the shape of the envelope. To clear this envelope away, you could right click each yellow dot and choose delete. You cannot delete the first dot on the left (the point of origin) because the envelope has to start somewhere, but you can drag this dot to any starting point (vertically) that you like. You can also select the step button (in the bottom row), right click in the window and sweep the mouse across the grid to clear it. make sure you unclick the step button before you start drawing your own shape.
When drawing your shape, notice that you can add different curves between the dots that you enter. Just right click on a dot and choose something other than single curve. See if you can make it play a scale using the stairs setting. whatever shape you decide to use, you should copy it to op 2 (remember we mixed in op 2?). To do this, click on the arrow next to the global button and choose copy state. then, select op2 and choose paste state. Voila! Your project 5 must use some kind of pitch envelope.
Volume envelope
The volume envelope works very much the same way as the pitch envelope. Go back to your first synth (the saw wave) and instead of PITCH, choose VOL. for operator 1.
Clear the default envelope the same way we cleared the default pitch envelope above. The point of origin should be at 0%. Enable the envelope (the little circle in the lower left corner- just the same as the pitch envelope). When you play a note with the poiunt of origi8n at zero, you'll hear nothing. Duh. Move the point of origin up a bit and test out a note. You'll hear it getting louder as you approach 100%. Now draw your envelope by putting in a dot. You'll notice that the volume fades in and out to follow the shape you drew. Try drawing a curve that starts at 100% and finishes at 0%. What happens when you hold down the key? Can you make this note sustain? No. You can't. That's because Sytrus is doing what you told it to do- play the envelope you drew from start to finish. You didn't tell it what to do if you held the key down. Fortunately, there's a solution to this.
Put in another point in the middlw of your downward curve. Right click on it and select Sustain Loop End. A line will appear with the letter S. Now try holding down a note. You have split your curve into two parts. the first part tells Sytrus what to do when you strike the key- Start the sound at 100% volume and fade to the Sustain Loop End command. Then, when you let go of the key, Sytrus will play the rest of the envelope. Experiment with this. Most string sounds start at 0% and fade in. Most plucked sounds or drums sounds start with a 100% attack and fade out. The volume at which the sustain occurs is up to you. You can even have the sound get louder when the key is released. Another trick is to draw two or three quick fades from 100% to 0%. The result will sound like two or three separate notes when you hold down the key.
Your assignment is to write a loop using your Saw synth and you Sine synth.
Here's mine:
The melody and accompanying chords come in at :06 The repeated note part has a fast pitch envelope creating the slight scooping sound and is a sine based synth. The chords (with all of the delay) are saw based and have a volume envelope starting with a loud attack and a long decay.
The drums have a healthy dose of reverb, and I created a drum roll and flams using the chop tool.
I learned all of this stuff from this site: http://fav.me/d194ttr
Adding Sytrus
Start by adding the Sytrus generator to the step sequencer. (Channels, add one, sytrus). Go to presets (the dropdown arrow in the upper left corner of the sytrus window), and choose default (it's the first one in the list). NOTE: I learned a lot about Sytrus by going into the presets and messing around with them to see what the controls do. I encourage you to do the same.
The Waveform
Across the top, you'll see Main, then Operators 1-6, Filters 1-3 and FX. Directly under Main, you'll see a wave. That is a sine wave./ If you right click on it, you'll see a dropdown menu with the four basic wave shapes. Go ahead a play with them and compare them to one another. Then, try using the slider to the left of the wave icon- it's the shape slider. With this controller, you can change the shape of the wave to any of the 4 basic shapes and anything in between. the remaining 4 slider (excluding the noise slider) all affect the shape of the wave. Play with them to see what they do. I gave a more detailed explanation in class and I won't type all of that out here. After you have played around to your satisfaction, select a saw wave and move on.
The Matrix
That area on the right hand side of the Sytrus is the matrix. it even says so in the lower right corner. By default, the output of operator 1 is at 100%- which is fine. Try turning it to the 12:00 position and observe what happens. Notice that at the 12:00 position you are at 0. If you go all the way to the left you're at -100%. More on why it's like this in another lesson. Right next to the output level is the FX control. Set this to 100% in operator 1. Now click on the FX tab in the top row. It's right above the lemon slice graphic.
FX
Sytrus comes with a powerful FX generator for Chorus, Delay and Reverb. By default, the chorus is on and set to an order of 4. You can change this to a value of 0 (off) to 9. The sliders next to the order number control various parameters of chorus which I discussed in class. You can set up your chorus settings anyway you like. next to the chorus is a series of delay banks (D1, D2, and D3) Click on D1 (it should be selected already) and click enable. You have just activated the delay function. You can fine -tune your delay settings with the sliders in the delay band. Under the delay band is the reverb control. Select R, and then click enable to hear the effect.
Filters
In order to use the filter section(s) we have to route the output of operator 1 into the filter section. To do this, go to the matrix and turn up Op1 in F1 (it's the first control on the left next to F1). then turn the FX output and the main output to 100% in the same row. Once you have done that, you can turn the FX and OUT controls in operator 1 (the ones we started with) to 0% because we are mixing in the filter now.
Click on the Filt 1 tab. You'll notice a lot of things in common with the filter project that we did as project 4. There is a State Variable Filter selected by default (you can change it by scrolling over the name of the filter and selecting a different one. There is a cutoff frequency which you can set as well as resonance and filter intensity radio buttons. Ignore the WS (waveshaper) for now. Set up your filter the way you like (I used a Low Pass filter with the cutoff frequency all the way up and the resonance set to about 30%). You now have a fairly good sounding synth. let's move on to the next one
Sine Wave synth
Follow the instructions above to add a new sytrus to the step sequencer and select the default preset. In op 1, select the sine wave (it should be selected already) and then mix it directly into the filter section at 100%. While you're there, mix in op 2 as well, but not at 100%, go a little less (65% or so). A second sine wave in the mix will strengthen the original wave, and we will be changing the pitch of this one down an octave but before we do that lets turn our FX output all the way to 100% and our output to 100% (This is all in the F1 row in the matrix). Now Select op 2, and hover your mouse over the frequency ratio control. It's right under OP5 and 6. Change the value from 2 to 1 and notice the drop in pitch. You can select whatever number you want. What you are doing is telling operator 2 to sound a particular frequency (i.e. pitch) instead of the default along with op1. Cool!
Now that we have this set up, adjust your filter settings the way you want them (or turn the filter off by selecting the off radio button in the filter 1 tab, and set your FX (chorus, delay, reverb) the way you want them as I explained in the section above.
Pitch Envelope
let's add a pitch envelope to this synth. in Op 1, select pitch (it's in the row that says PAN, VOL, MOD, PITCH, etc) and then ENVelope in the row just below. You are now ready to draw your own envelope in the place of the default envelope that you see there in red. If you would like to hear that envelope, just click the circle in the lower left corner of the window above the keyboard (next to the ATT DEC SUS and REL controls). this will enable the envelope. Go ahead and play a note.
You'll notice the pitch takes a wild ride following the shape of the envelope. To clear this envelope away, you could right click each yellow dot and choose delete. You cannot delete the first dot on the left (the point of origin) because the envelope has to start somewhere, but you can drag this dot to any starting point (vertically) that you like. You can also select the step button (in the bottom row), right click in the window and sweep the mouse across the grid to clear it. make sure you unclick the step button before you start drawing your own shape.
When drawing your shape, notice that you can add different curves between the dots that you enter. Just right click on a dot and choose something other than single curve. See if you can make it play a scale using the stairs setting. whatever shape you decide to use, you should copy it to op 2 (remember we mixed in op 2?). To do this, click on the arrow next to the global button and choose copy state. then, select op2 and choose paste state. Voila! Your project 5 must use some kind of pitch envelope.
Volume envelope
The volume envelope works very much the same way as the pitch envelope. Go back to your first synth (the saw wave) and instead of PITCH, choose VOL. for operator 1.
Clear the default envelope the same way we cleared the default pitch envelope above. The point of origin should be at 0%. Enable the envelope (the little circle in the lower left corner- just the same as the pitch envelope). When you play a note with the poiunt of origi8n at zero, you'll hear nothing. Duh. Move the point of origin up a bit and test out a note. You'll hear it getting louder as you approach 100%. Now draw your envelope by putting in a dot. You'll notice that the volume fades in and out to follow the shape you drew. Try drawing a curve that starts at 100% and finishes at 0%. What happens when you hold down the key? Can you make this note sustain? No. You can't. That's because Sytrus is doing what you told it to do- play the envelope you drew from start to finish. You didn't tell it what to do if you held the key down. Fortunately, there's a solution to this.
Put in another point in the middlw of your downward curve. Right click on it and select Sustain Loop End. A line will appear with the letter S. Now try holding down a note. You have split your curve into two parts. the first part tells Sytrus what to do when you strike the key- Start the sound at 100% volume and fade to the Sustain Loop End command. Then, when you let go of the key, Sytrus will play the rest of the envelope. Experiment with this. Most string sounds start at 0% and fade in. Most plucked sounds or drums sounds start with a 100% attack and fade out. The volume at which the sustain occurs is up to you. You can even have the sound get louder when the key is released. Another trick is to draw two or three quick fades from 100% to 0%. The result will sound like two or three separate notes when you hold down the key.
Your assignment is to write a loop using your Saw synth and you Sine synth.
Here's mine:
The melody and accompanying chords come in at :06 The repeated note part has a fast pitch envelope creating the slight scooping sound and is a sine based synth. The chords (with all of the delay) are saw based and have a volume envelope starting with a loud attack and a long decay.
The drums have a healthy dose of reverb, and I created a drum roll and flams using the chop tool.
I learned all of this stuff from this site: http://fav.me/d194ttr
Monday, March 19, 2012
Project 6: ADSR
In this lesson on PoiZone we investigate Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release. Commonly known throughout the music tech world as ASDR. Here's a great video on what ASDR is all about. You'll fins ASDR envelopes in most synths including the 3Xosc and the TS404 in Fl studio. Before going on, take a moment to look in the default step sequencer. Click on any instrument (Kick for example) and open the channel settings. Click the ins (instrument properties) tab. Notice the envelope? The settings are Delay, Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain and Release. Now go to channels- add one- Envelope controller. See something similar? Howe about Channels- add one- Sytrus. Look in Op.1 at any envelops (Pan, Vol, etc.) You'll see ADSR controls for every one. Even FL keys and the Fruity DX 10 have similar envelope controls. If you can master this lesson, you can control these parameters on all synths.
In PoiZone, there is no visual graph for the envelope. Rather, there are sliders to control these parameters. Look in the Amplifier section first. Amp pertains only to the volume of the synth. Other sections that follow will deal with ADSR envelopes for other parameters, but let's start with volume because it's very easy to hear the effects of an ADSR envelope as it pertains to volume.
Attack:What happens when you strike the key.
Decay: What happens after the attack.
Sustain: What happens while you hold the key.
Release: What happens when you release the key.
In a volume envelope, all of these parameters deal with time and volume.
Attack: How quickly does the note reach it's attack volume peak?
Decay: How quickly does the peak of the attack volume fade into it's sustain volume?
Sustain: How loud is it while I hold the key down?
Release: How quickly does the note fade away when I release the key?
Think of different instruments and how their attacks differ. A kick drum has a very quick attack. It come to maximum volume right away. A bowed violin takes a while to get to full volume- slow attack.
In your next project, make a loop that exploits the ADSR volume envelope with PoiZone. Make one with a quick attack and one with a slow attack, but feel free to add any other synths and effects that make you happy.
In PoiZone, there is no visual graph for the envelope. Rather, there are sliders to control these parameters. Look in the Amplifier section first. Amp pertains only to the volume of the synth. Other sections that follow will deal with ADSR envelopes for other parameters, but let's start with volume because it's very easy to hear the effects of an ADSR envelope as it pertains to volume.
Attack:What happens when you strike the key.
Decay: What happens after the attack.
Sustain: What happens while you hold the key.
Release: What happens when you release the key.
In a volume envelope, all of these parameters deal with time and volume.
Attack: How quickly does the note reach it's attack volume peak?
Decay: How quickly does the peak of the attack volume fade into it's sustain volume?
Sustain: How loud is it while I hold the key down?
Release: How quickly does the note fade away when I release the key?
Think of different instruments and how their attacks differ. A kick drum has a very quick attack. It come to maximum volume right away. A bowed violin takes a while to get to full volume- slow attack.
In your next project, make a loop that exploits the ADSR volume envelope with PoiZone. Make one with a quick attack and one with a slow attack, but feel free to add any other synths and effects that make you happy.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Project 5: Synthesis using PoiZone
Until this point in class, you have been manipulating sound with various tools- filters and other envelopes. You haven't actually created your own sound from scratch yet. that changes with Project 5.
To make our first synth, we will use a plugin called PoiZone. Go to Channels-add one PoiZone to see it and hear it.
Sound is made up of waves. things that produce a wave are called oscilators. Poizone has two of them. In class I gave a quick rundown of how Poizone's two oscillators worked. If you missed it, or need a review, check out this quick video.
By the end of this project you should be able to:
1. Mix osc A with osc B
2. Change the wave shape of either oscillator.
3. Mix in noise.
4. Change the pitch of osc B
We also discussed the filter section. You should be able to:
1. Switch the filter type from LP, HP and BP modes.
2. Change the resonance of the cutoff frequency in LP and HP, and in BP mode change the band width of the filter.
3. Use keyboard tracking and velocity tracking to change the way the filter effects low/high and soft/loud.
Finally, we discussed unison mode. You should be able to:
1 Create multiple voices (up to 4.
2. Use detune to widen the unison effect
3. Use unison panning to make the synth spread out in the stereo field.
4. Shift all of the even numbered unison voices up an octave.
For a review of Filters and unison mode, check out this video.
Here's mine:
The opening riff is a default PoiZone in pulse wave mode with a 50% 50% mix of Osc A and B. Osc B is tuned down an octave and a little bit of noise is mixed in to rough up the sound a bit.
I'm using a LP filter with the resonance at about 65% and the velocity tracking all the way up. In the riff that I created in the piano roll, I emphasized the velocity of some of the notes to showcase this feature of the synth. I like how the accented notes get a dramatic filter treatment and the unaccented notes do not.
Unison mode is set to 2 and the unison panning it turned up a bit. Otherwise, it's a default synth.
The other synth which comes in after the 4th repeat is similar in design,but instead of tuning OSC B down an octave, I turned it up 2 octaves and mixed all of the noise out. You will probably notice the pitch automation clip on it and the snare drum with generous amounts of reverb and echo.
To make our first synth, we will use a plugin called PoiZone. Go to Channels-add one PoiZone to see it and hear it.
Sound is made up of waves. things that produce a wave are called oscilators. Poizone has two of them. In class I gave a quick rundown of how Poizone's two oscillators worked. If you missed it, or need a review, check out this quick video.
By the end of this project you should be able to:
1. Mix osc A with osc B
2. Change the wave shape of either oscillator.
3. Mix in noise.
4. Change the pitch of osc B
We also discussed the filter section. You should be able to:
1. Switch the filter type from LP, HP and BP modes.
2. Change the resonance of the cutoff frequency in LP and HP, and in BP mode change the band width of the filter.
3. Use keyboard tracking and velocity tracking to change the way the filter effects low/high and soft/loud.
Finally, we discussed unison mode. You should be able to:
1 Create multiple voices (up to 4.
2. Use detune to widen the unison effect
3. Use unison panning to make the synth spread out in the stereo field.
4. Shift all of the even numbered unison voices up an octave.
For a review of Filters and unison mode, check out this video.
Here's mine:
The opening riff is a default PoiZone in pulse wave mode with a 50% 50% mix of Osc A and B. Osc B is tuned down an octave and a little bit of noise is mixed in to rough up the sound a bit.
I'm using a LP filter with the resonance at about 65% and the velocity tracking all the way up. In the riff that I created in the piano roll, I emphasized the velocity of some of the notes to showcase this feature of the synth. I like how the accented notes get a dramatic filter treatment and the unaccented notes do not.
Unison mode is set to 2 and the unison panning it turned up a bit. Otherwise, it's a default synth.
The other synth which comes in after the 4th repeat is similar in design,but instead of tuning OSC B down an octave, I turned it up 2 octaves and mixed all of the noise out. You will probably notice the pitch automation clip on it and the snare drum with generous amounts of reverb and echo.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Project 4: The mixer, Filters and XY controller
In our last project we used automation clips to fade out the master volume and automate the cutoff frequency of a SVF. We didn't really explore what a filter does in depth- until now. Filters add character to a sound my modulating the frequencies that make up that sound. To wrap your brain around this, you need to understand a few of concepts:
1. Sounds are made up of an array of frequencies. That's what makes your ear able to distinguish between a piano and a flute both playing the same note. The pitch "A" on the piano resonates at 440 cycles per second. Many instruments can play that note. It's the timbre (say "TAM-bur") of the note (the mix of high and low frequencies that accompany the fundamental pitch) that makes it sound the way it does. It is this concept that allows us to make synthesizers.
2. We can play with those frequencies using a filter. I said this before in class, but some things bear repeating. Think of a filter as a sifter (the kind you would play with in a sandbox. When sand enters a sifter, some particles pass through and others do not. A low pass filter will allow low frequencies to pass through and make the sound more rich with low frequencies while holding the high frequencies back.
3. A filter can be set to certain parameters and left alone (like when you make equalizer settings to your stereo at home), or it can be controlled by an automation clip so that the parameters change in real time. Imagine a sifter that had the ability to change the size of the holes while you poured sand through it.
Your assignment
Many of our generators have filters built right into them and in our last project, most of you used the filter on the Simsynth to make your first automation clip. In this project you are going to take that concept a bit further by adding a filter to the mixer, and adding a controller to modulate two parameters at once.
The Fruity Filter:
1.Add the slayer to your step sequencer (Channels- add one- slayer)and write something for it (a simple chopped pattern is fine). Put your pattern in the playlist a few times.
2.In the channel settings for the slayer, route the output to FX channel 1 (It doesn't matter which FX channel you choose- channel 2 will work just as well as channel 1)
3.Open the mixer and select Channel 1 (or whatever channel you routed the slayer to).
4.Using the dropdown menu, add the fruity filter to one of the available 8 slots in the mixer.
5.The mixer window appears. The cutoff frequency is the control that establishes the amount of hig and low frequencies that will pass into the output. If it's all the way to the left, you'll get a lot of lows. If it's all the way to the right, you'll get a lot of highs.
The are are other controls there as well. Skip the resonance control. You can play with it (you won't break anything), but I'll describe it more in depth in another lesson. The low pass establishes the amount of low frequency in the mix, and the high pass establishes the amount of high frequency in the mix. Band pass can be set to allow a specific frequency range to enter the mix. X2 determines the sensitivity of the filter. the greater the value of this parameter, the more intense your filter effect will be.
6. Right click on the cutoff frequency control and select create automation clip. Draw some nodes, and play with the parameters to create your filter effects.
The XY controller
The xy controller is designed to control 2 parameters at the same time. Try this:
1. Add the 3X osc to the step sequencer. Since this is an older generator, so it's presets are not available through the plugin window. You have to access them through the browser. Open the browser, select channel presets and 3X osc. Drag one of them on over.
2. Select the INS tab in the channel settings, and look for the filter tab. You'll see an X and a Y under the filter name.
3. Route the 3X osc to the mixer using the FX output (use a different channel than the one you used for the slayer) and add the Fruity XY controller to one of the available slots in the mixer.
4. Right click on the X parameter and choose link to controller. Select internal controller (an external controller would be your keyboard or a trackball/ joystick), and click accept. Repeat the process for theY parameter (or any other parameter you wish to control- it doesn't have to be X and Y).
5. Now write something for this synth and put it into the playlist.
6. Once you have something written that you are happy with, go to the mixer and click on the XY controller plug in so that it appears on your screen.
7. Next to the play button is the record button. Click on it and select "record automation and score".
8. Click play and move the xy controller in time with your music playback. The computer records your movement and plays it back when you are done.
9. Save your work and post it.
The criteria for your project are simple:
You loop must include at least one instance of the fruity filter in the mixer and one use of the XY contoller in the mixer.
Bonus- add a volume or panning envelope on one of the channels in the step sequencer with an automation clip.
Here's mine:
and my post:
I started with a chopped guitar loop that was one measure long. I repeated it, and transposed it to two other keys to make a 4 bar pattern in the playlist, I added FPC drums from the rock grooves folder, but edited a little bit- there was too much hi-hat in the pattern I selected, so I removed it.
Next, I added the 3xosc with the Rave Lead preset. I matched the starting pitch of this synth to the slayer pitch, but didn't copy the pattern exactly. I came up with a rhythm that went with the slayer rhythm but wasn't an exact copy. I did transpose the 3xosc the same way I transposed the slayer though.
I wanted to keep the writing simple for this because I wanted to showcase the automation of the filters. Anything more complicated would have gotten in the way of the automation. I Used the XY controller on the cutoff frequency tab in the 3xosc on a low pass filter, and I set the Fruity Filter on the slayer (also a Low Pass) to hit the sweet spot of the sound on beat 4 of each measure.
Video Tutorial:
Video Tutorial Part 2
1. Sounds are made up of an array of frequencies. That's what makes your ear able to distinguish between a piano and a flute both playing the same note. The pitch "A" on the piano resonates at 440 cycles per second. Many instruments can play that note. It's the timbre (say "TAM-bur") of the note (the mix of high and low frequencies that accompany the fundamental pitch) that makes it sound the way it does. It is this concept that allows us to make synthesizers.
2. We can play with those frequencies using a filter. I said this before in class, but some things bear repeating. Think of a filter as a sifter (the kind you would play with in a sandbox. When sand enters a sifter, some particles pass through and others do not. A low pass filter will allow low frequencies to pass through and make the sound more rich with low frequencies while holding the high frequencies back.
3. A filter can be set to certain parameters and left alone (like when you make equalizer settings to your stereo at home), or it can be controlled by an automation clip so that the parameters change in real time. Imagine a sifter that had the ability to change the size of the holes while you poured sand through it.
Your assignment
Many of our generators have filters built right into them and in our last project, most of you used the filter on the Simsynth to make your first automation clip. In this project you are going to take that concept a bit further by adding a filter to the mixer, and adding a controller to modulate two parameters at once.
The Fruity Filter:
1.Add the slayer to your step sequencer (Channels- add one- slayer)and write something for it (a simple chopped pattern is fine). Put your pattern in the playlist a few times.
2.In the channel settings for the slayer, route the output to FX channel 1 (It doesn't matter which FX channel you choose- channel 2 will work just as well as channel 1)
3.Open the mixer and select Channel 1 (or whatever channel you routed the slayer to).
4.Using the dropdown menu, add the fruity filter to one of the available 8 slots in the mixer.
5.The mixer window appears. The cutoff frequency is the control that establishes the amount of hig and low frequencies that will pass into the output. If it's all the way to the left, you'll get a lot of lows. If it's all the way to the right, you'll get a lot of highs.
The are are other controls there as well. Skip the resonance control. You can play with it (you won't break anything), but I'll describe it more in depth in another lesson. The low pass establishes the amount of low frequency in the mix, and the high pass establishes the amount of high frequency in the mix. Band pass can be set to allow a specific frequency range to enter the mix. X2 determines the sensitivity of the filter. the greater the value of this parameter, the more intense your filter effect will be.
6. Right click on the cutoff frequency control and select create automation clip. Draw some nodes, and play with the parameters to create your filter effects.
The XY controller
The xy controller is designed to control 2 parameters at the same time. Try this:
1. Add the 3X osc to the step sequencer. Since this is an older generator, so it's presets are not available through the plugin window. You have to access them through the browser. Open the browser, select channel presets and 3X osc. Drag one of them on over.
2. Select the INS tab in the channel settings, and look for the filter tab. You'll see an X and a Y under the filter name.
3. Route the 3X osc to the mixer using the FX output (use a different channel than the one you used for the slayer) and add the Fruity XY controller to one of the available slots in the mixer.
4. Right click on the X parameter and choose link to controller. Select internal controller (an external controller would be your keyboard or a trackball/ joystick), and click accept. Repeat the process for theY parameter (or any other parameter you wish to control- it doesn't have to be X and Y).
5. Now write something for this synth and put it into the playlist.
6. Once you have something written that you are happy with, go to the mixer and click on the XY controller plug in so that it appears on your screen.
7. Next to the play button is the record button. Click on it and select "record automation and score".
8. Click play and move the xy controller in time with your music playback. The computer records your movement and plays it back when you are done.
9. Save your work and post it.
The criteria for your project are simple:
You loop must include at least one instance of the fruity filter in the mixer and one use of the XY contoller in the mixer.
Bonus- add a volume or panning envelope on one of the channels in the step sequencer with an automation clip.
Here's mine:
and my post:
I started with a chopped guitar loop that was one measure long. I repeated it, and transposed it to two other keys to make a 4 bar pattern in the playlist, I added FPC drums from the rock grooves folder, but edited a little bit- there was too much hi-hat in the pattern I selected, so I removed it.
Next, I added the 3xosc with the Rave Lead preset. I matched the starting pitch of this synth to the slayer pitch, but didn't copy the pattern exactly. I came up with a rhythm that went with the slayer rhythm but wasn't an exact copy. I did transpose the 3xosc the same way I transposed the slayer though.
I wanted to keep the writing simple for this because I wanted to showcase the automation of the filters. Anything more complicated would have gotten in the way of the automation. I Used the XY controller on the cutoff frequency tab in the 3xosc on a low pass filter, and I set the Fruity Filter on the slayer (also a Low Pass) to hit the sweet spot of the sound on beat 4 of each measure.
Video Tutorial:
Video Tutorial Part 2
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Project 3: Automation
In this assignment, you need to create a loop that utilizes an automation clip for a parameter of any channel, and a fade out on the master volume at the end. It sounds more complicated that it actually is. Here's how it works:
1. Come up with a drum pattern (you can use FPC or write one from scratch), and add the SimSynth to your step sequencer (Channels, add one, SimSynth). Note- you can use any synth plug in, but for this project, I'd like to keep everyone using the same one for simplicity in getting going.
2. While you are looking at the channel settings of the SimSynth, hover the mouse over one of the controls in the SVF (State Variable Filter- more on that in another lesson) section. If that parameter can take an automation clip, the status window (upper left corner of the screen) will show a red dot.
3. Play a note on the keyboard and turn one of the knobs in the SVF section (I used the cutoff frequency). Notice the change in sound? We can automate the motion that you are doing with your mouse using the automation function in FL Studio.
4. In the piano roll, put in a long note (the same way you did for the chop project). Then go to the drop down arrow in the upper left of the piano roll window and choose tools chop like you did in the last project. Note, you could also use the riff machine. The riff machine is a lot like the chop tool, but fancier. When you get a riff that you like, hit the accept button, close the piano roll and put the new pattern in the playlist along with your drums. you could also write something from scratch in the piano roll. It's up to you.
5. Now open up the SimSynth controls in the step sequencer and select the parameter that you were tweaking in step 3. Right click the parameter and select "Create automation clip". The clip will appear in the playlist on the top.
6. You can tweak this by right clicking on the line in the clip and creating handles so that you can change the shape of the clip. Tweak away (and be sure you are in song mode) while you are listening. Also observe that the parameter control on the SimSynth plug in will move by itself according to your clip's shape.
7. For a finishing touch, create an automation clip on the master volume control to make your loop fade out.
6. Post as usual. Here' s mine: (note, your post should be this descriptive. Notice I didn't say "Here's my loop. I hope you like it!" because that's lame.
For pattern 1 I used with the FPC set to Ambient Beat #1. I used this throughout my loop. Next I put the SymSynth through the riff machine and found a 4 bar pattern that I liked for pattern 2. I used the clone selected command and transposed the same pattern down a step for pattern 3. Finally I added a bass sound from the Sytrus, and I set it to double the first notes of the symsynth. I added the bass line to patterns 2 and 3.
For the automation, I selected the cutoff frequency parameter on the SVF section of the symsynth. I like the way it sounds when it's set really low, but I wanted the first few seconds of my pattern to be with no automation so I started the clip with the control in the middle, then dropped it at a steep curve after a few seconds. I brought it up to midway, the made it come down again but at a much softer slope.
I added a slow fade on the master volume at the end to coincide with the soft slope of the final controller tweak.
Here's a video tutorial:
Automation
1. Come up with a drum pattern (you can use FPC or write one from scratch), and add the SimSynth to your step sequencer (Channels, add one, SimSynth). Note- you can use any synth plug in, but for this project, I'd like to keep everyone using the same one for simplicity in getting going.
2. While you are looking at the channel settings of the SimSynth, hover the mouse over one of the controls in the SVF (State Variable Filter- more on that in another lesson) section. If that parameter can take an automation clip, the status window (upper left corner of the screen) will show a red dot.
3. Play a note on the keyboard and turn one of the knobs in the SVF section (I used the cutoff frequency). Notice the change in sound? We can automate the motion that you are doing with your mouse using the automation function in FL Studio.
4. In the piano roll, put in a long note (the same way you did for the chop project). Then go to the drop down arrow in the upper left of the piano roll window and choose tools chop like you did in the last project. Note, you could also use the riff machine. The riff machine is a lot like the chop tool, but fancier. When you get a riff that you like, hit the accept button, close the piano roll and put the new pattern in the playlist along with your drums. you could also write something from scratch in the piano roll. It's up to you.
5. Now open up the SimSynth controls in the step sequencer and select the parameter that you were tweaking in step 3. Right click the parameter and select "Create automation clip". The clip will appear in the playlist on the top.
6. You can tweak this by right clicking on the line in the clip and creating handles so that you can change the shape of the clip. Tweak away (and be sure you are in song mode) while you are listening. Also observe that the parameter control on the SimSynth plug in will move by itself according to your clip's shape.
7. For a finishing touch, create an automation clip on the master volume control to make your loop fade out.
6. Post as usual. Here' s mine: (note, your post should be this descriptive. Notice I didn't say "Here's my loop. I hope you like it!" because that's lame.
For pattern 1 I used with the FPC set to Ambient Beat #1. I used this throughout my loop. Next I put the SymSynth through the riff machine and found a 4 bar pattern that I liked for pattern 2. I used the clone selected command and transposed the same pattern down a step for pattern 3. Finally I added a bass sound from the Sytrus, and I set it to double the first notes of the symsynth. I added the bass line to patterns 2 and 3.
For the automation, I selected the cutoff frequency parameter on the SVF section of the symsynth. I like the way it sounds when it's set really low, but I wanted the first few seconds of my pattern to be with no automation so I started the clip with the control in the middle, then dropped it at a steep curve after a few seconds. I brought it up to midway, the made it come down again but at a much softer slope.
I added a slow fade on the master volume at the end to coincide with the soft slope of the final controller tweak.
Here's a video tutorial:
Automation
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Project 2: Chop and Transpose
The chop tool can take a single note and break it up into a bunch of different pre-set patterns. Try this:
1. Select a generator that will produce a sustained pitch (not a drum) and drop it into the step sequencer.
2. Open the piano roll for that instrument (I used the slayer, channels, add one, slayer) and enter in a long note.
3. In the upper left hand corner of the piano roll window, there is a small icon that looks like a piano keyboard. Select it and from the drop down menu select tools, then chop.
4. Viola! Your note has been chopped into segments. Click on the check mark to accept the changes to your note and give it a listen.
5. So you're not impressed. Fine. Go to the piano roll window again and repeat step 3 (or use the keyboard shortcut Alt u) and select a different pattern from the pattern folder. There are hundreds to choose from. From this window you can also dial the time mul controller to change the population of notes in your window.
The same pattern played over and over again can cause brain damage if you're not careful. Beware of monotony. :-) To add some variation, transpose your pattern like this:
1. In the step sequencer, select the channel with the loop you wish to transpose, and copy it (Right click the channel name, Edit, Copy).
2. Select an empty pattern in the step sequencer, and edit, paste.
3. Now you have the exact same musical pattern in two separate step sequencer patterns.
4. Open the piano roll in one of them, and from the keyboard icon, choose edit, transpose (up or down- doesn't matter) or use the keyboard shortcut- shift, arrow keys.
Your assignment is to create a loop that utilizes the chop tool and the transpose function. form is up to you, but it must be organized in some way- be sure to mention the form in your post.
You will be assessed on your:
1. Use of the chop tool
2. Use of the transpose function
3. Use of drums and bass
4. Descriptive post (see sample post below).
Here's my example and sample post:
I started out with my favorite drum sounds from the RealDrumKits tab in the browser and wrote an up tempo rock beat. Then I added the slayer plug in and cranked up the distortion (double coil pickup setting too. The chop tool gave me this pattern (trance 6) and I went with it. I added some effect (chorus on the slayer) and that gave me the main riff.
I used the chop tool again on a bass sound (also in the slayer plug in), and found that the two rhythms fit together nicely.
I used the transpose function to change the pitch of the bass and guitar sounds to create an 8 measure pattern, and then layered a melody on top of that pattern with a piano sound (I'm not sure if I really like the piano sound, but I do like the melody).
The for has a 2 measure introduction followed by a statement of the transposed 8 measure sequence in the bass, drums and guitar. That section repeats, but on the repeat, the piano comes in. Then there's an interlude where I used the chop tool again on one note (F), but I wasn't totally happy with the pattern it gave me, so I edited it a little in the piano roll and made the last two hits long. There is a drum breakdown section too. It's all FPC stuff. The song ends with a fade out on the original chop pattern.
1. Select a generator that will produce a sustained pitch (not a drum) and drop it into the step sequencer.
2. Open the piano roll for that instrument (I used the slayer, channels, add one, slayer) and enter in a long note.
3. In the upper left hand corner of the piano roll window, there is a small icon that looks like a piano keyboard. Select it and from the drop down menu select tools, then chop.
4. Viola! Your note has been chopped into segments. Click on the check mark to accept the changes to your note and give it a listen.
5. So you're not impressed. Fine. Go to the piano roll window again and repeat step 3 (or use the keyboard shortcut Alt u) and select a different pattern from the pattern folder. There are hundreds to choose from. From this window you can also dial the time mul controller to change the population of notes in your window.
The same pattern played over and over again can cause brain damage if you're not careful. Beware of monotony. :-) To add some variation, transpose your pattern like this:
1. In the step sequencer, select the channel with the loop you wish to transpose, and copy it (Right click the channel name, Edit, Copy).
2. Select an empty pattern in the step sequencer, and edit, paste.
3. Now you have the exact same musical pattern in two separate step sequencer patterns.
4. Open the piano roll in one of them, and from the keyboard icon, choose edit, transpose (up or down- doesn't matter) or use the keyboard shortcut- shift, arrow keys.
Your assignment is to create a loop that utilizes the chop tool and the transpose function. form is up to you, but it must be organized in some way- be sure to mention the form in your post.
You will be assessed on your:
1. Use of the chop tool
2. Use of the transpose function
3. Use of drums and bass
4. Descriptive post (see sample post below).
Here's my example and sample post:
I started out with my favorite drum sounds from the RealDrumKits tab in the browser and wrote an up tempo rock beat. Then I added the slayer plug in and cranked up the distortion (double coil pickup setting too. The chop tool gave me this pattern (trance 6) and I went with it. I added some effect (chorus on the slayer) and that gave me the main riff.
I used the chop tool again on a bass sound (also in the slayer plug in), and found that the two rhythms fit together nicely.
I used the transpose function to change the pitch of the bass and guitar sounds to create an 8 measure pattern, and then layered a melody on top of that pattern with a piano sound (I'm not sure if I really like the piano sound, but I do like the melody).
The for has a 2 measure introduction followed by a statement of the transposed 8 measure sequence in the bass, drums and guitar. That section repeats, but on the repeat, the piano comes in. Then there's an interlude where I used the chop tool again on one note (F), but I wasn't totally happy with the pattern it gave me, so I edited it a little in the piano roll and made the last two hits long. There is a drum breakdown section too. It's all FPC stuff. The song ends with a fade out on the original chop pattern.
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