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.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Project 8: Poizone 1 (Oscillators, Filters and Unison Mode)
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.
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.
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, December 2, 2011
Project 7: Dubstep
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!
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!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Project 6: Chords
In this assignment we will write a loop using a modal chord progression. Most of your writing is made up of riff based compositions. Meaning, there is a melodic section (or riff) that is accompanied by a groove.
Your assignment is to write a loop that uses a single bass note (C), and chords over the top of the bass note. Check out these examples and descriptions of how they were done:
www.modaljams.blogspot.com
The easiest way to go (if chords are new to you) is to write a I IV V (one, four, five) progression in the key of C. The C major scale goes like this- C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C. If you play it, you'll notice it's all of the white keys on the piano. To make the I (one) chord in C, we need to play C,E and G or, the 1,3 and 5 from the scale at the same time.
What's with the roman numerals?
Notice I use roman numerals when I refer to chords and regular numbers when I refer to scale degrees? All musicians do that. Welcome to the music part of music technology class.
Make A Chord Progression
So now we have your I chord. Let's make it go somewhere. Pick either the IV chord or the V chord. The IV chord is F,A and C because the 4th note of the C scale is F and if we choose every other note starting on F, we get F,A, and C. From there, maybe you'll want to go back to your C chord, or maybe you'll want to go to the V chord (G,B,D). The choice is yours.
Inversions
If you write C,E, and G such that C is the bass note, E is in the middle and G is the highest note in the chord you have what's called a root position chord. If you moved the C bass note to the top of the stack (leaving E as the lowest note) you have created a C chord in 1st inversion. Move that E to the top so that G is in the bass and you have 2nd inversion. You can arrange the elements of the chord in any way you want. It's still a C chord.
Voice Leading
Why are these inversions useful? Because they allow for smoother voice leading or transition from chord to chord. Try this- enter in a C chord in root position, then enter in an F chord in root position. Notice the C note way up high in the F chord that's so far away from the G in the C chord? Try moving the C from the F chord down an octave. It should be right next to the C bass note in the C chord that you wrote. This is called a common tone. Common tones like to be next to each other. They make for smooth voice leading. Check out how your chord change sounds now.
Bass
For this project, I would like you to use a single bass note. You can create whatever rhythm you want and you can put filters and automation all over it too. The reason I only want one bass note is so that you can hear the chords change relative to the bass note. There will be plenty of time to vary them both later in the semester but for now, let's keep things simple. One note in the bass.
Your assignment is to write a loop that uses a single bass note (C), and chords over the top of the bass note. Check out these examples and descriptions of how they were done:
www.modaljams.blogspot.com
The easiest way to go (if chords are new to you) is to write a I IV V (one, four, five) progression in the key of C. The C major scale goes like this- C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C. If you play it, you'll notice it's all of the white keys on the piano. To make the I (one) chord in C, we need to play C,E and G or, the 1,3 and 5 from the scale at the same time.
What's with the roman numerals?
Notice I use roman numerals when I refer to chords and regular numbers when I refer to scale degrees? All musicians do that. Welcome to the music part of music technology class.
Make A Chord Progression
So now we have your I chord. Let's make it go somewhere. Pick either the IV chord or the V chord. The IV chord is F,A and C because the 4th note of the C scale is F and if we choose every other note starting on F, we get F,A, and C. From there, maybe you'll want to go back to your C chord, or maybe you'll want to go to the V chord (G,B,D). The choice is yours.
Inversions
If you write C,E, and G such that C is the bass note, E is in the middle and G is the highest note in the chord you have what's called a root position chord. If you moved the C bass note to the top of the stack (leaving E as the lowest note) you have created a C chord in 1st inversion. Move that E to the top so that G is in the bass and you have 2nd inversion. You can arrange the elements of the chord in any way you want. It's still a C chord.
Voice Leading
Why are these inversions useful? Because they allow for smoother voice leading or transition from chord to chord. Try this- enter in a C chord in root position, then enter in an F chord in root position. Notice the C note way up high in the F chord that's so far away from the G in the C chord? Try moving the C from the F chord down an octave. It should be right next to the C bass note in the C chord that you wrote. This is called a common tone. Common tones like to be next to each other. They make for smooth voice leading. Check out how your chord change sounds now.
Bass
For this project, I would like you to use a single bass note. You can create whatever rhythm you want and you can put filters and automation all over it too. The reason I only want one bass note is so that you can hear the chords change relative to the bass note. There will be plenty of time to vary them both later in the semester but for now, let's keep things simple. One note in the bass.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Project 5a: Noise Envelope
This isn't really so much of a new project, but a couple of tricks you can use with the tools you already have. Think of it as Synth practice.
Check it out:
Start with the Sytrus synth in it's default preset and move the noise slider (in op.1 next to the sine wave all the way to the right) to maximum. Play a note on the keyboard and you'll hear static. This is what we want.
Now enter a dot in the step sequencer next to our noisy synth. Right click on the volume control (not the master, use the channel volume) and create an automation clip for volume. Draw a curve so that it fades in.
Now send the noisy sytrus to the mixer and put a filter on the channel- I like the fruity filter). Create another automation clip for the cutoff frequency.
Now you have a cool noise effect for your next project.
Once other trick I did in here was to create a pitch automation clip for one of the synths. This was pretty easy. Just right click the pitch control parameter of any channel, and draw a clip.
If you want more information, or a better explanation of this stuff, go to the site that taught me: http://fav.me/d192m6y
Have fun!
Check it out:
Start with the Sytrus synth in it's default preset and move the noise slider (in op.1 next to the sine wave all the way to the right) to maximum. Play a note on the keyboard and you'll hear static. This is what we want.
Now enter a dot in the step sequencer next to our noisy synth. Right click on the volume control (not the master, use the channel volume) and create an automation clip for volume. Draw a curve so that it fades in.
Now send the noisy sytrus to the mixer and put a filter on the channel- I like the fruity filter). Create another automation clip for the cutoff frequency.
Now you have a cool noise effect for your next project.
Once other trick I did in here was to create a pitch automation clip for one of the synths. This was pretty easy. Just right click the pitch control parameter of any channel, and draw a clip.
If you want more information, or a better explanation of this stuff, go to the site that taught me: http://fav.me/d192m6y
Have fun!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Project 4: Filters and the mixer
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 tranposed 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.
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 tranposed 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.
Monday, September 26, 2011
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.
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.
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