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Table Of Contents
The interface and signal flow of Ultrabeat’s synthesis engine are based on classic
synthesizer designs. If you’re totally new to synthesizers, it might be best to start with
Synthesizer Basics, which will introduce you to the fundamentals and terminology of
different synthesis systems.
If you look at the Synthesizer section from left to right, you’ll recognize the layout and
signal flow of a subtractive synthesizer. First, the basic tonal material is created by the
oscillators, noise generator, and ring modulator. A filter then takes away certain frequencies
from the raw sound, followed by volume shaping—envelopes.
Note: Whereas the structure and layout mirrors classic subtractive synthesizer designs,
Ultrabeat incorporates a number of different tone generation (synthesis) methods,
including frequency modulation, component modeling, sample playback, and phase
distortion. These provide unique qualities that massively expand the range of sounds you
can create.
Oscillator 1
Oscillator 2
Ring modulator
slider
Signal flow button Filter Signal flow button
Noise generator
The details of Ultrabeat’s functions and their importance become more apparent when
you look at the three-dimensional nature of the interface and recognize the different
levels from front to back. The following descriptions refer to the third dimension, so keep
this in mind while reading and exploring Ultrabeat’s interface.
The large, round, elevated Filter (and Distortion) section is in the center. Its placement
and design are both symbolic and practical, as the filter plays a central role in Ultrabeat.
The Filter is discussed in Getting to Know the Ultrabeat Filter and Distortion Section.
253Chapter 11 Ultrabeat