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When Cycles is set to values under 100, the LFO will be reset by each new MIDI note on
message (Note On Reset).
It’s really a question of taste as to whether or not you choose to trigger an LFO cycle from
the same spot or just allow it to oscillate freely, regardless of phase. The random element
of free-running LFOs can make many sounds fatter. This, however, can be at the expense
of a percussive attack—which is not ideal for many drum sounds.
Note: You can, of course, use minor shifting of the LFO phase—with the Cycle value set
to Infinity—to your advantage, adding an analog character to a drum sound, for example.
Getting to Know the Ultrabeat Envelopes (Env 1 to Env 4)
Further modulation sources available to you in the “mod” menu include the envelope
generators.
Note: The roots of the term “envelope generator” and its basic functionality are described
in The Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release (ADSR) Envelope Controls.
Ultrabeat features four identically specified envelope generators per voice. They are
abbreviated as Env 1 to Env 4. In addition to potential use as a modulation source (in the
“mod” menus of various sound parameters), Env 4 is permanently connected to the Voice
Volume parameter. In other words, each Ultrabeat drum sound has a hard-wired volume
envelope generator—namely, Env 4.
The default behavior of the envelope generators is known as theone shot envelope mode:
after a key is pressed (note on message), the envelopes run their course, regardless of
how long the note is held. This setting is ideal for percussive signals because it emulates
the natural behavior of acoustic percussion instruments.
For special cases, such as sustained pad or cymbal sounds, you can activate a sustain
mode where the envelopes take the lengths of the played notes into account.
284 Chapter 11 Ultrabeat