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Table Of Contents
Ultrabeat Tutorial: Recreating the Kraftwerk Snare
Another classic electronic snare drum sound is the highly resonant lowpass filter of an
analog synthesizer that quickly closes with a snap. This sound was used extensively by
Kraftwerk.
To recreate the Kraftwerk snare sound with Ultrabeat
1 Select the Snare 1 sound.
2 Direct the signals of both oscillators and the noise generator to the main filter.
3 Modulate Cutoff with Env 1 (which is already modulating the volume of the noise
generator).
4 Modulate the filter resonance with Env 2.
5 Experiment with the parameters mentioned in steps 2 to 4 (especially the envelopes),
introduce EQ into the sound, and discover how much “playing room these basic settings
allow you.
Note: An exemplary sound is listed as snare 5-KW in the Tutorial Kit, at a pitch of G#1.
Analyze this sound, and compare it to your own creation.
Ultrabeat Tutorial: Creating Toms and Tonal Percussion
Tonal percussion sounds such as toms or congas are relatively easy to emulate
electronically with sine or triangular wave oscillators. Ultrabeats phase oscillator offers
you a broad spectrum of suitable basic sounds with which to start. Control the pitch of
the oscillators with envelopes, and use the programming techniques discussed in the
bass and snare drum sections to alter tonality. You should find it easy to create a broad
range of toms and similar sounds.
Note: At the pitches A1 to B0 in the Tutorial Kit you’ll find typical 808 toms. Analyze these
sounds and modify them as you see fit.
Spend some time experimenting with the Model mode of Oscillator 2. Try to familiarize
yourself with the effect of each parameter, and create some of your own tonal percussion
sounds, ranging from small tabla drums to glass bowls.
Note: The “tabla” and “glass” sounds (at pitches C2 and C#2) in the Tutorial Kit combine
both Osc 2 Model and FM. They are also good examples of the complex use of velocity
as a modulation source.
Ultrabeat Tutorial: Creating Hi-Hats and Cymbals
Electronic hi-hat sounds are easy to create in Ultrabeat.
To create a hi-hat in Ultrabeat
1 Load the Standard Tutorial sound.
314 Chapter 11 Ultrabeat