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284 Chapter 22 ES2
• Set Filter Blend to its left-most position, which will allow you to listen to Filter 1 in
isolation. In many circumstances, you’ll probably prefer to use Filter 2, but Filter 1 has
its advantages. In addition to the lowpass filter with 12 dB/octaves slope (Lo), Filter 2
also offers: a highpass, peak, bandpass (BP), and band rejection mode (BR). Filter 1’s
lowpass sounds softer in comparison to Filter 2. It is best-suited to sounds where the
filter effect is/should be less audible (Strings, FM-Sounds). Distorted TB-303 style
sounds are more easily achieved with Filter 1.
• This setting is also ideal for checking out the oscillator waveforms. The analog
waveforms can be set in the Editor view. In order to select the DigiWaves, set Osc 1
Wave to DigiWave.
Tutorial Setting: Analog Saw 3Osc
Topics: Three Detuned Sawtooth Oscillators, Unison Mode
Fat synthesizer sounds have always been popular, and are likely to remain so, given
their use in modern trance and techno styles. This setting features three detuned
oscillators, and sounds fat as it is. The following will introduce you to some additional
tools to fatten the sound even more.
• Check out the 3-oscillator basic sound with different filter and envelope settings.
• Check out the chorus effect at different Intensities and Speeds.
• Engage Unison mode and select a higher setting for Analog. As the sound is
polyphonic, each note is doubled. The number of notes that can be played
simultaneously will be reduced from 10 to 5. This will make the sound rich and broad.
Combining Unison and higher values for Analog will spread the sound across the
stereo spectrum.
In many factory settings, the Unison mode is active. This demands a lot of processing
power. If your computer isn’t fast enough, you can switch off the Unison mode and
insert an Ensemble effect in a bus, for use with several plug-ins. This will save lots of
processing power. Another way to save CPU resources is to bounce several Audio
Instrument tracks—which place high demands on the processor—to an audio track.
Tutorial Setting: Analog Unison
Topics: Extremely Detuned Monophonic Analog Sounds, Effects
There’s nothing fatter than this heavily detuned, un-filtered basic sound. As with the
example above, three sawtooth oscillators are used, but they are detuned further. The
combination of Unison and Analog (set to a high value) is essential again, but this time,
monophonic mode is used to stack ten voices. Without further effects, the result is an
extremely fat lead sound, as used in countless dance and trance productions. With
appropriate filter and envelope settings, trendy arpeggio and sequencer sounds can
easily be set up.
• Set the Cutoff Frequency of Filter 2 to 0. This will activate the preset filter envelope.
Feel free to check out different envelope settings.
• Switch Osc 1 to sound one or two octaves lower.