10.6

Table Of Contents
233Logic Pro Instruments
Overdrive Logic Pro ES2 filters
The filters are equipped with discrete overdrive modules. You can set the overdrive
intensity by rotating the Drive parameter.
Drive affects each voice independently. When every voice is overdriven individually—like
having six fuzz boxes for a guitar, one for each string—you can play extremely complex
harmonies over the entire keyboard range. Each voice sounds clean, without unwanted
intermodulation effects spoiling the overall sound.
Certain Drive settings can lead to a different tonal character. This is becauseanalog filters
can behave uniquely when overdriven, forming an essential part of the sonic character of a
synthesizer. ES2 is very flexible in this area, allowing tonal colors that range from the most
subtle fuzz to the hardest of distortions.
If the filters are connected in parallel, the overdrive circuit is placed before the filters.
If the filters are connected in series, the position of the overdrive circuits is dependent
on the Filter Blend parameter. See Crossfade between Logic Pro ES2 filters.
Tip: Because Filter2 can cut away the overtones introduced by the distortion, Drive can
be used as another tool for deforming oscillator waveforms.
Polyphonic distortions in the real world
ES2 provides a dedicated distortion effect in the Effects section. Given this inclusion, you
may wonder what benefit the filter Drive function offers.
The Distortion circuit in the Effects section affects the entire polyphonic output of the ES2.
Every rock guitarist knows that more complex chords—other than major chords, parallel
fifths, and octaves—sound “rough” when using distortion. Therefore, distorted guitar
playing generally involves few voices or parallel fifths and octaves. Because the filter Drive
parameter affects each voice individually, you can play complex chords without introducing
the unpleasant intermodulations that the Distortion effect can add to your sound.
Modulate Logic Pro ES2 Filter2 frequency
Filter2 cutoff frequency can be modulated by the sine wave of oscillator1, which is always
generated, even when the oscillator is switched off. The level of this sine signal can be
mixed in at the output stage with the Sine Level parameter (see Enhance Logic Pro ES2
sounds with Sine Level).
The effect of such filter modulations in the audio spectrum is unpredictable, but the results
tend to remain harmonic if you avoid high modulation intensity values. The FMparameter is
used to define the intensity of this filter frequency modulation.