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Chapter 13 Sculpture 309
Rene the basic bass sound
This section covers programming of a basic bass sound, which will serve as the foundation
for the dierent bass sounds you will create. See Program a picked bass sound with Sculpture,
Program a slap bass sound with Sculpture, and Program a fretless bass sound with Sculpture.
Sequentially follow the tasks in this section after reading Program a basic bass sound with
Sculpture to learn how dierent components can be modeled and to gain a fuller understanding
of how Sculpture parameters interact.
Use the Resolution parameter to control the timbre, independent of pitch
The Resolution parameter is normally used to set the balance between DSP load and sound
quality. It can, however, also be used to shape the sound.
1 Play some notes at the higher end of the bass’s range (around C2), then drag the Resolution
slider all the way to the right and then gradually back toward the left.
You can hear how the sound loses overtones yet simultaneously becomes louder. At low
Resolution values, an inharmonic metallic rattling is heard in the sound.
2 Increase the Resolution value until the metallic rattling disappears. Set the slider to the following
position:
3 Play some notes in the bottom range (around E 0). You’ll note that the sound is quite mued
and vintage-like. Move the green Low Keyscale slider (found below the main Resolution slider) all
the way to the right; the low range should now sound a little more wiry.
With most stringed instruments, the overtone content decreases as the pitch becomes higher.
Strictly speaking, this is true only of open strings, and even then in a limited sense. If the strings
are ngered, the length of the string is shortened, especially in the high register, and the eect
becomes more signicant.