Instruments and Effects

458 Chapter 28 Sculpture
Sculpture goes far beyond the mere creation of an infinite number of base timbres,
however. One of the key differences between Sculpture’s string and a traditional
synthesizer’s waveform is that the base timbre (provided by the string) is in a constant
state of flux.
Put another way, if Sculpture’s string is still vibrating for a specific note, retriggering
that same note will interact with the ongoing vibration. This is not dissimilar to the
effect of repeated plucking of a guitar string, where the string is still vibrating when the
next note is played. This will alter the harmonic spectrum each time—which is why
acoustic guitars sound organic when a note is played repeatedly, and sampled guitars
don’t.
As you can see, this is quite different to other synthesis methods where the base timbre
(waveform), even if modulated, does not harmonically interact with sounding notes
when retriggered. What usually happens in traditional synthesizers is that the
waveform is restarted—from mid cycle, or from the beginning—with the result being
an increase in volume, or a slight cyclical wave shift.
Beyond this aspect of base timbre control and interaction, Sculpture also provides you
with the means to model (emulate) a number of other acoustic instrument properties.
As examples, you can emulate a bow dragging across a string, a piano hammer strike,
or even dropping a coin onto the bridge of a guitar.
There would be no point in bowing or plucking a string, however, if you didn’t have a
neck or a body to your violin, cello, or guitar. You’d probably want some way to change
the tension of the strings, or try steel, rather than nylon or catgut. In other words, to
control the physical properties of the string, and its excitation (how it is played).
All of this is possible with Sculpture.
It is an instrument that will require some investment of your time, but it will reward you
with beautifully warm organic sounds, evolving soundscapes, or a harsh and metallic
Hell’s Bells patch—if you’re after that sort of thing.
Sculpture’s Parameters
This section covers the parameters of Sculpture. Before touching on them, however, a
key factor with component modeling is the interaction between various sections of the
synthesis engine. This can lead to some truly unique sounds, but can also lead to
unexpected results.
Sculpture is very different to traditional synthesizers, and requires a more measured
approach to achieve a particular end result. A collection of tips can be found in the
“Programming: Quick Start Guide” on page 511, that will assist you in the creation of
particular types of sounds. Please ensure that you read this section.