Instruments and Effects

604 Chapter 29 Ultrabeat
3 Set the attack time in Env 1 to zero by sliding the leftmost of the two junction points
that sit on the x-axis all the way to the left.
4 Experiment with the decay time by moving the rightmost of the two junction points
that sit on the x-axis; you’ll discover that higher decay values (shifting the Bezier handle
to the right) result in sounds similar to synth toms, while shorter decay values (shifting
to the left) provide the kick character.
5 Change the Mod amount (the blue control) of Osc 1 Pitch again (see step 1).
The interaction of this parameter with the envelope’s decay time provides numerous
possibilities for shaping the kick or punch of the bass drum sound.
Note: This simple bass drum sound is called Kick 1 in the Tutorial Kit, at a pitch of C1.
Removing Tonality
One advantage of bass drums based on sine waves is that their sound can be precisely
tuned to match the song. The disadvantage: a recognizable pitch is not always
desirable. Ultrabeat offers several methods to reduce the tonality of the sound. A very
effective tool is the 2 Band EQ.
To reduce tonality using the 2 Band EQ:
1 For band 1, choose the Shelving mode at a frequency of about 80 Hz, a high Q value,
and a negative Gain value.
2 For band 2, choose the Peak mode at a frequency of around 180 Hz, a medium Q value
and also a negative Gain value.
On the EQ graph, you can see how the frequencies around 80 Hz are boosted, while
the surrounding frequencies are reduced.