User Guide

606 Chapter 29 Ultrabeat
More Kick …
To get even closer to the 909, use an EQ setting as shown in the following graphic.
Note the low frequency pressure point around 60 Hz (which can be seen in the red
area on the EQ graph) as well as the assertive punch or kick (the blue area starting at
460 Hz and up) of a 909 bass drum are strengthened. (This EQ setting is already part of
the Kick 2 setting.)
More Contour …
In the example, all four envelopes are being used. Take some time to play with the
shapes of the envelopes, while maintaining the attack and decay settings. Experiment
with the junction points of the decay phase in the different envelopes to familiarize
yourself with the sound shaping options available. Start with the decay phase of Env 4
(which controls the volume of Oscillator 1 as well as filter resonance) and observe how
reshaping the belly of the envelope can change the character of the sound from crisp
and short to round and voluminous.
The Ultrabeat Kick
You can use the extensive Ultrabeat features to create bass drums that are uniquely
“Ultrabeat.” Try modulating pitch with an LFO, rather than an envelope, for example.
To create an LFO modulated kick drum:
1 Start with the Standard Tutorial sound at a pitch of A#0 (Osc 1 Pitch), and choose LFO 1
as the Mod source in the Osc 1 Pitch section.
2 Set the degree of modulation by moving the blue Mod control to a value of A3.
3 Set LFO 1 to a low number of Cycles (25 to 35), a high Rate (starting with 70 Hz and
higher) and a medium value for Decay (Ramp rotary knob at about –190).
4 Experiment with the LFO waveform and you’ll discover that you can attain different
nuances in the character of the bass drum attack.
5 Modulate the Asym (Asymmetry) parameter with the same LFO, and also vary the Slope
and Saturation values.
This method enables you to create very different bass drum sounds with a single
oscillator, one LFO, and one envelope (for volume). The character of the sounds can
range from soft to punchy and the degree of tonality in the sound can be adjusted to
taste.