Sound Creation and Manipulation - LO2

UNIT 35 LO2

Space Way

In my project I have used multiple editing functions of a synthesiser including oscillator, envelope generator and low-frequency oscillator.I had used many presets within the range of synthesisers I had used, this worked well for me as i was easily able to adjust the presets to make the sound that i actually wanted instead of using the original preset which wouldn't have been my original sound. After getting the hang of using ES1 and ES2 i then went on to create my own presets as listed below:

Oscillator- 
I especially found benefit using ES2 as it contains three different oscillators. Within each oscillator there are different wave types that can be used together to create the exact sound required, this is the usual wave types that we had learnt in LO1 for example Sine wave, Triangle wave, Saw wave, Square wave and three additional sine wave combinations.

Along with the three oscillators there are also two LFO's within ES2. Similar to the oscillators, the LFO's concentrate on the waveforms of the sound however is aimed specifically at lower frequencies which help the sound to wave and pulsate. There are three effects available for us to use and that is Tremolo, Vibrato or the phase effect. An example of the use of the LFO's and Oscillators can be found in my patches.

Modulation- 

Modulation transforms aspects of the sound to make the sound more appealing to the audience, this is through the use of sonic modulation, as sound without this may sound dull to the ear and un-natural rather synthetic. Vibrato which is usually used by string players to add animation and depth.

Filters- 
This is used to modulate specific frequencies so that we are able to create waving, panning & pulsing effects using LFO or oscillators. ES2 (one of the synthesisers i used) have two filters so i had the flexibility to use resonance, drive and specific cut-off points in multiples at a time and blending.
The synthesiser allows us to either use a series filter or a parallel filter. In my first sound i had blended together to two different filters affecting both my drive and cut-off points. I had originally used a low-pass filter but later modified this to a high-pass filter in order to attenuates sound below the cutoff frequency point. I had realised that this gave me a much cleaner sound.

Patch Bay:

Patch bays can either be used to route or re-route different signal paths to make sure the correct area's in the synth are connected. The main use of a patch bay is to actually route the networks however we had used patch bays in particular for the use of routing our input through an arpeggiator before reaching the output. Although i did not understand the exact use of this at first after some time practising i was able to use the arpeggiator to create a delayed type sound that i would've never of discovered if i had not. Many may use patch bays to connect different devices and rooms with each-other in professional spaces such as a studio allowing signals to be sent either way.

I had also used Reason Record as a slave device to Logic pro so I could use functions within Reason Record and have it connected to Logic pro which is also an example of a patch bay. As the sound is modified in Reason Record it will automatically be sent to Logic pro and any changes are updated. The patch bays in Record allow us to use realistic virtual devices on a rack. The program actually allows you to virtually interact with the front and back of the device which virtual cabling to other devices allowing maximum control and creativity over the piece.

Monophonic and Polyphonic Voices:

In 'ES2' you are able to choose between Monophonic and Polyphonic voices so you can decide and control the depth of the sound by changing the amount of 'Voices'. Monophonic is one voice as 'Mono' is single which would have every low depth however as the device has the capability of reaching up to 32 voices there is a wide enough range to find the exact desired sound.

Parameter Select and Change:

I made use of the Parameters in ES2 especially when using the 'Glide' effect in my synth patches, i had realised whilst experimenting with the synthesiser that the 'Glide' either short or long would create either a quick transitional change of notes or a longer more blended change of the notes. The Long Glide effect worked particularly well for my 'Bass' type synths. The parameters in ES2 give an extent to what you can edit within the sound and the level at which each function will affect the sounds final form.

Amplifiers and Envelopers:

Envelope generator- The envelope generator contains four different controls known as ADSR. These controls allow us to have full control over the Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release. Attack decides the amount of time in which it takes the sound to reach full volume from 0%, Decay determines the time taken for the sounds to fall from 100% to the sustain level, Sustain sets a steady amplitude level, Release is the time it will take from the sustain level to drop to 0%.