For your next project, you'll create a loop using sounds you design in Sytrus. The sounds you create should show your use of the various envelopes we discussed in class. In your loop, please include an example of each of the following envelopes:
1. Pitch
2. Volume
3. LFO
4. Resonance
5. Key Mapping
Here's a quick breakdown of how to create each envelope:
Pitch
Use a sine based wave for best results. Note: I mixed OP1 (100%) and OP2 (68%) in the filter section, and added chorus set to an order of 9 in the FX section. Remember to mix your output properly in the matrix.
1.Go to OP1. Select the Pitch tab, then the Envelope tab.
2.Erase the default envelope (use the step button, then right click and drag).
3.Click the enable button (lower left corner).
4. Draw your envelope.
Volume
You can use any waveform for this envelope. I actually used the same synth made in our first project with Sytrus (saw wave). In that synth, we routed all output to filter 1.
1. In filter 1, select the volume tab.
2. Clear the envelope and make a curve that goes from 100% volume to 0% volume (upper left to lower right)
3.Add a position marker (a dot) by right clicking on the curve and add a sustain loop end.
LFO
A saw wave synth will give you the best results with the LFO.
1. In filter 1, select the cut tab and then the LFO tab. This envelope points directly to the cutoff control (the middle one) in the filter section.
2. Clear the default envelope. Notice that there is a central origin point. The LFO is positive and negative. The center equals zero.
3. Put the origin point all the way to the bottom. Click tempo mode.
4. Play with the speed control to vary the speed of the wave and the origin point to vary the width of the wave.
5.Add a riff machine riff to play with it (or come up with your own riff). In the step sequencer, select your synth and open the piano roll. In the upper left corner of the piano roll, select tools and Riff machine from the drop down menu (the little triangle) or you can just use Alt+E. Click the throw dice button until you're happy.
6. Click Global to compare what it sounds like when the LFO is allowed to run it's entire shape. When global is off, the LFO retriggers with each new note, and if there are a lot of notes, the LFO may not cycle through it's shape.
7.Remember that this LFO expresses it's positive and negative changes based on the position of the cutoff frequency control (it's between the ENV and RES controls). If your CUT control is set to 100%, then when the LFO is in the positive range, it can't increase the cutoff frequency anymore because it's already maxed out. Move the CUT control to 80% or so to hear the changes.
8. Adjust the ENV control. At 50% it is alternating subtracting 50% from our cutoff frequency and adding 50%. Adjust it how you like.
Resonance
Resonance is a rather subtle presence of harmonic frequencies. It provides a richness to the sound.
1.In filter 1, click on the RES tab and then the ENV tab.
2. Clear the default envelope and try adding a slope from the top left to the bottom right corner.
3. You can use the x1,x2 and x3 buttons to control the intensity of the envelope.
Key mapping
You can set parameters for each note in this synth, In this example we'll map the notes in the low register to the left and high notes to the right.
1.Click the KEYM tab
2.Clear the default envelope and draw a line from the bottom left to the top right.
3.To exaggerate the effect, select double curve for your line instead of a straight line. (Right click the end point and select double curve).
Here's mine:
The melody and accompanying chords come in at :05 The repeated note part has a fast pitch envelope creating the slight scooping sound and is a sine based synth. The chords (with all of the delay) are saw based and have a volume envelope starting with a loud attack and a long decay.
I used the LFO in the middle section on a saw based synth to create a dubstep style bass part. I linked the speed parameter of the LFO envelope to the modulation wheel of my keyboard and recorded my motion on the wheel to speed up and slow down the wobble. I created a resonance envelope on this synth as well to create a richer sound. the resonance is up for the attack, and fades out for the decay.
Also in the dubstep section is a sine based synth with the panning mapped out to low pitches hard left and high pitches hard right.
The drums have a healthy dose of reverb, and I created a drum roll and flams using the chop tool.
I learned all of this stuff from this site: http://fav.me/d194ttr
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