Sequential TAKE 5 - Page 69

60 Synthesis 101: Synth Bass Sequential
To adjust the lter:
1. Press and hold down a key and turn the lter’s cutoff knob. Notice
how it cuts the high frequencies as you rotate counter-clockwise,
making the sound of the oscillator less bright. If you turn the cutoff
knob fully counterclockwise you’ll lter out all frequencies and hear
nothing.
2. Return the
cutoff knob to its 12 o’clock position.
3. Repeatedly strike a note and turn the
resonance knob about halfway up.
Notice how the sound changes as a band of frequencies near the cutoff
is amplied.
4. Rotate the lter’s
cutoff knob again and you’ll hear a classic resonant
lter sweep. You’re going to use this to create your synth bass.
5. Set the lter
cutoff to zero.
6. In the envelopes section, set Envelope 1’s amount fully clockwise. This
will cause the Envelope 1 (the Filter Envelope) to modulate (open) the
lter as much as possible according to the shape of the envelope (its
attack, decay, sustain, and release settings).
7. Set lter
resonance to a 9 o’clock position. This gives the synth bass its
funky “zap.”
8. Play some low notes and listen to the sound. Classic synth bass.
To tweak the sound:
1. Experiment with the Filter Envelope’s amount knob. Notice how
greater amount settings amplify the effect of the envelope on the lter.
2. Repeatedly strike a note on the keyboard as you turn the Filter Enve-
lope’s
decay knob clockwise and counterclockwise. Notice how it
changes the sound as the note decays faster or slower.
3. Experiment with the Filter Envelope’s
cutoff knob.
4. The Filter Envelope’s
release parameter acts in conjunction with the
Amplier Envelope. In other words, you can’t hear a long release on
the lter envelope if the amplier envelope is short! So to hear the lter
envelope’s release parameter in action, set the both the Filter Envelope
and Amp Envelope’s release values to an 11 o’clock position.