Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Project 4: Filters
One way to add character to a sound is to modulate the frequencies that make up that sound. To wrap your brain around this, you need to understand a few of concepts.
1. Sounds are made up of an array of frequencies. That's what makes your ear able to distinguish between a piano and a flute both playing the same note. The pitch "A" on the piano resonates at 440 cycles per second. Many instruments can play that note. It's the timbre (say "TAM-bur") of the note (the mix of high and low frequencies that accompany the fundamental pitch) that makes it sound the way it does. It is this concept that allows us to make synthesizers.
2. We can play with those frequencies using a filter. Think of a filter as a sifter (the kind you would play with in a sandbox. When sand enters a sifter, some particles pass through and others do not. A low pass filter will allow low frequencies to pass through and make the sound more rich with low frequencies while holding the high frequencies back.
3. A filter can be set to certain parameters and left alone (like when you make equalizer settings to your stereo at home), or it can be controlled by an automation clip so that the parameters change in real time. Imagine a sifter that had the ability to change the size of the holes while you poured sand through it.
Your assignment
Many of our generators have filters built right into them and in our last project, most of you used the filter on the Simsynth to make your first automation clip. In this project you are going to take that concept a bit further by adding a filter to the mixer, and adding a controller to modulate two parameters at once.
The Fruity Filter:
1.Add the slayer to your step sequencer (Channels- add one- slayer)and write something for it (a simple chopped pattern is fine). Put your pattern in the playlist a few times.
2.In the channel setting for the slayer, route the output to FX channel 1 (It doesn't matter which FX channel you choose- channel 2 will work just as well as channel 1)
3.Open the mixer and select Channel 1 (or whatever channel you routed the slayer to).
4.Using the dropdown menu, add the fruity filter to one of the available 8 slots in the mixer.
5.The mixer window appears. The cutoff frequency is the control that establishes the amount of hig and low frequencies that will pass into the output. If it's all the way to the left, you'll get a lot of lows. If it's all the way to the right, you'll get a lot of highs.
The are are other controls there as well. Skip the resonance control. You can play with it (you won't break anything), but I'll describe it more in depth in another lesson. The low pass establishes the amount of low frequency in the mix, and the high pass establishes the amount of high frequency in the mix. Band pass can be set to allow a specific frequency range to enter the mix. X2 determines the sensitivity of the filter. the greater the value of this parameter, the more intense your filter effect will be.
6. Right click on the cutoff frequency control and select create automation clip. Draw some dots, and play with the parameters to create your filter effects.
The XY controller
The xy controller is designed to control 2 parameters at the same time. Try this:
1. Add the 3X osc to the step sequencer. Since this is an older generator, it's presets are not available through the plugin window. You have to access them through the browser. Open the browser, select channel presets and 3X osc. Drag one of them on over.
2. Select the INS tab in the channel settings, and look for the filter tab. You'll see an X and a Y under the filter name.
3. Route the 3X osc to the mixer using the FX output (use a different channel than the one you used for the slayer) and add the Fruity XY controller to one of the available slots in the mixer.
4. Right click on the X parameter and choose link to controller. Select internal controller (an external controller would be your keyboard or a trackball/ joystick), and click accept. Repeat the process for theY parameter (or any other parameter you wish to control- it doesn't have to be X and Y).
5. Now write something for this synth and put it into the playlist.
6. Once you have something written that you are happy with, go to the mixer and click on the XY controler plug in so that it appears on your screen.
7. Next to the play button is the record button. Click on it and select "record automation and score".
8. click play and move the xy controller in time with your music playback. The computer records your movement and plays it back when you are done.
9. Save your work and post it.
The criteria for your project are simple:
You loop must include at least one instance of the fruity filter in the mixer and one use of the XY contoller in the mixer.
Here's mine:
1. Sounds are made up of an array of frequencies. That's what makes your ear able to distinguish between a piano and a flute both playing the same note. The pitch "A" on the piano resonates at 440 cycles per second. Many instruments can play that note. It's the timbre (say "TAM-bur") of the note (the mix of high and low frequencies that accompany the fundamental pitch) that makes it sound the way it does. It is this concept that allows us to make synthesizers.
2. We can play with those frequencies using a filter. Think of a filter as a sifter (the kind you would play with in a sandbox. When sand enters a sifter, some particles pass through and others do not. A low pass filter will allow low frequencies to pass through and make the sound more rich with low frequencies while holding the high frequencies back.
3. A filter can be set to certain parameters and left alone (like when you make equalizer settings to your stereo at home), or it can be controlled by an automation clip so that the parameters change in real time. Imagine a sifter that had the ability to change the size of the holes while you poured sand through it.
Your assignment
Many of our generators have filters built right into them and in our last project, most of you used the filter on the Simsynth to make your first automation clip. In this project you are going to take that concept a bit further by adding a filter to the mixer, and adding a controller to modulate two parameters at once.
The Fruity Filter:
1.Add the slayer to your step sequencer (Channels- add one- slayer)and write something for it (a simple chopped pattern is fine). Put your pattern in the playlist a few times.
2.In the channel setting for the slayer, route the output to FX channel 1 (It doesn't matter which FX channel you choose- channel 2 will work just as well as channel 1)
3.Open the mixer and select Channel 1 (or whatever channel you routed the slayer to).
4.Using the dropdown menu, add the fruity filter to one of the available 8 slots in the mixer.
5.The mixer window appears. The cutoff frequency is the control that establishes the amount of hig and low frequencies that will pass into the output. If it's all the way to the left, you'll get a lot of lows. If it's all the way to the right, you'll get a lot of highs.
The are are other controls there as well. Skip the resonance control. You can play with it (you won't break anything), but I'll describe it more in depth in another lesson. The low pass establishes the amount of low frequency in the mix, and the high pass establishes the amount of high frequency in the mix. Band pass can be set to allow a specific frequency range to enter the mix. X2 determines the sensitivity of the filter. the greater the value of this parameter, the more intense your filter effect will be.
6. Right click on the cutoff frequency control and select create automation clip. Draw some dots, and play with the parameters to create your filter effects.
The XY controller
The xy controller is designed to control 2 parameters at the same time. Try this:
1. Add the 3X osc to the step sequencer. Since this is an older generator, it's presets are not available through the plugin window. You have to access them through the browser. Open the browser, select channel presets and 3X osc. Drag one of them on over.
2. Select the INS tab in the channel settings, and look for the filter tab. You'll see an X and a Y under the filter name.
3. Route the 3X osc to the mixer using the FX output (use a different channel than the one you used for the slayer) and add the Fruity XY controller to one of the available slots in the mixer.
4. Right click on the X parameter and choose link to controller. Select internal controller (an external controller would be your keyboard or a trackball/ joystick), and click accept. Repeat the process for theY parameter (or any other parameter you wish to control- it doesn't have to be X and Y).
5. Now write something for this synth and put it into the playlist.
6. Once you have something written that you are happy with, go to the mixer and click on the XY controler plug in so that it appears on your screen.
7. Next to the play button is the record button. Click on it and select "record automation and score".
8. click play and move the xy controller in time with your music playback. The computer records your movement and plays it back when you are done.
9. Save your work and post it.
The criteria for your project are simple:
You loop must include at least one instance of the fruity filter in the mixer and one use of the XY contoller in the mixer.
Here's mine:
Monday, March 1, 2010
Project 3: Automation
In this assignment, you need to create a loop that utilizes a modulation clip for a parameter of any channel. It sounds more complicated that it actually is. Here's how it works:
1. Come up with a rough idea for a loop. Drums, some bass, maybe a chopped melody, whatever.
2. While you are looking at the channel settings of any channel, hover the mouse over one of the controls (I used volume). If that parameter can take an automation clip, the status window will show a red dot.
3. Right click the parameter and select "Create automation clip". The clip will appear in the playlist on the top.
4. You can tweak this by right clicking on the line in the clip and creating handles so that you can change the shape of the clip, or you can select the clip itself (in the step sequencer) and use the LFO (which is what I did).
5. Tweak away, and listen while you are tweaking.
6. Post as usual. Here' s mine: (note, your post should be this descriptive. Notice I didn't say "Here's my loop. I hope you like it!" because that's lame.
I was inspired by the pad sound "air chorus". I entered one really long note, and selected the volume parameter to create my automation clip. Once it was created, I used the LFO to make the volume go up and down really fast to create the choppy sound you hear. I made another automation clip to control the overall volume of the chanel so I could have a fade in at the beginning and a fade out at the end.
For the rest of it, the sound that came to mind was a Chinese inspired melody (imagine a pan flute playing this while someone is practicing their Kung-Fu moves in super-slow motion) with a funky bass and drum thing in the background. The guitar sound is the slayer set on auto chord with a chorus effect and a clean tone. It took about 20 minutes.
1. Come up with a rough idea for a loop. Drums, some bass, maybe a chopped melody, whatever.
2. While you are looking at the channel settings of any channel, hover the mouse over one of the controls (I used volume). If that parameter can take an automation clip, the status window will show a red dot.
3. Right click the parameter and select "Create automation clip". The clip will appear in the playlist on the top.
4. You can tweak this by right clicking on the line in the clip and creating handles so that you can change the shape of the clip, or you can select the clip itself (in the step sequencer) and use the LFO (which is what I did).
5. Tweak away, and listen while you are tweaking.
6. Post as usual. Here' s mine: (note, your post should be this descriptive. Notice I didn't say "Here's my loop. I hope you like it!" because that's lame.
I was inspired by the pad sound "air chorus". I entered one really long note, and selected the volume parameter to create my automation clip. Once it was created, I used the LFO to make the volume go up and down really fast to create the choppy sound you hear. I made another automation clip to control the overall volume of the chanel so I could have a fade in at the beginning and a fade out at the end.
For the rest of it, the sound that came to mind was a Chinese inspired melody (imagine a pan flute playing this while someone is practicing their Kung-Fu moves in super-slow motion) with a funky bass and drum thing in the background. The guitar sound is the slayer set on auto chord with a chorus effect and a clean tone. It took about 20 minutes.
Advanced students
If you are taking this class for the second time, you are currently doing a remix from MixMatchMusic.com for me.
Your next assignment is to remix "Friday Nights" by David LaTour. The audio stems are in the Stublic Folder.
If you would like to enter your remix in the FL Studio remix contest, see me for details. The deadline is March 31 for prizes (1st prize = $500.00).
Your next assignment is to remix "Friday Nights" by David LaTour. The audio stems are in the Stublic Folder.
If you would like to enter your remix in the FL Studio remix contest, see me for details. The deadline is March 31 for prizes (1st prize = $500.00).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)