9 Speakers-Blowing Sounds (Part 2)

Step by step: Punchy FM bass

FM (frequency modulation) bass sounds work well because they can have a more interesting character and more punch than sounds created using subtractive synthesis

1. FM (frequency modulation) bass sounds work well because they can have a more interesting character and more punch than sounds created using subtractive synthesis. Start by loading Curve 2 CM into your DAW, then click New button in the top left-hand corner to initialize the patch.
2. By default the volume envelope has a bit of an attack on it. We want our sound to be nice and percussive, so in the Vol-EG panel on the right, turn the Attack knob down to 0.51ms. Next we want to use Oscillator 2 to frequency modulate Oscillator 1.
3. To do this, turn the EG*OSC1 parameter near the center of the Modulations panel up to 100. This tells Curve 2 CM that we want Osc 2 to frequency modulate Osc 1, and allows us to control the level of the modulation with the envelope generator.
4. The EG panel is below the Vol-EG panel that we used in Step 2. Set the EG’s Attack to 0.00ms, Decay to 48.8ms, and Loop to Off. This gives us our percussive FM bass tone, the timbre of which we can change by adjusting the pitch of either oscillator.
5. We can get a slightly more pleasing timbre by changing the tuning of Osc 2. In the Osc 2 panel on the left, turn the Pitch knob up to 12. This gives us a smooth but punchy 80s-style bass tone that’s great for powering through the mix while leaving space in the midrange.
6. If you want something a bit more modern-sounding you can bring in the synth’s unison voices. The parameters for these are on the right-hand side of the Modulations panel. Set the Spread to 100%, the Detune to 12% and the Damping to 0.00dB. You can hear how this sounds if you listen to Punchy FM Bass.mp3.

Step by step: Classic house organ

Once we turn up the ring modulation amount, Osc 2’s settings will have an audible effect on the synth’s output

1. The classic house organ bass sound is a great option when you want a more restrained or soulful dance bassline. Synthesizing it with Dune CM is a piece of cake – start by loading the synth into your DAW, then click the Bank B button to get an initialized patch.
2. We’re going to use ring modulation here, and to get this particular timbre we need to set both oscillators to sine waves. Click the sine buttons in the Osc 1 and Osc 2 panels as shown. So far we can’t actually hear the output of Osc 2 because the Osc Mix knob is set to 0%.
3. Once we turn up the ring modulation amount, Osc 2’s settings will have an audible effect on the synth’s output. Turn the Ring Mod knob in the Osc Common panel up to 100%. With the current settings, this just thins out the sound a bit – not hugely impressive.
4. Changing the pitch of Osc 2 will produce a different timbre. We want Osc 2 to be tuned up an octave, so turn its Semi knob up to 12. Now if you play the sound on the lower octaves, you’ll get that lovely warm organ bass.
5. The sound stops rather abruptly on note off, so turn the amplitude envelope’s Release time up to 5%. We can get a slightly more percussive sound using the modulation matrix’s Spike Soft parameter. Click the Mod Matrix 1>12 button in the center panel to bring up the matrix now.
6. Set the second row of the matrix to Source: Const, Destination: Envelopes>>Spike Soft, and set the Amount to +100. You can hear how this sounds with the Classic House Organ.mp3 file in the Tutorial Files folder. You can get a variety of different timbres by changing Osc 2’s Semi parameter.

Step by step: Screeching dubstep bass

We want SynthMaster CM to modulate Modulator 1’s pitch automatically

1. You can get some nasty new-school dubstep noises using complex waveforms and phase modulation. SynthMaster CM is ideal for making this kind of sound – load the synth up in your DAW and right-click the leftmost sine wave in the Oscillator 1 panel. Select Asymmetrical>>Asymmetrical 001.
2. In the Architecture panel, click the box that currently reads None to the left of the Osc 1 box, and select Modulator 1 from the list of modulation sources that appears. Now the Modulator 1 panel on the left will control the phase modulation of Oscillator 1.
3. Sweep the Pitch knob in the Oscillator 1 panel and listen to the result – the effect is pretty intense, and could do with being a bit less crazy! Set the Modulator 1 panel’s Volume knob to 9 o’clock, as shown above, to get a subtler effect.
4. We want SynthMaster CM to modulate Modulator 1’s pitch automatically. Set the Pitch knob to 12 o’clock, then right-click it and select Modulation 1 Source>>Voice>>Mod Env 3. Mod Env 3 is also known as Mod Envelope 1. To access Mod Envelope 1, click the Modulation button in the bottom left-hand corner of the interface.
5. Set the Attack time of Mod Envelope 1 to +108 or so. You won’t hear any effect on the sound just yet, because currently the amount by which Mod Envelope 1 modulates Modulator 1’s pitch is set to 0. Confused yet? Don’t worry – the next is very simple!
6. In the Modulation Matrix panel on the right, turn the first row’s Amount knob up to maximum. There you have it – terrifying screechy noises guaranteed to offend dubstep purists. Check out Screeching Dubstep Bass.mp3 to hear how this sounds, and remember that you can change the shape of the waveform to get a different timbre.

Step by step: Smooth electro lead

In the Filter panel, turn the Cutoff knob all the way down and the Env knob all the way up

1. It’s possible to get a wide range of lead sounds from dune CM. let’s see how we can create a typical smooth electro lead sound, then tweak it to get some interesting variations. Start by loading the synth into your DAW. Click the Bank B button to get an initialized patch.
2. We want to use both oscillators, so set the Osc Mix knob to 50%. Click the pulse wave buttons for both Osc 1 and Osc 2 so they’re both set to pulse waves, then turn the Semi knob for Osc 2 up to 7 for a perfect fifth interval.
3. Next we need to do some filtering. In the Filter panel, turn the Cutoff knob all the way down and the Env knob all the way up. Because the filter envelope’s Sustain level is all the way up, this doesn’t yet give us the stabby feel we’re after.
4. In the Filter Envelope panel, set the Decay knob to 67% and the Sustain to 00%. This gives us a lovely smooth filter movement. We want the filter cutoff to follow the note played, so turn the Key Track knob up to 50%. This makes the sound a little bright, so back the Env value off to 88%.
5. Let’s get some glide action going. In the Output panel, click the Mono button and turn the Glide knob up to 44%. Note that Dune CM’s glide only works when you play legato – that is, when you press the second note while still holding the first. As the first closes quite quickly, you’ll need to be fast!
6. Take a listen to Smooth Electro Lead.mp3 to hear the kind of effect you can get. For some interesting variations on the sound you can turn the Ring Mod knob up to get a bassier tone, change the oscillators back to sawtooth waves, or turn up the FM1 knob to add some tasty, characterful harmonics.