Synthesis

1. Pitchy Attack Synth

ES2 - Preset 'Analog Saw Init'

Oscillators (Osc)

• Set Osc 1 and 2 to Sine Wave

• Adjust Osc 1 down an octave (-12s)

• Adjust Osc 2 down 2 octaves (-24s)

• Set Osc 3 to noise

• Adjust mix of all 3 in triangle as desired

Filters

• Set Cut Offs to just over 50%

Amplitude (Amp)

• Set Sine and level and distortion approx 9pm%

Envelope

• Bring Sustain, Time, Release to 0 ms

• Adjust Decay to 1200ms

• Open Attack to 60ms

Mix/Effects

• Automate Panning Left to Right

• Using a bus, set up Tape Delay (Use default set to 1/4 note)

• Adjust feedback 40%

• Wet 70%

• Cut lows and highs

• Automate volume of send level so the delay occurs as the sound is ending. 60 marks 0:33 Tape Delay settings Bus Automation (Press A)

2. Sine Wave Chord Synth

ES2 - Default

Oscillators

• Turn off 2 and 3

• Set 1 to pure Sine Wave

• Detune Osc 1 -24 (semitones)

(Detune important for pitch ramp)

Filter

• Cut offs both 12pm

• Blend to middle

Additional Adjustments

• Turn on Unison (Top of synth)

• Change Voices to 8 (gives wider sound)

• Bring up Analog to 12pm, top left of synth (adds classic warmth)

• Chorus Selected (gives wider sound)

• Intensity 10pm (gives wider sound)

Modulator Mapping

• Router 2

• Source Env 2

• Target Pitch 1

• Green Triangle Level Full

Envelope 2 - ADSR

• Attack approx 260ms

• Decay FULL

• Sustain FULL (keep the note going)

• VEL 0 (important or will sound out of key)

Adjusting the Attack of Env2 should be able to hear/control the initial pitch glide/ramp at the beginning of each chord/note

Envelope 3 - ADSR

• Attack approx 160ms

• Decay HALF

• Sustain FULL (keep the note going)

3. White Noise with Side Chain compression

ESP - Default

First, set up Side Chain Kick - Pulse

• Create a 4 on the floor kick drum track to last the whole track

• Use either a MIDI Track with drum machine plug-in or an audio sample kick

• Route the output of the track to BUS 10 (Aux)

• Go to BUS 10 (Aux) and Mute the Bus (the kick should be silent)

White Noise Synth

• Load up ESP

• Create a MIDI file and insert one note that will last the whole song from Bar 1

• Note pitch is irrelevant because Noise = every single frequency

Oscillators

• Attenuate all Oscillators

• Noise generator on full

Filter

• Bring Resonance down to 0s

• Set Cut off about 10pm

Envelope

• Attack approx 45% (so you don’t get a harsh sounding first note)

• Decay at 50%

Side Chain Compression

• On White Noise track insert a Compressor

• Set Side Chain to BUS 2

• Bring down Threshold to -50dB

• You can bring up Ratio 2.7:1 but no higher otherwise the output of the compressor will distort/ clip; adjust so the output does not go into the red.

The White Noise Synth should now pulsate in time with the BPM for the whole song.

4. Square Wave Bass Synth

ES2 - Default

Create a simple bass line

Oscillators

• Set all 3 Osc to Square

• Osc 1 = -12s (down 1 octave)

• Osc 2 = 0, 3cents (slightly above)

Filter

• Cut off 1 = 10pm

• Cut off 2 = 11pm

Amplitude

• Distortion = 10pm

Envelope 2

• Attack = 21ms

• Decay = 50ms

• Sustain = 0ms

Modulator Mapping

• Use Router 6

• Source = Env 2

• Target = Cut 1+2

• Level = 0.63 (play with this so you can hear how the envelope is affecting the cut off)

Arpeggiator

• On the channel strip, Insert Arpeggiator under MIDI effects

• Bottom left, change from Live to Grid

• Create a pattern like below, so the first 1/16th note is silent and vary the velocity of the 3 remaining notes in the bar as below

5. Pad Synth (with LFO mapped to create Tremolo effect)

ES2 - Synth Pad >> Strings PWM

Create some pad chords

• Pad synths are useful to fill a track; this preset has warm combination of square waves

• Bring down Cut off 1 to approx 1/2pm

Applying LFO

• The Low Frequency Oscillator is a wave generator that creates a very low inaudible frequency (usually below 20Hz)

• It creates a rhythmic sweep/pulse and creates these effects when mapped to...

• Osc = Vibrato (change in pitch)

• Filter = Wah Wah (sweeping frequency range)

•Amplitude = Tremolo (turning volume up and down)

Mapping LFO

• Under Router 7, select target as AMP

• Source as LFO 2

• Bring green triangle/level up to full (to ensure you hear maximum effect)

• Under LFO 2, adjust Rate to match the BPM of your piece

• 1/4 will pulse in time with the crotchets, 1/8 the quaver, 1/16 semiquaver etc, increasing the overall speed/movement of the pulse

• The wave parameter changes the shape off the LFO, try adjusting to hear the differences

• The original triangle shape at 1/8 rate is a good setting

• Try mapping target to ‘Pitch 123’ to hear extreme vibrato

• Try mapping target to ‘Cut off 1’ to hear wah-wah frequency sweep

6. Pluck Chord Synth

ES2 - Default

Filter

• Set BLEND to centre (so both cut offs heard)

• Adjust both Cut Offs to 9pm

• Resonance approx 9pm

• bring up FM approx 8pm

Envelope 3

Pluck is all about a short detached sound, can adjust the envelope

• Short Attack (0.48ms)

• Short Decay (approx 240ms) The short decay is key to the pluck timbre

• Sustain at 0 (again important to pluck sound)

Modulator Mapping

• Use Router 1

• Source as Envelope 3

• Target as Cut off 1+2

• Experiment with level/green triangle to listen how it affects the cut off

Apply Stereo Delay (as an insert)

• This will fill out the sound

• Keep the output mix low so it doesn’t muddy up the overall sound

• Set left to 1/4 and right 1/8 dotted

• Bring down the high cut to 7/8k

• Adjust feedback each side L- 15%, R-30%

• Output low

7. Arpeggiator Synth

Retro Synth >> Preset Synth Bass >> Punchy Electro

Chords

• Take the chords of the Pluck Chord synth and elongate the notes

Oscillator

• Change to Triangle Wave

• Adjust Semitones +24 (2 octaves higher)

• Mix set to OSC 2

Filter

• Change to LP 24 dB Edgy

Amplitude / Envelope

• Set Attack to 1.10ms

Arpeggiator

• Load ARP under MIDI FX

• Change Pattern from Live to Grid

• Adjust Velocities of notes 123 to provide variation

8. LFO synth

ES2 >> tutorial settings >> Analog Saw Unison

Oscillators

• 3 fat saw waves is the default

• Saw Wave = High frequency harmonics, resulting in a harsh, buzzy tone.

Filter

• Set both Cut Offs to approx 10pm

• Set blend to centre

Modulator Mapping

• Use Router 4

• Source as LFO 2

• Target as Cut off 1+2

• Once LFO set up, move green fader up and down to hear impact of LFO but leave on FULL

LFO

• Set RATE to 1/8 (quaver)

• Use triangle wave (default) for up and down effect

• Experiment with other waves to recognise the different effect of each wave

LFO Automation

• Automate the RATE of the LFO to change from 1/8, to 1/4 (slower) or 1/16th (faster) to create movement

Volume Envelope (ADSR)

• Only bring down Sustain to 0

• Leave remaining settings as is

9. Vocoder with vocal Time Stretching

EVOC 20 Vocoder Synth

Presets >> 02 Vintage Vocoder >> Clear Voice Vocoder

Audio Time Stretching

Record/use TTSfree.com to generate and download audio or use AI

This sample is "Smash the Speakers" from provided sample pack

• Import vocal Audio onto track

• Turn on Flexpitch and select Tempophone (FX)

• Using the locators on the audio track, drag to stretch how you want the syllables across 2 bars; it will sound stretched

• Mute the track

Vocoder Synth

• Create a new software instrument track with EVOC 20 PS Vocoder Synth

• Copy and Paste the chords from the ARP synth or make new chords/melody

• Go Presets >> 02 Vintage Vocoder >> Clear Voice Vocoder

• Like Side Chain compression, you want to send the vocal audio signal to the Vocoder synth; set the the Analysis Input to your audio track

• Ensure original audio track is muted so you can only hear Vocoder

• When using Vocoder with audio signal, you must set the signal on the Vocoder synth as Voc

Vocoder Settings

• There is a lot going on in this synth so let’s just look at the main settings to ensure you understand their function

Bands (5 to 20)

• Chops the vocals into multiple frequency bands helping the vocoder better analyse and recreate the signal; the more bands (20) = more realistic, the less bands (5) = more digital/ processed

• Set to both extremes so you can hear the difference

Formants Stretch

• You can bring the Formants closer together or spread them out

• Bringing down to 0.5 will result in a tighter sound but quality will sound digital/too processed

• Turning right up to 2.0 will result in a more open clearer sound

Further Vocoder Settings

Remember this is a synth; you still have the Oscillator, Filter, LFO to adjust

Automation

• Try automating the main settings or LFO

• You may want one part to sound more digitised and become gradually clearer

EXPERIMENT