Chapter 3
In this chapter we will take a closer look at XFX automation and the FILTER section. This will open up even more ways of modulation and variation for your loops.
As usual, let's start simple...
Select snapshot 16 "Neko Dance 1". A rather simple 1 bar pattern without any extras. You can activate the POD and TIE section to add some action (but turn them off before going to the next snapshot). The loop is too static and repetitive, so switch to snapshot 17 "Neko Dance 2".
You see that two kinds of modulation are at work here. First, the well known MIX modulation blends in the "slice" effect according to the pattern in the MOD sequencer. Second, the small square in the XFX module is moving on a large circle. Well, that is because I activated XFX parameter automation and recorded this movement.
Before I explain the XFX automation, let's do a short calculation. Take a look at the REMIX section.
The length of the MOD pattern is 29. No need to be Einstein to know that 29 is a prime number, so that it will take 29 full cycles of the drum pattern until the combination of MIX modulation and drum pattern repeats. In addition, the XFX automation is 4 beats long, so that the combination of effect automation, MIX modulation and drum pattern will only repeat after 4*29 = 116 bars.
This means: the repetitive 1 bar drum pattern turned into a 116 bar pattern!
We can do even more: turn the SPD (=speed) knob in the XFX section to full left.
Now the XFX automation needs 16 bars to play through the recorded movement. You could start recording this pattern as audio into your favourite sequencing software, sit back, drink a cup of coffee or chat with your friends on the phone, and come back after a while to check the recording and collect the 10 or so most convincing bars of the whole sequence.
Here is an example for an 8 bar sequence I generated that way: Neko Dance Variation.
Enough of this slice business. There are other effects that mix up drum patterns, so let's go on...
Select snapshot 18 "Chakachaka 1". You will notice the pitch shift on the snare. Solo the SNARE module, bring up the MOD sequence and you should see where this comes from. Activate all sample modules again and go to snapshot 19 "Chakachaka 2". Here, I used the "freeze" effect to add stuttering.
Ok, let's play a bit with the effect automation. Deactivate the play button in the XFX section and set the horizontal bar below the automation window to the center position (so that the bar is empty). Place the small square at the left border of the automation window.
The horizontal bar below the automation window sets the amount of pitch shifting for the freeze effect. In center position there will be no pitch shifting. Now, move the square horizontally in the small window. The stuttering algorithm uses shorter bits of the loop if the square is nearer to the right border of the window.
Activate the pitch shifting by moving the bar below the automation window to full right. Place the square near the right border and move it up and down for some serious pitch shifting business. Move the bar to full left and the pitch shifting changes direction.
Time to record your movements. Since the freeze effect changes the loop in a very drastic way, it might be a good idea to start with a "neutral recording". Neutral means that the effect does not change the loop. For this, activate the play and record buttons in the XFX section and hold the square for the full length of one automation recording (4 bars) in the upper left corner of the automation window.
Once this is done, you can add short bursts of freeze effect by clicking briefly in the automation window. Of course, if you are a friend of the more drastic sound mutilations, feel free to record whatever movement comes to your mind.
Snapshot 20 "Chakachaka 3" is a version with more severe freezing and pitch shifting. Note that I limited the effect to the high frequency content of the loop by turning the LO (=low frequency) knob to full left.
Nevertheless, sounds too extreme and chaotic for you? Well, turn on the FILTER section and listen... (Snapshot 21 "Chakachaka 4")
Let's experiment a bit with the FILTER. Deactivate the XFX section by clicking on XFX - we will concentrate on the filter and don't want to be distracted by stuttering or pitch shifting. In the FILTER section turn all knobs to full left.
Silence..... now slowly increase the TRK (=tracking) value. This is an envelope follower modulating the cutoff frequency of the filter, i.e. the louder the audio input the higher the cutoff frequency. Turn the TRK knob to ~10 o clock so that you hear only few bursts of sounds. Now slowly increase the SM (=smooth) value and notice how the variation of the cutoff frequency is smoothed, thereby letting through longer bursts of sound.
I don't know how you feel, but my head has gone completely chakachaka in the meantime.
So, let's quickly go on with the next snapshot 22 "Shaker". Now that you understand what the TRK and SM knobs in the FILTER section are for, we are only left with the MOD knob (I suppose you know what the CUT knob is for, right?)
The MOD (=modulation) knob determines the amount of the MOD sequence values that is added to the cuttoff frequency of the filter. MOD knob at full right will add the values in the MOD sequence to the cuttoff, knob at full left will subtract the MOD values from the cutoff and the center position means no impact of the MOD sequence on the cutoff frequency.
There is one more thing you should notice here. The MOD sequence has 32 steps, but it nevertheless only takes one bar to play the whole MOD sequence. That is because the stretch button is activated in the REMIX section.
Deactivate the stretch button and the cutoff modulation makes one step per beat. Turn it on again to have two cutoff modulations per beat.
Now, I suggest you draw some new patterns into the MOD sequencer and experiment with the FILTER.
Here is one final example for a more subtle use of the FILTER, snapshot 23 "Fluty". Turn off the XFX section. Turn on and off the FILTER section. The effect on the HAT sound is minimal but without the filter it just sounds too static.
Resume:
In this chapter you learned about
- Effect parameter automation
- Rhythm variation with "slice" and "freeze"
- FILTER section