Apple MainStage 3 Instruments - MainStage 3 Instruments

Retro Synth Table oscillator controls
The synthesizer oscillators are used to generate one or more waveforms. You set the basic tonal
color with the chosen waveform or waveforms, adjust the pitch of the basic sound, and set the
level relationships between oscillators. The signal of one or both oscillators is then sent to other
parts of the synthesizer engine for shaping, processing, or manipulation. See Retro Synth filter
controls, Retro Synth amp and effect controls, Use Retro Synth modulation, and Retro Synth
global and controller settings.
Wavetable synthesis is useful for creating evolving textures and more clinical sounds. It is wellsuited
for pad creation, basses, and sound effects.
Table oscillator parameters
••
Shape 1 and Shape 2 knobs: Rotate to choose the type of waveform that each oscillator
generates. The waveform is responsible for the basic tonal color.
••
Analog engine: The oscillators output a number of standard waveforms—noise, rectangular,
sawtooth, and triangular.
••
Table engine: You can choose from 100 waveforms, known as Digiwaves. Digiwaves are very
short samples of the attack transients of various sounds and instruments.
••
Shape Modulation knob: Rotate to choose a waveform shape modulation source, and to set the
modulation intensity. The centered (off) position disables all waveform shape modulation with
the LFO or filter envelope.
••
Vibrato knob: Rotate to set the amount of vibrato (pitch modulation).
••
Semitones knob: Rotate to set the pitch of oscillator 2—in semitone steps, over a range of
±2 octaves.
••
Cents knob: Rotate to precisely adjust the frequency of oscillator 2 in cents (1 cent = 1/100th
semitone).
••
Mix slider: Move to crossfade (set the level relationships) between the oscillators (Shape 1 and 2).
Chapter 12 Retro Synth 226