Apple MainStage 3 Instruments - MainStage 3 Instruments

Sculpture’s basic Material Pad parameters
The Material Pad works as a matrix of Stiffness (x-axis) and Inner Loss (y-axis) values.
Inner Loss axis
Material Pad ball
Stiffness axis
The four corners of the Material Pad display different material names. These each represent a
combination of maximum/minimum Stiffness and Inner Loss values. The combination of the
Inner Loss and Stiffness parameter positions determine the string material and, therefore, the
general timbre of your sound. Here are examples of how Inner Loss and Stiffness settings can
change the tonal color:
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Low Stiffness values, combined with low Inner Loss values, lead to metallic sounds.
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Higher Stiffness values, combined with low Inner Loss values, make the sound become more
bell-like or glass-like.
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Higher Inner Loss values, combined with a low Stiffness level, correspond to nylon or
catgut strings.
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High Stiffness values, combined with high Inner Loss values, simulate wood-like materials.
Material Pad parameters
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Inner Loss: Emulates damping of the string caused by the string material—steel, glass, nylon, or
wood. These are frequency-dependent losses that cause the sound to become more mellow
during the decay phase.
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Stiffness: Sets the rigidity of the string. In reality, this is determined by the string material
and diameter—or, to be more precise, by its geometrical moment of inertia. Increasing the
Stiffness parameter to the maximum value turns the string into a solid metal bar. Stiffer strings
also exhibit an inharmonic vibration, where overtones are not integer multiples of the base
frequency. Rather, they have higher frequencies, which can make upper/lower notes sound
somewhat out of tune with each other.
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Material Pad ball: Controls both the Inner Loss and Stiffness parameters simultaneously when
you drag it within the Material Pad. The ball marks a specific point on the X and Y planes.
Note: The thickness of the string—the green horizontal line in the Pickup display—changes as
you move the ball. See Use Sculpture’s string parameter sliders on page 245
Chapter 13 Sculpture 243