Apple MainStage 3 Instruments - MainStage 3 Instruments

Create Ultrabeat tonal percussion
Tonal percussion sounds such as toms or congas are relatively easy to emulate electronically with
sine or triangular wave oscillators. Ultrabeat’s phase oscillator offers you a broad spectrum of
suitable basic sounds with which to start. Control the pitch of the oscillators with envelopes, and
use the programming techniques discussed in the kick and snare drum sections to alter tonality.
You should find it easy to create a broad range of toms and similar sounds. See Create Ultrabeat
kick drums and Create Ultrabeat snare drums.
Use oscillator 2 model mode to create tonal percussion sounds
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Turn on oscillator 2 Model mode, then familiarize yourself with the effect of each parameter. You
should find it is quite easy to create your own tonal percussion sounds, ranging from toms, to
small tabla drums, to glass bowls.
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Note pitches A1 to B0 in the Tutorial Kit contain typical 808 toms. Analyze these sounds and
modify them as you see fit.
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Note pitches C2 and C#2 in the Tutorial Kit contain tabla and glass sounds that combine
both Osc 2 Model and FM. They are also good examples of the complex use of velocity as a
modulation source.
Create Ultrabeat hi-hats and cymbals
Electronic hi-hat sounds are easy to create in Ultrabeat.
Create a hi-hat in Ultrabeat
1 Load the Standard Tutorial sound.
2 Turn off oscillator 1 and turn on the noise generator.
3 In the noise generator, make sure the Cutoff parameter is modulated by Env 1, the modulation is
negative, and the position of the Mod slider is below that of the base parameter value.
4 Use rather short decay values for Env 1 and Env 4.
5 Set the attack time of Env 4 to a value of 0. The attack time of Env 1 should also be rather short,
but not equal to 0.
Note: You’ll find a similarly constructed sound listed as “hihat 1” at a pitch of F2 in the Tutorial Kit.
Also analyze the hi-hat sound “hihat 2” at pitch F#2.
Chapter 14 Ultrabeat 392