Additive Synthesis: NI Lazerbass
NI Lazerbass
From earlier classes we already know that timbres are composed of multiple harmonic or non-harmonic partials (individual sine waves) of different frequencies and amplitudes. Additive synthesis allows for the creation of complex sounds by giving control over the frequency and amplitude of each harmonic or partial and how they change over time. This is probably the most straightforward way to create a sound, by just adding the individual harmonics at a certain amplitude..it’s striking how easy it is to come up with some effective and unusual programming for many different styles of music. Sine waves can be used like the atoms of sound as every timbre can be produced out of a creation configuration of them.
NI’s Lazerbass is a software synthesizer developed by Native Instruments for use with the free Komplete Start software.
Additive Synthesis with Lazerbass can create the cleanest basic waveforms by avoiding the aliasing artifacts usually created by the inherent sample rate limitations of digital synths. This level of quality is based on the new sine bank module that turns down the volumes of the partials before they exceed the limitations of the sample rate….
This Synth has some great controls to create and manipulate groups and patterns of partials in simple and musical ways which makes it a breeze to make a wide range of additive sounds..
General Description and Overview of Lazerbass
Lazerbass uses a sinebank, which is a collection of sine waves that can be manipulated to create different sounds. The interface is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, with a visual representation of the sinebank that makes it easy to see and edit the individual harmonics.
Lazerbass is a monophonic synth, it offers very elaborate ‘pattern’ controls for the partials which allows for intuitive sound design.
The novel functions and controls are best demonstrated with the help of a spectrum analyzer and explored module by module:
Here’s how to use it:
As a general guideline when making sounds from scratch, start with the default in the tutorial preset and program the Oscillator first, followed by the Attenuation or Ratio Multiply section. Even though the underlying functions are different, using Ratio multiply is somewhat reminiscent of FM programming and Attenuation can be used as a subtractive tool similar to a filter (without the resonance). Ratio add, Dispersion and Partial Beating would be the go to modules for creating inharmonic sounds and subtle detunings as well as movement (beating).
Oscillator
Explore the different waveforms along with the changing transposition controls..
Go to Global pitch (blue) and Transpose down by -24
Select the scope and view the different waveforms
For dual and multi waveforms work like using multiple oscillators. You will hear a difference when you use Transpose or Beating
Use multi saw/square and to create voicing spread when increasing the number of voices
Partials
We can use up to 312 partials
Lowering this number makes the sound darker, eventually reducing it to a sine wave
We are allocating and controlling the amount of overtones. Sets the number of individual partials used for the creation of the sound. A lower number will result in a lower resolution
Transpose..doesnot exactly what you would expect:
Transposes just the even numbered partials so the resulting waveform changes but not the fundamental pitch.
First create and interval and turn down the fundamental using the Fund control.we will be hearing only the transposed partials !
Then view the waveform change with a Full Saw: transposing it down to -12 will shape the waveform more in the direction of a square
Also to no surprise the Full Square Wave does not have this control since it is containing only even numbered harmonics.
Note that transposing the entire waveform would have to be done in the blue Global Pitch section.
Beating
Detunes just the odd numbered partials at a fixed rate, It does not vary depending on the note you play (compare to offset in FM8)
The rate can also be synchronized to the LFO (x<LFO)
Select the PW square wave and adjust the pulse with Width
Group Attenuation(view in Live with Spectrum)
Changing the waveform by attenuating certain groups of partials as defined by the pattern size, balance and mask settings. the main goal here is to demonstrate the function of the patterns and the mask symmetry using different
balance settings. Since attenuations brings down the amplitudes of selected partials It can be used in the workflow a bit like a filter in a subtractive synth.
Explain the functions of the controls
Use Balance to crosstade between two groups defined by the pattern selected. When set to the center, the groups will be evenly balanced and the signal will not be affected. At 0 or 1 only one group of partials will be heard.
Pattern
Manipulation of patterns of partials is a recurring theme in Lazerbass, we can see the option to select partials by pattems for specific processing in most of the blue/green sound source modules on the left side of Lazerbass
It defines the size of the recurring pattern of individual partials. By increasing the pattern number we can change the number of partials assigned to each group
Use the msk sym control o adjust the symmetry of the pattern mask, by defining the number of partials in each group.
Demonstrate with a Full Saw and spectrum how to create different waveforms by attenuating some of the partials
With pattern 02 alternative partials are being masked each side of the balance knob e.g turning left we will eliminate odd numbered harmonics
Move balance to the left and you’ll get a square wave, to the right and you’ll remove the first (odd) harmonic and get a +12 transposed saw
E.g. with pattern set to 8 we get alternating groups with 4 partials each(show in spectrum). Turning the balance knob all the way left or right we can listen to the spectral opposites.
Demonstrate with a Dual Square and -12 Transposition in the Oscillator
( With pattern 02 you can remove the subharmonic partials
Move balance to the left and you’ll just get the transposed down odd numbered partials. then proceed to also remove the fundamental in the oscillator..
Then use pattern 08 as well and adjust mask symmetry
Ratio Multiply
Ratio will multiply the frequencies of a selected group of partials as defined by the pattern.. this is one of the most drastic sound controls and an immediate ‘go to’ module in LB. Be aware that if you have attenuated the same partials
before in the attenuation section you might not hear a difference when using the same pattern here, depending also on the balance setting. This is sonically somewhat reminiscent of working with the ratios of operators in FM8
Use this to transpose recurring groups of partials.
Show this by creating some subharmonics first (r= 0.5 p=02) while bringing up the pattern size gradually. Then listen also to the different patterns at other ratios
Ratio Add
Here we are adding a set value to the partials defined by the pattern
Has a frequency shifting type effect and is great for the creation of inharmonic sounds
Partial Beating
This is similar to beating in the oscillator except here we are only affecting the partials defined by the pattern selected and the effect is more subtle…
You can sync it to the lfo as well
Dispersion
Stretches or compresses the tuning of the upper partials
View this first using a Full Saw with the Ratio visualization selected..
Turning up the shape knob will increase the effect on lower partials while turning it down will affect more the higher partials
Alternately view this using Scope visualization as well to view the effects to the waveform while bending up or down and also demonstrating the shape knob positions.
This can be used to simulate the natural rigidity of materials e.g small positive settings can simulate the behavior of a plucked string.
Create a percussive plucky sound with the envelope and use ratio add to add some inharmonics as well..
With key follow the dispersion effect will be more pronounced on lower notes
Phase
Controls the phase of partials i.e. when on, all phases get reset to 0 with each new note played. We’ve already seen this feature in all previous synths sometimes under different names e.g as Key Sync (FM8) or Restart via Gate
(Massive). Note that here this module is enabled by default.
When you dont get a clean waveform in the scope, try locking the phase of the partials..many times it will aslo increase the amplitude of the wavefrom.
To demonstrate use a Full Saw, switch it off and change some settings/patterns in any of the modules, turn it on and you might see a drastic change in the waveform and hear the difference as well.
With a Random amount used, the starting phase of each partial is set to a random value. you can make sounds more diffuse, fatter and fuzzier. You could use this to give a sound a more ‘analog’ charcter.
Use Shape to change the patterns of the random values
Even when you switch this module off the partials will still run free’ with no phase reset. To get the original waveform back you will need to turn it on again and reset it using the reset switch
Switching of phase reset can also lead to gradual sound changes in combination with other module settings. Watch the waveform changing with every note played!
Brightness and Periodic Filter
Controlling and Modulating Brightness
Sounds very much like a lopass cutoff except here we are attenuating the upper partials, reminiscent of Spectrum in Massive. Then we can also add movement with some of the familiar modulators..
Switch the visualization to Brightness
Bring down the numeric value for a darker, warmer sound
With Key down the brightness remains constant, when we bring it up we reduce the brightness of upper partials
The Floor knob set the lower limit, when all the way up it will retain the fundamental. To the left.silence!
Check C1 below to use a Macro to fade between 2 preset values. You can Ctrl click on Mod Macro1 and midi learn it
Env and LFO enables the modulators below and we can set their range in the left and right value boxes
We can combine the vertical macro control with the horizontal modulation settings which open up unique morphing possibilities
Modulation Envelope and LFO
Using the Periodic filter
Here we can introduce some regularly spaced peaks and throughs to pattern of partials produced. it allows for the creation of a variety of phaser-, flanger- and resonance effects. Parameters can also be modulated with the Mod Envelope, the Lfo or the Macros at the bottom.
Switch to periodic in the visualization area to get a display of the frequency changes.
Use apply as amount control > 7 cycles
Adjusts the number of cycles for the periodic filter. Integer and fine tuning are available. Use double click on the left to reset or on the right (fine tuning)to set to nearest integer value.
With the left and right number fields we set the range of the modulation, when selecting Macros you use the lower number fields as well
Start out with only 5-7 cycles
• By default we have a linear spacing but we can switch to a logarithmic one by enabling the Stretch button to the right.
• When used with FO mod Stretch also changes the characteristic from a flange to a more phase-like effect
Phase
With the phase amount we can move the peaks and throughs to the left or right, 360 degrees will get us full circle
Turning on Stretch will drastically change the effect. Use a mod envelope to move the phase and create formant like speech effects.. make sure to add some inharmonics too(add ratio)
Pinch
Using a scale from -1 to +1 to stretch the pattern of peaks towards the lower or upper end ..
+1 gets us closer to the logarithmic setting of stretch and -1 will get stretch mode closer to a linear spacing
This will give use additional dynamic control over the stretching when using pinch with env, lfo or macro modulation
Peak mode enhances the peaks and widens the throughs
Enabling Blocks replaces the smooth curves with abrupt steps or mutes, it switches the filter type to a square shape for a more digital sound.
First bring up peak for a more resonant, dynamic effect and then switch to block for some robotic sample&hold like action
Use Ctrl+Automation for apply, stretch, peak and blocks only.
Using Specb and Release Envelope
Using spec(trum)b for Sound Variation
spec b appliespreset modifications to the levels and pitches of all the partials in your waveform
We have a choice of 32 presets..the sound will not change until you trigger a new note !
These presets are also affected by all the other partial parameter changes in LB.so the result can be hard to predict
We can use spec b also for the release part of the sound
With spec b you can give the release or decay phase a different timbre, selectable with select b
Turn on the Release Envelope
The volume envelope for the “Note On” and “Note Off” phase of the note triggered (compare to Release setting in Absynth’s Envelope) The release sound will occur when you let go of the key.
Check rel env and bring up lev and rel. att controls attack of release section
The Note On settings are on the left side and the Note Off” settings on the right side
Use the separate brightness control for the note off section
Use Ctri+Automation for every control incl. select b but not the brightness
Global Pitch, Gate, Glide and Pitch Mod
Use Global Pitch for transposition and pitch bend range
Gate modes: with hold mode the note off phase starts after all keys are released, but phase and envelopes will be retriggered with each key. That’s not the case with legato
Glide with Legato: we can select or combine absolute and relative time, a rather unusual option !
Pitch mod with Envelope or Lfo