Before going further, a review of the architecture that underpins almost every synth: subtractive synthesis. Start with a harmonically rich waveform, shape it with a filter, control its level with an amplifier, and move all of it with envelopes and LFOs. Pigments' virtual analogue engine is a clear place to see it all.
Oscillators
Pigments' virtual analogue engine offers classic waveforms - sine, triangle, sawtooth, square/pulse - with tuning, pulse width and detune. Its engines can run side by side, so you can layer two sources.
- Sawtooth - bright, buzzy, all harmonics. Strings, brass, leads.
- Square and pulse - hollow; pulse width changes the tone.
- Triangle and sine - soft and pure. Sub layers and flutes.
- Noise - for breath, air and percussion.
Filters
Pigments has two filter slots that can be run in series or parallel, with many filter types - including classic low-pass models, multimode and character filters.
- Cutoff - where the filter starts working.
- Resonance - emphasis at the cutoff; high settings whistle and can self-oscillate.
- Routing - series filters for steep, complex shaping; parallel for blending two tones.
Amplifier and envelopes
An ADSR envelope shapes loudness over time:
- Fast attack, short decay, no sustain - plucks and stabs.
- Fast attack, full sustain - organs and leads.
- Slow attack, long release - pads.
A second envelope on the filter cutoff makes each note change tone - the bright attack that mellows, like most real instruments.
Modulation in Pigments
Pigments' modulation section is one of its strengths. Sources include envelopes, LFOs, function generators, random sources, combinators and macros, plus velocity, aftertouch and the mod wheel. You assign a source to almost any parameter and set the amount by dragging on the control - a coloured ring shows how far it moves.
- LFO to filter cutoff - rhythmic movement.
- Function generators - draw your own modulation shapes, synced to tempo.
- Random - subtle variation from note to note.
- Macros - one knob moving many parameters, for performance.
A first patch
- Initialise a patch.
- One sawtooth and one square an octave below, slightly detuned.
- Low-pass filter, cutoff around halfway, a touch of resonance.
- Filter envelope with a fast attack and medium decay.
- Amp envelope with a fast attack, medium sustain and short release.
- A slow LFO on cutoff, and the mod wheel on vibrato.
Do this now
- Build the first patch above from an initialised Pigments preset.
- Turn it into a pluck, a pad and a bass by changing only envelopes and filter settings.
- Assign a function generator to cutoff, synced to 1/16 notes, and draw a rhythmic shape.