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Swing
tranceaddict



Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Swinging
Teach me to use LFOs

Teach me how and you fellow TA's to use LFO's


Well, that's not really true, because I already know how to use them in a basic sense.

What I want are advanced methods of using them to make your synth sound better.


Here's what I know already

As the name suggest, these oscillators run at low frequency and are adjustable to run at a variable speed, from, for example, one cycle every ten seconds, to 30 cycles every second.

They can be of varied shape, ie. sine, trapezoid, sawtooth etc., so that the cycles can be smooth up/down (sine), or slow up and sudden down (sawtooth) etc.

They cantrol a multitude of synth parameters depending on the quality of the synth.

Linked to pitch, they can move the pitch slowly up/down or rapidly (tremolo)
Liked to frequency they can sweep the filters up and down


Well, I've done all that, and I must say it all sounds rather boring. A sweeping pitch ? A sweeping filter ? Doesn't sound that great.

So what am I doing wrong. How come synth presets using LFO's can sound great ?


What suggestions do you have for advanced LFO use ?

Share the knowlege

Old Post Jun-18-2004 00:16  Myanmar
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Subtle
Subreme tranceaddict



Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Urban Shakedown

what is LFO`s


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Old Post Jun-18-2004 00:28  Norway
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pho mo
tropical bliss



Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Darwin

Not to be too pendantic I hope, but altering the pitch is called vibrato.

The tremelo effect, which was mentioned, means altering the amplitude (volume).

My best suggestion when using LFOs, is to tweak the delay parameter for the LFO. Doing so will bring in the LFO effect after the specified amount of time, instead of being full-on straight away.

Especially for leads this can make LFO use really expressive.

While the delay parameter is like the attack in your standard ADSR envelope, I'm not sure if any synths have full-on ADSR envelopes for their LFOs. These days they probably do.

Other ideas :

- use two LFOs to modulate the same parameter - two of the same wave but with slightly varied tempos will interact to produce a much more complicated wave. May sound shit but who knows.

- link the frequency of the LFO to some multiple of the tempo of your tune, for rhythmic goodness.


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Old Post Jun-18-2004 00:41  Australia
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CandyRaver666
tranceaddict



Registered: May 2003
Location: Hiding

The easiest and one of the best uses of LFO is noise.

Use it to analogue up all your sounds. You say you've got a V-synth too Swing ? You can make the VA sound a lot more analogue by using this technique, but it works for all synths and soft synths too.

This is a specific V-synth example, but can be done with whatever synth you use.

Choose two oscillators which allow for suboscillators

Let's go for your typical trance saw type lead by choosing all saws. Of course, you can mix different waves too.

Choose the pitch of OSC 1 to -6, LFO depth 5
Choose the pitch of sub OSC 1 to -3 LFO depth 5
Choose the pitch of OSC 2 to +3, LFO depth 5
Choose the pitch of sub OSC 2 to +6, LFO depth 5

Now, choose the LFO shape - Chaos (otherwise known as noise).

A much fuller, more analogue sound will present itself to you now.

(Resample the sound on the V-synth to create Supersaws).


Don't forget that half the trick of making phat sounds is effects.
If you're wondering why your sounds don't cut it, try adding effects, for example, chorus, delay, reverb. Don't forget you can stack these up (chorus through a delay through another chorus then EQ'd then through a reverb)


Oh, and don't forget that parametric EQ is an effect too. Try cutting the bass to brighten up your sounds etc. Sometimes it can be the difference between a searing, cutting lead, and something that sounds misplaced.

Personally, I think most leads need the bass dropped out of them to some extent. Try it and see.

Last edited by CandyRaver666 on Jun-18-2004 at 02:25

Old Post Jun-18-2004 02:19  Iraq
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Vert
TrancEaddict



Registered: Jul 2003
Location:

quote:
Originally posted by CandyRaver666
The easiest and one of the best uses of LFO is noise.

Use it to analogue up all your sounds. You say you've got a V-synth too Swing ? You can make the VA sound a lot more analogue by using this technique, but it works for all synths and soft synths too.

This is a specific V-synth example, but can be done with whatever synth you use.

Choose two oscillators which allow for suboscillators

Let's go for your typical trance saw type lead by choosing all saws. Of course, you can mix different waves too.

Choose the pitch of OSC 1 to -6, LFO depth 5
Choose the pitch of sub OSC 1 to -3 LFO depth 5
Choose the pitch of OSC 2 to +3, LFO depth 5
Choose the pitch of sub OSC 2 to +6, LFO depth 5

Now, choose the LFO shape - Chaos (otherwise known as noise).

A much fuller, more analogue sound will present itself to you now.

(Resample the sound on the V-synth to create Supersaws).


Don't forget that half the trick of making phat sounds is effects.
If you're wondering why your sounds don't cut it, try adding effects, for example, chorus, delay, reverb. Don't forget you can stack these up (chorus through a delay through another chorus then EQ'd then through a reverb)


Oh, and don't forget that parametric EQ is an effect too. Try cutting the bass to brighten up your sounds etc. Sometimes it can be the difference between a searing, cutting lead, and something that sounds misplaced.

Personally, I think most leads need the bass dropped out of them to some extent. Try it and see.


I'm using a synth with a modulation matrix, what would you map the noise to?

es


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Old Post Jun-18-2004 02:27 
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hey cheggy
like a tiger



Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Sydney, Australia

For leads, I tend to modulate the oscillators with an LFO just a little bit as well as modulating the Pulse Width. There are many things you can do with them. Using a digital waveform, you can make an arp by linking it to cutoff. There's lots of stuff.


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Old Post Jun-18-2004 02:54  Australia
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KilldaDJ
birth.school.trance.death



Registered: Sep 2001
Location: tranceaddict wants to know your location

i link it to frequency to get a flanger effect.

in most cases it makes the synth 3x fatter than it was just by a simple LFO. but thats my opinion.


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Old Post Jun-18-2004 12:01 
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