1-59863-314-7_FM_i_09/19/06

© 2007 Thomson Course Technology, a division of Thomson Learning Inc.All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, includingphotocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systemwithout written permission from Thomson Course Technology PTR, exceptfor the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.The Thomson Course Technology PTR logo and related trade dress aretrademarks of Thomson Course Technology, a division of ThomsonLearning Inc., and may not be used without written permission.Cakewalk is a registered trademark and the Cakewalk logo is a trademarkof Twelve Tone Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of theirrespective owners.Important: Thomson Course Technology PTR cannot provide softwaresupport. Please contact the appropriate software manufacturer’s technicalsupport line or Web site for assistance.Thomson Course Technology PTR and the author have attemptedthroughout this book to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptiveterms by following the capitalization style used by the manufacturer.Information contained in this book has been obtained by Thomson CourseTechnology PTR from sources believed to be reliable. However, because ofthe possibility of human or mechanical error by our sources, ThomsonCourse Technology PTR, or others, the Publisher does not guarantee theaccuracy, adequacy, or completeness of any information and is notresponsible for any errors or omissions or the results obtained from use ofsuch information. Readers should be particularly aware of the fact that theInternet is an ever-changing entity. Some facts may have changed since thisbook went to press.Educational facilities, companies, and organizations interested in multiplecopies or licensing of this book should contact the Publisher for quantitydiscount information. Training manuals, CD-ROMs, and portions of thisbook are also available individually or can be tailored for specific needs.ISBN-10: 1-59863-314-7ISBN-13: 978-1-59863-314-6Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2006904400Printed in the United States of America07 08 09 10 11 TW 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Thomson Course Technology PTR, a division of Thomson Learning Inc.25 Thomson PlaceBoston, MA 02210http://www.courseptr.com

Publisher and GeneralManager, ThomsonCourse Technology PTR:Stacy L. Hiquet

Associate Director ofMarketing:Sarah O’Donnell

Manager of EditorialServices:Heather Talbot

Marketing Manager:Mark Hughes

Senior Editor:Mark Garvey

Acquisitions Editor:Orren Merton

Marketing Coordinator:Adena Flitt

Project Editor/CopyEditor:Cathleen D. Snyder

PTR Editorial ServicesCoordinator:Erin Johnson

Interior Layout Tech:Digital PublishingSolutions

Cover Designer:Mike Tanamachi

Indexer:Sharon Shock

Proofreader:Kim V. Benbow

1-59863-314-7_FM_ii_09/19/06

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in creating this book. There are a fewpeople I would like to particularly thank:

• Cathleen Snyder, Mark Garvey, Orren Merton, Stacy Hiquet, Jim Boyatt, Kim Benbow,and all the folks at Thomson.

• René Ceballos (let us be frank—without René, this book would not have happened),Steve Thomas, Alex Westner, Chad Beckwith, Tran Tran, and all the folks at Cakewalk.

• The sound guys: Frank Basile, Frank Genus, Francesco Silvestri, and Ruben Nievas.• I would especially like to thank those guys for whom English is not their first language.

iii

1-59863-314-7_FM_iii_09/19/06

About the Author

Simon Cann is a musician and writer based in London. He is the author of How to Make aNoise and Sample This! (written with Klaus P Rausch). You can contact Simon through hisWeb site: www.noisesculpture.com.

iv

1-59863-314-7_FM_iv_09/19/06

CHAPTER 1 Introducing the Synthesizers .........................................................1Triangle I ............................................................................................................1

Triangle II ...........................................................................................................1

Square I ...............................................................................................................2

DreamStation ......................................................................................................2

Roland GrooveSynth ..........................................................................................2

TTS-1 ..................................................................................................................3

sfz and sfz+ .........................................................................................................3

Velocity Drum Sampler ......................................................................................3

nPULSE Modular Drum Synth ...........................................................................3

Cyclone Groove Tool .........................................................................................3

RXP REX Player Groove Box ............................................................................4

DropZone ............................................................................................................4

PSYN II Virtual Analog Synthesizer ..................................................................4

DS864 Sampler ...................................................................................................4

Pentagon I Performance-Oriented Synthesizer ...................................................5

Session Drummer 2 .............................................................................................5

Z3TA+ Waveshaping Synthesizer ......................................................................5

Dimension and Dimension Pro Sampling Synthesizers .....................................5

Rapture Wavetable Synthesizer ..........................................................................6

So Which Synth Do I Use For…? ......................................................................6

What’s Next in This Book? ................................................................................8

ContentsTABLE OF}

v

1-59863-314-7_FM_v_09/19/06

CHAPTER 2 Getting a Grip on Synthesizer Programming ................................9Primary Sound Sources .....................................................................................11

Sine Wave ...................................................................................................11Sawtooth Wave ...........................................................................................11Square .........................................................................................................12Noise ...........................................................................................................12

Unfiltered Waves ..............................................................................................13Listening to the Raw Sounds Created by Triangle II .................................14Selecting Waves in Triangle II ...................................................................14

Filters ................................................................................................................15Low-Pass .....................................................................................................15High-Pass ....................................................................................................16Band-Pass ...................................................................................................17Filter Controls .............................................................................................17Selecting Different Filters in Triangle II ....................................................19Filter Slopes ................................................................................................20

Modulation: A Brief Introduction .....................................................................21Effect of Velocity on a Sound ....................................................................21Effect of Pitch on a Sound ..........................................................................22Effect of Time on a Sound ..........................................................................22Combining the Effects of Velocity, Pitch, and Time ..................................22

Modulation Sources: Envelopes .......................................................................22Volume (Amplitude) Envelopes .................................................................23Filter Envelopes ..........................................................................................24Pitch Envelopes ..........................................................................................25

Modulation Sources: Low-Frequency Oscillators ............................................27Volume (Amplitude) LFOs .........................................................................27Filter LFOs ..................................................................................................28Pitch LFOs ..................................................................................................28Pulse-Width Modulation .............................................................................29

Other Modulation Sources ................................................................................30

Contents

vi

1-59863-314-7_FM_vi_09/19/06

Modulation Controllers .....................................................................................31

Other Sound Sources ........................................................................................31Combining Oscillators for Weight ..............................................................31Sub-Oscillators ...........................................................................................32Combining Waves: Sync ............................................................................34Other Tone-Controlling Options in Triangle II ..........................................34

Player Controls .................................................................................................35Playing Mode ..............................................................................................35Portamento ..................................................................................................35Bend ............................................................................................................36Advanced Bending ......................................................................................36

FX in Triangle II ...............................................................................................37Bass EQ ......................................................................................................37Chorus .........................................................................................................37Delay ...........................................................................................................38Reverb .........................................................................................................38

Master Settings .................................................................................................39Random .......................................................................................................39Tuning .........................................................................................................39Output Section ............................................................................................39Utilities .......................................................................................................39Using Hardware: MIDI Learn ....................................................................40

Next Steps .........................................................................................................40

CHAPTER 3 Intermediate and Advanced Synthesis Techniques .....................41Sound Sources ..................................................................................................42

Oscillators ...................................................................................................42Samples .......................................................................................................42

Some More Waveforms To Listen To ..............................................................43Raw Sawtooth .............................................................................................43

Contents

vii

1-59863-314-7_FM_vii_09/19/06

Vintage Sawtooth ........................................................................................43Square .........................................................................................................44Vintage Square ............................................................................................44Pulse Waves ................................................................................................44Harmonic Waveforms .................................................................................45Triangle Wave ............................................................................................45Noise ...........................................................................................................45

Combining Oscillators ......................................................................................46Combining Oscillators for Weight ..............................................................46Combining Waves: Key Sync and Oscillator Phase ...................................47Combining Oscillators for Tone .................................................................49

Further Sound Sources ......................................................................................51Wave Shaping .............................................................................................51Wave Sequencing .......................................................................................51

Ring Modulation ...............................................................................................51

FM: Frequency Modulation ..............................................................................52A Crash Course in FM Synthesis ................................................................52More Advanced FM ....................................................................................54

Multi-Stage Envelopes ......................................................................................55

Filters ................................................................................................................55Notch (or Band Reject) Filter .....................................................................55Formant Filter .............................................................................................56All Pass Filters ............................................................................................56Peak Filter ...................................................................................................56Pink Filter ...................................................................................................57Comb Filter .................................................................................................57

More LFO Techniques ......................................................................................58Tempo Synchronization ..............................................................................58Monophonic and Polyphonic LFOs (Local versus Global LFOs) ..............58LFO Phase ..................................................................................................59LFO Morphing ............................................................................................59

Contents

viii

1-59863-314-7_FM_viii_09/19/06

Single-Shot LFOs .......................................................................................59Delay and Fade ...........................................................................................59

Effects ...............................................................................................................60Deployment of FX ......................................................................................60Distortion ....................................................................................................61Compression ...............................................................................................61Limiting ......................................................................................................62EQ ...............................................................................................................62Simulator/Simul-Mode ...............................................................................64Modulation Effects .....................................................................................64Delay ...........................................................................................................66Digital Quality Degradation .......................................................................66Reverb .........................................................................................................67

Step Generators .................................................................................................67Gating .........................................................................................................68

Alternate Tunings .............................................................................................68

Next Steps .........................................................................................................69

CHAPTER 4 sfz and sfz+ .................................................................................71A Word or Two about sfz Format Files and SoundFont® Format Files ...........71

What Is the sfz Player? .....................................................................................72

Why Use the sfz Player? ...................................................................................73

Getting to Know the sfz Player .........................................................................73Loading Files ..............................................................................................73Polyphony ...................................................................................................74Effects .........................................................................................................74Preview Ribbon ..........................................................................................75Quality Settings ..........................................................................................75Mode Settings .............................................................................................76

Creating Programs in the sfz Player .................................................................77

Contents

ix

1-59863-314-7_FM_ix_09/19/06

What Is sfz+? ....................................................................................................77

Why Use sfz+? ..................................................................................................78

Getting to Know sfz+ .......................................................................................78Filter Section ...............................................................................................79Vibrato LFO ................................................................................................80Mod LFO ....................................................................................................80sfz+ Envelopes ............................................................................................81Effects Section ............................................................................................82Master Section ............................................................................................83

CHAPTER 5 Velocity Drum Sampler ..............................................................87What Is Velocity? .............................................................................................87

Why Use Velocity? ...........................................................................................88

Getting to Know Velocity .................................................................................88Main (or Master) Section ............................................................................88Pad Inspector ..............................................................................................89

Building Your Own Kits in Velocity ................................................................91

Editing Samples in Velocity .............................................................................92

Layering ............................................................................................................93

Synthesis Tools .................................................................................................95Filter ............................................................................................................95Amp EG (Amplifier Envelope Generator) .................................................96Pitch EG (Pitch Envelope Generator) .........................................................97

Loops ................................................................................................................98

Taking Drum Synthesis to the Next Level .......................................................99

CHAPTER 6 nPULSE Modular Drum Synth .................................................101What Is nPULSE? ...........................................................................................101

Why Use nPULSE? ........................................................................................102

Contents

x

1-59863-314-7_FM_x_09/19/06

Getting to Know nPULSE ..............................................................................102Master Controls in nPULSE .....................................................................103Controls Common to Every Module .........................................................104Bass Drum Module ...................................................................................105Snare Drum Module .................................................................................106Hi-Hat Modules (Open Hat and Closed Hat) ...........................................107Cowbell Module .......................................................................................108Clap Module .............................................................................................108Rimshot Module .......................................................................................109Tom/Custom Module ................................................................................110

CHAPTER 7 Cyclone Groove Tool ................................................................111What Is Cyclone? ............................................................................................111

Why Use Cyclone? .........................................................................................111

Getting to Know Cyclone ...............................................................................113Pads ...........................................................................................................113The Pad Inspector .....................................................................................114The Loop Bin ............................................................................................117The Loop View .........................................................................................117The Pad Editor and the Slice Inspector .....................................................118The Toolbar ..............................................................................................119

Editing Loops ..................................................................................................119To Delete a Slice .......................................................................................120Copying and Moving Slices ......................................................................120Replacing Slices ........................................................................................120Changing the Length of Loops .................................................................120

Using Cyclone ................................................................................................120Deploying a Number of Loops .................................................................120Loading Single Samples and Multi-Samples ............................................121Creating Velocity Layers ..........................................................................121Further Practical Examples .......................................................................121

Contents

xi

1-59863-314-7_FM_xi_09/19/06

CHAPTER 8 RXP REX Player Groove Box ..................................................123What Is RXP? .................................................................................................123

Why Use RXP? ...............................................................................................124

Getting to Know RXP .....................................................................................125Loading a Loop .........................................................................................125Importing Your Own Loops into RXP .....................................................125Deploying Loops and Triggering Individual Slices ..................................126Changing the Order of Slices ....................................................................127Pitch Editing in RXP ................................................................................128The Filters in RXP ....................................................................................128RXP’s Amp ...............................................................................................128Utilities in RXP .........................................................................................129

CHAPTER 9 DropZone Drag and Drop Sampler ...........................................131What Is DropZone? .........................................................................................131

Why Use DropZone? ......................................................................................132

Getting to Know DropZone ............................................................................132DropZone’s Architecture ..........................................................................133Program Browser ......................................................................................133Tweaking DropZone .................................................................................135Working with Elements ............................................................................135The Multi-Sample Section ........................................................................136Filter Section .............................................................................................139Modulators ................................................................................................140Output Section ..........................................................................................142Utilities .....................................................................................................142User Interface ............................................................................................144

Using DropZone .............................................................................................145

Contents

xii

1-59863-314-7_FM_xii_09/19/06

CHAPTER 10 PSYN II Virtual Analog Synthesizer ........................................147What Is PSYN II? ...........................................................................................148

Why Use PSYN? ............................................................................................148

Getting to Know PSYN ..................................................................................148Elements within PSYN .............................................................................148Sound Sources ..........................................................................................149Filters ........................................................................................................151Envelopes ..................................................................................................152LFOs .........................................................................................................155FX .............................................................................................................157Player Controls .........................................................................................159Main Section .............................................................................................160

Differences between PSYN and Pentagon .....................................................162

Creating Sounds with PSYN ..........................................................................164

CHAPTER 11 DS864 Sampler .........................................................................165What Is DS864? ..............................................................................................165

Why Use DS864? ...........................................................................................166

Getting to Know DS864 .................................................................................166Loading and Saving Sampler Banks and Setting Up Programs ...............167Layers .......................................................................................................168Working with Samples .............................................................................169Filters ........................................................................................................172Envelopes ..................................................................................................174LFOs .........................................................................................................176Utility Functions .......................................................................................178

Using DS864 ...................................................................................................179

Contents

xiii

1-59863-314-7_FM_xiii_09/19/06

CHAPTER 12 Pentagon I Performance-Oriented Synthesizer .........................181What Is Pentagon? ..........................................................................................182

Why Use Pentagon? ........................................................................................182

Getting to Know Pentagon ..............................................................................182Elements within Pentagon ........................................................................182An Introduction to Pentagon’s Envelopes and LFOs ...............................183Sound Sources ..........................................................................................183Pitch Envelope ..........................................................................................186Pulse-Width Modulation ...........................................................................187Pitch LFO ..................................................................................................188Filters ........................................................................................................189Filter Envelopes ........................................................................................193Filter LFO .................................................................................................194Amplifier Envelopes .................................................................................195Amplifier LFO ..........................................................................................197FX .............................................................................................................198Player Controls .........................................................................................201Main Section .............................................................................................203Render Quality ..........................................................................................205Using Hardware: MIDI Learn ..................................................................205

Creating Sounds in Pentagon I .......................................................................206

CHAPTER 13 Session DrummerTM 2 ...............................................................207What Is Session Drummer 2? .........................................................................208

Why Use Session Drummer 2? .......................................................................208

Getting to Know Session Drummer 2 .............................................................209Loading and Saving Programs ..................................................................209Loading Patterns .......................................................................................211Deploying Patterns ....................................................................................212Loading Pads and Building Kits ...............................................................214

Contents

xiv

1-59863-314-7_FM_xiv_09/19/06

Auditioning Drum Pieces .........................................................................216Other Interface Controls ...........................................................................217

CHAPTER 14 Z3TA+ Waveshaping Synthesizer ............................................219What Is Z3TA+? .............................................................................................220

Why Use Z3TA+? ..........................................................................................220

Getting to Know Z3TA+ ................................................................................221Loading a Program ...................................................................................221Signal Flow in Z3TA+ (before Modulation) ............................................221Tweaking Z3TA+ .....................................................................................223The Oscillator Section ..............................................................................223The Filter Section .....................................................................................229Envelopes ..................................................................................................231LFOs .........................................................................................................235Arpeggiator ...............................................................................................237Modulation Matrix ....................................................................................239Master Section ..........................................................................................246Utilities .....................................................................................................252Effects .......................................................................................................253

What Can Z3TA+ Do That Rapture Can’t? ....................................................260

Creating Sounds in Z3TA+ .............................................................................260

CHAPTER 15 Dimension and Dimension Pro Sampling Synthesizers ............261What Are Dimension and Dimension Pro? ....................................................262

How Do Dimension and Dimension Pro Differ? ............................................263

How Do Dimension Pro and Rapture Differ? .................................................264

Why Use Dimension and Dimension Pro? .....................................................264

Getting to Know Dimension and Dimension Pro ...........................................265Dimension’s Architecture .........................................................................265

Contents

xv

1-59863-314-7_FM_xv_09/19/06

Program Browser ......................................................................................267Working with Elements ............................................................................269Tweaking Dimension and Dimension Pro ................................................270The Multi-Sample Section ........................................................................271LoFi Section ..............................................................................................274Filter Section .............................................................................................274Drive Section ............................................................................................275EQ Section ................................................................................................276Element FX Section ..................................................................................277Modulators Section ...................................................................................282Modulation Sources: Envelopes ...............................................................283Modulation Sources: LFO ........................................................................287Modulation Sources: Key Tracking ..........................................................288Modulation Sources: Microtuning ............................................................289Modulators’ Utilities .................................................................................289MIDI Matrix .............................................................................................290Master FX .................................................................................................293Utilities .....................................................................................................294

Creating Programs in Dimension/Dimension Pro ..........................................296

CHAPTER 16 Rapture Wavetable Synthesizer ................................................297What Is Rapture? ............................................................................................297

How Do Rapture and Z3TA+ Differ? .............................................................299

How Do Dimension Pro and Rapture Differ? .................................................300

Why Use Rapture? ..........................................................................................300

Getting to Know Rapture ................................................................................300Rapture’s Architecture ..............................................................................300Program Browser ......................................................................................302Working with Elements ............................................................................304Tweaking Rapture .....................................................................................305The Oscillator Section ..............................................................................306

Contents

xvi

1-59863-314-7_FM_xvi_09/19/06

DSP Block ................................................................................................309Modulators Section ...................................................................................312Modulation Sources: Envelopes ...............................................................313Modulation Sources: Step Generator ........................................................317Modulation Sources: LFO ........................................................................319Modulation Sources: Key Tracking ..........................................................321Modulation Sources: Microtuning ............................................................321Modulators Utilities ..................................................................................322EQ Section ................................................................................................322Element FX Section ..................................................................................323The Global Page .......................................................................................327Modulation Matrix ....................................................................................328Utilities .....................................................................................................332

Creating Programs in Rapture ........................................................................335

CHAPTER 17 The sfz Format ..........................................................................337What Is the sfz Format and Why Do We Care about It? ................................337

Opcodes ..........................................................................................................338

Practical Uses for sfz Opcodes .......................................................................339

Getting Started with sfz Files .........................................................................340Creating and Editing an sfz File ...............................................................340Elements of the sfz File ............................................................................341Units in the sfz Definition File .................................................................341The File Header and Comments ...............................................................341Regions .....................................................................................................342Groups .......................................................................................................342Global (sfz Version 2) ..............................................................................342Control ......................................................................................................342Defining and Locating Samples ................................................................342A First sfz Definition File .........................................................................343

Contents

xvii

1-59863-314-7_FM_xvii_09/19/06

Input Controls ...........................................................................................344Your First Real sfz Definition File ...........................................................344

Moving On with sfz: Some More Opcodes ....................................................346Pitch ..........................................................................................................346Oscillator Function (sfz Version 2) ..........................................................347Oscillator Mode: FM, PM, and Ring Modulation (sfz Version 2) ...........347Waveguide (sfz Version 2) .......................................................................348Filters ........................................................................................................349Filters as Effects (sfz Version 2) ..............................................................352MIDI CC Codes .......................................................................................353Envelopes (sfz Version 1) .........................................................................353Flexible Envelope Generator (sfz Version 2) ...........................................354LFOs (sfz Version 2) ................................................................................354Oscillator Phase (sfz Version 2) ...............................................................355FX (sfz Version 2) ....................................................................................356Splitting a Signal into Separate Busses: Process and Mix ........................356Setting Up an Effect’s Send Bus ..............................................................358

Default Settings ..............................................................................................359

Creating Sounds: Practical Applications of the sfz Format ............................359Two Detuned Saws ...................................................................................359Multi-Mode Saw .......................................................................................360Multi-Mode Square Octave + Filter .........................................................360Crossfading ...............................................................................................362Stacked Filters ..........................................................................................364Wave Sequencing .....................................................................................365

Undocumented Features in DropZone, Dimension, Dimension Pro, and Rapture ......................................................................................................368

sfz Files: Next Steps .......................................................................................370

Contents

xviii

1-59863-314-7_FM_xviii_09/19/06

CHAPTER 18 Interview with René Ceballos ...................................................371Background .....................................................................................................371

rgc:audio and the Transition to Software Engineer ........................................372

A Few Words about Aliasing .........................................................................372

Z3TA+ ............................................................................................................373

The Cakewalk Connection ..............................................................................374

sfz ....................................................................................................................375

APPENDIX A The sfz Format Opcode Listing .................................................377

APPENDIX B The Downloads .........................................................................417

INDEX ...................................................................................................421

Contents

xix

1-59863-314-7_FM_xix_09/19/06

1-59863-314-7_FM_xx_09/19/06

CHAPTER 1 Triangle I .......................................................................................1What Is Triangle I? .............................................................................................1

Why Use Triangle I? ...........................................................................................2

Getting to Know Triangle I .................................................................................2Loading a Program in Triangle I ..................................................................2Oscillator Controls in Triangle I ...................................................................2Filter Controls in Triangle I ..........................................................................4Volume Controls in Triangle I ......................................................................5Triangle I’s Delay Unit .................................................................................5Controlling Triangle I When There Isn’t a Knob .........................................6Playing Mode ................................................................................................8Two Hidden Features ....................................................................................9

CHAPTER 2 Triangle II ....................................................................................11What Is Triangle II? ..........................................................................................11

Why Use Triangle II? .......................................................................................11

Getting to Know Triangle II .............................................................................12Program Building in Triangle II .................................................................12

CHAPTER 3 Square I .......................................................................................17What Is Square I? ..............................................................................................18

Why Use Square I? ...........................................................................................18

Getting to Know Square I .................................................................................18

ContentsDOWNLOAD CHAPTERS TABLE OF}

xxi

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxi_09/19/06

Dual-Function Knobs ..................................................................................18Switchable Functions ..................................................................................20The Oscillator Section in Square I ..............................................................20Filter Controls in Square I ..........................................................................27Volume Controls in Square I ......................................................................29FX Units in Square I ...................................................................................30Program Management in Square I ..............................................................32

Building Programs in Square I .........................................................................32Programs Using Random Wave LFO .........................................................33Programs Using Three Oscillators ..............................................................33

Features Still to Be Demonstrated ....................................................................34

CHAPTER 4 DreamStation ...............................................................................35What Is DreamStation? .....................................................................................35

Why Use DreamStation? ..................................................................................36

Getting to Know DreamStation ........................................................................36The Oscillator Section in DreamStation .....................................................36Amplifier in DreamStation .........................................................................37Filter Section in DreamStation ...................................................................38Modulators in DreamStation .......................................................................39Misc: The Miscellaneous Section ...............................................................40The Output Section .....................................................................................41Utilities in DreamStation ............................................................................41

Making Sounds with DreamStation ..................................................................42

CHAPTER 5 Roland GrooveSynth ...................................................................43What Is Roland GrooveSynth? .........................................................................43

Why Use Roland GrooveSynth? .......................................................................43

Getting to Know Roland GrooveSynth .............................................................44

Contents – Download Chapters

xxii

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxii_09/19/06

Choosing a Preset .......................................................................................44Volume Envelope Section ..........................................................................44Vibrato Section and Mod Depth .................................................................45Mono ...........................................................................................................45Filter Section ...............................................................................................45Character .....................................................................................................45Tone Section ...............................................................................................45Porta ............................................................................................................46Bend ............................................................................................................46Tuning Section ............................................................................................46Voice Level and Pan ...................................................................................46Voice Tune Section .....................................................................................47Master Section ............................................................................................47Utilities .......................................................................................................47

CHAPTER 6 TTS-1 ..........................................................................................49What Is TTS-1? .................................................................................................50

Why Use TTS-1? ..............................................................................................50

Getting to Know TTS-1 ....................................................................................50The Mixer Window .....................................................................................50The Part Edit Window ................................................................................51The Part Edit Window Synthesis Controls .................................................52Saving Programs in TTS-1 .........................................................................55The Effects Window ...................................................................................56The System Settings Window .....................................................................57The Options Window ..................................................................................57Utilities .......................................................................................................59

Contents – Download Chapters

xxiii

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxiii_09/19/06

CHAPTER 7 Building Kits in Velocity Drum Sampler ....................................61Simple Kit .........................................................................................................61

Double Kit ........................................................................................................62

Synth Kit ...........................................................................................................63

Layered Kit .......................................................................................................64

CHAPTER 8 Cyclone Groove Tool: Creating Your Own Grooves ..................65Working with Loops .........................................................................................65

Splitting Hits ...............................................................................................65Replacing a Hit ...........................................................................................66

Creating a Multi-Sample ...................................................................................66

CHAPTER 9 Creating Sounds in DropZone .....................................................69Split Bass ..........................................................................................................69

Kick ...................................................................................................................70

Lead Gtr ............................................................................................................71

Double Sawstrings ............................................................................................72

CHAPTER 10 Creating Sounds in PSYN II .......................................................75Bass ...................................................................................................................76

Classic Bass ......................................................................................................77

Brass .................................................................................................................78

Bright Lead .......................................................................................................79

Organ ................................................................................................................81

Stuttering ...........................................................................................................82

PSYN FM .........................................................................................................83

Contents – Download Chapters

xxiv

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxiv_09/19/06

CHAPTER 11 Creating Your Own Sounds in DS864 ........................................85Setting Up a Multi-Sample ...............................................................................85

Layering Programs to Create New Sounds .......................................................86Rhodes/Choir ..............................................................................................87Bass .............................................................................................................87

CHAPTER 12 Creating Sounds in Pentagon I ....................................................89Bass ...................................................................................................................90

Classic Bass ......................................................................................................91

Brass .................................................................................................................92

Bright Lead .......................................................................................................93

Organ ................................................................................................................94

Stuttering ...........................................................................................................95

FM .....................................................................................................................96

Ethereal Pad ......................................................................................................97

Voices ...............................................................................................................98

CHAPTER 13 Creating Sounds in Z3TA+ ......................................................101PWM Mod Wheel ...........................................................................................101

PWM LFO ......................................................................................................102

FM Z3TA+ Basics ..........................................................................................103

FM Part II .......................................................................................................104

Resonant Separation .......................................................................................106

XY Vibrato .....................................................................................................107

Dodgy EP ........................................................................................................108

Chorale ............................................................................................................109

Falling .............................................................................................................110

Contents – Download Chapters

xxv

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxv_09/19/06

CHAPTER 14 Creating Sounds in Dimension and Dimension Pro ..................113Bell ..................................................................................................................113

Vintage Combo ...............................................................................................116

Vector Bass .....................................................................................................118

12-String Strat .................................................................................................120

CHAPTER 15 Creating Sounds in Rapture ......................................................125Rapturous Wave-Sequence .............................................................................125

Rapturous Pad .................................................................................................127

Rapturous Pad 2 ..............................................................................................130

Rapturous Bells ...............................................................................................130

Rapturous Marimba-esque ..............................................................................132

Rapturous Step Forward .................................................................................134

CHAPTER 16 Power Users at Work ...............................................................137Frank Genus ....................................................................................................137

Part I: Basses .............................................................................................138Part II: Keys ..............................................................................................152Part III: Leads ...........................................................................................173

Ruben Nievas ..................................................................................................188Ruben’s Productions .................................................................................188Ruben’s Music ..........................................................................................189Ruben’s Programs .....................................................................................189

Francesco Silvestri ..........................................................................................196Francesco’s Programs ...............................................................................198

Contents – Download Chapters

xxvi

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxvi_09/19/06

Introduction

Welcome, and thank you for buying Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User.This is the first book (and at the time of this writing, the only book) dedicated to Cakewalksynthesizers. Although it is a unique book, its coverage of Cakewalk synthesizers is com-plete, ranging from the synthesizers that are bundled with Cakewalk’s main products(including SONAR, Project5, and Kinetic), to the rgc:audio synthesizers (such as Z3TA+),to Cakewalk’s newest synthesizers, including Dimension Pro and Rapture.Cakewalk is one of the leading companies in the music technology market, specializing insoftware for creating music on desktop computers. Having been in business since 1987,Cakewalk is also one of the longest established companies in the field. Over the last fewyears, the company has made a significant expansion in the software synthesizer market,most notably with the purchase of leading soft synth company rgc:audio. Cakewalk is nowresponsible for some of the most powerful and most widely used software synthesizers.There has been a huge growth in the software market over the last few years. Apart fromone or two specialist manufacturers, synthesizer hardware is now dead. If you go to a musicshop and buy a hardware synthesizer, you are actually buying software wrapped in ahardware box.All Cakewalk customers have some Cakewalk synthesizers. Some of the synthesizers areincluded with products such as SONAR, Project5, and Kinetic, while the high-end modelsare sold separately.Cakewalk first bundled software synthesizers with SONAR version 1. This includedCyclone, DreamStation, and VSC (Virtual Sound Canvas, which has now been supersededby TTS-1). Later editions of SONAR have included other more sophisticated synthesizers.With the launch of Project5, Cakewalk introduced their take on the synthesizer workstation.Project5 included PSYN, which was engineered by René Ceballos of rgc:audio, maker ofthe well-regarded (and award-winning) Z3TA+ synthesizer.

xxvii

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxvii_09/19/06

At the end of 2004, the collaboration between rgc:audio and Cakewalk took a further stepwhen Cakewalk took over rgc:audio, in the process adopting René to head their softwaresynthesizer division. Since the merger, Cakewalk has launched DropZone, Session Drummer2, Dimension, Dimension Pro, and Rapture—all synthesizers whose genesis can be tracedto rgc:audio. I talked to René while I was writing this book; check out Chapter 18 to readthe full interview.Cakewalk is now a leading manufacturer of software synthesizers in addition to its traditionalsequencing and audio recording products. The top-end synths are some of the most highlyregarded in the industry, with many professional users who rely on Cakewalk synthesizersin their productions.The book is intended for everyone who uses Cakewalk synthesizers, whether you only usethe synthesizers included with your host or you own one o more of Cakewalk’s separatelyavailable synths. The synthesizers covered in this book could be all the synthesizers you willever need in your musical productions.

How to Use This BookThis book is aimed at all users of Cakewalk synthesizers and potential users—from thebeginner who wants to understand what a synthesizer is and how it can be used, to theexperienced user who simply wants to understand his or her synthesizer in greater depth. Itis also intended for anyone who wants to learn about synthesis. Many of the chapters use thefreely available synthesizers (Triangle I, Triangle II, and sfz) so you can learn how to usethe synthesizer before you invest in one of the synthesizers with more features.For each synthesizer, this book looks at:

• The main features and how to control each synthesizer—in other words, what happenswhen you turn a knob

• How to create and control soundsThe process for creating sounds is not simply a matter of understanding the function of eachknob. It is also a matter of understanding the sound sources in your synthesizer and the toolsthat your synthesizer has available to shape the sounds. To this end, the sound design topicsare split over many chapters throughout the book:

• Chapters 2 and 3 introduce the basic tools and principles and then work through to lookat many advanced techniques. The chapters have been split into two because otherwisethe subject would be unmanageable, especially for readers who are new to the subject.The principles discussed in these chapters can be applied equally well to non-Cakewalksynthesizers, so if you’re looking for a general introduction to synthesis, you mightwant to start here.

• The Download Chapters work through the creation of a number of sounds, demon-strating how to apply the techniques discussed in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 to the featuredsynths.

Introduction

xxviii

r

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxviii_09/19/06

• In Download Chapter 16 some of the real power users of Cakewalk synthesizers (forinstance, the programmers of the factory soundsets) walk you through the creation ofsome of their programs and comment about how they use Cakewalk synthesizers forcreating music on a daily basis.

These sound design sections are all practical rather than simply theoretical. All of the pro-grams for these sounds are included in the download material that accompanies this book.(See Appendix B for further details.)

So Which Bits of This Book Do I Read First?This book has been written on the assumption that you will have access to a few ofthe synthesizers. Only a few people will own every synthesizer featured in this book. As afirst step, you should make yourself aware of the basic sound design principles set out inChapter 2.Once you have read Chapter 2, you might want to have a look at one (or more) of the chaptersfocusing on the specific synthesizers that you own. See Table I.1 to check out which chapterswill be most useful to you.Before you get too deeply into the high-end synthesizers (Z3TA+, Dimension, DimensionPro, and Rapture), I suggest you also check out the intermediate and advanced programmingtechniques set out in Chapter 3.Once you really know your synthesizer and feel confident creating and controlling its sounds,check out Download Chapter 16, which is a real sound design master class.

So Which Bits of This Book Do I Read First?

xxix

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxix_09/19/06

Tab

le I.

1 C

akew

alk

Syn

thes

izer

s: W

hic

h D

o Y

ou

Ow

n a

nd

Wh

ich

Ch

apte

rs S

ho

uld

Yo

u B

e R

ead

ing

?

Triangle I (Download Chapter 1)

Triangle II (Download Chapter 2)

Square I (Download Chapter 3)

DreamStation (Download Chapter 4)

Roland GrooveSynth (Download Chapter 5)

TTS 1 (Download Chapter 6)

sfz (Chapter 4)[1]

sfz+ (Chapter 4)

Velocity (Chapter 5)

nPULSE (Chapter 6)

Cyclone (Chapter 7)

RXP (Chapter 8)1

DropZone (Chapter 9)1

PSYN II (Chapter 10)

DS864 (Chapter 11)

Pentagon I (Chapter 12)

Session Drummer 2 (Chapter 13)1

Z3TA+ (Chapter 14)

Dimension (Chapter 15)1

Dimension Pro (Chapter 15)1

Rapture (Chapter 16)1

Kin

etic

2√

√√

Proj

ect5

(ver

sion

2)

√√

√√

√

SON

AR

6 P

rodu

cer E

ditio

n2

√√

√√

√√

√√

SON

AR

6 S

tudi

o Ed

ition

(inc

ludi

ng S

ON

AR

Pow

er

Stud

io v

ersi

ons)

2√

√√

√

SON

AR

5 P

rodu

cer E

ditio

n√

√√

√√

√√

√

SON

AR

5 S

tudi

o Ed

ition

(inc

ludi

ng S

ON

AR

Pow

er

Stud

io v

ersi

ons)

√√

√√

√

SON

AR

Hom

e St

udio

4X

L√

√

SON

AR

Hom

e St

udio

4√

√

Mus

ic C

reat

or 3

/USB

Mus

ic P

ack

√

Ava

ilabl

e to

pur

chas

e se

para

tely

n/a

n/a

√n/

a√

√√

√√

Free

to d

ownl

oad

√√

√1 U

ses s

fz fo

rmat

file

s (se

e C

hapt

er 1

7, “

The

sfz

Form

at”)

2 Ava

ilabl

e on

inst

alla

tion

CD

, but

not

par

t of d

efau

lt in

stalla

tion

Introduction

xxx

√ √

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxx_09/19/06

TerminologyA few last words before we get going. First a note about terminology: Cakewalk generallyuse the term Program to describe an individual sound. This is the term that will be usedthroughout this book. The term Program is interchangeable with the terms patch andpreset, which may be more commonly used. A group of Programs (or patches or presets) arestored as banks.

Problems?Lastly, if you have any problems with any of the Cakewalk synthesizers, check outCakewalk’s support forums (http://forum.cakewalk.com)—the Instruments forum is the bestplace to start.

Problems?

xxxi

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxxi_09/19/06

1-59863-314-7_FM_xxxii_09/19/06