Massive Tutorials
Creating Custom Feedback Synths from Scratch with OhmLab – Part 6 (of 10)
The Sixth in a 10 part series of tutorials by ΩhmLab using NI Massive exclusively to create every component of a complete song. This installment focuses on creating a custom feedback synth instrument without using any feedback!
Part 1: Creating a Unique Background Element in NI Massive
Part 2: Harmony, Rhythm and Atmosphere
Part 3: Synth Creation From Scratch
Part 4: Drums in NI Massive
Part 5: Plucky Synth Blips
Welcome back to the 6th installment of this ongoing series! So far we have built 5 pieces of what will be a song that is created entirely from scratch in Massive. Today we will make a fun feedback sound that will be used to help change up the song a bit and add some character. It should blend nicely with the other sounds weʼve made so far which have all been fairly minimalistic in nature, allowing us plenty of room later for blending and mixing during the actual production of the music.
Alright, so letʼs get started. First thing is to get the waveforms selected. Beginning with the OSC 1 panel, pick Disto from the main drop down menu. Then pick Formant from the secondary drop down menu. I have also gone ahead and mad a few adjustments to the parameters and moved the filter slider fully to the F1 position so that when I set up the FILTER panels later, it will be only be altered by the FILTER 1 settings.
On to the second sound. From the OSC 2 panel choose Polysaw II from the drop down menu.
And for the third sound you will want to pick Groan I from the drop down menu of the OSC 3 panel.
Now that we have our simple (and familiar) sound working, we can add some modulation. Go to the MODULATION OSC panel and set the Pitch value to 12.00 and both the Ring Mod and Phase Modes to Oscillator 3.
And while we are down here we can switch off the NOISE, FEEDBACK and INSERT 2 panels. Keep INSERT 1 active though, because we are going to set that up now. Go ahead and select HP LP Filter from the drop down menu.
Now we go to the FILTER 1 panel we mentioned earlier in the walkthrough. Pick Highpass 4 from the drop down menu.
And for the FILTER 2 panel pick Daft from the drop down menu.
Make a few adjustments to match things up with the image below and you are ready to move on. Do not be alarmed by the shrill sounds you hear now. This will all be great later on!
Now letʼs add a quick effect. Move to the FX 1 tab and select Delay Synced from the drop down menu.
Before setting up the Envelops we should first click on the OSC tab and make a few changes. Click on the Rate box under Glide, set the Pitchbend values to 2.00 Up and -2.00 Down and finally move Attack and Delay Envelope sliders a little to the left.
Now we will set up our four Envelopes. Starting with the 1 Env tab and moving to the 4 Env tab, make the adjustments needed to match them up with the corresponding images below. Notice that both the 1 Env and 3 Env have the Loop value set to 1 and that the Velocity slider has been moved to the top most setting on the 4 Env tab.
And now letʼs do the same with the 4 controller tabs. Starting with the 5 LFO tab and working your way to the 8 STEP tab. Watch for subtle differences between your screen and what you see in the images below. We will be back shortly to revisit this when we build and assign our Macros.
Believe it or not, there is really only one part of this tutorial left! And in my opinion this is always the most enjoyable part of working in Massive. Getting to set the controller assignments and creating and manipulating the Macros are what itʼs all about! Remember you can name your Macros anything you want and you can play around with the settings, but to keep with the feel of this particular project you should adhere pretty close to the images included below. The smallest of differences can result in a very different sound, so do not worry if you do not end up with the exact same sounds(s) as what you hear in the last audio sample.
You may also notice that I have lowered the octave a level in the last sample to better showcase the range of sound(s) produced using this method. This is a great type of sound creation to master, as it works well live and can also provide a more live and organic feeling to completely programmed and digital music projects.
Thanks again for checking out this tutorial. I hope that you have also followed along with the five installments of the series that came before this one and that you will be back for the last three, as well. Hopefully you have found them to be fun and entertaining, but most of all enlightening. In the end, once you have a firm grasp of how each thing is interacting with the next within Massive, you will adapt your own way of going about things. In the interest of keeping things streamlined and consistent across each installment of this series, I have chosen to stick to a set pattern of movement from one panel to the next. This step-by-step process is not nearly as natural and fluid as when you are able to freely move about the program in your own fashion. If you have the time, try applying these methods to different tracks you have created to see what new sounds you can generate. Until next time, enjoy the music.
Download the preset for this sound here!
Cheers,
ΩhmLab
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More about Chris / ΩhmLab
With more than 20 years of experience making music and building communities backing the OhmLab project, you can be sure you will find something that fits your current and future projects alike.
With a unique approach to low cost royalty-free licensing and music production, OhmLab sets itself apart from the rest of the pack by consistently releasing high quality audio for the masses that is original, useful and constantly pushing the boundaries of the norm. OhmLab also offers a range of sound design and post production services including pod casting, custom environments, sound effects, field recordings, samples, loops and much much more. The OhmLab project is also well known for it’s ongoing Artist Profile interview series featuring talented musicians from all around the world, helping to grow the community of independent artists on a global scale. You can learn more about OhmLab and keep up with all the latest buzz by visiting some of the links included below.
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