Dark Sweeping Pad Tutorial for NI Massive

A nice approach to creating a sweeping pad instrument in NI Massive, including the programming of macro controls and setting up the internal envelope of the main LFO.

Nizmo is back with another good tutorial, this time sharing with us the way he builds a dark sweeping pad in NI Massive. Although rather simple, he shows which parameters to take time with and what kind of attention to detail makes the difference. All throughout the video there is audio looping so you have the chance to see and hear the cause and effect of every change made during the lesson. This is always valuable because there is no spoken explanation needed when you can hear it all for your self, and replicate it while following along. A priceless learning tool.

Much of the real value of this instrument is found through the macro controls set up along the way. These can easily be manipulated during a live performance or controlled through automation in your DAW for recording purposes. Either way, you end up with an amazing range of sonic possibilities. As with many sounds of this kind, it’s the little things that make it all work so well. Like setting up a macro to fade between a sine wave and a sawtooth wave in the main LFO controlling the cutoff of the Daft filter. Or the fact that the Amp Envelope (4Env tab) is also modulating the intensity knob of all three oscillators that generate the sounds that make up this instrument.

The differing pitch values of the three oscillators give the sweeping pad its signature character sound and the controlled phasing introduced by the third oscillator being three semitones off a natural octave interval is what generates the main feeling of dissonance. This builds the first feeling of tension for the listener and is essential for a dark pad of this kind to really have the effect you want/need it to.

Of course, there are many opportunities here for variation on this sound, and if you decide to make your own after following this tutorial, we’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below, shoot us a message or join the ongoing conversation on our Facebook page and share with us.

Cheers,
ΩhmLab