Using 'Noise' To Create Atmosphere In NI Massive

Noise is one of my favorite tools when creating new sounds with Massive.
This post will teach you how to add noise with the Insert modules for a more interesting environment for your music to sit in a la Deepchord etc.

‘Noise’ itself is a very versatile tool which can be manipulated to make anything from emulating rain through to snare drums or hi hats. I always try adding noise to any patches i make in Massive as it can create a depth to the sound that the OSC’s can’t achieve. We can use it to add ‘static’ or ‘crackles’ to sounds or we can use it and shape specific sounds.

Today we play with noise and make something similar to the synth you can hear below. Note i’ve added a couple of bass stabs and a synth stab. I’ll be making these noises in another post on this blog shortly!

The ‘noise’ we will use is not from the noise OSC however – whilst you can use this, i find that the Bit Crusher adds a much nicer sound.

So let’s begin…

Setting up your DAW
Firstly set up a short 1 bar midi loop in your DAW and draw in your chord ( I like to use C minor somewhere down around C1). I do this rather than play the chord myself so i can tweak out the sounds and hear it ‘live’ rather than have to have one hand on my keyboard at all times. Just means i can concentrate on the sound design! So hit play and let your 1 bar loop play.

Create a new patch (file>new)

OSC1 to wavetable ‘Melancholia’
wt position to 5 o’clock
intensity to 1 o’clock
amp to 3 o’clock
Set filter routing to F1

This should give you an organ type sound!

Now, switch on and set OSC2 to wavetable ‘VA PWM’
wt position to 5o’clock
Pulse width to 3o’clock
amp to 2o’clock
detune this by +0.25 cents (you could try -0.25 , subtle difference!)
Set filter routing to F1

Set the filters to serial (left of the filter module is a vertical slider – slide all the way to the top)

Filter 1 to ‘Allpass’
Cutoff to 12 o’clock
Res to 9 o’clock

Filter 2 off

Set up Env 4 (this is the default envelope to control the sound as a whole output – check the amp mod panel for confirmation *top right of Massive*)
attack 9 o’clock
decay 10 o’clock
release 2 o’clock

Now let’s create some spaaaace

efx 1 to ‘reverb’
Dry/wet to 12 o’clock
size to 2 o’clock
density 12 o’clock
color 1 o’clock

efx 2 to ‘delay synced’
dry/wet to 12 o’clock
damp and feedback to 12 o’clock
(Try your own delay time settings to what fits what you’re after)

EQ
bass to 12
boost to 12
freq to 5
hi to 12

Now to add the ‘noise’

INS 1 to Pshaper
dry/wet to 12
drive to 10

INS 2 to Bit crush
dry/wet to 10
crush to 12

I like to add modulation to the global pan – i add lfo 5 set to 1/4 (sync and reset checked)

We now have a nice bright synth noise!
In my example i added some compression and some EQ to suit. Also in my example, I’ve automated the cutoff and the EQ’s in Massive ( I assigned both to one macro control).

Things to try
1) Turn the high EQ setting all the way to the left for a softer sound
2) Play with the boost and freq settings in the EQ
3) Turn the attack of envelope 4 to 12 for a fluttery sound – try running this into a delay in your DAW!
What happens when you add an LFO to modulate the attack here?
4) Change OSC 1 from Melan to SQU -SWA1 – now change filter 1 to Lowpass4 and set to cutoff to 12o’clock… Nice dubby sound!

With this setting (Melan to SQU -SWA1)
Now play with the attack on env 4…..

or perhaps
Now try turning up the RES on synth 1….

or perhaps
Try adding LFO 6 to modulate the cutoff 100% (set LFO to 1/1)

Mess around with the settings – this is only a guideline, but see what happens when you try modulating parameters or changing filter or efx types!

You can hear this ‘noise’ synth effect in use in a tracks of my own here:

Moth – unreleased

Vanishing Point – Stripped Recordings

[Download_feature href=”https://www.massivesynth.com/patches/synth-bank-001-dub-techno/” buttontext=”Click Here To Download”] Download Dub Techno Sounds [/Download_feature]