Instruments
Subtractive Synth
Classic subtractive synthesizer
What it does
Classic subtractive synthesizer
Add it to a track
Select a MIDI track and choose this instrument from Library → Devices → Instruments. Instruments turn notes into sound; an empty MIDI region needs notes before it will play.
Controls
| Control | What to listen or look for |
|---|---|
| Waveform | Chooses the oscillator waveform and its basic harmonic character. |
| Volume | Sets the signal level leaving this stage. |
| Octave | Moves pitch up or down in whole octaves. |
| Tune | Makes fine pitch adjustments in cents; 100 cents equals one semitone. |
| Attack | Sets how quickly the envelope reaches its peak after a note starts. |
| Hold | Keeps the noise envelope at its peak before it releases. |
| Release | Sets how quickly the envelope fades after the note is released. |
| Flt. Order | Sets how steeply the filter attenuates frequencies beyond its cutoff. |
| Flt. Cutoff | Sets the frequency where the filter acts on the sound. |
| Flt. Q | Sets the filter's resonance or bandwidth; higher values make a narrower, stronger emphasis. |
| Decay | Sets how quickly the envelope falls from its peak to the sustain level. |
| Sustain | Sets the envelope level held while a note remains pressed. |
| Flt. Env. | Sets how strongly the envelope moves the filter cutoff. |
| Flt. Kbd. | Makes the filter cutoff follow the pitch of the played note. |
| Play Mode | Chooses whether the instrument plays one note at a time or multiple notes together. |
| Glide time | Sets how gradually pitch slides from one note to the next. |
| Unisono | Layers multiple voices on each note for a thicker sound. |
| Detune | Makes fine pitch adjustments in cents; 100 cents equals one semitone. |
| Stereo | Adjusts the difference between the left and right channels to change stereo width. |
| LFO Shape | Chooses the waveform of the repeating modulation. |
| Rate | Sets how fast the modulation cycle repeats. |
| Vibrato ⦿ | Sets the depth of LFO pitch modulation. |
| Tremolo ⦿ | Sets the depth of LFO volume modulation. |
| Cutoff ⦿ | Sets how strongly the LFO moves the filter cutoff. |
Work with this device
Start with a short passage that represents your material. Change one control at a time. Compare at a similar listening level, using the device's power control to bypass it. Save a version of the project before making a large change.
Guide for the macOS development build. For changes between versions, see update history. Public installers and final system requirements are not available yet.