The following audio examples accompany my article in SOS October 2024, and are described in the main article text.
www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-13-halion-sonics-spectral-synth
Cubase 13 Sound Design Spectral Synth Engine Audio Example JW 01
This first audio example follows the development of the soundscape style sound as described within the Cubase workshop. The audio is therefore divided into a number of short sections that move from the original sample used (a single note on an electric piano) to the finished soundscape/pad (the slightly longer section at the end). Each intermediate section adds a specific element of X-Stream’s sound shaping to the overall sound. The sections are therefore as follows:
1) The original sample.
2) The sample after being dropped into X-Stream.
3) After adjustments to the Speed and Loop Markers within the Spectral display.
4) After adjustments to the Spread, Blur and Purity controls.
5) After adjustments to the Stack controls including adding some Level automation to the Layers to demonstrate the shift from major to minor 3rds.
6) After adjusting the Filter.
7) After adjusting the Spectral Filter (note that, in this case, this also reduces the overall level of the sound).
8) After adjusting the Amp section to apply slower attack and decay elements to the envelope and to increase the overall gain of the sound.
9) After applying Step Modulation to the Filter’s Distortion to create a pulse effect that can be blended into the sound via automation.
10) After automating the Purity settings using Cubase’s Quick Controls.
11) The finished sound in a slightly longer example with automation applied during the performance to add a sense of movement in the soundscape over time.
Cubase 13 Sound Design Spectral Synth Engine Audio/Video Example JW 02
This second example is actually in the form of a video clip where the final version of the soundscape/pad is the only sound used to create a cue for a short (c. 30 second) scene. No, it’s probably not going to win a ‘best movie score’ prize any time soon (!) but it illustrates the potential of the spectral synth engine that underlies X-Stream as a tool for creating this sort of soundscape-meets ambience texture that would work well in many ‘underscore’ contexts.
Cubase 13 Sound Design Spectral Synth Engine Audio Example JW 03
This third audio example simply offers a number of additional sounds created within X-Stream as additional DIY sound design examples. The audio is split into five different sections and in each section, you hear the original sample and then a sound created from that sample using X-Stream. The five sections are as follows:
(1) A single piano note transformed a playable synth texture with movement.
(2) A synth swell transformed into a pulsing pad drone.
(3) A melodic keyboard arpeggio transformed into a mysterious soundscape with a slow pulse.
(4) An electronic drum loop transformed into slower (1/2 tempo) percussive loop that’s both darker and more unsettling.
(5) A short solo vocal sample transformed into an ethereal vocal pad.