These three audio files provide examples based on the techniques described in the Cubase workshop article in SOS November 2025.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/cubase-14-ambient-guitar-sound-design
Cubase 14 Ambient Guitar Sound Design Audio Example JW 01.wav
This audio example demonstrates the use of Shimmer as described in the main article. Two different guitar parts are used, and each is repeated three times dividing the audio into six short sections as follows:
1. Guitar phrase 1 is a simple single note melodic line. Here you can hear the DI signal but with just the clean guitar tone added via the VST Amp Rack amp/cab sections. Otherwise, it is dry without Shimmer applied.
2. The same phrase but with Shimmer added. In this instance, the Pitch is set at 0 and both Intensity and Speed are set relatively low at 40%. The result is a blend of both reverb and delay, so it sounds fairly conventional at this point.
3. The same phrase but with different Shimmer settings. In this instance, the Pitch is still set at 0 but both Intensity and Speed have been increased to around 90%. The effect is much more spacious. While there is a slight ‘pulse’ to the ambience, the clear delay from the previous section is less obvious because of the increased number and speed of repeats.
4. Guitar phrase 2 is a fuller arpeggiated chord part. As before, you hear it first with just the VST Amp Rack applied.
5. The same phrase but with Shimmer added. In this instance, the Pitch is set at 0 and both Intensity and Speed are set relatively high at around 90%. The result is a very ambient sound but with a soft, almost synth-like texture that follows the guitar performance.
6. The same phrase but with different Shimmer settings. In this instance, the Pitch is set now set at +12 semitones while both Intensity and Speed remain at around 90%. The result is a much stronger, more obvious, synth-like texture as it is higher in pitch. It follows the guitar performance and provides an almost ethereal quality to the sound. The Mix slider is at 60% but, if increased further, the guitar component would become less obvious and the synth texture would dominate.
Cubase 14 Ambient Guitar Sound Design Audio Example JW 02.wav
This audio example demonstrates the use of Studio Delay as described in the main article and follows a similar format to the first example. Two further guitar parts are used, and each is repeated three times dividing the audio into six short sections as follows:
1. Guitar phrase 3 is a simple, slow, melodic line. Here you can hear the DI signal but with just the clean guitar tone added via the VST Amp Rack amp/cab sections. Otherwise, it is dry without Studio Delay applied.
2. The same phrase but with Studio Delay added. In this instance, Age is set at 90% and the Filter Bank has been used to focus the effect signal between the 250 Hz and 2000 Hz. The Modulation, Distortion, Reverb and Pitch sliders are all set at their minimum. The end result is a fairly conventional delay but with a rather nice (if subtle) lo-fi tonality to it because of the Age and Filter Bank settings.
3. The same phrase but with some changes to the Studio Delay settings. The Modulation, Distortion and Reverb sliders have been set to 20%, while the Pitch slider is set to 70% and being used in Formant mode. The Distortion is using the Overdrive mode and is position in the Loop position. The result is still a delay effect, but the repeats have a more distinctly atmospheric and lo-fi character.
4. Guitar phrase 4 provides a further slow melodic line but higher in pitch than the previous phrase. Here you can hear the DI signal but with just the clean guitar tone added via the VST Amp Rack amp/cab sections. Otherwise, it is dry without Studio Delay applied.
5. The same phrase but with Studio Delay added. In this instance, Age is set at 75% and the Filter Bank has been used to focus the effect signal between the 800 Hz and 6000 Hz. The Modulation and Distortion are set at 0, but small amounts of both Reverb and Pitch have been applied. The end result is a lo-fi delay with more high-frequency content and an element of reverb applied to the delay signal to give it a sense of space. fairly conventional delay but with a rather nice (if subtle) lo-fi tonality to it because of the Age and Filter Bank settings.
6. The same phrase but with different Studio Delay settings applied. Both the Modulation (Chorus mode) and Distortion (Overdrive Mode in the Loop) sliders have been set in the 20-30% range and this adds some subtle detuning to the delays as well as a much more distinct lo-fi quality to the sound. The Reverb and Pitch (Formant mode) sliders have also been set higher, placing the delay signal in a more reverberant space but also giving it a different tonality due to the increased formant shift. The sound is atmospheric but also has an almost unsettling feel. This could easily be enhanced further by increasing the Modulation setting and/or putting that in the Loop position.
Cubase 14 Ambient Guitar Sound Design Audio Example JW 03.wav
This example takes all of the guitar parts demonstrated in the first two audio examples and places them into a musical context. Each of the four guitar parts is used once and, in each case, the ‘final’ settings used in the earlier examples is what can be heard. The guitars are accompanied by a simple drum-based rhythm and an electric bass line. No other sound elements are included so the rest of the arrangement is based upon the four guitar phrases. Aside from a little compression, the only other effect added is a very conventional reverb (using RoomWorks) to add a little further ambiance to the overall sound.
The composition won’t be winning me a Grammy! But hopefully it demonstrates the sort of creative sound-design effects that both Shimmer and Studio Delay make possible.