How to Use the Ultrabeat Drum Machine Synth in Logic Pro

Ultrabeat Drum Machine Synth is among nan astir versatile and potent imaginative devices successful Logic Pro for assembling and designing unsocial drum kits. At its core, Ultrabeat is simply a multi-mode synthesizer that specializes successful percussive sounds while doubling up arsenic a measurement sequencer.

We'll spell done its halfway features, truthful you tin commencement experimenting and creating nan rhythmic grooves you're after.

How to Navigate nan Assignment Section

On nan left-hand broadside of nan interface, you'll find a vertical 25-key keyboard. Here, you tin delegate your 25 percussion sounds aliases drum voices. Click connected nan sanction of a drum sound to prime it. The 25th cardinal astatine nan very top—C3—works a small otherwise arsenic each nan keys supra it usage its sound. Try utilizing a much melodic instrumentality for this key.

The parameters successful this conception include:

• Voice car select: Turn this connected to prime a drum sound by pressing its corresponding MIDI keyboard note.
• Master slider: Determines nan wide level of each nan drum voices.
• Volume sliders: Click and resistance nan bluish slider connected each cardinal to group their respective levels.
• Output drop-down menu: Determines nan output way of nan drum voice.

Use nan different output options to way your drum voices to chopped aux transmission strips and subgroups.

How to Choose and Import Sounds

Click connected nan settings paper astatine nan apical (which should publication Factory Default), and navigate to Drum Kits and Drum Banks to effort retired Ultrabeat's action of sounds.

The Import fastener on nan apical lets you easy take from different banal and saved sampler instruments. To usage audio samples connected definite keys, you tin either usage nan Load Sample characteristic successful Oscillator 2, aliases use Logic's Sampler to create a sampler instrumentality pinch those audio samples. Then, you should find what you saved successful nan Sampler Instruments folder.

If you're struggling to merge third-party sounds into Ultrabeat, effort bouncing them (Ctrl + B) into audio files first. Look into the champion keyboard shortcuts successful Logic to prevention you much time. When you prime your sampler instrument, a drop-down database will appear. Click connected each action to perceive them, and resistance them onto your keyboard to usage them.

Using nan Synthesizer

The synthesizer conception allows you to sculpt nan sound of your 25 drum voices. If you're unfamiliar pinch synthesizers, cheque retired the different types of sound synthesis and really their halfway devices work. Each conception includes on/off buttons and awesome travel icons (either reddish arrows aliases diagonal lines) that fto you nonstop nan awesome to nan main select conception aliases bypass it.

Similarly, each parameter that tin beryllium modulated includes mod and via pop-up menus. These fto you group superior and secondary modulation sources.

An Overview of nan Oscillators

You tin find nan 2 oscillators successful Ultrabeat successful nan precocious and little reddish rectangles, respectively. While they connection definite chopped features, nan parameters they stock see Pitch​​​​​​. Drag nan statement worth vertically to change nan transportation successful semitones; resistance 0c vertically to change nan transportation successful cents.

Oscillator Modes

You tin prime nan mode of synthesis successful each of nan oscillators. Both person a shape oscillator mode; successful this mode, nan activity style tin beryllium altered into astir modular shapes utilizing nan Slope, Saturation, and Asymmetry controls. The quality betwixt nan 2 is that only Asymmetry tin beryllium modulated successful Oscillator 1, and only Saturation tin beryllium modulated successful Oscillator 2.

Oscillator 1 (carrier) produces a sine activity erstwhile successful nan FM mode. Oscillator 2 (operator) past modulates this sine wave. Use nan FM amount knob to find nan strength of wave modulation.

In side chain mode, an outer sidechain input useful arsenic nan root for Oscillator 1. To usage this feature, you must prime a broadside concatenation input root from nan Side Chain drop-down paper successful nan top-right of nan interface.

Sample mode successful Oscillator 2 lets you quickly Load/Unload nan sample by pressing nan arrow icon adjacent to nan sanction of nan sample. The Mix/Max sliders find nan commencement constituent of nan sample astatine minimum and maximum velocity. You tin reverse your audio sample by pressing nan playback icon. Trigger different sample layers arsenic per nan minimum (green) aliases maximum (blue) velocity pinch nan Sample Layer sliders.

The model mode successful Oscillator 2 allows you to imitate divers beingness characteristics of instrumentality strings pinch nan Material pad. The Exciter type varies really nan drawstring vibrates, and nan Resolution slider alters nan precision and harmonics.

Noise Generator

Noise generator lies betwixt nan oscillators, and tin make divers percussive sounds from scratch. It has its ain independent select controls providing 3 select types (Low-Pass, High-Pass, Band-Pass) and a bypass option.

Its parameters include:

• Cutoff/Resonance dials: Determines nan cardinal cutoff frequency, and nan resonance peak/trough astir nan cardinal frequency.
• Dirt dial: Adds a grainy sonic effect which useful good successful tandem pinch precocious resonance values.
• Volume dial: Determines nan level of nan sound generator.

Ring Modulator

The ringing modulator conception is represented by a constrictive rectangle to nan correct of nan select section. This instrumentality generates its ain sound, and some oscillators must beryllium connected for this characteristic to function.

Use nan level slider to power its volume, and carnivore successful mind that its sound depends upon some oscillator settings.

Filter

The cardinal select conception includes an further select type to nan sound generator (Band Reject) and offers 2 slope strength options (12 dB/octave and 24 dB/octave). To amended usage these filters, look into how to usage EQs and filters.

You tin past determine whether you want nan filtered awesome routed into nan distortion circuit aliases vice versa by pressing nan cardinal arrow icon.

Distortion

The distortion circuit lets you adhd either a distortion effect aliases a bitcrusher effect. The erstwhile overdrives nan awesome while nan second crushes (decreases) nan integer solution of nan sound.

The further dials fto you change nan distortion intensity, tonal color, and wide level/threshold.

Output

The ample grey rectangle connected nan correct represents nan output section. Along nan apical and bottom, you tin find EQ controls allowing you to adhd a doorbell aliases support select astatine your chosen wave (Hz) and bandwidth (Q). Press connected nan titles of each mode to enable/disable them.

The spread mode lets you widen nan stereo image per nan frequency, and nan pan mod fastener lets you modulate nan panning of your drum sound. The voice volume dial determines nan wide level of your drum sound, and nan ​​​​​​trigger mode options fto you power really nan synth responds to incoming MIDI notes.

Envelope and LFOs

Ultrabeat includes 4 envelopes (in nan bottom-right) for each drum voice. Env 4 is dedicated to nan measurement of each voice. Click and resistance connected nan different points to change nan lengths of each phase. All nan envelopes tin beryllium utilized arsenic modulation sources.

There are besides 2 LFOs (in nan top-right) that tin beryllium utilized to modulate divers parameters. Its much unsocial controls include:

• Cycles dial: Determines really galore times nan LFO waveform repeats.
• Ramp dial: Determines nan fade-in/out time.

How to Use nan Step Sequencer

The Sequencer section, situated on nan bottommost of nan interface, allows you to conception elemental and analyzable rhythmic patterns pinch ease. You tin tie retired a percussion series for your selected drum sound by clicking connected immoderate of nan numbers successful nan Trigger row. Then, click and resistance connected nan resultant bluish bars to impact nan velocity and statement length.

The Pattern paper lets you take from 24 pre-designed patterns, and nan Length options fto you group up to 32 steps. Press nan full view fastener successful nan bottom-right, and prime a shape to spot nan sequencer's capabilities.

The Resolution pop-up paper on nan bottommost alters nan statement magnitude of each step. You tin stress definite steps pinch nan Accent button, and set plaything strength for sounds wherever nan Swing fastener is enabled.

The Step automation mode (below Voice) allows you to automate and change parameters for individual steps connected nan aforesaid drum sound. When enabled, parameters that tin beryllium automated are highlighted successful gold. You tin prime nan parameter you want to alteration successful nan parameter offset menu, aliases make nan changes straight successful nan synth interface.

Create Ultra-Quality Beats

Once you've selected and imported nan sounds you want to use, it's clip to refine your drum sounds pinch nan synthesizer. Then, create rhythmic sequences and patterns pinch nan measurement sequencer. Add successful modulation and automation, and your percussion will beryllium much move than ever.