Creative FX Booklet

installation
To install the Magic Racks: Creative FX
racks, copy the files to the ‘Audio Effect
Rack’ folder of your Ableton user library.
The exact location of your library will
depend on where you chose to install it,
but common locations are:
Windows Vista/7: \Users\<user>\
Documents\Ableton\User Library\
Presets\Audio Effects\Audio Effect
Rack
Mac OS: \<user>\Music\Ableton\User
Library\Presets\Audio Effects\Audio
Effect Rack
For information on how to find your User
Library, go here:
www.ableton.com/en/articles/
where-are-my-user-presets-saved/
from the creator...
In this third instalment of the racks series
I wanted tackle one of the key aspects
of electronic music: FX processing and
creation. I wanted to offer complex
and varied FX manipulation tools and
techniques with the minimum of fuss
and maximum impact.
I’ve created five racks from scratch to
offer tools primed for everything from
trippy ambiences and spaced-out
atmospheres with the Psychedelizer
through to glitched and twisted
loops with the Glitch Machine, crazy
dub-tastic delays with the Ultra Delay,
futuristic voice processing with the
Mouth Mixer, as well as the Multi-Band
Mangler for seriously filthy FX action.
Each rack has eight macro controls
which mask deeply complex and
considered processing chains designed
to offer interesting, exciting and intuitive
FX control. Presented with only eight
clearly-labeled controls per rack might
seems limiting, but it each one hides
a career’s worth of sound design
know-how whilst allowing you to focus
crafting truly unique FX with ease.
But as always, these racks reward
exploration. Pop the hood on any of
the racks and you’ll be able to tweak
parameters, plugins, routings and
more to further tweak them to suit your
needs.
My hope is that these racks will find a
welcoming home in your Audio Effects
folder, serving with you with a fast
and fun way to add sonic intricacy,
excitement and tension into your tracks.
Hedflux
Producer
/3
Glitch Machine
/5
Glitch, twist, stutter and
smash any sound in endless
combinations
Beat Stutter
Applies a rhythmic variable length roll/stutter
effect which re-triggers on every beat. Turn
the macro in order to change the rhythmic
note length from 1/4 through to 1/64 notes.
Curve 1
Randomise the Beat Stutter effect to disrupt
and alternate the effect of the roll. Creative
glitch effects are generated at constantly
evolving random intervals. Use alongside
Beat Stutter.
Crush
A frequency-specific bit crush effect which
subtly reduces the sample rate and bitdepth for classic lo-fi effect.
Decimate
Uses downward frequency shifting alongside
overdrive to change the source sound into a
highly distorted version of itself.
Pitch Drops
An RE-201 style delay effect where shifting
delays create alternate speed/pitch versions
of the modified sound.
Octo Flange
A highly modulated flanger with variable
feedback and delay time, built to introduce
metallic overtones to cut through the mix.
Wave Distortion
A wave-shaping distortion tool mapped
to an adjustable curve for an extreme
saturation effect.
Liquid Delay
A resonant beat-synced delay which uses
a granular freeze function at high values
to create a constant feedback effect,
topped off with reverb and hi-pass filtering to
prevent muddying of the sound.
Mouth Mixer
/7
Add specific vowel-sound oral
resonance to any sound
Vowel Mix
Set the wet/dry mix of the vowel processed
audio with the source signal for the perfect
mix. Use alongside Comp Amt
A E I O OE U
Rotate through the spectrum to select the
appropriate mouth-imitating vowel sound: A
E I O OE or U. Use alongside Comp Freq
Formant Filter
Filters the Vowel Mix with a multi-band
vocoder filter. Use in conjunction with A E
I O OU E to get a musical sounding vowel
processing effect. Use alongside A E I O OE U
Vowel Smear
Applies reverb, chorus and panning
processing to the Vowel Mix, smearing it
across the stereo field to create atmospheric
sounds. Essential for creating far-out, spacey
pads and textures.
Vowel Distort
Overdrive the Vowel Mix with a mid range
bell for a saturated and distorted results.
Dry Filter
Applies a gritty low-pass filter to the Dry
Mix. Useful for separating the frequency
distribution of the wet and dry signals.
Dry Mix
Adjusts the level of the dry mix to that of the
Vowel Mix.
Vowel Shape
Applies phasing to add modulated formant
harmonics to the Dry Mix to control its ability
to cut through the mix.
Multi-Band Mangler
/9
Add crunch, warmth, dirt or high-end
detail to drums, bass or synths
Hi Boost
Applies heavy compression on the highband of the multi-band compressor. Useful
for bringing out high-end frequencies, noise
and grit.
Mid Boost
Boosts the body of the effected channel by
compressing the mid-band between the Hi
Cross Over and Lo Cross Over values.
Low Boost
Applies compression to frequencies
below the Lo Cross Over value to give
increased weight and warmth to the lowend. Use in conjunction with Lo Dirt to for
additional distortion processing of low band
frequencies.
Hi Cross Over
Use to set the crossover points of the midand high-bands, in order to fine-tune the
specific frequencies effected by the multiband compression.
Hi Dirt
Uses vocoder and erosion to apply unique
distortion to the high-band.
Mid Dirt
Uses sine wave erosion, tube distortion
and subtle chorusing on the mid-band for
controlled harmonic enhancement.
Lo Dirt
Uses a custom chain of saturation and
overdrive to create a hot and fuzzy low-end.
Turn the macro to the max for a crunchy,
parallel distortion-style effect.
Lo Cross Over
Set the crossover point between the
mid- and low-bands to isolate low-end
compression and distortion.
Psychedelizer
/11
A one-stop shop atmospheric textures,
rhythmic layers and spot FX.
Pitch Spray
Custom granular synthesis chain to add grit
and modulation to flat sounds.
Spectral Filter
Uses vocoder filter to create a spectral
processing effect to add metallic resonant
harmonics.
Vapour Filter
A combination of reverb and high-pass filter
transform sounds into a fine high-end ‘mist’.
Great for creating atmospheric beds.
Bubblise
Turn any sounds into fizzing synthetic
‘bubbles’ with a custom chain of
modulating flangers. Perfect for rhythmic
evolving elements.
Analog Lo-Pass
A chain of low-pass filter, saturation and
distortion designed to model a dirty
analogue filter. Use liberally for pure sonic
destruction.
Dub Delay
Emulates a classic reggae dub delay.
Perfect for atmospheric and rhythmic spot
FX.
Pitch Up
Switch the pitch across one octave with
ease. Tip: set maximum frequency of
the frequency shifter to the fundamental
frequency of the sound for total sonic
harmony.
Crunchy Pong
A combination of phasers, delay and
distortion to add a slightly detuned and
crunchy ping-pong rhythmic effects.
Ultra Delay
/13
The ultimate delay FX tool utilising
five delays in unison
Delay Mix
Set the wet mix of the delay processed
signal.
Feedback 1
Adjusts the feedback of a unique four-stage
multi-band delay chain.
Feedback 2
Adjusts the feedback of a fifth delay chain,
which is loaded with a longer tempo sync plus pitch and granular controls for added
sonic enhancement.
Delay 2 Pitch
Control the maximum pitch of Delay 2.
Longer delays will rise up by the selected
semi-tone value. Use in conjunction with
Feedback 2.
Delay 2 Grainsize
Adjust the frequency grain size of Delay 2
for changing glitchy granular behaviour. For
best results use alongside Delay Pitch 2.
Dub Filter
Applies a dub-style resonant saturated
band-pass filter to the combined signal of
Delays 1 and 2.
Evapor8
A combination of reverb, filtering,panning
and gain applied to the combined delay
signals to create an ‘evaporating’ effect.
Perfect for airy textures and beds.
Dry Mix
Controls the mix of the dry channel in the
rack.

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