Saturday, April 25, 2026
Friday, April 24, 2026
Retrologue’s oscillator and filter options provide plenty of scope for creating analogue‑style lead sounds.
Create retro sci‑fi soundtracks with Cubase’s Retrologue 2.
The use of songs by Metallica and Kate Bush may well have stolen the musical headlines for season 3 of Stranger Things, but the underlying synth‑based score remains hugely important to the show’s iconic retro sci‑fi ’80s vibe. In our March 2017 interview, composers Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein explained the influence of the likes of Jean‑Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, John Carpenter and Giorgio Moroder, and how the pair made use of their impressive collection of (mainly vintage) analogue synths.
If the idea of creating a similar sound in software appeals, the Retrologue 2 synth bundled with Cubase Pro and Artist (it can be bought separately too) can get you pretty close. For these sorts of sounds, it makes sense to start with the sine, saw or square oscillator waveforms typically used in vintage hardware synths, but that 2017 interview offered some other helpful pointers. These include: not being afraid to let the mix get a bit ‘murky’; using low cutoff frequencies (particularly for bass sounds) so things don’t get too ‘growly’; using EQ to keep high‑end fizz at bay; keeping filter resonance modest; using analogue‑style delay to add texture; and detuning notes to provide an unsettling or random dimension.
The score uses synth sounds in various roles, but in this workshop we’ll explore three prominent examples: arpeggiated leads, evolving pads and dark bass tones.
Repeat After Me
The first screen is a good, simple starting point for the kind of arpeggiated lead used in the Stranger Things theme tune. A pair of oscillators, both based on single saw waves, are set an octave apart for a slightly fatter sound. In the Voice panel, Mono mode is switched on and a very short Glide time provides a slight sense of pitch‑sliding between notes. In the Main section, the most important thing is a very low (not zero) Rnd Pitch setting, giving the pitch of each note a very small random offset.
Retrologue’s arpeggiator page makes those Stranger Things melodic lines easy to experiment with.
In the Filter section, note the low values of the 12dB/octave low‑pass filter’s Resonance and Cutoff. The Filter envelope is given only a modest amount of velocity response (as is the Amplifier envelope; lots of old‑school analogue synths didn’t have velocity sensitivity), and a touch of tube‑like distortion adds a little ‘warmth’.
The only entry in the modulation Matrix provides very subtle mod‑wheel control over the filter cutoff, so that you can gently open the filter for a brighter sound. In the Quick Control panel (at the top of the UI), I’ve linked the Master Volume control to my first QC slot, making it easy to add volume changes in real time or via automation. It’s not shown in the screen, but I also added a subtle touch of chorus in the Mod FX section, and then a quarter‑note ping‑pong delay with the High Frequency Damp set at its lowest value (1000Hz) for more of an ‘analogue tape’ effect. In the EQ section, you could opt for a high‑end shelving EQ here if you wanted to remove even more top end.
The next screen shows the Arpeggiator panel with a 16‑step note pattern and 16th‑note intervals. It’s similar to the pattern used in the Stranger Things theme tune — so be sure to create enough melodic or timing differences to make it original! I’ve not used any MIDI velocity variations or other controller patterns here.
Prime targets for further experimentation include the oscillator settings, using Multi waveforms (found in the Type drop‑down, these effectively turn a single oscillator into multiple oscillators, with the option to gently detune them for a fatter sound), and ring modulation. All these possibilities can help you create useful variations.
Theory Of Evolution
With the mod wheel set to modulate multiple parameters, you can give your pads plenty of sonic movement in real time.
The third screenshot shows the Retrologue configuration for a suitably analogue‑esque evolving pad, and a few differences between this and the lead sound are worth highlighting. First, I selected Poly mode in the Voice section to allow chords to be played. While I’ve again used two sawtooth waveforms, both osc 1 and osc 2 use more complex types (Cross and Multi), given their somewhat fuller/fatter basic tone. The sub oscillator has also been enabled to blend in a little extra low end. As with the lead sound, a low cutoff has been set using a 12dB/octave low‑pass filter type with no resonance applied, and a little tube‑based distortion added for extra warmth.
In the Matrix, a key difference is that the mod wheel is somewhat busier, acting as a ‘macro’ control by targeting multiple parameters, including adding a hint of detune to osc 2. The mod wheel therefore allows you to change the timbre of the sound in real time to add a sense of movement. The Arpeggiator is disabled while, in the FX section, I added a small amount (the Mix value is set at 25%) of quarter‑note ping‑pong delay. However, I’ve also added a gentle chorus in the Mod FX panel, with a slow Rate, shallow Depth (around 1), Feedback set to 10% and Mix to 50%; this adds some gentle movement and width.
If you want to get more experimental or aggressive, try introducing a square wave in osc 3 and experimenting with the Shape control, or engage the Ring Mod option in the Oscillator Mix section. Beyond that, move to the effects section and explore some of the ‘modulated’ presets for the Resonator; there are some cool starting points for creating sweeping sounds amongst these.
Heartbeat Bass
A simple combination of a square‑wave oscillator and some noise, with zero sustain, provides a bass sound that can also be used to add a rhythmic element.
If required, this pad sound can supply plenty of low end so, for my ‘bass’ sound, I decided to go for something that also offered a percussive element. The final screenshot shows the basic Retrologue configuration. This patch uses a single, square‑tooth‑based oscillator, although the type is set to Multi for a fatter sound and the Noise oscillator has been blended in for a bit of extra character. Again, a relatively low cutoff frequency has been chosen for the filter, with zero resonance and some tube distortion added. In the Amplifier panel, a fast Attack and zero Sustain setting has been used, providing a short percussive feel to the sound when played. In the Matrix section, the mod wheel is again serving as a macro control, changing the Amp Decay, Noise level and filter Cutoff.
The final element is within Retrologue 2’s FX section, where a ping‑pong delay has been set to 1/4D (dotted), along with 50% Mix and high Feedback (around 6) settings, to give multiple repeats — because these are dotted, they’ll provide a nice rhythmic contrast to the straight 16th‑note rhythm of the arpeggiated lead sound.
When it’s played at MIDI notes below C3 (note the Octave setting for osc 1), you’ll find that the sound seems to have very little pitch information, and provides more of a heartbeat‑style effect. But if played around C4 or above, the pitched element in the sound becomes much more obvious, allowing you to play a more conventional melodic bass line. As an additional option, you can add a second oscillator, based on a sine waveform and with Type set to Multi. This will fatten the bass further, as well as giving it a more obvious pitch over its full range.
One I Created Earlier
Does Retrologue supply the same degree of undeniable cool or compositional inspiration you might experience when working in a room full of classic analogue synths? Er... no! But neither does it come with the same price tag, maintenance costs, or space requirements. More important is how these Retrologue‑based patches actually sound. You can easily recreate what I’ve done, but if you just want a quick audition, check out the audio examples on the SOS website. These include a short example ‘cue’ that I created using these patches, and as with any sounds, you can feel free to massage them further with all sorts of EQ, compression and cool‑sounding effects. Retro sounds with Retrologue? Stranger things have happened...
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Cubase 12: Sampler Track
It’s worth spending some time refining the loop region if you want a natural end result from a vocal sample.
Cubase’s Sampler Track is capable of making surprisingly playable backing vocals.
Not everyone can afford top‑flight vocal sample libraries, and if you all you need are some basic vowel‑style vocals parts then the Sampler Track, included in the Pro, Artist and Elements versions of Cubase 12, offers a way to roll your own. The steps involved are pretty straightforward too, so it’s easy to explore the idea, even if the parts you create will only be used as placeholders to be replaced with a singer later on.
Vowel Play
In order to create a playable vowel‑based vocal instrument, we obviously need a sample as a starting point and, to make the subsequent steps easy, two key things are worth considering when selecting or recording a suitable sample. First, ensure that you know (or can work out) the pitch of the original sample. Second, consider whether the performance you wish to create requires sustained sounds or shorter, staccato sounds (for example ‘ooooh’ and ‘oh’, respectively). If possible, pick or create a source sample that matches this style — while the Sampler Track does let you create a sustained sound from a shorter sample, for vocal samples in particular it’s not always possible to make the necessary looping sound completely seamless.
Drag & Drop
Execute the Project / Add Track / Sampler command to create a new Sampler Track. By default, this opens the (initially empty) Sampler control panel in the Project window’s Lower Zone. Then, simply drag and drop your sample into this panel. Hey presto! You now have an instrument, made of that single sample mapped across the full MIDI note range.
To get the best from it some tweaks are needed, and the first screenshot shows the settings I used for my working example; a sustained ‘dooo’ vocal sample. I’ll focus on the key settings I adjusted, but don’t let that stop you from experimenting with the other controls if you wish! I’ve also created some audio examples so you can hear what’s going on, and you can find these on the SOS website (https://sosm.ag/cubase-0123).
Within the waveform display, the first task is to adjust the sample’s start and end points, by dragging the small ‘S’ markers. If there’s a lot of unneeded material, the Toolbar’s ‘[ ]’ button can also be used to trim the sample. For smoother playback, it’s worth applying a short fade‑in/out by dragging the solid white squares associated with both S markers. Next, in the bottom‑most mini‑keyboard display, we need to check that the root note of the original sample (highlighted in blue) is set correctly to ensure the most natural‑sounding playback; you can simply drag and reposition as required.
To Loop Or Not To Loop?
If we wish notes to sustain longer than the original sample we need to configure a loop region. If you select an appropriate option from the Loop Mode drop‑down selection list (I selected Until Release in this case), the green loop (L) markers appear ready for adjustment.
Achieving a seamless loop using the two L markers, even with the Zero Crossing buttons active and using the crossfade options for the loop start/end points, can be a bit hit and miss. As a guide, it helps to try and get as close a match between the original waveform (shown in blue) and the waveform of the looped section (shown in green). Usefully, if you hover the mouse directly between the two L markers, a green horizontal bar appears, allowing you to reposition the loop section without changing the length of the loop. Of all the steps involved, this is the one most worth spending time on, as our hearing is very sensitive to what sounds ‘natural’ in the human voice; patience will usually reward you with a smoother end result.
A Bit Of A Stretch
In the Playback panel, I’ve enabled AudioWarp. This applies time‑stretching, so playback is the same length at different pitches. However, a quick tinkle up and down the keyboard from the sample’s root note will reveal two things. First, the sound is a little static, and, second, beyond a few semitones from the root note, even with AudioWarp engaged, the vocal quickly strays into unnatural‑sounding territory.
A few minor modulation tweaks within the Pitch, Filter and Amp panels can help add a touch of sonic movement when triggering your vocal sample.
To address the first issue, we can dip into the Pitch, Filter and Amp panels and, in each case, apply some parameter modulation to increase the sense of movement. Clicking on the ‘mod’ label for any of these panels superimposes a modulation envelope upon the waveform display. As an example, the screenshot shows some of the possibilities offered by Pitch modulation. I’ve applied a short upwards scoop into the note and a drop down as the note decays. In anticipation of playing sustained notes, I’ve also extended the pitch curve over about three seconds and added some minor pitch drift. You could make this as detailed as you might like but it makes for a slightly less robotic sound when notes are held. Note that you have to adjust the AMT slider (far left) to a non‑zero value before this pitch modulation curve will have any effect, but it does provide a very easy means of scaling the magnitude (and direction) of the modulation. Another strong modulation candidate is the filter frequency (using the envelope or Keyfollow controls in the Filter panel) as this can add pleasing tonal variation. If you have longer source samples and want to create a more gentle, pad‑like fade‑in, the Amp modulation envelope is where to start.
Make It A Multi
In terms of the second issue, we really need a feature that the Sampler Track doesn’t currently support: multisample instruments. While that would be great to see (pretty please Steinberg!), the very streamlined nature of the Sampler Track workflow does make it easy to construct a simple workaround. Imagine we want to be able to play our vocal sample instrument over a single octave note range but our current Sampler Track only really sounds natural over a range of four or five semitones around the root. What we need is multiple Sampler Tracks.
Constrain the active note ranges in each of your Sampler Track instances, and you can achieve a more natural sound over a wider note range.
For example, if we used three Sampler Tracks based on different ‘oooh’ samples originally recorded at C3, F3 and A3, and configured using the steps described so far, we could, in principle, achieve natural playback over a full octave. Then, for each track, we can constrain the active note range using the mini‑keyboard display at the base of each Sampler Track panel, ensuring that they don’t overlap.
For playback, if we then select all three tracks within the main Project window track list (so all three become highlights and record enabled), any MIDI notes you play will be sent to all three tracks, but each track will only trigger sample playback within its own limited note range. The end result is, essentially, a multisample instrument created from three Sampler Tracks and a much more natural playback of our vocal sample over a full octave range.
And on a practical front, it’s worth noting the Toolbar’s ‘lock’ button. Having carefully created your first Sampler Track with all the appropriate settings, if you then duplicate it, and active the lock button on the duplicate, you can drag and drop a new sample onto this track without it zapping your carefully crafted settings. You can then go in and manually change the settings for each sample as required.
And There’s More
With all three tracks selected, any MIDI note input will reach all three Sampler Tracks but, with the active note range of each track limited (as shown in the previous screen), each track will only respond to a limited range of MIDI pitches.Of course, having got into the swing of it, you don’t have to stop at three Sampler Tracks. How about a second set of three Sampler Tracks based on three different sampled ‘oooh’ performances — with each set of three panned to opposite sides of the stereo field? Select all six tracks and play for a nice, wide vocal pad.
Equally, you could create a second set of Sampler Tracks for a different vowel‑based vocal (I’ve done this in the audio examples with a ‘baaah’ sound). With careful use of the mini‑keyboard to create suitable mapping, you can trigger this second sound in a different part of your MIDI keyboard, allowing you to mix and match a performance with the two different vocal sounds using left and right hands.
And, if you route the output of all these Sampler Tracks to a suitable audio bus you can add some global reverb and delay, while Pro users could also try an instance of Cubase’s Cloner plug‑in to add some further depth to the vocal ensemble.
Finally, if you think you might like to reuse these new DIY vocal instruments in a future project, simply select all of the Sampler Tracks you have created, right‑click on any one of them, and choose Save Track Preset. Provided the original samples used don’t get moved or deleted, you can then load this Track Preset within a new project and your various Sampler Tracks will be fully restored and ready to play.
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Monday, April 20, 2026
Cubase 12: FX Modulator Risers And Drops
By John Walden
FX Modulator’s Volume module makes it easy to transform almost any source sound into a riser or decaying hit/drop.
Cubase’s FX Modulator makes it easy to design ear‑catching riser and drop effects.
Sound‑design elements such as risers, hits and drops are used in all sorts of musical contexts to highlight a specific point in an arrangement, such as a musical transition. Risers (with or without a tail) constitute volume swells into an impact/transition, while drops can be thought of as a kind of impact sound but with an added pitch drop element. There are, of course, lots of excellent commercial sample packs or virtual instruments that can supply these sorts of sounds, but rolling your own can both be quicker (you don’t haver to trawl through a million samples) and deliver a better, unique result. Users of Cubase 12 (Artist or Pro) can use the new FX Modulator plug‑in to do this, so let’s see how it rises to the occasion!
Because FX Modulator provides plenty of options for controlling the volume, timbre change and pitch (amongst other things) of a sound, we don’t necessarily need to start with a source sound that contains any of these features. For the example below, and the audio files that accompany the workshop on the SOS website (https://sosm.ag/cubase0223), I started with a couple of sustained presets from Cubase’s Padshop synth. I deliberately picked sounds with a broad frequency spectrum and then shortened the attack and release times of the amplifier envelope. I also bypassed any delay or reverb effects — because I wanted it to be FX Modulator which controlled the start and end/decay portions of my riser and drop effects.
Rise & Shine
For our purposes, there are two key features of FX Modulator. First, amongst its various effects modules are Volume, Filter and Pitch, the three main tools we can use for our DIY sound design (the ‘FX’ bit). Second, each of the effects modules lets you modulate a parameter (or two) over a user‑selected time base (for example, one beat, one bar; the ‘Modulator’ bit).
Let’s start simply, using just the Volume module to create two‑bar riser effect. As shown in the first screen, the basic configuration is very straightforward, but some details are worth noting. First, I’ve defined my own volume modulation curve and saved it into one of the user banks. The curve starts from zero volume, rises to a peak after two bars, and then there’s a rapid drop in back to zero (giving a short ‘tail’ to the sound, the length of which can easily be adjusted by changing the curve). For me to have the option for this tail setting, I needed to set the Time control to four bars (4/1), even though I want my riser itself to only last two bars.
MIDI triggering from an additional MIDI track provides precise control over the timing of your modulation curve.
Second, in the bottom‑most Trigger panel I’ve enabled MIDI triggering and selected the 1 Cycle mode. This means that the volume modulation envelope will only start running when FX Modulator receives a MIDI trigger note (any note; the pitch doesn’t matter). Once triggered, it will complete a single pass through its timeline (four bars long in this case) before stopping. This style of triggering requires an extra step, which is described below, but it’s more precise than using the internal side‑chain option, which relies on the input signal passing a defined threshold level before triggering occurs.
That extra step? We need a second MIDI track containing our MIDI ‘trigger’ notes, and with its MIDI Output Routing set to the MIDI in of our FX Modulator plug‑in — this routing can be set up in the MIDI track’s Inspector panel. Given that this is a two‑bar riser, we need to trigger both Padshop and FX Modulator (from the MIDI trigger track) exactly two bars ahead of when that peak is required. For example, if I wanted the peak to hit at the end of bar 4, I’d place a single note on my Padshop track at the exact start of bar 3 and extended the note beyond the start of bar 5 (to allow for that aforementioned short tail to be heard). Having created the Padshop MIDI clip, I can copy it to the MIDI trigger track; it will then trigger the Volume module’s modulation envelope at exactly the same time as Padshop starts to play. The result? The Padshop sound gradually rises in level over two bars, hits its peak at the end of bar 4, and then quickly tails off at the start of bar 5. And, by using different MIDI pitches with Padshop, you can produce slightly different riser sounds each time you want to use it.
You can create a similar riser‑style effect using the Filter module. The configuration can be identical to that for the Volume module, but with the gradually rising modulation curve controlling the cutoff frequency of (for example) a low‑pass 12dB/octave filter. The sound will still start at a low volume because the initial low cutoff setting does not let much of the sound get past the filter. However, over the two‑bar build, the filter gradually opens, making the sound grow both louder and brighter. Adjust the frequency value at the peak of the modulation curve to change the intensity of the effect; for example, make the filter peak at 15 rather than 20 kHz.
Hit The Drop
You can create all sorts of drop‑style effects using a combination of the Pitch and Volume modules.
I know what you’re thinking... Wouldn’t it be nice to build a riser that combines both the Volume and Filter modules? You can do that but, as I’ll demonstrate by building a drop sound (which does require two modules to be combined; Pitch and Volume), an extra step is involved if you wish to trigger two modulation curves and keep them in sync. This is due to a limitation within the plug‑in’s MIDI trigger system; within any instance of FX Modulator, the MIDI trigger option can only be active for one module at a time.
While it would be great to see Steinberg address this at some stage, we needn’t wait for that since there’s an uncomplicated workaround. For our drop effect, insert two instances of FX Modulator on the Padshop track. The first instance uses the Pitch module, while the second uses the Volume module. Imagine we want our pitch drop to last one bar. We set the Time for both instances to 2/1 (two bars; again, longer than the drop itself, so as to avoid the module curves cycling back to their starting values right at the end of the one‑bar effect, which could result in audible oddities!). We can then create pitch and volume modulation curves to taste over the first bar, with the volume modulation reaching zero at the end of bar 1, and remaining at zero until the end of bar 2.
Finally, instead of just one MIDI trigger track (using the same approach as for our riser), you create two, each pointing at a different FX Modulator instance. It might look a little clunky (and if that bothers you there’s a slightly more elegant/complex solution using MIDI Sends from a single MIDI ‘trigger’ track) but it’s simple and it’s effective.
Time For Change
As mentioned above, playing different notes with our Padshop source can provide a welcome sense of variation when we want to use the DIY riser or drop at multiple points in a single project. But another useful variation is simply to change the length of the effect. For example, instead of the one‑bar drop described above, you could go for a shorter half‑bar version. While you could obviously replicate the above setups with additional Padshop and MIDI trigger tracks, a more efficient option is simply to automate changes to the Time setting of your FX Modulator instances.
By automating the Time parameter within FX Modulator, you can change the length of your DIY riser or drop effect at different points within your project.
The most straightforward way to do this is to select the Padshop track containing your FX Modulator instances, open an instance of FX Modulator (you can do each in turn) and enable the Write Automation button. Start playback, then use your mouse to change the Time value, which will automatically create an automation lane for that parameter. You can then edit the automation curve manually to place the desired changes in the Time parameter at the appropriate points. In this example, if we wanted to create a half‑bar riser/drop, we’d set the Time parameter to one bar (four beats). The only other thing we need to do is change the length of the MIDI notes used to get Padshop to play and to trigger the modulation curves to 1.5 bars (six beats; as with the earlier example, slightly longer than the sound effect we are trying to create). Provided you enable the Read Automation button for these automation lanes, you can now trigger as many different lengths of your riser or drop as your project requires.