5 Things You Can Do With MSEGs
A multi-stage envelope generator allows you to draw a signal for just about anything. That's why we made five different ones: so that each one can focus on a specific task, whether that's making the shape for an envelope, LFO, oscillator, waveshaper, or sequencer.
But when your tools are so flexible, it can be hard to know where to begin. We've compiled five use cases for MSEGs to give you some ideas, with help from all-around Bitwig genius Polarity. (And for more, check out YouTube creator Alex Reid, who came up with 10 more!) Scroll on to learn five things you can do with MSEGs in Bitwig Studio.
Make the perfect kick drum with Segments
Segments, our envelope-style MSEG, eases the pain of kick-making by allowing you to sculpt each detail of the sound. So we jump into The Grid and load three separate instances of the Segments module to control the amplitude, pitch, and click amount individually — and in more detail than a traditional, four-stage ADSR envelope.
Customize your groove with Curves
Now that modulators can control track and project parameters, you can create a groove that's tailored to your track and what's going on within it. Just grab a Curves modulator, our LFO-style MSEG, and map it to the global tempo of your project. Now you can adjust how much the tempo slides up and down within a given bar, and when it goes slower or faster. If you want a custom groove, try making it yourself in this creative way.
Create a DIY distortion with Transfer
An MSEG has even joined our fleet of shaper modules, so let’s put Transfer to the test. By opening the curve editor and drawing your own shape, we are remapping whatever waveform comes in. Sharper edges will create harsher distortion, while smoother shapes create saturation or even compression.
Write evolving melodies with Slopes
Signals from the Slopes MSEG sequencer can determine when a sound occurs (when used as a gate signal, for instance) as well as its pitch. And things really get interesting when multiple Slopes are in play with a module that can switch between them. Use a Merge to choose which Slopes sequence is active, adding variation to your part and creating a more complex, evolving, or unpredictable melody.
Two Scrawl oscillators = unique synth voice
The Scrawl oscillator lets you draw your own waveshape as the starting point for any sound. And once you can draw one, you should obviously draw two and then morph between them in The Grid. This simple patch takes the idea behind our Crossfading Synths sound package to another level, especially when you add a filter whose cutoff is also modulated by an MSEG.
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