Ask.Video 202: Phase-4 Deconstructed

Phase-4 is a powerful phase distortion and phase modulation synthesizer in Bitwig Studio, capable of incredibly versatile sounds.

Inspired by classic digital synths like Yamaha's DX7 and Casio's CZ series, Phase-4's sound manipulation possibilities go way further. In this course, sound designer and trainer Thavius Beck reveals exactly how this powerhouse synth is capable of everything from vintage sounds to digital sonic madness.

The course starts with a detailed explanation of how Phase-4 works. The concepts of phase, phase distortion and phase modulation are clearly explained, and you get a tour of all the parameters of the synth and learn how they work together. The next series of tutorials are all about applying the technical concepts learned to create every sound of a music project from scratch: kick, snare, hi-hat, bass, pad and lead. Thavius then shows you how to bring life and movement to these sounds with modulators and get some craziness happening. Continuing with the course, you also learn about expression controls, Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression (MPE) Controls, and more...

So if you want to get the most of the awesome Phase-4 instrument, sit back and learn everything about it with Bitwig Certified Trainer Thavius Beck!

Section 1: Introduction
Section 2: How Phase-4 Works
- What Does Phase Mean?
- What is Phase Distortion?
- What is Phase Modulation?
- Oscillator Parameters
- Global Parameters
- The Filter
- The Amp and Filter Envelopes
- Voices
- Polyphony and Glide
Section 3: Sound Design
- Making a Synth Kick Drum
- Making a Snare Sound
- Making a Hi-hat Sound
- Making a Bass Sound
- Making a Pad Sound
- Making a Lead Sound
- Adding Modulators
Section 4: Expression Controls and MPE
- Expression Controls
- MPE (Multi-dimensional Polyphonic Expression)
Section 5: Saving Presets
- Saving Phase-4 Patches