FX with NI Massive Part 3: Short Sweep

Welcome back to the third instalment of this four-part series on designing original FX elements with NI Massive. This week we learn how to create a very unique short sweep effect.

So far in this series we have seen Jonny create a down lifter and an uplifter effect within NI Massive, This week he shares how to make a short sweep FX that is really quite original. It is incredibly easy to make these types of sounds with Massive because of the intuitive approach to modulation assignments and the amount of control you can maintain through those assignments. You can always take things one step further with NI Massive. Once example of how you can do this, with just about any sound, is to set up some cleverly programmed Macro controls. If you are unfamiliar with what macro controls are, they allow you to map multiple parameters to a single knob for easier manipulation.

Although a Stepper is used to automate the initial rise in pitch across all three main oscillators, and the Modulation OSC panel, you can just as easily use a basic modulation Envelope if you prefer it. And in a similar line of thinking, you can swap out the LFO that is used to modulate the filter cutoff (via Filter1) and phasing (via Modulation OSC) with a Performer to provide yourself with more opportunity for control, interest and texture. These tips are easy to put into play and can be used on all types of sounds within NI Massive, not just FX.

One last thing to consider with this type of sound design is to build in an alternate version, or even an opposite version, so it becomes a multi-use effect rather than a single use. You can do this by setting up a couple of simple macro controls. In the FX showcased in this video, the pitch is rising. You can set up one macro to manage a rising pitch, while another is controlling a falling pitch. The same can be done with the filter sweep. In this lesson you hear a highpass filter sweep, which results in the sound disappearing off into the distance. You can manage this with one macro control, while the other is controlling the opposite sweep, where the sound slowly appears and becomes more prevalent as it develops. Just a few simple ideas to get more out of this lesson and hopefully help you find your own versions of this sound to use in your own projects!