Using the Formant Mode in Massive

In this video, Echo Sound Works shows you how to use the Formant mode in Massive to make musical sounds.

Massive comes with 4  different mode types to use in conjunction with any wavetable. These different modes are Spectrum, Bend +, Bend -+, Bend – and Formant. Each of these modes can drastically alter how a wavetable sounds. The Formant mode in Massive is the most overlooked one.

If you know anything about a Formant, it has a very distinct characteristic and is actually a very shrill sound that is often times thin. I was on an NI Massive forum a few days ago and saw a discussion about how users find it hard to make leads with just the Formant mode in Massive active. The consensus was that most users blend it with another oscillator or two using the other mode types. I want to point out that the Formant mode in Massive can actually make great, thick sounds!

Some of my favorite Super Saw sounds I’ve made in Massive have used only the Formant mode. All you have to do is select a wavetable and keep the intensity down all the way. This will invert the Wavetable position so if you have a Squ-Saw loaded and you have the WT Pos pointing to the Squ, the sound will actually be a saw. Stacking two oscillators with this configuration can make a great lead sound!

Check out the video to see if you can hear the difference between a lead made only with Formant mode and one with Spectrum mode!

Cheers

Echo Sound Works