Add effects to your bass sound in Sculpture in MainStage

Detuning and ensemble effects are normally achieved using a modulation effect or by combining doubling and detuning. When you are using a fretless bass for a solo part, a broad chorus effect adds a nice touch.

Because Sculpture can synthesize only one note at a time at any given pitch, simple doubling isn’t an option. There are, however, alternatives for bringing movement and life into the sound. Almost all of the type parameters of the different objects can be modulated by LFOs, resulting in a vast number of possible combinations.

As a rule, basses are mixed without effects (dry), but a small amount of reverb can be quite appealing on a fretless bass, when used as a solo instrument. Use the Delay section to emulate this. Heavy delays are, however, used on basses in “dub” style reggae.

Emulate a chorus effect by modulating pickup positions in Sculpture

In MainStage, make sure the Fretless Roundwound#1 setting is loaded.
Adjust the position of Pickup B to 0.20.
Drag the Spread Pickup semicircle—which is beside the Level knob—upward.
Both of the light blue dots move downward toward the letters L and R.
You can hear how the stereo breadth of the fretless sound has increased. Pickup A is sent out on the right channel, while Pickup B occupies the left channel.

Note: Although only modern basses offer such stereophonic features, it’s still fun to process conventional sounds with this effect. Note that not all pickup positions are monophonic-compatible. You can check this by returning the Spread Pickup setting to monophonic—click the Spread Pickup semicircle while pressing the Option key.

Animate the pickup positions in Sculpture

In MainStage, select LFO1.
Click the 1 button (next to the RateMod slider, at the upper right) to activate the first modulation target.
Choose Pickup Pos A-B as the modulation target.
Set the Rate knob to 1.00 Hz.
To hear the effect, you need to set the modulation intensity (amount). Familiarize yourself with this effect by moving the amt slider gradually to the right. Set it to a final value of 0.15, a moderate rate that doesn’t wobble too much.
Save this setting as Fretless Chorus Dry.

Tip: At the maximum stereo breadth, effects based on detuning are not as prominent, especially when the beats heard in the sound result from signal differences between the left and right channels. This is valid only to a certain degree, because the motion of the pickup doesn’t create a true chorus or harmonizer effect. Try it out and see what happens when the stereo breadth is reduced a little. Also test other modulation targets, such as Pickup Pos A+B, Pickup Pan A+B, Pickup Pan A−B, and String Stiffness.

Create an unobtrusive atmospheric space in Sculpture

This example shows that the Delay section can be used as a substitute reverb for small spaces. For sophisticated reverb effects, it’s best to process Sculpture output with a reverb plug-in.

In MainStage, load the Fretless Chorus Dry setting.
Click the Delay button to turn on the Delay section.
Drag the Input Balance slider to 1.00.
Click the small Sync button—directly to the right of the Delay Time slider—to deselect it, which switches off the tempo synchronization of the delay.
Drag the Delay Time slider to 90 ms.
Set the Xfeed knob to 0.30.
The individual reflections are still too brash. To make the effect more discrete and unobtrusive, adjust the frequency spectrum and amplitude of the reflections. Start with the frequency spectrum.
Drag the LoCut slider to 200 Hz and the HiCut slider to 1000 Hz in the Delay section.
The LoCut parameter at 200 Hz excludes the low frequencies in the reflections, thus preventing a muddy sound. The comparatively drastic cut to the highs with the HiCut parameter blurs the individual reflections, thereby creating the impression of a small room with soft surfaces.
Set the Wet Level knob to 25% to reduce the total level of the effect.
Save this setting as Fretless Chorus+Ambience.

Create a “drowned in delay” effect in Sculpture

In MainStage, reload the Fretless Chorus Dry setting.
Switch the Delay section on.
Drag the Input Balance slider all the way to the right, to 1.00.
Set the Delay Time value to 1/4t (quarter-note triplet).
Set the Feedback knob to a value of 0.20.
Adjust the Xfeed knob to a value of 0.30.
Drag the LoCut slider to 200 Hz and the HiCut slider to 1600 Hz.
Now adjust the overall level of the effect—try setting the Wet Level knob to a value of 45%.
Vary the stereo position and rhythmical structure of the delay, by moving the small light blue diamond around the Delay Pad.
Save this setting as Fretless Chorus+Wet Delay.

Download the guides:

MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

Helpful?