

Massive is a synth that offers an embarrassment of riches. There's no need to be intimidated, though, as both LFOs and envelopes are easy to work with.

There are also four envelope generators these are far more advanced than your average ADSRs and feature unusual morphing functions that enable you to create even more sophisticated modulations. In the last of these, complex, Absynth-style LFOs can be created by dragging and dropping envelope sections onto a grid, making up a repeating, rhythmic modulation source - perfect for trippy arpeggiated riffs or evolving ambient textures. Massive's modulation credentials are further enhanced by the fact that each of the four LFO generators can be put in LFO, Stepper or Performance mode. Despite this vast potential power, though, Massive is still one of the most tweak-friendly synths we've ever got our grubby little hands on. The slot then becomes a control that enables you to dictate how much the modulation source affects the modulation destination - visual representation of this is given in a ring that surrounds the knob.Īs each knob has at least one modulation slot, there are millions of possible modulation combinations to discover. Each of Massive's knobs has one or more Modulation Slots located underneath it, and each modulation source - envelopes, LFOs and the eight macro controls with MIDI learn - has a Modulation Handle that can be dragged and dropped into any of these slots. Rather than offering a complex, space-consuming modulation matrix, Massive has an elegant system that's not only quick and intuitive to use but also gives the user some helpful visual feedback. That honour is reserved for the clever modulation system, which recalls one of our favourite synths of recent years, FabFilter Twin. These include the chunky low-pass Daft (presumably a tribute to French filter-wranglers Daft Punk), Scream (an aggressive filter with a control for adjusting its distortion component), and a comb filter with feedback and damping controls.ĭespite being rather posh, neither the oscillators nor the filters represent Massive's most intriguing feature. 11 filter modes are available as well as the familiar two- and four-pole high- and low-pass filters, some more exotic ones can also be selected.
#Massive native instruments using high ram serial
The filter section is located to the right of the oscillators and can be set to function in serial or parallel modes or in a mixture of both (via a crossfader). Each oscillator also features an Intensity control - akin to a low-pass filter - and a control for panning the output between Massive's two filters. You can choose from 82 wavetable oscillator shapes, ranging from simple waves to more sophisticated vocal effects and metallic noises. Gradually rotate the knob to the right, however, and it turns into a sawtooth. The default wavetable oscillator shape is called Square-Saw I, so when the wavetable position knob is turned hard left, the oscillator emits a square wave.
