The Apple ES2 Synthesizer in Logic Pro (
The ES2 synthesizer featured in Apple Logic Pro 9
This is the ES2 Synthesizer, a subtractive wavevector oscillator, plug in from Logic pro 9. This is selectable from the left hand side of the Logic screen The ES2 is laid out as follows:
The arrowed knobs below give a choice of three oscillator wave forms to use with a Logic channel strip and the triangle allows adjustment of how much of each waveform to use as a building block for the sound effect.
A square wave has been selected for 1, a sawtooth for 2 and a triangle for 3
The image can be moved around the triangle to mix the amount of each effect required. In the middle will mix all equally and moving it closer to say no 1 will give more square wave and less triangle and sawtooth. This can be moved around to review the effect on the sound of various effect combinations
The Glide button at the bottom allows the transition of the pitch to be short or long and the analog button above it allows for different levels of deleting to take place when used with the Unison button also arrowed.
The Octaves can be tuned for each oscillator, from -32 to +32, also, the oscillator can produce more complex sounds by chosing the word sine from the oscillator button and dragging it up and down. This is the Digi facility, see below. This can also be controlled whilst recording, to give varied sound effects. This is called wave sequencing.
Various filters can be applied to the oscillator and there is a bank on the left and right side that can be switched on or off and blended in full, or say part left filters and part right filters to give a wide variety of sound options. The filters consist of high and low pass, band pass, peak, Band reject, together with various Db cuts including a fat button, these are all similar to Equalisation or (EQ). There is also is FM (frequency modulation) and resonance buttons to turn up resonance at the cutoff point and a drive button (bottom left that can be used to over drive the filters and cause disortion. This is different to the distortion effect in the amplifier section. Hmm confusing isn't it? Best way is to try out all the settings and check out the sounds they make and see what gives you the sound you like. Also, you can switch the filter off and see what it would sound without it.
A handy tip is to use an eq plug in and use the analyse button to review the sound wave visually.
Now to the distortion effects, a larges range are available in this section, time based effects such as such as flanger and phaser, together with various controls for intensity speed and tone. The amount of distortion can be varied together with the intensity and volume of it.
Finally, polyphonic or layered notes can be selected or mono single notes. Up to 32 voices can be used and in unison.
If you need more effects, echo and reverb can be added.
Finally, the ES2 uses the same broad concepts as Massive and other synthesizers, so if you learn one, you can apply that knowlededge to other synths. Have fun!