Step by step

4. Loading and using Cubase 9.5’s Flux wavetable synth

1 DAW updates often come packed with new instrument and effect plugins. Version 9.5 contains a doozy in the form of Flux, an ultra-modern synth. However, to access it, we must fire up an instance of HALion Sonic SE.

2 With the Load window open, we’ll click the orange All Instrument Data slot above the Load browser to reveal several instruments, with Flux among them. This is no mere sample-playback library, but a full-on wavetable and granular synth with all the trimmings. Let’s select and open it.

3 The browser now shows only the Flux preset patches. We’ll choose one from the Synth Leads category – Tremors should do nicely. For our demonstration, we’ll zero out the Multi Delay Mix and Reverb Mix knobs below. Next, we’ll click the Edit tab to access Flux’s parameters.

4 There are two waveform displays near the top. There are two Osc buttons for activating the oscillators. Let’s deactivate Osc 2 (the one on the right) so we hear only Osc 1 (along with a very short burst of noise at the start). There is still some motion in this oscillator and the waveform changes when we hold a note.

5 Wavetables are strings of single-cycle waves chained end-to-end. Interest is generated by modulating through those waves. Let’s turn the Position knob all the way down, so that we hear only the first wave with no modulation. That sounds like a standard subtractive patch now. Let’s click the Mod button above the waveform display.

6 This accesses the Modulation Matrix. In the top slot, we see that an envelope is assigned to modulate the wavetable position of Osc 1, but negatively. Because we turned our Position all the way down, it no longer works. Try cranking the Depth amount slider fully to the right. We can now hear Flux cycling through its waves in the reverse direction. Very intriguing!