Movement with sequenced effects

Let’s look how we can use Cableguys ShaperBox 2’s suite of sequenced effects to add depth and detail to parts of a track

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Using effects that boast a sequencer, or LFO generator lets you add complex texture and movement to synths, drums and any other static sounds. Add ShaperBox 2 to a mid-bass layer, with the Filter shaper loaded. Set cutoff to 1.4kHz, then choose the Sharp 2 waveform from the Sweeps menu; this modulates the cutoff on each beat in the bar. Increase resonance to 70%, so the modulation is more pronounced.

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Use the resonant modulation we’ve created to drive distortion, adding ruggedness and grit to the mid bass. Add a Distortion shaper after the filter, then select the Hard Clip distortion style. Use the envelope follower to track the modulation already applied by the filter; set amount to 200%. Set Drive to 20%; you’ll hear the distortion increase in intensity as the resonant peaks from the filter modulate it.

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Each module has multiband processing, granting different settings for each band. The high frequencies of the mid bass sound squelchy, so set the high split frequency to 1kHz, so the modulated distortion only applies to lower frequencies. Increase accent amount for the mid band to 1.5x, so the distorted parts are louder, then back the distortion mix off to a less aggressive 30%.

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Next, use bit-crushing for crispy high-frequency crunch. Add the Crush shaper, then set the LFO length to two bars, so the modulation resets when the bass hook starts. Draw in a declining line for the LFO shape, so the bit depth decreases from eight bits down to around four over the modulation cycle. Reducing the bit crushing mix to 60% blends the effect into the track as a whole.

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The Width shaper is a great way to make the mid bass synth sound more interesting on headphones, without compromising mono compatibility. Load the Width shaper, and set the crossover high split to 2kHz, to just add width to highs. Set LFO length to two bars, then set Accent 14 as the modulation waveform. This’ll change width as the hook plays, increasing stereo spread of the high frequencies only.

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To finish, add movement to the synth pad. Load ShaperBox on the channel, and pick the Pan shaper. Set LFO length to four bars; this adds a different vibe to the shorter modulation lengths we’ve used. Pick the Creative 3 waveform; this pans the signal slowly before speeding up towards the end of the four-bar phrase. Reduce the mix amount to 70% to damp down the effect slightly.