This tutorial describes how to design a 2D sound from Cypher2's default (initialised) state.
In the browser, make sure to select 2D so that Cypher2 knows to assign MIDI mappings to a standard MIDI controller:
Using Oscillator 1, turn the Wave control down to 0%. The visualiser will update to show that you now have a triangle waveform.
Press the Sine wave button:
Repeat this process for Oscillator 2 so that this is also producing a Sine wave sound.
The FM2 control determines how Oscillator 2 modulates the frequency of Oscillator 1. Adjust the Scale control of Oscillator 2 to hear what effect it has:
Right-click on Oscillator 2's Scale control and in the Snap pop-up menu, select Harmonic. Change the Scale to 3.000 hm.
To modulate the sound, we must first choose a modulation source. The TransMod section at the top of Cypher2 shows the available modulation slots:
Double-click Env1+ to show the configurable options in the visualiser (Env. 1 Main Out is Envelope 1 below the visualiser):
We can now use Envelope 1 to modulate the amount of FM on Oscillator 1.
To adjust the amount of modulation, mouse over the control and move away from the centre until the outer ring highlights:
Click and drag to select how much of the sound will be modulated (try 90%) - the amount is highlighted in orange.
The Scale section in the visualiser will make sure that the amount of modulation is scaled according to the velocity ie. how hard the keys are pressed. Choose Polyphonic as the source and Note Velocity:
Increase the Decay and Release of Envelope 1 and the Release of the Amp Env to 2 seconds; to give a bell-like tone:
Adding an LFO that modulates the pitch will add some texture to the sound. Double-click the Lfo1+ TransMod slot (in the top section of Cypher2) and in the visualiser, change LFO 1 main out (unipolar) to the bipolar version. Next, choose the amount of modulation on the Fine control in the Tuning section:
Because we've chosen the bipolar version, it will modulate above and below the centre frequency (as opposed to only above with unipolar). The blue signifier shows this.
So that the pitch is not modulated constantly, we can choose to have the modulation wheel apply this. In the visualiser under Scale, choose Monophonic and Mod wheel.
In Effects, select a chorus effect by clicking where it says (No Effect) > Modulation > Chorus. Turn the Rate and Depth up to the desired effect and turn the Mix down to 50% so that the source sound comes through enough.
To add width to the sound, we can modulate the Pan with LFO 2. Double-click on the Lfo2± TransMod slot and then choose how wide you'd like to pan to be modulated:
(You may like to turn the LFO 2's Rate down, so the panning isn't too fast)
Finally save your preset by clicking in the Save Preset icon:
Name it and add a description (which will be displayed in the Visualiser). As we've assigned the Mod wheel, we can add 'Vibrato' in the Perf. control 1 box.