approximate the hammer dulcimer sound. they start to move into sharing frequency In MainStage, there’s a hammer dulcimer space with the vocals, the guitars, the hi-hat, a lot louder than the lower mid and low-
instrument included in the sample library you and more. It’s not a bad thing to move into end frequency content? If it is, attenuate
can access via the built-in EXS24 plugin. In and share those frequency ranges but a poorly the high frequency content until it more
Ableton Live you can look to the “Tension” dialed-in bright pad is much more quickly closely matches the strength of the rest of
instrument plugin presets to find some modeled intolerable than a less than perfect ‘warm pad’ the frequency range.
hammer dulcimer-like tones. sound simply because too much brightness
1.
2.
walks all over the rest of the band sonically.
Is the high frequency content of this pad
Do I have a way to adjust the brightness
throughout a song? If you play a bright
PADS WITH BRIGHTNESS
pad at full brightness for an entire song
It’s important to find some bright pads though, it’s not really going to make much of an
It could be said that a worship keys player because adding that higher frequency energy impact or be able to provide the desired
without a go-to warm pad sound might as well when appropriate can elevate a song musically lift at the right time. Instead, program a
stay home, but when it comes to celebratory and emotionally which is key for songs of control in your software or hardware to
Easter praise and worship songs often you celebration that are so commonly used around give you hands-on control of the amount
need something a bit more impactful than the Easter. of brightness so you can flow throughout
standard, low-mid heavy, warm pad.
the song.
So you might be wondering, “How can I dial
3.
Is the rest of the band ‘lifting’ alongside
The challenge here is that dialing in a pad that in a bright pad that doesn’t get in the way of me? If you’re the only member of the band
could be described as ‘bright’ usually isn’t as everyone else?” Unfortunately, there’s no one in-tune with the dynamic changes and
simple as just opening a filter cutoff or changing size fits all answer here but here’s what you you introduce a bright pad sound during
EQ. This is often because as pads get brighter should keep in mind: the big bridge while no one else changes
160 March 2020
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