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Device Parameter Map

Compact cheat sheet of the parameters that matter on Live 12's main instruments and effects: range, what it does, and sweet-spot values for sound design.

parametersoperatorwavetableanalogdriftmeldsimplersamplerdrum samplerroarsaturatorechohybrid reverbauto filtereq eightcompressorgluemultiband dynamicsdrum bussspectral resonatorspectral timecorpusvocoderbeat repeatreference

Twenty-three devices, the parameters you reach for 95 % of the time, and the values that work as starting points. This is not the manual: ranges are rounded, secondary parameters are grouped by function, and where a label is ambiguous the function is described rather than guessed. Sweet spots assume club-oriented electronic music at 120–175 BPM; treat them as the place to start turning the knob from, not the destination. Device sections are ordered instruments → distortion → time → filters/EQ → dynamics → spectral/physical → MIDI-ish effects. For the deeper how-and-why of each device, see the Live 12 devices map.

How to read the tables

Each row: parameter (as labelled in the device, or a functional description in italics when the label depends on mode), range, what it does physically, and a sweet spot. "st" = semitones, "ct" = cents, GR = gain reduction. Where a device has modes, the mode-dependent parameters are listed once with the modes named.

Instruments

Operator

Operatorall levels

4-operator FM/additive synth. Oscillators A–D, 11 algorithms (routing diagrams in the top-right of the global panel), each oscillator with its own envelope. Sound comes from the ratio and level of the modulators, not from the filter.

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Algorithm	11 routings	Which oscillators modulate which; leftmost = D→C→B→A serial stack, rightmost = all four parallel (additive)	B→A single-modulator for subs/bass; parallel for organ/bell additive
Osc Level (A–D)	−inf to 0 dB	Carrier level = loudness; modulator level = FM depth (brightness)	Modulator −24 to −10 dB for warm, −10 to 0 dB for harsh/metallic
Coarse	0.5–48 (ratio)	Frequency multiple of the played note; integers = harmonic, non-integers = inharmonic	1, 2, 3 for musical; 1.41, 3.5, 7 for bells/metal; 0.5 for sub-octave
Fine	0–1000 (hundredths of a ratio step)	Fine-tunes the ratio; small values on a modulator = slow beating/chorus-like FM	3–12 on a modulator for slow movement
Fixed (Freq / Multi)	on/off; 0.1 Hz–~1 kHz × multiplier	Locks oscillator to a Hz value regardless of pitch; sub-audio values for AM/vibrato	Fixed 50–60 Hz for kick body; 0.1–5 Hz modulator for wobble
Wave	Sine, Sine 4/8 bit, Saw 3–64, Square 3–64, Triangle 3–64, Noise Looped/White, User	Oscillator waveform; the numbered saw/square variants limit harmonics (3 = only 3 partials)	Sine for FM; Saw 32 as a bright carrier; User draw your own partials
Feedback	0–100 %	Oscillator modulates itself; sine → saw-like as it rises (only available when the osc is not FM'd by another)	15–35 % = warm saw; 60 %+ = noise edge
Phase / Retrig (R)	0–100 %; on/off	Start phase when Retrig is on: consistent transient every note	Retrig on, phase 0 for subs and kicks (no click)
Envelope A/D/S/R per osc	0 ms–60 s; S 0–1	Modulator envelope = timbre over time (FM index), carrier envelope = amplitude	Modulator D 80–300 ms S 0.2 for plucks; Loop mode "Beat"/"Sync" for rhythmic FM
Env Loop mode	None, Trigger, Loop, Beat, Sync	Repeats the envelope; Beat/Sync lock the repeat to tempo	Sync 1/16 on a modulator for tempo-locked timbre stutter
Env Time < Vel / Time < Key	±100 %	Velocity/key scale the envelope times	Time<Key −30 % so high notes decay faster (natural)
Filter	Low/High/Band/Notch/Morph; Clean/OSR/MS2/SMP/PRD circuits; Freq, Res, Drive, Env, Key	Post-FM filter with analogue models; Drive adds saturation inside the filter	MS2 LP, Res 20 %, Drive 6 dB for bass; usually off for pure FM
LFO	Sine, Tri, Saw up/down, Square, S&H, Noise; Rate (Hz or sync); Amount; Dest A–D / Filter / Pitch	One global LFO with per-destination amounts	LFO → modulator level at 1/4 for wobble; Pitch 5–10 ct for vibrato
Pitch envelope	Amount ±100 %, A/D/S/R, Destinations	Pitch sweep per note; routes to selected oscillators and LFO	Amount 30–60 %, D 40–80 ms, S 0 for kicks; Spread 0 for subs
Spread	0–100 %	Detuned stereo doubling of the whole voice	0 for bass; 20–40 % for pads; never on subs
Tone	0–100 %	Global high-frequency damping of FM aliasing/brightness	70–100 % normally; 40–60 % to tame harsh FM
Glide / Transpose / Voices / Time	Glide ms; ±48 st; 1–32 voices; Time ±%	Portamento (Legato toggle), master transpose, polyphony, global envelope time scaling	Glide 40–120 ms Legato on for 303-ish lines; Voices 1 for mono bass

Wavetable

Two wavetable oscillators with per-oscillator effects, a sub oscillator, two multi-mode filters with routing, three envelopes (Amp, Env 2, Env 3), two LFOs, an 8-slot modulation matrix and unison. MPE-capable.

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Osc 1/2 Category / Wavetable	Basics, Collection, Distortion, Filter, Formant, Harmonics, Noise, Vintage, user	Which table; the category is the timbre family	Basics > Saw/Square for bass; Formant for vocal; Harmonics for additive-style
Position	0–100 %	Where in the table you read; the main modulation target	Env 2 → Position 20–40 % for evolving attacks; LFO at 1/8 for rhythmic morph
Effect Mode	None, FM, Classic, Modern; Amount 1 / Amount 2	FM: Tune (ratio) + Amount; Classic: pulse width + sync; Modern: warp + fold	FM Amt 15–30 % for bass growl; Classic PW 30–45 % for PWM pads
Transpose / Detune	±48 st / ±50 ct	Coarse / fine pitch per oscillator	Osc 2 −12 st for a sub layer; ±7 ct for width
Gain / Pan (per osc)	−inf–0 dB / L–R	Mix and stereo placement of each oscillator	—
Sub	Gain, Tone (sine→square), Transpose (0/−1 oct)	Dedicated sub oscillator one octave below (or at pitch); Tone morphs it from sine toward square for harmonics	Gain −6 dB, Tone 0, one octave down under any bass patch
Filter 1/2 Type / Slope / Circuit	LP, HP, BP, Notch, Morph; 12/24 dB; Clean, OSR, MS2, SMP, PRD	Filter model: Clean = transparent, OSR = screaming ladder, MS2 = MS-20 bite, SMP = SEM-ish, PRD = Prophet-ish	MS2 LP 24 with Drive for bass; PRD BP for formant leads
Freq / Res / Drive / Morph	~20 Hz–20 kHz; 0–125 %; 0–24 dB; 0–100 %	Cutoff, resonance (self-oscillates on OSR/MS2 above ~90 %), input drive, morph between filter shapes (Morph type)	Res 25–45 %; Drive 6–12 dB
Filter routing	Serial, Parallel, Split	Split sends osc 1 → F1 and osc 2 → F2	Split for two-layer basses in one device
Amp env / Env 2 / Env 3	A, D, S, R, with slope shapes; Loop (Env 2/3)	Amp env hard-wired; Env 2/3 free in the matrix	Env 2 → Filter freq, D 200 ms, S 0.1 for plucks
LFO 1/2	Shapes: sine, triangle, saw up/down, square, sample-and-hold style random; Rate Hz or sync; Amount; Shape (skew); Attack; Offset; Retrigger	Two LFOs with shape morphing and fade-in	LFO1 sync 1/4 → Position; Attack 500 ms for vibrato that fades in
Modulation matrix	Sources: Amp, Env 2, Env 3, LFO 1, LFO 2, MIDI (Vel, Key, Mod wheel, Aftertouch/Pressure, Slide, Pitch bend, Random); 8 destination slots	Bipolar amounts per source/destination	Velocity → Filter freq 30 % on everything
Unison mode / Amount / Voices	Classic, Shimmer, Noise, Phase Sync, Position Spread, Random Note; 0–100 %; 2–8	Classic = detune stack; Position Spread offsets table position per voice; Random Note picks chord tones	Classic 4 voices 20 % for supersaw; Position Spread 6 voices for pads
Mono/Poly, Glide, Volume	—	Voice mode, portamento, output	Mono + Glide 60 ms for bass

Analog

Virtual-analogue: two oscillators plus noise, two filters, two amps, two LFOs, each with its own envelope; Quick Routing presets set the osc→filter→amp paths.

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Osc 1/2 Shape	Sine, Saw, Rect (pulse), White noise (osc 2 adds Sync/Sub modes)	Waveform; Rect has a Pulse Width control	Saw + Rect PW 35 % for classic analogue
Octave / Semi / Detune	−3 to +3 oct; ±12 st; ±50 ct	Tuning per oscillator	Osc 2 −1 oct, Detune 6–9 ct for thick bass
Mode: Sub / Sync	Osc 2: sub-oscillator or hard-sync to osc 1 (Level)	Sync + pitch env on osc 2 = classic sync lead	Sync, Env → osc 2 pitch 2 oct down over 300 ms
Noise	Level, Color (LP on the noise), Balance F1/F2	White noise with tilt, routed between filters	−20 dB, Color 50 % for breath on pads
Filter 1/2 Type	LP2, LP4, BP2, BP4, N2, N4, HP2, HP4, F2, F4 (formant)	2-pole vs 4-pole variants	LP4 bass; BP2 for percussive
Freq / Res / Drive	~30 Hz–20 kHz; 0–100 %; Drive Off/Sym/Asym	Cutoff, resonance, pre-filter saturation (Sym = odd, Asym = even harmonics)	Res 20 %; Asym drive for warmth
Filter Env / LFO / Key amounts	bipolar	Modulation depth into cutoff	Env 40 %, Key 50 %
Amp 1/2 Level / Pan / Env	—	Two independent VCAs, each with its own ADSR, so osc 1 and 2 can have different amplitude shapes	Amp 2 short decay for a transient layer under a sustained Amp 1
Envelope slopes / Loop / Legato	Linear/exp, Loop, Free run	Shape of each ADSR; Free run ignores note-off	Exp decay for drums
LFO 1/2	Sine, Tri, Rect, Saw up/down, S&H, Noise; Rate (Hz/sync); Delay; Attack; Noise amount; Retrig	Each LFO can be sent to osc pitch, filters, amps	Delay 300 ms + Attack 500 ms vibrato
Vibrato	Amount, Rate, Delay, Error (randomness)	Global pitch vibrato, separate from LFOs	Amount 3–5 %, Error 15 % for human
Unison	Off/2/4 voices, Detune, Delay	Voice stacking	2 voices, Detune 25 % for leads
Glide / Voices / Volume	—	Portamento (Legato toggle), polyphony, output	Mono, Glide 50 ms for acid

Drift

Compact analogue-style synth with the best "it just sounds good" ratio in Live: two oscillators, noise, one filter, two envelopes, one LFO, a small modulation matrix and voice modes with intentional analogue drift.

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Osc 1 Shape / Shape amount	Sine, Triangle, Shark Tooth, Saw, Rectangle; 0–100 % (Shape Mod source + amount)	Waveform and a continuous shape control (pulse width / wave warp); Shape Mod picks a modulator	Rectangle, Shape 30 %, Shape Mod LFO 20 % for PWM
Osc 2 Shape / Octave / Detune / Sync	Sine, Triangle, Saw, Rectangle; ±oct; ±50 ct; sync on/off (12.x)	Second oscillator; detune against osc 1 for thickness; hard-sync to osc 1	−1 oct, +8 ct for bass; Sync with Env 2 → pitch for sync leads
Noise	Level (mixer)	White noise into the filter	−30 dB for air on pads
Mixer (Osc 1 / Osc 2 / Noise gain)	−inf–0 dB	Source balance	—
Filter Type	I (12 dB) / II (24 dB) low-pass (MS2-style)	Classic bite with Res pushing toward self-oscillation	II for bass, I for pads
Freq / Res / HP	~20 Hz–20 kHz; 0–100 %; HP 20 Hz–~2 kHz	Cutoff, resonance, and a high-pass that sits at the filter stage	HP 60 Hz on everything except subs
Filter Env / LFO / Key / Vel amounts	bipolar	Cutoff modulation depths; Vel > Filter is the "play it harder, it gets brighter" control	Env 2 → Freq 40 %, Key 50 %, Vel 20 %
Env 1 (Amp) A/D/S/R	0 ms–~30 s	Amplitude	A 2 ms, D 300 ms, S 0.6 for bass
Env 2 A/D/S/R + Mode (Env / Cyc)	Cyc mode: Rate, Tilt, Hold, Ratio	Second envelope, or a cycling envelope that works as a second LFO with a shape (tilt) control	Cyc, Rate 1/8 sync, Tilt 20 % for pumping pads
LFO Shape / Rate / Amount / Mode	Sine, triangle, saw up/down, square, sample-and-hold and random-wander style shapes; Hz / sync / Ratio; Retrig; Mode selector	One LFO with a Mode selector	Rate 1 bar → Shape for slow PWM
Mod matrix (3 slots)	Sources: LFO, Env 2, Key, Velocity, Pressure, Slide, Mod wheel, Pitch Bend, Random; Destinations: the main synth parameters	Bipolar amounts	Pressure → Filter freq on Push for MPE expression
Voice mode / Voices	Mono, Poly, Stereo, Unison; up to 32	Stereo = alternate voices L/R; Unison = detuned stack	Unison + Drift 30 % for pads; Mono for bass
Drift	0–100 %	Random slow pitch/filter instability per voice	15–30 % for analogue; 0 on subs
Legato / Glide	on/off; 0–~5 s	Portamento on legato notes	Glide 80 ms for acid, 303 style
Transpose / Volume / Vel > Vol	±48 st; dB; 0–100 %	Global pitch, output, velocity sensitivity	—

Meld

Bi-timbral macro-oscillator synth: two engines (A and B) chosen from a list, each with two engine-specific macro controls, its own filter and routing to a shared modulation system (2 LFOs, 2 envelopes, modulation matrix, Scrambler in 12.2). Built for MPE.

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Engine A/B type	Swarm Sine, Chip, Bit Crush, Dual Saw, Formant, Reed, Rain, Noise Flow, FM, Drum, Chord (12.2), others	Each engine is a different oscillator model with its own two macros	Swarm Sine A + Dual Saw B for wide pads; FM A + Drum B for percussive bass
Engine macro 1 / macro 2	0–100 % (names change per engine: e.g. Swarm Sine = Swarm / Spread; Dual Saw = Detune / Shape; FM = Ratio / Amount; Formant = Vowel / Shift)	The two "character" knobs; they are the main modulation targets	Modulate macro 1 with LFO 1 at 1 bar, macro 2 with Env 2
Pitch (Transpose / Detune per engine)	±48 st / ±ct	Tuning per engine	B −12 st for sub layers
Filter A/B Type / Freq / Res / Drive	LP, HP, BP, Notch, Morph (and comb-type options in some versions); 20 Hz–20 kHz; 0–100 %	One filter per engine, with modulation amount controls	LP 800 Hz Res 20 % on B only for a dark layer under a bright A
Mixer / Blend (A/B levels)	dB	Balance; Mix can be modulated for crossfades	Mod wheel → B level for morphing
Env 1 (Amp) / Env 2	A/D/S/R with shape, loop modes	Amplitude and assignable envelope	Env 2 → macro, D 150 ms for plucks
LFO 1/2	Shape (sine/tri/saw/square/S&H/wander-type list), Rate (Hz/sync), Amount, Morph (shape warp), Retrigger, Phase	Two shape-morphing LFOs	LFO 1 1/16 square → Mixer for trance gating
Modulation matrix	Sources: LFO 1/2, Env 1/2, Velocity, Key, Pressure, Slide, Mod wheel, Random, Scrambler; destinations: any	Bipolar routing grid with per-cell amounts	Pressure → Filter A freq 40 % for MPE
Scrambler (12.2)	Rate, Amount, Smoothing	Random stepped/smoothed modulation source, like S&H per voice	Rate 1/16, Amount 30 % → macro 1 for generative movement
Voice mode / Unison / Glide / Volume	Mono/Poly; voices; detune; ms	Global voicing	Unison 4 voices for pads

Simpler

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Mode	Classic, One-Shot, Slice	Classic = sustained/looped instrument; One-Shot = drums (Trigger/Gate); Slice = chop by Transient/Beat/Region/Manual	One-Shot Trigger for drums; Slice Transient, Sensitivity 50 % for breaks
Start / End / Loop / Fade	0–100 % of sample	Playback region and loop crossfade	Fade 10–20 % for seamless pad loops
Warp (on/off) / Warp mode	Beats, Tones, Texture, Re-Pitch, Complex, Complex Pro; Preserve, Grain Size, Flux	Time-stretch to tempo; Beats for drums, Texture Grain 100–200 ms for smears	Warp off for pitched sampling; Texture, Flux 20 % for pads
Gain / Transpose / Detune	dB; ±48 st; ±50 ct	Level and tuning	—
Filter	LP/HP/BP/Notch/Morph; Clean/OSR/MS2/SMP/PRD; Freq, Res, Drive, Env, Key, Vel, LFO	Same filter block as Wavetable/Operator	MS2 LP + Drive for sampled bass
Amp env / Filter env / Pitch env	A/D/S/R; Pitch env amount ±48 st	Three envelopes; Pitch env on a one-shot = tuned kick sweep	Amp A 0 D 200 S 0 for chops; Pitch −12 st over 60 ms for kicks
LFO	Shape, Rate (Hz/sync), Retrig, Offset, amounts to Vol, Pan, Pitch, Filter	One LFO with multiple destination amounts	LFO → Pan 20 % at 1/8 for movement
Voices / Glide / Snap / Playback (Mono/Poly/Thru)	1–32; ms; on/off	Polyphony; Snap moves Start/End to zero crossings; the playback selector sets how overlapping notes behave in Slice/One-Shot (mono-retrigger, polyphonic, or let the previous slice ring through)	Snap on always; Glide 50 ms Mono for 808 slides

Sampler

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Zone editor (Key / Velocity / Sample Select)	Per-sample ranges, crossfades, Root key	Multisampling and velocity layers; Sample Select lets a macro pick samples	Sample Select → macro for a "variation" knob
Sample: Vol, Pan, Loop mode, Reverse, Snap, Detune, Interpolation (Normal/Good/Best)	—	Per-sample playback; Best interpolation for extreme pitching	—
Pitch/Osc: Modulation osc (FM / AM), Wave, Freq / Fixed / Multi, Volume, Osc env	Same waveforms as Operator	Sampler can FM the sample with an internal oscillator	FM ratio 1, Vol −20 dB → metallic edge on a sampled bass
Pitch env / Spread / Glide / Transpose	—	Pitch envelope, stereo detune, portamento	Spread 25 % for sampled pads
Filter/Global: Filter (types + circuits + Morph), Freq, Res, Drive, Filter env, Shaper (Soft, Hard, Sine, 4-bit) with Amount, Volume, Time, Voices	—	Filter block plus a waveshaper pre/post filter	Shaper Sine 20 % after a lowpass for warmth
Modulation: AUX env, LFO 1/2/3 (shape, rate, delay, attack, amounts to multiple destinations)	—	Three LFOs; LFO 1 has sync; LFO 2/3 route to two destinations each	LFO 2 → Sample Offset for granular-like movement
MIDI tab: Key, Velocity, Release velocity, Aftertouch, Mod wheel, Pitch bend, Foot, as sources with 2 destinations each	—	Controller-to-parameter routing	Aftertouch → Filter freq, Mod wheel → LFO 1 amount

Drum Sampler (12.1)

Drum Sampler

One-shot drum player with built-in sound-design effects, replacing Simpler in Drum Racks for most percussion.

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Transpose / Detune	±48 st / ±50 ct	Tuning (tune kicks to key here)	See note-to-Hz
Start / Reverse / Trigger-Gate	—	Start point, reversed playback, whether note length matters	Gate for choked hats
Envelope (Attack / Hold / Decay-style)	ms	Amplitude shape; the decay knob is the "tighten the hit" control	Decay 80–120 ms on hats at 128 BPM
Filter (type, Freq, Res)	LP / HP / BP	Simple tone filter	HP 300 Hz on hats; LP 8 kHz on kicks
Pitch envelope (amount, time)	±st, ms	Transient pitch sweep	+12 st, 40 ms on kicks
Effects: Sub	Freq / amount	Adds a tuned sine under the sample	45–55 Hz, −6 dB on kicks that lack weight
Effects: Punch	amount / time	Transient emphasis (short envelope-shaped boost)	20–40 % on soft snares
Effects: Noise	amount / colour	Adds shaped noise burst to the attack	Snares, claps
Effects: Ring	freq / amount	Ring modulation for metallic tone	Hats, percussion; tune the freq to the key for melodic clang
Effects: Bit Crush / distortion-type	amount	Bit depth / sample-rate style degradation	Lo-fi hats, breaks
Volume / Pan / Vel > Vol	—	Output	Vel > Vol 60 % for live-played hats

Saturation and distortion

Roar

Three-stage colouration box with routable stages, pre/post filters, a tuned feedback path and a modulation matrix. Treat it as a mini modular distortion.

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Routing	Single, Serial, Parallel, Multiband, Mid/Side, Feedback	How stages 1–3 are connected; Multiband gives per-band drive with crossovers; Mid/Side drives centre and sides separately	Multiband for bass (clean low band, driven mid); Mid/Side with sides driven for width
Stage Shaper Type	Soft Sine, Hard, Digital Clip, Fold, Bit Crush, Rectify, Diode, others	Transfer curve per stage	Soft Sine for warmth; Fold for FM-like; Rectify for octave-up
Drive / Amount / Bias (per stage)	dB; 0–100 %; ±	Input gain into the shaper, shaper depth, DC offset (asymmetry → even harmonics)	Drive 6–12 dB, Bias 10–20 % for tube-like
Tone / Shaper filters (Pre and Post)	LP/HP/BP, Freq, Res	Filter before the shaper (what gets distorted) and after (what you hear)	Pre HP 120 Hz so the sub stays clean; Post LP 6 kHz
Crossover / band controls (Multiband)	Low/Mid/High split frequencies, per-band gain	Band splits for Multiband routing	120 Hz / 2.5 kHz
Feedback: Amount / Time / Pitch (note or Hz) / Gain / Filter	0–100 %; ms or note; —	Tuned feedback loop around the stages: comb resonance, Karplus-like tones, howl	Pitch to the key, Amount 30–50 % for resonant drones
Modulation: Envelope Follower, LFO 1/2, Noise, matrix	Env: Attack/Release/Gain; LFO: Shape/Rate/sync	Modulate drive, filters, feedback from the signal itself	Env follower → Pre-filter freq for touch-sensitive wah-distortion
Sidechain input (12.2)	Audio from	External signal drives the envelope follower	Kick → envelope follower → Drive dip = distortion ducking
Output / Dry-Wet / Blend	dB; 0–100 %	Level compensation and parallel mix	Dry/Wet 40–60 % on drums

Saturator (12.1 redesign)

Saturator

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Drive	−36 to +36 dB	Input gain into the curve	3–8 dB warmth; 12–20 dB for crunch
Type (curve)	Analog Clip, Soft Sine, Medium Curve, Hard Curve, Sinoid Fold, Digital Clip, Waveshaper	Transfer function; Soft Sine = gentle odd harmonics; Sinoid Fold = wavefolding; Digital Clip = hard edges	Soft Sine for subs; Analog Clip on drum buss; Sinoid Fold on FM basses
Color (on/off) with Base, Freq, Width, Depth	Base ±dB; Freq 20 Hz–20 kHz; Width; Depth ±dB	Pre-shaper EQ: Base tilts the lows, Freq/Width/Depth is a bell that decides which band hits the curve hardest	Base −6 dB so the sub does not saturate; Freq 1 kHz Depth +6 for mid bite
Waveshaper: Drive, Lin, Curve, Damp, Depth, Period	—	Custom curve: Lin = linearity, Curve = bend, Damp = HF damping of the curve, Depth/Period = foldback ripple	Period 2–4, Depth 30 % for ring-mod-like timbres
Soft Clip	on/off	Output clipper after the shaper	On for drum tracks
DC	on/off	DC-offset filter (useful after asymmetric curves)	On
Hi-Quality (oversampling)	on/off	Reduces aliasing on bright material	On for leads/hats, off for subs (CPU)
Output / Dry-Wet	dB; 0–100 %	Compensation and parallel blend	Match output to input ±0.5 dB before judging

Drum Buss

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Trim	−∞–0 dB	Input level into the drive	Set so Drive reacts, usually −3 to −6 dB
Drive / Drive type	0–100 %; Soft, Medium, Hard	Saturation amount and curve	Soft 20–35 % for glue; Hard 50 %+ for industrial
Crunch	0–100 %	Mid/high distortion focused on the attack region	10–25 % on breaks
Damp	LP freq	Low-pass after the drive to tame the fizz	8–12 kHz
Transients	−100 to +100 %	Transient shaper: negative = softer, positive = snappier	+15–30 % on soft loops; −20 % to sit a loop back
Boom: Freq / Decay / Amount (and Force)	Freq 30–90 Hz; Decay; Amount; Force = always-on resonator	Tuned low resonator triggered by transients: adds sub thump	Freq = kick note (e.g. 49 Hz G0), Decay 30 %, Amount 20 %
Dry/Wet / Output	0–100 %; dB	Parallel blend and makeup	60–100 %

Time effects

Echo

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
L / R Time (sync or ms) / Link / Offset	1/64–8 bars or 1 ms–~5 s; Offset ±%	Two delay lines; Offset nudges one side for width	L 1/8 D, R 1/4 (see BPM to ms)
Mode	Stereo, Ping Pong, Mid/Side	Routing between lines; Mid/Side delays centre and sides independently	Ping Pong for dub; Mid/Side for keeping the centre dry
Feedback	0–100 % (self-oscillates near the top)	Repeats; feedback path includes the filter and the Reverb when set to Loop	35–55 % musical; 85–100 % momentary dub throws
Input gain / Repitch	dB; on/off	Drive into the delay (Input can overload for colour); Repitch = tape-style pitch artefacts when time changes	Repitch on for dub time-knob rides
Filter (HP / LP with Res) in the loop	20 Hz–20 kHz	Band-limits each repeat so tails darken	HP 250, LP 4 kHz (dub); HP 400, LP 8 kHz (modern)
Modulation: Rate / Mod Delay / Mod Filter / Shape / Env	Hz or sync; 0–100 %; shapes sine/tri/saw/square/noise	LFO on delay time (chorus/tape wow) and/or filter; Env follower on the mod	Mod Delay 10–15 %, Rate 0.3 Hz for tape wobble
Reverb: Amount / Decay / Location	0–100 %; ms–s; Pre, Post, Loop	Reverb inside the delay; Loop = diffuses with every repeat	Amount 30 %, Loop for dub smears
Character: Gate (Threshold / Release), Duck (Threshold / Release), Noise (Amount / Morph), Wobble (Amount / Morph)	—	Gate = repeats only above threshold; Duck = repeats drop while input plays; Noise/Wobble = tape hiss and pitch wobble	Duck 50 % keeps vocals clear; Wobble 10 % for lo-fi
Stereo width / Output / Dry-Wet	0–200 %; dB; 0–100 %	Width of repeats; level; blend	100 % wet on a return

Hybrid Reverb

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Algorithm	Dark Hall, Quartz, Shimmer, Tides, Prism	Dark Hall = dense dark hall; Quartz = clean modern; Shimmer = pitch-shifted feedback; Tides = modulated/wavy; Prism = bright, diffuse	Quartz for drums; Dark Hall for dub; Shimmer +12 st for ambient
Convolution IR (category / IR)	Built-in and user IRs	Real spaces, springs, plates, odd objects	Spring IRs for dub; Plate for vocals
Blend	0–100 % (conv ↔ algo)	Mix between the two engines	30–50 %
Routing	Serial, Parallel, Algorithm → Convolution, Convolution → Algorithm	How the engines connect; conv → algo = an IR's character diffused into a long tail	Conv → Algo for huge spaces with real colour
Pre-delay	0–~250 ms (syncable in Algorithm section)	Gap before the reverb	Tempo values from BPM to ms
Decay / Size	Decay 0.1–~60 s (algo dependent); Size %	Tail length and virtual room dimensions	Decay inside the bar length for drums; 4–8 s for pads
Damping (Low / High) and Mod (Rate / Amount)	—	Frequency-dependent decay; modulation smooths metallic tails	High damping 5–7 kHz; Mod 20 %
Shimmer: Pitch / Feedback (Shimmer algo)	±12 st; %	Pitch shift inside the feedback	+12 st, 30 %
Freeze	on/off (with In toggle)	Infinite hold of the current tail	Automate for pad drones
EQ (4-band inside the reverb)	Low cut, Low shelf, High shelf, High cut	Shapes the wet signal only	Low cut 200–300 Hz
Bass X (bass multiplier) / Vintage	×; Subtle, Old, Older, Extreme	Low-end decay multiplier; sample-rate/bit-depth degradation of the tail	Bass X 0.5 to keep lows short; Vintage Old for lo-fi
Dry/Wet / Send mode	0–100 %; on/off	Send mode = 100 % wet with proper gain staging	Send mode on returns

Spectral Time

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Freeze (on/off, Retrigger mode, Sensitivity, Onsets)	—	Captures the current spectrum and holds it; retrigger by onset detection or by sync	Onset retrigger for pad "chord holds"
Fade In / Fade Out (sync or ms)	—	How the frozen spectrum crossfades in/out	Fade In 1/8, Fade Out 1 bar
Delay mode	Delay engine mode: the delay time is expressed either in spectral frames or as conventional time/sync values	Spectral delay engine	—
Delay Time (sync/ms) / Feedback / Dry-Wet	—	Delay in the spectral domain; feedback per bin	1/4, Feedback 60 % = smeared delays that never flam
Tilt	±	Spreads delay times across frequency (lows later or highs later)	+30 % for "highs trail" shimmer
Spray	0–100 %	Randomises delay time per bin	20 % for granular-like clouds
Mask	0–100 %	Only some bins are delayed; selective spectral holes	40 % = partial, ghostly repeats
Stereo	0–100 %	Randomises L/R per bin	50 % for width without Haas issues
Resolution	FFT size (low ↔ high)	Low = better time, high = better pitch	High for pads, low for drums

Filters and EQ

Auto Filter (12.2 redesign)

Auto Filter

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Filter type / Circuit / Slope	LP, HP, BP, Notch, Morph; Clean, OSR, MS2, SMP, PRD; 12/24 dB	Same modelled filter block as the instruments	MS2 LP 24 for acid-style; Clean for surgical
Frequency / Resonance / Drive / Morph	20 Hz–20 kHz; 0–125 %; 0–24 dB; 0–100 %	Cutoff, Q (self-oscillates with analogue circuits), input drive, morph shape	Res 30–50 % for sweeps
Envelope: Amount / Attack / Release	±; ms	Envelope follower on the input (or sidechain) → cutoff	Amount 40 %, A 5 ms, R 150 ms for auto-wah
Sidechain (12.2)	Audio from / Gain / Mix	External signal drives the envelope follower	Kick → filter opens on hits
LFO: Amount / Rate (Hz or sync) / Shape / Phase / Offset / Spin / Stereo mode	0–100 %; shapes sine, tri, saw up/down, square, S&H, random; Phase 0–360°	Cutoff LFO; Phase/Spin offset L and R for stereo movement	1/4 tri, Amount 60 % for wobble; Phase 180° for ping-pong filtering
Quantize beat	Off, 1/16 … 1/4 (where available)	Steps the LFO output on the grid	1/16 for stepped filter patterns

EQ Eight

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Band type (×8)	Low cut (12/48 dB), Low shelf, Bell, Notch, High shelf, High cut (12/48 dB)	Eight independent bands	Band 1 low cut 48 dB at 30 Hz (master) / 120–250 Hz (pads)
Freq / Gain / Q	10 Hz–22 kHz; ±15 dB; 0.1–18	Centre, boost/cut, bandwidth	Cuts Q 2–4; tonal boosts Q 0.7–1.2
Mode	Stereo, L/R, M/S	Edit channels separately; M/S for mono-ing lows (Side low cut)	M/S, Side low cut 150 Hz
Scale	0–200 %	Multiplies all band gains	Automate 0 → 100 % to fade an EQ curve in
Adaptive Q	on/off	Q narrows as gain increases (musical cuts)	On for cuts
Oversampling (Hi-Quality)	on/off	Accurate curves near Nyquist	On for master only
Output gain	±dB	Compensate boosts/cuts	Match loudness before judging

Dynamics

Compressor

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Threshold / Ratio	dB; 1:1–∞:1 (Expand mode below 1:1)	Where GR starts and how hard	Bass: 4:1, 4–6 dB GR; vocals 3:1, 3 dB
Attack / Release	0.01–1000 ms; 1–3000 ms or Auto	Reaction times (see release per tempo)	A 1–3 ms to clamp, 10–30 ms to let transients through
Knee	0–18 dB	Softness of the onset	6 dB for transparency, 0 for pump
Model	Peak, RMS, Expand	Detection: Peak for drums, RMS for bus/vocals, Expand for gating-like downward expansion	RMS on buses
Lookahead	0 / 1 / 10 ms	Delay the audio so the detector sees transients first	10 ms for sidechain ducking that catches the kick's very first sample
Makeup (Auto) / Dry-Wet	dB; 0–100 %	Output gain; parallel compression in one device	Dry/Wet 30–50 % for NY-style drums
Sidechain: Audio from / Gain / Mix / EQ (filter type, Freq, Q) / Listen	—	External key with gain, mix with internal, and a filter on the key signal	Kick → bass; EQ the key to 60–100 Hz so hats do not trigger

Glue Compressor

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Threshold / Makeup	dB	Onset and output gain	2–3 dB GR on the drum bus; 1–2 dB on the mix
Ratio	2, 4, 10	Bus-style fixed ratios	2 for buses, 4 for drums, 10 as a limiter-ish
Attack	0.01, 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10, 30 ms	Stepped like the SSL bus comp	10–30 ms for punch; 0.3–1 ms for taming
Release	0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.2 s, Auto	Stepped release; Auto is program-dependent	Auto on the mix; 0.1–0.2 s for pumping drums at 128 BPM
Range	−∞–0 dB	Maximum gain reduction allowed	−6 dB to keep the comp from over-squashing drops
Soft Clip	on/off	Output clipper (not transparent — adds grit)	On for drums, off on the master
Dry/Wet / Sidechain (EQ, Gain, Mix, Listen)	—	Parallel and keyed operation	Sidechain EQ HP 100 Hz so the kick's sub does not drive the bus comp

Multiband Dynamics

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Band split frequencies (Low / Mid / High)	Low cut ~20–2000 Hz; High cut ~1–20 kHz; band on/off	Three bands, each with its own compression/expansion	Low ≤ 120 Hz, High ≥ 5 kHz
Above threshold / ratio (per band)	dB; ratio from expansion (below 1:1) to compression	Downward compression of loud parts	Low band 3:1 to hold the sub steady
Below threshold / ratio (per band)	dB; ratio	Upward compression (ratio < 1) or downward expansion (ratio > 1) of quiet parts	Below 1:0.7 on the high band to bring up hat tails (OTT-style)
Attack / Release (per section: Above / Below) and Time scaling	ms; global %	Reaction times; Time knob scales all at once	Fast A, release by the 1/8
Amount	0–100 %	Scales all processing (the OTT "depth")	20–40 % — 100 % is the aggressive preset sound
Input / Output gain, Soft knee, Peak/RMS, Sidechain	—	Gain staging, detection and external key	RMS for buses
Solo band (S)	per band	Audition one band	Use for de-essing: solo high band at 6–8 kHz

Resonators and spectral

Spectral Resonator

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Mode (Internal / MIDI)	—	Resonate at a set frequency, or at the pitches of incoming MIDI notes (device on a MIDI-fed audio track via the sidechain MIDI input)	MIDI for chord-tuning drums and noise
Frequency / Pitch (transpose)	Hz / st	Base pitch of the resonance (Internal mode)	Tune to the key
Decay	ms–s	Ring time of each resonating partial	200–600 ms rhythmic; 2 s+ drones
Harmonics / Stretch / Shift	number; ±%; ±	How many partials, how far they are stretched from harmonic, and spectral shift	Stretch 5–10 % for bell-like inharmonicity
Mod type / amount (Chorus, Granular, Wander…)	—	Modulates the partials	Chorus 20 % for pad-like resonances
Unison / Polyphony / Glide	voices; 1–8; ms	Detuned copies; MIDI polyphony; pitch slide between notes	Polyphony 4, Glide 100 ms
Filter In / Listen (In / Out) / Dry-Wet	—	Input band limiting; monitor; blend	Dry/Wet 50 %

Corpus

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Resonance type	Beam, Marimba, String, Membrane, Plate, Pipe, Tube	Physical model of the resonator excited by the input	Membrane on kicks/toms; String on noise; Pipe on hats
Tune (Transpose / Fine) / MIDI mode / Sidechain MIDI	st / ct	Pitch; follow MIDI notes with Pitch Bend range	Tune to the key; MIDI for melodic percussion
Decay / Material	%; −100–100 %	Ring length; damping of high vs low partials	Decay 20–40 % rhythmic; Material positive = bright
Brightness / Inharmonics / Ratio (Membrane/Plate)	%; ±; —	HF content; deviation from harmonic series; aspect ratio of the 2D models	Inharmonics +20 % for metallic
Radius / Opening (Pipe, Tube)	—	Geometry of the tube models	—
Hit / Position / Listening L/R / Bleed	%	Where the exciter hits, where you listen, direct signal bleed	Hit ≠ Position for complex timbres
LFO (shape, rate, amount, stereo mode)	—	Modulates the resonant frequency	Slight pitch wobble on drones
Width / Gain / Dry-Wet	—	Output	Dry/Wet 30–60 %

Vocoder

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Carrier	Noise, External, Modulator, Pitch Tracking	What gets shaped: internal noise, an external synth (sidechain), the input itself, or a pitch-tracked oscillator	External + sawtooth synth for classic; Noise for whispers
Bands / Range (Low / High) / BW	4–40; Hz; %	Number of analysis/synthesis filters, their span, and bandwidth	24 bands, 100 Hz–8 kHz; BW 50 % wide = smooth
Precise / Retro	toggle	Filter quality: Retro = vintage lumpy	Retro for robot voices
Depth / Attack / Release	%; ms	Envelope follower amount and speed per band	Attack 5 ms, Release 30–80 ms
Formant	±st-ish (shift)	Shifts the synthesis bands vs analysis	+3 for chipmunk, −3 for monster
Unvoiced / Enhance	%; on/off	Adds noise for consonants; boosts intelligibility	Unvoiced 20 %
Gate / Mono-Stereo / Dry-Wet / Output	—	Noise gate on the modulator; output width; blend	Gate −40 dB

Rhythm effects

Beat Repeat

Parameter	Range	What it does	Sweet spots
Interval / Offset	1/32–4 bars; 0–15/16	How often a repeat can start, and where in the bar	Interval 1 bar, Offset 3/4 for end-of-bar fills
Grid / Variation / No Triplets	1/32–1/2 (incl. triplets); 0–15 steps; toggle	Repeat slice length; random variation of the grid	Grid 1/16, Variation 2–3 for glitch
Chance	0–100 %	Probability a repeat happens at each interval	25–40 % for occasional
Gate	1/16–4 bars	Total length of the repeat burst	1/4 to 1/2 bar
Repeat (button)	momentary/latch	Forces a repeat now (map to Push/controller)	Map to a pad for live stutters
Pitch / Pitch Decay	0–12 st down; %	Each repeat is pitched down progressively	Pitch 4, Decay 30 % for the classic falling stutter
Decay	0–100 %	Volume drop per repeat	20–50 %
Filter (Freq / Width)	Hz; octaves	Band-pass on the repeats only	Freq 1 kHz, Width 2 oct
Mix mode	Mix, Insert, Gate	Mix = repeats over the signal; Insert = signal muted during repeats; Gate = only repeats are heard	Insert for breakdown stutters; Gate on a return for ghost rolls
Volume	dB	Repeat level	−3 to −6 dB

Cross-device cheat sheet

I want…	Device → parameter	Value
Sub that stays clean under distortion	Roar Multiband low band / Saturator Color Base	Low band drive 0; Base −6 dB
A kick that pumps the bass	Compressor sidechain, Lookahead	Ratio 4:1, A 1 ms, R from table, Lookahead 10 ms
Wobble	Auto Filter LFO or Wavetable LFO → Filter/Position	1/4–1/16 sync, Amount 50–70 %
Dub throw	Echo Feedback + Filter in loop	Feedback 85–95 % momentary, HP 250 LP 4k
Pad that moves	Wavetable Position ← LFO 1 bar; Drift Env 2 Cyc	20–40 % depth
Tuned noise / drum pitch	Spectral Resonator MIDI mode; Corpus MIDI	Decay 300 ms, Dry/Wet 50 %
Hold a chord forever	Spectral Time Freeze; Hybrid Reverb Freeze	Fade In 1/8
Glue drums	Glue Compressor	2:1, A 10 ms, R 0.2 s/Auto, 2–3 dB GR, Range −6
OTT-ish brightness	Multiband Dynamics	Amount 25 %, Time 50 %
Phone-audible 808	Saturator Soft Sine + Drum Sampler Sub	Drive 8 dB; Sub at the root