Tutorial in depth the Malstrom Graintable Synthesizer in Reason

Let me shortly give some background information before we get this malstrom tutorial started.
The Malstrom graintable synthesizer inside Propellerhead Reason was my workhorse from Reason version 2.5. The graintable synth uses its unique way on making sampled sound and sliced up. Because this technique is pretty complexed to make each slice sound perfect, Reason decided not to include a load sample feature for the Malstrom graintable synthesizer.

The graintable technology is a cross between granular synthesis and good old wavetable synthesis

So the graintable is not analogue, nor is it a sampler but has its unique features as shifting, changing the index, and different modulation types. Later in this tutorial we'll get through these unique options.

OSC A and OSC B inside the Malstrom

The Malstrom comes, just like with the subtractor, with 2 oscillators. Where they oscillators inside the Malstrom can vary from analogue shaped sounds like the saw wave, the square wave, the triangle wave and the sinus wave. While there are other shapes to choose from like the voices, the orchestral sounds (like the vibraphonic and the trumpet), the basses and the somewhat more complexed sounds like the FM, the Cords, the Arppegios and the TB303 sounds. This means we could use the malstrom graintable synthesizer for any sound, percussion either sound effect as we see fit.

The easiest way to explain what the Malstrom graintable synthesizer can do, is by using analogue sounds and explain the features from there. Since it will become a little bit harder to use most other oscillator types that are inside the Malstrom to actually create something descent from this synthesizer.

Default, when adding a Maltröm to the rack, it shows a sine inside of both Oscillator A and Oscillator B. With having Oscillator A enabled and Oscillator B disabled. To use the second Oscillator just click the button next to it where it says OSC B. When clicking on it, the light will turn off.. and thus Oscillator B is being used as well.

Each oscillator can be controlled by using the default amplitude settings, the Attack, the Sustain, the Decay and the Release (also known as ADSR). Additionally there are the controls for index, motion, shift, octave, semi, cent.

Octave will increase either decrease the octave of the oscillator. Semi will do this note wise and is for detuning them a little, which i have explained in depth with the subtractor tutorial.

The motion, index and shift settings are quite unique with this synthesizer since they are not in any other devices in Reason.

The motion

The motion in the malstrom controles the way how fast the sound will go through all the different slices inside of the oscillator. Using lesser motion, you will create this really harmonic tone with all the different oscillator types. With some types (for instance the FM series) this is the prefered method to create these harmonic tones. While with anologue settings, like the saw and square, you can spice the sound up by just adding a little bit of motion.

Motion can be a nice thing to play with having analogue synths. With FM sounds, it becomes a bit harder since they are just random generated sound. Having the motion on really low, it is possible to grab only a portion from a slice inside the malstrom and play that back.

And the real cool part with this last example is that you can change the overal sound by sliding the index up and down.

The Shift

Shift is a bit hard to explain, because it is not pitch that is changing nor a filter that is changing. It is more that the frequency changes. An explanation from soundonsound:

An advantage of granular synthesis is that the formants in the sound (the resonant frequencies of a sound source that determine some of its character) gain a degree of independence from the parameters of pitch and speed. The Shift control adjusts these formant characteristics of the sound.

It is probably easier to show you what shift does rather then to explain in theorie.
RNS Download: The Shift
MP3 Download: The Shift

The index

The index within the malstrom graintable synthesizer is the starting point of the sliced up sound. You can kind of compare it with having an NN-XT sampler and adjusting the start of the sample. Same goes for the index. There is one note on this, you will not notice that much difference in the index inside of the analogue sounds (like the saw, square, triangle and the sine). These settings can have a real important impact on the FM series, the Arpeggios inside of the Malstrom either the vocal sounds.

The first songs I am presenting might sound odd in a way. But thats basicly the whole idea behind it. Because I am using the lfo on the TB303 sounds to show what the index can do here

RNS Download: Index
MP3 Download: Index

For those who remember a song called Sweeping like crazy, here is the RNS version. It uses only one malstrom and sweeps like mad through the index ;)

Spice things up using filters using the malstrom

The routing schematic in the malstrom is different then the subtractor (the other synth inside of reason). With having 2 different filters (filter A and Filter B) on the right side of the device and a shaper in between it. We can route Osc A through Filter A and Filter B, while Osc B can only go from Filter B to Filter A. Keep in mind that Filter A is the left output, and Filter B is the right output. This will become an important issue when you are using the spread option.

The most common setup is using Osc A through filter A and Osc B through filter B. Because using a little spread inside the Malstrom, you can create really nice stereo sounds. Since there are so many ways to route the different filters

Here is a song where I am using all kinds of different filter settings based on Osc A goes through filter A and Osc B goes through Filter B.

The Comb Filter

In reason 2.0 and before that most common filter types inside of Reason were the LowPass (LP), the HighPass (HP) and the ByPass (BP) filters. With the Malstrom, there is a new set of filters that can be used. The Comb + and Comb - filters are filter types to create some spicey filter sweeps (kind of like the phasers but then a bit differently).

The Shaper

The shaper comes with a couple of different flavours. Sine, Saturate, Clip, Quant and Noise. It is a bit hard to explain in words what this does. The best way to use these shapers is just by going through them one by one. With keeping in mind to set the amount. The lower the amount is, the lesser the shaper takes effect. The higher the amount is, the more impact the shaper has.

Modulators

A real important part of the Malstrom is the part called the modulators. There are 2 sections that handle this, the Mod A and the Mod B. Where Mod A has settings like Pitch, Index and Shift and Mod B has settings like Motion, Volume, Filter and Mod B to Mod A.

The way the modulator works is not that hard to understand. There is a pattern. The modulator will follow this pattern and adjust the settings that are added, either decreased using the pattern. For instance, if we increase the volume for Mod B, the Mod B will trigger default a sinus wave which results into the volume going up and down all the time.

The Rate dermines how fast the pattern is being done. We can either set the rate manually, or have in sync with the tempo. This makes controlling the patterns a bit easier. But sometimes having sync mode off can do a more precise impact on certain settings. It is all a bit trial on error if it comes to the modulator A and B. But as you get more experienced with tempering with these 2 settings, the easier it will become to create your own sound effects using the Mod A and Mod B. Which is usually the case.

Another thing to keep in mind with the modulators is that you can set the Oscillator target to trigger. Default it is set on both. But there are moments that you only want to have one oscillator being changed by the modulator. You can set the targets on Osc A, on both or Osc B.So there is enough stuff to screw around with so to speak ;)

The velocity

A real nice dynamic touch is using the velocity on the automation feature and setting some levels in the velocity parameter section. With having the standard amplitude (level A and Level B). There are some options in here that can make a sound really dynamic in a way, just by changing the velocity only. For instance, the filter either shift can do wonders.

Notice with the next example that the velocity is changing while it sounds different on each note

The modulator wheel of the malstrom

And then there is the last section of the malstrom, which i normally dont even pay attention too... The mod wheel. Personally, I rarely use it because most of the modulation I personally use is by using Mod A and Mod B. But, the truth is that the Mod wheel is handy if it comes to hand work. Because the mod wheel parameters allow you to set settings like shift, index inside the mod wheel and by adjusting the modwheel, these settings will start to change gradual.

And this concludes the basics in this tutorial about the malstrom graintable synthesizer.