Working with the Sculpture String Parameters

The string parameters discussed in this section apply on a per-voice basis. You will note a number of parameter names followed by (morphable). This indicates that the parameters can be morphed between up to five morph points. More details can be found in Getting to Know Sculpture’s Morph Section.

Figure. String parameters.

Using Sculpture’s Hide, Keyscale, and Release View Buttons

These buttons activate and hide the Keyscale and Release parameters. Simply click the Keyscale, Release, or Hide button, depending on the adjustments you would like to make. The corresponding parameters will become visible (or be hidden) in the ring surrounding the Material Pad.

Figure. Keyscale, Release, and Hide buttons.
  • Keyscale button: When Keyscale is enabled, parameters can be set for notes that fall below C3, or notes that are positioned above it. In simple terms, the impact of these parameters can be controlled across the keyboard range. For example, a parameter such as string stiffness could be more intense for high notes and less intense for low notes. In practical terms, this would result in more harmonic (sweeter) sounding bass notes, and inharmonic overtones in treble notes (notes above C3).
  • Release button: When Release is enabled, you can set string Release parameters, which affect the vibrations of the string after the key is released.
  • Hide button: Hides several parameters, simplifying the interface and making it impossible to perform accidental Key Scale or Release parameter changes.

Using Sculpture’s Basic Material Pad Parameters

The Material Pad works as a matrix of Stiffness (x-axis) and Inner Loss (y-axis) values.

Figure. Material Pad.

Inner Loss is used to emulate damping of the string, as caused by the string material—steel, glass, nylon, or wood. These are frequency-dependent losses that cause the sound to become more mellow during the decay phase.

Stiffness sets the rigidity of the string. In reality, this is determined by the string material and diameter—or, to be more precise, by its geometrical moment of inertia. Increasing the Stiffness parameter to the maximum value turns the string into a solid metal bar. Stiffer strings also exhibit an inharmonic vibration, where overtones are not integer multiples of the base frequency. Rather, they have higher frequencies, which can make upper/lower notes sound somewhat out of tune with each other.

The four corners of the Material Pad show different material names. These each represent a combination of maximum/minimum Stiffness and Inner Loss values. The combination of the Inner Loss and Stiffness parameter positions determine the string material and, therefore, the general timbre of your sound. Here are examples of how Inner Loss and Stiffness Settings can change the tonal color:

  • Low Stiffness values, combined with low Inner Loss values, lead to metallic sounds.

  • Higher Stiffness values, combined with low Inner Loss values, make the sound become more bell- or glass-like.

  • Higher Inner Loss values, combined with a low Stiffness level, correspond to nylon or catgut strings.

  • High Stiffness values, combined with high Inner Loss values, simulate wood-like materials.

Both parameters are simultaneously controlled by dragging the ball—which marks a specific point on the X and Y planes—within the Material Pad.

Note: The thickness of the string—the green horizontal line in the Pickup display—changes as you move the ball (see Using Sculpture’s String Parameter Sliders (Morphable)).

Using Sculpture’s Material Pad in Keyscale or Release View

In Keyscale or Release view, the Material Pad shows additional controls for the Keyscale and Release parameters.

Figure. Material Pad showing Keyscale and Release parameters.
  • Diamond controls: Drag horizontally to adjust the Stiffness Keyscale parameters, and vertically to adjust the Innerloss Keyscale and Release parameters.
    • In Keyscale view, the diamonds indicate the intersection between the Inner Loss and Stiffness Low/High Scaling positions. You can drag these diamonds directly, to adjust both parameters simultaneously.

    • In Release view, you only drag the diamond vertically, because you cannot adjust the release behavior of the Stiffness parameter.

  • Crosshair and line controls: Use to control the Keyscale and Release parameters when the diamonds are hidden by the ball. The crosshair also allows you to independently change the keyscaling for one of the two axes (X/Y positions—which control the current Inner Loss and Stiffness values).

Note: Option-clicking any of the controls resets the associated parameters to their default values.

Setting Sculpture’s Inner Loss Keyscale Values

The Inner Loss Keyscale parameters allow you to control the amount of damping independently for notes above and below C, altering the amount of damping that occurs as you play lower or higher on the keyboard.

To adjust Inner Loss key scaling
  1. Enable the Keyscale button.

  2. Drag the green horizontal line for low notes—or the blue horizontal line for high notes—to the desired position.

You can set inner losses to increase when the key is released by choosing a value of 1.0 or higher. This results in an unnatural effect, however, as it emulates a change in the string material after a note is released.

The diamonds indicate the intersection between the Inner Loss and Stiffness Low/High Scaling positions. You can drag these diamonds to adjust both parameters simultaneously.

Setting Sculpture’s Stiffness Keyscale Parameters

The Stiffness Keyscale parameters enable you to independently adjust the string stiffness of notes above and below middle C, allowing you to alter the amount of inharmonic content that occurs as you play lower or higher on the keyboard.

To adjust Stiffness key scaling
  1. Enable the Keyscale button.

  2. Drag the green vertical line for low notes—or the blue vertical line for high notes—to the desired position on the horizontal plane.

    Tip: You can simultaneously adjust both Stiffness and Inner Loss key scaling by dragging the diamond that intersects the green lines.

Setting the Release Behavior of Sculpture’s Inner Loss Parameter

In Release view, you set how the amount of damping applied to the string changes when you release the key.

To adjust Inner Loss release scaling
  1. Enable the Release button.

  2. Vertically drag the blue Release line to the desired position.

Note: More conservative use of this parameter—in conjunction with Media Loss Scale Release (see Using Sculpture’s String Parameter Sliders (Morphable))—allows a natural simulation of strings that are dampened when a note-off message is received.

Using Sculpture’s String Parameter Sliders (Morphable)

The sliders on the outer ring of the Material Pad further define the properties and behavior of the string.

Figure. Material Pad in Keyscale view.
  • Resolution sliders: Determine the maximum number of harmonics contained in (and spatial resolution of) the sound at C3. As you alter the Resolution value, you are changing the interaction of the string with the objects. This has a corresponding effect on the frequency of the overtones—very low Resolution values result in inharmonic spectra, even with Stiffness set to 0. In Keyscale view, the Resolution High and Low Scaling sliders are shown:
    • Resolution High Scaling slider (blue): Sets the key tracking resolution—the accuracy of key tracking—for notes above middle C (C3).
    • Resolution Low Scaling slider (green): Sets the key tracking resolution for notes below middle C.

    Note: Higher resolution values enhance the precision of calculations, which can significantly increase computer processing requirements.

  • Media Loss sliders: Control the amount of string damping caused by the surrounding media (the atmosphere)—for example, air, water, olive oil, and so on. These losses are independent of frequency. This allows control over the duration of the exponential amplitude decay, after the excitation of the string has stopped.
    • In Keyscale view, the Media Loss Low and High Scaling sliders are used to set the key tracking resolution—the accuracy of key tracking—separately for notes above and below middle C (C3).

    • In Release view, the Media Loss Release slider determines the media loss behavior when the key is released.

  • Tension Mod sliders: Control the momentary detuning of the string. Strings, such as those of a guitar, exhibit a particularly prominent nonlinear behavior—if the string excursion is large, the string is detuned upwards. Because this detuning is caused by the momentary, rather than the average, excursion of the string, the detuning occurs very quickly. This phenomenon is known, technically, as tension modulation non-linearity. Non-technically, setting or modulating the Tension Mod slider to values above 0.0 emulates this momentary detuning effect in Sculpture.

    Note: This nonlinear effect can produce some surprising results, and can also make the entire model unstable, especially when combined with low Media Loss and Inner Loss values. So, if you have a sound that spikes or drops out during the decay phase, try reducing Tension Mod, and perhaps Resolution.

To adjust Resolution key scaling
  1. Enable the Keyscale button.

  2. Drag the green low slider inside the top of the Material Pad ring for low notes—or the blue high slider around the top of the outer ring for high notes—to the desired position.

To adjust Media Loss key scaling
  1. Enable the Keyscale button.

  2. Drag the green slider inside the left side of the Material Pad ring to the desired position.

To adjust the Media Loss release time
  1. Enable the Release button.

  2. Drag the blue slider in the outer ring at the left side of the Material Pad.

Values above 1.0 cause media losses to increase when the key is released. This parameter can be used to simulate a string that is dropped into a bucket of water after initially vibrating in air, for example. Obviously, this is not what the average violinist or pianist would do, but it can be useful for a number of interesting sound variations.

To adjust Tension Mod key scaling
  1. Enable the Keyscale button.

  2. Drag the green low slider inside the right side of the Material Pad ring for low notes—or the blue high slider around the right side of the outer ring for high notes—to the desired position.

Tip: If you find that your instrument seems slightly sharp or flat as you play up or down the keyboard, consider making adjustments to the Tension Mod and perhaps Media Loss Keyscale parameters.