Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll Goes Granular With the 3rd Wave and Samples

video upload by Groove Synthesis

"Check out this short video sent to us by Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll, in which he puts the 3rd Wave’s new sample modulation capabilities to the test. Learn more about the 3rd Wave at https://www.groovesynthesis.com

Paul Hartnoll, one half of the legendary electronic duo Orbital, has been pushing the boundaries of electronic music since their breakthrough 1989 hit "Chime" helped define the UK rave scene. Known for their innovative live performances and genre-defining albums like "In Sides" and "Snivilisation," Orbital's influence on electronic music spans over three decades, making Paul's exploration of the 3rd Wave's capabilities particularly compelling.

In the video, Paul makes great use of sample start modulation, a feature added in OS 1.9a of the 3rd Wave 24K synth, allowing velocity and other sources to dynamically shift sample start points for expressive performance control. He created a sequence of 48th notes in Ableton Live, using its note split mode, and gently randomized the notes’ velocity. He then modulates the sample start in the 3rd Wave oscillator with the note velocity to create, in effect, a granular sampler. You can then also use velocity (or any other parameter) to control the filter cutoff and spread the samples out into the stereo field with the pan spread control.

The 3rd Wave 24K is a 24-voice, 4-part multi-timbral wavetable synth with 3 oscillators per voice, analog low-pass filters, a state-variable filter, 6-stage wave envelopes per oscillator, and an industry-first Wavemaker™ tool that allows users to create custom wavetables in a single step through its proprietary sample-to-wave technology. Each of its three oscillators can generate a classic PPG-era wavetable, a modern high-resolution wavetable, virtual-analog synthesis, linear FM, and sampling.

While the 3rd Wave has roots in the classic digital wavetable synths of the past, it takes the concept firmly into the 21st century with a lush, expansive sound and innovative features that synths of the 80ies could only dream of.

Learn more about the 3rd Wave advanced wavetable synth here: https://groovesynthesis.com/"