I’ve realised that my use of LFOs and envelopes is a bit boring and standard. I assign them to the filters, resonance or pulse width a bit, and maybe do something with pitch, but there are so many other options that are being left untouched!
I was wondering what tricks you have found with the LFOs and envelopes to liven up sounds and make them more interesting, maybe even making them sound like you’re channelling a modular. And this doesn’t have to bea ‘fixed’ thing, you could be adjusting them all the way through a track for further variance.
So this is a thread to discuss how you use these tools in am interesting way, and maybe it will encourage all of us to experiment. I’m sure that there are some deep, dark sounds to be found within the A4 and Keys, both musical and atonal. And on the Rytm, too!
You can set up lfo2 to modulate lfo 1 speed / depth etc to make a more complex source for modulation. Then scroll thru the destinations of lfo1 while playing the sound, not looking at the params, only using your ears. Fun things can be found then.
I like setting an envelope with a long attack on OSC1 or 2, to bring an extra texture or octave in in the middle of a pad. Good for delayed PWM as well.
Edit: er, I mean setting the envelope to the level of the oscillator, zeroing out the initial level on the oscillator page itself. Hell you could use an opposite-signed level on the other oscillator and fade between one and the other.
Use them for FX-level automation. Bring in chorus or delay periodically.
Crank up the mult to 2k and assign to osc1/osc2/amp level and you have amplitude modulation. (More flexible than AM on the oscs, diff waveforms, shapes…)
Assign LFO1 to something (filter or level, etc.) and LFO2 to LFO1 destination A depth. Make LFO1 fast (1-2k) and LFO2 slow. You’ll get some wild, modular-like animation!
There’s also the concept of ‘partials,’ where you use a quick envelope to generate the transient of a sound.
Consider late 80s (non-FM) digital synths such as the Roland D-50 and the Korg M1. Both of them used samples for the first few miliseconds of the sound, but more traditional synthesis for the sustain because RAM was in such supply back then. While you can’t exactly get samples into the A4 without an external input, you can use the envelopes to do a synthesized transient. A simple example would be to bring in a bit of noise to get the ‘chiff’ of a wind instrument, although you can do this without envelopes using the Fade parameter.
Take a look at some of Gordon Reid’s Synth Secrets articles, especially this one:
Put a slow LFO 2 and make and a very fast LFO 1 ( high multiply ) but set the LFO 1 speed very low > 1 to 4 max. Set the LFO 1 in free-running BUT P-lock it at the first trig to Trig ( so it retrigs at this step ). Now use LFO 2 to change the LFO offset ( so LFO 1 will restart at the p-locked trig but but at a different set-off every cycle ). Now send the LFO 2 to modulate the speed of LFO 1 - this is the tricky part ( it can consume time ) - ( LFO 2 should be sinus or triangle ) so it modulates LFO 1 from speed 1 to extreme-high speed.( LFO 1 in Square can be very interesting ) Now you can send LFO 1 to 2 destenies of your choise BUT try modulating the PULSEWITH in combination with the level of the first Oscillator and set this Oscillator to feedback. ( Try- out different syc-modes with both oscillators .
You could start with only 1 trig per pattern. Now copy the pattern a few times ( maybe 4 ) and chain them. Now every trig has the LFO 2 in retrig >>> UNLOCk the LFO 2 in the following patterns ( so LFO 2 only retrigs in step 1 in pattern 1 ). ( when using mulitple trigs > unlock the LFO in all but the first trig ) So it runs free tru all trigs in all patterns but restarts at trig 1 in pattern 1 of the chain. You can try - out different settings in both LFO’s offcoarse.
The result should be A note that sounds different every trig in every pattern depending the modulating destinations and with a square LFO 1 it can go from Ring-modulation like to shifting only the harmonic content and other crazyness. ( for shure if it’s in feedback + changing Osc. level 1 or maybe 2 )
Very interesting with Feedback Ossc. ; Good for making percussive hits that change all the time . If you want less irregularities you can allways relock LFO 2 at some triggs but not all.
Try out different destenies for LFO 1 .
This is allso a way of having a synced LFO over multiple patterns BUT now you can change the way it loops by only changing the Speed or OFFSET in the first trig of the first pattern- and influecing LFO 1 from there.
You can change desteny’s per trig per pattern for even more variations - The total loop-behavior can be controlled from the LFO 2 settings in trig 1 - pattern 1 . but hey there’s like an andless possible variations. Its a good exersize to lurn deep LFO and Ossc. controlling. Variations on this with Envelopes etc are a real joy and can be immense surprizing. Don’t give up if you don’t find good sounds at the beginning. In analog synthesis it can be in the DETAILS - minor changes can have big conséquences ( or not ) . If no good results it’s sometimes a great idea to leave it ( save your stuff ) and go on the next day - you migth find in a second what you didn’t find today
ENJOY
One simple but effective LFO trick on the A4 is to use the LFOs as individual Vibrato for each Oscillator. You can assign each Oscillator it’s own shape and depth which can give a single Sound more dimension. Both Oscillators can have a small depth of the same Vibrato via OSC2 Page, then their own individual shapes and depths via the LFOs.
I like polyphonic sounds where all 4 LFOs are triggered at the same time but free running. I achieve this by setting the LFO 1 to trigger mode, play 4 notes at the same time and then return to free running LFO mode. Sadly i have not found a way to save this setting yet. Any ideas?
and can be immense surprizing. Don’t give up if you don’t find good sounds at the beginning. In analog synthesis it can be in the DETAILS - minor changes can have big conséquences ( or not 
) . If no good results it’s sometimes a great idea to leave it ( save your stuff ) and go on the next day - you migth find in a second what you didn’t find today 