The art
of sound design
Doomed Hero
Marco Iodice
I love the simplicity and effectiveness of this presets, which in my opinion highlights the deep hybrid essence of the instrument. Choose a nice progression of chords, very cinematic, map the Macros to a controller and let yourself be carried away by an acoustic but dirty timbre, digital but unstable. harmony in contrast.
Marco - on Augmented BRASS
I think that the strength of this instrument, as for the others of the Augmented series, is the extreme variety of samples to choose from. You will find orchestral ensamble finely recorded, single instruments and articulations until you get to processed brass recordings and extra samples, which greatly enlarge the color palette of the instrument. Then add to all this the 4 synthesis engines: game over.
The Morph knob has played a fundamental role in sound design’s process, being a powerful tool with which to generate many different sound shades. When i work on presets, i usually decide at the beginning the sound type on which i will work, and then leave room for fantasy and improvisation, letting the instrument inspires me.
New Horizons
New Loops
For my favourite preset I’ve chosen “New Horizons”. It’s a melodic sequence that uses the sequence’s chord feature with a minor 7 chord. You can hold a single note and let the melody unfold. The Morph macro changes the sound into a more synthetic brass timbre. Mod wheel and aftertouch are setup to allow some expressiveness.
New Loops - on Augmented BRASS
The main strength of Augmented Brass has to be the wide range of factory samples to sculpt sounds from. Being able to layer and blend samples with synth sounds is a very creative way to approach sound design. Having great effects is the icing on the cake.
My approach is usually the same each time. First I’ll start with my own custom template, then Iíll selected sound sources and envelope shapes depending on the type of preset required. Iíll usually set up filters and modulations before finally adding effects. Sometimes Iíll do it all backwards and select a convolution reverb first and put sounds through it.
Arturia’s Augmented Brass is a really good instrument for creative brass sounds. It allows you to explore the extreme fringes of brass with some authentic emulations, along side crazy experimental sounds.
Redemption
For my preset Redemption, I wanted a slow-evolving epic brass ensemble that can sound like a soft ethereal brass, then transform into a harsh, resonant, massive brass. I started with filtered orchestral brasses, then added two rich wavetables engines controlled through the Morph Macro. The sonic evolution you heard in the sound demo is accomplished with the Color and Morph macros.
Gustavo - on Augmented BRASS
I was impressed by Augmented Brass’ capabilities. The multi-sampled brass are vast and blend seamlessly with the synth engines, creating a modern sound. The modulation system is powerful, and the effects are top-notch. The engines has lot of presets for quick use, and is versatile for a range of music genres. Highly recommended for anyone seeking an exceptional brass synthesizer.
With Augmented Brass, I started by exploring the top-notch brass samples, which inspired many sound design ideas. I used the extensive modulation system to create expressive and original sounds that react to the player’s touch. Once I knew my sources and available tools, materializing my sound design ideas was super easy. It’s always part of the process to deviate from initial ideas and end up with something even better!
The Procession
Arovane
This rhythmic sequence combined with a pad shows cinematic qualities. Morph fades from a melancholic pad to a slow pulse. Motion introduces a second, superimposed, faster pulse. Delay and reverb increase the spatial depth of the sound.
Arovane - on Augmented BRASS
The Augmented Instruments are characterized by enormous tonal flexibility and high sound quality. The preset bank system is well designed and supports me very well in my musical work. The modulation options are diverse and the morphing raises the instrument to the next level.
The possibility of morphing between two sounds really appealed to me. That and the excellent FX unit as well as the modulation options stimulated my imagination to program presets. It was very exciting to combine acoustic instruments with synthetic sounds.
Angelic Rim
Richard Veenstra
This preset is perfect as a base for a cinematic cue. Using the morph and color knobs you can tell a whole story with just one note. The granular engine on layer B adds a dystopian texture to the patch.
Richard Veenstra - on Augmented BRASS
The morph knob is the most powerful element of Augmented Brass. It’s really great to turn a classic patch of acoustic horns into a heavy synth-based braaaam sound. The addition of unusual playing techniques make the instrument into a real gem.
I wanted to create sounds that are unheard of in other brass-like synthesizers. This meant looking further than what a traditional brass instrument is and define what a brass sound can mean for modern music production.
Victor Morello - on Augmented BRASS
Easy access to a wide range of modulators and effects were a must for creating compelling and lively patches. I especially enjoyed the quality of the samples and the ability to have two parallel chains of instrument going on.
I focused on sounds that were simple and inspiring, while making a few that would also propose a musical or melodic idea, in the hope of sparking musical inspiration.
Logos Cluster
This sound is a nod to a certain classic sci-fi movie whom I both love the soundtrack and aesthetics. It adds a sixth harmony which gives it a peculiar, slightly mysterious feeling. Playing single sustained notes or simple triads works best on it.
Ancien Brass
Jean-Michel Blanchet
When you hold a chord you’ll get an evolving cinematic pad sound using the dynamic morphing sweep from A, a classical orchestral brass to B, a wide and deep pad sound. For me, this preset represents, on its own, all the expressiveness and the possibilities of transforming the sound thanks to the morph and other macros controllers.
Jean-Michel Blanchet - on Augmented BRASS
By Layering the basic brass samples and processed brass samples using the different audio engines included in Augmented Brass. It was a very big source of inspiration for me! It still allows me to create beautiful textures and tones, simply by using these audio engines combined with morphing or the various macro controllers.
I always think of an idea and start from scratch before making presets. I spend some time to listen the basic samples to see where I could go with this texture or this basic sound. Then, by trying out the different audio engines included in Augmented, I’m able to imagine a story to make this Brass sound evolve into a whole new universe thanks to morphing and macros.
Pop Zest
Ed TenEyck
This dual octave preset has a 'bite' in the highs that comes from the Wavetable and Harmonic engines, which I love! Turning up Layer B's FX adds a harmony that can be useful when called for. Aftertouch is assigned to a Tremolo effect's depth and rate, which can be a lot of fun.
Ed TenEyck - on Augmented BRASS
The main strengths to me are the ability to assign multiple parameters from different engines to the Morph knob and doing so with a well laid out, easy to use modulation system.
My approach this time was to start by choosing two samples for the Sample engines then choosing two synth engines. Afterwards I dialled in the synth engine sounds a bit then assigned all Morph knob modulations to them, then adjusted filter settings. From there I assigned FX and Movement modulations, adjusting volume and re-adjusting previous assignments along the way.