Using LFOs to Modulate Parameters - Creating Tracks
Last week we looked at using envelopes to modulate parameters. This week we look at using LFOs to modulate parameters and discuss how they are different. This in-depth video tutorial shares what an LFO is and how they can be used in some of the most common applications for music production.
An LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) generates sound below the 20Hz mark, so humans cannot hear them. This makes them a perfectly silent tool that you can use in some very creative ways to manipulate, modulate and otherwise affect sounds and tools throughout the music production world. They work much the same way as envelopes do. The difference is that envelopes are a fixed model, while LFOs are oscillators that can be loaded with different types of waveforms to affect whatever they are assigned to modulate in different ways.
Although LFOs may vary from synth-to-synth and plugin-to-plugin, there are usually some shared common parameters that you can control them through. Parameters like rate, depth, waveform type, etc all work together to create a unique and exactly modulation controller. Some synths allow you to assign the same LFO to many different parameters throughout the synth at once. This can help bring a level of continuity and complexity to your sound design sessions that open up infinite possibilities.
If, after following along with this video tutorial, you are still unsure about how an LFO basically works, you should spend some time freely experimenting with them. Set up a basic sine wave in an LFO and assign it to modulate different parameters in a synth. Nothing too complex at first. Pay attention to the waveform shape and the rate at which the LFO is oscillating. How is it affecting your sound? Is it doing what you expected?
LFOs can be used to create subtle vibrato or fierce dubstep wobbles. They can be used to create long-form changes in dreamy ambient pads or add a dash of randomness to an arpeggiated sequence. They can be used to help you morph between different sounds or be used as a trigger to turn things on and off. LFOs are one of the most flexible tools in the audio professional's arsenal and you will probably continue to find new uses for them in your own projects for many, many, many more years to come.
Cheers,
OhmLab