ES M overview in MainStage
The monophonic ES M (ES Mono) synthesizer is a good starting point if you’re looking for bass sounds that punch through your mix.
ES M features an automatic fingered portamento mode, making bass slides easy. It also provides an automatic filter compensation circuit that delivers rich, creamy basses, even when you use higher resonance values.
ES M produces sounds using subtractive synthesis. It has an oscillator that generates harmonically rich waveforms. You subtract—cut, or filter out—portions of these waveforms and reshape them to create new sounds.
If you’re new to synthesizers, see Synthesizer basics overview, which will introduce you to the terminology and give you an overview of different synthesis methods and how they work.
If you’re new to using plug-ins in MainStage, see Add and remove plug-ins in MainStage.
ES M is divided into several areas.
Oscillator parameters: The oscillator Mix and Octave parameters are shown in the area to the left. The oscillator generates the basic waveforms that form the basis of your sound. See ES M oscillator parameters.
Filter and filter envelope parameters: The section to the right of the Oscillator parameters includes the Cutoff (frequency) and Resonance knobs. The filter is used to contour the waveforms sent from the oscillators. The filter envelope parameters are found toward the upper right. These control the filter cutoff over time. See ES M filter and filter envelope.
Output parameters: The angle-shaped area to the lower right contains the level envelope and output parameters, which control the level of the sound over time. The Overdrive knob is located near the right edge of the interface, halfway up. The Overdrive can be used to color or add bite to the sound. See ES M envelope and output controls.
Extended parameters: Not shown in the image, the extended parameters are accessed by clicking the triangle at the lower left of the interface. These parameters include bend and tuning functions. See ES M extended parameters.