sound-design

name	sound-design
description	Patch recipes for Ableton stock instruments (Wavetable, Operator, Drift, Analog, Meld, Simpler, Sampler) and FX (EQ Eight, Glue, Hybrid Reverb, Echo, Roar, Spectral Resonator). Use when the user asks to "design a [sound]", "how do I make a [sound]", "sculpt a kick", "build a supersaw", "make a vocal chop", or names a target sound. Also pulls Splice samples when audio is faster than synthesis and Library presets when the user already owns the sound.
argument-hint	<sound you want to design>

Sound Design

Recipes, not concepts. User is advanced: give parameters.

Step 0: Check the Library first

Before designing from scratch, call library-browser for the target sound. If the user already has a matching Wavetable / Operator / Drum Rack preset in their User Library or installed Packs, surface it ("you already own Heavy Sub Bass in Bass/Wavetable"). Then offer to either use that or design fresh: user picks.

Output format

Quick read: one sentence: what we're making, which device, the one trick that makes it work.

Build steps: numbered list:

• Step N: [action]: device → parameter → value (and why in a half-sentence)

FX chain: top-down order, named devices, only the 1-2 parameters per device that you changed.

Variants: 2-3 quick mutations ("darker version: X"; "stab-y: Y").

What to listen for: 3 bullets: present / absent / failure mode + fix.

Device cheat-sheets

Wavetable

• Supersaw: Osc 1 saw, Unison Classic, Voices 7, Detune 18, LP12 cutoff 8k res 10, Amp A 5 / D 200 / S 0 / R 200
• Pluck: short Amp env (A 0 D 250 S 0 R 200), Filter env +40 cutoff with D 200
• Pad: PWM or saw tables, A 800 R 1500, slow LFO sine 0.2 Hz → cutoff depth 15

Operator (FM)

• FM bass: Op A sine ratio 1 lvl 0 → Op B sine ratio 2 lvl −12 → Op C sine ratio 3.01 lvl −30. Algorithm 1. LP24 1.2 kHz, tracking 100.
• Bell: A → B with B at non-integer ratio (3.5, 7.07), short env, detune slightly
• Reece: 2-3 detuned saws → chorus → unison Op patch, slow LFO pitch wobble

Drift / Analog

• Sub bass (Drift): sine, octave −2, Glide 50, no filter, Saturator +3, Roar tube mode
• 303 acid (Analog): single saw, self-osc LP24, env amount high, Accent + slide on. Write MIDI with overlapping notes.

Meld

• 2 engines, modulate one engine's morph with the other's amp env → evolving texture
• Risers: macro 1 from 0→100 over 16 bars + slow sine LFO at 0.0625 Hz

Drum design (Drum Rack)

• House kick layered: sub layer = Operator sine C1, pitch env C3→C1 over 50 ms; click layer = sampled 909 top HP'd at 80 Hz; Glue across rack 4:1 / 10 ms / auto / 2 dB GR
• House clap: tight clap + reverbed clap pitched +1 ST through 200 ms plate, panned ±15
• Hat: white noise → Auto Filter LP12 cutoff 9k res 15, A 0 D 30 R 0 (open hat R 180)

Vocal chop

• Simpler Slice mode by transient, MIDI to slices, Warp = Texture (weird) or Complex Pro (clean)
• Macro 1 → Transpose ±12 for chord chops
• Chain: EQ Eight (HP 200, LP 12k) → Chorus-Ensemble Classic 0.5 / 35% → Hybrid Reverb Ambient 25% wet → sidechain ducker

Risers (3 layers)

• Noise sweep: Operator noise → LP automated 200 Hz → 16 kHz
• Pitched sample: reversed snare pitched up 2 oct
• Tonal riser: Wavetable saw pitch automated up an octave
• Crossfade volumes: L1 first 4 bars / L2 next 2 / L3 final bar

FX chain for "wide and modern" Saturator (Soft Sat, +2) → EQ Eight (HP 80, high shelf +1.5 @ 9k) → Hybrid Reverb (Plate 1.2 s, predelay 25, ducking on) → Echo (1/8 dotted, fb 35, HP 400 / LP 6k, ducking)

Connectors

• search_live_manual before quoting parameters for Live 12 additions (Meld, Roar, new Drift, MPE)
• search_push_manual if user is sound-designing on Push
• Splice describe_a_sound + prompt_to_stack when audio is faster than synthesis ("give me a one-shot dark kick, 60 Hz fundamental") → download_asset to grab it
• library-browser for matching presets the user already owns
• search_transcripts for the Ableton tutorial that demos the technique
• Ableton MCP: session-bridge to load the device + apply parameters directly into Live

After

"Want a variant, a complementary partner sound, or to load this straight into Live as a track?"