Lesson 20

Main effects & performing

Shape the sound of your whole Set with its two main effects, and perform your song live by launching scenes, dropping parts out and restarting clips.

You’ll need:

A Move that is switched on
The Set from Lesson 18, with clips in two columns (two scenes)

The idea

Every track’s sound already has two effects of its own, as you saw in Lesson 8. On top of that, every Set has two main effects that work on the whole mix: all four tracks at once. In a new Set they are Dynamics (which evens out loud and quiet moments) and Saturator (which adds warmth and grit). Demo Sets may use others.

Because they work on everything, main effects are great for moments that change the whole song. Turn a knob slowly and the whole song gets darker, brighter or more crunchy. That’s the classic build-up: the music gets more and more tense, and then a drop releases it, when the full beat crashes back in.

Performing on Move means choosing, live, what plays when. You already have the tools:

Scenes switch sections, and they wait for the next bar, so you stay in time (Lesson 18).
Mute takes a part out and brings it back (Lesson 19).
Shift and Play together restart every playing clip from its beginning. Pressed a few times in a row, it makes a stuttering, skipping effect.

Press Note/Session to go to Session Mode. The main effects live here.
Didn’t work?
If the pads now play sounds, you were already in Session Mode. Press Note/Session once more.
You should see: Session Mode: your clips on the pads, one row per track.
Press Play. Effects are easiest to judge while the music runs.
You should hear: Your selected clips play.
Turn the wheel to pick one of the two main effects.
You should see: The display shows which main effect you have picked.
Touch a knob to see on the display what it changes, then turn it slowly. Try a few knobs. When you’re done, turn each one back to where it was, or leave it if you like the new sound.
Didn’t work?
Some knobs make only a small difference, especially on Dynamics. Try the other main effect too: turn the wheel to pick it, then turn its knobs.
You should hear: The whole mix changes, all tracks at once.
Now perform. Slide one finger quickly down the column of your older clips from Lesson 18, from top to bottom.
Didn’t work?
It must be one quick slide, while the music plays. If Move stopped, press Play first.
You should hear: On the next bar, your first scene plays.
Take the drums out: hold Mute and press the track button of your drum track.
Didn’t work?
Keep holding Mute until you’ve pressed the track button. While the drums are gone, try slowly turning a main effect knob to build tension.
You should hear: The drums drop out. Everything else keeps playing.
Right as a new bar starts, hold Mute and press the drum track button again.
Didn’t work?
Count the beats along with the music, “1, 2, 3, 4”, and press as you say “1”. It takes a bit of practice, so try it a few times.
You should hear: The drums crash back in: the drop.
Slide down the column with your new drum clip and the bass copy from Lesson 18.
You should hear: On the next bar, the song moves into your second section.
Hold Shift and press Play. Try tapping Play two or three times in a row while you keep Shift down, for a stuttering effect.
Didn’t work?
Without Shift, Play stops the music. If that happens, press Play again and carry on.
You should hear: All the playing clips jump back to their beginning, right away.
To end, slide down a column of dark pads. The drawing shows the column on the far right; use any column where every pad is dark.
Didn’t work?
Because the clock is still running, a scene you start now still comes in right on the bar. That’s handy for a clean restart.
You should hear: All the clips stop, but the music clock keeps running.
Press Play to stop the clock. Your performance is done.
You should hear: Silence.

Try it yourself

Plan a one-minute performance and play it through:

Start with the first scene, drums muted.
Unmute the drums on a bar start.
Switch to the second scene, and slowly turn up a main effect knob for a build-up.
Mute the drums for one bar, then bring them back for the drop.
End by sliding over an empty column.

Good to know

You can swap each main effect for a different one from Move’s browser, such as Reverb, Delay, Auto Filter or Redux. The choices are the same effects that Track Presets use.
Shift and Play restart clips in Note Mode too, not only in Session Mode.