Quickly Create Evolving Textures in Dimension Pro

How to quickly create a unique, evolving, swirling, sound texture in Dimension Pro.

René Ceballos, one of the main developers behind Dimension Pro, wrote on the Cakewalk forums at one time that one of his favorite tricks to get evolving textures and soundscapes when looking for swirling, strange stuff is to play a sound forward and backward at the same time using the mod-wheel on the MIDI controller to cross-fade between them. Here are the steps to achieve this:

1. Play a couple of chords in any synth, in sequence.
2. Export to wav.
3. Create a patch that loads the wav in two layers, with one of the layers reversed.
4. Assign a controller to crossfade between both layers.

Once you have the sound recorded and the patch all set up, then play a note on the keyboard and move the mod-wheel controller to death. For example, play two chords in z3ta+, record them, load into Dimension Pro, and assign a controller to crossfade the two layers.

This is easily accomplished with a simple sfz text file:

<group>
sample=wave_name_here.wav
xf_cccurve=gain 

<region>
xfin_locc1=0
xfin_hicc1=127
direction=reverse

<region>
xfout_locc1=0
xfout_hicc1=127

In this example, a group is defined followed by two regions. The group applies the same sample to both regions and specifies that the cross-fade curve should be linear gain.

The first region will play the sample in reverse or backwards while the second region will play the sample normally or forward. The first region also maps the cross-fade-in parameter to follow the mod-wheel (continuous controller 1). The second region maps the cross-fade-out parameter to follow the mod-wheel.

Thus, the two layers play at the same time and you can hear one is backwards while one is forwards and you can control the mixing of the two together via the mod-wheel. Depending up on the sound used in the layers and how you play the mod-wheel you can get some strange-sounding and unique stuff with this technique.

Very cool.