# Build Polar Beacon in Ableton Live
Polar Beacon is an evolving synth sound made with Meld, Delay, Reverb and Utility.
Signal flow: **Meld → Delay → Reverb → Utility**. Use stock devices in **Ableton Live 12 Suite**.
A Osc Type: Swarm Triangle (♭♯); A Filter Freq: 2.60 kHz; A Amp Attack: 650 ms.
[Complete device settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md) · [Instrument settings](STARTING_STATE.md)
[Finished sound — WebM/Opus](audio/polar-beacon.webm)
## Step 1 — Shape engine A and its amplitude contour
Choose engine A’s oscillator type and set its two named macros. Swarm Triangle uses Motion and Spacing for internal movement and interval spread. Set engine A’s tuning, level and amplitude envelope with its filter bypassed.
Use **Meld** with the [complete starting settings](STARTING_STATE.md). Set the source and amplitude controls below; sections marked Off stay bypassed at this stage.
Signal flow: **Meld → Delay → Reverb → Utility**. Begin with the instrument, then add each effect in its numbered step.
| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| A On | On |
| A Osc Type | Swarm Triangle (♭♯) |
| A Osc Motion | 28.0 |
| A Osc Spacing | 24.0 |
| A Volume | -10 dB |
| A Amp Attack | 650 ms |
| A Amp Decay | 3.20 s |
| A Amp Sustain | -4.0 dB |
| A Amp Release | 1.90 s |
| Drive | 5.0 % |
| Volume | -8.0 dB |
| Scale Aware | Off |
| B On | Off |
| A Filter On | Off |
| Voice Spread | 0 % |
### Voicing and modulation
Set these voice and controller assignments for both engines. Unlisted modulation cells remain at zero. Spread moves each engine’s detuning and pan in opposite directions. The engine oscillator macros provide additional internal motion.
| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Voicing | Poly |
| Poly voices | 8 |
| Stacked voices | Off |
| Spread → A Detune | 50 |
| Pitch Bend → A Pitch Mod | 7 st |
| Note Pitch Bend → A Pitch Mod | 48 st |
| Spread → A Pan | 50 |
| Velocity → A Volume | 50 |
| Spread → B Detune | -50 |
| Pitch Bend → B Pitch Mod | 7 st |
| Note Pitch Bend → B Pitch Mod | 48 st |
| Spread → B Pan | -50 |
| Velocity → B Volume | 50 |
Use the [voicing and modulation settings](STARTING_STATE.md#voicing-and-modulation) for the oscillator choices, voice mode and modulation routes.
[Sound after step 1 — WebM/Opus](audio/steps/step-01.webm)
## Step 2 — Layer engine B and shape the stereo tone
Enable engine B and engine A’s filter using the states below. Choose engine B’s oscillator type, then shape each engine’s filter and envelope. Set Voice Spread for the global detuning and stereo distribution; the voicing and modulation table specifies its routes.
Keep the first stage’s source and amplitude settings while making these changes. The [complete instrument settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md#meld) show the resulting tone before effects.
| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| A Filter Type | SVF 12dB |
| A Filter Freq | 2.60 kHz |
| A Filter Q | 12.0 |
| B On | On |
| B Osc Type | Basic Shapes |
| B Osc Shape | 0.0 |
| B Osc Tone | 0.0 |
| B Octave | 1 oct |
| B Volume | -22 dB |
| B Filter Freq | 3.60 kHz |
| B Amp Attack | 1.10 s |
| B Amp Decay | 4.00 s |
| B Amp Sustain | -6.0 dB |
| B Amp Release | 2.20 s |
| Voice Spread | 25 % |
| A Filter On | On |
[Sound after step 2 — WebM/Opus](audio/steps/step-02.webm)
## Step 3 — Apply Delay
Set the left and right delay modes and times, then set Feedback and Dry/Wet. Unequal times create a stereo echo pattern. Feedback changes how long repeats persist; filtering changes their tone. The modulation controls move the delay’s timing or filter when their amounts are above zero.
| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| L Sync | Off |
| R Sync | Off |
| Link | Off |
| L Time | 340 ms |
| R Time | 470 ms |
| Ping Pong | On |
| Feedback | 30 % |
| Dry/Wet | 22 % |
| Filter Freq | 1.70 kHz |
| Filter Width | 3.00 |
| LFO Freq | 0.18 Hz |
| LFO > Delay | 2.0 % |
| LFO > Filter | 4.0 % |
| Freeze | Off |
Place Delay after **Meld**. The [complete settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md#delay) include its remaining controls.
[Sound after step 3 — WebM/Opus](audio/steps/step-03.webm)
## Step 4 — Apply Reverb
Set decay, room size and Dry/Wet for the surrounding space. Predelay separates the direct attack from the room. Input filtering shapes what excites the reverb, while diffusion and high-frequency damping change the density and brightness of its tail.
| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Predelay | 30.0 ms |
| In Lo Cut On | Off |
| In Hi Cut On | Off |
| Diff. Hi Freq | 3.20 kHz |
| HiShelf Gain | 0.60 |
| Density | High |
| Freeze On | Off |
| Decay Time | 3.30 s |
| Room Size | 90.00 |
| Dry/Wet | 20 % |
Place Reverb after **Delay**. The [complete settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md#reverb) include its remaining controls.
[Sound after step 4 — WebM/Opus](audio/steps/step-04.webm)
## Step 5 — Apply Utility
Set gain and width at the end of the chain. Set Utility’s **Gain** knob to the **Output** value in the table. Width changes the balance between center and side information; Mono combines the channels. Bass Mono narrows only the low frequencies below its cutoff. Keep DC Filter and phase-inversion switches at the listed values.
| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Output | 16.5 dB |
| DC Filter | On |
| Bass Mono | On |
| Bass Freq | 160 Hz |
Place Utility after **Reverb**. The [complete settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md#utility) include its remaining controls.
[Sound after step 5 — WebM/Opus](audio/steps/step-05.webm)
## Downloads and settings
- [Complete settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md)
- [Starting settings](STARTING_STATE.md)
- [Finished sound — WebM/Opus](audio/polar-beacon.webm)
[Read this guide on playgrid.cc](https://playgrid.cc/tutorials/polar-beacon/)