# Build Slate Grove in Ableton Live

Slate Grove is a bass sound made with Analog, Saturator and Utility.

Signal flow: **Analog → Saturator → Utility**. Use stock devices in **Ableton Live 12 Suite**.

F1 Freq: 287; AEG1 Attack: 8 ms.

[Complete device settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md) · [Instrument settings](STARTING_STATE.md)

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Finished Slate Grove"><source src="audio/slate-grove.webm" type="audio/webm"></audio>

[Finished sound — WebM/Opus](audio/slate-grove.webm)

## Step 1 — Build the first oscillator and amplitude contour

Choose oscillator 1’s waveform and tuning, then set its level and amplifier envelope. The waveform supplies the harmonic material; the amplifier attack, decay, sustain and release shape its loudness over a note. **AEG1** means the amplifier 1 envelope; **FEG1** means the filter 1 envelope.

Use **Analog** 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: **Analog → Saturator → Utility**. Begin with the instrument, then add each effect in its numbered step.

| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Voices | Mono |
| Volume | -6.0 dB |
| OSC1 Shape | Saw |
| OSC1 Level | -6.0 dB |
| OSC1 Balance | F1 |
| AMP1 On/Off | On |
| AMP1 Level | -6.0 dB |
| AMP2 On/Off | Off |
| AEG1 Attack | 8 ms |
| AEG1 Decay | 360 ms |
| AEG1 Sustain | 0.65 |
| AEG1 Rel | 114 ms |
| AEG1 &lt; Vel | 2.50 |
| Unison On/Off | Off |
| Glide On/Off | Off |
| Press Dest A | Filter 1 Cutoff |
| Press Amt A | 12 % |
| OSC2 On/Off | Off |
| Noise On/Off | Off |
| F1 On/Off | Off |
| F2 On/Off | Off |

![Slate Grove — Analog — step 1](screenshots/step-01.png)

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Slate Grove after step 1"><source src="audio/steps/step-01.webm" type="audio/webm"></audio>

[Sound after step 1 — WebM/Opus](audio/steps/step-01.webm)

## Step 2 — Blend the oscillators and shape the filters

Bring in the second oscillator at the listed tuning and level. Enable the filter sections shown below, then set cutoff, resonance and filter-envelope depth. The envelope moves the harmonic ceiling during each note; key tracking changes that ceiling across the keyboard.

Keep the first stage’s source and amplitude settings while making these changes. The [complete instrument settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md#analog) show the resulting tone before effects.

Analog’s **F1 Freq** and **F2 Freq** values are in hertz.

| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| OSC2 On/Off | On |
| OSC2 Shape | Rect |
| OSC2 PW | 54 % |
| OSC2 Level | -12 dB |
| OSC2 Balance | F1 |
| Noise On/Off | Off |
| F1 On/Off | On |
| F1 Type | Low-pass 24dB/oct |
| F1 Drive | Sym1 |
| F1 Freq | 287 |
| F1 Resonance | 52 % |
| F1 Freq &lt; Env | 3.20 |
| F1 Freq &lt; Key | 0.50 |
| F1 To F2 | 0 % |
| F2 On/Off | Off |
| FEG1 Attack | 5 ms |
| FEG1 Decay | 210 ms |
| FEG1 Sustain | 0.08 |
| FEG1 Rel | 130 ms |
| LFO1 On/Off | On |
| LFO1 Shape | Sine |
| LFO1 Sync | Hertz |
| LFO1 Speed | 1.7 Hz |
| F1 Freq &lt; LFO | 0.12 |

![Slate Grove — Analog — step 2](screenshots/step-02.png)

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Slate Grove after step 2"><source src="audio/steps/step-02.webm" type="audio/webm"></audio>

[Sound after step 2 — WebM/Opus](audio/steps/step-02.webm)

## Step 3 — Apply Saturator

Select the curve before setting Drive. Drive changes the waveform’s harmonic content; Output balances the level after that change. Dry/Wet blends the processed and direct tone. Keep Color and clipping controls as listed because they alter the distortion character.

| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Type | Analog Clip |
| Drive | 3.0 dB |
| Output | -3.0 dB |
| Color On | Off |
| Pre Dc Filter | On |
| Dry/Wet | 70 % |

Place Saturator after **Analog**. The [complete settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md#saturator) include its remaining controls.

![Slate Grove — Saturator — step 3](screenshots/step-03.png)

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Slate Grove after step 3"><source src="audio/steps/step-03.webm" type="audio/webm"></audio>

[Sound after step 3 — WebM/Opus](audio/steps/step-03.webm)

## Step 4 — 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 | 2.99 dB |
| DC Filter | On |
| Mono | On |

Place Utility after **Saturator**. The [complete settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md#utility) include its remaining controls.

![Slate Grove — Utility — step 4](screenshots/step-04.png)

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Slate Grove after step 4"><source src="audio/steps/step-04.webm" type="audio/webm"></audio>

[Sound after step 4 — WebM/Opus](audio/steps/step-04.webm)

## Downloads and settings

- [Complete settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md)
- [Starting settings](STARTING_STATE.md)
- [Finished sound — WebM/Opus](audio/slate-grove.webm)

[Read this guide on playgrid.cc](https://playgrid.cc/tutorials/slate-grove/)