# Build Solar Brass in Ableton Live

Solar Brass is a brass sound made with Analog, Chorus-Ensemble, Reverb and Utility.

Signal flow: **Analog → Chorus-Ensemble → Reverb → Utility**. Use stock devices in **Ableton Live 12 Suite**.

F1 Freq: 950; AEG1 Attack: 35 ms.

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

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Finished Solar Brass"><source src="audio/solar-brass.webm" type="audio/webm"></audio>

[Finished sound — WebM/Opus](audio/solar-brass.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 → Chorus-Ensemble → Reverb → Utility**. Begin with the instrument, then add each effect in its numbered step.

| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Voices | 8 |
| Volume | -6.0 dB |
| OSC1 Shape | Saw |
| OSC1 Level | -8.0 dB |
| OSC1 Balance | F1 |
| AMP1 On/Off | On |
| AMP1 Level | -6.0 dB |
| AMP2 On/Off | Off |
| AEG1 Attack | 35 ms |
| AEG1 Decay | 850 ms |
| AEG1 Sustain | 0.80 |
| AEG1 Rel | 350 ms |
| AEG1 &lt; Vel | 3.00 |
| Unison On/Off | Off |
| Press Dest A | Filter 1 Cutoff |
| Press Amt A | 15 % |
| OSC2 On/Off | Off |
| Noise On/Off | Off |
| F1 On/Off | Off |
| F2 On/Off | Off |

![Solar Brass — Analog — step 1](screenshots/step-01.png)

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Solar Brass 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 | 46 % |
| OSC2 Level | -15 dB |
| OSC2 Detune | 0.03 |
| OSC2 Balance | F1 |
| Noise On/Off | Off |
| F1 On/Off | On |
| F1 Type | Low-pass 12dB/oct |
| F1 Drive | Sym1 |
| F1 Freq | 950 |
| F1 Resonance | 20 % |
| F1 Freq &lt; Env | 2.00 |
| F1 Freq &lt; Key | 0.60 |
| F1 To F2 | 0 % |
| F2 On/Off | Off |
| FEG1 Attack | 70 ms |
| FEG1 Decay | 350 ms |
| FEG1 Sustain | 0.45 |
| FEG1 Rel | 420 ms |
| LFO1 On/Off | Off |

![Solar Brass — Analog — step 2](screenshots/step-02.png)

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Solar Brass 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 Chorus-Ensemble

Select the mode, then set Rate, Amount and Dry/Wet. Rate controls the speed of movement, Amount controls its depth and Width sets its stereo spread. The high-pass setting limits the low-frequency content entering the chorus.

| Control | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Mode | Chorus |
| Rate | 0.40 Hz |
| Amount | 14 % |
| Dry/Wet | 16 % |
| HP On | On |
| HP Freq | 200 Hz |

Place Chorus-Ensemble after **Analog**. The [complete settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md#chorus-ensemble) include its remaining controls.

![Solar Brass — Chorus-Ensemble — step 3](screenshots/step-03.png)

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Solar Brass 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 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 | 12.0 ms |
| In Lo Cut On | Off |
| In Hi Cut On | Off |
| Diff. Hi Freq | 4.50 kHz |
| HiShelf Gain | 0.60 |
| Density | High |
| Freeze On | Off |
| Decay Time | 1.40 s |
| Room Size | 65.00 |
| Dry/Wet | 14 % |

Place Reverb after **Chorus-Ensemble**. The [complete settings](ALL_PARAMETERS.md#reverb) include its remaining controls.

![Solar Brass — Reverb — step 4](screenshots/step-04.png)

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Solar Brass 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)

## 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 | 7.95 dB |
| DC Filter | On |

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

![Solar Brass — Utility — step 5](screenshots/step-05.png)

<audio controls preload="none" aria-label="Solar Brass after step 5"><source src="audio/steps/step-05.webm" type="audio/webm"></audio>

[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/solar-brass.webm)

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