EDM PRODUCTION

Ableton Tension is a type of physical modeling synthesis. Tension computes saw waves and sounds that imitate vibrating strings from stringed instruments (guitars, harps, violins, etc). Tension is super powerful and makes beautiful sounds, but it is easily irritable. A slight change of a parameter can ruin a glorious piece of vibration. Here are common parameters of Ableton Tension:

Voices
Under the filter/global section there is voices. The voice controls the amount of strings. Mono is for a one stringed instrument. For making vibrations like a guitar try 8 voices. The voices and portamento are the distinctive part of the filter/global section. Other parameters in this section are hopefully super familiar. The bulk of distortions will happen in the strings section of tension.

Excitator
The excitator is the object playing the string, starting the vibration. Could be a bow, a hammer, a plectrum (guitar pick). The hand strumming the stings. If the excitator is off, then nothing will play.

Damper
The damper turns the string off, stops the vibration.

Termination
Determines how hard or soft the strings are being pressed. The other hand that is pressing on the strings to make a note.

Pickup
Turns the acoustic modeling into electric modeling.

Body
The body is the shape of the instrument that the vibrations are resonating from. The shape of a guitar, violin etc.

String Parameters
Under the string parameters there are options for decay, key, ratio, inharm, damping and much more. These parameters effect the strings tightness and tune. Having the inharm and damping all the way up will create really sour sounds. So use the inharm and damping in relation together for more sweet sounds.

Learn how to make Super Saw Waves in Serum here.