User Manual

CHAPTER 23. LIVE INSTRUMENT REFERENCE 430
23.13 Tension
The Tension Instrument.
Tension is a synthesizer dedicated to the emulation of string instruments, and developed in
collaboration with Applied Acoustics Systems. The synthesizer is entirely based on physical
modeling technology and uses no sampling or wavetables. Instead, it produces sound by
solving mathematical equations that model the different components in string instruments
and how they interact. This elaborate synthesis engine responds dynamically to the control
signals it receives while you play thereby reproducing the richness and responsiveness of
real string instruments.
The full version of Tension is not included with the standard version of Live, but is a special
feature available for purchase separately.
Tension features four types of excitators (two types of hammer, a pick and a bow) an accurate
model of a string, a model of the fret/nger interaction, a damper model and different types
of soundboards. The combination of these different elements allows for the reproduction of
a wide range of string instruments. Tension is also equipped with lters, LFOs and envelope
parameters that extend the sound sculpting possibilities beyond what would be possible
with real-world instruments. Finally, Tension offers a wide range of performance features,
including keyboard modes, portamento, vibrato and legato functions.
23.13.1 Architecture and Interface
It is the vibration from the string which constitutes the main sound production mechanism
of the instrument. The string is set into motion by the action of an excitator which can be