ARTURIA PIGMENTS Tutorial: Features and Sound Controls in Each Section

Packed with Comprehensive Synth Editing Tools

In this article, we will explore PIGMENTS, the synthesizer from Arturia.

PIGMENTS offers flexible sound control through wavetable-capable oscillators, a wide variety of filters, and freely assignable modulation sources, among other features.

It also includes a built-in sequencer and arpeggiator for creating phrases, while the effects section provides nine effects slots in total: six inserts and three sends.

First, listen to this demo song created using PIGMENTS.
All of the synth tracks in the song were created with PIGMENTS.

ARTURIA PIGMENTS Product Video

About the 2019 PIGMENTS Giveaway

The Wavetable-Capable Oscillator Section

Let’s start with the oscillator section.

The two sound engines can each use either wavetable synthesis, which has become popular in recent years, or classic analog synthesis.

In wavetable mode, you can load a wide range of supplied waveform data.

Use Position to select the part of the wavetable to play.

The loaded waveform can be processed with modulation options essential to modern sound design, including FM, PHASE, PHASE DISTORTION, and WAVEFOLDING.
These let you add striking, complex harmonics to the sound.

You can also load your own wavetable data into an oscillator.
Simply select Imported, then import the WAV file you want to use.

Next, let’s look at the analog oscillator mode.

In Analog mode, you can layer up to three waveforms.
One notable control is Drift, which recreates the pitch fluctuations characteristic of analog synths, producing a thick, warm sound.

Visual Modulation

One of PIGMENTS’ strengths is that you can see modulation assignments, such as envelopes and LFOs, along with the changes in their values.

The interface is designed to show the modulation status on a single screen, making even complex sound editing much easier.

To apply modulation to a parameter, click the modulation source to select it.

Then simply drag around the outer edge of the knob you want to modulate.
You can also adjust the modulation amount, and the movement is displayed graphically.

As shown here, each modulation source displays all the parameters assigned to it.

A Wide Range of Filters

The filter section contains two filters.

You can route these filters in series or in parallel.

Filter types include MultiMode, which provides standard low-pass and high-pass filtering.

There are also filters modeled on vintage synths, such as SEM and Mini.
Specialized options such as Comb and a formant shifter are available as well, allowing you to create a broad range of distinctive sounds.

DAW-Synced Rhythms with Function Generators

Next, let’s look at the function generators.

This section combines characteristics of envelopes and LFOs. You can switch its behavior using PlayMode.

• One: Plays once when triggered (one-shot).
• Loops after a trigger until the next trigger is received.
• Runs continuously, ignoring all triggers.

Click to add points freely and create the curve you want.
You can also fine-tune the curvature of the segments connecting each point.

The points can be synchronized to your DAW’s tempo, making this particularly useful for creating rhythmic modulation effects.

Automatically Generate Synth Phrases with the Sequencer and Arpeggiator

PIGMENTS also includes two familiar synthesizer tools: a sequencer and an arpeggiator.

The sequencer generates phrase patterns from incoming notes.
You can build a pattern with up to 16 steps.

You can also choose a scale in the PITCH section.
For example, selecting Natural Minor plays a natural minor phrase using the note you play as the root.

In addition to PITCH, each step has settings such as OCTAVE, VELOCITY, GATE LENGTH, and SLIDE.
One particularly distinctive feature is TRIG PROBA.

This controls the probability that a step will sound. At 50%, for example, the note will play on roughly one out of every two passes on average, rather than necessarily on alternating loops.
This introduces variation into a repeated phrase and helps keep it from becoming monotonous.

The Effects Section

Finally, let’s look at the effects section.

The effects are organized into three groups—Bus A, Bus B, and Send Bus—with up to three effects in each group.
You can also control the output levels of Bus A and Bus B independently.

Alongside standard effects, there is a wide selection of distortion effects, including Overdrive, Distortion, Wavefolder, and Bitcrusher, giving you plenty of scope for modern sound design.

What did you think?

At the time of this article, PIGMENTS was a relatively late arrival in the wavetable synthesizer category.
Even so, we felt that this had helped make it a well-rounded product capable of meeting a wide range of users’ needs.
A demo version was also available, so we encouraged readers to try it for themselves.

Introducing PIGMENTS 🎹, Arturia’s first original software synthesizer ✨
It combines virtual analog and wavetable synthesis.
The video includes a demo song created with PIGMENTS 🎵
Details: https://t.co/4RxrFNgZDv⁰
Presented by Sleepfreaks instructor Tomoki Miyakawa @l75_3 pic.twitter.com/tKgrHAevbn

— SLEEP FREAKS (@SLEEPFREAKS_DTM) February 28, 2019

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What kind of synthesizer is ARTURIA PIGMENTS?

PIGMENTS is a hybrid synthesizer that supports both wavetable and classic analog synthesis. Its extensive waveform library, diverse filters, and visual modulation tools let you create modern, distinctive sounds.

Q2. What makes PIGMENTS’ modulation features distinctive?

Envelope, LFO, and other modulation assignments are shown visually. Click a modulation source, then drag around the outer edge of a parameter knob to apply it. This graphical approach makes complex sound editing easier.

Q3. What effects does PIGMENTS include?

There are three groups—Bus A, Bus B, and Send Bus—with nine effects slots in total. A broad selection of distortion effects, including Overdrive, Distortion, Wavefolder, and Bitcrusher, supports modern sound design.

Q4. What does the sequencer’s TRIG PROBA feature do?

TRIG PROBA controls the probability that a step will sound. At 50%, for example, a note plays on roughly one out of every two passes on average. This adds variation to a looped phrase and helps prevent monotony.