The Material Pad works as a matrix of Stiffness (x-axis) and Inner Loss (y-axis) values.
The four corners of the Material Pad display different material names. These each represent a combination of maximum/minimum Stiffness and Inner Loss values. The combination of the Inner Loss and Stiffness parameter positions determine the string material and, therefore, the general timbre of your sound. Here are examples of how Inner Loss and Stiffness settings can change the tonal color:
Low Stiffness values, combined with low Inner Loss values, lead to metallic sounds.
Higher Stiffness values, combined with low Inner Loss values, make the sound become more bell-like or glass-like.
Higher Inner Loss values, combined with a low Stiffness level, correspond to nylon or catgut strings.
High Stiffness values, combined with high Inner Loss values, simulate wood-like materials.
Inner Loss: Emulate damping of the string caused by the string material—steel, glass, nylon, or wood. These are frequency-dependent losses that cause the sound to become more mellow during the decay phase.
Stiffness: Set the rigidity of the string. In reality, this is determined by the string material and diameter—or, to be more precise, by its geometrical moment of inertia. Increasing the Stiffness parameter to the maximum value turns the string into a solid metal bar. Stiffer strings also exhibit an inharmonic vibration, where overtones are not integer multiples of the base frequency. Rather, they have higher frequencies, which can make upper/lower notes sound somewhat out of tune with each other.
Material Pad ball: Drag to control both the Inner Loss and Stiffness parameters simultaneously. The ball marks a specific point on the X and Y planes.
Note: The thickness of the string—the green horizontal line in the Pickup display—changes as you move the ball. See Sculpture string parameter sliders.