Quick start<\/p>
Activating & deactivating the license<\/h2>\n
Each license you buy lets you activate the plugin on 3 computers at a time.<\/p>\n
If you need to run it on another machine, first deactivate the plugin's license on one of your machines.<\/p>\n
When a license is deactivated<\/h3>\n
Your plugin is still usable, but in a frozen state: your existing sessions will load the plugin and its parameters in their last saved state. However, you won't be able to access the user interface to tweak its parameters.<\/p>\n<\/section>\nUsing L\u00d8W<\/p>
Global controls<\/h2>\n
These controls affect the overall behavior of the L\u00d8W instance.<\/p>\n![\"Global](\"https:\/\/beatsurfing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/low-guide-global-knobs.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n- Bend amount<\/dt>
- Sets the sensitivity and range of your MIDI controller's pitch bend wheel.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Velocity sensitivity<\/dt>
- How much the incoming note velocity (how hard you press the key) affects the sound's parameters, such as volume or filter cutoff.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Gain<\/dt>
- The main output gain: the final volume of the plugin before it leaves the channel.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Dark \/ light mode<\/dt>
- Click the moon or the sun to switch between the dark and light interface.<\/dd><\/div>\n<\/dl>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/beatsurfing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/low-guide-dark-light-mode.webp\")
<\/figure>\n<\/section>\nUsing L\u00d8W<\/p>
Envelopes<\/h2>\n
The 12 free-hand envelopes are the heart of L\u00d8W's sound shaping. Each one can be shaped in three ways.<\/p>\n
\n
\n- Hand sculpting<\/dt>
- Click and drag over the envelope display to draw any shape you can imagine.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Shape library<\/dt>
- Cycle through a variety of useful preset shapes as a starting point.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Warp mode<\/dt>
- Turn on Warp<\/strong> to lock the current shape: clicking and dragging now warps and bends the whole envelope while keeping its core character. Switch Warp on and off to alternate between drawing and warping.<\/dd><\/div>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>
![\"Warp](\"https:\/\/beatsurfing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/low-guide-warp-shape-library.webp\")
<\/figure><\/div>\nLooping<\/h3>\n
With looping on, holding a note plays the envelope from start to finish, then loops the section between the loop markers.<\/p>\n
\n
\n- Loop markers<\/dt>
- Drag the sliders at the bottom of the envelope display to set the section to loop.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Amount<\/dt>
- Intensity of the envelope: no effect at 0%, full modulation at 100%.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Attack<\/dt>
- How long the modulation takes to ramp up to its initial peak.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Release<\/dt>
- How long the modulation takes to fade out after the note is released.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Rate<\/dt>
- Speed of the envelope, including the playback speed of the looped section.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Drift<\/dt>
- Adds subtle random variations to the loop playback: an organic, analog-style instability that makes your basslines feel less static and more alive.<\/dd><\/div>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>
![\"Envelope](\"https:\/\/beatsurfing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/low-guide-envelope-knobs.webp\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/section>\nUsing L\u00d8W<\/p>
Modifiers<\/h2>\n
This global section shapes all 12 envelopes at once.<\/p>\n![\"Modifiers](\"https:\/\/beatsurfing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/low-guide-modifiers.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n- Depth<\/dt>
- \u201cFractalizes\u201d the envelopes: the higher the depth, the more often the envelope line is cut and displaced, adding complexity and jaggedness.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Offset<\/dt>
- Offsets the fractal pattern applied by Depth, so you can find a sweet spot in the complex modulation.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Smooth<\/dt>
- Softens sharp edges and jaggedness, whether drawn or created by Depth.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Contrast<\/dt>
- Makes the shapes more extreme: low points lower, high points higher.<\/dd><\/div>\n<\/dl>\n
Try it<\/h3>\n\n
\n- Draw a simple, straight horizontal line in an envelope.<\/li>\n
- Slowly turn Depth up from 0 to 10.<\/li>\n
- Watch the line become more and more jagged and complex.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>
![\"DNA](\"https:\/\/beatsurfing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/low-guide-dna-gain.webp\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/section>\nUsing L\u00d8W<\/p>
Oscillator view<\/h2>\n
Switch between L\u00d8W's two main editing pages with Oscillator<\/strong> and Filters<\/strong>, at the top left of the plugin.<\/p>\nDNA<\/h3>\n\n
The DNA section is the core of the synth.<\/p>\n
\n- Engines<\/dt>
- Switch between L\u00d8W's synth engines, each with its own foundational bass character.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Seed<\/dt>
- A variation of the selected engine's internal parameters, pictured in the DNA view.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Stereo<\/dt>
- Stereo width of the sound.<\/dd><\/div>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>
![\"DNA](\"https:\/\/beatsurfing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/low-guide-dna.webp\")
<\/figure><\/div>\nPitch hold<\/h3>\n\n
The button in the middle of the pitch envelopes selects Gate<\/strong> or Hold<\/strong> mode.<\/p>\n\n- Gate:<\/strong> the envelope loop continues as long as the note is held.<\/li>\n
- Hold:<\/strong> the envelope loop plays for a fixed time, set by the Duration<\/strong> knob.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![\"Hold](\"https:\/\/beatsurfing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/low-guide-pitch-hold.webp\")
<\/figure><\/div>\nPitch impact<\/h3>\n\n
Draw and control the initial impact of the pitch: perfect for percussive \u201cthwacks\u201d or \u201czaps\u201d at the start of a note, in the classic 808 style.<\/p>\n
\n- Pitch<\/dt>
- Amount of pitch impact applied by the envelope.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Duration<\/dt>
- Duration of the pitch impact envelope.<\/dd><\/div>\n
- Type<\/dt>
- Absolute:<\/strong> the impact goes up to a fixed pitch. Relative<\/strong> (default): the impact is relative to the note you play.<\/dd><\/div>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>
![\"Pitch](\"https:\/\/beatsurfing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/low-guide-pitch-impact.webp\")
<\/figure><\/div>\nPitch drop<\/h3>\n
This envelope controls the pitch drop. Pitch<\/strong> sets the amount of the drop, Duration<\/strong> how long it takes.<\/p>\n