Create a lush chordal pad

1

To build a large pad with depth we’ll start with Instruo’s Harmonaig, which outputs four notes, quantised from an incoming voltage (this could be sample and hold, a sequence or a basic LFO). We’re keeping it simple and manual here but you could modulate the inversion and voicing for evolving soundscapes.

2

We send the four outs to Saich, which can be used manually or with CV control to mix the notes in different ways. For this patch we’re not using any detune but for added girth try adding just a touch. Another option is to add some moving PWM which affects the root note.

3

Next take the gate out from Harmonaig and send that to the trigger input of your envelope generator, in this case the Roland 540. Set the envelope shape to taste but a soft tail works best. Send the output of your envelope to the CV input of your VCA.

4

Next up plug the output from Saich into the VCA’s input, then the output of the VCA into your mixer, so you can play a few notes, letting you set the levels. Many VCAs have a switch letting you change between linear and exponential, while others can morph between the two.

5

Now you can move the VCA’s output and patch it into your filter (here Pittsburgh Modular). We set the kind of average here to cut some of the highs but then modulate the cutoff with my favourite module, the Ochd LFO, which adds some lovely motion. Use the CV attenuator to tame the modulation.

6

Now to add some depth and ‘space’. The obvious way is to use a shimmery reverb with some massive tails, but for this we think a more interesting effect can be found using a delay. We’ve been using the Tiptop Audio ECHOZ with the speed set so it doesn’t overlap the original notes too much.