Keeping it simple

Classic funk and soul sounds are generally simple, but they always exhibit a few key characteristics, including – but not limited to – warm, dirty, squelchy, bold, thick, percussive and punchy! The DM12 has a wide sonic palette that comes in very handy for making all sorts of funky/soulful sounds. But what’s required to make those kind of sounds? Well, firstly we need one (or two) harmonically rich waves that we can build a sound from. We generally start with a single saw wave and see how far we can push that on its own, before adding more waves and sound design into the mix (it’s worthwhile challenging yourself to see how far you can push a single saw wave to achieve the sound you’re after in your head). Always try to think simply and start from an initialised patch so that you can really find your own voice and learn the synth intimately.

On the DM12 we have a saw or square available on DCO1 and handily, both waves can be used simultaneously for a richer sound. However, as there are so many mod matrix options (30+ sources and 130+ destinations!) it’s fun to use the mod matrix to modulate single waves – you can make hugely powerful sounds with just a single wave, the mod matrix and FX. Before even considering DCO2 (which can be used as a standard sub or go way beyond that), try mixing DCO1’s saw and square together and modulating just the square waves’ pulsewidth, or simply take a single saw and use the various unison modes to thicken it up, (using the unison detune slider for adding phasing/chorusing and vibe)! Of course there’s also the powerful onboard FX and, bearing in mind the DM12 builds on the heritage of Roland’s Juno-series boards (which relied heavily on their in-built chorus units for thickening), it would be rude not to try one or both DCOs through one of the onboard chorus effects for thickening and stereo-fying (also using short delays can be great for creating further doubling/chorusing effects with just a single wave).

Try and keep your envelopes punchy and your playing supertight as funk is all about the rhythm! By all means use slow attacks and long releases for drama, pads, effect sounds and brass swells, but your main ‘comping’ sounds should snap and pop as part of the groove framework and rhythmic interplay. Don’t worry about doing anything wrong when sound designing. Experiment, listen hard and observe the results. If you’re not happy, simply re-tweak or start again; it’s all part of the process!

It would be rude not to try one or both DCOs through one of the onboard chorus effects