>Step by step
Rhythmic pads from scratch
1
The first step is to load Xfer Serum (or a similar subtractive synth) into your DAW. Then click Menu and Init Preset. This will initialise all of Serum’s parameters to its default state. If you play the keys on your MIDI keyboard you should only be hearing a raw, unaffected sawtooth patch.
2 Choose a simple sawtooth waveform for OscA. We find saws are a good starting point for warm, rich-sounding pads. This will also let you recreate the patch in most subtractive synths.
3 Pads tend to start slow and decay for a medium to long time. This is to create a smooth transition between chords. To achieve this we will use the envelope of the main amp. In Xfer Serum it is wired to ENV 1 by default.
4 There are many choices of filter when it comes to pad sounds. If you don’t want your pad to take up so much bandwidth in the low-mid frequencies, try a bandpass filter. This will also be the destination for our rhythmical movement.
5 A smooth filter sweep is introduced via Env 2. This adds a gentle opening of the cutoff once a key is played. Make sure you apply a fairly long release time so that the cutoff position movement is not abrupt when letting go of a key.
6 An obvious choice to create movement is to assign an LFO to Filter Cutoff. We choose to affect only a limited range, around 5% of Cutoff Modulation, resulting in a subtle, yet noticeable fluctuation of the filter.
7 The LFO is synced to the BPM of the project. Choosing a 1/16 rate creates a nice rhythmical background. We adjust the shape of the LFO to be a downward ramp. This is very convenient to allow the transients to sync up with the grid.
8 Since this is a smooth pad sound, the modulation from the LFO could be introduced gradually. In Xfer Serum we can simply increase the Delay parameter of LFO1. This, as the name implies, delays the modulation of the LFO to filter. We don’t want the Delay to be abrupt. Dialling in the smooth amount will lead you to a gradual introduction of the LFO.
9 To further develop the patch we can add some subtle vibrato effect using the same ramp LFO source. Drag LFO 1 to Osc A Fine and start reducing the Amount until the drift in pitch is less noticeable.
10 The final part before we move into the FX is adding a touch of noise. This will accentuate the filter even more and create a brighter overall sound. It’s an effective way to build tension in the transitional sections of your track.
11 Our sound is very close to completion but there is still room to spice things up with FX. A ping-pong delay is a good option to add some width. Choosing slower delay times is an effective choice for pads.
12 Lastly, to add a sense of depth and cohesiveness, a hall reverb is applied. A fairly long five-second decay time and generous amount of wet signal puts the sound in a nice space. The result is a lushsounding pad with a synced rhythmical movement.