>Step by step

Designing dub techno chords

1

The first step is to load Xfer Serum (or similar 3-osc 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

For a dub techno chord patch that is prototypical in the genre, we opt for a three-osc setup. A square wave for the Sub Osc and matching sawtooth waves for Osc A and B. This delivers a solid sub bass and richer harmonics from the saws. 3

The next step is to tune the oscillators individually, creating a minor triad from a single key press on the keyboard. By fixing this chord voicing with the oscillators, it emulates the characteristics of old samplers from the 80s and 90s when playing different notes in your scale. Sub Osc is set to -1 octave, Osc A to +3 semitones and Osc B to +7 semitones. 4

The amp envelope for this patch needs to be short and snappy since we are creating a stab sound. We went for fast Attack, medium Decay, low Sustain and a medium Release for a less abrupt decay of the sound. 5

The chord stab sounds nice so far but we further craft the sound with a 24 dB low-pass filter. In order to filter all three oscillators, ensure that all relative LEDs are enabled in the filter section. Bring down the filter Cutoff position to soften the sound. 6

In this step we can assign an envelope to open the filter cutoff position. This will result in a more defined and sharper transient. The settings for the filter envelope are quite similar to the main amp envelope. Keep it short and snappy.