EDM PRODUCTION

Make big, thick sounds in Massive and Serum by magnifying the signal with unison mode. Massive and Serum are super powerful software synths. Software synths are great substitutions for analog synths, but analog synths are definitely worth the investment.

Understanding Synths
Most synths by design have 3 oscillators, a modulator oscillator, feedback source, a noise source, mixing controls, amplitude controls, insert effects and master effects. Massive and analog synths are set for a basic left to right work flow. In Serum the basic effects are a little less visually obvious and set in a more unique way.

Massive
Make thick sounds in Massive with the voicing tab. Select monophonic for the voicing and set the trigger to legato triller. Turn up the time halfway in the OSC tab and turn up the level all the way in the envelop tab for a gating effect.

Now start adding thickness by turning up the Unisono in the voicing tab. Then turn on the pitch cutoff and select centered in the unison spread. Now turn up the pitch cutoff. The pitch cutoff takes the sound from zero detuning to a full semi tune.

Use the Unisono number and pitch cut off together. When the unisono number is really high set the pitch cut off lower. Then the unisono number is low experiment with a higher pitch cutoff. When using unison mode with a super saw wave, set the unisono and pitch cutoff low for a thick sound. This creates a reese like sound.

Serum
Turn on oscillator A and oscillator B. Turn the FIN down -25 in oscillator A and up 25 in oscillator B. Turn on mono, legato and turn the portamento up.

Analog Synths
Analog synths have an undeniable thicker sound compared to digital and software synths. The Roland SE-02 and Korg Minilogue are really affordable synths. The Moog Subsequent 37 is a less expensive Moog option. The Sequential Pro 3 Multi-filter Mono Synth is a hybrid digital and analog subtractive synth that is really cool.