Downloadable Guide To Synthesis

For most of 2020, I wrote my fourth book on electronic production. This time, the topic was a complete guide to learning the essentials of analog synthesis, using the free (and insanely popular) synth for iOS/Mac: AudioKit Synth One.

The book is also free on Apple Books—and Synth One now contains a set of presets that were created to demonstrate the techniques in the book. Again, both are free, so if you’re on an iPhone/iPad, you can use these to get started on designing your own presets. And I’m now using this book as part of my curriculum as a professor at Austin Community College.

For those on Windows/Android, the book is also available as a PDF (without the Apple interactivity) and the lessons apply synths of all kinds. Links for everything below.

AudioKit Synth One: The Ultimate Guide (Apple Books)

AudioKit Synth One: The Ultimate Guide (PDF)

AudioKit Synth One (Free iOS synth - App Store)

Ultimate Guide to Ultimate Guides

After 20 years of writing tutorials and masterclasses for Electronic Musician, Keyboard, and Music Radar, I’ve posted a lot of instructional content since I redid this site in 2017. To make the blog easier to navigate for new visitors, I’ve collected all of my Music Radar and Electronic Musician guides into a single directory post.

Below are direct links to each of the masterclasses on my blog, some of which include downloadable presets and examples. Have at it!

• Master Class: Ableton Operator

• Master Class: Roland TR-8S

• Master Class: Vocoders

• Master Class: The Minimoog Paradigm

• Master Class: Korg/ARP Odyssey

• Master Class: Analog Drum Design

• Master Class: Korg Gadget

• Master Class: DSI OB-6

• Master Class: Arturia MiniBrute 2

• Master Class: Korg Prologue

• Master Class: Novation Peak

Watch + Learn: Motion Wavetable (Phase Plant)

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Platform: Kilohearts Phase Plant

Description: Dual synchronized LFO wavetable sweeps with reverb. Excellent starting point for complex layered pads.

Download Link to Preset: Watch+Learn_PhasePlant_MotionWavetable

Watch + Learn: House Bass 1 (Multiple)

House bass created using Operator and Phase Plant

Level: Intermediate

Platform: Ableton Operator, Kilohearts Phase Plant

Description: The “knocking” House bass sound that’s often used in Tech House, Future House, and Classic House.

Download Link to Preset:
Watch+Learn_AbletonPreset_HouseBass1

Download Link to Preset:
Watch+Learn_PhasePlant_HouseBass1

Watch + Learn: 808 Kick Bass (Universal)

808 Kick Bass starting points on three different softsynths: Serum, Phase Plant, and Operator.
[Note: Very low frequency content. Headphones or monitors required.]

Level: Beginner

Platforms: Ableton Operator, Xfer Serum, Kilohearts Phase Plant

Description: Recreation of the Roland TR-808 Kick Bass sound using multiple platforms. Additional customization with overdrive and distortion should be added by the user.

Download Ableton Operator 808 Kick Bass:
Watch+Learn_AbletonPreset_808KickBass

Download Xfer Serum 808 Kick Bass:
Watch+Learn_SerumPreset_808KickBass

Download Kilohearts Phase Plant 808 Kick Bass:
Watch+Learn_PhasePlant_808KickBass

Watch + Learn: West Coast Lead (Serum)

Level: Beginner

Platform: Xfer Serum

Description: The core elements for synthesizing the 90s “West Coast” hip-hop lead popularized by Dr. Dre and others in the mid-90s. The “PORTA” parameter is the key to making it fit your track. Further adjustments can be applied via changing filters, and adding effects like delay and reverb.

Download Link to Preset: Watch+Learn_SerumPreset_WestCoastLead

Watch + Learn: Big Fifth (Serum)

Level: Beginner

Platform: Xfer Serum

Description: Iconic lead sound, based on the interval of a Fifth (+7 semitones), reinforced by a sub-bass element. Great as a starting point for original variations.

Download Link to Preset: Watch+Learn_SerumPreset_BigFifth

Watch + Learn: Superpluck (Serum)

Level: Beginner

Platform: Xfer Serum

Description: Classic pluck/arp sound used in multiple electronic genres. Based on supersaw and filter with enveloping. Easy adjustments include Env 2 decay, cutoff, and resonance.

Download Link: Watch+Learn_SerumPreset_Superpluck

Watch + Learn: DX Marimba (Operator)

Level: Intermediate

Platform: Ableton Operator

Description: Recreation of one of the famous Yamaha DX-7 Marimba presets using FM synthesis in Ableton Operator.

Download Preset: Watch+Learn_AbletonPreset_DXMarimba

Free Xfer Serum Pack (Winter 2018)

Since last year’s free Serum pack was so well-received, I asked the students in my Synthesis 2 course (at Austin Community College) if they’d be interested in contributing a few sounds for the 2018 pack. There are some truly gifted designers at the school and I really wanted to highlight their talents.

Fortunately, many of them agreed - providing presets for each of the following categories: Bass, Pad, Lead, and Pluck.

With their full permission, I'm sharing the results as a free download for Serum fans. The pack consists of 25 presets covering a wide variety of genres and design approaches. I also included a bonus holiday preset of my own design, “Super Snowman”.

As with the last pack, the student’s name is included in each preset — but I’d also like to post an alphabetical list of the designers, to highlight their contributions. For this, several students also opted-in to include links to their social media.

• Jay Alba

• Siegen Bretzke

• Daniel Buckingham

• Jacob Cho

• Ali Darwiche [Instagram]

• Mike Stellman [Soundcloud]

• Troy Umran [Instagram]

The pack is a free download that you can grab at the below link.

Download: Xfer Serum Preset Pack (Winter 2018)

Happy Holidays!

Master Class: Roland TR-8S

With the introduction of the TR-8S, Roland not only advanced the popular TR-8’s sequencing tools and iconic sound, but added sample import (via SD card) and expanded its editing features to a point where it truly is an instrument in its own right. Between performance-oriented patterns and sophisticated sound design amenities, you’ll get the most from this beast once you understand how to mold its sonic resources to match your artistic identity.

I'm also testing the waters for expanding this blog to include downloadable presets and examples for selected educational material. If you already own a TR-8S, below is a link to two original kits (with patterns) based on custom analog drum samples I created last month.

Master Class Link: https://www.musicradar.com/how-to/how-to-master-the-roland-tr-8s

Download the TR-8S kit/patterns  [Instructions included]

Free Xfer Serum Pack (Winter 2017)

This year, the final project for my Synthesis 2 course at Austin Community College focused on preset design for Xfer Serum. For the assignment, students developed presets for each of the following categories: Bass, Pad, Lead, and Pluck.

With their permission, I'm sharing the results as a free download for Serum fans. Of the submissions, these are the best examples - assembled in a downloadable pack consisting of 25 presets covering a wide variety of genres and design approaches.

Additionally, each student’s name is included in every preset, so if you like any of the patches, you’ll know who created it.

I also added two original presets based on wavetables created from snowflake and xmas tree graphics, because holidays.

The pack is a free download that you can grab at the below link.

Download: Xfer Serum Preset Pack (Winter 2017)

Update: The Winter 2018 Xfer Serum Pack is now online.

Season’s Greetings!