In this sound design tutorial we will be making a simple electric piano using Sylenth1. Of course you can follow along with another synthesizer if you like.
As always the first step is to start from a blank patch and move on from there.
1) Initialize a blank preset of Sylenth1
2) For Osc A1 we are going to use a sine wave with the following settings:
- Waveform = Sine Wave
- Octave = 0
- Volume = 100
- Phase = 0
- Detune = 0
- Stereo = 10
- Pan = 0
- Re-trigger = Enabled
- Voices = 1
3) For the second oscillator we are going to use a square wave with the following settings:
- Waveform = Square Wave ( Labelled “Pulse” in Sylenth1)
- Octave = +1
- Volume = 45%
- Phase = 0%
- Detune = 15%
- Stereo = 100%
- Voices = 2
- Re-trigger = Enabled
4) Okay now, we are going to use a 24dB filter, in other words that’s a 4-pole filter.
- Input Select = A
- Filter Type = Low Pass
- Cutoff = 70%
- Resonance = 0%
- Drive = 0%
- Filter Mode = 24dB
5) As for the Filter Control adjust the settings like so:
- Cutoff = 28%
- Resonance = 0%
- Key Track = 0%
6) Now let’s tweak the Amp Envelope. We want to mimic a generic piano envelope and we can do so with the following settings:
- Attack = 0%
- Decay = 62%
- Sustain = 40%
- Release = 38%
7) Change the polyphony voices to 6
Modulation and Effects
8) To achieve a short pitch drift we will use Sylenth1 Mod Env 2 to modulate pitch of both oscillators.
- Attack = 0%
- Decay = 2%
- Sustain = 0%
- Release = 0%
- Mod Env 2 –> Pitch AB (7% towards the right).
9) Next step is to create a subtle tremolo effect and to add extra movement to the sound by modulating the phase of both oscillators using an LFO.
We can achieve that by routing the LFO to modulate Volume AB and Phase AB in Sylenth1.
- Wave = Sine Wave
- Rate = 1/8
- Gain = 40%
- LFO 1 –> Volume AB (30% to the right.).
- LFO 1 –> Phase AB (5% to the left).
10) Now we will set the mod wheel to modulate the filter cutoff with an amount of 40% to the right.
- Mod Wheel –> Cutoff AB (40% to the right).
11) Let’s use an EQ effect and dial in the following settings.
- Mode = 1-Pole
- Bass = 3.7dB
- Bass Freq = 16Hz
- Treble = 8dB
- Treble Freq = 3.5kHZ
12) Enable Delay effect and dial in the following settings:
- Delay Left = 1/4
- Delay Right = 1/4
- Low Cut = 3.23 Hz
- High Cut = 20 kHZ
- Smear = 0%
- Spread = 50%
- Feedback = 50%
- Width = 50%
- Dry/Wet = 23%
13) Enable the reverb effect tweak it’s settings as follows:
- Dry/Wet = 35%
- Reverb Size = 64%
- Width = 100%
- Pre-delay = 110 ms
- Damping = 0%
Related Posts:
- How to Make an Electric Piano using u-he Hive
- How to Make an Electric Piano using Xfer Records Serum
- How to Make an Electric Piano using Native Instruments Massive
