Chords for Serum tutorial - Self sync warp mode to make a thick saw bass

[Dm] _ [F] _ [N] _ Hey guys, this is Dorian Day back for ADSR Sound, and today we're going to begin a four-part
series taking a deep look at serum.
Now the official purpose of this video is to show you how to use the self-sync warp
mode to create a thick saw base, and then how to make it into a reusable frame for serum.
However, my last video had a number of comments asking for more information, so to that end
today's lesson is mostly about technical aspects of synthesis and serum, and as a side result
we'll create an extremely thick and present saw base.
Also this four-part series is a teaser for my upcoming ADSR serum masterclass.
If you're looking to understand and use serum backwards and forwards, this course is for you.
This course is not just another manual run-through.
Every feature in serum is analyzed in a context that will help you understand not only how
to use it, but why you use it.
While detailing serum's features, we'll go over examples discussing music theory, synthesis
technique, digital signal processing, and sound design, as well as discussions on the
mathematics and acoustical phenomenon that relate to the topics at hand.
After watching the course, you'll have a solid foundation in both serum and a gentle introduction
to some of the deep topics in audio engineering and music production, so look for that in
the coming weeks.
Let's get started.
Today's lesson is broken up into several sub-projects that lead us from one technique to the other.
Before we begin discussing oscillator sync, we're going to have to define what thick
means when discussing bases.
Now when we use the word thick, this typically refers to one of two things.
One way we make our base thick is by increasing the number of voices, lowering the detune,
and keeping the voice randomness on max.
This creates several copies of the waveform that are out of sync with each other.
The result is a composite waveform that's created by reinforcing some of the harmonics while
canceling others out.
We can set up a test to see this.
Initialize serum and then turn the level of OSCA all the way down.
Then turn on OSCB.
Set the number of voices to 5, turn detune off, and then turn the level to max.
Play some bassnets and listen to the sound.
Hopefully it's somewhat familiar to [C] you.
[G] _ [E] _ [C] _ [F] _ [E] _ [D] _
[B] It's used extremely often in electro and trance, often without any further processing.
To hear the impact of the sound without stereo widening influencing your perception, go into
the global page and set the width of OSCB to 0.
Now it's in mono and you can hear the sound in its purest form.
[F] _ [D] _
[A] _ [F] _ [D] _ _ [F] To visualize the harmonic [N] cancellation and reinforcement, let's use an LFO to switch
between the two automatically while we pay attention to the spectrum analyzer.
Go into the shape preset folder on LFO1 and under the basic category we choose a square.
Set the rate to 2 bars so that we have enough time to see and hear the sound before it changes.
Now here's the trick.
Put LFO1 on the level of oscillator A and set the depth to 70.
Then set LFO1 on OSCB, negative 100% depth.
If you press a note and hold it, you'll hear that the sound switches between the two oscillators.
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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[N] We're using the square wave as a sort of automatic switch.
Since the square wave has two extreme values and no intermediate steps, the changes made
by the LFO are instant.
When we add the additional voices to the second OSC, the phase cancellation lowers the overall volume.
That means we don't need as much gain on the first oscillator to match the same volume level.
In this case, a depth of 70 matched them.
If we look at the spectrum analyzer, you can clearly visualize the reinforcement and cancellation
of the [C] harmonics. _ _
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_ _ _ When the sound switches from the single saw to the multiple saw oscillator, we can clearly
see some harmonics move up and others move down.
You can especially see the high end change.
A full discussion of phase cancellation and why this occurs is too lengthy to conclude
now, but hopefully you have a clearer idea of what happens when [N] you increase the voices
on a saw bass.
The reinforcement and cancellation of harmonics creates this perception of thickness.
Alright, now the second common way people use the word thick when referring to a bass
usually means a boosted low end.
This is typically done by adding a sine wave to boost the fundamental, but can be performed other ways. _ _ _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ Okay, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ _ _ that finishes up the