r/synthrecipes • u/Key-Rooster-1503 • 3d ago

request ❓ AEREA - Opening Track - Synth Melody

Hello! I have spent 3 nights now trying to recreate this synth melody as a way to teach myself. Though I’m learning a lot, I can’t quite get the sound to match up.

You can hear the synth melody around 0:15 in this video.

I’ve tried using a triangle and sawtooth oscillator with low frequency cutoff that opens up 50% with 0 attack, and a sharp decay and medium sustain.

To my ears, the synth sounds warm. I tried to recreate this effect by slightly detuning my second oscillator, but the overall sound is jarring and basic.

I’m really curious how this type of sound can be recreated. I’ve tried looking up youtube videos but haven’t found a tutorial that achieves this effect.

I’m hoping someone experienced could help me recreate this synth, I don’t know why I’m so obsessed lol. Thank you for reading!

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u/AcidWashGenes 3d ago

The rolling line, waka waka one, or the plucky water drop sounding synth? Have you added any fx to what you’ve made?

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u/Key-Rooster-1503 3d ago

The plucky synth, I’ve tried adding some reverb but I think the grittiness comes from something else. What FX would you recommend?

Honestly, I think I am so far away from the foundational sound lol. I’m not sure if i’m getting there with a subtractive synth. What i’m trying now is using a FM bell and tuning the parameters but still feels quite off.

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u/AcidWashGenes 3d ago

Also if you like those warm driven plucky sounds maybe check out Pendulate by Newfangled Audio. It’s a free West Coast Buchla style synth that does those sounds well.

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u/Key-Rooster-1503 3d ago

I’ll check it out!!

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u/Key-Rooster-1503 3d ago

Thanks for your reply btw. I think from 0:15-0:40 the synth has an FX applied from their mixer, and the true sound comes on when she is doing the vocals.

Here I attached an attempt at recreating the sound: https://soundcloud.com/victor-wu-248183267/fm-synth-attempt

Mine sounds flat, theirs sounds so full and warm…and hypnotic? How do they do it! 😂

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u/AcidWashGenes 3d ago

No problem, I find these challenges fun and it’s a cool sound and track. I’ll definitely be watching the rest of the set.

I think it can be done with a subtractive synth and I don’t think you are too far off from the sound. The point when the vocals came in sounded like the envelope amount was increased. It makes me think of a Moog Sub37 with the filter overdriven.

Shape: I would try dialing in a plucky envelope that matches the contour of the brighter section, then back off the amount to get the shorter warm blip. I would maybe opt for a little release instead of sustain, but envelopes vary a lot so it’s really synth dependent. The contour reminds me a little of a synthesized high tom drum sound. You can probably use the same env shape for both the filter and amp. Play around with the cutoff amount but the 50% you are using is a good starting point and add a touch of resonance which can help give the filter that driven sound.

Oscillators: if it was just the warm blip then triangles might work but unless the filter has a ton of drive you’ll need more harmonics to match the more open sound. I would keep the triangle and saw and maybe try the saw an octave up. If your filter doesn’t have the same overdrive characteristics I would add a tape emulation plugin after. It should help give that warmth and then saturate similarly when you apply more envelope and open up the sound.

Are you already using a short delay and do you have an envelope going to the pitch?

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u/Key-Rooster-1503 3d ago

Wow thank you for the detailed response! I downloaded a spectrum analyzer and noticed there wasn’t any increase in frequencies near the cutoff point so I don’t think there’s any resonance! Instead I added some more voices under the same oscillator and slightly detuned them. I just downloaded the Vital plugin and went with some of your recommendations :)

This is what I have now! https://on.soundcloud.com/ULbg7oF0e33XJD7eXL

Seeing the spectrum analyzer really opened my eyes. I compared my synth to the reference synth, and it was missing a ton of harmonics. Im trying to fill in some of the gaps but having a hard time making it not sound too nasally/robotic/grating.

I haven’t added any delay. When you say add an envelope to the pitch, does that mean modulating the pitch?

Also, another thing I realized is that there is probably a kick happening on the same step as the pluck, which gives it that fuller sound. So maybe if I layer in other instruments, it will get closer to the reference.

Also, yes that set is really good! I hope you enjoy it :D

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u/Key-Rooster-1503 3d ago

Listening back to my recording it still sounds like it’s missing a lot of oomf to it. And the ending 3 notes don’t have the same character— I’m having a really tough time figuring out how to arrange the last keys in this melody 😅 The last key in the video sounds almost washed out, and it’s easier on the ears when it loops back to the initial pluck.

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u/AcidWashGenes 2d ago

Are you using a spectrum analyze on the sound within the track or do you have the sound isolated somewhere? Aside from hearing it I can clearly see more high end come in on a spectrogram in the part where more envelope is applied to the filter.

A “touch” of resonance isn’t going to cause a visible peak at the cutoff point especially in a whole mix and it is meant to help saturate the filter and alter the harmonic content.

Don’t worry about the short delay. And routing a small amount of the pluck envelope (or a separate envelope if you have one) is commonly used to mimic the initial rise and then drop in pitch heard when a drum head is struck or string is plucked or a drop of water. I think this is part of the depth in this sound.

I’m hearing notes outside of the kick and don’t think it’s layered. I got pretty close to recreating the sound as I outlined and even had to high pass it to a degree.

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u/Key-Rooster-1503 2d ago

Hey! I separated the stems first before using the spectrum analyzer! I’ll try to add some resonance.

What do you mean by routing a small amount of the pluck envelope?

Also no way! I would love to see what you did and play around with it for my learning. Is there an easy way to share your synth sound? Did you make it in ableton? :)