Learning Goals⌗

By the end of this session, students will:

  • Create an expressive mono lead patch using glide, vibrato, and formant-style macros.
  • Design a polyphonic key or pluck patch with velocity-sensitive tone.
  • Map at least two expressive performance controls (mod wheel, or macros).

Session Flow⌗

Reference Listening Play a short clip of a classic analog lead and a glassy key sound. Identify the transient, sustain, vibrato, and filter motion.

Analog Synths Demo

Patch 1: Expressive Mono Lead (20 min)⌗

  1. OSC1: Saw; Sub Level: 10%.
  2. Filter: LP12 @ 5 kHz, Drive 10%.
  3. Voice tab: Mono + Legato; Glide 80 ms.
  4. LFO1: Sine → Fine Pitch (±0.05 st); map Macro 3 to LFO1 amount.
  5. Macro 1 “Bright” → Cutoff + Warp; Macro 2 “Bite” → Filter Drive + Distortion Wet.

Patch 2: Keys/Pluck (15 min)**⌗

Basic Pluck⌗

Oscillator 1: Any waveform

  • Set unison to 4-8 voices for width

Amp Envelope:

  • Attack: 0ms
  • Decay: 200-500ms
  • Sustain: 0%
  • Release: 50-100ms

Filter:

  • Type: Low-pass 24dB
  • Cutoff: 800-1200Hz
  • Resonance: 20-30%

Filter Envelope:

  • Attack: 0ms
  • Decay: 150-400ms
  • Sustain: 0%
  • Modulation amount: +40-60%

Enhancements:

  • Add comb filter with key tracking enabled
  • Layer Oscillator 2 as sine wave +1 octave

Call & Response Variation⌗

Clean Pluck: Use basic recipe above with glide enabled (50-100ms)

Dirty Pluck:

  • Change Oscillator 2 to saw wave
  • Remove comb filter
  • Lower filter cutoff to 600-800Hz
  • Switch to “Dirty” filter type
  • Add drive and increase resonance to 40-50%
  • Insert distortion effect before filter

Mix Effects:

  • Multi-band compression for clarity
  • Reverb (wet 15-25%)
  • Delay (1/8 or 1/16 note, 20-30% wet)
  • Pan clean pluck left, dirty pluck right

5. Performance & Mix Checks (10 min) Try both patches and see what you can come up with. Adjust macros for expressiveness.

6. Share-out & Critique (10 min) Volunteers play their patches, explain macro and velocity mappings.

Outcome: Students leave with two expressive, performance-ready Vital patches suitable for their final sound design projects.