The art
of sound design
Snow Ghosts
Snow Ghosts is my favorite; it is a simple pad, but it sounds very evocative and touching to me. I was experimenting and found that the fourth tape processor was perfect for certain washed-out ambient sounds, adding density and warmth. I think that simple, but expressive sounds can be the most effective sometimes.
Vincenzo Bellanova - on Pure LoFi
“Pure LoFi is very straightforward to use, which I appreciate as it minimizes obstacles when using the instrument. The Tape processor section can effortlessly add significant character to your setup, resulting in a very warm sound. I find the concept of the creative sampler in random mode particularly appealing, as it allows for the creation of distinctive and expressive patches. Sometimes I start with a general type of sound in mind and outline its main characteristics, like envelope and range, then I get inspired by playing with the different oscillators. Other times, when working on a patch, I find a particularly interesting parameter that alters the sound, and I completely deviate from the original idea—happy accidents. Personally, I almost never start with super specific ideas.”
Mindsong
I set out to create an expressive, powerful pad suitable for scoring. From there the approach is intuitive and explorative until a point is reached where I’m happy with the sound and how it plays. I mainly used the Voice Mod to give random variation in timbre & tuning to each note for an imperfect, vintage sound and a Step Seq to send more random modulation to various sources for an evolving sound.
emptyvessel - on SEM V
“The strength of SEM V for me has always been the sound, the sheer gritty analogue strength that can be subtly beautiful or confronting and powerful. With V3 we now have new, advanced modulation sources which do so much to expand the capabilities of the instrument. This really extends the possibilities we, as sound designers, can explore and bring SEM V firmly into the modern age. I prefer to make dusty, imperfect sounds full of life and organic movement, here it was also important to show the scope & timbral possibilities. I like to react to the sound of the instrument and how it makes me feel to interact with the interface, sort of like a collaboration or conversation. In this case the focus was to explore the new MultiArp, modulators and fx and to imagine this classic instrument in a modern context.”
Sonox Arp
Laura Katic - on Jup-8000 V
“I really enjoyed experimenting with the oscillators and the filter, they give a lot of flexibility to shape everything from classic tones to more modern textures. The modulation and effects are super intuitive, making it easy to get creative and shape sounds in a natural way. It’s the perfect balance between that vintage character and the freedom to explore more experimental and contemporary textures. I start by exploring the synth and getting familiar with its features. I like to immerse myself in the music of the genre I’m working on to get inspired. I love creating textures that feel alive, so I focus on making sounds that flow naturally, with movement and character in every preset.”
Forbidden Handpan
Zain Hayat - on Augmented STRINGS
“What immediately drew me to Augmented Strings was just how easily I am able to morph from organic to electronic elements. The sample engines and synths are extremely powerful, with some great choices in sounds built in. The versatile effects and the ease of use have made this instrument my go-to when it comes to putting quick ideas down. My musical work melds organic and electronic sounds, and that’s the approach I took while building these presets. I wanted to build a set of presets that could easily be added into almost every genre as well as scores for film. The ease in which strings could be transformed into just about anything else was my biggest inspiration, and I experimented my way up from there.”
Airport Music
It was hard to land on my favourite preset, but I have chosen Airport Music. This was influenced by Brian Eno’s Music For Airports album. I was exploring the new choir samples and landed on this sound when I added a big reverb. You can create a lush soundscape with this one. Voices Trailer is my second favourite preset, although it is less versatile.
Joe Sheldrick - on Augmented VOICES
“The strengths of the Augmented Series is the ability to quickly layer real multi-sampled instruments with synth and sampled elements creating a uniquely hybrid sound. The new UI of version 2 has vastly improved workflow and is a joy to design sounds with. Unless I am directed to design a specific sound, I will always try to approach the synth in a unique way by finding its oddities and hidden features. I get bored quickly by the same ideas and approaches, so I am always seeking new territory. ”
Creamy Lead
Davide Puxeddu - on MiniBrute V
“Finding the sound of the Minibrute, one of my most trusted synthesizers, but in a virtual format, is a significant plus for my way of working. In fact, I often work while traveling, on trains, on planes and so on. And always having the opportunity to use the wickedness of the Minibrute for my work, but in a steroid format and with additional functions is truly fantastic! Basically I don't have a standardized method when I do sound design work. I typically follow the instinct and sensations that the instrument I'm working on gives me. It's really a matter of emotions and inspiration. Naturally then I try to make the most of the possibilities and potential of the instrument to achieve what I have in mind. Another important thing is that being a musician, I always keep in mind that everything I create in terms of sound design has to be playable. I believe this is an essential characteristic in my work. Another case is if I have a specific target to follow. In this case, the goal is always to create fantastic sounds but which fit, for example, into a certain musical genre. Here too, however, many of the choices I make are dictated by sensations.”
Sunrise Over Taihu
Honestly, I like all the presets! It's hard to pick out just one specific sound. For my demo track, I used four presets: Sunrise Over Taihu, Chinese Duet, Tianxia, and Tea Ceremony. These sounds are based on three Chinese instruments: Guqin, Pipa, and Yangqin. I think these instruments capture the spirit of Chinese culture perfectly.
Konstantin Klem - on Augmented YANGTZE
“I'm definitely enjoying the Morph feature. You can seamlessly transition between sound eras - from ancient instruments to ultra-modern ones. Imagine you're composing a 10-track piece with Yangtze on each track and at one point you automate the Morph knob on all tracks simultaneously! I think this is an amazing feature for film or game scoring, when transitioning from one scene to another. During my college years, I had the opportunity to intern at a university in China. I was able to visit cities like Harbin, Dalian, and Jiamusi. I interacted a lot with ordinary people. I think I captured the essence of this rich culture. Every time I opened Yangtze, I tried to remember everything that happened to me in China, everything I saw and heard. It was a great help in my work on the sounds.”
Vampire Slayer
Lektrique - on Acid V
“I love the modulation section with the sequencer and effects. It’s way more user friendly and efficient to dial in a pattern. The fact that you attach these patterns to the distortion which allows you to accentuate certain notes in the pattern is probably the most powerful feature. I also love the randomizer in the sequencer, which allows you to introduce specific amounts of randomization… SO cool.”
Amped CD
My favorite preset is called Amped CP, and I love playing it. Running the sound through the guitar amp gave it some nice saturation and tone, and I added some slight chorusing to keep the sound animated. Experimenting with the two reverbs I used allows me to create a wide range of spaces for the sound to sit in. I hope you all enjoy it as well!
Jerry Kovarsky - on CP-70 V
“Arturia's version captures the classic sound, and gives us all deeper control over the sound than the original ever did. I especially enjoyed the extra character that the microphone signal offers, the envelope controls and the wealth of effects provided to work with.”
Hit & Rise
Impactful and energetic preset morph to the other side with a more granular ambient sound, with a 4 bar evolution.
Quentin Feuillard - on Augmented WOODWINDS
“The samples inside and the presets engines are the must have to get inspiration. The intuitiveness of the Morph parameter to blend your two creations and the evolving capacities with macros and modulators give you an infinite possibilities ! The MPE in that type of product push his expressivity to the maximum !”
Man Machine
My favorite preset is Man-Machine, because it reminds me of raw techno from Berlin in the 90's and the Love Parade and Mayday parties of that time.
Kuba Sojka - on Mini V
“The most important thing is its simplicity and classic sound, I also like what happens to the sound when using the drive and feedback parameters. Then the instrument becomes crazy and you can create unusual sounds.”
Magic Pendant
My favorite preset is Magic Pendant. While I enjoyed playing and creating more upbeat presets, there is a mellow -- almost mystical -- quality to this preset that makes it a joy to play. Wide open chords played at a leisurely pace sound great.
Joshua Fielstra - on Wurli V
“One of the best things about the Wurli V3 is the tremendous range of sounds you can get with it. Unlike static samples, you can dial in the sound of any genre or time period. For a few presets, I even created instruments that sounded more like a hybrid guitar than a piano!”
Afterglow Pad
This pad sounds so unbelievably huge, like there’s some stereo enhancing plugin added to it - except it’s all Juno, with delay and reverb being modulated by LFO2 and ENV2! I love the mod wheel’s effects: it thickens the sound into a wild, windy soundscape using only the resonance. Very effective for setting a sci-fi or mystical ambience.
Lily Jordy - on Jun-6 V
“I was immediately charmed by Jun-6 V's powerful simplicity. Before I started making presets on Arturia's recreation, I was already a big fan of the classic Juno sound - so I may be a little biased! But I can safely say that this synth has so much hidden potential and astonishing modulation capabilities, in proportion to its user-friendly minimalistic design. It's no wonder that it's a favorite of so many artists, as it takes very little time to get accustomed to it and start making excellent patches.”
Release Falling Pad
CS80 V4 has innovative improvement on not only sound quality but also awesome functions. Especially the behavior of analog feel is almost perfect compare with real CS80. This sound has cool analog sound of rich and fat atmosphere, and I programed very sensitive and dynamic polyphonic aftertouch. And most specific point is Pitch facing down when you release key. This magic is made by Pitch-envelope in modulation section. You should check how to work it.
Katsunori Ujiie - on CS-80 V
“Release Falling Pad has a cool analog sound, with rich and fat atmosphere, and I programed very sensitive and dynamic polyphonic aftertouch - specifically the pitch falling down when you release key. This magic is made possible by the pitch envelope in the modulation section. Try it out! ”
Lofi Henri VIII
The preset named LoFi Henry VIII is one of my favorite patches on the Prophet-5 V for various reasons: I am a big fan of tape and tape machines, especially if they are old and the heads are magnetized, as they add a lot of flavor with their wow and flutter. The patch LoFi Henry VIII has a slow, pitch-drifting LFO that adds that broken tape sound--not to mention that the core of this patch comes from a constant pulse width modulation on VCO 1. No other machine produces a PWM tone like the Prophet does!
Diego Tejeida - on Prophet-5 V
“Over the past 10 years, as my synth collection has gotten bigger, I’ve been moving away from the software synth world. There is simply no comparison between clicking a mouse and staring at a computer screen and the immediacy of tweaking knobs and experiencing the sound first-hand. The Prophet-5 V, however, has a beautiful GUI that makes the experience as organic as it gets in the software world - and its sound is absolutely spot-on! Only the Prophet has that crunchy PWM sound, and the Prophet-5 V brings you that exact sound as soon as you start modulating - not to mention the added option of being able to control the voice dispersion. To me, these added imperfections make a sound real.”
Weeping Of Moon
This pad sounds so incredibly mutable and evolving, it produces a lot of different inspiring nuances from huge and spaced sound territories, to thin tuned spatial sweeping, sounds moving slowly back and forth. This sound gather some of the unbelievable and infinite sound capabilities of the Prophet-VS V. The sound is like a traveling in a spaceship cabin through space and time towards unexplored territories.
Andrea de Paoli - on Prophet-VS V
“The main strength of the instrument lies in the powerful combination between four mixable waveforms and the vector joystick for controlling your sound modeling. The chance to further automate the path of the vector lets you to make your sound move in every possible thinkable way! I love the straightforwarded interface and the intuitive powerful advanced panel to sculpt and modulate the sound as a fundamental sound design plus.”
Night Ride
A simple patch with a huge and dark result. The preset consists of two detuned saw waves, triggered by an arpeggiator. The spice of the patch comes from Channel A of the sequencer: it gives dynamism to the sound modulating both filters rhythmically. I really enjoy using the Timbre Macro dynamically to change the oscillator waves and Mod wheel to detune the sound.
Marco Iodice - on KORG MS-20 V
“The work done on the two filters of the instrument is incredible, using them and experimenting with the resonance is pure pleasure. Compared to the original hardware there are some very convenient additions in the patchbay, which give the possibility, for example, to modulate directly the PW or the VCA. I think the pearl of this software is the addition of the sequencer, a powerful tool that adds many more possibilities of sound and modulation!”
Additive Piano
When working on sounds for the 'Shoufuku ROM' of the DX7 II, Ifound that FM+ additive approach was a really effective way of creating synth piano sounds. To get the best effect at the time, I would have needed to use 12 operators. Unfortunately, the original DX7 only featured 6. Because of the new architecture inside DX7 V, my original ambitious ideas can become a reality.
Nori Ubukata - on DX7 V
“The DX7 V offers huge improvements on the original”