"Virtual Analog" "drift etc. in Serum?

[Jotterbeats]

I know that there are other synths marketed as "virtual analog" such as U-He, Synapse, etc, as these synths are designed to achieve the "character" of Analog out of the box. Given Serum's feature set and ability to import wavetabes, I'm not sure that I buy Serum cannot achieve similar results.

As such I am wondering what hacks people are using to get a "virtual analog" flavor out of Serum

Things I can do:
- Modulate the fine tuning
- Add Saturation such as decapitator

Things I would like to do?
- Drift, add randomization to the pitch, filter cutoff, with each note press?
- Analog waveforms, aside from Serum's stock waves, are there any other packs out there people are using to enhance Serum's virtual analog capabilities?

Anyone else have any thoughts on this topic?

[Chapelle]

---

[e@rs]

^James is a guy.

Also, this is an interesting (paid) tutorial that proves Serum can emulate analog behavior:
https://www.groove3.com/tutorials/Serum ... ool-Synths

[e-crooner]

It might also make sense to create an equalizer profile (if Serum has an EQ, that is) that reflects analog hardware's frequency response more closely.

[trackbout]

Cool example using Strobe 2 but the same concepts could be applied:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq1HpIqbxFs

[middle_color]

I know that there are other synths marketed as "virtual analog" such as U-He, Synapse, etc, as these synths are designed to achieve the "character" of Analog out of the box. Given Serum's feature set and ability to import wavetabes, I'm not sure that I buy Serum cannot achieve similar results.

As such I am wondering what hacks people are using to get a "virtual analog" flavor out of Serum

Things I can do:
- Modulate the fine tuning
- Add Saturation such as decapitator

Things I would like to do?
- Drift, add randomization to the pitch, filter cutoff, with each note press?
- Analog waveforms, aside from Serum's stock waves, are there any other packs out there people are using to enhance Serum's virtual analog capabilities?

Anyone else have any thoughts on this topic?

Phase is already randomized, you can turn this off. See knobs on each oscillator section: PHASE, RAND. You can turn randomization amount down.
Serum have several random mod sources: Chaos1, Chaos2, NoteOn Rand1, NoteOn Rand2, Note Alt, Note Alt.2. Use them creatively.
Some filter modes have knob called "FAT", next to DRIVE.

That said, i don't use Serum for analogue sounds: if i need analogue type sound i reach for another synths, such as mentioned by you.

[vertibration]

Create seamless loops of analog samples. For instance, moog sub, or triangle. You can layer the sampler behind your oscillators to add an analog sound as well. I have some seamless loops that I made with endlesswav

[foosnark]

I think people seriously overstimate frequency drift as an important factor in analog sound. I've never once seen an analog purist praising the way their favorite synths drift.

[chk071]

The problem is not so much that some random synths couldn't do all the things a dedicated analog emulation can do, it's rather that it's a shit load of work, and kills every fun for me. Why would I boot up Spire to sound like a Minimoog when I just can fire up Monark? It has the feature set, the sound, the imperfections, everything I would ask from such an analog mono synth.

That said, you surely can get Serum to sound very similar. Does it make sense if you have other analog emus which do the job much better out of the box? Not really. What makes sense though is to use it for what it is: A wavetable synth, which can create sounds no analog emulation can do.

Horses for courses and stuff.

If you want more analog sound in a wavetable synth, I'd actually rather recommend Massive X. Serum is rather the "Mr. Clean" of wavetable synths.

[e-crooner]

But if you only have Serum and want to do analog sounds as well, why buy an extra plugin if Serum can do it?
Also, it is not nearly as complicated as you think. Two random modulations in the mod matrix and an analog eq profile, that's it. Most of the supposed analog mojo is lost in the mix, anyway.

[Danilo Villanova]

You can also create some templates with all the analog style modulations already assigned and start building presets from there.

[Jotterbeats]

I think people seriously overstimate frequency drift as an important factor in analog sound. I've never once seen an analog purist praising the way their favorite synths drift.

That’s a great point. I know this has been cited as one of the stronger points of
Diva for instance, but perhaps it’s an overstated feature?

[Jotterbeats]

It might also make sense to create an equalizer profile (if Serum has an EQ, that is) that reflects analog hardware's frequency response more closely.

It does, and could always use EQ8 and create a rack in Ableton. One of the things I noticed when using a Moog synth previously was the “fatness” of the low end (which I ultimately had to cut to mix with other sounds anyway). I noticed Diva has a similiar “fullness” to the sound when I Demo’d it. So you’re saying the “analog” character might really just be eq?

[e-crooner]

It might also make sense to create an equalizer profile (if Serum has an EQ, that is) that reflects analog hardware's frequency response more closely.

It does, and could always use EQ8 and create a rack in Ableton. One of the things I noticed when using a Moog synth previously was the “fatness” of the low end (which I ultimately had to cut to mix with other sounds anyway). I noticed Diva has a similiar “fullness” to the sound when I Demo’d it. So you’re saying the “analog” character might really just be eq?

Oh no, not "just". But the frequency response is part of the puzzle in my view.

[mholloway]

Things I would like to do?
- Drift, add randomization to the pitch, filter cutoff, with each note press?

This is precisely what the two Chaos modulators are for. Did you miss those?

- Analog waveforms, aside from Serum's stock waves, are there any other packs out there people are using to enhance Serum's virtual analog capabilities?

EchoSoundWorks has a free (e-mail required) pack including many Analog waveforms among many others. I'd start there.