Programming odd synth harmonies like…

[ARNK]

An example below @ 1:49. That said, other bands that create beautiful synth sounds like this include Orbital, Depeche Mode, Aphex Twin, NIN, Plaid and Bicep.

https://youtu.be/JSjQVSGvpX0

Is the main idea to hone in on oscillator tuning, music theory. These frequencies seem to live somewhere in between your standard octaves, semitones and cents.

Is it microtuning?

Where to begin outside of recreating the sounds by ear which I know is part of it.

Hopefully you know what I mean…

[CHOOS]

@ 1:49 the vocals are a bit loud to focus on a specific sound. Or is there a specific sound/note you can hear that you want to replicate?
Anywhere else in the track where you hear it?

[ARNK]

@ 1:49 the vocals are a bit loud to focus on a specific sound. Or is there a specific sound/note you can hear that you want to replicate?
Anywhere else in the track where you hear it?

Ok, here is maybe a better example of what I mean. The bass line @ 3:10 (and keys that come in):

https://youtu.be/IwcxAnZzItg

[CHOOS]

I'll be back Sunday night I think so I'll have a look then if no-one else has figured it out by then

[SpooksMcGee123]

maybe a tremolo plugin?

[CHOOS]

I'm still confused
I haven't heard that tune in years! Awesome
But the bass you can fairly easily hear the notes so by starting with a saw you'll be very close

[juno987654321]

I don't understand what the OP is after. Maybe he or she can make us understand better?
Pitch variations/automations using the pitch wheel? Vibrato effects? They could be made continuous, between cents...

[Rastkovic]

Booka Shade remix: It's just pulsewave with fast pitch/pulsewidth modulation?

Windowlicker: A pulsewave with filter resonance?! Maybe he used something else, but at least you get similar sounds with this technique....

[ARNK]

I don't understand what the OP is after. Maybe he or she can make us understand better?
Pitch variations/automations using the pitch wheel? Vibrato effects? They could be made continuous, between cents...

I’m referring to tone, pitch or harmony of the sounds, not so much the oscillator types/method.

[juno987654321]

So is this about music theory then?
Or do you want to know how to technically find out and recreate the exact pitches?
If you want to find out the notes and chords to type into your DAW to recreate the song or create a similar odd one
I would just type in the ones that come closest to what you think could be "the underlying basis"
and then automate the pitches of them to confuse the clarity and make it sound odd (in between and fluctuating between keys and harmonies)?
If notes are in between 2 standard notes just choose the ones you think fit the (or some) key/harmony best that you think could be the basis for the song as you imagine it...
Odd or somewhat undefined harmonies may be a bit difficult to capture because they may be ambiguous. You could categorize them in multiple ways, so just choose a more or less arbitrary one you like and capture the ambiguity from there...

[Rastkovic]

I don't understand what the OP is after. Maybe he or she can make us understand better?
Pitch variations/automations using the pitch wheel? Vibrato effects? They could be made continuous, between cents...

I’m referring to tone, pitch or harmony of the sounds, not so much the oscillator types/method.

Each waveform has its specific harmonics, so it is important what kind of waveform do you use and what's going on the oscillator side.

Simple detuning of two waveforms (or more) also sounds sometimes like "microtonality".