Official Serum 2 thread!

[SLiC]

I wasn't big fan of serum 1 (specifically it's core sound engine, that made everything that came out from it quite sterile), so I'm wondering if serum 2 sounds different enough to warrant me keep testing it, when I could just be using pigments or current? There are improvements in Serum 2, that arp alone is a big addition, but so far it's been a bit of a mixed bag for me.

Serum 2 is a very good free update (well I tipped, so not quite free) and it’s undoubtedly a great synth. My only reservation is that it is a bit cpu heavy on some patches (even on a powerful i9)

Current still sounds more interesting to me (it has great presets and fx) as a super synth, Pigmets is great value for something very similar (but to me, Current sounds much better than Pigments). I’m not sure if I would buy Serum now I also have Current and PhasePlant and Pigments - any one of those is probably the only one you need….but as I had Serum from when it first came out (and at that point was a game changer) I am glad it’s been updated and I am enjoying exploring it, I’m sure talented sound designers will make it shine over time.

[kenny saunders]

specifically it's core sound engine, that made everything that came out from it quite sterile

I run into this perspective a lot. I mostly disagree with it. It is very possible to make a Serum patch sound as dirty or warm or characterful or dark as you want it to. The oscillators are very clean, and that's a good thing. It's always easier to dirty things up than to clean them (often impossible). It's like having a high resolution camera sensor. You can always reduce the resolution if you want a photo to look pixelated. But if your camera only has a very low-resolution sensor, you can't get sharp, high-resolution, clear images with it, short of AI upscaling, which gives you fake details. With the more pristine starting point, you have more options.

I think a lot of people, not necessarily you, are too preset-oriented. If the stock presets in a synth tend toward a lot of dubstep growls, they tend to think that's the character of the synth. No, it is rather the character of the presets. The presets can give a very misleading impression of what the synth is capable of.

Honestly, it's much easier to make Serum sound like Repro, and do most of what it does, than it is to make Repro do all that Serum can do. But since Serum, or Phase Plant, or whatever, has so much flexibility and power, that also means it asks more of you. Repro is one big sweet spot. Limited, but mostly sweet. Not necessarily so with synths like Serum 2, and even less so with Phase Plant.

I think it may also be to do with the OTT slapped on everything making presets sound thin and reedy.

[concealed identity]

I'm demoing this and kind of undecided, but only because I already own a fair amount of software synths, so the price is a big ask. But I'll continue demoing it. So far, everything I like in Serum is there, and all of the ways it's expanded (new oscillators, filters, FX page, etc.) are great.

I'm just starting to get the hang of a lot of things, but I wanted to confirm two things:

1. Is there any way to get a bigger window when slicing samples? I know you can zoom in, but I'm still doing it in the tiny oscillator window and it's pretty painful. Is there any way to expand that window or make it full screen?

2. Is there any kind of step sequencer that transposes on key press? I see there's an arpeggiator, and there is a clip launcher with a piano roll. But can you make your own arp sequences that change depending on the key you press?

[Gam456]

2. Is there any kind of step sequencer that transposes on key press? I see there's an arpeggiator, and there is a clip launcher with a piano roll. But can you make your own arp sequences that change depending on the key you press?

you must set KS pan to mono or poly

[ere2learn]

You can trigger each arp slot from the keyboard, set up various arps to your liking then trigger, right click to configure but default is -C1

Screenshot 2025-03-19 110625.png

[Chris-S]

Hi,
are the Macro Knobs not yet implemented? I'm hearing no effect when moving those...
(Win11, VST-3)

[billinder33]

Downloaded and made a quick patch today just to get a feel for the update. Really love the new oscs, additional filter, and LFO options. The new FX options and busses are nice. The arp is nice. Can't wait to dig deeper into it.

I wish they'd changed the modulation assignment system to more resemble Phaseplant or Vital. Amazing update otherwise. Lots of new stuff here to put Serum back on par with Phaseplant, Pigments, and Current. But still the same easy to configure, fun to use Serum. Really digging it

What change would you like to see re mod assignment?

It's not the assigning per se, it's knowing what's assigned to a specific control and changing it. That info and adjustment is readily visible at the target in Vital, or via mouse-over in Phaseplant. In Serum you can identify the source via right-click from the target (no adjustment access), and adjust by switching to the correct modulator tab then returning to the target, or by going to the mod matrix. As a system, it's ok/fine, but IMO Vital and Phaseplant have perfected modulation access by making it all readily available at the target.

Not a deal breaker, everything else I wanted in an updated Serum is there (and more!!).

[HOTF]

I'm demoing this and kind of undecided, but only because I already own a fair amount of software synths, so the price is a big ask. But I'll continue demoing it. So far, everything I like in Serum is there, and all of the ways it's expanded (new oscillators, filters, FX page, etc.) are great.

I'm just starting to get the hang of a lot of things, but I wanted to confirm two things:

1. Is there any way to get a bigger window when slicing samples? I know you can zoom in, but I'm still doing it in the tiny oscillator window and it's pretty painful. Is there any way to expand that window or make it full screen?

2. Is there any kind of step sequencer that transposes on key press? I see there's an arpeggiator, and there is a clip launcher with a piano roll. But can you make your own arp sequences that change depending on the key you press?

1. Not at the moment but Steve Duda said in his interview with Mr.Bill that he is working a on an oscillator view for one of the next update. He says he still has a lot of things he wants to add to the synth. Greats news consedering update are free for life.

[wintoid]

I often like to have multiple LFOs going around the 0.1 0.11 0.12 Hz etc range but there seems to be no way to select anything between 0.1 and 0.2. Am I missing anything?

[3ptguitarist]

How does the Serum 2 sound engine compare to other similar wavetable VSTs such as Pigments, Zebra, and even the analog ones such as Diva?

[ere2learn]

You can use the seq & arp as a midi device

Screenshot 2025-03-19 124354.png

[Stan Navi]

I wish Serum 2 would have Multisample Editor. I don't want to search and use SFZ converter. In many synths I can just drag and drop multiple samples and set it inside editor.

[teilo]

Hi,
are the Macro Knobs not yet implemented? I'm hearing no effect when moving those...
(Win11, VST-3)

Working just fine.

[Fornicras]

I already have Pigments for years and I like it a lot but I still went ahead and bought Serum 2. Tried creating a few sounds yesterday, it sounds awesome and I find it much easier to program than Pigments.

[billinder33]

How does the Serum 2 sound engine compare to other similar wavetable VSTs such as Pigments, Zebra, and even the analog ones such as Diva?

It's a very neutral sounding engine. Don't own Zebra so can't compare to that. I tinkered with Pigments a while back and I kind of understand what people say about it sounding 'generic' or 'bland'. I'd say Serum is inherently a little less bland than Pigments, but it's definitely in the 'neutral' camp along with Current, Phaseplant, etc. Maybe slightly more edgy/exciting than Phaseplant but not quite as much as MassiveX. Basically it does what you make it do. Definitely doesn't have the 'Big Analog' thing happening like Diva, but you can certainly make it do that if you build your sounds correctly.

Personally, I've not had much issue with the inherent sound of any synth, because 'warmth' or 'excitement' can always be added after the fact with targeted EQ, saturation, etc. If you prefer to create music by preset browsing and are looking for classic analog, Serum probably isn't going to be your bag. Serum is the OG easy-to-configure, in-your-face, wub-wub FM synth. IMO Serum 2 hasn't changed what made Serum 1 so popular, it just extended the functionality with the kind of features people expect from a flagship synth in 2025.