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So I've found out that Serum FX can have its LFOs activated by placing a note in the "Clip" section.
Really useful, as you don't have to send midi into the plugin just to sync and trigger LFOs and the likes.

I remember reading somewhere that we can use Latch mode to do this, but in my experience, Latch mode only becomes active once it's received a midi note, which kinda makes it a bit obsolete?
Maybe I'm doing something wrong there though :?

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I need to ask again. Can Serum 2 run such effects as distortion per voice (poly)? Just like in Phase Plant? Does anyone know this?
Last edited by Igro on Fri Apr 11, 2025 12:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Igro wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:03 am I need to ask again. Can Serum 2 run such effects as distortion per voice? Just like in Phase Plant? Does anyone know this?
I think effect in main are poly

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Igro wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:03 am I need to ask again. Can Serum 2 run such effects as distortion per voice (poly)? Just like in Phase Plant? Does anyone know this?
Normal Fx should be monophonic. But Oscillator Fx (has also distortion) should be polyphonic.

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SamDi wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 2:49 pm
Igro wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:03 am I need to ask again. Can Serum 2 run such effects as distortion per voice (poly)? Just like in Phase Plant? Does anyone know this?
Normal Fx should be monophonic. But Oscillator Fx (has also distortion) should be polyphonic.
Great! Thank you.

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The FX rack is a DSP process that operates on the sum output of the synth engine
(rather than per voice). You can think of this as “the effects are monophonic” or “the
effects are like plug-in inserts after Serum.” This is sometimes referred to as paraphonic
behavior, especially in conjunction with the filter effect.
Therefore when playing polyphonic synth parts (strummed chords, for example) keep
in mind that automating FX controls with per-voice mod sources (such as an envelope)
results in the effect parameter modulation being modulated/retriggered by each new
note.

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Gam456 wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:18 am
Igro wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:03 am I need to ask again. Can Serum 2 run such effects as distortion per voice? Just like in Phase Plant? Does anyone know this?
I think effect in main are poly
All non oscillator FX in Serum are monophonic.

Saw Steve Duda talking on reddit about upcoming fixes for CPU issues where he explicitly suggests using chorus or hyper in the FX section to avoid the huge CPU blow-out that happens with oscillator unison, because the fx are not per voice.

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swilow11 wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 10:35 pm
Gam456 wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:18 am
Igro wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:03 am I need to ask again. Can Serum 2 run such effects as distortion per voice? Just like in Phase Plant? Does anyone know this?
I think effect in main are poly
All non oscillator FX in Serum are monophonic.
Did you read my quote from the doc ?
The FX rack is a DSP process that operates on the sum output of the synth engine
(rather than per voice). You can think of this as “the effects are monophonic” or “the
effects are like plug-in inserts after Serum.” This is sometimes referred to as paraphonic
behavior, especially in conjunction with the filter effect.

Therefore when playing polyphonic synth parts (strummed chords, for example) keep
in mind that automating FX controls with per-voice mod sources (such as an envelope)
results in the effect parameter modulation being modulated/retriggered by each new
note.

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Gam456 wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 10:38 pm
swilow11 wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 10:35 pm
Gam456 wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:18 am
Igro wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 9:03 am I need to ask again. Can Serum 2 run such effects as distortion per voice? Just like in Phase Plant? Does anyone know this?
I think effect in main are poly
All non oscillator FX in Serum are monophonic.
Did you read my quote from the doc ?
The FX rack is a DSP process that operates on the sum output of the synth engine
(rather than per voice). You can think of this as “the effects are monophonic” or “the
effects are like plug-in inserts after Serum.” This is sometimes referred to as paraphonic
behavior, especially in conjunction with the filter effect.

Therefore when playing polyphonic synth parts (strummed chords, for example) keep
in mind that automating FX controls with per-voice mod sources (such as an envelope)
results in the effect parameter modulation being modulated/retriggered by each new
note.
I have now. Not sure if just internet, but that agrees with what I wrote that you quoted? Fx are not per voice.

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Bit confused by the quality settings in Serum 2. This is not a scientific comparison, but the same patch when examined through Span shows significantly more low end on the lowest quality setting, and accordingly less when at ultra. This is kind of strange to me. Can anyone shed some light on this?

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swilow11 wrote: Sat Apr 12, 2025 11:24 pm Bit confused by the quality settings in Serum 2. This is not a scientific comparison, but the same patch when examined through Span shows significantly more low end on the lowest quality setting, and accordingly less when at ultra. This is kind of strange to me. Can anyone shed some light on this?
No, but to my ear, on some of my noodlings the sound is very different between settings. Like completely different tonal balance, which agrees with your observation.

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Is there a way to disconnect oscillators from using Env 1 for the volume envelope? I'm playing with some ideas with keyboard splits and I want OSC 3 to have a long release. Assigning a different envelope to the level of OSC 3 lets me adjust the attack and decay, but no matter how long I set the release, it cuts off instantly when I let go.

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spektralisk wrote: Tue Apr 08, 2025 10:34 am
Fornicras wrote: Tue Apr 08, 2025 9:05 am Is something wrong with Serum 2's mix structure, or am I missing something?
Normally, I feel like the Main should go out to Bus 1 and 2 and then go to output, but right now, Bus 1 and 2 go to Main first, then Main goes out. This means that when you put a reverb on Bus 1, it also goes through your main FX before it goes out.

I think you can theoretically use Bus 1 and 2 for FX and then use your Main as your FX bus (i.e., put reverb there), but it's confusing this way.

Am I missing some settings regarding this, or is it intended, or is it an oversight?
You can route each Bus to Direct, skipping the Main.
How do I make the Main go through the reverb? That's what I'm asking.

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Fornicras wrote: Sun Apr 13, 2025 6:25 pm
spektralisk wrote: Tue Apr 08, 2025 10:34 am
Fornicras wrote: Tue Apr 08, 2025 9:05 am Is something wrong with Serum 2's mix structure, or am I missing something?
Normally, I feel like the Main should go out to Bus 1 and 2 and then go to output, but right now, Bus 1 and 2 go to Main first, then Main goes out. This means that when you put a reverb on Bus 1, it also goes through your main FX before it goes out.

I think you can theoretically use Bus 1 and 2 for FX and then use your Main as your FX bus (i.e., put reverb there), but it's confusing this way.

Am I missing some settings regarding this, or is it intended, or is it an oversight?
You can route each Bus to Direct, skipping the Main.
How do I make the Main go through the reverb? That's what I'm asking.
I think I understand what you want to achieve but this won't be possible in Serum 2. Main act as your master channel and as far as I know there's no possibility to send the signal from main to the bus. In other words you can't treat main as insert effect channel that you can send from.
https://spektralisk.com/products | Sound libraries for: Massive X, Pigments, Vital, Razor, Kontour and more | Free sounds → Sound Flux

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Btw, Phase Retrig (random set to 0) doesn't work in Serum 2 in mono mode (and set release to a non-zero value). Just try it on a sine wave.
It gives various clicks every note hit. Just draw four on the flor beat in your DAW to spot it.
Last edited by Igro on Mon Apr 14, 2025 12:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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