Xfer Serum
Overview of the plugin:
Serum is a wavetable synthesizer created by Steve Duda in which you can import your own sounds to create custom wavetables, modulate every parameter with envelopes and LFO’s and add high quality effects. It’s incredibly versatile and thrives particularly in the field of EDM where skilled sound designers and artists like Tascione create heavy basslines, soft chords and metallic percussive leads as can be heard and seen in the following video which is a demo project walkthrough.
Cymatics (2016). Tascione - Free Project File Walkthrough (Ableton, Logic, FL Studio). [video] Available
at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nk_rZl2Cog [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017].
(Splice, 2016)
The plugin sits at a medium price range of 189$ but through Splice, a site for producers to collaborate, download samples and plugins you are able to rent it for 9.99$ per month which is a great solution for a lot of bedroom producers who don’t have the budget to buy the plugin. This and of course the capability of Serum itself makes it very popular and most producers in the EDM and Hip Hop scene use it as one of their tools to create all kinds of sounds. Of course the plugin is not only limited to those genres and is able to create spooky sounding drones, risers and other sound effects which makes it very viable in cinematic productions.
Serums workflow is very intuitive and it may seem quite overwhelming at first but I got used to it very quickly.
One of Serums strongest points is that you are able to use it as a wavetable synthesizer and a frequency modulation synth at the same time so as long as you are creative there is almost no limit to what sounds you can create.
The filter section is not too different from other plugins at the first look but when you click
through the filter types you stumble upon very intriguing filter types like: French LP, Ring Mod, Formant and many more. These filters can of course be modulated so the user can create very unique soundscapes.
(Splice, 2016)
In a review from Ask Audio the author of the article wrote a very good summary of the Wavetable Editor which in my opinion sums up the most important features:
“The Wavetable Editor is a welcome feature when importing and maximizing external audio material for sets which is normally a tricky business with other wavetable systems. Everything about the layout has been thought about so it’s easy to maximize on imported audio as well as custom edit existing waveforms to then build your own tables. Like most sound editors there are various useful menu functions to streamline or experiment with the content of your sets along with a cherished undo/redo functionality to save you from yourself. Single waveforms can also be edited via a row of harmonic partials which anyone who’s used additive synthesis will be familiar with. Couple this with the row below where every partial’s phase position can be shifted and it becomes apparent that although there’s a lot of complexity here, it’s visually presented in a way that you can just explore without needing to understand the science.“ (Ask.audio, 2014)
(Splice, 2016)
The integration of Serum in my final audio submission:
I utilized Serum in my final project because I am very confident using it and know how to create the sounds I have in my head and incorporate them in my production. I think that it is not only sonically but also interface and processing wise superior than a lot of other soft synth plugins like Native Instruments Massive or Sylenth from Lennart Digital.
For these reasons I chose Serum over Massive & Sylenth.
I took the time to really get to know and learn the synth the past couple of months so I would be able to easily convey my ideas into practise.
For my project I used it to create a Music Box like synth lead to support the piano melody and reinforce that melancholy sad but at the same time very tentative soft vibe.
I created the patch with three oscillators, the first one was pitched up by 1 octave and the amplitude is turned down to only a quarter. The second and third oscillators, OSC A & B are sine wave like waveforms and both have a unison of three voices on them and are slightly detuned. Oscillator A then runs through a steep lowpass filter with the drive and fat parameters turned up slightly to add additional warmth to the sound. The cutoff of the filter is modulated by envelope 2 which we unfortunately cannot see in the picture.
Envelope 1 is the ADSR envelope which modulates the amplitude of the sound. It has a very short attack, no hold time and a medium long decay and sustain time with a slight release at the end. The signal then goes through the FX section where it gets modified by a slight delay to fill the gaps of the notes, soft reverb to add space and some dimension and a bit of compression to make the sound warmer and make it tighter.
(Screenshot of Serum in FL Studio)
The second patch I created for my song was very simple synth arpeggio sound which creates an additional rhythm adding some variation and drive to the chorus of the track.
The patch is very simple and straightforward, I put unison on a sine wave, slightly detuned it, processed it with some reverb and compression, eq’d out all the low frequencies with a high pass filter and made a envelope that modulates the amplitude which has a very short attack and a medium long decay.
(Screenshot of Serum in FL Studio)
Neumann TLM 103
Overview of the Neumann TLM 103:
As stated on the official Neumann website:
“The TLM 103* is the ideal large diaphragm microphone for all professional and semi-professional applications requiring the utmost in sound quality on a limited budget.
By utilizing the tried and true transformerless circuit found in numerous Neumann microphones, the TLM 103 features yet unattained low self-noise and the highest sound pressure level transmission. The capsule, derived from that used in the U 87, has a cardioid pattern, is acoustically well-balanced and provides extraordinary attenuation of signals from the rear.” (Neumann.com, n.d.)
It’s a condenser mic and thus requires phantom power to operate which can be a drawback if you are on the go and don’t have access to an interface which can supply phantom power. This scenario is quite unlikely though as most modern audio interfaces, even the budget ones, are able to output 48 volts of phantom power.
Another disadvantage is that since it’s a condenser mic it cannot handle very loud sounds and is more fragile than a dynamic mic.
It has a cardioid polar pattern which makes it useful in a studio situation where you want a very clean sound as it won’t pick up any unwanted noise from behind the mic.
(103, n.d.)
Technical details:
Acoustical operating principle
|
Pressure gradient transducer
|
Directional pattern
|
Cardioid
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Frequency range
|
20 Hz ... 20 kHz
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Sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1 kohm
|
23 mV/Pa
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Rated impedance
|
50 ohms
|
Rated load impedance
|
1 kohms
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Equivalent noise level, CCIR1)
|
17.5 dB
|
Equivalent noise level, A-weighted1)
|
7 dB-A
|
Signal-to-noise ratio, CCIR1) (rel. 94 dB SPL)
|
76.5 dB
|
Signal-to-noise ratio, A-weighted1) (rel. 94 dB SPL)
|
87 dB
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Maximum SPL for THD 0.5%2)
|
138 dB
|
Maximum output voltage
|
13 dBu
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Supply voltage (P48, IEC 61938)
|
48 V ± 4 V
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Current consumption (P48, IEC 61938)
|
3 mA
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Matching connector
|
XLR3F
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Weight
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approx. 450 g
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Diameter
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60 mm
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Length
|
132 mm
|
(Neumann.com, n.d.)
Frequency Curve Image:
(Neumann.com, n.d.)
The integration of the TLM 103 in my final audio submission:
I intend to use the TLM 103 to record the vocal of Lauren Walton, she has quite a high voice and since the mic is quite bright it suits her voice perfectly.
After testing both the TLM 103 and the AKG C414, I decided to use the TLM 103 because in my opinion the extra brightness and light feel supports the sound of her voice and fits the song.
In this comparison between both mics using a female vocal which is rather high and somewhat similar to Lauren’s voice you can really hear how the TLM 103 is a bit brighter and almost has a, what could be described as a sparkle, to it.
Giacomo Cuticchio (2017). neumann tlm 103 vs akg c 414 xls. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vf8PC-S7q4 [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017].
Komplete Kontrol s49
Overview of the Komplete Kontrol s49 by Native Instruments:
The Komplete Kontrol s49 is a high end midi controller which has semi weighted action keys that feel great when playing. It features 8 knobs which allow for manual or automatic parameter mapping. The Komplete Kontrol plugin is included in the software bundle when you buy the keyboard which through Native Map® technology allows you to just startup the keyboard, load up the plugin and let you modify any of the main parameters of every “Komplete” instrument as they have already been pre mapped. You can also easily map any parameter of third party plugins.
(Native-instruments.com, 2017)
The midi controller also has an arpeggiator mode which is quite straight forward and allows you to arpeggiate chords. With the scale mode you can automatically remap “wrong notes” which aren’t in the scale so you can play any scale with easy, this is ideal for amateur pianists/keyboard players.
(Native-instruments.com, 2017)
What really sets it apart from other midi controllers and in my opinion makes it superior to most of the products out there is the unique light guide which you are able to adjust to fulfill various purposes like for example lighting up a C-major 7 chord on the chromatic scale like in the picture below.
“Use the Light Guide to identify drum cells, key switches, phrases, and more at a glance – play every KOMPLETE Instrument in full color. In scale mode, notes in the scale light up on the keyboard, with the root lit even brighter – perfect if you aren't a trained keyboard player. In chord or arpeggiator mode, all triggered notes light up when you press a key, so you always know exactly what’s happening.” (Native-instruments.com, 2017)
(Native-instruments.com, 2017)
(Native-instruments.com, 2017)
The integration of the Komplete Kontrol s49 in my final audio submission:
I bought this midi controller not just because of it’s sleek design and the mappable parameters but mostly so I wouldn’t be limited to the lack of knowledge of music theory I have. The Komplete Kontrol makes up for this by having a light guide which enables me to play and any scale and transpose the notes so I can comfortably improvise and experiment.
I used the controller to play all the melodies you can hear in the song. I recorded most of them live other I jammed out on the keyboard and then drew them in the piano roll.
Additionally I used the light guide to try and test out playing the melody in different keys until I found the one that felt right.
For my piano sound I used “The Gentleman” which is a Komplete instrument and thus already pre-mapped to the knobs of the midi controller. After I recorded my finished melody I experimented with the reverb and other parameters of the piano sound using the
Knobs.
Blibliography:
103, N. (n.d.). Neumann TLM 103. [online] Musikhaus Thomann. Available at: https://www.thomann.de/at/neumann_tlm_103.htm?sid=33451ba854c997bcaec22d1243a57b48&ref=search_rslt_tlm103_127970_0 [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017].
Splice. (2016). [online] Available at: https://splice.com/plugins/15493-serum-vst-au-by-xfer-records [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017].
Cymatics (2016). Tascione - Free Project File Walkthrough (Ableton, Logic, FL Studio). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nk_rZl2Cog [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017].
Native-instruments.com. (2017). Feature details. [online] Available at: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/keyboards/komplete-kontrol-s-series/feature-details/ [Accessed 4 Jun. 2017].
Neumann.com. (n.d.). Georg Neumann GmbH - Products/Current Microphones/TLM 103/Description. [online] Available at: https://www.neumann.com/?lang=en&id=current_microphones&cid=tlm103_description [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017].
Giacomo Cuticchio (2017). neumann tlm 103 vs akg c 414 xls. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vf8PC-S7q4 [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017].
Native-instruments.com. (2017). KOMPLETE KONTROL S SERIES. [online] Available at: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/keyboards/komplete-kontrol-s-series/ [Accessed 4 Jun. 2017].
Ask.audio. (2014). Review: Xfer Records Serum Synth. [online] Available at: https://ask.audio/articles/review-xfer-records-serum-synth [Accessed 4 Jun. 2017].
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