Stranger Things Theme: OB-6 sound design tutorial: How to make the synth bass

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

EthanJamesMusic OB-6 videos

"This is a sound design tutorial for how to approach the main theme of Stanger Things. The sound is a dirty chorus synth bass that is achieved by detuning the oscillators, as opposed to using a chorus effect..

The Sequential Circuits OB-6 can do a respectable job of coming close to the sound, because of the SEM filter that is borrowed from the original Oberheim that was used in the main theme.

Analog synthesizers have found a way back into film music, which has led to a lot of rich experimentation of what these instruments are capable of. I think my main takeaway is the heavy use of envelope, and setting the filter modulation much lower than a normal synth pluck would require. Also, having a really dry sound mixed in with lots of ambience really cuts through in a way that creates a strong effect.

I hope you learn something from this tutorial, and it gives you some ideas to try out! Please let me know if there are any questions, or if anyone knows what instrument was used on the film. I would guess a Minimoog or similar."

Sound design tutorial from Stranger Things Eleven using OB-6 part 2

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

EthanJamesMusic OB-6 videos

"This is a sound design tutorial for how to approach a specific sound that was used in the first season of Stranger Things. I was requested to show how I would make the chord sound that happens in the track "Eleven". The sound is a wobbly synth sound, with some wrinkles about modulated the filter.

The Sequential Circuits OB-6 can do a respectable job of coming close to the sound. This track has polyphony, so a multi-oscillator synth with separate envelopes is required.

Analog synthesizers have found a way back into film music, which has led to a lot of rich experimentation of what these instruments are capable of. I think my main takeaway is the heavy use of filter modulation using an LFO assignment. Also, having a really dry sound mixed in with lots of ambience really cuts through in a way that creates a strong effect."

Sound design tutorial from Stranger Things Eleven using OB-6 and Moog Grandmother

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

"This is a sound design tutorial for how to approach a specific sound that was used in the first season of Stranger Things. I was requested to show how I would make the lead sound that happens in the track "Eleven". The sound is a wet electric piano type of sound, with some wrinkles around the use of filter modulation and reverb..

The Sequential Circuits OB-6 can do a respectable job of coming close to the sound, and I tried to get a Grandmother version to come close. This track does require polyphony, so the Grandmother would have to be multitracked to get the same result.

Analog synthesizers have found a way back into film music, which has led to a lot of rich experimentation of what these instruments are capable of. I think my main takeaway is the heavy use of envelope, and setting the filter modulation much lower than a normal synth pluck would require. Also, having a really dry sound mixed in with lots of ambience really cuts through in a way that creates a strong effect."

Sound design tutorial from the film Blade Runner 2049 using OB-6 and Moog Grandmother

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

"This is a sound design tutorial for how to approach a specific sound that was used in the film Blade Runner 2049 from 2017 with a score by Hans Zimmer. I was requested to show how I would make the lead sound that happens in the track 'Mesa'. The sound is a wet synth brass type of sound, with some wrinkles, where the pitch is a little further apart than you normal would do for an EDM track or the type of pop 1980s track, where this type of sound was used a lot.

The Sequential Circuits OB-6 can do a respectable job of coming close to the sound. I have no idea what was actually used for the film, but it sounds closer to a CS-80, which now costs over $100,000 used. For this reason, I'm teaching how to make the sound on both OB-6 and the Moog Grandmother.

Analog synthesizers have found a way back into film music, which has led to a lot of rich experimentation of what these instruments are capable of. I think my main takeaway from making this video, is that a lot can be achieved by moving the pitch of two oscillators far apart from each other to create a lot of disturbance in the melody. Also, having a really dry sound mixed in with lots of ambience really cuts through in a way that creates a strong effect.

I hope you learn something from this tutorial, and it gives you some ideas to try out! Please let me know if there are any questions, or if anyone knows what instrument was used on the film. I would guess a Minimoog or similar."

Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lesson 9: MIDI Clock Setup

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

EthanJamesMusic Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lessons

"This is a tutorial series for anyone who wants to learn how to do their own sound design using the Sequential Circuits (former Dave Smith Instruments) Prophet 6 synthesizer. The goal is to break this subject down into understandable and digestible bits of information that you can apply to your own electronic music. I am primarily a media or film composer, so we will learn ambient, techno, and EDM style sound design using the synth.
This ninth video shows how to use global settings for MIDI clock sync to a DAW."

Moog Grandmother sound design tutorial: Lisa Bella Donna Patch book 2: Mixer distortion

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

"This is a tutorial for the Moog Grandmother semi modular synthesizer, expanding on a patch created by @LisaBellaDonnaMusic using mixer distortion by running the output back into the noise input. The other main feature of this patch is using the modulation oscillator to create pulse width modulation. I explore some different variations for the patch and how to find different musical uses.. I hope you learn how to take someone else's patch and explore alternate uses from this video."

Update:

Moog Grandmother sound design tutorial: Lisa Bella Donna Patch book 2: Mixer distortion part 2


You can find additional posts in this series here.

Moog Grandmother sound design tutorial: Lisa Bella Donna Patch book 1: Envelope to modulation rate

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

"This is a tutorial for the Moog Grandmother semi modular synthesizer, expanding on a patch created by @LisaBellaDonnaMusic using the envelope generator to control modulation rate. The other main feature of this patch is using the Multi section as a summing mixer for up to three different voices. I explore some different variations for the patch and how to find different musical uses.. I hope you learn how to take someone else's patch and explore alternate uses from this video."

You can find additional posts in this series here.

Live Annotated performance: rhythmic variation Buchla 208c Easel Command electronic music

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

"I am using the Buchla 208c music Easel Command along with the Make Noise 0-ctrl as a stand in for the 218 touch controller. I am using annotations to try to teach some of my thought process when I'm making these improvisations. This patch demonstrates the rhythmic variations you can get by sending sequential voltage to the pulser CV. I'm also inverting the voltage, so that higher notes last longer, but there are many possibilities for how to achieve rhythmic variations in this way. I am using the west coast technique of starting with something and spinning it out like a centrifuge. I'm processing the sound through a few eurorack modules that I will detail below. Hopefully this camera angle also helps you learn something!"

Sequential Circuits OB-6 Tutorial Lesson 12: How to make an Ambient Evolving Pad with mallet effects

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

"This is a tutorial series for anyone who wants to learn how to do their own sound design using the Sequential Circuits (former Dave Smith Instruments) OB-6 synthesizer. The goal is to break this subject down into understandable and digestible bits of information that you can apply to your own electronic music. I am primarily a media or film composer, so we will learn ambient, techno, and EDM style sound design using the synth.
This twelfth video shows how to make an ambient evolving pad with some percussive mallet effects too."

EthanJamesMusic Sequential Circuits OB-6 Tutorial Lessons

Sequential OB-6 Tutorial Lesson 11: How to make In The Light By Led Zeppelin

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

"This is a tutorial series for anyone who wants to learn how to do their own sound design using the Sequential Circuits (former Dave Smith Instruments) OB-6 synthesizer. The goal is to break this subject down into understandable and digestible bits of information that you can apply to your own electronic music. I am primarily a media or film composer, so we will learn ambient, techno, and EDM style sound design using the synth.
This eleventh video shows how to make the lead sound and something sort of close to the drone celli for the Led Zeppelin song 'In The Light'."

EthanJamesMusic Sequential OB-6 Tutorial Lessons

Live annotated eurorack techno synthwave with Tempest

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

"This is a live techno synthwave electronic music performance, where I wanted to see if I could take advantage of the Malekko Sync module and use it to send MIDI clock from the Tempest to my eurorack sequencers. This is an entirely live and improvised performance, and I included annotations to show some of what I'm thinking about and also to demonstrate the different musical themes weaving in and out of the texture Since I'm a film composer by trade, this came out relatively cinematic and would work in certain movie score settings. This is a very simple setup to make a big sound. I hope this is educational for you as well, in terms of how I put these performances together. Hopefully this camera angle also helps you learn something!"

Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lesson 8: Miscellaneous Parameters

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

EthanJamesMusic Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lessons

"This is a tutorial series for anyone who wants to learn how to do their own sound design using the Sequential Circuits (former Dave Smith Instruments) Prophet 6 synthesizer. The goal is to break this subject down into understandable and digestible bits of information that you can apply to your own electronic music. I am primarily a media or film composer, so we will learn ambient, techno, and EDM style sound design using the synth.
This eighth video shows how to use the arpeggiator and the misc parameters section. Please leave a comment with any questions or requests and a like if this was helpful."

Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lesson 7: Effects

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

EthanJamesMusic Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lessons

"This is a tutorial series for anyone who wants to learn how to do their own sound design using the Sequential Circuits (former Dave Smith Instruments) Prophet 6 synthesizer. The goal is to break this subject down into understandable and digestible bits of information that you can apply to your own electronic music. I am primarily a media or film composer, so we will learn ambient, techno, and EDM style sound design using the synth. This seventh video shows the effects section and its options."

Live annotated eurorack emotional cinematic synthwave, ARP-2600, Moog, OB-6 Tangerine Dream inspired

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

"This is a live cinematic synthwave electronic music performance inspired by later Tangerine Dream music, where I wanted to setup a more meditative environment and create a slow musical progression by interweaving layers with the Eurorack, using the electric bass as a guitar type of instrument, providing bass from the Moog Grandmother, chords from the DSI OB-6, and texture from the ARP-2600, and more texture from the Buchla 208c Easel Command. This is an entirely live and unrehearsed improvised performance, and I included annotations to show some of what I'm thinking about and also to demonstrate the different musical themes weaving in and out of the texture Since I'm a film composer by trade, this came out relatively cinematic and would work in certain movie score settings. This is a very simple setup to make a big sound. I hope this is educational for you as well, in terms of how I put these performances together. Hopefully this camera angle also helps you learn something!

Patch Notes:
Eurorack:
Stillson Hammer running at x6 multiply but using 1:1 gate from 0-ctrl to make bass. Two envelopes, one to VCA, one to filter.
Tempi clock divider running two channels of Make Noise René. First channel is to Dixie II oscillator to Jove filter to Erberverb. Second is to Serge NTO to Serge VQVCF to Echophon. I'm using a x4 clock divider to the Y channel, which is 1:1 to the VCA gate, but I'm using the C channel gate to the filter, which creates an interesting rhythm.

Moog Grandmother:
Normalled patch

ARP-2600:
3 oscillators tuned in octaves.

DFAM:
Pitch to Noise volume to create snare.

OB-6:
Polysaw chord setting"

Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lesson 6: Poly Mod

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

EthanJamesMusic Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lessons

"This is a tutorial series for anyone who wants to learn how to do their own sound design using the Sequential Circuits (former Dave Smith Instruments) Prophet 6 synthesizer. The goal is to break this subject down into understandable and digestible bits of information that you can apply to your own electronic music. I am primarily a media or film composer, so we will learn ambient, techno, and EDM style sound design using the synth. This sixth video shows how to use the poly mod section to create audio rate modulation, an alternate LFO, or an alternate envelope."

Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lesson 5: LFO

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

EthanJamesMusic Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lessons

"This is a tutorial series for anyone who wants to learn how to do their own sound design using the Sequential Circuits (former Dave Smith Instruments) Prophet 6 synthesizer. The goal is to break this subject down into understandable and digestible bits of information that you can apply to your own electronic music. I am primarily a media or film composer, so we will learn ambient, techno, and EDM style sound design using the synth. This fifth video shows the LFO and its different uses."

How to turn crickets into percussion eurorack Make Noise Morphagene

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

"This is a live electronic music performance inspired by some of the sound design experiments from a film I'm currently working on. This is an entirely live and unrehearsed improvised performance, and I included annotations to show some of what I'm thinking about and also to demonstrate the different musical possibilities that can happen from an outside sound source. Since I'm a film composer by trade, this came out relatively cinematic and would work in certain movie score settings. This is a very simple setup to make a big sound. I hope this is educational for you as well, in terms of how I put these performances together. Hopefully this camera angle also helps you learn something!"

Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lesson 4: Envelopes

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

EthanJamesMusic Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lessons

"This is a tutorial series for anyone who wants to learn how to do their own sound design using the Sequential Circuits (former Dave Smith Instruments) Prophet 6 synthesizer. The goal is to break this subject down into understandable and digestible bits of information that you can apply to your own electronic music. I am primarily a media or film composer, so we will learn ambient, techno, and EDM style sound design using the synth.
This fourth video shows the two envelopes and their applications to sound design. Please leave a comment with any questions or requests and a like if this was helpful."

Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lesson 3: Filters

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

EthanJamesMusic Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lessons

"This is a tutorial series for anyone who wants to learn how to do their own sound design using the Sequential Circuits (former Dave Smith Instruments) Prophet 6 synthesizer. The goal is to break this subject down into understandable and digestible bits of information that you can apply to your own electronic music. I am primarily a media or film composer, so we will learn ambient, techno, and EDM style sound design using the synth.

This third video shows the filters, their sounds, and some options. Please leave a comment with any questions or requests and a like if this was helpful."

Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lesson 2: Oscillators

video upload by EthanJamesMusic

EthanJamesMusic Sequential Prophet 6 Tutorial Lessons

"This is a tutorial series for anyone who wants to learn how to do their own sound design using the Sequential Circuits (former Dave Smith Instruments) Prophet 6 synthesizer. The goal is to break this subject down into understandable and digestible bits of information that you can apply to your own electronic music. I am primarily a media or film composer, so we will learn ambient, techno, and EDM style sound design using the synth.

This second video shows some of the options with the oscillator section of the synth. Please leave a comment with any questions or requests and a like if this was helpful.

If you enjoyed this, please consider supporting my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ethanjamesmusic"