Hey guys, I've been having some trouble recently trying to create my own sounds in serum and ultimately create a track. I think I've been focusing way too much on learning how to use serum and create my own sounds from scratch rather than actually finishing a full track. There are a lot of presets out there with already created sounds and wave tables that you can buy/download/tweak which doesn't seem like that bad of an idea or "cheating" in a sense. Curious what you all think I should do? Because I feel I am getting very distracted and unmotivated trying to create my own sounds from scratch. Thanks!!
Presets/Creating Own Sounds
- Thread starter RL40ZIP
- Start date
There is absolutely nothing wrong at all with using presets. Think about a Steinway Grand - only so many ways to play a C Major chord, but they all sound great 
Some synths (Serum is one) come with really good sounding presets, others not so much. Really, the only reason for making our own patches is to replicate that sound in your head you just can't get anywhere else (or to find a new sound you just gotta use). And if sound design is screwing with your creative process, use the presets that sound right to you and just make music - that's all that counts.
Some synths (Serum is one) come with really good sounding presets, others not so much. Really, the only reason for making our own patches is to replicate that sound in your head you just can't get anywhere else (or to find a new sound you just gotta use). And if sound design is screwing with your creative process, use the presets that sound right to you and just make music - that's all that counts.
krushing
Moderator
I barely ever use presets, because I've sort of built my studio around the fact that I like to build sounds and have instruments that allow for inspiring sound creation - but yeah, even though there are great plugins like Serum, I've never had the same kind of patience to tweak a plugin than I have with hardware. Don't see anything wrong with presets, except maybe when you get to those one-finger-plays-almost-a-whole-song kind of sequences.
scrapheaper
Moderator
There's nothing wrong with using presets but I personally would find it very limiting and expensive (because you keep having to buy more presets)
Another thing to consider is that when you're starting out your music might sound better in the short term if you use presets but better in the long term if you have the flexibility to create your own sounds.
But it's up do you... experiment a bit with both and see what goes best.
Another thing to consider is that when you're starting out your music might sound better in the short term if you use presets but better in the long term if you have the flexibility to create your own sounds.
But it's up do you... experiment a bit with both and see what goes best.
Laureat Ramadani
New member
A problem is that when you dont know what you doing, i have spend so many hours tweeking on eq i felt like i am about to tweek eq to death , what happens if i boost here and there,
So this is a good reason to write down what you do, what happens if i boost 50 hz, what happens if i boost 200, 400, 800, 1000, 1500, 3000, 5000, 7000, 10.000, 15.000
So you keep writing down and next times you know , you know what you need to boost to add more boom, more hard bass, more fullness, more pluck, more presence, more brightness, and so
And same is with sound design you dont need to always approach the wave shapes like you dont know how they sound like, or whsrsoever, you write down,
Triangle sounds like clarinete
Saw sounds like a saxophone
Square sounds like something in between
But next time if i want to design a sound i know the tools and i dont need to wadte time i can make the sound i want really fast ,
So this is a good reason to write down what you do, what happens if i boost 50 hz, what happens if i boost 200, 400, 800, 1000, 1500, 3000, 5000, 7000, 10.000, 15.000
So you keep writing down and next times you know , you know what you need to boost to add more boom, more hard bass, more fullness, more pluck, more presence, more brightness, and so
And same is with sound design you dont need to always approach the wave shapes like you dont know how they sound like, or whsrsoever, you write down,
Triangle sounds like clarinete
Saw sounds like a saxophone
Square sounds like something in between
But next time if i want to design a sound i know the tools and i dont need to wadte time i can make the sound i want really fast ,
rayzer
Oldschool
if im in a rush to lay down ideas then ill use a preset close to what i want then tweak it later, if i dont have the sound then ill try make it from scratch another time when im not inspired enough to make music. its good to learn synthesis though so you wont be relying on others to create sounds for you.
Timely thread as I am confused about something....
Is a "ROMpler" considered 'cheating' and/or a 'lazy man's synth'....???
I mean....basically....all a rompler is....is a huge bank of presets that you can use at free will with little to no tweakage/change to make the sound different and/or more unique.
Therefore....Are ROMpler's 'looked down' upon because they are considered easy and/or for people who are a lil lazy to work on a 'real' synth...???
Is that the reason for such a high price on ROMpler's like Nexus2 and Omnisphere......???
Can these 2 rompler's be labeled as 'easy' and/or the lazy man's synth....???
Is a "ROMpler" considered 'cheating' and/or a 'lazy man's synth'....???
I mean....basically....all a rompler is....is a huge bank of presets that you can use at free will with little to no tweakage/change to make the sound different and/or more unique.
Therefore....Are ROMpler's 'looked down' upon because they are considered easy and/or for people who are a lil lazy to work on a 'real' synth...???
Is that the reason for such a high price on ROMpler's like Nexus2 and Omnisphere......???
Can these 2 rompler's be labeled as 'easy' and/or the lazy man's synth....???
Maybe less use of "?", key has a finite lifecycle 
A couple of definitions first (generally speaking):
Rompler - a quaint, vintage piece of hardware that had samples of real instruments burned into ROM chips. Carry one keyboard and play piano, organ, brass, etc (again - real instruments, not patches). Pretty cool for all those late '80s pop hits.
Sampler - what everyone uses today instead of a Rompler. Can vary in sophistication from something like TX16Wx all the way to Nexus2, Omnisphere, Kontakt. Quality depends on sample kits used, Omnisphere and similar are expensive because they come with large, high quality sample libraries. Again, these are not patches - these are real instruments, sometimes sampled in amazing detail and clarity. And, most come with a wide range of possibilities for "tweakage/change".
There is confusion in definition - samplers that come with large sound libraries are sometimes called Romlpers or workstations. Samplers are certainly not looked down upon, nor are they any easier to use (properly) than synths, just another useful tool.
A couple of definitions first (generally speaking):Rompler - a quaint, vintage piece of hardware that had samples of real instruments burned into ROM chips. Carry one keyboard and play piano, organ, brass, etc (again - real instruments, not patches). Pretty cool for all those late '80s pop hits.
Sampler - what everyone uses today instead of a Rompler. Can vary in sophistication from something like TX16Wx all the way to Nexus2, Omnisphere, Kontakt. Quality depends on sample kits used, Omnisphere and similar are expensive because they come with large, high quality sample libraries. Again, these are not patches - these are real instruments, sometimes sampled in amazing detail and clarity. And, most come with a wide range of possibilities for "tweakage/change".
There is confusion in definition - samplers that come with large sound libraries are sometimes called Romlpers or workstations. Samplers are certainly not looked down upon, nor are they any easier to use (properly) than synths, just another useful tool.
krushing
Moderator
Even the romplers of yore had pretty deep editing capabilities (well, at least the better ones), but since editing was usually performed on a small LCD screen with little in terms of physical controls, most people just used the presets as they were.
I guess something like Omnisphere is the modern equivalent - it has one of the deepest synthesis engines on the market, but since it also has a huge preset library and programming it isn't exactly easy, most people are probably buying it for the presets.
I guess something like Omnisphere is the modern equivalent - it has one of the deepest synthesis engines on the market, but since it also has a huge preset library and programming it isn't exactly easy, most people are probably buying it for the presets.
Milo Burke
New member
Miscellaneous thoughts on using presets:
- Using presents isn't cheating and doesn't make you lazy. Is a pianist lazy since he always uses the one "preset" his piano has? A saxophonist?
- Like ponkapog said, starting from scratch is best when there are no presets that sound like the sound you hear in your head. This may happen from time to time.
- Using presets is a fantastic way to keep your creativity focused on creating music, not creating your own original presets. Hearing a neat preset can inspire you to make a song. Ride that wave, and you'll end up with a finished song instead of just a finished preset.
- Most synths have many, many, many presets. Using the same preset in a different song, as a different element or particularly in a different frequency register, will sound different. And small tweaks to a preset can give it a very different sound.
- My bud is afraid of presets. He thinks using them is cheating or unoriginal. He spent two weeks watching tutorial videos on how to make a sub bass synth patch in Massive. Then he spent a full week making the simplest of tracks using his "original" sub bass patch. Problems: 1) all sub bass synths basically sound the same, 2) I can make a more interesting track in an hour than he made in that week by using presets, and 3) he may have created his own patch, but his song was a blatant rip-off of a Drake track. Fans are highly unlikely to recognize that you recycled a preset, but many will notice if you recycle someone else's arrangement, percussion, and elements of melody. So be original where it counts.
- When you use a preset, you can (and should!) alter it. Find a good preset, record the melody it inspires you to play, then tweak it a little to bring out the edge or tone or thickness or power that makes your recorded melody sound best. If you screw up, just revert to the original preset and try again. You borrowed a little, with full legal permission, to get you to the sound you want quicker. That's not a crutch, that's a tool; that's not regression, that's progress.
Do what works for your music and your process. But don't feel shame for using presets. Ripping off someone's song is wrong. But using or recycling presets is just part of playing your instrument.
- Using presents isn't cheating and doesn't make you lazy. Is a pianist lazy since he always uses the one "preset" his piano has? A saxophonist?
- Like ponkapog said, starting from scratch is best when there are no presets that sound like the sound you hear in your head. This may happen from time to time.
- Using presets is a fantastic way to keep your creativity focused on creating music, not creating your own original presets. Hearing a neat preset can inspire you to make a song. Ride that wave, and you'll end up with a finished song instead of just a finished preset.
- Most synths have many, many, many presets. Using the same preset in a different song, as a different element or particularly in a different frequency register, will sound different. And small tweaks to a preset can give it a very different sound.
- My bud is afraid of presets. He thinks using them is cheating or unoriginal. He spent two weeks watching tutorial videos on how to make a sub bass synth patch in Massive. Then he spent a full week making the simplest of tracks using his "original" sub bass patch. Problems: 1) all sub bass synths basically sound the same, 2) I can make a more interesting track in an hour than he made in that week by using presets, and 3) he may have created his own patch, but his song was a blatant rip-off of a Drake track. Fans are highly unlikely to recognize that you recycled a preset, but many will notice if you recycle someone else's arrangement, percussion, and elements of melody. So be original where it counts.
- When you use a preset, you can (and should!) alter it. Find a good preset, record the melody it inspires you to play, then tweak it a little to bring out the edge or tone or thickness or power that makes your recorded melody sound best. If you screw up, just revert to the original preset and try again. You borrowed a little, with full legal permission, to get you to the sound you want quicker. That's not a crutch, that's a tool; that's not regression, that's progress.
Do what works for your music and your process. But don't feel shame for using presets. Ripping off someone's song is wrong. But using or recycling presets is just part of playing your instrument.