That Classic High Pitch Synth Sound?!?!?!

[Will Hollyoaks]

Hi guys

Im having trouble making the classic house/techno high pitch synth sound.

ive always used samples and can never get it right and was wondering if anyone could help?

many thanks

Will

[jellycaster]

i think you will need to be a little more specific, will

[Will Hollyoaks]

would help if i actually explained wouldn't it.....

its in most classic 90s house tracks and still used today.

its a long continuos high pitch synth, like a violin.

im just looking for a track to show you on youtube.

[Will Hollyoaks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey0efXGvg4M

comes in to the track at 1:50 in the back ground.

i feel it will be something really simple but i just cant get it right!

[mbird21]

Unless im wrong, its just a high octave string chord, just create a pad or string on whatveer synth you using, then create a pad or string on whatever synth you using, and then create a long chord for the key of your song, or if you not up to on music theory put a chord plugin before your synth and mess about with the settings till you hear what you want and are looking for without need to to learn the theory stuff, and use a high pass filter on the filter section and make sure the sustain is set to maximum cause if im not wrong thats a 16 bar job and should be about right, are i mght be totally off but thats all it sounds like to me tbh.

[mbird21]

if you sylenth 1 try this to start you off ive just quickly oipened it up before i go out and if its not anything like you wanting sorry incase you are not good at sound design yet ort cant be assed open up softstring preset, inseert a chord plugin in before the sylenth and hold down a6 on your midi keyboard or draw in your piano roll and lisetn to that and go from there maybe?, on the chord plugin put +3, +7 & -12.

Hope that might help sorry if it hasint at all

[Will Hollyoaks]

thanks for the advice dude.

ill give it a little whirl...

[richardFM]

hi reviving an old thread i love that sound found on countless records and i knew what that sound was the moment i read the name of this thread. when that string comes in it just brings a certain mood to the track which is quite amazing

i got close, using some presets in some vst synths, also if you have the right tone you can get this in a hardware synth as well. its probably a chord played in a higher octave. i got very close but its the characteristics of the sound i'm interested in, like how to get EXACTLY there.

is it LFO modulating pitch, filter? detune? unison? chorus? sounds like i'm already there lol. could that be like a particular synth? most likely M1 and dx7 are perfect for the job

but really some one has got to know

anyone?

would really appreciate.

[102455]

Sounds used on tracks from particular decades (or even years) can usually be traced to the popular synths and drum machines of the time.

They often turn out to be default presets too. Name a track & the year it came out, and it should be fairly easy to associate some hardware to that time period.

[richardFM]

yeah fair enough

the tracks are from early to mid 90's the drums 808s and the synths are most likely m1s or dx7.

i'm sure i'm getting to that sound. i will post results when i do

in the meantime if anyone knows proper examples please chime in

best

[yur2die4]

I think the key is to have two oscillators an octave apart.

I emulated it using two super saw type oscs. As long as I don't crank it super loud. I think part of the point is for it to be there, but not there. But yeah, there distinctly seems to be a need for octave-based enhancement.

Added a smidgeon of delay too (or reverb)

This time I tried Analog. Unison detuned about 20. (I went with 4 voice). Filter optional. Detune one of the oscs very very slightly also optional. I'd just hold a D5 or something.

[richardFM]

you have good points in there

i totally agree on the level you play this string if i may call it that. sometimes you dont even here it during the song untill a certain point when its just wow

unison sounds good for this. i dont have operator handy but will try it as soon as i am at it

any other tips and tricks welcome

[yur2die4]

Well if I had to guess, I'd say it's based off a sample of a synth tone. Probably one of the slick 90's samplers with some standard 'convincing' string patch. It wouldn't surprise me one bit. So you'd be emulating a synth tone that sounds like a 'real string', then made into a sample patch, and going through a sampler's processing. What was popular at that time? Akai, Korg, emu, Yamaha? I dunno. But if you can get your hands on a nice string sample and loop it cohesively, you should be good to go.

[102455]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgO4InIPb3o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwzChOxuIZs

[richardFM]

that sound IS in there

first link: 2:52


now i must find the disk

thanks