Lush Pads (Simple & Complex)

Pads and atmospheres are definitely important in various genres, especially in ambient music. Here’s how you can create a basic pad using simple tools.

The "Bread & Butter" Pad (26:20)

  1. Start with a Saw wave.
  2. Turn on Unison (16 voices) with a slight Detune and "Fat" mode.
  3. Make sure your synth is in Polyphonic mode (so you can play chords).
  4. Set the Amplitude Envelope: Slow Attack, high Sustain (100%), and a long Release.
  5. Set the Filter Envelope (modulating the Low Pass Filter Cutoff): Slow Attack, high Sustain, and a long Release.
  6. Add a ton of Reverb.
  7. (Optional) Add some Pitch Modulation (Vibrato or a Random LFO) for a classic "drifting" analog feel.

The Unique Layered Pad (30:19)

This is the real secret to how libraries like Omnisphere make their famous sounds.

  1. Create your "Bread & Butter" Pad (Sound #1).
  2. Layer it with a Sampler.
  3. Record any random sound into the sampler. (I used a water bottle, but you can use a piano note, a vocal, or anything).
  4. In the sampler, loop a small section of the sound.
  5. Set the sampler to a "Textures" or granular mode. Set the speed very low (e.g., 10%) and the grain size high.
  6. Use a Random Modulator (LFO) set to "Hold" to modulate the Sample Start position. This ensures that every note you play grabs a different part of the sample.
  7. Use another Random Modulator to slightly change the playback speed with every note.
  8. Put your Reverb on the group channel so it processes both the synth and the sample together.
  9. Blend the volume of the sample layer to taste. This adds instant, unique character that no one else has.

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