Melancholic Swell Pad
Sounds like: A slow, mellotron-like wash that fades in with no attack and lingers.
Sound type: pad · Genre: IDM, Ambient, Downtempo · Style: slow, mellotron-like melancholic swell
A slow, mellotron-like swell pad with no attack transient: a soft, chorused wash that fades in and lingers, built entirely from long envelope stages rather than any dramatic modulation.
Open this patch in the interactive Patchpad
Digitone II
Exact match: Slow swell with no attack transient
SYN page 1
- ALGO: 1
- RATIO C: 1.00
- MIX: -64
SYN page 2 · Operators A & B
FLTR page 1 · Multi-mode
- FREQ: 45
- RESO: 10
- TYPE: 0 (LP)
- ATK: 100
- DEC: 50
- SUS: 110
AMP page
- ATK: 110
- DEC: 60
- SUS: 120
- REL: 120
- MODE: ADSR
FX page
Both FLTR and AMP get very long attacks (100/110 of 0-127), even slower than a swelling bass patch, since a pad is meant to be held rather than played rhythmically. FX page Chorus adds the soft, slightly wavering mellotron-like character. ALGO 1 routes operator A (and B) into carrier C, so LEV (A) and LEV (B) are set to 0 on SYN page 2 and MIX is -64 (the X output, C only): that leaves C a plain, unmodulated carrier.
Syntakt
Exact match: Slow swell with no attack transient
SYN — SY RAW
FLTR PAGE 1
- FREQ: 45
- RESO: 10
- TYPE: Lowpass
- ATK: 100
- DEC: 50
- SUS: 110
AMP PAGE 1
- ATK: 110
- DEC: 60
- SUS: 120
- REL: 120
AMP PAGE 2
AMP PAGE 2's MODE must be ADSR (the default for SY machines, but drum machines default to AHD), or the long SUS value has no sustain phase to hold onto. SY RAW is an Analog Drum machine, so it runs on track 9, 10 or 11.
Tonverk
Exact match: Triangle with long swells and chorus
SRC machine (Func + Src)
SRC page 1 · Oscillator 1
- TUNE: 0
- LEV: 100
- POS: 0
- SLOT: HS Tri (Factory Library › 6-Wavetables)
SRC page 2 · Oscillator 2
FLTR page 1 · Multimode
- ATK: 100
- DEC: 50
- SUS: 110
- FREQ: 45
- RESO: 10
- TYPE: 0 (low-pass)
- ENV: +20
AMP setup (Func + Amp)
AMP page
- ATK: 110
- DEC: 60
- SUS: 120
- REL: 120
FX page 2 · Insert 1 · PANORAMIC CHORUS
A triangle that swells in over AMP ATK 110 and lingers on REL 120, with the chorus insert for the tape-like wobble. Leave space between chords for the release.
Novation Summit
Exact match: Slow swell with no attack transient
OSCILLATOR 1
FILTER
- SHAPE: LP
- FREQUENCY: 45
- RESONANCE: 10
- SOURCE: Mod Env 1
- ENV DEPTH: 20
MOD ENVELOPE 1
- ATTACK: 100
- DECAY: 50
- SUSTAIN: 110
- RELEASE: 120
AMP ENVELOPE
- ATTACK: 110
- DECAY: 60
- SUSTAIN: 120
- RELEASE: 120
EFFECTS
- CHORUS LEVEL: 50
- CHORUS DEPTH: 50
- CHORUS RATE: 15
Both independent envelopes stretched long together so the brightening and loudening swell arrive in step, not one lagging the other.
Arturia MiniFreak
Exact match: Slow swell with no attack transient
OSCILLATOR · Osc 1
- TYPE: BasicWaves
- WAVE (Morph): 30 (between square and sawtooth)
- TIMBRE (Sym: pulse width): 50
- SHAPE (Sub): 0
- VOLUME: 100
ANALOG FILTER
- TYPE: Low Pass
- CUTOFF: 45
- RESONANCE: 10
ENVELOPE
- ATTACK: 100
- DECAY: 50
- SUSTAIN: 100
- RELEASE: 95
DIGITAL EFFECTS · FX1
- TYPE: Chorus
- INTENSITY: 50
- AMOUNT: 30
Osc 1 is BasicWaves with Morph at 30 (between square and sawtooth): the Morph knob runs from a square (0) through a sawtooth (50) to a double sawtooth an octave up (100), Sym only changes the pulse width below 50, and Sub adds a sine an octave down (0 here). ATTACK is pinned near the top of MiniFreak's 0-100 scale for the slowest possible swell the hardware allows. Values are on MiniFreak's native 0-100 scale.
Dreadbox Typhon
Exact match: Slow swell with no attack transient
FRONT PANEL
- WAVE: ~9 o'clock (VCO2 triangle only)
- TUNE 2: Fully anticlockwise (0: VCO2 at the same pitch as VCO1)
- CUTOFF: ~9 o'clock (~45%)
- RESON: ~7 o'clock (~10%)
- FILTER TIME: ~9 o'clock (slow)
- AMP TIME: ~9 o'clock (slow)
FILTER ADSR
- ATTACK: 100
- DECAY: 50
- SUSTAIN: 100
- RELEASE: 100
AMP ADSR
- ATTACK: 100
- DECAY: 60
- SUSTAIN: 100
- RELEASE: 100
FX2
- TYPE: Chorus
- DEPTH: 50
- SPD: 15
- WIDTH: 50
- FEED: 15
- MIX: 40
Both FILTER TIME and AMP TIME set slow: the TIME knobs and the ADSR page values both need to cooperate, or the detailed attack setting plays back faster than intended.
ASM Hydrasynth Desktop
Exact match: Slow swell with no attack transient
OSCILLATOR 1
- MODE: Single
- WAVE: Triangle
FILTER 1
- TYPE: LP Ldr12
- CUTOFF: 45.0
- RESONANCE: 10.0
ENVELOPE 2
- ATTACK: 1500 ms
- DECAY: 600 ms
- SUSTAIN: 120.0
- RELEASE: 1400 ms
POST-FX
- TYPE: Chorus
- RATE: 0.3 Hz
- DEPTH: 50
- DRY/WET: 30%
About this patch
Every synth's amp attack (and filter attack, where independent) is set to its slowest practical setting.
Patchpad is a free reference of drum patterns, synth patches and reminders, written for a selection of real hardware.