Organic Pad

Sounds like: A warm, slightly wobbly, folky pad that sounds hand-made.

Sound type: pad · Genre: Downtempo, Ambient · Style: warm, slightly imperfect, folky pad texture

A warm, softly imperfect pad: gentle detune, a touch of pitch instability, and a slightly organic, non-digital character that avoids sounding too polished or synthetic.

Open this patch in the interactive Patchpad

Digitone II

Exact match: Soft detune with slight pitch instability

SYN page 1

• ALGO: 3
• RATIO C: 1.00
• RATIO B: 1.00
• HARM: -2.00
• DTUN: 15
• MIX: -64

SYN page 2 · Operators A & B

• LEV (A): 0
• LEV (B): 0

FLTR page 1 · Multi-mode

• FREQ: 58
• RESO: 13
• TYPE: 0 (LP)

AMP page

• ATK: 30
• DEC: 25
• SUS: 100
• REL: 65
• MODE: ADSR

MOD page 1

• SPD: -20
• MULT: 1x
• WAVE: Random
• DEST: SYN: Data entry knob F (DTUN)
• MODE: FREE
• DEP: 8

FX page

• REV: 25

ALGO 3 with LEV (A) and LEV (B) at 0 gives three plain carriers, and MIX -64 (fully X) selects C + B2, so DTUN 15 (well inside the manual's 'very slight' sub-64 range) detunes B2 against C for a soft, organic beating. HARM is negative because negative HARM alters operator C's waveform (positive HARM affects A/B1, which aren't heard). FM TONE's LFOs have no pitch destination, so the LFO modulates DTUN itself: the Random waveform (bipolar, slow, low DEP) makes the beating wander irregularly, which is the 'slightly imperfect' analog feel. The filter is left static so the instability sounds like pitch, not a filter sweep. Values are starting points to adjust by ear.

Syntakt

Exact match: Soft detune with slight pitch instability

SYN — SY RAW

• WAV1: Triangle
• WAV2: Triangle
• TUNE: 0
• DET: Just above 0 (a fraction of a semitone), set by ear for a slow beat
• LEV2: 55
• OVER: 0

FLTR PAGE 1

• FREQ: 58
• RESO: 13
• TYPE: Lowpass

AMP PAGE 1

• ATK: 30
• DEC: 25
• SUS: 100
• REL: 65

AMP PAGE 2

• MODE: ADSR

LFO PAGE 1

• SPD: -20
• WAVE: Random
• DEST: MACHINE: parameter 1 (TUNE)
• MODE: FRE
• DEP: Very low, just above 0: raise it by ear until the drift is just audible

SY RAW's own DET parameter gives a built-in detune between its two waveforms on a single track, so a second layered track isn't needed here. AMP PAGE 2's MODE must be ADSR (the default for SY machines, but drum machines default to AHD), or the SUS value on AMP PAGE 1 is ignored. Syntakt's LFO destination list (manual Appendix C) has no direct pitch option, so the LFO targets the machine's own TUNE knob (parameter 1) to modulate pitch. SY RAW is an Analog Drum machine, so it runs on track 9, 10 or 11.

Tonverk

Exact match: Two triangles with randomly wandering detune

SRC machine (Func + Src)

• Machine: WAVEFINDER

SRC page 1 · Oscillator 1

• TUNE: 0
• LEV: 100
• POS: 0
• SLOT: HS Tri (Factory Library › 6-Wavetables)

SRC page 2 · Oscillator 2

• DTUN: +6
• LEV: 100
• POS: 0
• SLOT: HS Tri (Factory Library › 6-Wavetables)

FLTR page 1 · Multimode

• FREQ: 58
• RESO: 13
• TYPE: 0 (low-pass)

AMP setup (Func + Amp)

• ENVELOPE MODE: ADSR

AMP page

• ATK: 30
• DEC: 25
• SUS: 100
• REL: 65

FX page 1 · Routing

• SND1: 25

MOD page 1 · Voice LFO 1

• SPD: -20
• MULT: 1x
• DEST: SRC page 2: Data entry knob A (DTUN)
• WAVE: Random
• MODE: FREE
• DEP: +8

Track 13 · Send FX

• Machine: SUPERVOID REVERB

Two triangles, with Voice LFO 1 on Random nudging Oscillator 2's DTUN so the tuning wanders like a hand-played instrument. Keep its DEP low.

Novation Summit

Exact match: Soft detune with slight pitch instability

OSCILLATOR 1

• WAVE: Triangle
• RANGE: 8'

OSCILLATOR 2

• WAVE: Triangle
• RANGE: 8'
• FINE: +6 cents

MIXER

• Osc 1: 100
• Osc 2: 100

FILTER

• SHAPE: LP
• SLOPE: 12dB
• FREQUENCY: 58
• RESONANCE: 13
• SOURCE: Amp Env
• ENV DEPTH: 0

AMP ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 30
• DECAY: 25
• SUSTAIN: 100
• RELEASE: 65

LFO 2

• WAVEFORM: Sample and Hold
• RATE: 8
• FADE TIME: 0
• LFO 2 DEPTH (Oscillator section): 6

EFFECTS

• REVERB TIME: 60
• REVERB LEVEL: 25
• REVERB SIZE: 2

OSCILLATOR 2's FINE at +6 cents is a small, subtle offset rather than an obvious detune. LFO 2's destination is hardwired to oscillator pitch via its own section's Depth knob (not the Mod Matrix), so its Random waveform at low Depth is the mechanism for the organic pitch instability; the filter's ENV DEPTH is left at 0 since this patch isn't a filter-movement patch.

Arturia MiniFreak

Exact match: Soft detune with slight pitch instability

OSCILLATOR · Osc 1

• TYPE: BasicWaves
• WAVE (Morph): 40 (between square and sawtooth)
• TIMBRE (Sym: pulse width): 50
• SHAPE (Sub): 0
• VOLUME: 100

OSCILLATOR · Osc 2

• TYPE: BasicWaves
• WAVE (Morph): 40 (between square and sawtooth)
• TIMBRE (Sym: pulse width): 50
• SHAPE (Sub): 0
• TUNE/OCT: +6 cents (click-hold fine-tune against Osc 1)
• VOLUME: 90

ANALOG FILTER

• TYPE: Low Pass
• CUTOFF: 45
• RESONANCE: 10
• ENV/VELO: 0

ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 30
• DECAY: 25
• SUSTAIN: 78
• RELEASE: 55

LFO

• SELECT/EDIT: LFO 2
• WAVE/LOAD: SlewSnH
• RATE/TRIG: 0.05 Hz

DIGITAL EFFECTS · FX1

• TYPE: Reverb
• TIME: 40
• INTENSITY: 25
• AMOUNT: 20

MODULATION MATRIX

• Source (row): LFO 2
• Destination (column): Pitch 1+2
• Amount: +5

Osc 1 and Osc 2 are BasicWaves with Morph at 40 (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). LFO 2 runs a SlewSnH wave at 0.05 Hz. Mod Matrix: the LFO 2 row to the Pitch 1+2 column at +5. Values are on MiniFreak's native 0-100 scale.

Dreadbox Typhon

Exact match: Soft detune with slight pitch instability

FRONT PANEL

• WAVE: ~10:30 (VCO1 square + VCO2 triangle)
• TUNE 2: A hair clockwise of fully anticlockwise (VCO2 a few cents sharp, for a slow beat)
• CUTOFF: ~10-11 o'clock (fairly closed)
• RESON: ~7-8 o'clock (low)
• EG LEVEL: ~9 o'clock (minimal filter movement)
• FILTER TIME: ~11 o'clock
• AMP TIME: ~11 o'clock
• VOLUME: ~12 o'clock (global, not stored in the preset)

FILTER ADSR

• ATTACK: 45
• DECAY: 30
• SUSTAIN: 100
• RELEASE: 70

AMP ADSR

• ATTACK: 40
• DECAY: 30
• SUSTAIN: 100
• RELEASE: 70

FX3

• TYPE: Soft Reverb
• PRE: 10
• SIZE: 40
• FEED: 35
• DAMP: 30
• MIX: 20

VCO2 tuned just a hair off unison from VCO1 gives a mild organic detune: and Typhon's own analog pitch drift adds further natural instability on top of that without needing an M-slot LFO, so none of the three modulator slots are used here. FX3's Soft Reverb, kept light, gives a gentle ambience, Typhon's reverb is a smaller, softer algorithm than the Large/Cloud types used on heavier ambient patches.

ASM Hydrasynth Desktop

Exact match: Soft detune with slight pitch instability

OSCILLATOR 1

• MODE: Single
• WAVE: Triangle
• SEMI: 0
• CENTS: 0
• KEYTRACK: 100%

OSCILLATOR 2

• MODE: Single
• WAVE: Triangle
• SEMI: 0
• CENTS: +6
• KEYTRACK: 100%

MIXER

• OSC 1 LEVEL: 100.0
• OSC 2 LEVEL: 100.0

FILTER 1

• TYPE: LP 1 Pole
• CUTOFF: 58.0
• RESONANCE: 13.0
• ENV 1 AMOUNT: 0
• LFO 1 AMOUNT: 0
• KEYTRACK: 0%

ENVELOPE 2

• DELAY: 0 ms
• ATTACK: 350 ms
• HOLD: 0 ms
• DECAY: 250 ms
• SUSTAIN: 100.0
• RELEASE: 550 ms

LFO 3

• WAVE: Random
• RATE: 0.08 Hz
• DELAY: 0 ms
• PHASE: 0°
• LEVEL: 20.0

MOD MATRIX

• SOURCE: LFO 3
• DESTINATION: All Osc Pitch
• DEPTH: +8

REVERB

• TYPE: Room
• PREDELAY: 20 ms
• TIME: 2.2 s
• TONE: 0
• HI DAMP: 30.0
• LO DAMP: 40.0
• DRY/WET: 20%

OSC 2's +6 cents is a cents-accurate detune against OSC 1.

About this patch

The pitch LFO depth is deliberately very low: this should sound 'alive', not obviously modulated.

Patchpad is a free reference of drum patterns, synth patches and reminders, written for a selection of real hardware.