Oscillator Sync Growl Bass

Sounds like: A tearing, ripping bass that snarls as the sync sweeps.

Sound type: bass · Genre: Dubstep / Bass Music, Acid House, Techno · Style: classic hard-sync growl bass design

A searing, harmonically torn bass built around true oscillator hard-sync where the hardware genuinely has it: a fixed low master pitch with a synced upper oscillator ripping through the harmonic spectrum for an aggressive growl. Where a synth has no literal sync parameter, the closest honest real mechanism stands in instead.

Open this patch in the interactive Patchpad

Digitone II

Exact match: WAVETONE MOD = HARD SYNC

SYN page 1 · WAVETONE

• TUN1: +1200 cents (swept by MOD page 1)
• WAV1: Saw (PRIM table)
• PD1: 0
• LEV1: 100
• TUN2: 0
• WAV2: Saw (PRIM table)
• PD2: 0
• LEV2: 0

SYN page 2 · WAVETONE

• OFS1: 0
• TBL1: PRIM
• MOD: HARD SYNC
• RSET: ON
• OFS2: 0
• TBL2: PRIM
• DRIF: 0

FLTR page 1 · Multi-mode

• FREQ: 50
• RESO: 60
• TYPE: 0 (LP)
• ENV: 40

AMP page

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 60
• SUS: 90
• REL: 40
• MODE: ADSR

FX page

• OVER: 30

MOD page 1

• SPD: 20
• WAVE: Triangle
• DEST: SYN: Data entry knob A (TUN1)
• DEP: 60
• MODE: FREE

Digitone II's WAVETONE machine has a real hard-sync mode — page 2's MOD parameter set to HARD SYNC resets Oscillator 1's phase every time Oscillator 2's waveform starts a new cycle. TUN2 sets the audible pitch (Oscillator 2 is the sync master, muted here with LEV2 0), and TUN1 — the slave's tuning — is what sweeps the harmonic content, the classic sync-sweep growl; the manual notes it behaves 'a bit like a filter with resonance when modulated', which is exactly what MOD page 1's slow LFO on TUN1 does here. (FM TONE has no sync; this patch needs the WAVETONE machine, chosen with FUNC+SYN.) TUN1/TUN2 are in cents per the manual; treat the +1200 base and DEP 60 as starting points to adjust by ear.

Syntakt

Approximation: No sync on Syntakt: SY RAW oscillator beating plus filter envelope

SYN — SY RAW

• WAV1: Square
• WAV2: Saw
• TUNE: 64
• DET: 90
• OVER: 45

FLTR PAGE 1

• FREQ: 55
• RESO: 75
• TYPE: Lowpass
• ENV: 90
• ATK: 0
• DEC: 45
• SUS: 40

AMP PAGE 1

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 60
• SUS: 90
• REL: 40

AMP PAGE 2

• MODE: ADSR

SY RAW has no true sync parameter either — WAV1/WAV2's Square+Saw pairing pushed hard against each other via DET 90 gives a harsh, beating two-waveform edge, and the FLTR envelope (fast DEC, high ENV amount) does the real growl work: cutoff snaps open on the attack and closes fast, mimicking a sync sweep's decay. OVER on the SYN page adds grit on top. (Confirmed from the manual's machine list: none of Syntakt's Digital machines, nor the analog SY DUAL VCO, has a hard-sync parameter — SY DUAL VCO's CNFG offers only mix, ring mod, FM and FM+ring, so this stays an approximation.)

Novation Summit

Exact match: Virtual oscillator sync via VSYNC

OSCILLATOR 1

• WAVE: Sawtooth
• RANGE: 8'
• VSYNC: 90

MIXER

• Osc 1: 100

FILTER

• SHAPE: LP
• SLOPE: 24dB
• FREQUENCY: 60
• RESONANCE: 65
• SOURCE: Mod Env 1
• ENV DEPTH: 60

MOD ENVELOPE 1

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 70
• SUSTAIN: 40
• RELEASE: 50

AMP ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 55
• SUSTAIN: 90
• RELEASE: 40

MODULATION MATRIX

• Slot 1 sA: Lfo1+/-
• Slot 1 Destin: Osc1VSnc
• Slot 1 Depth: +40
• Slot 2 sA: ModWheel
• Slot 2 Destin: Osc1VSnc
• Slot 2 Depth: +30

EFFECTS

• DISTORTION LEVEL: 40

LFO 1

• WAVEFORM: Triangle
• RATE: 30
• LFO 1 DEPTH (Filter section): 0 (LFO 1 is hardwired to filter frequency — keep it out of the way)

Summit's oscillator sync is real but 'virtual': each of the three oscillators has its own inaudible virtual master oscillator whose frequency offset the VSYNC parameter (0-127) sets, and that master re-triggers the audible oscillator. It is not locked to Oscillator 2. When VSYNC is a multiple of 16 the virtual master is a musical harmonic of the oscillator, and values in between are more discordant, so modulating VSYNC is exactly the classic sync sweep; the manual itself suggests modulating it with an LFO or the mod wheel via the Modulation Matrix. Live control: the Mod Wheel adds to the Osc 1 VSync amount by hand on top of the LFO sweep.

Arturia MiniFreak

Approximation: No sync: VAnalog Shape sweeps similar harmonics

OSCILLATOR · Osc 1

• TYPE: VAnalog
• WAVE (Detune): 50 (assumed unison; check by ear)
• TIMBRE (Shape: pulse, high values give hard-sync-like harmonics): 85
• SHAPE (Wave: triangle to saw): 50
• VOLUME: 100

ANALOG FILTER

• TYPE: Low Pass
• CUTOFF: 55
• RESONANCE: 60
• ENV/VELO: 50

ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 60
• SUSTAIN: 85
• RELEASE: 40

LFO

• SELECT/EDIT: LFO 1
• WAVE/LOAD: Tri
• RATE/TRIG: 0.3 Hz

DIGITAL EFFECTS · FX1

• TYPE: Distortion
• INTENSITY: 30
• AMOUNT: 25

MODULATION MATRIX

• Source (row): LFO 1
• Destination (column): Timbre 1
• Amount: +30

Macros

• M1: OSC 2 TUNE/OCT (growl interval) — Touch Strip Mod, live pitch sweep
• M2: Analog Filter Cutoff

Osc 1 is VAnalog, whose Timbre knob is the pulse Shape: high values give the harsh harmonics of hard oscillator sync (MiniFreak has no true oscillator sync; this is the closest engine). Detune between its saw and pulse is left at the middle. LFO 1 runs a Tri wave at 0.3 Hz. Mod Matrix: the LFO 1 row to the Timbre 1 column at +30. Macros: M1: OSC 2 TUNE/OCT (growl interval) — Touch Strip Mod, live pitch sweep; M2: Analog Filter Cutoff. Values are on MiniFreak's native 0-100 scale.

Dreadbox Typhon

Approximation: No sync: VCO1/VCO2 cross-FM position of the WAVE knob

FRONT PANEL

• WAVE: ~7 o'clock (the FM position, fully counter-clockwise: VCO1 square FM'd by VCO2 triangle)
• TUNE 2: ~3 o'clock (a fixed interval above VCO1)
• CUTOFF: ~2 o'clock (~50%)
• RESON: ~4 o'clock (~55%)
• EG LEVEL: ~3 o'clock (moderate-strong)
• FILTER TIME: ~11 o'clock (medium-slow)
• AMP TIME: ~1 o'clock (medium-fast)
• VOLUME: ~12 o'clock (global, not stored in the preset)

FILTER ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 70
• SUSTAIN: 40
• RELEASE: 50

AMP ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 60
• SUSTAIN: 90
• RELEASE: 40

SET

• VCF FFM: 40
• VCA LVL: 100

Typhon has no literal sync either, but the WAVE knob's own labeled 'VCO1 square FM'd by VCO2 triangle' position is a real, documented cross-modulation between the two VCOs — the closest genuine analog to a sync's harmonic tearing this hardware has. SET's VCF FFM adds VCO2-into-filter-cutoff FM on top for extra edge.

ASM Hydrasynth Desktop

Exact match: Mutator OSC Sync mode

OSCILLATOR 1

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

MUTATOR 1

• MODE: OSC Sync
• RATIO: 3.000
• DEPTH: 100

FILTER 1

• TYPE: LP Ldr24
• CUTOFF: 55.0
• RESONANCE: 65.0
• ENV 1 AMOUNT: 60
• KEYTRACK: 0%

AMP

• AMP LEVEL: 105.0

ENVELOPE 1

• ATTACK: 0 ms
• DECAY: 250 ms
• SUSTAIN: 40.0
• RELEASE: 300 ms

ENVELOPE 2

• ATTACK: 0 ms
• DECAY: 200 ms
• SUSTAIN: 90.0
• RELEASE: 250 ms

PRE-FX

• TYPE: Distort
• DRIVE: 30
• DRY/WET: 20%

Macros

• Macro 1: Mutator 1 Ratio — live sync-ratio sweep, the real growl control
• Macro 2: Filter 1 Resonance

Macro 1 rides the Ratio live for the classic sync-sweep performance gesture.

Compared with other synths: Real, literal oscillator sync via Mutator 1's OSC Sync mode on Oscillator 1, Ratio set to 3.0 for a dense harmonic tear — alongside Novation Summit, the most direct hardware match in this library.

How the synths compare

Digitone II (WAVETONE MOD HARD SYNC), Novation Summit (VSYNC) and ASM Hydrasynth Desktop (Mutator OSC Sync) have literal oscillator sync, and Summit and Hydrasynth expose a live macro for riding the sweep. Syntakt has no sync in any machine, and Arturia MiniFreak and Dreadbox Typhon substitute an honest approximation (a harsh secondary engine, or VCO cross-FM); see each synth's own notes.

Patchpad is a free reference of drum patterns and synth patches written for real hardware: Digitakt II, Digitone II, Syntakt, Novation Summit, Arturia MiniFreak, Dreadbox Typhon and ASM Hydrasynth Desktop.