Radio Tuning / Static FX

Sounds like: Crackling, sweeping static, like turning a radio dial between stations.

Sound type: fx · Genre: Trip-Hop, Experimental · Style: interference/static texture evoking a radio being tuned between stations

A restless, static-like texture with a filter sweeping erratically rather than smoothly — evokes tuning a radio dial between stations, useful as an interlude or interstitial texture.

Open this patch in the interactive Patchpad

Digitone II

Exact match: WAVETONE noise section

SYN page 1 · WAVETONE

• TUN1: 0
• WAV1: Sine (PRIM table)
• PD1: 0
• LEV1: 0
• TUN2: 0
• WAV2: Sine (PRIM table)
• PD2: 0
• LEV2: 0

SYN page 2 · WAVETONE

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

SYN page 3 · WAVETONE (noise)

• ATK: 0
• HOLD: NOTE
• DEC: 127
• NLEV: 100
• BASE: 20
• WDTH: 127
• TYPE: GRAIN
• CHAR: 0 (densest grain = white noise)

FLTR page 1 · Multi-mode

• FREQ: 64
• RESO: 64
• TYPE: 64 (BP)

AMP page

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 0
• SUS: 127
• REL: 25
• MODE: ADSR

MOD page 1

• SPD: 45
• DEST: FILTER: Frequency
• WAVE: Random
• MODE: FREE
• DEP: 51

Digitone II's WAVETONE machine (select with FUNC+SYN). Both oscillators are at LEV 0 and the noise section (page 3) is the raw static: NLEV 100 with TYPE GRAIN and CHAR 0 is white noise across a wide band. MOD page 1's fast Random LFO on the filter frequency gives the jumpy, tuning-a-dial sweep.

Syntakt

Exact match: Static with an erratic filter sweep

SYN — SY RAW

• WAV1: Sine
• TUNE: 0
• NLEV: 100
• OVER: 0

FLTR PAGE 1

• FREQ: 64
• RESO: 100
• TYPE: Lowpass

AMP PAGE 1

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 0
• SUS: 127
• REL: 25

LFO PAGE 1

• SPD: 45
• DEST: FILTER: Frequency
• WAVE: Random
• MODE: FRE
• DEP: 51

SY RAW's own NLEV parameter is a genuine noise level control, pushed to 100 for real static-adjacent raw material. Syntakt's digital-voice tracks only offer Lowpass/Highpass/EQ/OFF on FLTR PAGE 1, so RESO is pushed high on a Lowpass to approximate a resonant, peaky band. LFO PAGE 1's Random waveform at a fast SPD gives the jumpy, irregular tuning movement rather than a smooth sweep.

Novation Summit

Exact match: Static with an erratic filter sweep

MIXER

• Noise: 110
• Osc 1: 0

FILTER

• SHAPE: BP
• FREQUENCY: 64
• RESONANCE: 64
• LFO 1 DEPTH: 51

AMP ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 0
• SUSTAIN: 127
• RELEASE: 25

LFO 1

• WAVEFORM: Sample and Hold
• RATE: 90

LFO 1's Random waveform is Summit's real sample-and-hold-style shape, at a fast RATE for the jumpy 'tuning' character.

Compared with other synths: LFO 1's destination is hardwired to filter cutoff via its own section's Depth knob (set here as FILTER's LFO 1 DEPTH), so this route needs no Mod Matrix entry -- unlike several sibling patches in this library that need the matrix for less common destinations.

Arturia MiniFreak

Exact match: Static with an erratic filter sweep

OSCILLATOR

• TYPE: Noise
• VOLUME: 100

ANALOG FILTER

• TYPE: Band Pass
• CUTOFF: 55
• RESONANCE: 50
• ENV/VELO: 0

ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• SUSTAIN: 100
• RELEASE: 20

LFO

• SELECT/EDIT: LFO 1
• WAVE/LOAD: SnH
• RATE/TRIG: 30 Hz

MODULATION MATRIX

• Source (row): LFO 1
• Destination (column): Cutoff
• Amount: +80

Osc 1 is Noise: Wave is the noise Type (particle through white to metallic), Timbre is the Rate and Shape is the Balance with a tonal wave. LFO 1 runs a SnH wave at 30 Hz. Mod Matrix: the LFO 1 row to the Cutoff column at +80. Noise is real raw material for a static/interference texture. Values are on MiniFreak's native 0-100 scale.

Dreadbox Typhon

Approximation: No noise source: modulated oscillator instead

FRONT PANEL

• WAVE: ~6 o'clock (VCO1 heavily detuned against VCO2, noise-adjacent blend)
• TUNE 2: ~5 o'clock (wide off-center)
• CUTOFF: ~1 o'clock
• RESON: ~2 o'clock (heavy)
• EG LEVEL: ~9 o'clock (low)
• FILTER TIME: ~12 o'clock
• AMP TIME: ~12 o'clock
• VOLUME: ~12 o'clock

AMP ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 0
• SUSTAIN: 100
• RELEASE: 25

M1

• MODE: Random
• RATE: 90
• LAG: 0
• PROB: 90
• DEST: CUT
• LVL: 80

M1's real Random mode (RATE/LAG/PROB) is a true sample-and-hold-style source with CUT directly in its real DEST list. LAG at 0 keeps the jumps hard-edged rather than slewed, and high PROB means new values land often, for the irregular 'tuning' character. No dedicated noise oscillator exists on Typhon, so a heavily detuned VCO pair approximates static-like raw material instead.

ASM Hydrasynth Desktop

Exact match: Static with an erratic filter sweep

MIXER

• NOISE VOL: 100.0
• OSC 1 LEVEL: 0.0 (unused)
• NOISE FILTER ROUTING: 0:100 (Filter 2)

FILTER 2

• TYPE: LP-BP-HP
• MORPH: 64 (Band Pass)
• CUTOFF: 64.0
• RESONANCE: 64.0
• LFO 1 AMOUNT: 64

LFO 1

• WAVE: Random
• RATE: 8.0 Hz

ENVELOPE 2

• ATTACK: 0 ms
• DECAY: 0 ms
• SUSTAIN: 127.0
• RELEASE: 200 ms

Hydrasynth's MIXER has a real dedicated Noise generator, used here instead of a noise-flavored wavetable position. Filter 2 (the real 2-pole state-variable filter with a continuous LP-BP-HP MORPH) is used instead of Filter 1 since its Band Pass character is set directly via MORPH=64; LFO 1 is pre-wired to the filter's own LFO 1 AMOUNT knob, so no Mod Matrix entry is needed.

Compared with other synths: LFO 1's real RATE is expressed in genuine Hz (8.0 Hz) matching the jumpy 'tuning' rate used across this patch's other synths.

How the synths compare

The irregular, jumpy character (via sample & hold rather than a smooth LFO) is what separates this from a plain filter sweep.

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.