Synth Brass Ensemble 03
This is another version of an 80’s style ‘synth brass.’ It uses multiple oscillators to create a brass ensemble effect, and modulates the pitch of one oscillator with a quick envelope to create an inharmonic blast during the initial attack.
1: Use sawtooth waves.
2: Tune the oscillators to avoid beating, and have a slow chorusing effect.
3: Brass instruments take a moment for the pitch to stabilize. To emulate this effect, use the slew limiter as a decay only envelope. Set the slew time just enough to make the initial attack inharmonic. Keep the amount of FM on VCO-A very subtle. Try it with positive and negative amounts of FM.
4: Patch the mixer back into itself. Set the level high enough to beef up the sound, but pull back when it starts cracking up.
5: Use a low filter frequency. Brass instruments start low and increase frequency as the note stabilizes.
6: Set the filter to LP4 for a more muffled, mellow sound. Use LP2 for a brighter sound. Try out both. Which one works best?
7: Patch ENV-A to filter FM2 to create a more complex filter envelope.
8: Amp Envelope Attack: Brass sounds reach full volume quickly but with a slight buildup. Give ENV-A a fast but not instantaneous attack. This mirrors the time it takes for the player’s breath and lip vibrations to stabilize.
9: Amp Envelope Release: Use a moderate release time. Brass instruments cease producing sound soon after the player stops blowing.
Further Reading
Gordon Reid delves into the fundamentals of synthesizing wind instruments, explaining the similarities between vibrating strings and air columns in pipes, and how to recreate them.
Synthesizing Brass Instruments
Explains the principles of synthesizing brass instruments, using subtractive synthesis to recreate realistic trumpet-like sounds.
Roland SH101 & ARP Axxe Brass Synthesis
How to synthesize brass sounds on simple monosynths like the Roland SH101 and ARP Axxe by adapting idealized brass patches to suit their more limited capabilities.
Gordon Reid demonstrates how to create brass patches on the Minimoog.
A YouTube video where Steve Porcaro demonstrates how to synthesize a synth brass lead by focusing on shaping the attack using sharp, transient "blip" envelopes on one oscillator.