Realistic String Section - Sound Design Tutorial

Learn how to create a synthesized string section that sounds realistic with sustained and bowed characteristics.

Select a saw wave on the first oscillator for a full, buzzy, and bright sound that can be shaped by filtering.

Increase to seven voices of unison and pull down the detune to create a thicker, more complex sound.

You can follow along with any polyphonic synthesizer; the preset is available in the Serum sound bank.

Use a Moog low pass filter with 6 dB per octave rolloff to gently cut away the bright high frequencies.

Pull the cutoff frequency down to around 100 Hz to reduce the synthetic brightness of the saw wave.

Turn the resonance down to avoid unwanted resonant peaks in the filter response.

Increase the drive amount slightly to add saturation that will enhance the sound later in processing.

Set the amplitude envelope attack to around 1.5 seconds to create an emotional and passionate rise to the note peak.

• Set decay to 5 seconds • Pull sustain down to -10 to -12 dB to create a gradual fade after the peak

Add at least 500 milliseconds of release so the strings fade naturally rather than stopping abruptly.

Link envelope 2 to the filter cutoff with 1 second attack and 3-4 second decay to open the filter as the volume builds.

Link velocity to the oscillator level so that light velocities produce quiet notes and high velocities produce loud, passionate notes.

Realistic sounds require dynamic performances with varying velocities rather than constant levels.

Turn oscillator quality up to maximum in the global settings to ensure pristine sound.

Effects can be added in the synth or on the mixer track; the following steps use the synth for convenience.

Roll off frequencies below 100 Hz to prevent overwhelming bass when playing lower notes.

Gently roll off everything above 4.5 kHz to reduce synthetic hiss and buzz.

Set the Q factor low to avoid resonant bumps in the frequency response.

The EQ controls synthetic artifacts and allows lower notes to sit properly in the mix.

Add a small amount of tube distortion to the lows and mids to add warmth and help the sound sit in the mix.

• Add a low cut to the reverb to remove low-end buildup • Use reverb to create a lush, spacious sound that tames the synthetic edge • Creates a brassy quality with a sense of acoustic space

Use a quarter note delay with high-frequency emphasis to add movement and depth without sounding like obvious repeats.

Combine reverb with delay to create depth and swirl in the sound.

Try different wavetables like analog basic mini for smoother, less hollow sounds compared to standard saw waves.

Use a second oscillator on very low volume for FM modulation on the primary oscillator to add subtle character.

Adding more unison voices with increased detune creates a sense of wrongness and realistic imperfection, as if strings are not perfectly in tune.

Link an LFO to the detune amount to create subtle vibrato that avoids artificial-sounding pitch modulation.

Use an LFO in envelope mode to modulate the rate of another LFO, creating dynamic vibrato that starts slow and increases over time.

Combining multiple subtle modulation sources (FM, detune, LFO modulation) creates significant cumulative realism.

Assign macro controls to key effects like filters and attack/release to allow sound shaping without diving into deep settings.

A single preset can produce dozens of different variations using four assigned macros.

• Final preset is available in the Serum sound bank • Includes production-ready presets for bases, leads, pads, strings, and drums • All presets have macro controls pre-assigned for easy sound design

The sound bank comes with lifetime free updates released every 2-4 months, providing additional presets at no extra cost.

90% of the realistic string sound is created through the basic setup; advanced tweaks add subtle improvements.

Combining multiple subtle elements like modulation, detune, and processing creates a realistic, evolving sound.