Synth Keys & Lofi Piano - Sound Design Tutorial

Creating a realistic electric piano or Rhodes sound inside Serum, applicable to most synthesizers with similar architecture.

• Smooth and responsive to playing dynamics • Soft when played gently, louder with more energy • Benefits from chorus and reverb for spacious texture

• Harmonic and tonal foundation • Key press and hammer strike emulation • Effects processing with reverbs, filters, and choruses

A detailed breakdown of how to build this versatile sound from scratch, starting with oscillators and progressing through effects.

Select Analog BD sine wave, which provides a regular sine wave with additional harmonics for richer tone.

• Attack: approximately 10 milliseconds to soften the start • Decay: around 2 seconds • Sustain: reduce to -10 dB • Release: 50-100 milliseconds

Add tension to the envelope curve for a slightly soft but plucky character, allowing the note to start with a gentle pluck before holding a constant tone.

Sustain level can be adjusted completely down or kept higher depending on the desired piano sound for your specific song.

Enable low-pass filter at 12 dB per octave to cut away high-end harshness and prevent shrillness during high-pitched playing.

Link a second envelope to the filter cutoff with a similar shape to the amplitude envelope, creating dynamic high-end control.

Add approximately 5 voices of unison with minimal detune to create subtle width while maintaining an old-fashioned, retro character without sounding electronic or spacey.

Use LFO to create a drift envelope that starts each note slightly above the target pitch before quickly settling, adding vintage warmth and movement without making chords sound off-key.

Link LFO 2 to oscillator level at 1/8 rate with minimal depth to add subtle volume modulation that rises and falls with each key press.

Link velocity to oscillator level and adjust the curve to be shallow at lower velocities and steep at higher velocities for responsive dynamics that suit your playing style.

Soft playing produces quiet tones while energetic playing creates louder, more expressive notes, making the sound feel natural and instrument-like.

Experiment with velocity curves to find the profile that works best for your specific playing technique and musical expression.

Enable the noise oscillator and select an attack sound like guitar mute 2 for realistic key-strike simulation.

• Turn level all the way up initially • Set to single-shot mode so it plays only once per note • Pitch down approximately 38% to create a natural hammer sound

Combine pitched noise with the main oscillator to create a distinctive thump at the start of each note that adds realism.

Adjust noise level to sit perfectly in the mix relative to the main harmonic tone, allowing experimentation to find the right balance.

Add a high-pass filter around 100-150 Hz to reduce excessive low-end buildup, making the sound more bearable and focused.

• Add chorus to create spacious character • Raise the low-pass filter to the top • Adjust mix carefully to avoid overwhelming the sound

• Apply reverb with moderate mix levels • Include low cut to remove excess low-end from the reverb tail • Add a gentle low-pass filter to smooth high notes when playing in upper registers

Effects processing doesn't have to stop here; additional effects can be added on the synth or mixer to further shape the sound for your specific song requirements.

The completed sound is available as a preset called 'Lo-Fi Rhodes Piano' in the instructor's sound bank collection.

• Reverb control • Chorus control • Hammer noise amount adjustment

Macros allow real-time adjustment of key parameters without diving into the matrix and effects, streamlining live performance and sound design adjustments.

The complete sound pack with multiple presets is available for purchase, with a link provided in the video description.