Funky Synth Stab Tutorial

Funk is a distinct style of music based on R&B, which emphasizes melodic chord progression and brings a strong groove. Old-fashioned funky sounds originating from the '80s are returning to modern music production. For this reason, in this tutorial, we will show you how to make an old-school funky synth stab.  

Let's Start Creating!

First, I will open a new instance of Massive by Native Instruments and select a new sound from the upper drop-down menu. This is because I want to start from scratch. Our sound will be made from 2 oscillators and a noise generator. The first oscillator will be a saw-tooth wave, the second a square wave, and the second a noise generator that will add a bit of white noise to the overall sound. The oscillator with a saw-tooth wave is the first one, and I will drag its fader up to the filter one. Next, I will do the same thing with the second oscillator (square wave), but I will lower the octave for this one. I don't want the noise generator to be too obvious, so I will lower down the amp knob and also set it on filter one.   Now, let's hear how it sounds.

~ 3 Oscillators - Clean  

Funky Synth Designing

Secondly, let's address the filter section, where I will set two filters into serial rather than parallel mode. After that, I will select low pass 2 for filter one and low pass 4 for filter two. Finally, I will drag the filter mix fader down to mix 2. Here is how this section looks like after adjusting its parameters.

Let's move on to the envelope section. I recommend we pay attention to the Envelope 4 and Envelope 1 tabs. In the envelope 4 section, I will set a higher attack and somewhat higher release. Moving forward to envelope 1, I will put a concise attack and release compared to the previous one. Finally, I will bring the level parameter down. Furthermore, by dragging and dropping, I will assign envelope 1 to filter 1 cutoff, filter 2 cutoff, and finally to the amp of the noise generator. Ultimately, we can hear that the Envelope is triggering the parameters above.

~ Envelope controlling Filters and Noise Generator  

Funk It Up!

Vibrato should be already assigned by default, and you can find it in the yellow macro section down to the right of the interface. Just turn the knob and add the amount to your liking. It seems to me that our funky synth stab is moving along nicely. In conclusion, I will polish the sound with a few effects within Massive. The first will be the distortion to add more grit and the reverb to add some space. At last, let's play that funky music!

~Full Processed sound