I love the sound of the main sequence throughout this Steve Rachmad track.
I wonder how one would go about recreating it?
Specifically what wave forms are being used and what type of filtering?
At first it thought it was a 303? Particularly because of the glide (a 303 without sounding 'acid').
I've tried with my GRP A2 analogue monosynth but can't get anything close using any of the waveforms from square to saw (and I know this synth like the back of my hand and know how to push it). So wonder what it could be? Or what process could achieve a similar sound?
It has a silky sci-fi feel which I like I think the glide/portamento really helps with that strange tone here.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

You could try asking him for some help .. he’s on Instagram quite a lot.

My first thought was that most of the motion you hear in that sequence is due to the filter envelope and how it interacts with the notes and tempo of the sequence itself. Around 2:30 when he opens up the filter you can hear the change -- it sounds like a much more normal sequence until the filter closes down again and it takes on that muted but lively tone again.

When the filter opens up it sounds like a pretty normal square wave, maybe two squares slightly detuned. I can't really even tell if there's much actual pitch glide, because again the filter envelope is doing the work of adding motion.

Not sure what filter he's using, but it sounds less interesting and more normal when he increases the resonance at a couple of points during the track. My guess is he's got the cutoff well down and the rez basically off except at those points. I'd try dialing down your cutoff well below where you think it should be, then adding some envelope motion.

Thank you for this, really appreciate it. I thought it was square wavs too. Will keep trying on my GRP A2 by mapping audio from EG1 to the LFO - less perfect on the A2 though. I've tried square waves with the LFO opening up the cutoff but that didn't work. Will keep at it. Thanks!

Glide, low-pass filter with resonance and downward sequence.

Also it sounds like Diva.

It's from 1999. Nord or something?

Definitely hardware.

True he lists a nord in his gear list. So could be!


His gear list:

**Keyboards:**

Mini Moog
Nord Lead 2
Roland: Juno 106, JX8P, U20

**Modules:**

Roland: MKS 50 (2x) + programmer, D550 + programmer, JV 1080, MC 202
Yamaha: TX 81Z, FB01, DX 200
Elektron: Sidstation, Monomachine
Waldorf Pulse
Dave Smith Evolver
MFB: Synthlite, Synth II
Oberheim Matrix 1000 + programmer
Kawai K4-R

**Drums:**

Roland: TR 606, TR 808, TR 909, R8M
Oberheim: DMX, DX, DX-stretch
Seqential Circuits: Drumtracks
Linn: LM1, Linndrum 2
Elektron: Machinedrum

**Filters:**

Peavey Analogue Filter
Sherman Filterbank
Waldorf 4-pole
Electrix Filter Factory

Sounds like an Alpha Juno to me (MKS-50)

Thank you!

What am I doing wrong, it's sort of close but not really.
The glide / portamento doesn't seem to respond in the same way and tonally it's sort of close but not reeeaaallly.

Any tips?

https://imgur.com/a/ejXtBI2

Steve replied to me. What a legend! Turns out it was a Waldorf Pulse 1. So a monosynth. Maybe not chords after all?; unless he's doing some layering of LFO Chord trickery. So the issue is me if I can't get close on my GRP A2.

Steve replied, what an absolute legend.

If you can tune oscillators, a “mono” synth can play chords though they will sound like sampled/chord memory style.