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Tutorial 005 / Ableton Live

Build a Resonant Pulse Lead

A dark, saturated Analog lead with a resonant filter contour, slow flanging and trailing echoes.

4 stepsAnalogLive 12 Suite

Listen to the finished sound

Download WEBM ↓

Follow the synthesis steps in order. Use the audio examples and device screenshots alongside the settings.

Step 01 / 4

Combine two pulse waves

Load Analog in Live 12 Suite. The starting settings collect the controls for this first step. Enable Osc1, Osc2 and Amp1. Route both oscillators entirely to F1, set F1 To F2 0%, and keep Filter 2, Amp2, Noise, Unison, Glide, LFO1 and LFO2 Off. Leave Filter 1 Off for this first step.

Oscillator control Osc1 Osc2
Shape Rect Rect
Pulse Width 25% 25%
Octave / Semitone 0 / 0 st 0 / 0 st
Detune, displayed value 0.00 −0.02
Level −6.0 dB −6.0 dB
F1/F2 balance F1 F1
Key tracking 100% 100%
Sub/Sync mode / Level Sub / 0% Sub / 0%
Pitch envelope amount 0% 0%
Pitch and pulse-width LFO amounts 0 0

The 25% pulse width adds even as well as odd harmonics. The slight detuning creates movement between the two oscillators. Detune uses Analog’s displayed units; do not enter −0.02 cents.

Analog oscillators: two pulse waves with 25% width
Analog oscillators: two pulse waves with 25% width · Select image to enlarge

Set Amp1 Level −6.0 dB, its pan to center, and Analog’s global Volume −6.0 dB. Keep amplifier key and LFO modulation at zero. Set the Amp1 envelope to:

Amplitude envelope control Value
Attack 8 ms
Decay 80 ms
Sustain 1.00
Sustain Time inf s
Release 80 ms
Slope EXP
Legato On
Free / Loop Off / Off
Attack and envelope velocity amounts 0.00

With sustain at its maximum, the amplitude stays steady while a note is held. The short release leaves room for the echoes added later.

Set Voices Mono, Priority Last, global Octave 0, Semitone 0, Detune 0.00, Stretch 0%, Error 0%, and pitch-bend range 2.00. For mod-wheel vibrato, enable Vib, set Amount 20%, Rate 5.1 Hz, and Amt < MW 100%. Keep vibrato Delay, Attack and Error at zero.

Play or download step 1

Next: Add the resonant filter contour →

Step 02 / 4

Add the resonant filter contour

Enable Filter 1 and choose LP24. Set cutoff to 220 Hz, Resonance 40%, Drive Off, Freq Mod Key 1.00, and Freq Mod Env 2.60. Keep filter LFO modulation and all resonance modulation at zero. Leave F1 To F2 0%.

Filter envelope control Value
Attack 5 ms
Decay 143 ms
Sustain 0.48
Sustain Time inf s
Release 143 ms
Slope EXP
Legato On
Free / Loop Off / Off
Attack and envelope velocity amounts 0.00

The filter opens briefly at the beginning of a note, then settles to a darker sustained tone. Resonance emphasizes the frequencies near the moving cutoff. Keyboard tracking keeps the filter contour related to the played pitch. Keep the cutoff, key tracking and envelope amount together as a group of settings.

Analog filter: LP24, resonance and a short exponential contour
Analog filter: LP24, resonance and a short exponential contour · Select image to enlarge

The following panels show the completed filter, amplitude and global settings:

Analog amplitude: maximum sustain, short release and legato
Analog amplitude: maximum sustain, short release and legato · Select image to enlarge
Analog global settings: mono voices and mod-wheel vibrato
Analog global settings: mono voices and mod-wheel vibrato · Select image to enlarge

Play or download step 2

Next: Drive the sound into Saturator →

Step 03 / 4

Drive the sound into Saturator

Add Saturator after Analog.

Saturator control Value
Curve Analog Clip
Drive +33 dB
Output −14 dB
Dry/Wet 78%
Color Off
DC filter On
Output clip mode No Clip
High Quality On, in the device context menu

The high Drive value compresses peaks and adds harmonics. Output reduces the level afterward, while the dry portion preserves some of the original envelope. Keep Analog’s oscillator, amplifier and global levels as specified: they determine how strongly Saturator is driven.

Saturator: high drive with a blend of dry and clipped sound
Saturator: high drive with a blend of dry and clipped sound · Select image to enlarge

Play or download step 3

Next: Add slow flanging and echoes →

Step 04 / 4

Add slow flanging and echoes

Place Phaser-Flanger after Saturator.

Phaser-Flanger control Value
Mode Flanger
Time 1.50 ms
LFO waveform / Rate Sine / 0.06 Hz
LFO Sync Off
Amount 54%
Feedback 78%
Feedback inversion Off
LFO Phase 180°
LFO Blend / Spin 0% / Off
Envelope follower Off
Warmth / Output 0% / 0 dB
Dry/Wet 12%

The slow modulation moves the short delay through the sound, creating moving comb-filter peaks and notches. The low wet level keeps this movement behind the lead.

Phaser-Flanger: slow sine modulation and a subtle wet blend
Phaser-Flanger: slow sine modulation and a subtle wet blend · Select image to enlarge

Add Echo last.

Echo control Value
Left / Right mode Time / Time
Left / Right time 650 ms / 650 ms
Link / Offsets On / both 0%
Channel mode Ping Pong
Feedback 21%
Feedback inversion Off
Dry/Wet 7.0%
Filter On
Highpass / Lowpass 80.0 Hz / 5.00 kHz
Filter resonances both 0.00
Stereo width 100%
Reverb 0%
Input / Output 0 dB / 0 dB
Repitch On
Wobble On, Amount 5.0%, Morph 0%
Noise / Gate / Duck / Clip Dry Off
Delay and filter LFO modulation amounts 0%

The filtered echoes leave a quiet stereo tail. Wobble adds a small irregularity to the repeats. Echo’s inactive division menus can remain at their defaults when both channels are set to Time.

Echo: linked time controls, filtered ping-pong repeats and a low wet level
Echo: linked time controls, filtered ping-pong repeats and a low wet level · Select image to enlarge

Play or download step 4

The final signal order is Analog → Saturator → Phaser-Flanger → Echo.

Use detached notes to emphasize the filter attack. Overlap notes for smooth mono legato phrases; the amplitude and filter envelopes keep flowing between overlapping notes. Hold a note to expose the beating between the oscillators, and use the mod wheel to introduce vibrato. Higher notes shift the tracked filter upward along with the oscillators.

Analog control reference · Phaser-Flanger and Echo reference

Audio & settings ↓

Audio & settings

Audio recordings and settings for this tutorial.