How to make an Dark Techno Chord

In this latest blog post, we are going to dive into the world of Dark Techno and explore how to create a rusty, down-right dirty chord that is perfect for this genre. We will be using Ableton's newest synth, Wavetable, alongside a selection of Ableton's stock midi and audio effects to achieve this unique sound.

Wavetable is the perfect synth for Dark Techno sound design, as it provides a massive selection of wavetables that can be easily manipulated and morphed to create the exact sound you are looking for. The synth's interface is user-friendly, making it easy to navigate and experiment with various sounds.

To create this gritty chord, we will start by selecting a wavetable that has a dark, ominous sound. From there, we will use the various parameters in Wavetable to morph and shape the sound until it is exactly what we want. This might involve adjusting the wavetable position, changing the oscillator type, or adding some distortion or filtering.

Once we have our sound dialed in, we can start adding some effects to give it that rusty, dirty edge. We might add some distortion, bit-crushing, or saturation to rough up the sound and give it some grit. We could also use Ableton's stock reverb or delay effects to add some space and depth to the chord.

Finally, we can use Ableton's MIDI effects to create a rhythmic pattern with our chord. We might use the Arpeggiator to create a pulsing, driving rhythm or use the Chord effect to play multiple notes at once and create a thicker, more complex sound.

In conclusion, Wavetable is an incredible tool for creating Dark Techno sounds, and with a little bit of experimentation and the right effects, you can create a gritty, dirty chord that will fit perfectly into your next Dark Techno track. So fire up Ableton and start exploring the possibilities of Wavetable!

(If you like the drums from the loop, you can get them from our very own Dark Warehouse Techno Sample Pack)

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Our Dark Warehouse Techno Sample Pack includes a variety of drum samples, including kicks, snares, hi-hats, and percussion. All of the samples in this pack are professionally recorded and processed, ensuring that they are of the highest quality and ready to be used in your music production.

In addition to the drum samples, our Dark Warehouse Techno Sample Pack also includes a variety of other sounds that are commonly used in dark techno music. This includes basslines, synth loops, and FX samples, all of which have been carefully curated to help you create the perfect dark and moody atmosphere in your tracks.

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Let’s start by loading in Wavetable from the instrument browser. Once that is loaded in drop the chord midi effect in front of the synth. This will create our chord. In the shift values  set them to 3, 10 and 14. And also set one to 13, this will give us the chord a darker edge. When trying to create tension and edge which Dark Techno is great at use the note next to your root note but a octave up or down for example if you use G#3 also use the A2 or A4.

Next program a simple midi pattern like bellow, In dark techno the chord are not overall complicated. It is really just 1 or 2 different not triggering the chord. Normally what gives the sound more depth is the effects and modulation added, which we will look at later on in the post.

Programming a simple MIDI pattern is a crucial step in creating dark techno music. In this genre, chords are typically not overly complicated, consisting of just one or two different notes triggering the chord. This simplicity allows the focus to be on the effects and modulation added to the chord, which can give the sound more depth and texture.

To create a simple MIDI pattern, we can start by selecting a sound or instrument that we want to use for our chord. Once we have our sound selected, we can then start programming in our notes using a MIDI editor or sequencer.

In dark techno, it is common to use a repetitive pattern that emphasizes the rhythm of the music. This can be achieved by using a simple four-on-the-floor beat and programming the chord to match the rhythm of the drums.

Now we are ready to start programming our synth, in oscillator 1 select the wavetable Bit Ring from the Complex menu. Place the wavetable position to 51% and from the oscillator FX’s section choose FM and set the tune to -50% and amount to 63% this will give the should a really metallic edge. 

The sound is a little low in pitch so set the global transpose to +12 (up an octave)

Lets select a simple wavetable from oscillator 2, choose Saw Dual 3. Set the volume to -13dB, wavetable position to 42% and again select FM from the oscillator FX’s menu. Set the amount to 55% and leave the tune at 0%. This helps thicken up the sound. When creating any sound in wavetable synthesis, it is worth using 1 standard waveform, like saws, squares and sines layered with more complex wavetables. This gives you a sort of morphed analog sound.

It's time to move on to the filter section. Here we are going to use two low pass filters in serial mode so filter 1 runs into filter 2. Start by switching on both filters, double check you are in serial mode, which can be selected via the drop-down menu at the bottom of the filter window. Now set filter 1 to 70Hz for the cutoff frequency and resonance to 42%. While we are here lets set the filter circuit to MS2 and drive it by 6dB. 

Next move to the filter 2 and set it up to have the frequency cutoff at 153Hz and resonance to 33%. Set the slope to 12, circuit to OSR and drive it by 5-6dB.

This has cut out a lot of the harsher frequencies but we have lost most of the sound, so its time to utilise some envelopes. 

Click on the filter 1 cutoff frequency, this will allow it to be seen in the matrix. In the matrix set the amount to 100 for the envelope 2. Do the same for filter 2’s cutoff frequency. 

In envelope 2 set the attack to 0, decay to 697ms, sustain to 0% and release to 600ms. In the value section set the peak to 50%, this is our filter amount.

Now its time to add some more modulation, in the matrix set the LFO 1 amount for the filter frequency cutoff to 30. In the LFO 1 section set the rate to 1.31Hz and the waveform to sine. 

Before we move on to adding in some audio effects, turn the master volume down a little to -15dB.

Add in two ping pong delays. In the first one set the time to 32.2ms, dry/wet to 23% and feedback to 48%. In the second one set the time to 2 (a 8th note), beat offset to 1.56%, dry/wet to 28% and feedback to 43%.

Next add a echo delay audio effect, start by driving the input by 1-2dB (make sure the D is selected). Set the times to 1/16 and 1/8 (both should be dotted). Make the mode Mid/Side, feedback to 36%. 

Add in the filter to cutoff the low and high end from the delay signal, set the High Pass filter to 123Hz and the low pass filter to 5kHz. Next up is the reverb section, set this to 27% for the amount and 19% for the decay. Lastly set the ducking to -44dB for the threshold and release to 167ms. 

With echo this gives us a more analog feel. 

To help bring some more grit to the sound add a pedal audio effect in after the delays, set the mode to Fuzz. The gain to 11dB and dry/wet to 7.8%. The sound is a little harsh in the high frequencies so take the treble down to around 38%.

Last audio effect in our chain is the convolution reverb which you can get in the max for live audio effects. Set the type to real places and IR to arundel nave. From there set the decay to 67%, pre delay to 14.3ms and in the EQ section drop the low and high frequencies out a little bit. 

 

If you have enjoyed this blog post, why not check out our selection of other posts. 

Also do not forget you can download the preset bellow.