Internal Oscillator Resampling and Stacking in xFer Serum
Does Serum really need another oscillator? Not when it’s got oscillator resampling capabilities. Let’s look at stacking oscillators with resampling…
A feature request I see quite often with xFer Serum is users asking for additional oscillators, while I think it may benefit from more oscillators to a certain degree – there is a feature built into Serum that pretty much negates needing any more oscillators. Serum’s drop-down menu has a function called “Resample to OSC A” which essentially records a snippet of the audio output of the oscillators over a bar, then re-imports that snippet into Osc A as a waveform – giving you the ability to sweep to different segments in the sample using the Wavetable Position setting.
So, what does this actually mean?
It means with a bit of trickery you can create almost infinite stacks of oscillators, by resampling and repeating the process. For stuff like FM and other modulation techniques the results can get really interesting. Once the source is resampled, you can FM the resulting snippet and resample – and just keep repeating this until you get some unique waveforms.
Build your own library of unique waveforms…
Serum allows you to save your wavetables to recall in any preset or use as a basis for a new preset, it’s a great idea to build up a library of unique waveforms using this technique that you can recall at any time – rather than having to create an FM sound from scratch, simply recall the wavetable that you know works for a specific style.
You can keep stacking these infinitely to create some really wild waveforms, although at a certain point the waves do become too complex, to the point of being dissonant – however that could be the exact sound you’re looking for.
Due to the additive nature of this method, a filter is not all that necessary however it can still be used to create movement or rhythm to the overall sound.
For an in-depth walkthrough of the process, check out the video here:
[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/HvpFQyb9jSQ”]
