LEADS | General, Troubleshooting, etc

[Digital Shifter]

When you guys want to create a really powerful and smooth hardstyle synth which VST do you recomend?
I'm looking for a really thick and powerful sound.

p.s. i was also looking at the products from Rob Papen. Like Blue II, Blade and Predator.

[Echidna]

When you guys want to create a really powerful and smooth hardstyle synth which VST do you recomend?
I'm looking for a really thick and powerful sound.

p.s. i was also looking at the products from Rob Papen. Like Blue II, Blade and Predator.

VST wise I would look at Dune 2, Zebra, Massive, Omnisphere, Spire or Sylenth. Use multiple layers eq'd together, with compression, stereo imaging etc

[Digital Shifter]

When you guys want to create a really powerful and smooth hardstyle synth which VST do you recomend?
I'm looking for a really thick and powerful sound.

p.s. i was also looking at the products from Rob Papen. Like Blue II, Blade and Predator.

VST wise I would look at Dune 2, Zebra, Massive, Omnisphere, Spire or Sylenth. Use multiple layers eq'd together, with compression, stereo imaging etc

Yeah okay i was also looking at Spire thanks to the Virus Topic that is active right now haha
I also wanted to say this, what can you use to make a synth powerful?
Like i said earlier, i think it's the synthesizer that needs to work, not your EQ's am i right?

[Echidna]

When you guys want to create a really powerful and smooth hardstyle synth which VST do you recomend?
I'm looking for a really thick and powerful sound.

p.s. i was also looking at the products from Rob Papen. Like Blue II, Blade and Predator.

VST wise I would look at Dune 2, Zebra, Massive, Omnisphere, Spire or Sylenth. Use multiple layers eq'd together, with compression, stereo imaging etc

Yeah okay i was also looking at Spire thanks to the Virus Topic that is active right now haha
I also wanted to say this, what can you use to make a synth powerful?
Like i said earlier, i think it's the synthesizer that needs to work, not your EQ's am i right?

Layers make the synth more powerful

[Digital Shifter]

That is true. But let me get this straight!!
People are yelling about synths/leads like EQ EQ EQ EQ EQ!!
But you can not EQ something muddy into something sharp right?
Like when i Detune a saw or even a pulse wave in sylenth it's muddy.
Now i don't know if that is how it's suppose to be because at first hand when you don't detune it the treble is good.
But when i put a high shelf on the treble it's not clearing things out.
When i try to get control of the treble with EQ it's fading.
So i'm looking for a really fat synthesizer.

[Soundphase]

Of course you can use eq to take mud out of a lead, but your ears really have to be good for that or otherwise you'll destroy the power in the lead

Some synths have a less muddy output than others, depends on the engineering of the synth. Sylenth and massive have such outputs that they don't require much eqing at all. The only problem with sylenth is that the detune isn't the best but you can layer it with other synths to make a good detuned lead

What synths you use usually boils down to what kind lead you're going for. Extremely detuned leads aren't even used much in hardstyle, hardstyle leads is more about the chorus and lfo, sylenth just so happens to have a really good on-board chorus

[Digital Shifter]

The only problem with sylenth is that the detune isn't the best but you can layer it with other synths to make a good detuned lead

Yeah i needed to hear this. So is it possible to layer a non-detuned lead(s) with detuned leads to create a better treble am i right?

Hmm interesting! Thanks soundphase

I have bought Spire to see what it can do. The fact is, I need to learn a lot on how to get it more clean though.
So it's all about layering am i right?

[Soundphase]

The only problem with sylenth is that the detune isn't the best but you can layer it with other synths to make a good detuned lead

Yeah i needed to hear this. So is it possible to layer a non-detuned lead(s) with detuned leads to create a better treble am i right?

Yes, of course

It is hard to find VSTs with a great detune but there are some out there. Hardware synths nearly always win at detune but you can get a great detune from some vintage synth emulations like Pro53 (but you need to know that synth inside out or otherwise the result won't be the best)

I made a lead just like the old "Soundbending bitch" lead before with Sylenth as the non-detuned layer and Pro53 for the detuned layer. Layering is usually the key for hardstyle leads but it still depends what you're going for, sometimes a lead only needs one layer too

here's a small example of pro53 detune

Spoiler

(very little mixing done)

[Dj Reaper]

Since some time already I want to do an attempt at remaking an old track of mine which my friends consider my best track but I am always facing problems with the lead. I don´t know if it is because of the melody or if it is because I find difficulties making a lead that sounds good playing chords and single-note-melodies..I just find something sounds wrong/empty but I don´t know what, can someone hear some evidence and point me in the right direction?
Btw I haven´t mixed it down, just put some reverb delay and lowcut on the lead..

[Mistral]

Don't know if this is the right place to ask. But when making a lead in for instance Sylenth, what does the phase knob do?
I often find it changes the sound, but not in a positive manner, which makes me think I don't know how or when to apply it.