Serum Plugin article
Serum Plugin for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Never opened Serum before? This guide walks through the interface, how wavetable synthesis works and how to build a first working patch in six steps.
The Serum plugin is a powerful synthesizer, but its learning curve is genuinely manageable if you take it step by step. This guide takes you from installation to your first working patch without expecting prior synthesis knowledge.
What You Need Before You Start
You need a DAW that supports VST (Windows), AU (Mac) or AAX (Pro Tools) plugins and a computer that meets Xfer’s system requirements. Check the Xfer Records website for current requirements before installing. The Serum plugin installs as a standard plugin and appears in your DAW’s instrument list once installed.
The Interface at First Glance
The main display shows three horizontal sections: the oscillators at the top, the modulation section in the middle, and the effects at the bottom. The oscillators (OSC A and OSC B) each display a wavetable waveform and have controls for position, warp, unison, pitch and volume. Below them are the Sub and Noise sources. The filter sits between the oscillator section and the modulation section.
The modulation section shows two envelopes and up to four LFOs. The drag-and-drop system means you drag from any modulation source to any knob you want it to control. A coloured arc appears around the knob showing the assigned modulation. This is the most visually distinctive part of the Serum plugin and one of its most useful features for new users.
How to Make Your First Simple Patch
- Open the Serum plugin and select a basic saw or square wavetable for OSC A.
- Set OSC B volume to zero to start with only one oscillator.
- Assign Envelope 1 to the master level by dragging from ENV 1 to the master volume knob at the top right.
- Set the envelope to a short attack, medium decay, medium sustain and short release for a pluck.
- Enable the filter and set it to a low-pass type. Set the cutoff to around halfway.
- Drag Envelope 2 to the filter cutoff. Adjust envelope 2 for a faster sweep to add movement.
This gives you a basic subtractive pluck patch. From here you can experiment with wavetable position, adding unison voices to OSC A, or moving the filter cutoff lower for a more muted sound.
Understanding Wavetable Position
Moving the WT Position knob on an oscillator changes which waveform within the wavetable table the oscillator is playing. Different positions produce different harmonic content. Assigning an LFO to WT Position is one of the most common and useful starting points in the Serum plugin: it gives the sound constant harmonic movement without requiring complex modulation setups.
Adding Effects
The Serum plugin's FX tab at the top of the interface opens the effects chain. For a first Serum plugin patch, add a small amount of reverb (Reverb module) and a short delay. These can transform a dry, direct sound into something with more space and depth without changing the synthesis itself.
Where to Read More
Our overview guide covers all the features in detail. Our buyer’s guide covers purchasing and licensing. Our value guide covers version and alternative choices. And our mistakes guide covers what to avoid early on.
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