Designing Evolving Pads and Risers with Supersaw Plus

How to Get Massive EDM Sounds with Supersaw PlusCreating colossal, festival-ready EDM sounds often comes down to one thing: the synth. Supersaw Plus is a powerful tool for crafting the thick, detuned leads and lush pads that define trance, progressive house, and many modern EDM subgenres. This guide covers sound-design techniques, signal-chain recommendations, arrangement tips, and mixing advice to help you get the most out of Supersaw Plus.

What makes a “massive” sound?

A massive EDM sound usually combines:

Wide stereo image to fill the spectrum.
Rich harmonic content through detuning, layering, and effects.
Strong transient character so notes punch through the mix.
Proper dynamics and saturation to increase perceived loudness and weight.

Supersaw Plus excels at harmonic richness thanks to its stacked saw oscillators and advanced detune options. Below we’ll turn these raw elements into production-ready sounds.

Starting with the right preset

If you’re new to Supersaw Plus, begin with a preset close to your goal—look for names like “Big Lead,” “Classic Supersaw,” or “Wide Pad.” Use presets as a launching point; tweak parameters rather than starting from scratch to learn how controls affect sound.

Oscillator & voicing setup

Use multiple saw-based voices. Supersaw Plus typically offers multiple oscillators or unison voices; set them to saw or supersaw modes.
Increase voices (8–16) for thicker sound. More voices = denser detune.
Apply slight detune spread. Start around ±10–30 cents and adjust by ear.
Use stereo voice spread/panning. Widening the unison spread creates a stereo field that sounds massive without hard panning.

Filter & filter movement

Use a low-pass filter to tame harshness, especially above 8–10 kHz.
Add resonance sparingly for character—too much will sound thin or honky.
Automate cutoff with an envelope or LFO to create movement. A slow LFO adds motion for pads; a fast envelope gives pluck to leads.

Envelopes (Amp & Filter)

For leads: short attack (0–10 ms), medium decay (100–400 ms), low sustain (0–30%), short release (50–150 ms) for punchy notes.
For pads: medium attack (50–200 ms), long decay/sustain, long release (300–800 ms) for smooth tails.
Use an envelope to modulate filter cutoff for dynamic tonal change when a note is played.

Modulation (LFOs, velocity, keytracking)

Subtle LFO modulation to pitch or filter creates motion—set to triangle/sine and low depth.
Map velocity to filter cutoff or amplitude for expressive playing (harder notes = brighter/louder).
Keytracking can brighten higher notes or keep bass sounds stable across the keyboard.

Layering strategies

Layer multiple instances of Supersaw Plus: one for center mono power (slightly less detune), one wide stereo layer (more detune & chorus), and optionally a sub or distorted saw for low-end weight.
Detune layers differently to avoid phasing and create richness.
Use slightly different EQ shapes per layer to prevent frequency masking.

Effects chain (instruments & sends)

Insert/effects order suggestions:

Unison/Detune (inside the synth)
Filter & Envelope modulation
Saturation/Soft clipping (adds harmonics)
EQ (cut mud 200–400 Hz, boost presence 2–6 kHz)
Multiband Compression (glues frequencies)
Chorus/Ensemble (widening)
Delay (tempo-synced, ping-pong for space)
Reverb (large hall for tails)
Stereo widening (use cautiously)

Use sends for delay and reverb to preserve clarity while adding depth. For chorus/ensemble, use subtle rates to avoid mushiness; a tasteful amount makes the supersaw bloom.

Distortion & saturation

Gentle tube/soft clipping increases apparent loudness and thickness.
Parallel distortion: blend a distorted duplicate underneath the clean signal to retain dynamics and clarity.
Use saturation plugins on individual layers and on the bus for glue.

EQ tips

High-pass below 80–120 Hz on supersaws unless they contain important sub information—leave sub to a dedicated sine/sub layer.
Cut around 200–400 Hz to reduce muddiness.
Boost 1.5–3 kHz for presence and 6–12 kHz for air (use sparingly).
Use dynamic EQ to tame resonant peaks created by detuned voices.

Compression & glue

Buss compression with slow attack and medium release can glue the multiple unison voices without killing transients.
Multiband compression controls specific bands—helpful when supersaws get too boomy.
Sidechain compression to the kick is essential in EDM for rhythmic clarity—use 2:1–4:1 ratios and a 20–60 ms release depending on groove.

Creative techniques

Pitch modulation: automate small pitch bends or add a subtle LFO to detune for wobble effects.
Harmonic layering: add a saw with octave-up layer for brightness.
Formant/filter tricks: add vowel-like motion with band-pass sweeps for unique character.
Automation across the track: open filters, increase chorus, add more reverb during drops and breakdowns for contrast.

Arrangement & mix placement

Place supersaw leads and pads in upper-mid frequencies; reserve 50–250 Hz and 20–60 Hz for bass and kick.
Use sidechain to carve space for kick and bass.
Automate width and effects to create interest across sections (intro → build → drop).

Finalizing: mastering considerations

Ensure the supersaw isn’t stealing headroom—use gain staging and clipping limiter on master.
Apply gentle multiband compression or dynamic EQ in mastering to control any harshness.
Stereo check: mono-compatibility test to ensure phasing doesn’t collapse the mix.

Example signal chain (practical preset)

Supersaw Plus — Unison 12 voices, Detune 18 cents, Stereo spread 65%
HP filter @ 100 Hz
Filter cutoff modulated by ADSR (fast attack)
Soft saturation (drive 3–5%)
Parametric EQ: -3 dB @ 300 Hz, +2 dB @ 3 kHz
Bus compression (2:1, slow attack 30 ms, release 120 ms)
Chorus (depth 20%), Ensemble (subtle)
Send: Delay ⁄₈ dotted, Send: Reverb large hall
Stereo widener (mild) and final limiter on the bus if needed

Quick checklist before export

Are layers phase-checked in mono?
Is there a dedicated sub layer for low-end?
Is the lead audible over kick/bass (use sidechain if not)?
Do effects add depth without washing out transients?
Is width automated to add impact in drops?

With the right balance of detune, layering, dynamics, and tasteful effects, Supersaw Plus can deliver the massive EDM sounds heard on festival stages. Experiment with small parameter changes — often the difference between good and great is subtle.