Learn these 3 essential ambient pad sounds

[@yeru2480]

there's really no better place on the internet for pads than here

[@Bittamin]

I’m honestly surprised Korg hasn’t sponsored our boy in some way yet; he is hands down the reason I got the m1, Wavestation, and triton this year!!!

[@datapusher-]

Pads are life

[@Thought-Forms]

🧬

[@osmark86]

these pads are so classic and sound just as good today as they did back in the 90s

[@opticalman6417]

put them through 12 bit for grit

[@NilsBeh]

Could you maybe do a video focused on chords for ambient pads? I feel like thats a topic that is often overlooked when it comes to pads. I tried out the patches that you explained in this video but my pads still ended up sounding kinda underwhelming because I lack knowledge when it comes to picking the right chords for ambient pads. So I'm curious if you have any tips or strategies for picking good chords for ambient pads. Your chords always sound so full and (for lack of a better word) ambient!

[@Thought-Forms]

Fair point! I typically play Minor 7 / Minor 9 / Sus Chords, but play around with the voicing. Depending on whether you want a very bass / thick pad, or a more airy pad will dictate how I transpose the notes in a chord. in general i've found the wider the voicing, the more full the chord. lot of trial and error in the Bitwig chord device. ill be sure to show the chord device more in future videos so people can see what the actual notes are

[@louie1litk619]

Minor 9ths and 7ths mostly for jungle sometimes 11th chords not a hard rule though so feel free to explore major chords too

[@slimrell6927]

Yes!

[@SoundProtocols]

Saw a real hardware Triton at Guitar Center for my first time yesterday. The screen was huge! Thanks for posting another Triton video and keeping this synth history alive.

[@Thought-Forms]

That's awesome! How trippy was that? To see something you normally associate with software in physical form. It's weird, but it evokes a totally different emotion seeing some of these classic synths in physical form. Wonder what they were charging for that Triton at Guitar Center?

[@Muldvarp_]

6:35 thanks for the choir sample :P

[@Thought-Forms]

LOL. Little bit of autotune (maybe a lot...), stacked, detuned - it could work 😎

[@aarongarcia389]

You are killing it bro. Lack of atmo dnb specific sound design stuff online and you are up to the task. I’d be interested in something that goes into the arrangement stage on these pads. When I listen to all my favorite 90s records I’ve always wondered like if they are just resampling one huge 64 bar or playing diff patches against each other. Or how they get the tails and attacks to not overlap too much.

[@daroanvimusen]

this synth/VST is a beast !! I love the option with combi sounds, you can delay some sounds, for example, violins PAD and after 3 seconds, a choir comes in the sound, and it's totally awesome !!

[@Thought-Forms]

really is! that delay technique is sick! combi mode is insane with the possibility...restricting polyphony per slot, panning, volume, dual arpeggiators...its nuts what you can do

[@XingoMusic]

Man, I truly say, your tutorials are a relief for the soul as well. I'm from the '90s, and bringing back all the feelings from that time is wonderful. Great work!

[@Thought-Forms]

Thanks Xingo! Grew up in the 90s as well - hearing these sounds takes me back. Really a bummer they don't make synths like this anymore

[@Mia1Goth]

dude i got korg m1 and wavestation, i dont need anything else, love the 90s ambient and decided to make that with a bit of a twist, will add lo-fi element to it with tape plugins, your channel is awesome

[@HenritheHorse]

Nice, I got DSS-1 with some of those sounds in the original disks. Also having ability to sample anything in is amazing.

[@aquanodemusic]

01:36 You're absolutely right that this pad is literally everywhere in Ambient DnB, I even made a short video about this exact chord showing my fav tunes that use it. I believe the octave in the bass and the two notes only a semitone apart make it so interesting, it is both full of energy and relaxing at the same time. Simply sublime and you nailed it with the sound selection for it!

[@Thought-Forms]

Let's go!! The bass note is crucial, and 100% on the two notes semitone apart. ive found some other similar voicings that are insane. hop on discord if you're not there already and would love to share!

[@megamatt1915]

not only a great video for creating these sounds, but really sheds some good light on a solid sense of workflow in the triton. we can never get enough triton content! 🙌

[@Thought-Forms]

thanks matt! want to iterate here the importance of sticking with a synth and learning it inside out, whether it be the Triton or whatever your preference is. when you get to a point where you can imagine a sound of some sort, then know your synth well enough to go into autopilot -> you'll be a beast

[@MrBlueHaze]

Great video all the techniques you talked about translates well not only on triton, m1, wavestate and omnisphere but especially on a sampler. I used it on tal sampler, quick sampler, bitwig sampler, Ableton sampler and even mpc keygroup sampler. Thank you sensei for your knowledge and understanding. You are definitely one of the best Synth and sampling KZbinrs on the web showing the power of sampling technology. For the longest I didn’t quite understand the main differences of analog synths, digital rompers and samplers especially cuz I was getting bad inform that analog was king. But you opened my eyes and mind how sampling changed that 90s sound I always loved but didn’t quite understand how it was achieved by Sade, Loose Ends, Seal , and Trevor Horn. Thank you.

[@Thought-Forms]

Thanks Blue! Stoked there appears to be a resurgence in desire for samplers/sampling and digital synths / romplers. To your point, analogs are cool - but sampling/sample based synths are responsible for so many sounds and full of endless possibility - where an analog synth is typically kind of a one trick pony. cheers!

[@synthphilosophy]

Yeah that sweep one I just realized is a tool I have not applied much yet. Thanks for the reminder and you just touched my soul with those sounds. Thank you.

[@Thought-Forms]

Cheers!!! Gotta use those filters! Incredibly impactful on the overall sound - and once you get into modulating them various ways...sky is the limit

[@philipernst9515]

You should atleast have 100k views on your vids man, the way you explain is detailed, but not redundant. Clear and concise, thanks a ton!

[@Thought-Forms]

thanks philip! means a lot. glad you enjoyed the vid mate 💪

[@StanleyKubick1]

this is super helpful. I've been getting back into dnb lately and have had to resample everything until now, I can't wait to please with some clean sounds

[@Thought-Forms]

glad to hear it mate! get cracking at those custom pads

[@JustHappyBurger]

Just in time for my morning coffee and brekkie. Thanks for this! 🩶

[@midwichmusic]

Same here in the early evening! A good 90s ambient pad after work is the best relaxation. 🖤

[@JustHappyBurger]

@@midwichmusic 🤍🖤

[@gianlucamarchese]

So much PS2 intro memories here... Been obsessed with these type of pads for ages before finding your channel and learning the source and their flavors based upon how you build them (VA, Analog, Romplers, Wavetables, FM, combo of those)... Would love your take on a similar format but with different synths like Wavestation, JV1080, Microwave, maybe a similar kind of video but with Silent Hill inspired sounds (?), loved so much your take on Deus Ex that I wouldn't mind a second video on that too lol, sounds like a buying list... I know Sewerslvt is using a lot these kind of pads nowadays, may be worth to check those out! Thanks for your immense passion and hard work mate!

[@Thought-Forms]

PS2 Crew! Sure, I use the Wavestation a good bit still too and it's very similar to the Triton (essentially a Triton in permanent Combi mode...well, with wavesequencing and vector synthesis as well!) I think we're due for another Wavestation video. Still discovering things with it every time I pop it open. Great for silent hill-esque textures/sounds. Have a great week!

[@Hello_I_Must_Be_Going]

Nice tutorial.

[@txpes-ls9lz]

we are blessed with this channel 🤣🤣

[@nsjx]

beautiful man. it took me many years to learn the power of subtle mods working with and against each other, aside from beating between osc's. always a pleasure dropping by here. keep up the vibe

[@deejaysoulution]

I have been looking for a tutorial like yours for a long time on how to create beautiful warm & smooth, ethereal pad sounds. Thank you very much

[@Thought-Forms]

Glad it helped, enjoy!

[@LordReeseMoog]

This is such a treasure on KZbin. Love your videos man! Always look forward to whatever you’re going to do next.

[@unclezaz2921]

Thank you man! I love your channel!

[@Flux_One]

Amazing as always. They all sound gorgeous. Could you also talk about the chords you play and chord progressions? I know about minor 7th and 9th chords, but the magic happens when you use inversions. Cheers

[@Thought-Forms]

Thanks Flux! I'm not classically trained in music theory - so I don't really know what I'm talking about when it comes to chords / chords progressions. would rather leave that up to the pros to speak to 😀 Crammed all the basics (m7, m9, m11, sus chords) into a chord device in my DAW and just play around with the voicings until something sounds cool

[@GavinBlane]

Brilliant, thank you

[@jlef63]

The institute of padnology

[@Thought-Forms]

🏫

[@daeryxaqueryx]

Thanks, man...appreciate the nuts n bolts on how to create some of my favorite pad sounds ever. Imma head out now and listen to Wax Doctor's Heat now that you got me in the mood.

[@Thought-Forms]

You bet man. Classic, classic tune. Could listen to Selected Works 94 - 96 on repeat all day

[@realjamesdean720]

Another great video 🙂

[@Thought-Forms]

Cheers James ;)

[@hroyd]

Top content right there Bobby

[@Thought-Forms]

thanks mate! good to see you still around :)

[@hroyd]

@@Thought-Forms still watching them all! … top of my content list 😊

[@worsebehavior4270]

id love to hear a playlist of music you are inspired by

[@Thought-Forms]

On my channel click the Playlists tab, and check out the "Millennium Atmospheric DNB" playlist. on the DnB side that sound is my vibe. also very inspired by 90s deep / tech house (terry lee brown jr, the timewriter, E.B.E., Pure Science, etc...) and of course smooth jazz / fusion (Grover washington jr, George Benson, Paul Hardcastle)

[@worsebehavior4270]

@@Thought-Forms appreciate the response thank you 🙌🏻

[@bresk13]

Quality content like always here !

[@Thought-Forms]

thank you bresk!

[@itinerantghost]

Lots of lovely sounds here. Top job!

[@Thought-Forms]

cheers mate!

[@djsilent01]

I just found your channel looking to learn to make synth pads. especially lush RnB pads. Is there a way you would do a video of making the Glide pads they use un RnB music. Mostly in the 90's 00's? I'm really wanting to learn to make it easier for me to make.

[@Thought-Forms]

Ace mate, welcome aboard! what are a few examples of tunes with a glide pad? just want to make sure I understand the sound you mean. can for sure look into it

[@darakilicoglu]

My favorite channel :)

[@Thought-Forms]

thanks dude!!

[@90sIntelligentDnB]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! You are the best!

[@Thought-Forms]

Of course! Strong username, btw

[@the8bitdeity]

Great stuff as always, interestingly I tried to use my modWave to achieve a similar result to Sound 2, and in trying to blend in some sub-oscillator (square) to the mix I found the synthetic waves really drowned out the vocal sample even with the vocal sample significantly higher in the oscillator mix. Seems like you really need to filter simple waveforms heavier than a vocal sample to get them to mix well. Good news is I have another layer to work with, but an interesting observation none the less. Do you have any thoughts / tips / tricks on blending acoustic samples with highly synthetic waves (aka simple waves or wavetables?)

[@eternalcrystalballant]

Dope. Ay, can you make a video on how to create pads on the Korg M1 vst?

[@Thought-Forms]

For sure - its pretty much identical to the Triton, though a much simpler architecture overall

[@eternalcrystalballant]

@@Thought-Forms thanks

[@adammettafusion]

Thank you once again for your videos - esp all your korg legacy collection stuff - so helpful 😊

[@Thought-Forms]

No problem Adam! Thanks for checking em out, glad you were able to learn off em

[@Bittamin]

I'm still crossing my fingers on the Wavestation 101 video 🙏

[@MiamiMal]

Legend!

[@jocee2257]

Hey dude. I have been thinking a lot about the atmospheric atmo's and field recordings. Do you have any idea what old school sample packs they got all the animals, jungle, forest sounds, etc? There is nothing that helps me understand the process of making EDM, then to learn how it was made from scratch. Hence why I love your channel.

[@Thought-Forms]

Yo - some probably from actual field recordings. more likely though: a lot of sample cd's nicked samples off other media like TV / film sound libraries (sampling a national geographic show for example)

[@opticalman6417]

not long since got my self a akai s950 12 bit sampler plan to make these sound in the plugin then feed them through the 950 for some 12bit goodness

[@CorbenEdward]

Nice! Following along and adding my own touch. I have a real Triton, the 76 key version back in Canada that I miss lots, covered in rust with some buttons not working so I always have just used it for presets. Right now I am using the Triton Extreme VST from Korg and the sounds take me back! Any views on the Triton plugin vs the EXTREME version?

[@Thought-Forms]

Love it Corben! That's the way to do it. Shame to hear about the rusted out Triton back home. Luckily the VST is pretty much 90 - 95% there compared to the hardware. The two plugins are nearly identical, the only difference really is the tube amp emulation in the extreme and a blue UI. Either will do the job

[@starkid9736]

Pad Gang

[@Thought-Forms]

🅿️🅰️󠁄🇩 🇬🅰️🇳 🇬

[@PixelPunisher.Official]

Gorgeous pad sounds of my young adult hood. I followed step by step but my Init SAW sounds did not sound anything like yours. Yours were much more thicker and textured sounding than mine. That goes for the choir sounds on example number two. I see and have all the options you have but they do not sound like yours. Yours have some sort of "extra something" going on in them that mine doesn't have. They sound nowhere near the beautiful heavenly tones you're producing. What am I doing wrong in my KORG Triton vst?

[@Thought-Forms]

Cheers! Likely the chord you're playing. Try a very wide chord, having your root note very low in the bass region, and everything else up an octave or two. shift around some of the notes in the chord (two notes next to each other in the upper regions creates a very tense sound)

[@PixelPunisher.Official]

@@Thought-Forms hi .. Sadly that wasn't it sir. :-( I've gone through the tutorial twice and still can't replicate your rich sound. But that's ok. It was really amazing how you created all the sounds nevertheless. 🙏🏾

[@jamessconiers1968]

How come you didn't just draw a ninth?

[@GeorgeLocke]

Who are these "most people" who reach for an analog style polysynth to get "airy" pads? I mean, you could (maybe not with a juno but yes with an ob-6), but I'm just wondering which people you have in mind?

[@Thought-Forms]

In threads all over on websites like Gearspace, Reddit, Dogsonacid...where people want those iconic, very clearly "rompler" pads, and the suggestion is some weird very prescriptive patch for an analog polysynth. 1 and 2 on this video, sure - you could do on an analog poly. 2....ehhhhh

[@GeorgeLocke]

@@Thought-Forms i certainly agree that vox pads and your typical 90s airy synth a la intelligent drum n bass or whatever is a rompler or sampler. If the aim is to achieve that sound, you should be starting with vox or similar, and anyone who says different is certainly wrong. Sorry to be a grumpus; sometimes I feel like a rigid wiki editor that can't help but add "weasel words" or {{cn}}. I enjoyed your video anyhow. I own an XV 3080 but haven't touched it in years. It does give awesome rompler pads.