Syntakt Ambient Tutorial // Tips and Tricks

Turn your Elektron Syntakt into ambient bliss with this simple tutorial. In this live stream I share several techniques for making ambient tracks with Elektron gear. Watch me make an entire track from scratch with no edits.
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Syntakt → www.zzounds.com/a--3989204/item--ELKSYNTAKT
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0:00 Intro
02:09 Tutorial Starts
02:46 Ocean Waves Tutorial
11:19 Fake Arp Technique Pt. 1
18:18 Drone Pad
26:42 Fake Arp Pt. 2
29:22 Fixing Drone Pops and Clicks
30:35 Make Something Yuuuge
41:49 Adding Random Probability Sounds (Toy)
49:52 Stacking Analog Swells to Make Duophonic Sounds
59:51 Ambient Track Is Finished
01:03:07 NEW AGE!
01:01:34 What Do You Do With It Now?
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Engineering a new music device? Ensure its success by consulting with an expert in hardware music production. Let me help turn your dream device into a hit: ezbot.live
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[@EZBOT_]

Don't forget to subscribe and join the discord! discord.gg/KUSBH9h Lessons and contact: ezbot.live Support this channel by joining the Patreon : www.patreon.com/ezbot

[@arielazoulay6553]

More syntakt vids

[@markbelcher1777]

Please

[@jesseukkonen]

Pretty please

[@Kyle-xk4ke]

We want more Syntakt 😄 Awesome video and tutorial es always

[@uncletones]

This is a great video. Really enjoyed it. Thank you. Has there been anymore Syntakt videos?

[@manastorm193]

To get rid of the clicks on the fake ARP try switching off AENR on the AMP envelope. (page 2 on AMP) Worked for me.

[@EZBOT_]

Yes!

[@DaveS-Ace]

Dude this was such a brilliant tutorial, thank you for so much inspiration 🤘🤘🤘🖤

[@surrealchemist]

The one trick I learned on the model:cycles for doing long drones is to just put a trig on the first note and set the probability to just trig it once (the first time the sequence plays). That way when it comes back around it won't re-trig causing any clicks or skips.

[@Sinta93]

luv u

[@elfakyn]

I set it to legato and increase the length to overlap, this way I can mute/unmute and do other live stuff that wouldn't be possible with a trigger of once.

[@JimClermonts]

We want more syntakt videos for sure! Do you also do track breakdowns? I would love a tutorial on "Djoko - Close call" or this kind of deephouse sound.

[@sgsrules]

This tutorial has a ton of useful info, even if you're not interested in ambient music production. Thanks for sharing EZBOT.

[@EZBOT_]

Thank you!

[@RDD1312]

What an excellent tutorial. Followed along and for the first time, felt like I understood my Syntakt. Awesome stuff!

[@Dieter-4]

Thank you, Ezbot! Really nice to see your process. I'm just starting on this musical journey and this kind of walkthrough is very important to understand that things don't happen magically and that there's a lot of decision to be made along the way of creating sounds.

[@WHATISPOLITICS69]

half way through and already great little useful tricks for all kinds of music beyond ambient. arp trick is invaluable, ocean sounds, love these videos, learning the EZ way with EZbot

[@EZBOT_]

Glad you liked it! :)

[@lmcmulle]

Great tutorial for both the syntakt and ambient. Awesome. thank you.

[@Rollur1234]

I love the larva crawling stupid fast in between !!

[@dieterstubler6269]

Hi Matthew, just subscribed to your channel. Like your Elektron content very much! Myself completed the Elektron Trinity (Digitakt, Digitone, Syntakt) just a few weeks ago and maybe add an Octatrack next Christmas :-) Doing 'fake' arpeggiators myself quite a lot I want to give back a little bit here. Here is what I really like to do to spice up may arpeggios: I use just one Bar of 16 Steps for the apreggiator using the 8 odd steps 1,3,5,... for the arpeggiator notes. To spice up the apreggio I fill the even steps 2,4,6,... with Lock Triggers, micro timed all to the left matching the odd triggers. All of those Lock Triggers with have a parameter lock raising the synth tune by one octave and a low probability around 6%. Now your arpeggio is spiced up by throwing in notes one octave higher now and then (depending on your probability setting) which makes makes the arpeggio sound like two voices. Is additional salt, I often add also some delay to those Lock Triggers to make the notes playing one octave higher to shine through. Hope this is a useful tip/trick for a few of yours. Regards Dieter

[@EZBOT_]

Very cool, thanks!

[@Tapepusher]

As it’s microtimed to happen basically at the same time as the trig next to it, does it replace that trig when it plays or would they both play together? On some occasions it seems to replace the trig on my A4mk2

[@jasonbesant4074]

Wow what a truly amazing tutorial. Thanks so much!

[@Digiphex]

2 best quotes ever: "Dogs are real" - EZBOT and "Techno is bringing things in and out." - Mylar Melodies.

[@EZBOT_]

These are hard facts. #themoreyouknow

[@Sequencer_JY]

Boy this is beautiful and hypnotic! Wonderful Tutorial!

[@DAMAGR]

How did I not know about the record+stop sequencing method 🤦‍♂. You're doing the lords work here. That's my fav thing about the 101/SH01a sequencer. So effortless.

[@metalguccisolid]

I dunno if anyone's ever played the game Proteus on steam, but this really starts evolving into something that sounds like the Proteus soundtrack around 53 minutes. Proteus is just an artful adventure experience game, it's very short and you just explore an 8bit styled 3d island full of lots of trees and creatures that all have little synth noises that add to the landscape soundtrack, everything has its own swelling audio as you explore why you're there in the first place. It's a great ambient piece.

[@fully_privatized_mass_medium]

not sure if this has been mentioned yet but the clicks can be avoided by turning off the amp envelope reset on page 2 of the amp settings would love to see another video on the st like this!

[@philphilphil]

Powerful little box. Thanks for the tutorial!

[@swissives]

I love that! Just ordered my self a Syntakt 🙂

[@EZBOT_]

That's fantastic!

[@gustavost86]

Awesome video man! thanks for that

[@henriandrey4370]

I realized this ocean sound on my Syntakt. Thanks for your tips.

[@jmzorko]

This is beautiful - you've a new subscriber 🙂I've been using my Virus forever for ambient / shoegaze, but I recently started using the Elektron machines (Digitone Keys and AnalogFour mk2 in my case) to compliment the Virus, and so far i'm quite liking them. They definitely do things my Virus (which I adore) cannot. I look very fwd to learning more about these amazing synths from your channel.

[@pierrefitch]

I just got the digitone key love it along with digitakt and syntakt perfect trio

[@briannhinton]

More like this please? I’d love your alt rock stuff next.

[@chiballa25]

Just got mine and this is amazing, thank yiu

[@MarkusTengroth]

Very good and inspiring tutorial, thank you 🙏

[@Rollur1234]

This was from an oscar winning movie!! Really good man!

[@vyrvygora]

Thanks for this amazing tutorial! It's really useful for me as a newcomer to both electronic music and music creation in general.

[@EZBOT_]

Happy to help

[@pauwels_francois_djset]

I flew over your video... I like the sounds you come out of the syntakt.... The more I watch videos the more I think I'm going to pass the dj step now to start creating music ... I have the impression that this device will allow me to flourish. It's kinda crazy though. Thank you for your work on this video. You can't imagine the impact it has on the web.

[@EZBOT_]

Thank you so much

[@Kung_Fu_Jesus]

Making music is way more fun and exciting than DJ’ing. You’ll be glad you made that decision.

[@pauwels_francois_djset]

@@Kung_Fu_Jesus

[@ZozillaThaGreat]

Fuk this thing deep , wanted to check this out cause i'm looking for a drum machine , found a beast capable of everything ! Your videos rock by the way ;)

[@TimesOfTheSines.official]

great vid, i love just having 1 or 2 assorted Elektrons... Or 1 paired with another decent groove box like the Lxr02 OR EMX1. & explore the features, pallets of sounds & various spins of synthesis/pattern sequences etc each groove box is unique for producing. had to watch this cause ive just got my syntakt & heat mk2 out as my coffee table boxes in the TV/living room, polishing up a chill out wip with mine too... would be great to have a demo up, exploring the hugely oversighted strength, quality & power the syntakt is as a int/ext multi fx unit. its kind of a cut down Heat+FX... But it has the fx tracks step sequencer that Heat+FX really should have featured too imo? i love all the fx track sequencers & make good use of them in their devices that do have that included as a feature.

[@gattart]

Thanks, that was an excellent tutorial, really an all-in-one-box! Of course the Syntakt has its own ‘sound’ or personality, but it has a real nice one… I’d also give a 👍 to San Pellegrino bubbly water… even better when you go 50:50 with cabernet… and I’d love to see the last bit of a long tutorial after hydrating with that for 2 hours… 🥳

[@doyoubinoame8483]

Well, this video convinced me to get a syntakt.

[@alienanxiety]

Fantastic! Thanks for this! 🎉

[@EZBOT_]

Thank you!

[@GrootsieTheDog]

This is why use a sampler to make Ambient. All those LFOs are basically turning your patterns into off-the-grid sequences that come in and out at different times, i.e. phasing. Sampling allows for different lengths, meters, and different starting times - all with individual motion and fx. For example, as good as the mc 707 sequencer and elektron A4 are, I don't use them to create entire songs. Ill either create a single sequence and sample that or use them as a sound designing tool to sample. I just find ambient done with samplers is superior on many levels.

[@hexwavemusic]

Very nice tutorial! I really gotta try out the chill side sometime, Syntakt is too easy to be a loud dirty bastard with 😅 But this is lovely 🙌

[@agustinmartinez7301]

Very Nice tutorial, thanks!!!

[@EZBOT_]

Thank you and you're welcome!

[@cbubbb]

Love the osci intro ❤

[@EZBOT_]

Made by @looma, you can find him here on KZbin

[@heinschwund984]

49:26 Hilarious haha how much fun can you have making music

[@EZBOT_]

haha, yeah we have a good time on here!

[@smifaye]

Thank you!

[@bloopbleepnothinghere]

That popping at the beginning of each retrigger of the pad can be avoided if you have the conditional of "1st" on it with an infinite length. That way it only ever triggers once and never stops.

[@EZBOT_]

Great tip!

[@johnh.8055]

Pelegrino my dude hell yeah

[@EZBOT_]

😂

[@manastorm193]

You definitely nailed the Jean Michelle Jarre bubbles in that track! Check out the album Between Interval 'Secret Observatory' - I think you'll dig it! Its kind of a hidden gem. ;)

[@gapster77]

The ‘tash is back! I really liked this work-through, it sounds chilled and very large all at the same time. I have a unrelated question, when in song mode, is there a way to start from any point, so you don’t have to listen to everything before the part you are currently tweaking? Keep up the good work, EZ 🤙🏻

[@EZBOT_]

Sadly there is no way. That is only a feature on the Octatrack's arranger

[@gapster77]

@@EZBOT_ That is upsetting news, how can something so useful be so flawed? :( Would be nice if you could highlight a step and just play from there, or even deactivate steps so they don’t play.

[@mrp9308]

Yes , on song mode edit scroll all the way to left with left arrow key onto a number ,press yes then little arrow is next to it , press play.

[@EZBOT_]

@@mrp9308 this changes the length of the playback but doesnt offset the start time in the sequence. This is what you are referring to?

[@mrp9308]

@@EZBOT_ oh ok , erm gapster ignore what I said sorry 😄

[@tendingtropic7778]

thanks for doing this!

[@EZBOT_]

You're welcome!

[@TheGhettochamp]

to avoid that click, don't switch between a low pass and a highpass filter. Use a bandpass with different envelopes. @29:00

[@mokuik.6089]

Thx a lot for this Tutorial. One question. I want to produce Melodie Techno on syntakt. synthesis is a new chapter for me. How I get warm atmospheric Pads for my Track? Some tips?First idea I will test it with sy swarm. Pergament it will work. regards

[@zappa216]

thank you for the great tutorial! Is there a reason why you dont mix the track volumes from the AMP page but you use the track levels?

[@EZBOT_]

It’s the same parameter so it’s really just about convenience

[@zappa216]

@@EZBOT_ Yep its just for me when mixing the track live you dont need to remember the track level when you can just keep it at 100. Matter of preference ofc love your work man keep it up

[@Tapepusher]

@@zappa216charging the amp level would affect the sound of the filter and it’s overdrive since it happens before it in the chain, afaik.

[@mastaboog749]

I like the menu setup more on these elektrons than the model cycles/samples. While these are super in depth I feel like they are easier to navigate?

[@EZBOT_]

Yes I totally agree.

[@freejazzbone]

reminds one a bit of the Yamaha FB-01,

[@tomoyauesaka4604]

Please more ambient vid

[@orkunbagatur5055]

what are your thoughts about the new NINA synth ? Are you gonna review it ? :)

[@EZBOT_]

Honestly I’ve never heard of it

[@EZBOT_]

edit. I love it

[@orkunbagatur5055]

@@EZBOT_ definitely a dream synth indeed..

[@1UpBebop]

"There's not a compressor or limiter on the Syntakt right now." "on the Syntakt right now. "right now." 🤔🤔🤔

[@orkunbagatur5055]

huge man...... huge........ 🙏🙌🏻💎

[@EZBOT_]

Happy to help!

[@orkunbagatur5055]

@@EZBOT_ always man... 🙏

[@user-fk6im7gx3q]

Is Syntakt trumping Digitone and Digitakt. I can hear that this thing can do what DT and DN can do, yet all in one box. What do you think?

[@EZBOT_]

Definitely not the Digitakt but I could see it replacing the digitone for a lot productions

[@DarksowlMusic]

Elektron God!

[@EZBOT_]

Haha, thank you!

[@tiimm0002]

love your videos, thanks for sharing. really nice addition to the community but that beginning was quite stiff haha no hate, just a personal opinion 😅 all the best of happiness and health

[@theove1907]

Trying to redo the fake arp technique but even with no lfo set yet and filter all the way down I can still hear some sound coming through. Any ideas? thanks for the tutorial!

[@EZBOT_]

Change the depth of the env and the LFO depth

[@pierrefitch]

Wow cool thanks

[@mard8148]

Wow... This is... Its.. Uhm... I... Wow. Thank you very much!

[@EZBOT_]

No problemo!

[@microfx]

Haha great 1st April's fool! Nice one... Syntakt and ambient hahahaha

[@maikthomas]

It was going so well, then I completely broke everything playing with control all :(

[@EZBOT_]

It’s a dangerous game

[@el_dani]

Others pay 3000$ to go to the Ocean

[@EZBOT_]

😂

[@xtremesoundspresets]

Would increasing the attack reduce the click sound?

[@EZBOT_]

Sometimes, sometimes turning off amp env reset on page 2 works

[@PiotrstrashcanŚmietnikPiotra]

this is so cool but looks like it's super complicated to use..

[@nanotechreviews3064]

Don’t abuse your knob 😂

[@EZBOT_]

no promises!

[@el_dani]

your thumbnail looks like you got too close to a Sentry Drone in Metroid Prime

[@EZBOT_]

That’s awesome, I love Metroid

[@myreviewdotcom]

Cool!

[@myreviewdotcom]

I liked the first type of fake arpeggio...