almost forgot these absolute masterclass presets


you could also dive into serum 2's SFZ option in combination with converting free soundfonts into SFZ for more option that isnt strictly wavetable and spectral.

 

Also the new Sampler oscillator for regular wave samples instead of prepared wavetables.

Another tip about Presets. Each preset carries it's own Quality setting. Every time you select a new preset, it changes the global Quality setting to whatever is saved as part of the preset. If you do not want Serum at top level quality settings, when you are just writing parts and not rendering yet; go to Global menu. Change the Quality setting to the one you want to keep, and then hit the lock button.

Every "preset creator" is going to want you hearing their presets at top quality setting, and is not worried about your CPU usage at all. If you do not lock it where you want, you will not have control over this.

 

That´s what we talking about. We come closer. But not close enough.
Thank you genophyte. Tried this soundbank and a few free sfz Samples.
It´s pretty cool, that you can use all SFZ Samples with Serum.
Luckily i found this video, how to open SFZ Files:

I also found this Soundbank, where the Sound comes very close, to what i want:

BUT:
It´s still not the sound i´m hunting for, and my ears starts to hurt after 30 Minutes.
I really don´t know why.
There is something in Serum, my ears dont like.
I also miss that "Earcandy"
When i open the Filters, the sounds become very "Washed out" There is nothing "Dirty" or "Gritty" anymore.

Best Example i can give you is this video, from the Genious Bitwig God PolarityMusic: (PLEASE VOLUME DOWN!)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/endWFYljOO8

Do you hear the sounds, when it becomes slower at the end?
Don´t know how to describe. But my ears and my mind loves it. And my ears dont bleed after that, even this sequence is super chaos ^^

I also found this one today one reddit, and i super like it:

I´m very impressed from this (I don´t want to advertise Bitwig here, though i really love it)

So For my Ears, i really miss certain frequencies (Earcandys) in Serum2, also my ears starts to hurt after some time.
This definitly leads me to other Synths.

I really tried

EDIT:
More Examples i found on Youtube from the sound i like and which sounds pleasant to me:

BTW: I found this patch here and played it already in BW. It really sounds that nice
https://bitwig.community/preset-grid_-_steyoyoke_lead_01

Okay, it starts to become Bitwig Advertising :D

 

Last edited: Oct 2, 2025

Do you suffer when hearing a fork on a plate ?
Or similar sounds ?

Because what i hear on those examples is filtered out sound. It can be "gritty", but there is almost nothing above high mids.
Like a lot of "house" tracks.

I seen ppl (even my own mother) with some hearing loss on some frequencies AND hyper acusis on some other frequencies.
She couldn't stand forks hitting plates, as an example.

If so, just find a filter you love

 

Hey
No, luckily not. But certain frequencies can trigger my Tinitus.
Have it more than 10 years

 

A comprehensive hearing test at an audiologist will produce a measurement, and the doctor can explain the results to you. Then you'll know exactly whether you need a hearing aid and which frequencies you can no longer hear at all.

 

It is really hard to find an hearing aid precise enough.
Most are simple EQ curves, this is not enough at all.

It is time to make hearing aids with multiband/dynamic EQ (not a joke).

Example : someone is sensible to 3.5khz, cut it ... can't hear voice articulation anymore.
Same with volume : you need to push volume to help ... ppl become even more def.

It is not a simple subject.

@Swatch : so you need mellow analog sounds with attitude ?
try ImpOSCar

 

If I feel uncomfortable with a VSTi, for example Vengeance - Avenger. I made three sound banks back then, that was in 2017.
www.kvraudio.com/product/the-e-lec-tro-art-by-sonic-sirius
www.kvraudio.com/product/the-new-wave-expansion-by-sonic-sirius
www.kvraudio.com/product/the-energy-expansion-by-sonic-sirius

Everything was fine, but in 2024, my hearing deteriorated again. I was missing 15-30% of the highs. I then use an EQ from FabFilter and reduce the high ranges by 1-3 dB, so I can continue using the Avenger. I bought the Avenger and invested a lot of time creating presets.

I have a hearing aid that uses batteries to amplify the frequencies I barely hear. Sibilant sounds like "s" or "ß" when someone speaks are difficult to understand. With both hearing aids behind my ear, I can understand them. Some frequencies are completely lost and never come back. Making music on the computer with a hearing aid is completely impossible.

 

Thank you

my ears fine, except the Tinitus.
I think my last test was 2 or 3 years ago.
All fine.

But i get headache from noise. For Example from fans, or spinning Harddisks.
In summer, when all the people use Clima, Ventilators etc ^^

Thank you for the imposcar Tip Will keep it in mind.

The VST which could replace Serum2 for my needs would be Diva. I´m listening to some Youtube Videos and it sounds brilliant, but not harsh.
Really like the sounds.

But for me, i really want i limit myself, not using more and more VSTs.

 

f it's very stressful for you, you can also use a tinnitus masker. These can mask the tinnitus with a noise. There are also CD-ROMs you can listen to through headphones if you can't fall asleep. I've had tinnitus in one ear since I was a teenager (acoustic trauma from New Year's Eve) and have come to terms with it. I usually don't even hear it anymore. I just don't think about it and don't overthink it.

Tinnitus Masker und Relief App --> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.BurotecLimited.TinnitusMasker&hl=de

 

I get the OP's frustration. I'm working on a new preset pack for Serum 2 these days and it's kind of hard nailing "warm" sounds. Fine tuning the filters helps, as is using 3rd party wavetables. Here's a little track with 8 of those presets. I used no effects/eq on the intruments' tracks, only eq, compression and limiter on the master bus.

 

Buddy I have a lot of ,, what have I done" plugins. Buying a plugin is one way direction... Forget about it Make music.

 

aaah guys, Thank you for your kind words
Also thank you for sharing your experiences! Means a lot to me.

@Wile E. , i listened to your Song. I like the atmosphere and 80s Vibes. But it´s exactly what you and i mean. The sounds are a bit flat and cold. Not so much character.
Today i played a bit around with DIVA. And holy moly what a Difference. I would guess, when you would remake your Song with DIVA, it would sound a lot warmer and more "analogue".


Sure there are also "Better" VSTs for this 80s "Cyberpunk" or Bladerunner Music ( I don´t know the genre exactly ^^) For example i was in the Studio today with my friend and he has the Legend HZ. It´s a Beast of a analog sounding VST. But that´s already too genre-specific to me.
DIVA would be the All in One Solution i would switch with Serum2 now

Also Tommy.G. is right. I bought it, i supported Steve and i still can see what i will do with it. But for now, i focus on other things

 

Its over rated as usual. Not that its bad but its digital and along side that the gui is average. worth buying but its not anything special. /

 

Serum Alternative: U-HE - Zebra 2 https://u-he.com/products/zebra-legacy - 99 €

 

I miss that old times. I used Zebra1 many many years ago

 

Serum is a wavetable synthesizer. Its main use case is bass-oriented music — dubstep, drum & bass, EDM. It’s not a virtual analog synth with a warm, organic tone. It’s not a Moog, and it’s not Sylenth1 — they serve completely different purposes.

In their use cases, Serum will always come up short. Its filters are downright ugly, the envelopes behave weirdly, and there are all sorts of unwanted clicks and artifacts.

Serum isn’t meant for warm analog leads or lush pads — it shines in its own niche. But no one ever claimed it was an all-rounder.

 

if anything just put a filter on serum via bus/fx , and try to not use serums noise cell if possible.
i had the same issues with ni massive until i just started slapping a filter on top of it and dialing it in to taste.

at least you didnt buy a tone2 vsti because those things aside from firebird sound shiny no matter what you do

 

Tone2 use psychoacoustic tricks on ALL their plugins ... even their "mastering" one.
It totally kills transients, bass impact, stereo image and more.

They sound "lush" because they sound "phasy" due to psychoacoustic tricks.
And of course, you can't disable it because everyone would see they have NOTHING special apart that.

Fun fact : when Tone2 got caught by me and few other ppl ... they simply created :
https://www.tone2.com/akustix.html

So they didn't answered this simple question : "do you use hard coded pyscho acoustic tricks on all of your synths and effects ?"
They simply created a plugin telling us it is based on psycho acoustic tricks.
That's why it is called "Akustix".

Basically, they trolled us and their PAYING clients.