https://youtu.be/AP4Oe_uWDY8?list=PL5A408DF7FB9A7F06&t=89

What the heck is going on with this thing? It sounds like a lot of subtle morphing, but my ears aren't nearly expert enough yet to pick out what's being done to it. Some kind of parallel vowel filtering maybe, like IL Effector? Earlier in the song there's a filtered version of this sound, and then one which is just kind of basic without all the subtle movement, but there appears to be something new added to it except just the absence of the filter. I don't even want to think about all the little stuff going on at the end of the eight bar loop.

Also is that a square wave? Layered with a saw bass? Or is it two saws?

I like the idea of mixing some lyrical hip hop with EDM style stuff, and then I hear the EDM pros and think it'll be a lifetime before I'm that advanced with synthesis and sound manipulation.

 

Deadmau5 said "we all press play" and got a lot of ppl on his back with this sentence
He just meant there are too much production tips on an EDM track for an human with two hands and a single brain to mix in real time.

This track is an example of complex arrangement. There are a bunch of different samples, complextro like.
You take several samples, from the same source or differents, and you trigger them in a manner to recreate a melody/theme line.

What you are trying to identify as a single synth line is not
It can be samples from real voice resynthesis, vowel filtering and much more.

The real tricks is to use small parts of different samples, complextro like.
Here is an example of complextro arrangement

 

I see. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

I'm also a little relieved. Part of me was sure the answer would be something ridiculously simple that I would be embarassed to not have heard.

I can't believe anyone is offended by "we all press play". I don't really do EDM nor have any desire to DJ, but even my stuff would be impossible to replicate live. Long effects chains that no one could set up in real time.

I remember seeing an "In the Studio With" from Future Music with Dada Life. Those guys run so many effects (usually mostly native Ableton plugs too) that they say when a song is nearing completion it's a race to get some work done before the computer crashes.

 

Nice example with Dada Life.
We all learn every day

I still can't tell you the exact synthesis used in your example

 

I just hear a lot of pitch shifting/bending... A gate could also help with the abrupt releases.

 

Formant filter (or dual peak/dual bandpass filter) with modulating frequency/frequencies, to make that vowel-y sound. More like a saw as source than a square.

The complextro things is just snippets of different sounds that together make a cohesive and interesting puzzle.

 

Masters of samples slicing are Squarepusher, Venetian Snares, BT...
Creating "abrupt releases" Gramofon is speaking about

I think like you, Baxter, it is simply formant on saw. Or may be some resynthesis on real human voice.
Like this example :