Lead Sculpting - Jens Johansson Lead

[Luca Capozzi]

Hi dudes,
Welcome to second part of Lead Sculpting. In this issue we will talk about Jens Johansson lead tone. We will analyse his sound, highlighting its core characteristing and trying to use them on our synthesizers.

DISCLAIMER:
The following material is not intended to be "How Jens made his sound", because only Jens knows. We are - however- going to analyse his sound in order to make our own using those core characteristics. All the following is mine interpretation of Jens lead sound. Feel free to criticise, blame and give your contribution.

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* Jens tone Lead *
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Check Jens lead tone here: Offsite link to Jens page. This is an excerpt from Heavy Machinery. Listen at 42s or 1:17

If you want to listen it better, check Jens jam over Alberto Rizzo Schettino Horizon.

Amazing, isn't?
Well, one of things that we can notice immediately is that each note seems "picked". This is because this lead, other then monophonic, is not legato. The difference between legato monophonic and Jens tone are due to Amplitude Envelope Triggering. When you use legato, the envelope is triggered first time you play a note and is not retriggered until you don't fully release the key. When you don't use legato, envelope is retriggered each time you play a note. This is also called staccato.

This tone lead is a monophonic staccato. It don't use any legato nor glide settings. Each note will retrigger the Amplitude Envelope which have a fast attack, a long decay, full sustain and no release.

Another thing we will notice immediately is that this lead use distortion. As far as I know, Jens used a Morley JD10 Guitar Amp Emulator which is a stompbox made by Morley and seems to be a very rare item to find.

Originally Posted by Chris Guitar Effects page

Original: http://www.chrisguitars.com/effects.html
Morley JD10 Jerry Donahue, extremely rare and very cool “Live/Recording Guitar Amp Emulator – Footswitchable Humbucker Emulator – Preamp Overdrive – EQ – Headphone Amp – and Line Driver”, okay that’s a very long name but suffice it to say this is a killer device that, among other things, can make your Strat or Tele sound like a humbucker guitar, LOADS of gain and produces loads of cream distortion, 3-band EQ, this thing has definitely been around but works perfectly and except for replaced treble knob, is all original, probably pretty rare as I’ve never seen another.

The use of a distortion pedal lead us to another important thing about lead sculpting.

You can dramatically improve your sound using waveshaping devices such as Overdrive, Distortions or any internal/external device that will morph your original sound to a brand new one.

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* Other Details *
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Jens' tone is very expressive. The attack sound varies because of a velocity controller applied to the filter cutoff. It is also possible to hear some variations in the harmonics even when a note is just sustaining. This is due to a detuned saw oscillator combined with a Pulse Oscillator with PWM, controlled by a slow LFO.
The most difficult thing to achieve is the fast vibrato that sometimes he uses. You can notice what I mean listening to end part of Jens Jam over Alberto Rizzo Schettino Horizon.

In the next page, we will try to achive a staccato tone lead using core characteristics we have learned so far. I can tell you that all you need are two oscillators, a couple of LFOs, an envelope and a distortion.

[BREAK]

I've thinked how to explain all following settings in a manner that almost everyone can replicate this lead on its keyboard. The choice is to use modular environment due to the fact that, in this way, we can break the sound from its basics and, then, the modular environment permits to use bricks that can be found on any subtractive synthesizer.

Let's go!

Here follows a breif check list of what we need to make this sound.

Check List

• #1 Pulse Oscillator
• #1 Saw Oscillator
• #1 resonant filter
• #1 assignable LFO
• #1 Amplitude Envelope
• a Chorus
• a Distortion

Don't worry if you don't have effects on your board. You can add them at the bottom end of chain, so you can use external outboards for that.

We have to fit in our mind that this sound seems to be originally made on a Korg Polysix. A Polysix let you choose only one waveform between a saw, a pulse with manual pulse width and a pulse with PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). At least you can add some presence using Unison assigning all six voices to one note bringing the board to be monophonic. A staccato monophonic. You can also have an inboard effect to choose between a soft chorus, a medium phaser and an heavy ensemble.

Now go into your synth Voice section (or Oscillator, Keymap or whatever is called where you can choose a waveform). Pick a Pulse oscillator.


Fig.1 - Click above to listen this Pulse waveform

If your synth permits you to choose pulse width, set it around 33%. If you don't have a pulse, search for a waveform which sounds like this one.

Now choose an LFO with a sine waveform, set its range around 0.10Hz (very slow) and assing it to Pulse PWM.


Fig.2 - Click above to listen Pulse PWM

If your synth don't have pulse width modulation, take a look to Gordon Reid's article about PWM and how to replicate it.

Now add another voice (or Layer) to your program and choose a Saw waveform.


Fig.3 - Click above to listen this detuned Saw waveform

Fine detune it by 3ct (cents of halftone). In this way the harmonic content of the resultant will change slowly, adding a flange like effect to the mix.
Now your algorithm should look like this:


Fig.4 - Click above to listen Pulse PWM and Saw mix.

Remember to save your work

Now is the time to filter those waveform. Go into your synth filter section and choose a Bandpass filter. I know that Korg Polysix only have a resonant 4 pole lowpass filter and its modulated by an envelope, but choosing a resonant 2 pole bandpass can give you a good tone without lot of complications.
Choose a CutOff around 130/200Hz and set, if you can, Velocity as modulator for CutOff. If you can't set it, choose an LFO as modulator. Use it very softly.


Fig.5 - Click above to listen filtered oscillators.

Now your patch is almost complete. You need to set the amplitude envelope so... go into your synth Envelope page and set it with a fast Attack, no Decay, full Sustain and no Release.


Fig.6 - Amplitude ADSR Envelope.

Save your patch. Now your algorithm should look like this:


Fig.7 - The Lead Patch without effects.

It sounds cool, but you need to add some effects so... go into your effects page and select a light Chorus and an Overdrive (or Distortion). Tweak them until you don't get a tone you like. Rember Jens' advise about soloing for equalization settings.


Fig.8 - The Lead Patch completed

Save your work and start playing.
Feel free to ask question and add some sound sample of your results.

Stay tuned,
Luca

[*MArk*]

Here MArk from naples...what a beautifoul topic i found here!!!
a little question ...
I've a Korg Dw 8000 and a Yamaha An1x i can do this lead sound with my synths?

I've tried whith the an1x...but theres two lfo...one (lfo2) is always a triangle...the lfo1 is assignable...but always set to a modulation wheel...

I can try with the dw?

[Luca Capozzi]

Hi Mark,
I'm pretty sure you can do that on your DW and i'm perplexed about the AN1X. I will check owner's manual of both synths.

Cheers,
Luca

p.s.:
You went from Naples - Italy?

[*MArk*]

I'm from Naples (Italy) Pizza, MAndolino, Spaghetti :P
Thanx Luca for Help me to find a right way to Jens Lead
I'm whaiting 4 U
Freiendly
MArk

[Luca Capozzi]

U? nu paisan Profondo sud anche qui eheheheh

Ciau,
Luca

[*MArk*]

Yeah Babe!

[*MArk*]

that's the specification:

Synthesis Type Subtractive
Oscillator Type Digital Waveform Generation Synthesis (DWGS)
Filter Type Digtally controlled analog low-pass, 12 dB per octave
Polyphony 8 voices
Polytimbrality Monotimbral
Oscillators 2 oscillators per voice, 16 DWGS waveforms
Envelopes 2 ADBSSR envelopes (filter, amplitude)
LFOs 1, four waveforms, can modulate filter or pitch
Effects Digital delay with modulation

The LFO...can modulate only the filter and the pitch...not PWM...i think that the pwm is not on this synth...

[Luca Capozzi]

You can just select a premade PWM waveform from DW rom or, if don't exists, you can emulate pwm. Just read Gordon Reid's article i've linked above.

Luca

[xelerad]

I'm new to synthesis and I tried to follow this article to see how Jens' lead is made, but I don't have any PWM option in my Triton Le. I read the article you mention to emulate, but after an hour getting no results I gave up, hehe.

Can someone explain the basics or give some advice to help me emulate this pwm on the Korg Triton LE? I'm so lost...

[Luca Capozzi]

Pick two sawtooth and detune one of them by -3. Assign an lfo to its pitch with a very low value so it can modulate it softly. You can also try using a square. Anyway, there are a PWM waveform on triton voice list.. you can try with it

Luca