u-he Diva: Making a Track from Scratch
Synth expert Thomas Cochran brings you comprehensive u-he Diva tutorials! See how to make a complete song from scratch, step-by-step using only u-he Diva and drum machine loops (Included along with the Diva presets, Ableton Live Session, and MIDI tracks used in the videos). This is a great way to see what Diva is capable of, while learning how to craft an electronic track from the ground up. This course is for those who are already familiar with Diva, but want to learn sound design and production techniques using it.
Setting The Foundation For The Track
• Intro & Song Play-Through (02:55) - In this first video, Thomas introduces the course and plays-though the song that he will be created using u-he's awesome Diva synthesizer.
• Main Chords (16:15) - Thomas starts off the track by creating a washed out keyboard patch that will be used as the basis for the whole song. This video also shows how simple chord progressions can be transposed to make interesting and unusual chord progressions.
• Drums Pt. 1 (10:54) - This video establishes the basic rhythm for the song using samples from a Roland CR-78 drum machine.
• Drums Pt. 2 (15:54) - To create variation in the drums in the song, Thomas shows how some Linn drum samples can be used to add additional rhythmic variation to the song, so the patterns don't sound too repetitive.
• Moog Bass (11:28) - Lean how to create a classic Moog inspired pluck bass sound in Diva, as well as how to create more interesting baselines by using rhythmic vacation.
Adding Additional Melodic Elements
• Additional Chords (10:45) - See how layering synthesizers can be used to make dynamic song structures. This synth patch also utilizes modulations commonly found on a lot of classic 80's synth patches.
• Additional Bass (11:20) - Watch how to take the concepts covered in the previous bass video and use them to make a funk inspired baseline. This bass will be used in the main chorus section of the track and also showcases how to create interesting baselines by wrapping the notes around the kick and snare patterns.
• Melodic Pad (10:08) - Thomas now shows you how to make a classic pad sound that will be used to fill out some of the empty space in the song. This patch can either be used as a pad or a lead sound depending on the arrangement of your song.
Synth Fill Elements
• Lead Synth (12:56) - Discover how to make a lead fill for the breakdown/pre course section of the song. This stacked sound utilizes oscillator layering and modulation to create a simple, yet dynamic, lead patch.
• Arp (11:38) - Learn how Diva can be used to create arpeggio patterns similar to what you would find on a modular synthesizer. Using the different voices as a step sequencer, Thomas makes a patch that works as an arpeggiator and a filter modulator simultaneously.
• Juno Bass Stab Bass (07:40) - This video teaches you how to make a Juno inspired bass stab. This patch will be used in the final chorus of the song.
Arrangment & Final Edits
• Arrangement (08:00) - This video shows you how to create the basic arrangement and song structure of the track.
• Fills Pt. 1 (10:06) - Thomas now shows you how to create some fills for the main chords and drum patches to provide the track with some additional variation. These fills take the basic arraignment created in the previous video and turns it into a full song project.
• Fills Pt. 2 (09:07) - To wrap up the course, Thomas shows you some additional fills and automation tricks that can be used on the track.