Serum Tutorial

Serum Explained®

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32 Videos | Length: 4hr 8min 54sec
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  • image description

    Intro (8:02)


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    Wavetable Oscillators (6:31)


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    Unison Settings (3:27)


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    Wavetable Position (3:28)


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    Phase Knob (4:54)


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    Pan & Level (2:35)


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    Warp Menu Modes Pt. 1 (8:49)


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    Warp Menu Modes Pt. 2 (6:39)


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    Sub Harmonic Oscillator (7:32)


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    Noise Oscillator (10:54)


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    Filter Module Pt. 1 (6:18)


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    Filter Module Pt. 2 (5:50)


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    Effects Pt. 1 (9:24)


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    Effects Pt. 2 (11:04)


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    Modulation Routing (9:51)


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    Mod Matrix Window Pt. 1 (5:31)


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    Mod Matrix Window Pt. 2 (6:54)


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    Envelopes Pt. 1 (7:51)


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    Envelopes Pt. 2 (6:08)


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    LFOs Pt. 1 (8:47)


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    LFOs Pt. 2 (5:54)


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    Voicing & Portamento (9:22)


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    Global Page Settings Pt. 1 (6:04)


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    Global Page Settings Pt. 2 (10:09)


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    Chaos + Misc. Mod Sources (9:54)


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    Wavetable Editor (11:21)


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    Macros (9:31)


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    Putting It All Together: Preset 1 (8:58)


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    Putting It All Together: Preset 2 (8:27)


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    Putting It All Together: Preset 3 (9:17)


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    Putting It All Together: Preset 4 (10:21)


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    Putting It All Together: Preset 5 (9:07)


Xfer Records' groundbreaking virtual synth plug-in Serum sets the bar incredibly high for wavetable synthesis. Studio / producer guru Kenny Gioia injects total Serum knowledge directly into your brain in this meticulous and complete series, making it the most comprehensive exploration into Serum available!

Kenny starts by introducing you to Serum and taking you through its Oscillators and Unison Settings. After exploring Wavetable Positions, the Phase, Pan, and Level Controls, Kenny digs into the Warp Menu Modes, the Sub-Harmonic and Noise Oscillators.

Next, Kenny discusses the Filter Module, Effects, Modulation Options, and Mid Matrix Window. That leads into the Envelopes, LFOs, Voicing, and Portamento Options. After detailing the Global Page Settings, Kenny teaches you about Chaos and other Miscellaneous Modulation Sources, the Wavetable Editor, and how to use Macros in Serum. Finally, Kenny puts it all together by taking some popular Preset Sounds and Deconstructing them and Rebuilding them from the ground up.

Whether you already own Serum and want to take a higher dose, or are a new user looking for your first hit of one of the most unique virtual instruments available, get "Serum Explained" today!

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Reviews

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BrunoJustino
Submitted 1 month ago

Great work

Awesome series. I can do anything I want on serum now thanks to this course.

I am a: Beginner, Student, Hobbyist, Semi-Pro, Musician, Producer, Beat Maker, Audio Engineer, Sound Designer, Sound for Film/TV, FL Studio, Reaper

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andreguimaraes10
Submitted 6 months ago

Very complete course

Great course. I'm learning a lot.

I am a: Beginner, Student, Producer, Ableton Live

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Banana_Furzmann
Submitted 7 months ago

Excellent as always

Although Kenny has some kind of strange pronunciation he is an excellent tutor. And once you get used to his phrasing it is even helping to understand things better. In this video series he is covering all there is to know about serum. Great!

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evo108
Submitted 8 months ago

Good...but...why...does...he...talk...like...this?

Solid tutorial, but the way he talks is distracting. Reminds me of the kid in Malcom in the Middle.

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jroode
Submitted 9 months ago

Excellent

Kenny is very good at explaining and showing examples of what he is talking about. He is also pleasant to listen to. I always enjoy his videos.

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zebraengine
Submitted 9 months ago

Great way to get the lay of the land!

This has been helpful in breaking down all the different capabilities of Serum.

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mihoo3d
Submitted 10 months ago

Must see for every begginers in Serum!

Now I know what every knob does and I tweak sound not so random.

I am a: Student, Musician, Sound Designer, Game Designer, Sound for Film/TV, Pro Tools, Reason, Reaper

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Rederick
Submitted 10 months ago

Very very useful tutorial

The instructor is very knowledgeable and easy to follow.

I am a: Hobbyist, Musician, Ableton Live

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Ekindr
Submitted 1 year ago

?

This is a very comprehensive and detailed explaination... But? Every sentence? Is? Ending? with? a? Question Mark? this is very disturbing for my ears. great resource BTW...

I am a: Professional, Musician, Producer, Beat Maker, Sound Designer, Ableton Live, Cubase

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iLL WiLL
Submitted 1 year ago

Well Done!

This is how an "Explained" series should be done.

I am a: Semi-Pro, Musician, Producer, Sound Designer, Ableton Live, Cubase, Pro Tools, Reason

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image description
Kenny Gioia

1. When did you start dabbling in music?

I've played an instrument since I was 10. Drums and Trumpet. I'm 40 now. I can play a little bit of any instrument. Master of none. Rock bands most of my life.

2. What training have you had?

I was taught trumpet classically from grade school up until I graduated high school. I went to Five Towns College for engineering and learned that you can't just learn this stuff from school. I did graduate though.

3. When did you get into recording?

I've been recording since I was 15. Two cassette players wired to a Radio Shack mixer. Eventually I got an 8 track reel to reel by Fostex. I've used just about every DAW and I started using them before they even recorded audio. Vision and Performer were just MIDI sequencers at the time. Before they became Studio Vision and Digital Performer. I got studio jobs because I knew computer MIDI and most studios didn't. I eventually moved up to Sound Tools which was two track. Then Pro Tools made a Audio Media III card which let you have 4 inputs. Gradually I moved up from there with Pro Tools D24, Pro Tools Mix to HD.

4. People you have worked with/for?

Marcy Playground
Mandy Moore
LFO
Willa Ford
Lee Ann Womack
Paulina Rubio
Hall & Oates
Bayside
Head Automatica
Cute is What We Aim For
FTSK
and many more...

5. Why are you so good at training people?

Hmmm. My Mom always said "Self Praise Stinks". I think it's because I have no ability to talk like a professional announcer, or plan out my teachings. So I teach as if you were sitting next to me. Pretty much off the cuff. I think that engages people more. We're so used to hearing everything done so properly and planned out with unnecessary explanations and proper wording that the brain will actually ignore most of it. Your brain tunes it out like you're back at your desk at school. But if the teacher grabbed you aside and just explained it to you, I believe you'd get more out of it. That is what I try to do.

Products by Kenny

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    tutorial video

    Compressors Explained

    Kenny Gioia is back, this time giving you the history and application of all the famous Compressors ever made, as well as their modern day plug-in equivalents! Now you’ll know exactly what Compressor to pick for your tracks and how to use them. This series is long overdue!

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    tutorial video

    Delay Explained

    The Delay effect is one of the oldest effects to be used on recordings, and there are many different types and ways to apply it. Multi-Platinum mixer / producer extraordinaire Kenny Gioia returns with a must have series for anyone recording, mixing, engineering or producing music. See how delay can be used to make tracks bigger, wider and just cooler! Learn the important fundamentals and advanced techniques of delay, and you'll find yourself using delay smarter and more creatively.

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    tutorial video

    Eventide UltraChannel Explained

    Multi-Platinum Engineer / Mixer Kenny Gioia brings you the definitive series on Eventide's amazing UltraChannel Strip plug-in. Follow along with Kenny as he breaks down all the Features and Functions while showing you What the Plug-In Can Do on Different Sources. He also reveals all the Effects, so you'll know just what to do with them on Your Songs and Productions.

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    tutorial video

    First Song with REAPER

    Platinum producer / engineer Kenny Gioia takes you step by step on how to make your first song in Cockos REAPER. From nothing to something awesome, Kenny gets you going with REAPER easily and quickly. You also get the Reaper session and audio files that Kenny uses, so you can follow along.

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    tutorial video

    Mixing 101 - Mix Session from Hell

    Platinum producer / engineer Kenny Gioia now reveals a day in the life of a mix engineer, mixing a song from beginning to end, and how to handle all the common problems you'll encounter on your way to that perfect mix. You even get the session files so you can mix along in your DAW and see and hear the results in real-time!

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Serum Explained® is rated 4.7 out of 5 by 36 .
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Great work Awesome series. I can do anything I want on serum now thanks to this course.
Date published: 2018-09-02
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very complete course Great course. I'm learning a lot.
Date published: 2018-04-29
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Excellent as always Although Kenny has some kind of strange pronunciation he is an excellent tutor. And once you get used to his phrasing it is even helping to understand things better. In this video series he is covering all there is to know about serum. Great!
Date published: 2018-03-23
Rated 2.5 out of 5 by from Good...but...why...does...he...talk...like...this? Solid tutorial, but the way he talks is distracting. Reminds me of the kid in Malcom in the Middle.
Date published: 2018-03-03
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Excellent Kenny is very good at explaining and showing examples of what he is talking about. He is also pleasant to listen to. I always enjoy his videos.
Date published: 2018-01-15
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from Great way to get the lay of the land! This has been helpful in breaking down all the different capabilities of Serum.
Date published: 2018-01-09
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Must see for every begginers in Serum! Now I know what every knob does and I tweak sound not so random.
Date published: 2017-12-27
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very very useful tutorial The instructor is very knowledgeable and easy to follow.
Date published: 2017-12-25
Rated 3.5 out of 5 by from ? This is a very comprehensive and detailed explaination... But? Every sentence? Is? Ending? with? a? Question Mark? this is very disturbing for my ears. great resource BTW...
Date published: 2017-09-19
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Well Done! This is how an "Explained" series should be done.
Date published: 2017-08-21
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Thorough and Clear I bought Serum knowing that this tutorial was going to be here so my first toe in the water after trying a few presets was to watch "Serum Explained" while I followed along. The pacing and clarity and completeness of this tutorial series is nothing short of stelar. I started knowing absolutely nothing and now feel I can both edit the factory patches and create my own from scratch. This isn't my first rodeo, but it is my first time playing in this particular arena. Bottom line, I feel like I've been using Serum for years and feel competent and confident using it. Fantastic job!
Date published: 2017-08-07
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Thorough Explanation as always Great explanations, my crisicism is I wish the instructor give us a deeper understanding of why you would want to use certain warp mode functions among other aspects of the synth. I would like to see better explanation of application of the features in this synth
Date published: 2017-08-01
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Fantastic and helpful! Loved it - to the point - went over everything great.
Date published: 2017-07-26
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from very helpful helpful
Date published: 2017-07-14
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Internalize Serum Before You Terrorize With It Awesome ground-up look into every facet of Serum. A great place to start when learning the interface of the plugin and college course worthy concepts of synthesis and sound design itself. I watched the entire series before really putting my hands on Serum and it really helped me fundamentally understand what I was doing once I actually did put my hands on it. This series drastically improved the quality of what I was able to create as well as my speed of creating it. This is Drivers Ed for Serum!
Date published: 2017-07-08
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from very helpful great insight
Date published: 2017-07-08
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Covers it all very complete, picked up a few things i did not know and had not seen in other video's.
Date published: 2017-07-04
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Extremely helpful! I've struggled with trying to find presets to best suit my needs in the past. After watching this, I've learnt how to change sounds according to my needs! Hands down the best tutorial on serum out there!
Date published: 2017-06-25
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very thorough Very detailed without being too technical. Much better than any tutorials for Serum I've seen yet.
Date published: 2017-06-06
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from Very helpful Learn different things which I didn't knew.
Date published: 2017-05-28
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Steady, Informative, and Easy to Follow! He's patient. Which isn't often found in tutorial videos by professionals as they have a tendency to skip critical points. That being said, the pace isn't so slow that you lose interest. The videos are well-balanced and informative. Bravo!
Date published: 2017-05-25
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from Very clear and useful Very clear (maybe sometime even too much :-)) explanation with lot of details on how to use Serum with practical examples (at the end of the course). If you are not an English native maybe it could be hard, at the beginning, to follow each word from the teacher, because he has a "strange" accent, but anyway he is very good to explain and show on the screen how to do what is explaining. He tend to explain and show twice the same concept, so you cannot get it wrong! Very helpful! P.S.: Audio quality is not perfect, with square waveform you can hear some annoying aliasing effect.
Date published: 2017-05-23
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very Helpful Very helpful in explaining how Serum works
Date published: 2017-05-10
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Learned so much! This has helped me out a lot! Now I can go ahead, and create my own signature presets.
Date published: 2017-05-10
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from Complete Serum Course This one's for people that don't know about Serum at all and those who know about it but want to tweak it like a pro. Decent tutorial.
Date published: 2017-05-04
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from love the guys accent Really good tutorial
Date published: 2017-05-03
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Amazing! In-depth, very clear explanation of the plug-in. Helpful to gain complete understanding of the software. Enjoying listening, watching, learning and testing out during each video. Just brilliant!
Date published: 2017-04-24
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Simple, organized and to the point Simple, organized and to the point
Date published: 2017-04-09
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Helpful walkthrough of all features, but poor delivery. If you need a buddy to walk you through every feature in a dry, monotone voice, this is your tutorial. I think a previous reviewer mentioned how his voice gets annoying after a bit, and I agree. Seriously though. It is helpful because the manual is a bit lacking and stepping through every single feature on your own is simply a bit boring and time consuming. Not to mention it is easy to get lost and sidetracked. This series does this in a structured, systematic way with some additional explanations.
Date published: 2017-03-19
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from nice Liked the voice of the tutor
Date published: 2017-03-15
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Serum explained in detail! Like the title suggest, this tutorial will explain every feature of Serum. Easy to follow and nice structure of the videos. Bought my Groov3e subscribtion because of this tutorial and I will most certainly renew the subscription. I did not feel that the narrator's tone bothered me (since it is a tech-info vid not anything creative). Good job Groove3!
Date published: 2017-02-01
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Excellent tutorial by a master presenter Kenny's tutorials are clear and concise and tell you just what you want to know. This one covers Serum in such detail that you'll master the synth by the end of the course. Highly recommended.
Date published: 2017-01-31
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Great run through Great tutorial on Serum. Right to the point and definitely gave me a wider understanding of Serum and how to use it. And while I am not a Serum master at least it doesn't look like a bunch of gobbledygook to me anymore. Great stuff thanks.
Date published: 2016-10-03
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Very clear and straightforward This is an excellent overview of Serum for someone getting started with it or needing a refresher. The narrator is not anything exciting. In fact, he's reading straight from his notes, obviously, and his emphasis on the wrong words from time to time indicates that he's not a very skilled read-aloud person. But that doesn't really get in the way of the content. I still found it very useful.
Date published: 2016-09-11
Rated 3.0 out of 5 by from Accurate technical info, awful presentation I had to give up after the first 20 minutes of this tutorial. While the information seems accurate and useful, the presenter's voice just got on my nerves so quickly and thoroughly that I couldn't continue. He constantly pauses in mid sentence for no reason (almost sounds like bad audio editing), and he ends his sentences in a rising tone as if every single thing he says is a question. It sounds like this: Serum is a synthesizer that... uses wavetables to... play music? Like over here? If you... turn this knob... slightly? You can hear... the change in audio? Like over here? And over here? You can... adjust the timing so that... it will sound good?
Date published: 2016-08-23
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