Cooking Up Synth Recipes: Making a Digital Piano with SP404 MK2 Sound Generator (No Samples Needed)

One of the most underrated features in the SP404 MK2 since the 4.04 update is its new Sound Generator. While the workflow may be a little clunky, you can get some incredible sounds from within the SP404, no samples needed. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through my synth recipe to get a unique digital piano sound using sine, triangle, and pulse waves, along with some creative effects. For more synth recipes and an easy to navigate guide for all things SP404 Mk2 workflows, check out my SP404 MK2 Cheat Sheet

You can follow along and hear an example of this sound here:

Step 1: Setting Up the SP404 MK2 Sound Generator

To start, we need to set up the SP404 MKII Sound Generator. My approach involves using a combination of different waveforms:

1. Sine Wave: This will form the base of our sound.

2. Triangle Wave: This adds some harmonic content, giving a bit more texture to the tone.

3. Pulse Wave: This provides additional harmonic content, but we’ll keep its level low to avoid overpowering the other waves.

These three waveforms together will give us the basic tone, resembling the digital or FM piano sound we’re aiming for.

Step 2: Recording the Waves

First, we need to record each waveform. Here's how you can do it:

1. Select the Sine Wave: Start by pressing shift + rec setting to enter chromatic mode. Choose a sine wave and set it to C or a note of your choice.

2. Choose the Octave: I recommend recording two octaves up to give the sound a bit more brightness and clarity. Record the sine wave onto a pad on the SP404 MKII.

3. Repeat this process for the Triangle and Pulse Waves

Step 3: Merging the Sounds

Once you have all three waves recorded, it’s time to merge them into a single sample:

1. Use the Merge Sample Function: Press Shift + Resample to enter merge sample and choose the three pads. We’ll blend these three waveforms to create a more complex sound.

2. Adjust the Levels: Set the sine wave and triangle wave to 100%, and the pulse wave to around 20%. This balance ensures that the pulse wave adds just a touch of harmonic content without overwhelming the other two.

3. Record the Merged Sound: Hit the resample button, and record the merged sound onto a new pad.

Step 4: Applying Effects

Now that we have our basic sound, it’s time to sculpt it further using effects:

Sound Generator doesn't have a filter, so we'll need to add one with Bus 1

1. Add a Filter with Subtle LFO: Use the super filter with a subtle LFO to give the sound some movement. A good filter setting start point is 60 Cutoff, 30 Resonance, set to LPF. Hold down the value knob to sync the rate and depth, setting it to a slow rate (like 1:1). This will create a slow modulation, gently opening and closing the filter, which adds a bit of dynamic feel to the sound.

2. Apply Juno Chorus: To widen the sound and introduce some detune, apply the Juno chorus effect. Keep the wet signal low (around 9%) to subtly emulate the slight detuning and width that gives a digital piano its unique character.

3. Simulate Tape with Vinyl Sim: Add a touch of the 404 Vinyl Sim effect on bus 3. Turn off the noise and add some wow and flutter to replicate subtle pitch variation. With the last bus fx, experiment with fx like: Lofi, Crusher, Reverb Etc.

4. Resample the Sound: This will allow you to use the Bus fx for other things when you create a track in the SP with this sound.

Step 5: Fine-Tuning

With our sound crafted, we’ll make some final adjustments to polish it:

1. Adjust Envelopes: Go into the sample settings and tweak the hold and release to smooth out the attack and decay, making it more like a piano.

2. Clean Up the Sample: Truncate any excess length to clean up the sample and make it more manageable.

Step 6: Test in Chromatic Mode

Now that our digital piano sound is ready, switch to chromatic mode and start playing. If you want polyphony, or multiple notes at once, hit the Remain button until the setting on the screen changes to "Poly"

With that, you've created a lush piano-like sound all within SP404 MK2 Sound Generator. From there, you can tweak its sounds with additional effects, creating further layers or other waveform combinations. If you want to approximate the dynamics of piano or live instruments, shut of fixed velocity for the SP404's pads to enable different velocities in chromatic mode performance.

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If you're looking to get into the dawless world and learning how to make the most of your gear, email me for online lessons: sunwarpermusic@gmail.com  

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