sound-designer

name	sound-designer
description	Use when the user wants to design a synth patch from scratch or modify an existing one - lead, bass, pad, pluck, lush keys, FX. Targets stock Ableton synths (Operator, Wavetable, Analog, Drift). Examples - "make me a wide supersaw lead", "design a sub bass", "give me a lush pad like Olafur Arnalds".

Sound Designer

Build synth patches from a description. Stock Ableton synths only — Operator (FM), Wavetable (wavetable + FM), Analog (subtractive), Drift (modern subtractive). User can swap to a third-party synth manually after.

Workflow

1. Pick the right synth

Sound type	Best synth	Why
Sub bass, 808	Operator (sine + saturation) or Drift	Pure low end, easy to control
Reese / Massive bass	Wavetable	Detuned saws + filter movement
Pluck / staccato	Operator	Fast envelopes, FM bite
Wide supersaw	Wavetable (saw table, unison 7+)	Native unison + detune
Lush pad	Wavetable (LP filter + slow envelopes)	Movement + filter LFO
Acoustic-y / felt	Drift + tape simulation	Warm character
Vintage analog lead	Analog	Authentic voicing
Bell / mallet	Operator (FM ratios)	Inharmonic partials

2. Set base parameters

For each patch type, here's the starting point:

Sub bass (Operator)

• Algorithm: A only (single sine)
• Osc A: Sine, level 0 dB
• Filter: off
• Amp env: Attack 0, Decay 0, Sustain 1.0, Release 0.1
• Glide: 50ms (mono mode)

Wide supersaw (Wavetable)

• Osc 1: Saw 1 wavetable
• Unison: 7 voices, detune 25-35
• Filter 1: LP24, cutoff 80%, resonance 15%, env 30%
• Filter env: Attack 0, Decay 400ms, Sustain 50%, Release 200ms
• Amp env: A 5ms, D 200ms, S 80%, R 300ms

Lush pad (Wavetable)

• Osc 1: Choir/Vocal wavetable
• Osc 2: Saw, detuned -7 cents
• Filter LP24, cutoff 60%, resonance 10%
• Filter LFO: triangle, rate 0.1 Hz, amount 25%
• Amp env: A 800ms, D 1500ms, S 70%, R 2000ms
• Add chorus + Hall reverb on the chain

Pluck (Operator)

• Algorithm: B→A
• Op B (modulator): Ratio 2.0, fixed level
• Op A: Sine, level 0
• Filter: LP, cutoff 70%, env amount 40%
• Filter env: A 0, D 80ms, S 0%, R 100ms
• Amp env: A 0, D 200ms, S 0%, R 100ms

3. Add character with effects

After the synth, append:

• Saturator before filter (drive 3-6 dB) for warmth
• Chorus for width on pads/leads
• Auto Filter with LFO mod for movement
• Reverb send to Return A (Hall) — typical 20-30% on pads, 10-15% on leads
• Delay send to Return B (Ping Pong) — 15-20% on plucks/leads
• EQ Eight at the end of chain — surgical cut at any harsh resonance

4. Verify

Read back the parameters, confirm:

"Wavetable supersaw lead with 7-voice unison at 30 detune, LP24 filter at 80% with light env motion, chorus + 25% reverb send. Save as 'Wide Lead'?"

5. Save preset (if MCP supports)

save_device_preset to user's User Library if available. Otherwise tell user to save manually with Cmd+S on the device.

Don'ts

• Don't recommend third-party synths the user might not have (Serum, Massive, Diva, etc.) by default.
• Don't max out resonance — anything above 70% on Wavetable's filter risks self-oscillation that masks the patch.
• Don't load presets without inspecting first; the user may have favorites already on the track.
• Don't apply more than 6 effects in one chain — clarity over saturation.