Making Sounds With Ragnarök

About the Synth

Ragnarök is a VST synth if a custom made synthesizer from the eighties. The code is written in C++ code for high performance. The plugin is a collaboration between Hans Peter, for concept, graphics, user manual, and Björn Arlt for programming.

The synth features:

• 64 voices polyphony with portamento
• band-limited oscillator bank with multiple voices
• white noise generator
• multi-pole filter
• 2 envelopes
• LFO
• overdrive
• graphic equalizer
• double precision processing
• MIDI control
• customizable skins
• 32 and 64 bits versions for Windows

Project Settings

I set the tempo to 90 BPM, with 4/4 rhythm signature. I’m using C-minor scale.

Project Workflow

I started with programming the bass notes and synth, then created the mid range sound, then fx and finally the drums.

Using the Synth

I started each sound with the Initialize preset, then set up the oscillators, filters and envelopes. Finally I programmed overdrive and EQ.

Basses

For the first bass sound I used the notes F0, G#0, A#0, C0, D#1.

Settings:

• oscillator square, 8 + 4 + 2
• cutoff 50%
• filter LP 24 dB
• filter envelope zero for each
• volume envelope zero for each and 100% sustain
• overdrive 27% 

Notes for the second bass is C0 with eight notes.

Settings:

• oscillator square, 4
• cutoff 55%
• filter LP 24 dB
• filter envelope zero for each
• volume envelope zero for each and 20% decay
• overdrive 100%

Lead C3

I programmed the notes C, D# and D.

Settings:

• oscillator pulse, 8
• cutoff 100%
• filter LP 24 dB
• filter envelope zero for each
• volume envelope zero for each and 100% sustain

Effects:

• Ping Pong Delay, 1.5 kHz frequency, 2.89 bandwidth, 50% feedback, 50% dry wet
• EQ Eight, 200 Hz low cut, 2.2 kHz +3 dB shelving boost

Lead C5

I’m using the notes C5, C6 for this lead.

Settings:

• oscillator pulse, 8
• cutoff 100%
• filter LP 24 dB
• filter envelope zero for each
• volume envelope zero for each and 100% sustain
• portamento 33% for bending the pitch

Effects:

• Saturator, 15 dB drive, Hard curve, 10 base, 1 kHz frequency, 61% width, -4.5 depth, -17 dB out, 100% dry wet, color on
• Overdrive, 2.6 kHz frequency, 3.4 bandwith, 85% drive, 78% tone, 50% dynamics, 49% dry wet
• Ping Pong Delay, 1.9 kHz frequency, 3.4 bandwidth, 75% feedback, 37% dry wet 
• Utility, -3.8 dB volume

Pad C3

For the pad I used the notes F3, D#3, D3, C3, A#3, G#3 and G3.

I also used a Chord midi plugin with an added voice -12 semitones apart from the source.

Settings:

• oscillator pulse, 4
• cutoff 50%
• filter LP 18 dB
• filter envelope 40% attack, 50% decay, 35% sustain, 55% release
• volume envelope 50% attack, 50% decay, 100% sustain, 50% release
• overdrive 17%

Effects:

• Flanger, 24% dry wet, 1 ms delay time, 0.6 feedback, 100 Hz high pass
• Simple Delay, 4 left sync, 6 right sync, 24% feedback, 50% dry wet
• Compressor, -28 dB threshold, 2:1 ratio, attack default, release default
• Reverb, 100 size, 2.1 sec decay time, 2 dB reflect, 2 dB diffuse, 44% dry wet, high quality 

Tiny C3

I programmed the last mid synth sound with a square oscillator.

Settings:

• oscillator square, 2
• cutoff 55%
• filter LP 24 dB
• filter envelope zero for all
• volume envelope zero for all, except for 30% decay
• overdrive 100%

 Effects:

• Utility, +5 dB boost
• Reverb, 2.5 size, 2.8 sec decay time, 3.6 dB reflect, 2.7 dB diffuse, 33% dry wet, high quality 

Fx

This is a white noise with a tonal part.

Settings:

• oscillator noise and square 8, pulse, 16 and 8
• interval 16 and 8
• multi voice 16
• cutoff 25%
• filter LP 18 dB
• filter envelope zero for all, except for 50% decay and release
• volume envelope 0% attack, 0% decay, 100% sustain, 40% release
• overdrive 90%

Effects:

• Resonators, 50% dry wet
• Reverb, 1.4 size, 1.2 sec decay time, 2.1 dB reflect, 2.2 dB diffuse, 49% dry wet, high quality
• Overdrive, default settings, except for 11% dry wet

Drums

I used a kick loop for kicks and three top loops. For the top loops I removed the low end with EQ Three (the bass kill switch button).

Mixing

I created four groups for each category type. On the drums I put a Limiter to catch peaks. For bass I used sidechain Compression fed from the kick and cut the kick frequency with EQ. For mids and fx I removed the low end.

 Groups:

• drums: Limiter
• bass: Compressor, EQ Eight
• mids: EQ Eight
• fx: EQ Eight

Mastering

For finalising the track I checked mono compatibility with the Utility width set to 0% then changed back to 100%. After that I made a low cut at 40 Hz in the mids and a 250 Hz low cut in the sides (mid-side mode), then used a default Limiter to catch peaks.

I already mixed with high volume levels so I didn’t need to boost with the Limiter input level.

 Effects chain:

• Utility
• EQ Eight
• Limiter

Export

I used these setting for rendering the music:

• WAV file type
• 44100 Hz sample rate
• 24 bits bit depth
• Triangular dithering
• Normalize turned Off

Summary

In this tutorial I showed you how to create a song using only the Ragnarök VST plugin. I demonstrated the creation of several groups of instruments starting with bass and ending with drums. I recorded the MIDI notes using my two octave MIDI keyboard. I progressed step by step one layer at a time.

Ragnarök isn’t the most versatile synth, but it has a unique sound and you can use it quickly for everyday synth sounds like leads and basses.