Virtual instruments and synth sound design at Tonstudio Leipzig for sonic worlds of your own.
Your own synth sound. Virtual instruments at Tonstudio Leipzig.
Factory presets sound good, but often familiar too. If you want to become more distinctive sonically, you need sounds that suit you. At Tonstudio Leipzig I build virtual instruments, custom synth patches and sound banks with the u-he family, Native Instruments Komplete and my Komplete Kontrol S61 N.
The u-he family
Diva, Hive 2, the complete Zebra package
NI Komplete 13
Massive, Reaktor, FM8, Absynth, Battery
Komplete Kontrol S61 N
my own hardware on site at the studio
over 220 licences
for effect and mixing presets as well
Factory presets sound like everyone else. whether it is u-he Diva, NI Komplete or a hardware synth.
The synth market is flooded with ready made sound banks. Manufacturer banks from u-he and Native Instruments, Splice, Loopcloud, ADSR Sounds. Hundreds of commercial patch banks are available. These banks are often well programmed technically, but they have one drawback: every other producer and composer has them too. If you use a popular u-he Diva bank, your pad sounds like the pad standard of many pop productions. If you use an NI Massive factory bank for your drop, the drop sounds like the drops of a thousand other producers. For many producers that is fine, but if you want to stand out sonically, you need sounds nobody else has. Programming your own synth sounds is the answer: your own sonic identity, programmed for your tracks, your live shows or your film scoring.
I offer synth sound design as a service in its own right at Tonstudio Leipzig. It is clearly separate from sampling, where real instruments are recorded and made playable digitally. This is about new sonic worlds built from synthesis, filters, envelopes, LFOs, modulation, effects and musical decisions. My setup for it is deliberately focused: the u-he family with Diva, Hive 2, Zebra 2, Dark Zebra HZ and Zebralette for vintage sounds, modern productions and cinematic sounds, Native Instruments Komplete 13 with over 100 instruments including Massive, Reaktor, FM8, Absynth, Battery, Monark and Razor, Kontakt 6 with KSP scripting for complex hybrid instruments, and the Komplete Kontrol S61 N as the playable control centre at the studio. software based drum soundsYou find the complete plugin inventory on the equipment page.
I offer 3 routes depending on the scope and the goal. A synth patch collection as a start: 10 to 30 individually programmed patches for your specific workflow. A custom sound bank as the most popular option: 50 to 100 patches in a consistent sonic concept for one particular platform. A hybrid instrument or a sound bank to sell: a complex performance tool with several layers of synthesis in Kontakt 6 with KSP scripting, or a sellable sound bank with complete preparation for release. Bringing your own hardware is possible by arrangement. As a complement: effect and mixing presets built from the inventory of 172 plugins with more than 220 active licences, so that you get not only synth patches but tailored reverb, compressor and vocal chain templates too. A link to the sampling page: if you want to digitise an acoustic instrument of your own, that is the job of the separate sampling and sound libraries service. With hybrid instruments in Kontakt 6, both worlds can be used hand in hand.
Six setups where custom synth programming at the studio is regularly asked for.
Synth sound design projects come in different shapes, from a single cinematic pad in u-he Dark Zebra HZ to a commercial sound bank release. Here are six situations that come up regularly.
A u-he specialist
Custom patches in Diva, Hive 2 and the Zebra family
The u-he family is professional in sound and fully available at the studio. u-he Diva as a faithfully analogue professional synth for vintage sounds with real analogue warmth: ideal for synthwave productions, singer-songwriter arrangements with character or organically warm pop patches. u-he Hive 2 as a modern polysynth with a clear interface and a fast workflow: ideal for modern pop and electronic productions with a contemporary sound. u-he Zebra 2 as the legendary modular synth with a wavetable engine: flexible for experimental sound design and complex sonic architectures. u-he Dark Zebra HZ as the special Hans Zimmer edition with cinematic modulation structures: exactly the tool Hans Zimmer used for film scores such as Inception and Interstellar. u-he Zebralette as a wavetable playground for simple but effective sounds.
NI Komplete 13
Sound banks for Massive, Reaktor, FM8 and Absynth
Native Instruments Komplete 13 contains over a hundred software instruments and is available at the studio with all its engines. The programming focuses: Massive and Massive X for aggressive bass sounds, modern wavetable leads and experimental sonic worlds. Reaktor for individually built synthesizer constructions, where entirely custom synthesizer structures can be built in Reaktor where needed. FM8 for FM synthesis with the classic DX7 character. Absynth for complex evolving pad sounds and cinematic atmospheres. Battery for drum sound programming. Monark as a Minimoog emulation for classic analogue lead sounds. Razor for additive synthesis with unusual sonic textures. Form, Rounds, Kontour and Prism as specialist synthesizers for experimental sound design tasks.
Komplete Kontrol S61 N
Genuinely analogue playable setups right at the studio
The Komplete Kontrol S61 N is available right at the studio as a legendary synth classic, a programming source that software emulations can only approximate. Real analogue sound with all the sonic quirks of an analogue circuit: warm filter resonances, a slight drift in pitch that gives a lively character, characteristic distortion on hard playing, organic responses to modulation. Custom patches are programmed directly on the hardware, stored permanently in the internal memory or exported as a SysEx file for your own backup. Where you want it, the synth patches can then be sampled and made available as a playable sample library in a sampler format for your own DAW, which is the bridge to the sampling service. Sensible for producers who want genuine analogue character, film composers who need vintage sounds, and singer-songwriters who want warm synth layers.
Bring your own hardware
On site programming of your own analogue hardware
Do you have a hardware synthesizer of your own and want custom patches programmed, but do not want to do the programming yourself, or are looking for musical sound design advice? Simply bring your instrument to the studio. A Moog Subsequent or Matriarch, a Roland Juno or Jupiter, a Korg Minilogue or Prologue, a Sequential Komplete Kontrol S61 N 5 or 6, a Behringer DeepMind or Pro-1, an Arturia MicroBrute or MatrixBrute, your own hardware, or any other analogue or digital hardware synth. The workflow: you tell me about the sounds you have in mind, I programme on the instrument, you listen along directly, give feedback, and I adjust the sound with you until the result is right. Patches are stored permanently in the hardware memory or exported as a SysEx backup to a USB stick. With modern synths that can be connected digitally, a remote workflow through SysEx file exchange is possible too.
A hybrid in Kontakt 6
Complex multi engine instruments with KSP scripting
Native Instruments Kontakt 6 is the hybrid platform for complex instrument constructions that need more than pure synthesis: custom GUI elements, performance logic, modulation controls, velocity crossfades, round robin scripts. With KSP (the Kontakt Script Processor) the extended programming possibilities are used for hybrid instruments that combine several layers of synthesis and, where applicable, sample components. If you already have your own samples from an earlier sampling project (say your own piano digitised), those samples can be used as layer material. The studio piano that is over 100 years old can serve as a source for sample layers too: individual attack samples of the vintage piano placed quietly under a synthetic pad sound for organic character. Sensible for elaborate performance tools, commercial sound banks in Kontakt format or hybrid instruments with a sound design logic of their own.
Selling a sound bank
Offering your own sound bank commercially as an indie producer
You already have a producing ear, you know what is missing in the synth market, and you want to sell sound banks of your own to other producers and composers. That is a growing indie market: many sound designers earn substantial income from sound bank sales on platforms such as Splice, Loopcloud, ADSR Sounds, Bandcamp or their own websites. The workflow: developing the concept together (which platform to serve, which niche is missing in the market, which genre conventions are relevant), programming the patches within a consistent sonic concept, cover design through the complementary CD cover and vinyl cover production service, demo track production with the finished bank, writing the description, platform recommendations for the sales launch. Complete preparation for release is part of the sound bank to sell package.
Three packages
Three packages from a patch collection to a complete sound bank to sell.
I offer 3 routes depending on the scope and the goal. I cost all the packages individually on enquiry. Synth sound design projects are too individual to standardise in the shop. For a patch collection a simple email or WhatsApp enquiry is enough, while for a custom sound bank and a hybrid instrument to sell the paid initial consultation makes sense.
A synth patch collection
10 to 30 individual patches for your workflow
The way into custom synth programming. A compact collection of 10 to 30 individually programmed patches on a platform of your choice: u-he Diva for vintage analogue, u-he Hive 2 for modern polysynth sounds, the u-he Zebra family including Dark Zebra HZ for cinematic work, NI Komplete 13 with Massive, Reaktor or Absynth, Kontakt 6 for hybrid constructions, or the Komplete Kontrol S61 N for genuinely analogue playable setups. Tailored conceptually to your current style or your next specific project. Sensible during an album production, for particular genre needs (a synthwave collection, a trap bass collection, a cinematic pad collection), or for film score projects with a specific sonic need. By a short email or WhatsApp enquiry: describe the platform you want, your style and, if you have them, 1 to 3 reference tracks.
A custom sound bank
50 to 100 patches within a consistent sonic concept
The most popular option. A complete sound bank with 50 to 100 patches within a consistent sonic concept for one particular synth platform, like a curated factory bank but with a sonic character entirely your own. A typical balance of patch categories: 30 per cent pads for atmospheric layers, 25 per cent leads for melodic elements, 20 per cent bass for rhythmic foundations, 15 per cent plucks and sequences for rhythmic accents, 10 per cent FX and atmospheres for sonic seasoning. Consistency means that the patches form a coherent sonic universe, so that they complement each other instead of sitting side by side at random. Specific examples of sound bank concepts: a cinematic bank for u-he Dark Zebra HZ, a vintage analogue bank for u-he Diva with a synthwave character, a modern pop bank for NI Massive X. A paid initial consultation makes sense for developing the concept together.
A hybrid / a sound bank to sell
A complex performance tool or a sellable bank
Two directions of use within the same premium package. First: a hybrid instrument as a complex performance tool with several layers of synthesis and, where applicable, sample components from an earlier sampling project, in Kontakt 6 with KSP scripting for custom GUI elements and performance logic, or in Reaktor with an individual synth architecture. Second: a sound bank for commercial sale with complete preparation for release, cover design through the complementary CD cover and vinyl cover production service, demo track production with the finished bank for the sales presentation, writing the description for the sales pages with technical specs and a clear case for the benefits, platform recommendations for Splice, Loopcloud, ADSR Sounds and your own website, and advice on legal matters and licence terms. A paid initial consultation is essential here, because the complexity has to be developed together.
Effect and mixing presets as a complement
At the studio there is an inventory of 172 plugins with more than 220 active licences, and alongside the synthesizers that includes an extensive arsenal of effect plugins. Tailored effect and mixing presets can be built from it: reverb templates for different rooms and moods (u-he ZRev and other reverb plugins), compressor chains for drums, bass or vocals, EQ templates for particular genres or microphones, complete vocal chain presets with several plugin steps, mastering chain templates, saturation and sound design effect chains with u-he Zebrify. You can ask for it either combined with a sound bank directly or as a small package in its own right.
Delivery for several synth platforms at once
If you use several synth platforms in parallel (say u-he Diva and NI Massive X), the same patch idea can be realised on several platforms: one pad idea delivered as a native Diva patch and as a native Massive patch, so that you choose the right engine for each project context. Sensible for producers with a broad platform setup, or for commercial sound banks that want to offer sales in several formats.
Demo track production with the finished sound bank
With sound bank releases, demo tracks are central: they show potential buyers how the patches sound in a real musical context. Demo track production covers short musical pieces (30 seconds to 2 minutes) in the genres the sound bank is designed for, with the bank patches clearly audible. Where needed, mixing and mastering of the demo tracks as well, for a professional sonic impression.
Three factors that set this synth programming apart from factory presets and quick patch tweaking.
Quickly modifying a factory preset is possible, but it rarely leads to a sonic identity of your own. Three factors make the difference in professional custom sound design.
Musical sound design instead of purely technical patch building
The decisive difference between technical patch building and musical sound design: at the desk sits an audio engineer with years of his own piano practice and a musical understanding of listening. Sound design decisions are not made at random but along a specific musical idea: which emotional mood should the patch carry, in which musical context will it be used, which harmonic and rhythmic properties have to work, how does the patch behave when played in different registers and at different dynamics. Purely technical programming without a musical ear often produces patches that sound good in the preview but do not work in real musical use. That musical quality control feeds into every sound design decision.
A u-he specialisation with the complete Zebra family
While many providers specialise in a single synthesizer, my studio is specialised in the u-he family: Diva, Hive 2, Zebra 2, Dark Zebra HZ and Zebralette all in the inventory at once, complemented by u-he Zebrify and u-he ZRev as effect plugins. That depth within a single synth brand is rare and makes sonic differentiation possible within the u-he universe: vintage patches of your own in Diva, modern pop sounds in Hive 2, experimental sound design in Zebra 2, cinematic film score sounds in Dark Zebra HZ (the same synth Hans Zimmer scored Inception, Interstellar and Dune with), wavetable experiments in Zebralette. This u-he specialisation is a clear selling point: for producers who want to connect sonically to the u-he world, the studio offers the maximum depth.
Real hardware of my own on site instead of only software emulations
Other sound design providers often work purely in the software world. Analogue emulations come sonically close to hardware but do not reach the last per cent of character. At the studio the Komplete Kontrol S61 N is available directly as a legendary synth classic: real analogue circuits with a slight drift in pitch, organic filter resonances and characteristic distortion that software can only approximate. When you bring your own hardware to be programmed, you can bring your own instruments (Moog, Roland, Korg, Sequential, Behringer, Arturia, your own hardware) to the studio, and we programme on the instrument together on site, listening and iterating directly. This hardware element is a clear difference from purely software based sound design providers.
These three factors, musical sound design, a u-he specialisation with the complete Zebra family and real hardware of my own on site, make the difference between an average patch collection and a professional sound bank at commercial level.
What stays
What comes out of a sound bank of your own, beyond the finished patches.
A sound bank of your own does not only change your setup, it changes your artistic identity, your advantage in live performance and sometimes even your leverage in the market as an indie producer. Six stages of how that effect unfolds.
01 The first time you call them up
You play your own patches in your DAW
The moment when, after the sound design work is finished, you call up your own custom patches in u-he Diva, NI Massive X or on the Komplete Kontrol S61 N over your MIDI keyboard for the first time is often surprising. You hear sounds you wanted, not the sounds the manufacturer chose for you. The pads suit your harmonic language, the leads your melodic preferences, the basses your rhythmic ideas. Many producers say after the first time they call them up that their relationship with the synthesizer changes, from a generic tool into a personal instrument with a sonic character of its own.
02 In your tracks
Your productions get a synth fingerprint of their own
If you use your own patches regularly in your own productions, an audible sonic fingerprint emerges over time. Other producers use standard presets, while your tracks sound like your own sound. In pop productions the custom pads become the harmonic signature. In electronic tracks the individually programmed leads become the signature sound. In film scoring, your own cinematic atmospheres from u-he Dark Zebra HZ become recognisable. In singer-songwriter arrangements the warm Diva pads or your own synth sounds become the characteristic sonic anchor.
03 An advantage in live performance
At live shows you sound like yourself
At live shows many performers use the same factory presets from their hardware synths or Mainstage setups, and listeners often experience a sonic sameness that does not distinguish one act from another. With performance patches of your own you go on stage with a sound that makes you recognisable. For pianists with additional synth sounds, the live sound becomes a complementary mark alongside the piano playing. For electronic live performers, your own synth sound becomes an acoustic calling card. At the studio the Komplete Kontrol S61 N, the feel of a keyboard, sound control and virtual instruments are available for detailed test sessions.
04 When you sell a sound bank
Passive income from a sound bank of your own
With a sound bank published commercially on platforms such as Splice, Loopcloud, ADSR Sounds or Bandcamp, passive income can develop over time. Sound banks are produced once and sold again and again, and unlike streaming tracks the margin per buyer is often substantial. Many sound designers now earn a substantial second income from sound bank sales. With sensibly designed banks for the u-he platforms or NI Komplete, the investment in production can pay for itself considerably over time, above all when several banks grow into a sound designer identity of your own.
05 In a composing career
Film composers with a sonic world of their own
For film composers, theatre sound designers or people responsible for game audio, a sound bank of their own in u-he Dark Zebra HZ, NI Reaktor or Absynth often becomes part of their identity. Clients recognise the sonic character, much as they recognise the visual style of a director. A sonic world of your own becomes an artistic identity that can be used deliberately for particular types of project. When chasing new commissions, your own sonic world can be positioned as a selling point against other composers, which has a direct financial effect.
06 Over time
Your patch collection grows into an artistic library
With every further sound design project your personal patch collection grows, like an artistic library with a sonic character of its own. What you programme today you will still be able to use in 5 or 10 years. Unlike fashionable sound effects (which quickly feel dated), well programmed synth patches age well, because they are based on fundamental sonic qualities rather than short lived trends. For producers who work over the long term, a sonic world of their own builds up over the years that sounds different from everyone else.
Preparation & setup
Six points that make your synth sound design project better.
Good preparation makes the difference between an efficient sound design process and chaotic rounds of correction. Six points to settle before your enquiry.
1
The platform
Which engine should the programming happen in?
The studio focuses: the u-he family (Diva, Hive 2, Zebra 2, Dark Zebra HZ, Zebralette), Native Instruments Komplete 13 (Massive, Reaktor, FM8, Absynth, Battery), Kontakt 6 with KSP scripting, the Komplete Kontrol S61 N as hardware. Plus your own hardware, which you can bring with you. For platforms outside this list, simply ask: if you bring the software, a lot can be done. You find the complete studio inventory on the equipment page.
2
The purpose
The studio, live use or sale?
The intended use affects how the patches are conceived. For purely personal studio use, conceptually tighter patch collections for particular projects. For live performance, performance requirements become important (multi layering, quick programme changes, MIDI controller mapping). For a commercial sound bank release, the consistency logic of the whole bank becomes decisive, plus preparation for sale with demos and a cover. For film scoring, cinematic conventions become relevant, with Dark Zebra HZ or Absynth preferred.
3
The sonic concept
Which mood, which genre?
Describe in your own words which mood the sound should carry: warm, cold, aggressive, gentle, organic, synthetic, vintage, modern, cinematic, retro. Which musical genre will the patch be used in: pop, hip-hop, EDM, synthwave, cinematic, ambient, indie rock, singer-songwriter? Which patch categories do you primarily need: pads, leads, basses, plucks, atmospheres, FX? These aesthetic descriptions get translated into specific decisions about synthesis.
4
Reference sounds
1 to 3 reference tracks or patches
As with mixing and mastering, references help with sound design too. Name 1 to 3 existing tracks or sound banks that go in the sonic direction you have in mind. For cinematic work, composer references are useful too (Hans Zimmer with Dark Zebra HZ, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Trent Reznor, Jóhann Jóhannsson). For synthwave, references such as The Midnight, FM-84, Carpenter Brut. For pop productions, current chart references.
5
Do you have hybrid material?
Do you have samples of your own, or are you bringing hardware?
Two ways to extend the work. First: samples of your own from an earlier sampling project (say your piano digitised) can be used as layer material in hybrid instruments in Kontakt 6. Second: you can bring your own hardware synthesizers (Moog, Roland, Korg, Sequential, Behringer, Arturia, your own hardware) to the studio, and then I programme on the instrument together with you on site. Both options extend the sonic possibilities beyond purely software based programming.
6
The schedule
When do you need the finished patches?
A synth patch collection 2 to 4 weeks, a custom sound bank 6 to 12 weeks, a hybrid instrument 8 to 16 weeks, a sound bank to sell 3 to 6 months. With programming on hardware you bring with you, the sessions themselves are shorter (1 to 2 studio days for a patch collection), because the work is iterated directly on the instrument. With time critical plans, ask early, say when the patches are needed for a particular album release, a live show date or a film delivery.
How a session runs
How your synth sound design project works actually goes.
Four structured steps from the first enquiry to the finished patch collection or sound bank.
01
An enquiry with a synth concept
You write a short email or WhatsApp message. The important details: the platform you want (u-he Diva, Hive 2, the Zebra family, the NI Komplete instruments, Kontakt 6, the Komplete Kontrol S61 N, your own hardware), the purpose (your own productions, live use, sale, cinematic work), the sonic concept and genre, 1 to 3 reference tracks, any hybrid sample material you have or hardware you are bringing, and the delivery date you want. For a synth patch collection a simple email enquiry is enough. For a custom sound bank and a hybrid instrument to sell I invite you to a paid initial consultation, where I develop a concept together with you. I do not offer synth sound design projects standardised in the studio shop.
02
Developing the concept & sound sketches
With a custom sound bank and a hybrid instrument, the concept is developed together in the initial consultation: settling the sonic universe, planning the balance of patch categories (how many pads, leads, basses, FX), taking genre conventions into account, developing a strategy for consistency. Where useful, first sound sketches with 3 to 5 example patches on the chosen platform, so that the sonic direction can be adjusted together before the whole bank is programmed. With hybrid instruments in Kontakt 6 there are also decisions about architecture: which synthesis engine as the main motor, which sample layers to complement it, which KSP scripting logic.
03
Programming & sound design
The sound design phase itself. With software synth programming, typically remote work on the studio computer with all the available platforms. With hardware programming on the Komplete Kontrol S61 N or on hardware you bring, on site sessions at the studio. With a custom sound bank, particular attention goes to the consistency logic across all 50 to 100 patches and to quality control in a musical context: every patch is checked in different registers, at different dynamics and with different modulation settings. With hybrid instruments there is a KSP scripting phase for more complex performance logic. Optional listening sessions for feedback along the way.
04
Handover, testing & documentation
The finished patches are delivered in the native format of the platform in question: for u-he Diva as an h2p file, for u-he Hive 2 and the Zebra family h2p as well, for NI Massive nmsv, for Kontakt 6 as an nki container with scripts and mappings, for the Komplete Kontrol S61 N as a SysEx file. The testing phase: together we try the bank out in your setup and check it for sonic problems or breaks in consistency, with corrections where needed. With a sound bank to sell there is also the handover of the cover, the demo tracks and the description. Delivery through a secure cloud link with PDF documentation, a patch list, sound descriptions and recommendations for use.
The studio & remote work
Synth sound design at Tonstudio Leipzig. or remotely through cloud exchange.
Six important points about the sound design workflow and delivery. With software synthesizers it is often entirely possible remotely, while with hardware synths (mine or ones you bring) and hybrid instruments, phases on site often make sense.
The studio address
Bernhard-Göring-Straße 17 in 04107 Leipzig
My studio is at Bernhard-Göring-Straße 17 in 04107 Leipzig, right in Zentrum-Süd. For listening sessions together, initial consultations, on site programming on the Komplete Kontrol S61 N or on hardware you bring, you come to the studio here. Parking in the courtyard, low barrier access. The complete studio inventory including all the plugins and hardware can be seen on the equipment page page.
Remote workflow
Software synth patches entirely through cloud exchange
With software synthesizer projects (the u-he family, NI Komplete 13, Kontakt 6) a remote workflow is often entirely sufficient. The initial consultation by video call, the concept developed in writing, the patches programmed remotely on the studio computer and handed over to you through a secure cloud link. You load the native patch files into your synth and can get straight to work. For programming hardware synths you bring with you, an on site session at the studio is necessary.
The Komplete Kontrol S61 N on site
Genuinely analogue playable setups right at the studio
The Komplete Kontrol S61 N is available as the studio's own hardware for genuine vintage patches. Patches are programmed directly on the instrument, stored permanently in the internal memory or exported as a SysEx file for your own backup. Where you want it, synth patches can then be sampled and made available as a sample library for your DAW, which is the bridge to the sampling service.
Realistic schedules
A patch collection 2 to 4 weeks, a sound bank to sell 3 to 6 months
A synth patch collection with 10 to 30 patches: 2 to 4 weeks. A custom sound bank with 50 to 100 patches: 6 to 12 weeks. A hybrid instrument in Kontakt 6 with KSP scripting: 8 to 16 weeks. A sound bank to sell with a cover and demos: 3 to 6 months. With programming on hardware you bring with you: the sessions themselves 1 to 2 studio days for a patch collection, because the work is iterated directly on the instrument.
Travelling to Leipzig
With hardware programming from further away
With a studio workflow from cities further away it makes sense to combine several sessions into one weekend. From Berlin (1.5h), Dresden (1.5h), Halle (40min), Erfurt (1.5h) or Hannover (3h), a day trip is easy to manage. With purely software based synth projects it is often entirely remote and you do not necessarily have to travel to Leipzig. For programming hardware synths with your own instrument, on site sessions make sense, as they do for Komplete Kontrol S61 N patches at the studio.
First consultation
A paid initial consultation for a sound bank and a hybrid instrument
With a custom sound bank and a hybrid instrument to sell, the paid initial consultation is worth it, either at the studio or as a video call. I get to know your project, you tell me about it, and I develop the sonic concept, the balance of patch categories, the choice of platform and, with commercial plans, the sales strategy together with you. With a synth patch collection it is usually not necessary, and a short email or WhatsApp enquiry is enough.
Frequent questions
Questions about building virtual instruments at Tonstudio Leipzig.
The most important answers before your enquiry. For short questions you can reach me by email or WhatsApp. For a custom sound bank and a hybrid instrument there is the paid initial consultation in the studio shop.
The u-he family:
• Diva. faithfully analogue, a vintage specialist
• Hive 2. a modern polysynth
• Zebra 2, Dark Zebra HZ, Zebralette
• Zebrify & ZRev (effects)
NI Komplete 13: Massive, Reaktor, FM8, Absynth, Battery, Monark, Razor.
Kontakt 6 with KSP scripting.
my own hardware: the Komplete Kontrol S61 N at the studio.
Both create playable instruments, but in completely different ways.
Sampling: recording an acoustic instrument and mapping it into a sampler.
Virtual instruments: programming a sound from the ground up in a synthesizer.
Want to digitise an acoustic instrument? More about it here: the sampling page
1. A synth patch collection: 10 to 30 patches.
2. A custom sound bank: 50 to 100 patches within a consistent concept.
3. A hybrid instrument / a sound bank to sell.
All packages on enquiry, not standardised in the shop.
Genuine analogue sound right at the studio.
• A slight drift in pitch for a lively character
• Warm filter resonances
• Characteristic distortion
Patches stored permanently in the hardware memory or as a SysEx backup.
The bridge to the sampling page: synth patches can be sampled.
Yes, that is a central part of the offer.
It works with:
• Moog Subsequent, Matriarch
• Roland Juno, Jupiter
• Korg Minilogue, Prologue
• Sequential, Behringer, Arturia, your own hardware
Programming it together on site on the instrument.
Main areas:
• Massive / Massive X. bass, lead, experimental
• Reaktor. individual synth architecture
• FM8. FM synthesis, DX7 character
• Absynth. pads & cinematic
• Battery. drum programming
• Monark. Minimoog emulation
• Razor. additive synthesis
A coherent collection of 50 to 100 patches.
Consistent: a shared sonic universe.
A typical balance:
• 30% pads
• 25% leads
• 20% bass
• 15% pluck/sequence
• 10% FX
Yes, available as a complement.
The studio: 172 plugins with more than 220 licences.
Possible:
• reverb templates (u-he ZRev and others)
• compressor chains
• vocal chain presets
• mastering chain templates
• saturation (u-he Zebrify)
Yes, a speciality in its own right.
Studio controllers for test sessions:
• Komplete Kontrol S61 N
• the feel of a keyboard
• sound control
• virtual instruments
Platforms: Mainstage, Cantabile, Gig Performer.
Yes, it is a main area of use.
u-he Dark Zebra HZ = the Hans Zimmer edition!
(Inception, Interstellar, Dune)
In addition:
• u-he Diva. analogue and organic
• NI Absynth. complex pads
• NI Reaktor. individual sound design
• Komplete Kontrol S61 N. a vintage layer
It depends heavily on the scope:
• A patch collection: 2 to 4 weeks
• A custom sound bank: 6 to 12 weeks
• A hybrid instrument: 8 to 16 weeks
• A sound bank to sell: 3 to 6 months
• Hardware programming on site: 1 to 2 studio days
This page is written for private artists and indie producers.
For sound design studios, software makers, sample pack labels, game studios, advertising agencies: separate business site at unternehmen.leipzig-tonstudio.de.
Related services
What goes well with synth sound design with a vocal recording.
Synth sound design is often part of a larger musical workflow. Here are six related services that are regularly combined with it.
Let me talk about your synth sound design project.
I do not offer synth sound design projects standardised in the studio shop, because every project is tailored individually to your specific synth platform, your sonic needs and your purpose. For a synth patch collection without much concept work, the quickest route is a short email or WhatsApp enquiry: describe your platform (u-he Diva, Hive, the Zebra family, the NI Komplete instruments, Kontakt 6, the Komplete Kontrol S61 N, or your own hardware brought with you), your style and, if you have them, 1 to 3 reference tracks. For a custom sound bank within a consistent sonic concept, or a hybrid instrument to sell, the paid initial consultation at the studio or as a video call is worth it. For hardware programming, either on the studio's own Komplete Kontrol S61 N or with the hardware you bring, an on site session at the studio is arranged. If you want effect and mixing presets as a complement, simply ask for them at the same time, and then the right plugin selection from the inventory of 172 plugins with more than 220 active licences is gone through. A link across: if you want to digitise an acoustic instrument of your own, that is the separate sampling and sound libraries service. You find the complete studio inventory on the equipment page. For short questions beforehand, a WhatsApp message or a brief email works too.
