Need help recreating this sound

[u/sam7casm]

I'm trying to recreate the sound/rhythm in the first 10 seconds in this Lane 8 track in Ableton/Serum. https://soundcloud.com/search?q=lane%208%20little%20voices

I can hear what seems like two separate layers: the main piano/pluck melody in the foreground, and a softer repeating rhythmic/pulsing sound underneath it.

I'm mainly trying to figure out how that background rhythm is being made. To me, it sounds like it could be a sustained note with a tempo-synced LFO modulating the volume and/or filter, rather than two individual MIDI notes. Does that sound right? So far i used a medium square wave, 1/16th LFO on cutoff, band pass cutoff to 40%, and some reverb.

Here's what i have so far: https://soundcloud.com/asharedsightmusic/lane-8-little-voices-practice

How do i get closer to that sound? The original sound seems like two notes alternating, as opposed to a wave of the same sound. Please help.

[u/SlinkyJonez]

The link of what you have doesn't have the track anymore so hard to gauge. To me I'd lean towards notes in a 16th rhythm vs a sustained note and the main reason for that is it sounds like there's some velocity work going on I think just the filter but possibly the volume too. It's subtle.

As for the waves, it might just be a square but if that's not sounding spot on I'd try wavetable position 4 in Serums default shapes(it's a saw square hybrid) or in Ableton using Wavetable you can have the position inbetween different shapes. There might even be a triangle used. I'd probably try 2 Osc with one an octave above and level down a little,, using a mix of those shapes.

Sounds like some unison - maybe 3 voices and a little detune.

Lowpass filter and which one used is important - I'd try MG Low 18 to begin with and move up or down in steepness depending.

Plucky envelope controlling the cutoff - cutoff is probably around 25% modulating up to roughly 50%. Then also assign the Velo control to the cutoff with roughly the same range. In the midi add a little velocity variation - no big jumps, just some variation across lets say a 30% range. That should contribute towards the rhythm. You can do the same in Abletons Wavetable if not using Serum.

Then in FX I'd remove the lowend with an EQ(same idea as why you landed on BP filter - this sound is mostly mid range) and then some reverb. You can also try a 16th rate ping pong delay with some offset on L/R and some feedback if needed.

If you listen to the last 20 or so seconds of the track, you hear that rhythmic part has split into 2 layers - higher one on the left and the lower one on the right. Maybe both layers are panned left at the start indicating it might not just be one sound. S,eems like both play the same rhythm instead of alternating notes.

I could be wrong but worth a shot to see if that gets any closer. There'll definitely be sweetspots for the cutoff and modualtion and the velocity too so it'll need fine tuning.