Technique » Synth Secrets » Make Rave Stabs Like The Landlord Stab

Make Rave Stabs Like The Landlord Stab

Rave stabs are a key component of making dance music. We show you how to do it with u-he’s Bazille.

Today, we’re recreating one of the most iconic rave patches ever, which has been used on countless tracks since the 1980s. It’s named after the source… I like It (Blow Out Dub) by Landlord. Even if you’re not into rave chords, it’s a fantastic lesson in the different factors that combine for great sounds.

These things all make a difference: the core tone, the notes you play, the way you process them, and how you capture and perform them. Grasp these, and you can then go beyond simple recreations to tweak, flip the script, and put your own spin on any classic patch.

Step 1 – Simple Sequence

To start, we need to match the raw sonic building block of the Landlord. The word on the street is that it was created using a sampled FM harpsichord-style sound from an expansion pack for the LinnDrum, with the FM sound itself derived from a Yamaha DX7. So that’s our target.

To hear what we’re doing, first draw in this pattern as 16ths on E3. It’s a stab, so the notes must be short. Later, we’ll resample it, and as those sampled notes are played lower, they’ll be played slower and will last longer. Don’t worry if you don’t have Bazille (you should consider getting it, it’s awesome). For now, you can also jump to Step 4 and look for any FM harpsichord-style sound that matches that.

Step 2 – Sort The Routing

First load u-he Bazille and select the initialised ‘init’ patch. We’re using Bazille as it does FM synthesis (well, phase modulation really, but let’s not quibble), just like the DX7 (also phase mod really, despite it being the most famous ‘FM’ synth of all time).

Let’s get our routing sorted: Oscillator 1 to Filter 1, Filter 1 LP18 (18 dB low pass) to Filter 2, Filter 2 HP12 (12dB high pass) output to Filter 3, Filter 3 LP24 output to the main Out 1, Oscillator 2 to Filter 1 and also to the PD (Phase Distortion) on Osc 2, and finally, Osc 1 to PM (Phase Modulation) on Osc 2. And turn Osc 1 up to 58. Listening now, it still sounds like a dull bass note… but not for long.

Step 3 – The Timbre

Now to nail the timbre, and this means choosing the right oscillators, adjusting them, and getting them to modulate each other.

Set Osc 1 to the Res III type and dial up the PD to 26 (Res III is made up of sine waves, and PD adjusts their cycles). Leave Osc 2 on Sa,w but raise the tuning by 12 semitones and pull the Osc 2 PD depth down to minus 100 and dial up the Osc 2 PM to 48. These values are critical, as they entirely define the timbre (try making some minor changes to see how much the sound changes). We now hear a harmonically rich tone, a solid note underneath, but also some nice, buzzy, noise-like distortion, which will give us a much more interesting sound and punchier attack. Believe it or not, this is almost the finished patch.

Step 4 – Envelopes And Filters

Time to shape this sonic building block now, and that means envelopes and filters. Route Envelope 1 to the Filter 2 modulation depth and Envelope 2 to the Filter 1 modulation depth. Set Filter 1 cutoff to 10 o’clock, modulation to 3 o’clock, Key Follow to max, and add a tiny bit of gain. Then dial Filter 2 cutoff up to max and pull the modulation down to about 8 o’clock.

Finally, set the envelope parameters as shown. Unlike the oscillator section, you can use these settings as a guide and set the precise values by ear to your own taste… just don’t stray too far. And that’s the core sound done! Sounds rubbish, eh? That’s about to change.

Step 5 – The Notes

Now comes a critical step for any rave chord – the notes. We can’t gauge how close the patch is and fine-tune it without the right chord playing. In this case, we’re playing the notes E4, G4, and B4 – an Emin chord. We’re playing it relatively high up, as later on we’ll resample it, and as the sampled notes are played lower, they’ll be played slower and get longer. Still, we do need to add some weight, so we’re reinforcing the root note with an E3 and an E2. Draw in the displayed pattern now.

Step 6 – Bitcrushing

The original Landlord stab was a sample, and 80s samplers created distinctive sonic artefacts, so the Landlord has a harmonic edge caused by bitcrushing. To recreate this, add the Uhbik Runciter filter plugin, select the ‘lightweight’ preset and tweak it to match the settings shown below (pay close attention to the Dry/Wet balance). This creates a convincing bitcrusher-like ringing effect. Alternatively, use any bitcrusher in your DAW and achieve a similar effect by dropping it down to 12- or even 8-bit.

Step 7 – Compression

The Landlord stab we know and love is usually based on a sample of the finished track, I Like it (Blow Out Dub) by Landlord, so we want to make ours sound like a finished record too. Definitely add some quite strong compression (here we’re using u-He Presswerk’s Bass Sustainer preset).

You can also add a tape saturator to give the sound even more top-end edge. u-he‘s Satin does the trick nicely, set to the preset Vintage Master -18dB. Listening to these, you can now hear how the ringing tail of the sound has become much louder. This can be sonically useful, but we can also control it later.

Step 8 – Resampling

Sampled chords played as single notes don’t sound the same as transposed chords played in a sequence, especially not with the funky harmonics you get from the bitcrushing of 80s samplers. So, for full authenticity, sample one chord and load it into your DAW’s stock sampler… then program a little riff. Feel free to copy the one below, and also feel free to name the oft-forgotten ’90s club hit we got it from in the comments. Just don’t tell the label. Also, raise the amplitude envelope release to maximum for now, so the sample is played with the full tail.

Step 9 – Tweak The Envelope More

Now we tweak the filter envelope to manage that ringing (it’s essential to the bite of the patch, but can sound harsh with the processed tail). Apply a 12dB lowpass filter at 411 Hz (ish). Map an envelope to your filter with the amount set to full. Set the attack to fully open. Sustain maximum. And release about halfway (depends on your filter, but equivalent to about 1.5 seconds is ideal).

You can then tweak the amp envelope release if you like, as long as it’s at least as long as the filter release. And that’s it. Below you can hear the three versions of our finished riff side-by-side: synth only, resampled, and resampled with the filter envelope.

Once you have the authentic Landlord nailed, you can have a bit of fun. We’ve seen how much all of the later steps affected things, so why not try something as simple as changing the original oscillators now? That way, you can get brand new patches that have all that juicy retro vibe that’s made the Landlord an enduring hit, but without sounding like you’ve loaded up a copy of Rave Generator and played the same sample as everybody else.