How To Recreate Leads with ChatGPT

In the ever-evolving world of music production, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for any aspiring music producer. One fascinating and innovative tool that has emerged is ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence language model developed by OpenAI. While typically recognized for its ability to generate human-like text, ChatGPT has also found its place as a valuable resource for music producers seeking to recreate iconic synths in popular songs. In this article, we explore how music producers can harness the power of ChatGPT to delve into the intricacies of synth recreation, using renowned plugins like Serum in Logic Pro X as prime examples. 

For this example, the reference track used was Martin Garrix’s “Hurricane”.

In efforts of recreating the main lead, ChatGPT was asked to “explain how to recreate the lead from Martin Garrix “hurricane” using the Serum VST, reverb, chorus, and compression in Logic Pro X as detailed as possible”

Below is the step-by-step process the AI provided:

“To recreate the lead sound from Martin Garrix’s “Hurricane” using Serum VST, reverb, chorus, and compression in Logic Pro X, follow these detailed steps:

1. Open Logic Pro X and create a new software instrument track.
2. Load Serum VST onto the track by navigating to the Instrument slot and selecting “Serum” from the plugin list.
3. In Serum, initialize the patch by clicking on the “Init Preset” button or selecting a default preset.
4. Start by adjusting the Oscillator settings. Set OSC A to a sawtooth wave by clicking on the “Basic Shapes” dropdown menu and selecting “Saw 1.” Set the octave to -1 to make it deeper.
5. Enable OSC B by clicking on the “B” button. Set it to a square wave by selecting “PWM Square” from the “Basic Shapes” dropdown menu. Detune OSC B slightly by adjusting the fine-tuning knob to +10 or +15 cents.
6. Add movement to the sound by enabling the LFO. Click on the “Menu” button next to the LFO label and select an LFO shape, such as “Triangle” or “Sine.” Assign the LFO to modulate the pitch of both oscillators by dragging the blue dot from the LFO to the “Fine” knob of both oscillators and adjusting the amount to your preference.
7. Increase the voicing of the sound by going to the Voicing tab. Set the unison to 8 and adjust the detune parameter to around 10%. This will create a rich and wide sound.
8. Apply some filtering to shape the sound. Go to the Filter tab and select a low-pass filter by clicking on the “Menu” button next to the filter label and choosing “LP 12.” Adjust the cutoff frequency to around 70% and the resonance to 20% for a slightly resonant sound.
9. Now, let’s add some effects to enhance the sound. Click on the Effects tab and activate the Chorus effect by clicking on the “CH” button. Adjust the Rate and Depth parameters to your taste, typically around 20-30% for Rate and 10-15% for Depth.
10. Next, add reverb to give the sound space. Click on the “RV” button to enable the reverb effect. Adjust the Decay and Mix parameters to achieve a suitable reverb tail. Start with a Decay of around 2 seconds and a Mix of around 30-40%.
11. Lastly, let’s apply compression to control the dynamics and make the sound more consistent. Insert the Compressor plugin on the channel strip. Set the Attack to a fast setting, around 5 ms, and the Release to around 100 ms. Adjust the Threshold so that the compression kicks in during the louder parts, and set the Ratio to around 4:1 or 6:1. Tweak the Gain makeup to ensure the level matches the original sound or suits your mix.
12. Play your MIDI notes on the track to hear the recreated lead sound. Adjust any parameters mentioned above to fine-tune the sound to your liking or to match it more closely to the original.
13. Save your preset in Serum for future use by clicking on the “Menu” button in the top-right corner of Serum and selecting “Save Preset.”

Following these steps should recreate a sound similar to the lead in Martin Garrix’s “Hurricane.” Remember, the original sound may have been layered or processed further, so additional techniques like EQing or other effects might be necessary to match the exact sound.”

During the research conducted for this article, it became evident that the specificity of the questions asked plays a crucial role in obtaining more accurate results. By embracing the power of specificity, music producers can unlock a wealth of knowledge and enhance their understanding of how to recreate synth elements from popular songs using cutting-edge tools like Serum and Logic Pro X. As time goes by, AI is becoming more and more present in our everyday lives, regardless of our profession. The effects of this technological advancement are widespread, and those of us who work in music production are not exempt from its influence. Although this experiment is a small-scale test, it indicates that music industry is undergoing a complete transformation as music production integrates with modern AI technologies.

Image credit: Steve Johnson (Unsplash)

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