Jesse Maas - Aura | Pad Synth Patch Remake

Remaking the pad synth from the 2020 song "Aura" by Jesse Maas can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "Aura" pad patch and play this iconic sound on most hardware or software subtractive synthesizers (Serum, Vital, Pigments, Prophet, Korg, Moog, etc). We've included the preset download directly for your convenience, but we strongly recommend you use our programming tutorial to recreate it yourself.

Original Audio

Jesse Maas’ 2020 tech-house track “Aura” features a lush, evolving pad synthesizer that emerges prominently at 1:15, serving as the track’s atmospheric backbone. This unisoned pad combines wide stereo imaging with a rounded, swelling timbre, likely achieved through layered detuned oscillators and strategic reverb. The sound’s gradual modulation creates a sense of depth, typical of modern ambient synth design in electronic music. The pad remains central throughout the track, providing harmonic foundation while maintaining dynamic interest through subtle filter movements and amplitude variations.

Original Performing Instrument

Unknown

Our Remake of The Pad Synth sound

This audio clip is how close we've matched the original tone of the pad synth from the song "Aura" by Jesse Maas, giving you a reference point as you design your own synthesizer preset. Play it as often as you need to familiarize yourself with the nuances of the sound.

Synth Patch Programming Recipe

Getting Started

• Start by initializing your synthesizer to a plain saw with no filter, modulation or effects. For soft synths use the "init"/"default" preset or the the button to reset allx parameters to their default factory values.
• No two synths are exactly alike, so treat the values below as approximate, and use your ear.
• Percentage values (e.g. 50%) represent the relative position of a knob or slider within its full range. The full range of each parameter may differ from synth to synth, so use your ear.

Voices

• Voice Mode: Poly 7
• Legato: On
• Glide Time: 0.025 s Always

Oscillator Setup

Oscillator 1

• Mix: 43%
• Wavetable: Basic Shapes
• Wave Frame: Saw (position 107)
• Routing: Filter 1
• Random Phase: 1%
• Unison Voices: 7
• Unison Detune: 12%
• Unison Stereo Spread: 100%

Oscillator 2

• Mix: 54%
• Wavetable: Basic Shapes
• Wave Frame: Medium Pulse (position 198)
• Routing: Filter 1+2
• Random Phase: 0%
• Unison Voices: 7
• Unison Detune: 12%
• Unison Stereo Spread: 100%

Filter Settings

Filter 1

• Model: Analog
• Style: 24dB Slope
• Blend: Low Pass (0)
• Cutoff: 37% (121.513 Hz)
• Resonance: 4%
• Modulations:
• Lfo 1 → Cutoff
• Lfo 2 → Cutoff

Envelope Settings

Envelope 1 (Amp)

• Attack: 219 ms
• Decay: 711 ms
• Sustain: 90%
• Release: 372 ms
• Decay Curve: Logarithmic

Envelope 2

• Attack: 1.30 s
• Decay: 865 ms
• Sustain: 17%
• Release: 90 ms
• Decay Curve: Logarithmic

LFO Settings

LFO 1

• Mode: Sync
• Sync: Tempo
• Tempo: 2/1
• Shape: Triangle (custom)
• Destinations:
• Filter 1 Cutoff (amount 15%)

LFO 2

• Mode: Sync
• Sync: Tempo
• Tempo: 32/1
• Shape: Triangle (custom)
• Destinations:
• Filter 1 Cutoff (amount 24%)

Effects Processing (Ordered)

Eq

• Low Mode: High-Pass
• Low Cutoff: Default (82.407 Hz)
• Low Resonance: Default (32%)
• Band Cutoff: 261.670 Hz
• Band Resonance: 26%
• Band Gain: -11 dB

Reverb

• Mix: 45%
• Size: Default (50%)
• Chorus Amount: 5%
• Chorus Frequency: Default (0.250 Hz)
• Time: 1.522 s
• Low Shelf Cutoff: 36% (113.518 Hz)
• Low Shelf Gain: -6 dB
• Pre Low Cutoff: 39% (142.272 Hz)

Modulation Matrix

• LFO 1 → Filter 1 Cutoff 15%
• LFO 2 → Filter 1 Cutoff 24%

Note: the patch settings may slightly differ in the Syntorial challenge.

Explore More

• How to make great sounding pads! (YouTube) – Tutorial covering pad synthesis techniques for creating wide, swelling textures with effects like reverb and delay, relevant to the “Aura” pad’s atmospheric design.
• Making a PAD SYNTH in MASSIVE X (YouTube) – Demonstrates pad creation in Massive X, a common synth for unisoned, round pad sounds, aligning with the “Aura” pad’s characteristics.

Preset Downloads

Don't want to learn synth programming now? Use our synth preset as your starting point and tweak it from there. Register an account with Audible Genius and download the presets for free for the following synths:

• Vital

Comments

This recipe is the result of a Syntorial community preset remake request. Need support remaking this sound? Have comments?