Hi, my name is Yannek Maunz, and in this article we will make a groovy pluck sound. Let’s get started!
Let’s insert Diva and add a single tone playing all the time and decrease the volume.
Let’s turn the sound into a basic pad (increase the sustains and decrease the cutoff slightly, add chorus and reverb)
We’re mixing it in very, very slightly - it’s not supposed to be an obvious, audible element.
We can also automate the cutoff in Live:
![ableton automation](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0993/3800/files/P1.1_AUTOMATION_1024x1024.png?v=1664291699)
That’s just so that people get some tonal information - and it’s perfect for getting started with our sound design.
Let’s start with our groovy pluck sound.
We can use the A Minor scale for this one:
![clip view ableton midi](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0993/3800/files/P2_SCALE_2048x2048.png?v=1664291895)
We’re going to be using the default Diva patch again.
Let’s add a reggaeton type rhythm here:
![ableton midi rhythm](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0993/3800/files/P3_RHYTHM_2048x2048.png?v=1664291912)
After decreasing the attacks, let’s find the sweet spot of the decay and cutoff here:
![u-he diva controls](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0993/3800/files/P4.1_ENVELOPE_1024x1024.png?v=1664291929)
Let’s transpose our synth pattern up by an octave and try mapping some parameters to Live - Cutoff, Envelope amount, Cross modulation.
![ableton automation](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0993/3800/files/P5_AUTOMATION_1024x1024.png?v=1664291946)
A great trick to improve nearly every chord that you have is to add an open voicing. Open voicings are created by transposing one of the chord notes up an octave which adds a more interesting harmonic character.
![ableton midi](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0993/3800/files/P6_INVERSION_2048x2048.png?v=1664291976)
What I often do is I move the middle note (third) up an octave. In Live that’s easily done by clicking Shift and the Up Arrow. It’s the same chord, but sounds much different!
Thanks for checking out this tutorial, I’ll see you soon on Production Music Live!
- Yannek