Role in the mix
The synth lead carries melodies, hooks and instrumental toplines: the supersaw lead of trance and EDM, the Minimoog lead of G-funk and funk, the square lead of chiptune and synthpop, the distorted lead of rage and hyperpop, the "vocal chop" lead of future bass, the filtered lead of French house. When it plays it is like a lead vocal: it must be clear, up front, with a stable presence, and it must not clash with the vocal (in the arrangement, lead and vocal alternate: call and response). Typical spectrum 200 Hz–10 kHz, with the melodic core at 500 Hz–3 kHz.
Choosing the sound
- Mono/legato with glide (30–150 ms) for expressive leads; poly for chordal leads (supersaw).
- Unison/detune for width (supersaw: 7 voices, detune 20–40%); check mono compatibility.
- Vibrato from the mod wheel (LFO 5–6 Hz, slight depth) and pitch bend for human phrasing.
- In FL: Sytrus, Harmor, 3x Osc, FLEX, Harmless; V Collection: Mini V, Prophet-5 V, Jup-8 V, MS-20 V, ARP 2600 V, CS-80 V; alternatives Serum, Vital, Sylenth1, Spire.
Gain staging
Peaks −12/−8 dBFS. With unison and distortion, leads have a low crest factor: check in short-term LUFS against the vocal.
Corrective EQ
- HP 150–300 Hz (higher for high leads: 400–600 Hz).
- Mud 300–500 Hz in supersaws: −2/−3 dB.
- Harshness 2–5 kHz: dynamic EQ or a resonance suppressor (Soothe2) on filter and unison resonances.
- Fizz 8–12 kHz: gentle LP if it fatigues.
Creative EQ
- Presence +2/+3 dB at 1–3 kHz.
- Air shelf at 10 kHz for trance and EDM leads.
- "Vintage" lead: bandpass 300 Hz–6 kHz.
Compression
- Light on mono leads (2:1–3:1, 2–3 dB) for stability.
- OTT / multiband upward for dense EDM and hyperpop leads (depth 20–50%).
- Sidechain pumping in EDM and future bass.
Transient shaper
Attack + for plucky and staccato leads.
Saturation and distortion
- Saturation for density and harmonics (Distructor, Saturn 2, Decapitator).
- Heavy distortion in rage, hyperpop, phonk and dubstep (Fruity Blood Overdrive, Fast Dist, WaveShaper, Trash), followed by EQ to remove fizz and mud.
- Bitcrusher (Fruity Squeeze, Fruity Delay 3 Bits) for chiptune and lo-fi.
Delay
- Tempo-synced delay (dotted 1/8, 1/4) ping-pong, feedback 20–40%, return filtered HP 300 Hz / LP 6 kHz: standard in EDM and trance.
- Ducked delay sidechained from the lead to keep the notes clean.
- Haas 10–25 ms to widen a mono lead (check in mono).
Reverb
- Plate or hall 1.5–3 s, pre-delay 20–60 ms, filtered return; longer and bigger in trance.
- Ducked reverb sidechained from the lead.
Modulation
- Chorus (Vintage Chorus, Hyper Chorus) for '80s leads.
- Phaser/flanger as color.
- Vibrato and pitch bend (FL piano roll: slide notes or pitch automation).
Stereo and panning
- Main lead centered, with the width coming from unison, chorus, delay and reverb.
- Countermelodies panned (±30–60).
- Mid/side: keep the core of the lead in the mid; the width in the side.
Sidechain
- Kick pumping (EDM).
- Dynamic EQ at 1–4 kHz on the lead, sidechained from the vocal when they overlap.
Automation
- Filter cutoff, distortion, delay throw sends on the last note.
- Lead volume +1/+2 dB in the drop.
Differences by genre
| Genre | Lead |
|---|---|
| Trance / EDM | supersaw, ping-pong delay, long hall, pumping |
| G-funk / funk | mono Minimoog with glide, vibrato, saturation |
| Synthpop / synthwave | Prophet/Jup-8, chorus, delay, gated reverb |
| Rage / hyperpop | distorted and saturated leads, OTT, wide |
| Future bass | vocal chops and supersaw with pumping |
| French house | filtered leads (Love Philter), phaser |
| Chiptune | square waves, bitcrush, no reverb |
Common mistakes
- Lead and vocal in the same register at the same time.
- Supersaw that disappears in mono.
- Unfiltered delay and reverb: wash.
- Distortion without EQ afterward: fizz and mud.
Starting settings
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Channel peak | −12/−8 dBFS | Headroom for distortion and OTT. |
| Glide | 30–150 ms, legato | Expressive phrasing. |
| Unison | 7 voices, detune 20–40% (supersaw) | Width with mono control. |
| Vibrato | LFO 5–6 Hz, slight depth | Human feel. |
| High-pass | 150–300 Hz | Space for the low end. |
| OTT | Depth 20–50% | Density. |
| Delay | Dotted 1/8 ping-pong, feedback 20–40%, HP 300 Hz | Rhythmic space. |
| Reverb | Plate/hall 1.5–3 s, pre-delay 20–60 ms | Depth without pushing it back. |
| Delay/reverb ducking | 3–8 dB from the lead | Clean notes. |
| Pan | Center (lead), ±30–60 (countermelodies) | Hierarchy. |
| Vocal sidechain | Dynamic EQ 1–4 kHz | Coexistence. |
Frequencies to watch
| Range | What to do |
|---|---|
| below 150–300 Hz | High-pass (400–600 Hz for high leads). |
| 300–500 Hz | Supersaw mud: −2/−3 dB. |
| 500 Hz–1 kHz | Melodic body. |
| 1–3 kHz | Presence: +2/+3 dB. |
| 2–5 kHz | Harshness and resonances: dynamic EQ or Soothe2. |
| 8–12 kHz | Fizz: gentle LP. |
| 10 kHz+ | Air in trance and EDM leads. |
Example chain
| Step | Tool | Settings | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sound design | Sytrus / Harmor / Mini V / Prophet-5 V / Serum | Mono legato, glide, vibrato | Sound at the source. |
| Corrective EQ | Fruity Parametric EQ 2 / Pro-Q 3–4 | HP 200 Hz; −2 dB at 400 Hz | Cleanup. |
| Saturation/distortion | Distructor / Fruity Blood Overdrive / Saturn 2 | Tailored to the genre | Density. |
| Resonance control | Pro-Q 3–4 dynamic / Soothe2 | 2–5 kHz | Harshness. |
| Compression / OTT | Fruity Limiter COMP / Maximus / OTT | Light or OTT 30% | Stability. |
| Creative EQ | Fruity Parametric EQ 2 | +2 dB at 2 kHz; shelf at 10 kHz | Presence. |
| Modulation (opt.) | Vintage Chorus / Hyper Chorus | Mix 20% | Width. |
| Delay (send) | Fruity Delay 3 + Fruity Limiter SC / Timeless 3 | Dotted 1/8 ping-pong, ducking | Space. |
| Reverb (send) | LuxeVerb / Valhalla VintageVerb | Plate 2 s, pre-delay 40 ms | Depth. |
How to check the result
- Lead correlation > +0.3 (unison and chorus included).
- In mono the lead loses no more than 2–3 dB.
- Lead short-term LUFS in the drop comparable to the vocal in the chorus (±2 dB).
- Lead and vocal 1–4 kHz bands not overlapping in the sung passages.
- Filtered returns: no energy below 300 Hz.
- No narrow resonance standing out by 6 dB between 2 and 5 kHz.