Creating White Noise Risers in Serum: A Step-by-Step Guide

White noise risers are a popular sound design component in electronic dance music, providing a potent buildup before the drop. With its infinite possibilities, Serum by Xfer Records is an excellent tool for crafting these risers. In this article, we'll walk you through the process of making a stunning white noise riser In this article, we'll walk you through the process of making a stunning white noise riser In this article, we'll walk you through the process of making a stunning white noise riser In this article, we'll walk you through the process of making a stunning white noise riser using Serum.

Step 1: Initialize Serum
First, open a new instance of Serum in your digital audio workstation (DAW). Select Menu, then Init Preset to start with a clean slate.

Step 2: Utilize Noise Oscillator
Select the Noise oscillator in the top left corner of Serum. By default, it provides a white noise waveform—exactly what we're looking for.

Step 3: Envelope Shaping
For the perfect riser, it's essential to have a smooth attack and release. In the Envelope 1 section (located at the bottom left), adjust the Attack and Release parameters to around 1000ms each. Feel free to tweak these values depending on your desired riser length.

Step 4: Add Filter
Head over to the filter section (middle-left) and choose a High Pass filter (HP12). Set the Cutoff to 0Hz at the start, and ensure that the Noise oscillator is routed to the filter by checking the N box.

Step 5: Automate Filter Cutoff
In the top right corner, locate the matrix tab and set the source as Env 1 (or Envelope 1). Set the destination as Filter Cutoff, and increase the Amount parameter to control how much the envelope will affect the cutoff frequency. You'll notice the white noise riser getting sharper.

Step 6: Add Effects
Move over to the FX tab, and apply reverb and delay effects to give your riser extra depth and space. As with any effect, adjust these to taste.

Step 7: Final Touches
Feel free to experiment and add modulation, panning, or stereo width to your riser using Serum's modulation capabilities. Maybe even try adding an LFO or additional envelopes for extra complexity.

With these steps, you've successfully created a white noise riser in Serum. Remember, sound design is about exploration and experimentation—so have fun and let your imagination run wild!