How would you make this synth?

Saw the trailer for the new Transformers movie the other night.

Obviously it was filled with cheesy Michael Bay flying metal text and explosions, but it had a really badass synth sound at the end over the Decepticons logo.

Decepticon_Buzz_Bass.mp3 79.83 kB · 0 downloads

What is that? How do you get that stretchy, grainy sound? Do you think it's like a lightsaber-ish sample pitched down?

trying that file again..Decepticon_Buzz_Bass.mp3

Sounds like a two or three osc patch layered with some sample and filtered.

First osc sounds LFO'd with a comb filter, then filtered down

second osc is pretty independant, distorted and bitcrushed

i have the plugin they use, i forget the name...if i can remember i'll post it once i get home..some one here must have that plugin collection also, if i remember correctly its a set of 5-6 5.1 rtas, i have them but they eat dsp like a mo'fo so i dont use them

I'm not sure about Transformers 2, but the guy who worked on the sound design for the original (original as in the first Michael Bay travesty) Transformers posted this to the Plan B modular mailing list back when it was released:

"When you see the film [Transformers] you'll be hearing a lot of

distinct bass sounds. The main deep and dirty bass. A basic patch on

my modular. For those that are interested is goes like this. 2xPlan B

OSC (square/saw) into a doepfer phaser - the big one - out into a

cwejman DMF-2 (a+b) 32dbx2 LPF. One side of the AB slightly higher

than the other. ADSR into filter - adjust to taste. Overdrive the

filter on one side, A or B, it end up being mono anyway, and one side

keep it really low so you can't tell it's distorted. Feed into cwejman

VCA2P that has a separate ADSR than the filter. And that's it. There's

the 'Transformer's' Bass sound. So when you see the movie and wonder

what the fuck that sound is, that's it. The only variation is some FM

synthisis using Cynthia's Zero Osc and sometimes using a doepfer

waveshaper.

All of this goes into my shadow hills pre/e27/560eq/and 1968 drawmer

comp, just for more thickness and punch.

That's the only trick. The rest is layering with other sounds to add

variation. Sounds from the neuron & nuke (waveguitar in particular)

Another thing to be sure of when getting a big cutting bass sound.

Roll off your bass @ 50hz. You can add it later with EQ if you really

need it. If there is a lot happening musically, you'll need the headroom."

awesome. thanks guys.