# Sound Recipe - Air / Soft Vintage Synth Pad

## Target

Soft vintage **synth** pad — string-machine gauze, JUNO chorus wash, or slow analog fog. Pairs with [Air / Soft Vintage Keys](air-soft-vintage-keys.md) but this is **synth bed**, not electric piano. Saint Etienne fridge-hum meets Hooverphonic haze — **dark, thin, wide**.

The sound should feel:

- Soft and dark (filter half-closed)
- Wide but low level
- Slow movement (LFO or wave-sequence, not arpeggio)
- Vintage (string machine, JUNO, VSM — not modern supersaw)
- Background weather

Follows the house method: **intention → source → preset/plugin start → routing → settings → automation → taste checks.**

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## Useful References

- Saint Etienne gauze; Hooverphonic bed; One Dove string-machine fog
- Adjacent: [Saint Etienne Fridge Synth](saint-etienne-like-a-motorway-fridge-synth.md) (more motor/pulse — this is softer pad)

Steal the jobs: VSM/Solina bed, JUNO chorus, dark plate, low level.

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## Best For

Pad under vocal, synth haze under guitar, dream-pop atmosphere when Pigments feels too modern.

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## Source + preset starting points

| Source | ⭐ | Start From | Going For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GForce VSM IV | ⭐ | Solina strings, choir off or tiny | String-machine gauze |
| Roland JUNO-60 / JUNO-106 | ⭐ | Chorus I/II, soft saw/pulse pad | 80s warm fog |
| Arturia Memory V | | Soft poly pad preset | Fast couch pad |
| u-he Diva | | Dual saw, filter dark, slow attack | Analog warmth |
| NI Analog Dreams | | Hybrid 80s pad | Vintage-digital haze |
| NI Cloud Supply | | Granular preset, filtered | Cinematic motion without brightness |

One pad only — mute before stacking a second.

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## Insert chain

1. **Pro-Q 4** — HPF ~120 Hz; LPF ~8 kHz if harsh; dip 300–500 Hz
2. **UAD Dimension D / Studio D Chorus** or JUNO onboard chorus — width
3. **UAD Oxide** optional — very light

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## Routing

- **`S1 Dark Plate`** or **`S2 Cinematic`** — pad shares space with keys/guitar
- Level: **-12 dB or more** under vocal in verses
- Automate filter or send up into choruses

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## Settings anchors (taste-check)

- Attack: 400 ms–1 s; release: long but controlled
- Filter cutoff: **dark** — open slightly only in choruses
- Detune: light on VSM/JUNO; avoid wide supersaw stacks

Taste knobs: **filter cutoff**, **plate send level**.

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## Adjustment Rules

| Problem | Try |
|---|---|
| Too bright | Darker preset; LPF insert; less chorus |
| Too static | Cloud Supply / wavestate slow motion; filter LFO |
| Too 80s cold | Add Diva layer quiet for warmth |
| Covers vocal | Drop level; HPF pad; fewer notes |

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## Common Mistakes

- Pigments supersaw at full brightness (wrong recipe)
- Two pads same job (VSM + JUNO + Diva all loud)
- [Fridge motor pulse](saint-etienne-like-a-motorway-fridge-synth.md) on the same track (different recipe)
- Loud reverb on bright hall (use dark plate)

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## Closest Tools I Own

Pads: GForce VSM IV, Roland JUNO-60 / JUNO-106, Arturia Memory V, u-he Diva, NI Analog Dreams, NI Cloud Supply
Space: Eventide SP2016, Lexicon PCM, Valhalla VintageVerb
Width/glue: UAD Dimension D / Studio D Chorus, UAD Oxide, FabFilter Pro-Q 4

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## Related Pages

- [08 - Synths and Keys](../../instruments/08-synths-and-keys.md)
- [Sound Recipe - Air / Soft Vintage Keys](air-soft-vintage-keys.md)
- [Sound Recipe - Saint Etienne / "Like a Motorway" Fridge Synth](saint-etienne-like-a-motorway-fridge-synth.md)

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## Practical Summary

**VSM IV or JUNO** soft dark pad, chorus width, **dark plate**, very low in the mix. Optional **Analog Dreams / Cloud Supply** for motion. Filter dark, level low — synth **weather**, not a part.