Point Blank Masterclass: Making a synth lead in Sylenth1 with Stonebank

Here we are with another guest masterclass from Point Blank. Following on from their recent session with Gammer, they’ve hit up another Monstercat artist in Stonebank, who covers pretty much all angles of the label’s output with Happy Hardcore, Electro and Dubstep all likely to emerge from the lab.

Here, he describes how to make a lead synth using the Sylenth1 plugin in his favoured hardcore style. Watch the video below to find out how, and make sure you keep watching to the very end for a bonus piece of advice. If you’d like to learn more about production or sound design, check out Point Blank’s courses online or their London school.

Stonebank has been producing for over a decade, and in that time he has released a number of tracks across a myriad of genres under his own surname (Stonebank) as well as Modulate and Rocket Pimp. He has since done away with the different alias per genre approach and now it’s anyone’s guess what his next release may sound like.

For this masterclass, he ostensibly works within hardcore (where his heart truly lies, apparently) but these sounds could be used across EDM, trance, US-style dubstep and hardcore variants.

The example is a three-part layered lead, with a track for character, another as a filler and a third with some chords which act a base for the rest of the lead to sit on. Working with an ease and speed that affirm his 11 years in the game, Stonebank reveals plenty of tips as part of his writing process.

Most important are the tenets of layering properly to add space and power, and the marriage of the right sound with the right melody.

When kicks and bass are added at the video’s end, we think you’ll agree that’s a remarkably fast-produced banger. Follow Stonebank on Facebook.

Want more? Point blank can teach you production across the board – from humble beginnings with an Intro to Music Production course, to Sound Design, Mixing and Mastering and much more. You can even study your degree with them; they offer a BA (Hons) in Music Production and Sound Engineering in London and Online. Check out schools in LA, Ibiza and Mumbai too.