Supersaw Calculator
Starting settings for the classic trance supersaw in your synth, and a live preview that shows what voices, detune and width really do.
Knob positions are starting points to tune by ear, not exact preset values.
Hear it
Picking a sound loads its preview settings. Try one voice, then seven, then sixteen; then sweep the detune from 0 to 100 cents.
CPU
Keeping the low end mono
Sounds to load your MIDI into
Supersaw Essentials: 25 free trance presets for Vital, the free synth. Leads, plucks, pads and gated stabs, voiced for every tool on this site.
What makes a supersaw
A supersaw is several sawtooth oscillators playing the same note, each tuned slightly differently and spread across the stereo field. The tiny tuning differences make the voices drift in and out of phase, which creates the rich, shimmering, chorus-like sound at the heart of trance leads and pads. Roland's JP-8000 made it famous in the late 90s, and every modern synth has a unison section that does the same job.
Voices sets how many copies play. Seven to nine is the sweet spot for leads; pads can go higher. Detune sets how far apart they're tuned: too little sounds thin, too much sounds out of tune. Width (called Stereo, Wide or Spread depending on the synth) pans the voices apart. Blend or mix balances the detuned voices against the centre one, which keeps the note's pitch clear.
The preview shows the detune as a spread in cents (hundredths of a semitone) and how fast the outer voices beat against each other. Slow beating sounds lush; fast beating sounds aggressive and edgy.
Layering for a bigger sound
Big trance leads are usually two or three supersaw layers: one at the played pitch, one an octave up, and sometimes a quieter one an octave down with less width. High-pass every layer except the lowest, add a dotted-1/8 delay (times in the Delay Calculator), and sidechain the whole group to the kick. Then write the parts in the Chord Lab and Arp Generator.
Questions
How many unison voices should a trance supersaw have?
Seven to nine voices per oscillator suits most leads. Pads can use more for a smoother wash, and plucks often sound tighter with four to six. More voices cost more CPU and can blur fast notes.
Why does my supersaw sound out of tune?
The detune is probably too high, or the blend is letting the detuned voices drown out the centre voice. Lower the detune until the pitch is clear, then raise the blend just until it sounds wide again.
Why does my supersaw disappear in mono?
Very wide unison partly cancels when the left and right channels are summed. Lower the width a little, keep one oscillator narrower, and check the part in mono before you commit.
Do these settings work in other synths?
Yes. Any synth with unison voices, detune and stereo spread works the same way, including Massive, Pigments, Phase Plant and hardware like the Novation Summit. Match the voice count, then set detune and width by ear.