Master the modern stadium-sized Anyma and Afterlife Melodic Techno sound in this complete step-by-step production and Serum 2 sound design tutorial.
Every single sound, drum hit, atmosphere loop, and Serum 2 preset used in this track comes from VELORYN – Melodic Techno Sample Pack & Serum 2 Presets. Follow along as we build the tight LFO-shaped kick, Vocoder-brightened hats, rolling sub-bass, dual unison main leads, call-and-response synths, and signature cinematic Afterlife horn.
What you will learn
1. Tight LFO-Shaped Kick, Layered Claps & Vocoder Hi-Hats
Modern Afterlife tracks require surgical drum transients so the huge synth walls never clutter the mix:
• Kick Processing: We start with a punchy Melodic Techno kick, drive it with Drum Buss, shorten and tighten its sub tail using LFO Tool so it leaves room for the bass, and lock it to 100% Mono with Utility.
• 2 Layered Claps: Combined for body and snap, then processed with an Ableton Vocoder (white noise mode) for top-end sizzle, lush reverb, and a steep low-cut EQ.
• 16th Closed Hat & Off-Beat Hat: The rolling 16th hat uses Vocoder white-noise texture, Auto Pan for stereo movement, reverb, low-cut EQ, and kick sidechain, while the off-beat hat uses Vocoder brightness to slice through the lead stack.
2. Rolling Sub & Mid-Bass Precision (Preset: BS – Tempest)
For the driving 16th-note low end, we load the Serum 2 preset BS – Tempest from VELORYN.
• Sidechain & Crossover Mono: We sculpt a razor-sharp ducking curve with LFO Tool synced to the shortened kick, then place Ableton Utility on the channel with Bass Mono enabled below 120 Hz.
• Stereo Top, Mono Sub: This keeps the fundamental sub frequencies rock-solid in the club while allowing the upper saw harmonics of BS – Tempest to spread wide across the stereo image.
3. Dual Main Leads, Aggressive Stabs & 4/8-Bar Response Synths
Instead of relying on a single static synth loop, we construct a multi-layered call-and-response synth architecture using five Serum 2 presets from VELORYN:
• Main Lead Layer 1 (PL – Drift) & Layer 2 (PL – Bloom): Both play the exact same main hook pattern. PL – Drift provides the dry, punchy transient (low-cut EQ + sidechain), while PL – Bloom adds lush stereo sustain and reverb.
• Aggressive Stab (BS – Crusher): Punctuates the groove with low-cut EQ, dark reverb, rhythmic delay, and sidechain.
• 4-Bar & 8-Bar Response Leads (LD – Radiance & LD – Prism): LD – Radiance answers the main hook on the last bar of every 4-bar phrase, while LD – Prism fires every 8th bar over a rhythmic atmosphere loop to keep the drop evolving.
4. Cinematic Afterlife Horn, Uplifters & Downlifters
To achieve that unmistakable Anyma / Tale Of Us tension before and after the drop, we frame the arrangement with high-impact transition design.
• Signature Cinematic Horn: Blasts on key structural transitions to announce the drop with massive low-mid weight.
• Uplifters & Downlifters: Sweeping noise uplifters pull the listener into the pre-drop silence, while heavy sub-drop downlifters glue the first bar of the drop to the kick and BS – Tempest bassline.
Get the sounds and complete project
Every drum sample, rhythmic atmosphere loop, cinematic horn, and Serum 2 preset (BS – Tempest, PL – Drift, PL – Bloom, BS – Crusher, LD – Radiance, LD – Prism) comes from VELORYN – Melodic Techno Sample Pack.
Explore VELORYN:
Explore VELORYN – Melodic Techno Sample Pack & Serum 2 Presets →Get the Complete Melodic Techno Bundle (VELORYN + LUNIX + ECLIPSE) →
Inside VELORYN
• 5 Full Melodic Techno Construction Kits with Stems, MIDI & Serum 2 Presets
• Custom Serum 2 Presets (BS – Tempest, PL – Drift, PL – Bloom, BS – Crusher, LD – Radiance, LD – Prism & more)
• Punchy Melodic Techno Kicks, Claps, Hi-Hats & Rhythmic Drum Loops
• Rhythmic Atmosphere Loops, Signature Cinematic Horns, Uplifters & Downlifters
• 100% Royalty-Free Stems, Loops, One-Shots & MIDI Files
Ready to upgrade your entire Melodic Techno studio toolkit? Check out the Melodic Techno 3-Pack Bundle (VELORYN + LUNIX + ECLIPSE) or unlock all 11 Tuniwave packs in The Everything Bundle (€119).