An arpeggio is a chord or chords that is broken into a sequence of notes. The sequence can span from one to multiple octaves and most modern synths allow you to choose the order in which the notes are playing, so they might go up, down, play randomly and so on.
Synth arpeggios can be very diverse – short and plucky, full of sharp transients, all the way to softer, mellow and atmospheric – which means deploying multiple mixing techniques. As with most leads there is always room for an EQ to help tidy the sound up, cutting unnecessary low end or reducing a resonant frequency. We can also emphasise a frequency band, like a high shelf boost, to help the sound be more up-front.
Most arpeggios also have a large dynamic range, so transient designers can shape the attack and release stages. This can contrast with other elements in your mix, so if you have spiky drums, you could tame the attack portion of the arp to make them blend well together.
We’ll also include some less conventional techniques such as pitchshifting delays and bitcrushers. The bitcrusher might not be seen as a great mixing tool, but due to its ability to introduce harmonics and noise, it can be an irreplaceable utility to position sounds in a mix.
Follow our workshop below for some great mixing techniques for perfect arpeggios.
PRO TIPS
ARPEGGIATED HI-HATS A great technique to come up with interesting hat rhythms is to use an arpeggiator. Use a MIDI arpeggiator (such as Xfer Cthulhu) as a source to trigger your hat samples. You can create interesting rhythm and velocity automations making your hats groovy and alive. This can also sit nicely on top of your synth arpeggio.