Synth Selection for Leads

Leads carry the melody. The right synth choice determines whether your melody sounds warm, aggressive, ethereal, or dark.

The Primary Lead: Prophet

Most leads in Sonic Byte use :prophet:

use_synth :prophet
play :d4, amp: 0.4, attack: 0.05, decay: 0.2,
     sustain: 0.3, release: 0.4, cutoff: 90

Why Prophet?

Warm — Analog-style warmth
Musical — Good for melodic lines
Versatile — Works dark or bright
Cuts through — Present without harsh

Lead Synth Options

:prophet (Warm, Musical)

use_synth :prophet
play :d4, cutoff: 90, res: 0.15

Best for: Main melodies, emotional lines

:saw (Raw, Bright)

use_synth :saw
play :d4, cutoff: 85

Best for: Shimmer layers (octave up)

:mod_saw (Aggressive, Moving)

use_synth :mod_saw
play :d4, mod_phase: 0.1, mod_range: 5, cutoff: 110

Best for: Hooks, alarms, aggressive accents

:dark_ambience (Atmospheric)

use_synth :dark_ambience
play :d4, attack: 0.1, release: 1

Best for: Pad layers, atmosphere under leads

:hollow (Ethereal)

use_synth :hollow
play :d4, attack: 0.3, release: 1.5, cutoff: 85

Best for: High texture, whisper layers

Layering Leads

Single synths can sound thin. Layer for richness:

Prophet + Shimmer

define :lead do |n, dur=0.5, v=1|
  # Main layer
  use_synth :prophet
  play n, amp: 0.4*v, attack: 0.05, decay: dur*0.25,
       sustain: dur*0.4, release: dur*0.5, cutoff: 90
  
  # Shimmer (octave up, quiet)
  use_synth :saw
  play n+12, amp: 0.1*v, attack: 0.08,
       sustain: dur*0.3, release: dur*0.4, cutoff: 75
end

Prophet + Dark Atmosphere

define :lead do |n, dur=0.5, v=1|
  use_synth :prophet
  play n, amp: 0.4*v, attack: 0.05, decay: dur*0.25,
       sustain: dur*0.4, release: dur*0.5, cutoff: 88
  
  use_synth :dark_ambience
  play n, amp: 0.12*v, attack: 0.1, release: dur*0.8
end

Attack Shapes

Attack time changes the feel:

attack: 0      # Instant - percussive, aggressive
attack: 0.03   # Fast - punchy but softer
attack: 0.05   # Standard - musical
attack: 0.1    # Soft - expressive
attack: 0.3+   # Slow - pad-like

By Track Type

Track	Attack	Feel
Aggressive	0.02-0.03	Punchy
Standard	0.05	Musical
Atmospheric	0.08-0.1	Soft
Ethereal	0.1+	Floating

Cutoff for Leads

Higher cutoff than bass:

# Bass cutoff: 70-85 typical
# Lead cutoff: 85-100 typical

use_synth :prophet
play :d4, cutoff: 90  # Bright enough to cut through

By Section

Section	Lead Cutoff
Intro/Build	85-88
Main	90-92
Peak	92-95
Break	85 (+ heavy reverb)

Lead Synth by Track

Track	Lead Synth	Character
1. System Override	:prophet	Balanced
2. Nerve Damage	:mod_saw	Aggressive
3. Chrome Cathedral	:pulse	Atmospheric
4. Skull Fracture	:mod_saw	Alarm-like
5. Midnight Protocol	:prophet	Warm, triumphant
6. Void Walker	:prophet	Dark, sparse
7. Core Meltdown	:prophet + :saw	Rich, ethereal
8. Terminal Velocity	:prophet	Emotional

Quick Reference

# Warm lead
use_synth :prophet
play :d4, amp: 0.4, attack: 0.05, cutoff: 90

# Aggressive lead
use_synth :mod_saw
play :d4, amp: 0.35, mod_phase: 0.1, mod_range: 5, cutoff: 110

# Shimmer layer (add to prophet)
use_synth :saw
play :d5, amp: 0.1, cutoff: 75  # Octave up

# Atmospheric layer
use_synth :dark_ambience
play :d4, amp: 0.12, attack: 0.1, release: 0.8

# Complete layered lead
define :lead do |n, dur=0.5, v=1|
  use_synth :prophet
  play n, amp: 0.4*v, attack: 0.05, cutoff: 90
  use_synth :saw
  play n+12, amp: 0.1*v, cutoff: 75
end

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