The ultimate rawstyle screech tutorial! In this free mini course, you’ll learn how to create powerful rawstyle and hardstyle screeches using Sylenth1 in FL Studio. You don’t need Sylenth1. Any synth can work, but I personally enjoy using it for its versatility and ease of use.
We’ll walk through each part of the screech step by step. Instead of just copying settings, try to understand why they work. That way, you can develop your own authentic screeches.
Start your rawstyle screech with the oscillators
Every sound starts at the oscillator section. This is where the audio signal is generated and shaped.
Detune
To make a detuned screech, use multiple voices and apply a moderate amount of detune. For screeches, slightly more detune often sounds better; for leads, usually less.
Multiple oscillators
Use multiple oscillators with slightly different settings to add fullness or create a wider stereo image.
Stereo separation
Widen your sound using the stereo knob, or by adjusting panning and phase settings. Personally, I often skip the phase and panning tweaks, but they’re worth experimenting with.
Volume envelope
Tight volume envelopes tend to work best for screeches. Use a fast attack, constant sustain, and a quick release for a snappy, punchy sound.
Unclear about your synth? Start first with Synthesizer Explained for a speed course.
Shape your rawstyle screech with filters
A bandpass (BP) filter works well when combined with distortion and other effects. Use the cutoff to select which frequencies are affected, and the resonance to control how strong the effect is. Play around to find your sweet spot.
Shape your rawstyle screech with envelopes and LFOs
Pitch envelope
A pitch envelope can add motion to your screech, making it rise or fall for a more aggressive or tearing effect.
LFOs
LFOs introduce oscillations (vibrations) that add character to the sound. In this screech tutorial, I used a pitch LFO and a filter cutoff LFO.
- A fast pitch LFO can create a detuned, screamy feel.
- A slow pitch LFO gives a more eerie, wobbly effect.
- A filter LFO adds to the screaming quality, usually a slower rate works better here.
Make hardstyle and rawstyle screeches your way
The best screech is the one that fits your track. Your preferences and goals should shape your choices. Learn your synthesizer inside out, and design sounds that feel right to you.
Shape your rawstyle screech with effects
In the example from the video, I only used two built-in Sylenth1 effects: distortion and chorus.
Distortion
Distortion is key to turning a soft sound into a powerful rawstyle screech. Be careful not to overdo it. Too much distortion can flatten your sound and ruin clarity.
Chorus
Chorus can enhance detune, depth, and stereo width. You don’t need it, but it’s a handy tool to achieve a more spacious sound. Alternatively, you can get similar results with detune or pitch LFOs.
Boost your rawstyle screech with mixer effects
Sound design doesn’t stop at the synth. Mixer effects play a huge role in shaping your screech and getting it mix-ready.
Equalizing
Each screech requires unique EQ choices, depending on how it already sounds.
- Brightening up the highs can help balance the mid/low frequencies introduced by reverb and saturation.
- Cutting ultra-highs removes hiss and cleans up the top end, making your mix tighter.
- Removing unnecessary lows makes room for the kick. The cutoff point varies between screeches.
Alternatively, reducing mids can have a similar effect to boosting highs. It’s all about frequency balance.
Reverb and delay
Hardstyle screeches need space, so reverb and/or delay are essential. The exact settings depend on your taste.
A longer reverb tail often works well. Cutting highs and lows from the reverb can give your screech a tighter, cleaner feel.
Saturation
You can use a waveshaper or other saturation tools to add warmth and volume. In the video example, the saturation didn’t change much, but it’s still worth testing on your own sounds.
Tip: Listening to the same sound repeatedly can dull your perspective. Take breaks from time to time to refresh your ears and make better decisions.
The ultimate rawstyle screech: Find what works for you
There’s no single right way to make a hardstyle or rawstyle screech. For example, I could have easily used the Sylenth1 EQ or reverb instead of external mixer effects.
Focus on the bigger picture and look beyond the what and how. Think about the why. That mindset will help you improve much faster and develop your own style.
That’s exactly what I dive into in my self-affiliated books, teaching the “why” behind every decision.
If you’re serious about producing rawstyle or hardstyle, now’s the time to level up and create screeches that stand out in any playlist.