# 2hp — Swarm - [Manual PDF](../../manuals/2hp_Swarm_v1-0.pdf) --- [Manual PDF](https://www.twohp.com/modules/swarm) # 2hp Swarm: using it for melodic parts Based on the manual, **2hp Swarm** is a **hyper oscillator / supersaw-style voice source** designed to generate thick, animated pitched tones from a very small footprint. On its own, it is primarily an oscillator, but the manual also points to a few ideal companion modules for turning it into a complete **melodic voice**: - **Swarm**: pitched sound source - **EG**: envelope for note articulation - **VCA**: amplitude control - **MMF**: tone shaping / filtering - **Lo-Fi**: coloration and character ## What Swarm does well musically Swarm is built for **stacked oscillator textures**: - **Freq** sets the main pitch and tracks **1V/oct** - **Voices** changes how many oscillators are active - **Detune** spreads those oscillators apart for width and motion - **Wave toggle** switches between: - **Saw**: classic supersaw / trance / lead / pad character - **Pulse**: narrower, more hollow, reed-like or aggressive tone ### Voice count behavior The manual gives useful detail here: - fully CCW on **Voices** = **1 oscillator** - center = **20 oscillators** - fully CW = **dozens** - up to **88 oscillators for Saw** - up to **55 oscillators for Pulse** That means Swarm can move from: - a relatively simple mono oscillator - to a very dense unison lead - to a huge swarm pad/drone source This makes it especially strong for **melodic hooks, trance leads, hardstyle stabs, lush harmonies, and animated basses**. --- ## Core melodic patch: Swarm as a playable synth voice The most straightforward use is to build a standard subtractive-style monosynth voice. ### Patch 1. Send a **sequencer or keyboard 1V/oct CV** to **Swarm Freq input** 2. Send **Swarm OUT** to **VCA IN** 3. Send **EG OUT** to **VCA CV** 4. Send **gate/trigger** from your sequencer to **EG TRIG** 5. Send **VCA OUT** to your mixer/output ### Result This gives you: - pitch from your sequencer - note starts/stops from the EG and VCA - a playable melodic line with Swarm’s unison texture ### Good starting settings - **Voices**: around 9–11 o’clock for a focused unison lead - **Detune**: low to moderate, around 9–12 o’clock - **Wave**: - **Saw** for trance, EDM, anthemic lines - **Pulse** for sharper, chiptune-ish, nasal, or edgy melodies This is the minimum patch for **riffs, basslines, arpeggios, and lead melodies**. --- ## Better melodic patch: add MMF for classic synth movement The manual strongly suggests **MMF** with Swarm, and musically that makes a lot of sense. Swarm is harmonically rich, especially in saw mode, so a filter gives you dynamic control over brightness. ### Patch 1. **Swarm OUT → MMF INPUT** 2. Choose one MMF output: - **LP** for smoother leads and basses - **HP** for thinner trance leads - **BP** for focused, vocal-like tones 3. **MMF output → VCA IN** 4. **EG OUT → VCA CV** 5. Optional: mult the same envelope or use another modulation source to **MMF FREQ CV** if available in your system ### Musical uses - **Low-pass**: warm basslines, classic synth leads, pads - **High-pass**: uplifting trance leads that sit above a mix - **Band-pass**: more cutting melodic hooks ### Why this works Swarm produces a lot of harmonic content. Filtering lets you: - tame the density - create build-ups and transitions - animate repeated melodic phrases - make different registers feel distinct A simple 8-note sequence through Swarm can become much more expressive just by sweeping the filter. --- ## Expressive note shapes with EG The manual describes **EG** as useful for shaping “super-saw stabs,” and that’s exactly one of Swarm’s strongest applications. ### Fast pluck / stab Use: - fast attack - short decay - moderate amplitude This is great for: - trance chords - gated melodic stabs - hard dance riffs - percussive bass sequences ### Longer envelope Use: - medium attack - longer decay This is better for: - legato melodies - pad-like phrases - swelling harmonic lines Because Swarm can sound very big very quickly, even modest envelope shaping gives strong rhythmic definition. --- ## Using Voices as a musical performance control One of the most interesting melodic uses of Swarm is that **Voices** acts like a macro density control. ### Practical musical applications #### 1. Verse to chorus expansion - keep **Voices** lower during sparse sections - raise it for choruses or climaxes This makes the same melody feel like it “opens up” without changing the notes. #### 2. Bass to lead morph - lower voices for bassline passages - increase voices and detune for lead sections #### 3. Accent selected notes If you can modulate **Voices CV**, you can increase oscillator count on certain steps to emphasize accents in a sequence. ### Important tonal effect As you add voices: - the sound gets wider - harmonics and beating increase - pitch perception becomes more “ensemble-like” This is excellent for emotionally larger melodic gestures. --- ## Using Detune musically The manual notes: - first half of the knob = **tasteful detune** - second half = **chaotic detune** That suggests two broad melodic zones. ### Low to moderate detune Best for: - melodic clarity - basslines - chord-like intervals implied by the swarm - stable leads Use this when the notes need to remain clearly defined. ### High detune Best for: - euphoric leads - noisy risers - unstable drones - huge transitions At extreme settings, pitch center becomes less precise, so it’s often better for: - sustained notes - breakdown textures - dramatic fills ### Sequencing tip A small amount of modulation to **Detune CV** can bring life to repeated phrases: - slightly more detune on longer notes - detune opening during phrase endings - subtle LFO for constant motion --- ## Saw vs Pulse for melodic writing The waveform switch is a major compositional choice. ## Saw mode Best for: - supersaw leads - lush arps - chordal illusions - trance/hard dance hooks - wide melodic pads Because saw waves are bright and harmonically dense, this is likely the most iconic Swarm sound. ### Use saw when you want: - width - richness - emotional “anthem” energy - strong filter interaction ## Pulse mode Best for: - tighter basses - more hollow melodies - retro/electro tones - sharper riffs Pulse can cut differently in a mix and can feel more focused than saw despite still being stacked. ### Use pulse when you want: - cleaner separation - more nasal or woody tone - less wash than saw - strong rhythmic articulation --- ## Swarm for basslines Even though Swarm looks like a lead machine, it should be excellent for **melodic bass content**. ### Bass patch 1. **Pulse** or **Saw** depending on brightness needed 2. Keep **Voices** lower to moderate 3. Use **Detune** lightly 4. Send through **MMF low-pass** 5. Shape with **EG + VCA** ### Result You can get: - rolling techno bass - wide trance bass - distorted rave bass if followed by Lo-Fi - squelchy bass when MMF resonance is used creatively For bass, less is often more: - too many voices can blur the low end - too much detune can weaken pitch definition --- ## Swarm for leads This is where the module likely shines most. ### Lead patch recipe - **Saw mode** - **Voices** at medium-high - **Detune** at low-medium - **MMF high-pass or low-pass depending arrangement** - **EG** set for fast attack and medium decay - optional **Lo-Fi** after the VCA or filter ### Why it works You get: - width without needing multiple oscillators - instant “produced” sound - a large stereo-like psychoacoustic feel even in mono contexts due to beating and density This is ideal for: - trance melodies - festival lead lines - octave riffs - arpeggiated hooks --- ## Swarm for chord-like melodic textures Swarm does not appear to be a chord generator in the strict sense, but because of the stacked oscillators and detune spread, it can create **chord-adjacent massed harmony textures**. ### Ways to use it - sustain single notes for lush pseudo-chord presence - sequence simple melodies and let the swarm create harmonic thickness - layer two Swarm takes or two separate melodic lines for very dense arrangements This is especially useful if you want: - big harmonic impact from minimal sequencing - cinematic monophonic melodies - thick drone-based tonal centers --- ## Adding Lo-Fi for character melodies The manual recommends **Lo-Fi** as a companion and gives two broad directions: - **digital mode** for crunch - **analog mode** for wobble/vintage character ### Melodic uses #### Digital mode Good for: - aggressive leads - bit-crushed arps - harsh rave melodies - modern distorted hooks This can help Swarm cut in a dense track. #### Analog mode Good for: - woozy synth lines - nostalgic melodies - unstable tape-ish phrases - warped ambient leads This is a great pairing when you want the swarm sound to feel less pristine and more emotional or haunted. --- ## A few practical melodic patch examples ## 1. Trance supersaw lead **Patch** - Sequencer 1V/oct → Swarm Freq - Gate → EG TRIG - Swarm OUT → MMF INPUT - MMF HP or LP → VCA IN - EG OUT → VCA CV - VCA OUT → mixer **Settings** - Wave: **Saw** - Voices: medium-high - Detune: low-medium - EG: fast attack, medium decay - MMF: slightly bright, maybe some movement **Result** Classic soaring lead for arps or main melody. --- ## 2. Hard dance stab **Patch** Same as above **Settings** - Wave: **Saw** - Voices: medium - Detune: moderate - EG: very fast attack, short decay - MMF: brighter cutoff - Optional Lo-Fi after VCA **Result** Punchy rhythmic stabs with lots of mass. --- ## 3. Animated bassline **Patch** - Sequencer → Swarm Freq - Swarm → MMF LP - MMF → VCA - EG → VCA CV **Settings** - Wave: **Pulse** - Voices: low-medium - Detune: low - MMF cutoff: moderate to low - resonance to taste **Result** A more controlled, musical bass where Swarm adds body without becoming too smeared. --- ## 4. Nostalgic warbly melody **Patch** - Swarm → VCA → Lo-Fi or - Swarm → MMF → VCA → Lo-Fi **Settings** - Wave: Pulse or Saw - Voices: medium - Detune: gentle - Lo-Fi in analog mode **Result** A melodic line with movement and imperfection, useful for ambient, synthwave, or indie electronic styles. --- ## 5. Expanding sequence Use a repeating melodic sequence and manually perform: - **Voices** - **Detune** - filter cutoff on MMF Start with: - low voices - low detune - darker filter Then build toward: - more voices - more detune - brighter filter **Result** A full arrangement arc from a single simple melodic pattern. --- ## Best role of each module in a melodic system ### Swarm Primary pitch source. Best for: - leads - basses - drones - thick arps - melodic unison textures ### EG Makes notes articulate musically. Best for: - stabs - plucks - envelopes for melodic phrasing ### VCA Essential for turning Swarm into an actual sequenced voice. ### MMF Shapes brightness and movement; helps fit Swarm into a mix. ### Lo-Fi Adds identity and vibe; useful when the clean supersaw sound feels too straightforward. --- ## Most complete melodic chain from the manual’s suggestions A very strong full voice using only the pairings mentioned would be: **Pitch CV / Gate source → Swarm → MMF → VCA → Lo-Fi → output** with **Gate → EG → VCA CV** This gives you: - pitch tracking - note articulation - subtractive tone shaping - character processing That is a complete melodic signal path for: - basslines - hooks - arpeggios - stabs - soaring leads --- ## Summary From the manual, **2hp Swarm** is best understood as a **compact supersaw / hyper-oscillator for melodic synthesis**. Its strength is not just in making a single waveform, but in giving you a **macro-controlled stack of many oscillators** that can range from focused and playable to huge and chaotic. Used together with the modules suggested in the manual: - **Swarm** provides the pitch and harmonic density - **EG + VCA** turn it into a properly articulated melodic voice - **MMF** sculpts it into basses, leads, and transitions - **Lo-Fi** adds color, grit, or vintage instability If your goal is melodic electronic music, this set is especially well suited for: - trance leads - supersaw riffs - rave stabs - wide mono basses - animated arpeggios - lush sustained hooks [Generated With Eurorack Processor](https://github.com/nstarke/eurorack-processor)