How To Make Melodic Techno Like Anyma (2025)

Anyma is one of the defining artists of the current melodic techno movement, pioneering the sound through his label Afterlife and his Genesis solo shows that have toured the world. His sound has evolved significantly over the past year, and in this tutorial Niek dives deep into all the essential elements of his current style: the rolling sub bass, the gated lead sound, the FM base shots, the supporting synths and piano layers, and the arrangement structure that captures that massive, emotional Anyma energy. All sounds used are from The Producer School's melodic techno packs.

How to Build the Rolling Sub Bass in the Anyma Style

The sub bass is the backbone of any melodic techno track, and in Anyma's sound it is built for maximum sub energy and groove. The preset used in this tutorial is Base Arch from the Voyage pack - a clean, rolling sub bass. The sound starts with oscillator A using a sampled Moog saw wave table, which adds character that a native Serum wave table sometimes lacks, and oscillator B is a Uno square-ish wave table. Both oscillators are pitched down two and three octaves respectively and linked through a filter that is not opened too far, keeping the focus firmly on the sub frequency region. Envelope 2 is shaped with the sustain brought back slightly and a short Decay, routed to the MG Low 24 filter. A small boost in the EQ on the low-mids adds punch to the sound. For the MIDI, use a 1/16 rolling rhythm - four notes per beat - which is standard in Anyma's productions. A useful mixing technique: leave a tiny gap between consecutive notes rather than letting them overlap. This allows the synth's amplitude system to reset with each note, giving every hit a bit more individual impact. Processing includes a gentle EQ for high-frequency cleanup, a light OTT at 22% depth, and a very steep sidechain curve to leave space for the kick.

How to Design the Top Bass Layer That Complements the Sub

The top bass is a second bass layer that adds groove and frequency body on top of the rolling sub without interfering with its sub content. The preset used is called Strategy from the Voyage pack, which combines two Moog saw wave tables - one pitched down two octaves and one pitched down one octave. Using two different octaves in the same patch fills more of the frequency spectrum than keeping everything on one level, creating a richer, fuller sound. Two voices of Unison are applied with light detuning for a wider stereo image, complementing the more focused mono character of the sub bass beneath it. Envelope 2 is shaped with sustain all the way down and Decay at 400 milliseconds, routed to the MG Low 18 filter. A Hyper plugin is added at 25% to further widen the sound. A very short 1/16 slip delay at 30% mix adds subtle depth. Envelope 2 is also linked to the gain of an EQ that boosts the highs slightly on each note attack, adding sparkle to every hit. For mixing, cut the sub frequencies, boost the low-mids, and use a very light OTT at 8%. The sidechain is less aggressive than the sub bass version since this layer does not directly compete with the kick in the low end.

What Is the Anyma Gated Lead and How Do You Make It?

The gated lead is one of the most recognizable elements of Anyma's current sound - a stuttering, pitch-morphing supersaw that creates an intense, hypnotic texture. The patch in Serum uses two saw waves with 6 and 2 voices of Unison respectively, but the character comes entirely from its LFO setup. LFO 1 is shaped to fill exactly half the LFO window at a rate of 18, and it is routed to the level of both oscillators, the noise level, and the volume. This is what creates the gating (stuttering) effect - the sound rapidly cuts in and out with each cycle of the LFO. LFO 2 modulates the fine tune parameter at an extreme value (around 40 semitones) with a 1-bar rate, starting in tune at the beginning of the bar, reaching maximum detune at the midpoint, and returning to normal tuning by the bar end. LFO 3 does the same as LFO 2 but is set to trigger mode, so the pitch effect occurs once when the note is pressed and then stabilizes. LFO 4 is routed to the MG Low 12 filter for a slow sweeping effect. Chorus widens the sound, while delay and reverb add size. On top of these LFOs, apply a low-cut EQ, OTT at 20%, a subtle Decapitator, and Little Radiator with Heat at 1 dB and mix at a low percentage for additional grit. Do not let this lead play continuously - program it to play for 2 bars at a time, leaving gaps to be filled by the FM base shots.

How to Make the FM Base Shots That Define Anyma's Sound

The FM base shots are the punchy, metallic rhythmic hits that fill the space between the gated lead phrases and give Anyma tracks their characteristic forward-driving energy. In Serum, the sound uses a saw wave at oscillator A with 6 voices of Unison and moderate detuning to create width, while oscillator B is a basic Moog wave table at 35% level used purely as an FM modulator on oscillator A at 70% FM depth. Removing the FM modulation entirely leaves a fat but unremarkable sound - it is the FM at high depth that generates the metallic, industrial edge. Envelope 2 is routed to the MG 12 filter with the cutoff opening in a controlled manner from a limited point rather than fully open. For rhythmic programming, Anyma uses fast rhythmic patterns - two quick notes in a burst, for example, or even faster single-step hits. The post-processing chain includes a steep low-cut EQ to keep the base shots from interfering with the sub bass, a harsh OTT to squash and crunch the sound, a Decapitator set to drive 4, and a sidechain at 60%. A useful addition: layer a short, noisy percussion hit (a snap or perc transient) alongside every base shot hit - this adds attack and snap that the base shot alone can sometimes lack. Together with the gated lead, these base shots create the signature Anyma interplay that defines the genre right now.

How to Layer the Supporting Synths and Piano

Beyond the main bass and lead elements, Anyma's tracks use supporting synth pads and a piano layer to add harmonic richness and cinematic depth. For the synth pad, copy the bass progression notes and pitch them up one octave. The pad preset used here has built-in Distortion for slight grit, giving it a non-clean, slightly raw texture that fits the overall dark energy of the track. Rather than programming detailed chord voicings, use simple two-note intervals - the root note and its neighbor - to create a cinematic, sparse harmonic layer. For the piano, copy the same chord progression and add more notes on top to fill out the voicing. The piano layer is treated as a background filler - it should sit quietly underneath everything else, adding texture rather than competing for attention with the leads. A really interesting addition for Anyma's current style is a choir vocal sample with a gate effect applied via a transgate plugin (like Gross Beat with a transgate pattern). Set the volume mix on the transgate to around 65% and add Decapitator for drive and Reverb for atmosphere plus sidechain. This choir with gating creates a stuttering, atmospheric effect that dramatically increases the width and emotional weight of the drop when layered with the other elements.

How to Arrange a Track in the Current Anyma Style

Anyma's more recent productions have moved toward a slightly more EDM-influenced arrangement style compared to his earlier work, with bigger, more dramatic builds and more aggressive fills. A functional arrangement structure for this style looks like this:

1. Start the intro filtered - bring in the kick, sub bass, and top bass with a low-pass filter closed down, gradually opening up the filter to reveal the full frequency content
2. Introduce the gated lead and base shots in the mid section to begin building energy
3. In the buildup, switch the bass progression from its static loop to a more emotional chord variation - moving from the root to other notes in the key - to create emotional tension on the dance floor
4. Automate filters across multiple sounds during the buildup so nothing is fully revealed until the drop hits
5. Use big, old-school-influenced fills during the buildup - more dramatic than typical pure melodic techno but in line with Anyma's evolved, 2025 style
6. Drop to full energy with all elements playing: kick, sub bass, top bass, gated lead, FM base shots, choir vocal, pad, and piano
7. FX throughout: ambient layers, impact sounds, downfilters, and sweeps to smooth transitions

The Voyage melodic techno producer pack from The Producer School contains all the Serum presets and sample pack sounds used in this tutorial. For an even more comprehensive library, The Producer School also offers a bundle that combines all melodic techno packs released to date - a strong option for producers who want to build a serious melodic techno sample collection.

Tutorial by Niek, co-founder of The Producer School. For more production tutorials, subscribe to The Producer School on YouTube (280K+ subscribers).