Ultimate Serum 2 Presets for Melodic Techno & House Music
Oblivion is a Serum 2 preset pack built specifically for melodic house and techno producers, featuring over 120 sounds designed to push the boundaries of modern sound design. In this tutorial, Niek walks through the full pack - covering arpeggios, basses, leads, plucks, and synth pads - showing exactly how each preset was built and how you can use them in your own tracks. Whether you are just getting started with Serum 2 or looking to level up your sound palette, this video gives you an honest preview of what is inside.
What Is the Oblivion Serum 2 Sound Bank?
Oblivion is a Serum 2 preset pack created by The Producer School, designed specifically for melodic house and techno production. The pack contains over 120 presets across categories including arpeggios, basses, leads, plucks, and synths. Every preset was built to take advantage of Serum 2's new features - including the improved effects engine and the clip and MIDI system. One standout feature is that every preset in the pack comes with an attached MIDI clip, so you can instantly preview how the sound was intended to be used and get immediate creative inspiration without needing to draw in your own notes first.
How Do the MIDI Clip Previews Work in Serum 2?
Serum 2 introduced a clip and MIDI feature that allows preset developers to attach a MIDI clip directly to each preset. In Oblivion, every single preset has one of these clips included. When you open the preset browser in Serum 2, you will see a play button next to each preset. Pressing it plays the attached MIDI clip through the preset so you can hear exactly how the sound is intended to work in context - not just a single static note. This means you get instant inspiration and can understand the full character of a sound before committing it to your arrangement. It is one of the features the team dug into deeply when designing the pack.
How to Use the Arpeggio Presets in Melodic Techno
Several presets in Oblivion are full arpeggio sounds that play an entire sequence from a single held note. For example, holding an F note in F minor will cause the arpeggio to play the full melodic pattern for you in key - you can check the pattern in the piano roll to see every note being played, and edit it to suit your track. One arpeggio preset uses oscillator B pitched one octave higher to create an interesting pitched delay effect, which is then routed to bus 2 in the effects chain - one example of the routing flexibility Serum 2 offers. Each arpeggio preset also includes macros that let you change things like note length to add extra movement.
What Bass Sounds Are Included in the Pack?
Oblivion includes several bass presets built for modern melodic techno and house music. The preset called Chemical is a fat, heavy bass that responds well to opening up the filter cutoff. Base Density features an LFO modulation triggered by a secondary LFO, creating an interesting wobble effect that can be further shaped by automating the cutoff or attack. Bass Late is a plucky bass well suited for rolling basslines - macro 3 adds sustain to turn it into a longer, more sustained sound. Bass Rebellion features noticeable OTT compression, matching the aggressive character common in modern techno productions. Another bass called Walls rounds out the selection with its own distinct texture and character.
How to Use the Lead Presets for Ear Candy and Texture
The lead category in Oblivion covers a range of styles from aggressive to textural. Lead Blaze is a very aggressive and cutting lead suited for high-energy moments in a track. Lead Gods features LFO modulation built in - holding a single note lets the modulation do the work, making it ideal as an ear candy element without complex programming. Lead Ritual has a noticeable crystallize or reverse delay effect built into the sound design, adding character and a sense of depth. Lead Sparks and Lead Spirits - a gated vocal lead - offer contrast in style, giving you options for both punchy and airy melodic lines. All lead presets include macros for further shaping.
What Synth Pads and Step Sounds Does Oblivion Include?
Beyond basses and leads, Oblivion contains synth pads and step sounds built for atmospheric and rhythmic use. The preset Disorder is an LFO-modulated pad sound - pressing a chord and then adjusting macro one, which controls the LFO rate, lets you create interesting rhythmic patterns and large builds from a simple chord input. Synth Expression and a preset called Fragmented both use LFO modulation - Fragmented specifically uses LFO 4 to create rhythmic movement within the pad, making it a strong choice for adding evolving textures to a track without needing complex automation. The pack also includes cowbell and step sounds for percussion-style melodic elements heard widely in current melodic techno.
How to Get the Most Out of the Macros in Oblivion
Every preset in Oblivion is built with macros that allow fast customization from within Serum 2. These macros are not just simple volume or cutoff controls - they are mapped to specific parameters that shape the core character of each sound. For instance, in the arpeggio presets, macro one is mapped to note length, allowing you to change the feel of the sequence in real time. In pad sounds like Disorder, macro one controls the LFO rate, which shifts the sound from a held chord to a rhythmically evolving texture. This macro-first design means you can make expressive changes quickly during a session without diving deep into the mod matrix every time you want a variation.
If you want to get your hands on the Oblivion sound bank and explore all 120+ presets yourself, head to The Producer School website for full details and previews of the pack.
Tutorial by Niek, co-founder of The Producer School. For more production tutorials, subscribe to The Producer School on YouTube (280K+ subscribers).