Continuations on my Synthwave From Scratch project, where I build a Synthwave track from "scratch" without a DAW, using open source DSP code in C, with some scripting languages on top.

I've added an initial lead sound to my track, but I haven't programmed the melody so it's just a single note. The lead is a particularly distinct feature with the synthwave genre, so it's important to get this one right. Both in timbre and in feel.

It seems the base of this sound is typically a modulated pulse oscillator put through some kind of chorus. I have a really nice sounding bandlimited square wave oscillator that worked quite well, but it goes against the rules of this month's #libremusicchallenge (wavetable synthesis only). So, I went with a wavetable oscillator that uses phase distortion synthesis. It has a similar characteristic.

The way vibrato and pulse modulation behaves in the lead sound is key to getting it to feel right. This also influences the kinds of melodies that work. So actually sequencing will come next.

It also helps to dunk the lead in a very bright very large artificial reverb.

#synthwavefromscratch