To add glide in Serum 2, turn on MONO and LEGATO in the VOICING panel at the bottom right of the OSC page, then raise the PORTA knob below it and play overlapping notes. Around 200 to 400 ms gives a clear slide. ALWAYS and SCALED change when and how the glide happens, and they are explained below.
Here is every control, what it does, and the settings for the three kinds of glide people actually want: a 303-style slide, a lead glide, and glide on chords.
The Two Panels
At the bottom right of the OSC page sit VOICING and, under it, the portamento controls: PORTA, CURVE, ALWAYS and SCALED.
VOICING
MONO allows one note at a time. Press a new key while one is held and the old note is re-pitched to the new one instead of a second voice starting. This is the setting that makes glide feel like a real monosynth.
LEGATO only matters when MONO is on. It decides whether the envelopes and LFOs restart when the mono voice is interrupted. With LEGATO on, a new note while another is held does not retrigger the envelopes, so the glide is one continuous phrase. With LEGATO off, every note retriggers, which gives each note the same attack but keeps the pitch slide.
Serum 2 lets individual envelopes ignore the legato setting, so you can have the amp envelope hold through a legato phrase while the filter envelope retriggers. That is a good trick for a bass that slides but still punches.
POLY sets the number of simultaneous notes, and is grayed out in MONO mode. The counter next to it shows voices playing against voices allowed, and it counts unison voices, so 8 poly with 7 unison is 56 oscillators. Right-click POLY to limit the same note to one voice, or to choose which note gets stolen when you run out.
Portamento
PORTA is the glide time. Zero is off. A small amount, under 100 ms, gives a quick slur. Around 200 to 400 ms is a clear slide. Anything longer is an effect.
CURVE shapes the slide. In the top half of its range the pitch leaves the old note quickly and eases into the new one, which is how most people expect glide to feel. Drag it below half and it is the opposite, a slow departure and a fast arrival, which sounds more like a pitch bend played by hand.
ALWAYS decides whether glide happens on every note or only on overlapping ones. Off means you have to hold one key and press another to get a slide. On means even a single staccato note glides in from the previous pitch. Off is what a 303 does, and what most basslines want. On is for leads where every note should swoop.
SCALED ties the glide time to the interval. A small step glides fast, a big jump takes longer. This keeps close notes clean and makes big leaps dramatic. It is the setting to turn on for a melodic lead, and the one to leave off for a bass where every slide should take the same time.
Three Setups
| Sound | MONO | LEGATO | PORTA | ALWAYS | SCALED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 303 / acid bass | On | On | 60 to 120 ms | Off | Off |
| Lead with swoops | On | On | 150 to 300 ms | On | On |
| Poly glide (chords) | Off | Off | 100 to 200 ms | On | Off |
The 303 setup is the one that comes up most. MONO and LEGATO on, ALWAYS off. Now a slide only happens when you play a note before releasing the previous one, which is exactly how the original worked with its slide flag. In the piano roll, overlap the two notes you want to slide between. Notes that do not overlap play clean. I go deeper on the rest of the patch in the acid bass tutorial.
The lead setup turns ALWAYS on so every note glides, and SCALED on so a semitone step barely moves while an octave jump takes its time. Add a little LFO vibrato with RISE and it plays like a solo instrument.
Poly glide is the odd one. MONO off, ALWAYS on. Each new chord slides in from the previous chord’s pitches. It is a big part of the classic Juno pad sound and works well on the pads in the pads guide.
Why Glide Sounds Wrong Sometimes
The slide happens on every note. ALWAYS is on. Turn it off if you only want slides on overlapping notes.
The slide restarts the attack. LEGATO is off. Turn it on so the envelopes hold through the phrase.
Notes pile up instead of sliding. MONO is off. Poly mode with glide gives poly glide, which is a different thing.
Big jumps are too slow or small steps are too fast. Toggle SCALED. It changes the relationship between distance and time.
Portamento sounds stepped. Check that no LFO or S&H is on pitch. Glide itself is smooth.
The basses in the free Serum 2 preset pack ship with MONO and LEGATO on and a short PORTA time, so you can hear the 303 setup on any of them by overlapping two notes. The Serum 2 presets catalog sorts bass packs by genre, and the bundles collect them.
FAQ
How do I add glide in Serum 2?
Turn on MONO and LEGATO in the VOICING panel, then raise the PORTA knob below it. Overlap two notes and the pitch slides between them.
What does ALWAYS do in Serum 2 portamento?
With ALWAYS on, every note glides from the previous pitch even if no note is held. With it off, glide only happens when notes overlap.
What does SCALED do?
It makes the glide time depend on the interval. Small steps glide faster, large jumps take longer. Useful for melodic leads, usually off for bass.
Can I glide in poly mode?
Yes. Leave MONO off, turn ALWAYS on and set PORTA. Each new chord slides in from the previous one.
Why does legato not work in Serum 2?
LEGATO only has an effect when MONO is enabled. Turn MONO on first.
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