How to make a supersaw in Serum 2

A supersaw is one saw wave stacked into many copies, each tuned a little differently and spread across the stereo field. In Serum that is the unison section. The rest of the sound comes from a second layer an octave up, an open filter and a lot of space.

Unison: the heart of it

Set oscillator A to a saw wavetable.
Raise unison to 7 to 9 voices. Fewer than 5 sounds like a chorus; more than 11 mostly adds mud.
Set the detune so it shimmers without sounding out of tune. Start low and raise it until the sound opens up, then back off a touch.
Turn the blend up so the detuned voices are about as loud as the center voice.
Keep the width high. This is the sound that is supposed to be wide.

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Add an octave

Turn on oscillator B with another saw one octave up, with fewer unison voices (3 to 5) and a lower level. It adds brightness without more mud. A sub or a third saw an octave down helps when the supersaw plays the chords alone.

Filter and envelope

Leave the filter mostly open, or use a gentle low-pass to take off the harshest top end. A high-pass around 150 to 250 Hz keeps the supersaw out of the bass and kick.

For a lead, use a fast attack and full sustain. For chords and pads, a little attack (20 to 80 ms) and a longer release (300 to 600 ms) make it bloom.

Effects

Chorus or a dimension style effect for extra width.
Delay at 1/8 or 1/4 note, mixed low, so it fills gaps without smearing.
A big reverb, then an EQ after it to keep the low end clean.
Sidechain the whole sound to the kick in your DAW. That pumping is part of the classic sound.

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Five free Serum 2 presets

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Questions

How many unison voices for a supersaw?

Usually 7 to 9. Fewer sounds thin, more than about 11 gets muddy without sounding bigger.

Why does my supersaw sound out of tune?

The detune is too high. Lower it until the sound shimmers instead of wobbling between pitches.

Why does my supersaw sound muddy?

Too much low end and too many voices. High-pass it around 150 to 250 Hz and try fewer voices.