The Canadian-born hip-hop star Drake found early success as Lil Wayne’s protege. Now, after an endless string of hit records, he’s established himself as not only a hip-hop heavyweight but a pop star. Drake is famous for his rapping and singing abilities, which he utilizes on many tracks. His distinctive style has wide appeal, inspiring scores of imitators and making him an era-defining voice.
About ZENOLOGY
ZENOLOGY is a powerful software synth that brings fresh possibilities to any musical experience—including recreating the synth tones of “What’s Next” by Drake. At the heart of ZENOLOGY is the ZEN-Core Synthesis System. It allows users to design large and complex sounds using a wide range of detailed parameters.
ZENOLOGY Pro gives you full access to all the tools you need to take your sound design game to the next level. Each tone contains four distinct synthesis voices called “partials” that can be used simultaneously. (Model Expansions may contain fewer partials.) In each partial, you can select the oscillator waveform and adjust parameters for the dual low-frequency oscillators (LFOs), filter, amplifier, and EQ. Choose from thousands of waveforms. In addition, there are 10 types of modeled filters, 11 LFO shapes, and 90 audio effects.
Canadian Icon with Massive Impact
Despite his skills and success, some hip-hop fans question Drake’s lyrical prowess as an MC. To quiet his detractors, between albums, Drake drops unexpected singles and projects like the Scary Hours EP. The original Scary Hours yielded the smash “God’s Plan” as well as the more bar-heavy “Diplomatic Immunity.”
On Scary Hours 2, Drake speaks directly to fans and critics, offering three tracks that display his skill as one of music’s most important artists. The release opens with the synth-heavy “What’s Next.” Using ZENOLOGY, let’s explore the sounds on this track to see how we can recreate them.
"Drake is famous for his rapping and singing abilities which established him as not only a hip-hop heavyweight but a pop star."
Main Synth Patch
Besides the drums, “What’s Next” consists of three primary elements. First off, is the main synth pad, a lead that comes in at specific moments. Then there is the disrespectful 808 bassline—more on that later. For the synth pad, we’ll use a combination of different sounds to create the timbre and texture of the pad. The main melodic pattern is an oscillating chord progression that moves between E minor and B minor.
To recreate the tone of the synth, combine the SDZ043 Future Drill “Lofi Piano Saw” preset with the JUN0-106 Model Expansion preset “Uganda Poly.” There’s no need to edit these sounds at all, as both provide textures that fit the overall mood.
The “Uganda Poly” preset provides the core timbre of the sound, but you still need a bit of noise to approach the vibe of the original. This is where “Lofi Piano Saw” comes in. After duplicating the MIDI pattern to both tracks, use a filter to remove some low-end from both sounds. You’ll notice the smooth mid-range which makes this pad so distinctive.
Synth Lead with Flute Feel
The next sound to emulate is the synth lead that enters about a minute into “What’s Next.” For this, try the Flute preset “PRST_E XV Collection,” which uses Partial 1 and Partial 4 to define its voice. Then use the edit menu to adjust the filter on Partial 1.
Change the filter from Low Pass Filter (LPF) to Band Pass Filter (BPF), then use the MFX window to add tremolo to the sound. The melodic line is in B minor and highlights the root fourth and minor third. Add a bit of reverb to help it blend with the main pad. Now listen to the synth lead isolated and then with the main pad. You’ll see how the two parts complement each other.
Disrespectful 808
The final sound you’ll want to capture is the hard-hitting 808s that enter with the drums. 808s have become synonymous with any emulation of the Roland TR-808 long bass drum. Many hip-hop producers use 808 sounds as basslines to double the kick drum and add bass to the sound in place of a bass guitar or synth bass. Drake and his team are no exception.
To get this tone, use “Dirt Sub 3,” one of the factory presets in ZENOLOGY Pro. This sound is almost perfect as is, but you’ll want to adjust the sub frequencies to resonate a bit more. To do this, add Partial 3 and adjust the oscillator settings to PCM. Then set it to emulate a combination of a synth bass wave and piano.
"808s have become synonymous with any emulation of the Roland TR-808 bass drum. To get this tone, use 'Dirt Sub 3' on ZENOLOGY. "
Extra Sauce
To further enhance the sound, turn up the drive on the warm saturator effect in the MFX edit window. The bassline doubles the kick pattern while playing the B root note. Listen to the bassline isolated and in the context of the full song to see how it all melds together.
ZENOLOGY gives you the tools you need to emulate the tones in Drake’s “What’s Next” and much more. Furthermore, it’s an instrument that can help you create new sonic worlds. With deep sound design capabilities plus Model Expansions and Sound Packs, the sky is the limit. Listen to all the elements together and see how they measure up to the actual song.
DOWNLOAD
"What's Next " Patches for ZENOLOGY
Try out the patches from this article in ZENOLOGY Pro, ZEN-Core-compatible Roland hardware, and the ZC1 Synthesizer* in the Zenbeats music creation app.
DOWNLOAD: “What’s Next” Patches for ZENOLOGY
*ZC1 does not support patches using sample packs
