Chromeo "Clorox Wipe" Serum Tutorial & Breakdown

"Clorox Wipe" is one of the best tracks on Chromeo's album "Quarantine Casanova", and a perfect example of how they blend funk, R&B and electronic music. In this tutorial we peel back the layers of this electro-funk gem and remake its sound design in Serum: the bass, the stab, the synth, the sweeping chords and the lead, with audio and settings for each. Let's hear the track.

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The Bass

Let's kick off with the heart of the groove: the unmistakable bass that gives the track all its rhythm and soul. To recreate it, start with an SQR_SAW_Wrd waveform in oscillator "A" and a Basic Mg waveform in oscillator "B". Make sure both oscillators have only 1 voice to keep the patch mono. Next, use envelope 1, with a decay of about 300 ms, to modulate the cutoff of the filter. In the filter, dial in some resonance, around 30%, for extra character.

In the FX tab, add an EQ to refine the bass further. Boost the low end for depth and presence, and cut around 300 Hz to remove any excess boominess for a cleaner, more focused sound.

The Stab

This stab may sound weird on its own, but paired with the rest of the elements it adds an extra layer of harmony and rhythmic flair. To make it, blend a Basic MG waveform in oscillator "A" with an ICanHasKick waveform in oscillator "B". To widen the sound, give each oscillator 5 to 6 voices. Use envelope 1 with a quick decay (around 400 ms) for the stab effect, and route it to the cutoff of the filter.

Remember that the length of your MIDI notes matters just as much here. Keep them short to capture the stab-like character of the sound.

The Synth

This synth fills the gaps when the stab isn't playing, adding continuity and richness to the arrangement. Start with an ICanHasKick waveform in oscillator "A" and an SQR_SAW_Wrd waveform in oscillator "B". Set the filter to cut frequencies above 7 kHz. The key to this patch is the vibrato: first, use the LFO to modulate the fine-tuning of both oscillators. Then go to the Matrix tab and assign envelope 3 as an aux source, which gradually increases the LFO's effect for a slowly building vibrato.

The Sweeping Chords

These chords come in at the end of every eight bars, gradually unfolding into a sweeping effect. Start with an ICanHasKick waveform in oscillator "A" and a Basic Shape waveform in oscillator "B", each with 6 voices for richness. For the sweep, use an LFO set to 1 bar and route it to the cutoff of the filter, as well as to the resonance and the wavetable position of oscillator "A".

The Lead

The lead melody starts every second bar and adds a smooth yet funky touch to the mix. Use an FFT_Add_2nds waveform in oscillator "A" with the wavetable position at 40. In oscillator "B", add a Sine wave with frequency modulation coming from oscillator "A". Make sure both oscillators use just one voice. Turn on mono mode and legato, and overlap your MIDI notes so they glide smoothly into each other.

Make your own Clorox Wipe-style track.

You've heard how the bass, stab, synth, chords and lead are built. The Nu Disco Pack has sounds like these ready to load in Serum.

Want the whole palette? The Disco Bundle brings together all 8 of our disco and funk packs, including Nu Disco, Future Disco, Italo Disco and French House, for $49.90.