How to Make Expectations by Olivia Rodrigo: Serum Breakdown

In this tutorial breakdown, I’ll show you how to make “expectations (feat. Chappell Roan)” by Olivia Rodrigo, step by step in Serum and Ableton. The original “expectations” is on Olivia’s album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, and in October 2026 she put out this remix with Chappell. It’s the first time the two of them have worked together on a song, which makes sense when you know Dan Nigro produces both of them, and he produced the remix too. Olivia is known for raw style songwriting with big pop-rock energy, and Chappell brings the bold, theatrical synth-pop you know from “Pink Pony Club” and “Good Luck, Babe!”
Underneath all that, the instrumental runs on a driving new wave synth bass that keeps the whole song moving forward. Bright synths sit on top of it and give it that ’80s shine, and the punchy drums hold the groove together. We’ll rebuild each of those sounds one at a time, starting with the bass, so by the end you’ll know how to get the Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan sound in your own tracks.

Want to learn the techniques behind it? Check out our Courses.

RELATED BREAKDOWNS

- Chappell Roan "Pink Pony Club" Breakdown

- Chappell Roan "Good Luck, Babe!" Breakdown

- Sabrina Carpenter "Espresso" Breakdown

Bass

For this bass patch we’re using Serum’s Noise oscillator as a sampler, loaded with a one-shot of a Fender bass we recorded, with one-shot playback on so it doesn’t loop and key tracking on so its pitch follows the notes we play, keeping the natural pluck and character of the instrument, and underneath it we’re adding two synth layers: Oscillator A with Analog_BD_Sin, a sine-shaped wave pitched down one octave with three unison voices to reinforce the low end, and Oscillator B with Sweep20, also down one octave with four unison voices, feeding the FM From B setting on A to add harmonics to the simple sine, both going through an MG Low 24 low-pass filter whose cutoff is shaped by Envelope 2 (5 ms attack, 643 ms decay, 7.46% sustain, 343 ms release) so the synth layers start bright and then close down into a plucked movement that complements the Fender, while the Noise oscillator skips the filter so the sample keeps its own attack and detail, plus LFO 1 on amplitude with a rising S-shaped curve synced to a quarter note and trigger mode set to Off so it runs freely instead of restarting on every note, adding a volume movement whose intensity depends on the modulation depth and finally Hyper/Dimension for width and movement, compression to control the combined layers and Diode 1 distortion, which adds a lot of character and harmonics so the bass stays audible above its lowest frequencies, combining the character of a real Fender bass with the weight and flexibility of a Serum patch. This bass is the only patch in this song’s breakdown that comes from our Indie Pop Pack; all the other patches are included in our Synthpop Pack.

Main Synth

For the main synth line of “Expectations,” the new-wave, bubblegum-pop lead that sits on top of Dan Nigro’s early-80s-style production for Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan, we have to build it with two synth layers, the first one to add body and the second one to add some brightness.

Layer 1

For the first layer of the main synth, we’re combining two oscillators with three unison voices each: Oscillator A uses a saw wave from Basic Shapes pitched down one octave, while Oscillator B uses the ICanHasKick wavetable at its original octave, adding a more complex waveform above the saw. Both pass through the Cmb HL6+ comb filter, which creates a series of peaks and notches rather than simply removing the highs like a low-pass filter. We’re moving its cutoff with Envelope 2, set to a 0.5 ms attack, 620 ms decay, 65.01% sustain and zero release, and sending that same envelope to the effects filter’s frequency so both filters change together as the note develops.

LFO 1 uses a rising S-shaped curve synced to a quarter note and controls the levels of both oscillators along with the overall amplitude, creating a repeating swell. Its trigger mode is Off, so this movement runs freely instead of restarting with each note. LFO 2 adds another layer of motion: a triangle shape running over two bars, in Envelope mode, modulates the phaser’s frequency for a slower sweep.

For the effects, we’re starting with Tube distortion to add harmonics, followed by Hyper/Dimension for width, then a phaser and flanger for additional movement. Compression, another filter and reverb are also enabled further down the chain. Together, these stages turn the two oscillator waveforms into a layered, animated synth texture.

Layer 2

For the second layer of the main synth, we’re keeping a similar filter and effects setup but changing the oscillators to give it a different character. Both use Basic Shapes, with Oscillator A playing a square-shaped wave down one octave with five unison voices, while Oscillator B uses a narrower pulse wave at its original octave with four voices. On B we’re adding pulse-width modulation, or PWM, which changes the width of the pulse and reshapes its harmonic content. Envelope 2 controls that PWM amount alongside the comb filter’s cutoff and the effects filter’s frequency, so the waveform and filters evolve together. With a 0.5 ms attack, 1.07-second decay, 79.74% sustain and zero release, this movement develops more gradually than in the first layer.

We’re keeping the quarter-note, S-shaped LFO on both oscillator levels and the overall amplitude, along with the two-bar triangle envelope controlling the phaser’s frequency. Tube distortion, Hyper/Dimension, phaser, flanger, compression, filtering and reverb provide the same effects framework as layer one. The difference comes mainly from the square and pulse waveforms, the extra unison voices and the envelope-driven PWM, adding a contrasting texture rather than simply doubling the first patch.

Prechorus Pad

For the pad that enters in the pre-chorus, just before the chorus, we’re using a slower attack and layered modulation to build atmosphere around the main synth. Oscillator A uses a saw wave from Basic Shapes with eight unison voices, pitched up 12 semitones, while Oscillator B uses Harmonic Subtle with seven voices, set one octave down and 12 semitones up, placing it at the original pitch overall. We’re also adding the WindChimes sample in the Noise oscillator for an extra textured layer.

Both synth oscillators pass through a Band 24 band-pass filter, focusing their sound around a narrower range of frequencies. LFO 1 runs freely over two bars with a triangle shape, moving the filter cutoff, Oscillator B’s wavetable position and the panning of both oscillators and the noise. This keeps the pad shifting in tone and stereo position instead of sitting still. LFO 3 adds a separate pitch movement: its rising ramp runs once per trigger in Envelope mode at a quarter-note rate and controls both oscillators’ semitone tuning. The modulation depth determines how far that pitch movement travels.

Envelope 1 gives the pad its soft entrance, with a 604 ms attack, 1.83-second decay, 84.49% sustain and 424 ms release. That gradual fade-in contrasts with the more rhythmic main-synth layers, helping this part ease into the arrangement before the chorus. Finally, Hyper/Dimension and chorus add width and gentle movement, while Hall reverb gives the pad space and a lingering tail.

Chorus Pluck Bell

For the pluck-bell sound that enters in the chorus, we’re combining the FFT_SQUEAL wavetable in Oscillator A with FMFM in Oscillator B, both pitched up one octave with two unison voices each. These complex waveforms provide the harmonics for the bell-like texture without needing an active FM warp mode. Both oscillators pass through an MG Low 6 low-pass filter, whose gentle slope softens the top end without removing as much brightness as a steeper filter.

Envelope 2 controls the filter cutoff with a 15 ms attack, 3.50-second decay, 50.30% sustain and 3.75-second release. This lets the brightness settle gradually after the initial hit and gives the filter movement a long release. We’re also using a triangle-shaped LFO running freely over one bar to modulate Oscillator A’s fine tuning and unison detune, adding pitch and thickness variations that keep the repeated notes from feeling completely static.

The effects help this part spread around the main synth: compression controls the level, chorus adds width, and a ping-pong delay uses quarter-note timing on the left and eighth-note timing on the right to create alternating echoes. Plate reverb adds a spacious tail, while EQ cuts back the low end so the bell leaves room for the bass. Together, the octave-up oscillators and stereo effects give the chorus an additional melodic texture above the heavier layers.

Octave Layering

Something I like to do here is layer the same patch with its MIDI notes shifted down one octave, then blend it with the higher version. The lower layer adds warmth and body, while the higher one keeps that bright, bell-like shine. We’re balancing the two until the sound feels full without losing its sparkle.

Chorus String

For the final piece of the chorus, we’re adding a sustained, string-like note that fills out the arrangement behind the more rhythmic parts. Oscillator A uses Basic Mini with ten unison voices and Sync warp, while Oscillator B uses Basic_Cjw with three voices and Flip warp. The layered voices create thickness, while the warp modes reshape the waveforms for a more complex tone. We’re also adding a saw-shaped sub oscillator one octave down for body and J106 HP noise for texture.

Envelope 1 ties the movement together, controlling both oscillators’ warp amounts, the noise and sub levels, and the Low 24 filter’s cutoff. Its 861 ms attack lets the sound swell in rather than hit immediately, while the 6.25-second decay, −9.5 dB sustain and 654 ms release give the held note a gradual evolution and a soft ending. Because the same envelope shapes several parts of the patch, its brightness, texture and weight change together as it develops.

Finally, Hyper/Dimension adds width, multiband compression shapes the dynamics across different frequency ranges, and the effects filter uses Serum’s Reverb filter type to add a resonant character. A separate Hall reverb places the sustained note in a larger space, helping it sit behind the main synth while extending the chorus’s atmosphere.

Try Our Free Serum Presets

If you want to try some sounds first, explore our free Serum presets for your next track.

MAKE YOUR OWN SYNTHPOP TRACK.

Want to learn the techniques behind it? Check out our Courses.

More tutorials

- How to Recreate Hot To Go! by Chappell Roan (Song Breakdown)

- Dua Lipa "Physical" Breakdown: Synths in Serum

- Harry Styles "As It Was" Serum Tutorial & Breakdown