Recreate That John Hopkins Sound in Ableton Live

Push Patterns reverse-engineers John Hopkins’ signature synth rhythm using nothing but Ableton Live’s stock plugins. Learn how to gate, flip, and glitch your way to a sound that moves.

A Quick and Powerful Workflow for Glitchy Rhythmic Synths Using Only Stock Plugins

Ever hear a sound that completely stops you in your tracks? For Push Patterns, that moment came lying in a park one summer, headphones on, when “Emerald Rush” by John Hopkins started playing. The main synth line was glitchy, rich, and rhythmically unpredictable — and instantly unforgettable.

Inspired by that moment, this video breaks down how to recreate that sound using only Ableton Live’s stock plugins(okay, and one sneaky Valhalla reverb). No custom plugins. No magic downloads. Just clever routing, a little sidechain trickery, and some smart parameter control — all in under 10 minutes.

Step 1 – Start With a Sustained Synth

The foundation is simple: two detuned sawtooth waves with a bit of filtering and long sustain. The goal isn’t to craft a perfect synth tone — it’s to give yourself enough sonic material to carve into. Think of it like audio clay.

Step 2 – Sidechain the Gate for Rhythmic Pulses

Here’s the magic trick: use Ableton’s Gate plugin, but flip its function. Instead of removing unwanted noise, you use it to rhythmically allow sound through, triggered by a separate channel.

• The trigger? A custom rhythm tapped in on a Launchpad Mini.
• The result? The synth now pulses in time with this rhythm.
• The secret? The Flip button on the gate, which inverts the gating behavior for an even more glitchy feel.

Using attack, hold, and release settings on the gate turns this into a rhythmic envelope — letting you control glitchiness, note length, and smoothness.

Step 3 – Glue It Together with Sidechain Compression

To help the synth gel with the kick, add a classic sidechain compressor. It’s subtle, but adds bounce and movement. The same sidechain rhythm is applied to the bass too, creating cohesion across the low end.

Bonus – Reverb and Preset Saving

Yes, there’s a Valhalla reverb at the end (forgive us, plugin purists). But Ableton’s stock reverb can absolutely get the job done here too.

Once dialled in, save the entire effect chain as a rack, and even drag your custom sidechain rhythm channel into your user library — ready to reuse anytime you want that signature chopped, airy Hopkins feel.

From Custom Plugin to Stock Mastery

John Hopkins had a custom plugin made for this sound. You’ve got Ableton’s gate and compressor — and now the knowledge to make them sing.

The result? A powerful, dynamic, glitch-laced rhythmic synth, born entirely in-the-box, and deeply satisfying to play with.