5 Musical Styles from Scratch: A Plugin Jam

Apr 12, 2025

Creating music with focus

Using less to say more — that’s often the key in modern production.

Hi, I’m Dani from Karanyi Sounds, and in this article (and the video below), I’ll show you how I built several real music sketches using only Midnite and Lofi Keys — two of our most expressive, characterful plugins.
While I’m using Lofi Keys 1 in this video, the new Lofi Keys 2 is fully capable of achieving the same techniques — and much more.

These aren’t polished tracks, but real-world production ideas. Think ambient cues, lo-fi melodies, and even a twist of house. The goal? To inspire you to explore more with less.

🎬 Watch the full video

Here’s the full breakdown where I walk through each section, sound by sound:

🎸 Starting point: Guitar textures + Lo-fi keys

The first idea begins with a simple but moody guitar progression recorded using Midnite. Its amp saturation, cabinet feel, and subtle modulation make it ideal for setting a dark, emotional tone.

I layer this with a classic Lofi Keys electric piano — rich in tape wow and vintage softness. Together, these create a warm, cinematic palette you could easily expand into a full ambient or film cue.

✅ Minimal setup
✅ Quick layering
✅ Instant vibe

🧪 Tonal atmospheres: Drones that move

In the second sketch, I reverse the order.

Starting from a gentle Lofi Keys piano loop, I drop in a slow-moving, deep drone from Midnite. What begins as a static texture turns into a tonal pad just by adjusting pitch, filtering, and envelope controls.

This is a technique I use often: start abstract, then sculpt it toward something more melodic.

🎧 Useful for: ambient beds, game soundtracks, scoring tension or calm

🎛️ Going off-road: Midnite as synth bass

Here’s where things get more experimental.

I wanted to test how Midnite behaves outside cinematic use — so I used it to create a driving synth-style bassline for a classic house groove. The result is gritty, raw, but still musical.

Lofi Keys handles the chord stabs — and while house isn’t its native genre, the combination gives the track a unique crossover sound.

🔄 Unexpected use = creative new color palette.

🧠 What this shows

You don’t need a huge toolkit to build character-driven music.

With just Midnite and Lofi Keys, I was able to sketch:

Cinematic layers
Ambient drones
Vintage keyboard harmonies
And even low-end dance textures

If you're scoring, producing, or just experimenting — try limiting yourself to two focused tools. You might find your ideas come through even clearer.