After the chart-topping success of the dubstep anthem Louder, DJ Fresh followed up with the upbeat Hot Right Now with fresh-faced Rita Ora. A huge-sounding, saw-based synth underpins the whole track – like a 2012 equivalent of a powerful brass section.

The sound defines the track, through a couple of chord progressions that augment the lively drum ’n’ bass-style beat. It might seem fairly simple but this type of synth stab can be tricky. It’s not hard to get close but the magic of the Hot Right Now stab is very easy to miss. We’ll look at the process, starting at the oscillator level and taking it all the way to the final sound, complete with insert FX to keep it bright and punchy with plenty of movement.