ILLUGEN Prompt
Writing Tips

STUDIO mode is built for high-fidelity, DAW ready loops.
Behind the scenes, your prompt is transformed into a structured composition plan — so the more intentional you are, the better ILLUGEN can deliver.
You can write whatever you want and STUDIO will handle it — but if you're looking to get even better results, these tips will help you level up your game.
Think Like a Producer, Not a Listener
STUDIO reads your words like production directions. It figures out instruments, playing style, harmonic language, and space on its own.
But when you think like you're briefing a session musician, the results get noticeably better.
- A slow, smoky Rhodes ballad with walking bass and brushed drums
- A percussive Latin groove with congas, timbales, and nylon guitar
Describe the Sound, Not the Genre
Under the hood, ILLUGEN translates genres into sonic qualities anyway. If you do that translation yourself, you'll get more accurate results.
- Jazz → Swung rhythm, 7th chords, warm, smoky
- Trap → Dark, aggressive, heavy low-end
- Lo-fi hip-hop → Dusty, detuned, mellow, tape-warped
- Flamenco → Spanish, Phrygian mode, passionate
So instead of "make a jazz loop", try:
- A warm Rhodes loop with swung timing, minor 7th voicings, and a smoky feel
Both work — but the second one gives STUDIO a more accurate interpretation of your vision.
Name Your Instruments
STUDIO always figures out what instrument to play, but when you name them yourself, it locks in exactly what you're hearing in your head.
- Solo: "A solo fingerpicked nylon guitar, intimate and dry"
- Ensemble: "Fender Rhodes, upright bass, and muted trumpet — late-night lounge feel"
Quick note: if you name one instrument, STUDIO treats it as an isolated stem. If you describe a vibe or name several instruments, it builds out a full arrangement.
Prompt Structure Suggestions
No strict rules here — just a few templates that tend to get great results.
Stem Loops (single instrument, isolated)
- A legato analog synth pad, warm and wide, slowly evolving
  Staccato upright bass, dark and punchy, with a slight swing
  808 sub bass with pitch glides, heavy and sustained
Full Arrangement Loops (multi-instrument)
- Rhodes, vibraphone, and upright bass — warm vintage feel with swung timing
  Distorted guitar riff over tight drums — raw garage energy
  Horn section with walking bass — smoky, late-night, 7th chords
"X Over Y" Loops
- When you say "X over Y", STUDIO treats X as the lead and builds a full backing arrangement around it:
  Saxophone solo over a late-night backing track
  Ethereal vocal hums over lush string pads
  Guitar melody over a funky rhythm section
Vocal Loops
- STUDIO tries to add vocals only when you ask for them. If you want them, say so - and keep any lyrics short and hook-like so they loop cleanly. If you want the vocals to sing or say specific text, use quotation marks “[your text]“.
  A soul singer repeating "come back to me" over warm keys
  Breathy female vocals humming a haunting melody
  A rapper delivering a punchy 2-bar hook over heavy 808s
When you write prompts for ILLUGEN in CREATIVE mode, prompt from your gut, not your brain.
Think outside of the way you would work with a sample library.
This engine blends SFX and Music to create unique mixtures of non-existing sounds, so your imagination can run wild.
Set the Vibes, Not the Specs
- 808 bass in F#, distorted, 120 BPM
- A deep, earth-shaking sub bass that feels like the ground is splitting apart.
Use Emotion and Imagery
- Fast drum break at 180 BPM
- Chaotic, high-energy breakbeat, like a car chase in a Fast and the Furious scene.
Explore Unexpected Ideas
- Sci-fi laser sound
- A futuristic weapon charging up, crackling with unstable energy and firing.
Don’t Forget to Add a Unique Twist
- A boombap drum beat
- A boombap drum beat played by aliens trying to communicate with earth.
Prompt Structure Suggestions
While there aren’t rules or restrictions to how you should actually prompt ILLUGEN, it sometimes helps to follow some prompt templates to get your inspiration spark in the right direction.
Loops
- Perfect when you’ve got the vibe and instrument locked in.
  Anemotionalsaxophonesoloplayed by a ghost
  Upliftingsynth strings part in an 8-bit video game
  Aggressive trap drumsplayed from broken speakers
  Tip: Be poetic, be weird, be cinematic.
- Try this when you don’t mind the instrument or the vibe but have a vision for a theme. Spill out your vision, set a place, inject the sound source.
  Super Mario visits theMiddle East
  Hip Hopdrums ina zombie apocalypse
  The background beatin thealien morning show
  Tip: Use a somewhat recognizable sound, but in an unexpected environment or with a twisted story.
- Use this when you’ve got a mood and a sound in mind, but want a fresh, creative interpretation.
  I woke up mad today. Makea beat. NOW!
  IfTarantino was amelody
  Waves whisper forgotten melodiesplayed by thestring section
  Tip: Let the feeling lead.
- Perfect for when you want to build sounds from the unexpected.
  Percussiveloopmade ofcamera shutters
  Magicalmelodymade ofbeautiful souls dancing together
  GlitchyIDM beatmade ofradio transmissions and burps
  Tip: Treat materials like characters—strange, poetic, or absurd. The weirder the source, the more original the sound.
- Good when the vibe is clear and solid, you are looking for an interpretation for a certain story, and you care less about the specific instrumentation.
  The music playing as the villain enters the room
  Eating ice cream to forget about my ex
  The drums try to warn us of something awful that’s about to happen
  Tip: Imagine scenes, feelings, textures, even flavors. The more abstract and evocative, the more fun the result!
ONE-SHOTS
- Try this when you want clean, usable hits with creative flair.
  A fat kicklikean elephant thump
  A punchy snarethat sounds likea whip crack
  A shakerthatrattles like a snake
  Tip: Think about what would make a cool sample in a track. One good metaphor = instant inspiration.
- Use this pattern when you wish to create single notes for your samplers.
  A single note of aguitarmade out of rubber
  A single note of arobo-sitarpluck
  A single note of anethereal angelicvoicefor a divine pad
  Tip: Don’t just say “snare.” Say what kind of snare. Give it an attitude, a texture, a story.
- Use this when you want a sound that feels like it exists somewhere—where the setting adds mood, mystery, or context to the instrument.
  A roundxylophonenoteunderwater
  Stingyglass hitin anempty cathedral
  Atinygongin atiny room
  Tip: The space isn’t just where it happens, it’s part of the story. Let it shape the instrument’s mood, style, or secret.
SFX
- Use this when you want to build a mini-scene—something cinematic, surreal, or simply funny.
  The sound of winning the final stage of video gamefollowed byemotional sobs
  Screeching tiresfollowed bya violent crash into glassfollowed bya mad, hysterical laughter
  The sound of a UFO landing on earth,followed bythe spaceship doors opening up,followed byan alien voice saying: ‘we come in peace
  Tip: Try building a sequence of events that tells a story, evolves, escalates or flips the script… keep in mind that you’ve only got 150 characters.
- Use this format to create vocal phrases with identity.
  A womanwhispers‘DJ ILLUGEN’softly
  A robotsaying‘Bass Drop’
  A babymumbles‘Toddler Beats’
  Tip: Don’t forget to add some character to your speech. Make it stand out.
- Try this to build risers, impacts, transitions and energy builders that fit the theme of your production.
  A turbulent oceanimpactthat swirls and bubbles as it settles
  A demonicriserthat devours souls as it swells with power
  A magical kung-fu warriorbuilds up energybefore a super strike
  Tip: Be aware of the sound effects’ length setting. Selecting ‘Short’ or ‘Medium’ is usually long enough, unless you envision several events or a particular lengthy sound.

ILLUGEN Prompt Writing Tips

ILLUGEN Prompt
Writing Tips