Remaking the lead synth from the 1982 song "Time Out For Fun" by Devo can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "Time Out For Fun" lead patch and play this iconic sound on most hardware or software subtractive synthesizers (Serum, Vital, Pigments, Prophet, Korg, Moog, etc). We've included the preset download directly for your convenience, but we strongly recommend you use our programming tutorial to recreate it yourself.
Original Audio
Devo’s 1982 track “Time Out For Fun” from their album *Oh, No It’s Devo* epitomizes the band’s shift toward a more electronic, pre-programmed sound while maintaining their signature analog synthesizer palette. The nasal, wobbly lead that enters at 50 seconds creates a distinctly processed, robotic character that complements the song’s mechanized aesthetic. Their video shows a guitar playing it, but it’s so processed we can get close with a synth. OUr patch utilizes a narrow pulse width and band-pass filtering techniques with smear and wobble courtesy of Unison and LFO vibrato.. You can hear this distinctive synthesizer lead make its entrance at the 50-second mark, cutting through the mix with its characteristic nasal wobble and electronic vibrato.
Original Performing Instrument
Unknown
Our Remake of The Lead Synth
This audio clip is how close we've matched the original tone of the lead synth from the song "Time Out For Fun" by Devo, giving you a reference point as you design your own synthesizer preset. Play it as often as you need to familiarize yourself with the nuances of the sound.
Synth Patch Programming Recipe
Remake This Sound Yourself
Learn how to program this synth preset with Syntorial, all by ear. Download the demo and try unlimited famous sound challenges for free.
Getting Started
- Start by initializing your synthesizer to a plain saw with no filter, modulation or effects. For soft synths use the "init"/"default" preset or the the button to reset all parameters to their default factory values.
- No two synths are exactly alike, so treat the values below as approximate, and use your ear.
- Percentage values (e.g. 50%) represent the relative position of a knob or slider within its full range. The full range of each parameter may differ from synth to synth, so use your ear.
Voices
- Voice Mode: Mono
Amp Envelope
- Attack: 0 ms
- Decay: 1000 ms
- Sustain: 0%
- Release: 20 ms
Oscillators
- Oscillator 1
- Waveform: Pulse
- Pulse Width: 20%
- Volume: 100%
- Unison
- Oscillators: All
- Voice Count: 4
- Detune Range: 29 Cents
- Reset All Oscillators Phase On Note Start: No
Filter
- Type: Band Pass
- Cutoff: 65%
- Resonance: 65%
LFO
- Destination: Pitch
- Waveform: Triangle
- Amount: 70 Cents
- Rate: 1/16 Note
Chorus
- Mix: 50% Wet
- Rate: Slow
Note: the patch settings may slightly differ in the Syntorial challenge.
Explore More
- How Devo Made “Whip It” | Synth Sounds of Devo EP29 (YouTube)
- Interview With Mark Mothersbaugh – Synth History
- The Synths and Studio Techniques of Devo | Reverb News
- Devo, Oh, No It’s Devo, 1982 – alanbumstead
Preset Downloads
Don't want to learn synth programming now? Use our synth preset as your starting point and tweak it from there. Register an account with Audible Genius and download the presets for free for the following synths:
- Primer, our free synthesizer VST
Comments
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