Remaking the lead synth from the 1970 song "Lucky Man" by Emerson, Lake and Palmer can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "Lucky Man" 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
Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “Lucky Man” features a groundbreaking Moog synthesizer solo that emerges at 3:23, transforming the acoustic ballad into a pioneering electronic rock moment. The lead sound combines detuned square waves with a prominent glide effect, creating a haunting, wavering timbre that ascends dramatically from a low D drone to a soaring melody. Keith Emerson’s one-take performance captures the raw, expressive qualities of early analog synthesis, using the Moog’s oscillator tuning and filter resonance to achieve the signature sound. This iconic passage remains a benchmark for analog synth leads, with its unison detuning and glide control defining the track’s climax.
Original Performing Instrument
Moog Minimoog
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 "Lucky Man" by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, 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 Legato
- Portamento: 70 ms
Amp Envelope
- Attack: 0 ms
- Sustain: 100%
- Release: 20 ms
Oscillators
- Oscillator 1
- Waveform: Pulse
- Pulse Width: 100%
- Volume: 50%
- Oscillator 2
- Waveform: Sine
- Volume: 50%
- Unison
- Oscillators: All
- Voice Count: 2
- Detune Range: 17 Cents
- Reset All Oscillators Phase On Note Start: Yes
Filter
- Type: Low Pass
- Cutoff: 85%
Reverb
- Mix: 20% Wet
- Size: Small
Note: the patch settings may slightly differ in the Syntorial challenge.
Explore More
- Reverse Engineering “Lucky Man” (Gearspace Forum)
- How Was the ELP “Lucky Man” Synth Sonority Created? (Harmony Central)
- Nord Stage 3 Synth Discovery: Lucky Man (YouTube)
- ELP’s Lucky Man: Studio Techniques and Moog Patching (Progressive Ears Forum)
- How to Play the ‘Lucky Man’ Synth Solo (Synthtopia)
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
