Remaking the bass synth from the 1983 song "Everything Counts" by Depeche Mode can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "Everything Counts" bass 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
That wide, unison saw bass in Depeche Mode’s “Everything Counts” enters at 0:08 and drives the verse rhythm. It uses stacked detuned saw voices with a low-pass filter and a fast filter-envelope decay that creates a pronounced “meeow” attack transient.
Original Performing Instrument
Synclavier II
Our Remake of The Bass Synth sound
This audio clip is how close we've matched the original tone of the bass synth from the song "Everything Counts" by Depeche Mode, 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: 20 ms
- Sustain: 100%
- Release: 20 ms
Oscillators
- Oscillator 1
- Waveform: Saw
- Volume: 100%
- Unison
- Oscillators: All
- Voice Count: 4
- Detune Range: 12 Cents
- Stereo Spread: 100%
- Reset All Oscillators Phase On Note Start: No
Filter
- Type: Low Pass
- Cutoff: 45%
- Resonance: 50%
Filter Envelope
- Modulation Amount: 25%
- Attack: 0 ms
- Decay: 350 ms
- Sustain: 0%
Delay
- Mix: 10% Wet
- Feedback: 0%
- Time: 1/32 Note
- Stereo Spread (Time shift of Left or Right Channel): 11 ms
Note: the patch settings may slightly differ in the Syntorial challenge.
Explore More
- Everything Counts (Wikipedia)
- List of Depeche Mode sample sources by album/Construction Time Again (DMLive.wiki)
- Depeche Mode – Construction Time Again (Equipboard)
- How to make Depeche Mode – ‘Everything Counts’ with DRC (YouTube tutorial, bass section at 1:00)
- oboe sound on “Everything Counts” – Vintage Synth Explorer forum discussion
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
- Vital
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