Remaking the lead synth from the 1981 song "New Life" by Depeche Mode can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "New Life" 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
Depeche Mode’s “New Life,” from their 1981 album Speak & Spell, features a distinctive synth lead characteristic of the band’s early electronic sound. During this period, they utilized instruments such as the ARP 2600, Moog Prodigy, and Yamaha CS-5.
The ARP 2600, in particular, was known for its rich tonal qualities and versatility, contributing significantly to the track’s signature sound.
Which particular synth was responsible for the strings is not known though.
You can hear the strings from the beginning of the song.
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 "New Life" 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 up to three challenge packs 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
Amp Envelope
- Attack: 120 ms
- Sustain: 100%
- Release: 1700 ms
Oscillators
- Oscillator 1
- Waveform: Saw
- Volume: 60%
- Oscillator 2
- Waveform: Saw
- Pitch: +1 Octave
- Volume: 40%
- Unison
- Oscillators: All
- Voice Count: 4
- Detune Range: 8 Cents
- Reset All Oscillators Phase On Note Start: No
Filter
- Type: Band Pass
- Cutoff: 70%
- Resonance: 40%
Reverb
- Mix: 30% Wet
- Size: Big
Note: the patch settings may slightly differ in the Syntorial challenge.
Explore More
- Depeche Mode – New Life – Re-creation – SYNTH 1 VST (Youtube)
- Depeche Mode – New life – Synth Cover (Youtube)
- What synths did Depeche Mode use on Speak & Spell? (Vintagesynth Forum)
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
This recipe is the result of a Syntorial community preset remake request. Need support remaking this sound? Have comments?
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