Remaking the bass synth from the 1996 song "Everybody Needs a 303" by Fatboy Slim can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "Everybody Needs a 303" 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
Fatboy Slim’s 1996 debut single “Everybody Needs a 303” features a prominent bassline that is quintessentially Roland TB-303. The sound, which starts at 2:30 in the track, is characterized by its squelchy, chirpy quality, typical of the TB-303.
Original Performing Instrument
- Roland TB-303
Our Remake of The Bass Synth
This audio clip is how close we've matched the original tone of the bass synth from the song "Everybody Needs a 303" by Fatboy Slim, 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
Amp Envelope
- Attack: 0 ms
- Sustain: 100%
- Release: 20 ms
Oscillators
- Oscillator 1
- Waveform: Pulse
- Pulse Width: 100%
- Volume: 100%
Filter
- Type: Low Pass
- Cutoff: 45%
- Resonance: 90%
- Key Tracking: 30%
Filter Envelope
- Modulation Amount: 20%
- Attack: 0 ms
- Decay: 450 ms
- Sustain: 0%
Distortion
- Drive: 65%
Reverb
- Mix: 10% Wet
- Size: Medium
Note: the patch settings may slightly differ in the Syntorial challenge.
Explore More
- Sound Behind the Song: “Everybody Needs a 303” by Fatboy Slim (Roland Magazine)
- Fatboy Slim still thinks that everybody needs a 303… but not a clone (MusicRadar)
- Roland TB-03: a complete tutorial – YouTube (Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams)
- How to Make an Acid Bassline with the TB-303 by Roland Cloud (Point Blank Music School)
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
