Frank Zappa - Big Swifty | Lead Synth Patch Remake

Remaking the lead synth from the 1972 song "Big Swifty" by Frank Zappa can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "Big Swifty" 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

Frank Zappa’s “Big Swifty,” featured on the 1972 album Waka/Jawaka, exemplifies his fusion of jazz and rock, highlighted by intricate time signatures and improvisational passages. The lead synthesizer at 3:24, played by George Duke, is distinctive , contributing to the track’s complex texture. This performance showcases Duke’s innovative use of synthesizers, a hallmark of Zappa’s early ’70s ensembles.

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 "Big Swifty" by Frank Zappa, 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

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
  • Portamento: 20 ms

Amp Envelope

  • Attack: 0 ms
  • Sustain: 100%
  • Release: 20 ms

Oscillators

  • Oscillator 1
    • Waveform: Saw
    • Volume: 100%

Filter

  • Type: Low Pass
  • Cutoff: 60%
  • Resonance: 75%

LFO

  • Destination: Filter Cutoff
  • Waveform: Triangle
  • Amount: 10%
  • Rate: 1 Bar

Distortion

  • Drive: 22%

Note: the patch settings may slightly differ in the Syntorial challenge.

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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
Download Presets

Comments

This recipe is the result of a Syntorial community preset remake request. Need support remaking this sound? Have comments?

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