Kaytranada - 10% | Keys Synth Patch Remake

Remaking the keys synth from the 2019 song "10%" by Kaytranada can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "10%" keys 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

Those lo-fi, slightly out-of-tune keys in Kaytranada and Kali Uchis’ “10%” can be heard clearly from 0:18. We rebuilt the patch with two squarewaves19 semitones apart with pronounced LFO-driven pitch vibrato and added chorus for movement and smear. A quick amp and filter envelope produces a soft, rapid attack swell that gives the notes a soft squishy entrance.

Original Performing Instrument

Xfer Serum

Our Remake of The Keys Synth sound

This audio clip is how close we've matched the original tone of the keys synth from the song "10%" by Kaytranada, 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 allx 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: Poly 5

Oscillator Setup

Oscillator 1

• Mix: 65%
• Wavetable: Basic Shapes
• Wave Frame: Square (position 143)
• Routing: Filter 1
• Modulations:
• Lfo 1 → Tune

Oscillator 2

• Mix: 75%
• Wavetable: Basic Shapes
• Wave Frame: Square (position 160)
• Routing: Filter 1+2
• Transpose: 19 st
• Modulations:
• Lfo 1 → Tune

Filter Settings

Filter 1

• Model: Analog
• Style: 24dB Slope
• Blend: Low Pass (0)
• Cutoff: 54% (432.655 Hz)
• Resonance: 4%
• Keytrack: 100%
• Modulations:
• Env 1 → Cutoff

Envelope Settings

Envelope 1 (Amp)

• Attack: 52 ms
• Decay: 2.29 s
• Sustain: 36%
• Release: 2.36 s
• Routed to:
• Filter 1 Cutoff (28%)

LFO Settings

LFO 1

• Mode: Trigger
• Sync: Tempo
• Tempo: 1/8
• Shape: Triangle
• Destinations:
• Osc 1 Tune (amount 50%)
• Osc 2 Tune (amount 50%)

Effects Processing (Ordered)

Chorus

• Voices: 4
• Sync: Default (Tempo)
• Tempo: Default (4/1)
• Depth: Default (50%)
• Delay 1: Default (2.0 ms)
• Delay 2: Default (7.8 ms)
• Feedback: 21%
• Mix: 35%
• Cutoff: 1370.3 Hz
• Spread: 0.39

Eq

• Low Mode: High-Pass
• Low Cutoff: 340.349 Hz
• Low Resonance: Default (32%)
• Band Cutoff: 2338.242 Hz
• Band Resonance: 34%
• Band Gain: -6 dB

Reverb

• Mix: 22%
• Size: 38%
• Chorus Amount: 5%
• Chorus Frequency: Default (0.250 Hz)
• Time: 0.969 s
• Low Shelf Cutoff: 37% (123.391 Hz)
• Low Shelf Gain: -6 dB
• Pre Low Cutoff: 46% (237.309 Hz)

Modulation Matrix

• LFO 1 → Osc 1 Tune 50%
• Envelope 1 → Filter 1 Cutoff 28%
• LFO 1 → Osc 2 Tune 50%

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

Explore More

• Kaytranada & Kali Uchis “10%” Breakdown (SynthCtrl)
• Kaytranada Synth Sounds (Reverb Machine)
• Neal H. Pogue Mixing ‘10%’ by Kaytranada ft. Kali Uchis (YouTube)
• Serum Tutorial – Floaty KAYTRANADA Chord Synth Pad (YouTube)
• KAYTRANADA Gear & Software (Equipboard)

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:

• Vital