Thom Yorke - Traffic | Winds Synth Patch Remake

Remaking the winds synth from the 2019 song "Traffic" by Thom Yorke can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "Traffic" winds 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

Thom Yorke’s 2019 solo track “Traffic,” from his *Anima* album, features a distinctive lead synthesizer that enters at 0:58 with a unique honky, bass-clarinet-like timbre that cuts through the track’s rhythmic foundation. This signature sound combines FM synthesis with distortion processing to create its characteristic metallic yet woody texture.

Original Performing Instrument

Dave Smith Instruments Prophet-6

Our Remake of The Winds Synth sound

This audio clip is how close we've matched the original tone of the winds synth from the song "Traffic" by Thom Yorke, 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: Mono

Oscillator Setup

Oscillator 1

• Mix: 71%
• Wavetable: Basic Shapes
• Wave Frame: Rounded Square (position 40)
• Routing: Effects
• Transpose: -12 st
• Unison Detune: 5%

Oscillator 2

• Mix: 71%
• Wavetable: Basic Shapes
• Wave Frame: Triangle (position 89)
• Routing: Filter 1+2
• Random Phase: 0%
• Transpose: -12 st
• Unison Voices: 2
• Unison Detune: 5%
• Unison Stereo Spread: 100%
• Morph:
• Wave Morph Amount: 28%
• Wave Morph Type: FM <- Osc 3

Oscillator 3

• Mix: 0%
• Wavetable: Basic Shapes
• Wave Frame: Rounded Square (position 53)
• Routing: Filter 1
• Random Phase: 0%
• Unison Voices: 2
• Unison Detune: 2%
• Unison Stereo Spread: 100%

Sample Oscillator

• Sample: White Noise
• Routing: Filter 1
• Level: 15%
• Transpose: 24 st

Filter Settings

Filter 1

• Model: Analog
• Style: 24dB Slope
• Blend: Low Pass (0)
• Cutoff: 52% (387.684 Hz)
• Resonance: 7%
• Drive: 1%
• Modulations:
• Env 2 → Cutoff
• Env 2 → Drive

Envelope Settings

Envelope 1 (Amp)

• Attack: 81 ms
• Sustain: 100%
• Release: 109 ms

Envelope 2

• Attack: 66 ms
• Decay: 1.00 s
• Sustain: 22%
• Release: 90 ms
• Routed to:
• Filter 1 Cutoff (33%)
• Filter 1 Drive (44%)
• Distortion Drive (14%)
• EQ High Cutoff (36%)

Effects Processing (Ordered)

Distortion

• Mix: 20%
• Drive: 64%
• Filter Blend: High Pass (2)
• Filter Cutoff: 457.3 Hz
• Filter: Post
• Filter Resonance: 28%
• Type: Default (Soft Clip)

Eq

• Low Mode: High-Pass
• Low Cutoff: Default (82.407 Hz)
• Low Resonance: 26%
• Band Cutoff: 1112.008 Hz
• Band Resonance: 31%
• Band Gain: -1 dB
• High Mode: Low-Pass
• High Cutoff: 1451.733 Hz
• High Resonance: 25%

Reverb

• Mix: 18%
• Size: 0%
• Chorus Amount: 5%
• Chorus Frequency: Default (0.250 Hz)
• Time: -6.000 s
• High Shelf Cutoff: 80% (2945.353 Hz)
• High Shelf Gain: -4 dB
• Low Shelf Cutoff: 22% (42.521 Hz)
• Low Shelf Gain: -6 dB
• Pre High Cutoff: 84% (3961.932 Hz)
• Pre Low Cutoff: 50% (333.768 Hz)

Modulation Matrix

• Envelope 2 → Filter 1 Cutoff 33%
• Envelope 2 → Filter 1 Drive 44%
• Envelope 2 → Distortion Drive 14%
• Envelope 2 → EQ High Cutoff 36%

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

Explore More

• Thom Yorke’s “Anima” Synth Sounds – Reverb Machine
• Thom Yorke’s Keyboards and Synthesizers – The King of Gear
• Thom’s New ‘Make Noise’ Modular Synthesizer – The King of Gear
• Review: ANIMA by Thom Yorke – Cherwell
• Thom Yorke Synths – Gearspace 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:

• Vital

Comments

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