Gary Numan - Cars | FX Synth Patch Remake

Remaking the fx synth from the 1979 song "Cars" by Gary Numan can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "Cars" fx 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

Gary Numan’s 1979 hit “Cars” features a distinctive electronic snare sound generated by the Star Instruments Synare, an early analog drum synthesizer. This percussive element combines sharp white noise bursts creating an otherworldly crack that contrasts with traditional acoustic snares. The Synare’s sound is prominent throughout the track, particularly during the verses and choruses, where it provides rhythmic backbone alongside the Minimoog bass and Polymoog melodies.

Original Performing Instrument

Star Instruments Synare

Our Remake of The FX Synth

This audio clip is how close we've matched the original tone of the fx synth from the song "Cars" by Gary Numan, 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.

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

Explore More

• The Synth Sounds of Gary Numan: “Cars” (Reverb)
• The Synth Sounds of Gary Numan – YouTube
• Gary Numan ‘Cars’ Intro Sound – Korg Forums

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?