Pink Floyd - On The Run | Bass Synth Patch Remake

Remaking the bass synth from the 1973 song "On The Run " by Pink Floyd can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "On The Run " 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

Pink Floyd’s *Dark Side of the Moon* track “On the Run” features a relentless bass sequence generated by the EMS Synthi AKS (often miscredited as the VCS3). This fast, pulsing pattern uses a square wave oscillator while the filter’s resonance is tuned to emphasize specific frequencies for “smothered” quality. The sequence dominates the track from its opening, heard immediately as the song begins with a driving rhythmic foundation. To recreate this sound, modern synthesizers often employ arpeggiators in latch mode to replicate the rapid, step-sequenced pattern, or simply a rapid line MIDI notes.

Original Performing Instrument

EMS Synthi AKS

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 "On The Run " by Pink Floyd, 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 unlimited famous sound challenges for free.

REMAKE IT BY EAR

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

• Recreating Pink Floyd’s ‘On the Run’ with Synthi AKS | Tribute (YouTube)
• Studiologic Sledge Tutorial 22 Pink Floyd’s On The Run (YouTube)
• Effectology Episode 13: Pink Floyd Synth Effects (Electro-Harmonix)

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