Remaking the bass synth from the 2008 song "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "Poker Face" 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
The bass synthesizer sound in Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” is a bright, buzzy, and wide robotic bass riff that permeates the song. This distinctive bassline kicks in just after the lighter synth at the beginning and is a key element of the track’s energetic and danceable vibe.
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 "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga, 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.
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
Amp Envelope
- Attack: 0 ms
- Decay: 400 ms
- Sustain: 50%
- Release: 170 ms
Oscillators
- Oscillator 1
- Waveform: Saw
- Volume: 100%
- Sub Oscillator
- Waveform: Pulse
- Pulse Width: 100%
- Pitch: -1 Octave
- Volume: 25%
- Unison
- Oscillators: All
- Voice Count: 4
- Detune Range: 21 Cents
- Stereo Spread: 100%
- Reset All Oscillators Phase On Note Start: No
- Noise Volume: 25%
Filter
- Type: Low Pass
- Cutoff: 90%
Reverb
- Mix: 20% Wet
- Size: Big
Note: the patch settings may slightly differ in the Syntorial challenge.
Explore More
- Sound Design Tutorial Lady Gaga Poker Face in Omnisphere (Adrian Earnshaw)
- How to Make Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” & “Poker Face” Lead Synth (Sound Design Tutorial) (YouTube)
- Lady Gaga – Poker Face – Nord User Forum (Nord User 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:
- Primer, our free synthesizer VST
