Remaking the keys synth from the 1986 song "Addicted To Love" by Robert Palmer can be an exciting challenge for any synthesizer enthusiast. Here’s how you can create the "Addicted To Love" 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
Robert Palmer’s 1985 hit “Addicted To Love” features a distinctive brassy chord sound that enters at 0:42. The brassy chords add a dynamic and energetic element to the track, complementing Palmer’s soulful vocals.
Our Remake of The Keys Synth
This audio clip is how close we've matched the original tone of the keys synth from the song "Addicted To Love" by Robert Palmer, 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: Poly
- Voice Count: 5
Amp Envelope
- Attack: 10 ms
- Sustain: 100%
- Release: 15 ms
Oscillators
- Oscillator 1
- Waveform: Saw
- Volume: 100%
Filter
- Type: Low Pass
- Cutoff: 75%
Filter Envelope
- Modulation Amount: 25%
- Attack: 30 ms
- Sustain: 100%
Chorus
- Mix: 50% Wet
- Rate: Medium
Reverb
- Mix: 20% Wet
- Size: Medium
Velocity
- Destination: Volume
- Modulation Amount: 100%
Note: the patch settings may slightly differ in the Syntorial challenge.
Explore More
- Nord User Forum – Addicted to Love Robert Palmer
- Robert Palmer – Addicted To Love (Official Music Video) – YouTube
- Robert Palmer 80’s keyboard – Gearspace
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