Synth masterclass with Dave Gale

Let’s explore one of the most identifiable synth sounds from recent years, residing in pop hits, electro classics and televised soundtracks

The rise of the perky synth is a phenomenon that goes back about eight years or so, with one of its first and most notable iterations being assembled by Clean Bandit. They exploited this sound, and many others like it, in their earlier recordings, which then in turn influenced a raft of similar pop hits.

However, the influence for this sound extends back even further, to house and dance music of the 90s, where similar constructs were widely used, on the hardware synths of the day. But it is the ease-of-use provided by synth plugins that brought the perky synth back to the fore, with use extending far and wide.

Many media composers found themselves using the technique, but in a very different setting. Perfect for suspense, tension and even subtle emotion, the use of this sound can be heard on soundtracks for shows such as the BBC’s Line of Duty. Through the addition of reverb, with a long decay tail and healthy amount of pre-delay, the perky synth moves effortlessly from pop to drama, and all before you can say ‘Mother of God!’