Famous Synth Presets: Sounds that Made History
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Some famous synth presets still have a firm place in music history decades later. Although they only had a very limited number of presets by today’s standards, classic synths like the Yamaha DX7 and Korg M1 shaped the sound of entire decades and left their mark on various eras of pop and dance music. We take a nostalgic look at famous synth presets that made history.
Famous Synth Presets
E. PIANO 1 – Yamaha DX7 / FullTines – Yamaha DX7 II
No synth preset is more famous than the classic FM electric piano of the Yamaha DX7 and its successors. Hardly any power ballad of the ‘80s could do without this sound, which wrapped the powerful voices of greats like Whitney Houston, Elton John, and Chaka Khan in a sugar-sweet, bell-like coating. Admittedly, the sound had very little to do with an actual Rhodes, but its crystal-clear, sparkly aesthetic fit perfectly into the ‘80s. It appeared in various versions throughout the long history of Yamaha FM synths, with ‘E. Piano 1’ (DX7) and ‘FullTines’ (DX7 II) being the most famous.
The DX pianos were also often layered with other sounds. For example, the combination with an acoustic piano, sometimes referred to as ‘LA Piano’, became a classic in its own right. To this day, sampled FM electric pianos can be found in virtually every synthesizer workstation and digital piano. For an even more authentic sound, use a modern FM synth*.
- The History of Yamaha Synthesizers: From GX to MODX
- Classic FM Synthesis: Yamaha DX7 Alternatives
- The Best FM Synths for your Music Production Setup
- More from Yamaha
Piano 16′ and Organ 2 – Korg M1
Let’s jump forward a few years to the Korg M1 (1988) – the first synthesizer workstation in the modern sense. As with the DX7, its supply of factory presets was small by today’s standards. But the musicians and producers of the time were all over it, meaning that there’s hardly a M1 sound that does not deserve to be included in this list.
However, two presets in particular have earned a special place in the history books: Piano 16′ and Organ 2. Together, they were largely responsible for the sound of house music in the late 80s and early 90s, shaping an entire genre. The wiry piano and percussive organ, which incidentally also worked great as a great bass sound, can be found on chart-topping hits as well as countless underground productions of the time. This undoubtedly makes them two of the most famous synth presets of all time.
Today, the Korg M1 lives on as a software synth* in the Korg Collection* – including the famous piano and organ presets, of course. There’s even an M1 app for the iPad.
What the – Roland Alpha Juno
When a preset has its own Wikipedia entry, it has definitely made history. Invented by sound design icon Eric Persing for the Roland Alpha Juno, ‘What the’ became forever etched in the eardrums of an entire generation of ravers. It’s also affectionately referred to as the “Hoover” (which, however, did not originate from Persing). The “vacuum cleaner sound” consists of several oscillators tuned at octave intervals, plenty of PWM, a generous dose of chorus, and, of course, a good helping of portamento or glide. Replicas of the classic Hoover are still a staple in many synths today and even make it into pop hits from time to time.
Soundtrack – Roland D-50
And here’s yet another of Eric Persing’s many famous synth presets, this time for the Roland D-50. Just like the DX7 and the M1, this 1987 synth is packed to the brim with legendary presets – the D-50’s factory sounds are all over the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
One D-50 sound that even went on to be included in the official General MIDI specification and thus definitely made history is ‘Soundtrack’. The atmospheric pad, consisting of various elements tuned at intervals, was featured prominently not only in numerous pop hits, but also in many movie soundtracks – the name says it all! While its inclusion in the GM spec means that numerous synths contain a rendition of ‘Soundtrack’, Roland’s D-50 software synth* is as authentic as it gets.
Among the numerous other famous synth presets of the D-50 are gems like ‘Digital Native Dance’, which was used by Michael Jackson, among others, and, of course, ‘Fantasia’, which struck a perfect balance between sweetness and cheesiness. Listen to the master himself sharing the story of some of the most famous synth presets of the Roland D-50:
Lately Bass – Yamaha TX81Z
We owe one of the most famous bass sounds in synth history to the humble Yamaha TX81Z, an unassuming FM rack module from 1987. Just like the M1 piano, the TX81Z’s ‘Lately Bass’ is inextricably linked to the house and dance music of the ‘90s. The sound is a variation of the ‘Solid Bass’ preset found on several other Yamaha FM synths. When redesigning the sound for the TX81Z, the sound designers took advantage of the fact that the rack module was the first of the Yamaha bunch to offer waveforms other than sine waves for FM synthesis. In a direct comparison, ‘Lately Bass’ has a bit more oomph in the sub bass range – just what you need for pumping house tracks.
Variations of these two famous synth presets can be found in countless hits from Haddaway to Whigfield and from Madonna to Janet Jackson. Even in the age of software synths, many producers are said to keep the TX81Z in their racks just for this one sound. Rumor has it that Babyface has two of them, both of which are always set to ‘Lately Bass’.
Mainly due to the lasting popularity of this particular sound, the TX81Z is getting increasingly hard to come by. Fortunately, there are now several alternatives – not least from Yamaha itself* – that can also deliver a convincing Solid / Lately Bass sound.
More about Synths and Sound Design
- Sounds and Presets
- 5 of the Best Physical Modeling Synths
- The Best Mono Synths under $500 for Leads and Basslines
- Against the Grain: Best Granular Synths & Samplers 2025
- 6 of the Best-Selling Synths of all Time
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