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synth from “electric love” by børns | ToneDB

electric love

børns

synth

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Tone Profile

A bright, lush, and iconic analog polysynth sound, characterized by the Roland Juno's distinctive chorus, a touch of saturation, and spacious reverb, creating a classic yet modern 80s-inspired vibe.

Signal Chain

Instrument: Roland Juno-60 (or software emulation)

Amp: Direct Input / Synth Engine

Processing: Roland Juno-60 Built-in Chorus (I, II, or I+II), Subtle Saturation (e.g., Thermionic Culture Vulture or plugin like SoundToys Decapitator), Plate Reverb (e.g., UAD EMT 140 or Valhalla Plate), Stereo Tape Delay (e.g., SoundToys EchoBoy or UAD EP-34, for width and depth)

Other: The sound is polyphonic, playing the main chordal riff. Focus on getting the chorus and brightness right. The original also used a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 for arpeggiated parts, but the main riff is Juno-60.

Recording Notes

  • The original recording heavily featured a Roland Juno-60 for the main synth riff, as confirmed by producer Tommy English.
  • The Juno-60 was often processed with its internal chorus, a Thermionic Culture Vulture for saturation, and plugin effects like UAD EMT 140 (plate reverb) and EP-34 (tape echo).
  • The synth was likely recorded directly into the mixing console or audio interface.
  • Achieving the right balance of the Juno's DCO brightness, chorus shimmer, and spatial effects is key.

Recreation Tips

  • Use a Roland Juno-60 or a high-quality software emulation like TAL-U-NO-LX, Arturia Jun-6 V, or Cherry Audio DCO-106.
  • The Juno chorus is essential: experiment with Chorus I, Chorus II, or both simultaneously if your emulation supports it (the original Juno-60 had buttons for I and II, allowing both).
  • Start with a sawtooth wave. The Juno-60 uses a single DCO (Digitally Controlled Oscillator) per voice.
  • Set the VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter) to be relatively bright, with a slight envelope modulation affecting the cutoff. Keep resonance low to moderate.
  • Add subtle analog-style saturation to mimic the Thermionic Culture Vulture – don't overdo it, aim for warmth and slight harmonic richness.
  • Use a quality plate reverb with a medium decay (around 2-3 seconds) and a stereo tape delay with subtle settings to create space and width without washing out the sound.
  • Pay attention to the polyphonic nature of the riff and the specific voicings used in the song.

Sources