TONEDB

keyboard from “shape of you” by ed sheeran | ToneDB

shape of you

ed sheeran

keyboard

85% ai confidence

Tone Profile

A dry, percussive, and plucky synth marimba/xylophone sound with a distinct tropical house/dancehall feel.

Signal Chain

Instrument: Software Synthesizer (Likely inspired by Korg M1 'Perc Organ' or similar preset)

Processing: EQ (Low Cut, Mid/High Boost for pluck), Compressor (Subtle, for dynamic control), Transient Shaper (Optional, to enhance attack)

Other: Sound features a very short decay and minimal release. Potentially layered with similar percussive textures.

Recording Notes

  • Created entirely 'in the box' using MIDI and software instruments.
  • Heavy emphasis on rhythmic precision, likely quantised.
  • Minimal use of time-based effects like reverb or delay to maintain dryness and presence.
  • The specific preset used might be from Korg M1 or a similar workstation/rompler, heavily tweaked or recreated in another synth.

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a marimba, steel drum, or percussive organ preset.
  • Use the synth's amplitude envelope: set decay and sustain very low, keep attack sharp.
  • Apply EQ: cut frequencies below 100-150Hz, boost around 1-5kHz to emphasize the 'pluck'.
  • Use light compression to even out the volume.
  • If using reverb, keep it very short (small room/plate) and mix it low.
  • Focus on playing the rhythm tightly.

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Sources