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synth from “tainted love” by soft cell | ToneDB

tainted love

soft cell

synth

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Tone Profile

The synth lead has a bright, slightly detuned sawtooth wave sound with a chorus effect. It's a classic 80s synthpop sound that's both catchy and slightly melancholic.

Gear

Yamaha CS-80instrument
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Roland Dimension Dprocessing
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The Story

Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love' features a Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer as the main lead sound, recorded at Ad Vision Studios in London with producer Mike Thorne. The distinctive character comes from the CS-80's sawtooth wave with slight detuning between oscillators, processed through a Roland Dimension D chorus unit to create the wide, shimmering quality that defines the track.

Production Credits

Producer: Mike Thorne

Engineer: Unknown

Recorded at: Ad Vision Studios (London)

Signal Chain

Instrument: Yamaha CS-80

Processing: Roland Dimension D

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a sawtooth wave on a synthesizer.
  • Add a subtle detune to the oscillators for a richer sound.
  • Use a chorus effect (like the Roland Dimension D or a similar plugin) to widen the sound.
  • Adjust the filter and resonance to taste.

Original Gear

  • Yamaha CS-80(synth)
  • Roland Dimension D(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Arturia CS-80 V$199

Alternative to: Yamaha CS-80

Official emulation of the CS-80 with authentic sawtooth oscillators and the exact filter characteristics needed for this lead sound

ReverbSweetwater
Sequential Prophet-5 Rev 4$3999

Alternative to: Yamaha CS-80

Vintage-style polysynth with rich sawtooth waves and oscillator detune that can closely approximate the CS-80's character for this tone

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Boss DC-2w Dimension C Waza Craft$199

Alternative to: Roland Dimension D

Modern recreation of the Dimension D circuit providing the exact chorus modulation heard on the original recording

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UAD Dimension D Plugin$149

Alternative to: Roland Dimension D

Precise digital emulation of the Dimension D's unique chorus algorithm that created the wide stereo image on Tainted Love

ReverbSweetwater
Behringer CS-80 Clone (rumored)$800-1200

Alternative to: Yamaha CS-80

Budget hardware option that aims to recreate CS-80 oscillator behavior, though exact specifications haven't been confirmed

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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