Classic Synth Pop

Genre: Synth Pop · Tempo: 118 BPM · Time signature: 4/4 · Length: 16 steps · Style: early-80s LinnDrum-driven synth pop backbeat

Open this pattern in the interactive Patchpad (with playback)

The pattern

Instrument	Steps (1 = start of the bar)	Velocity	Timing and chance
kick	1, 8, 9	75-110	step 8: plays 55% of the time
snare	5, 13	105	on the grid, always plays
hat-closed	1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15	60-70	on the grid, always plays

Digitakt II

Tracks

• T1: kick
• T2: snare
• T3: hat-closed

Digitone II

Tracks

• T1: kick (ALGO 1, plain low carrier)
• T2: snare (ALGO 1, bright FDBK noise)
• T3: hat-closed (FM noise)

Syntakt

Tracks

• T9: kick (BD CLASSIC)
• T10: snare (SD CLASSIC)
• T12: hat-closed (HH BASIC)

Notes

A straightforward early-80s synth-pop backbeat: kick and snare on the classic 1/3-2/4 pop pattern with a syncopated pickup kick pushing into beat 3, steady 8th-note hats, and a bright plate-reverb snare rather than a modern gated one. Modelled on the woody, sample-based LinnDrum sound that defined the era (Prince, Madonna, Tears for Fears productions among many others), not a transcription of any specific track.

Patchpad is a free reference of drum patterns, synth patches and modular hints written for a selection of real hardware.