How RUSH's Geddy Lee Created the Iconic Synth Sounds in "Subdivisions"

[@NewWorldMenBand]

If you guys want to see those presets in action, you can watch our LIVE video of Subdivisions here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWimhnqMrrZkhqM

[@0TransAtlantic0]

Holy smoke, that was a fantastic cover!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

@@0TransAtlantic0 Thanks!!!

[@turdferguson7348]

My cousin gave me a SIGNALS record for Christmas in 1982 .. then took me to the concert 2 months later.. Best concert ever.. A lot of people say the record has too much keyboards on it but l still think it's one of their best albums . ❤❤❤

[@SilentKnightProductions]

Thank you for this. "Subdivisions" launched my music career 40 years ago when a couple of guys in high school Jazz Band stayed late to jam on bass and drums. They needed someone on synth so they could play Subdivisions and I could figure out chords. An Arp Omni2 and an Odyssey did the entire job then. We formed a prog cover band, rehearsed every night after school, couldn't keep a guitar player, and the band evaporated without ever playing a gig. But now, the "Pep" band setup a full drum kit, bass, guitar, and synth for basketball games, playing popular stuff from Van Halen, Ozzy, and more. I ended up playing synth, organ or even piano for lots of bands, churches, special events. I went to school for electronic engineering so I could build synths and recording gear (Moog, Oberheim and Neve were my heroes) and eventually ended up a music producer. Ah, the memories.

[@briancarpenter7179]

When you play those notes I can totally hear Neil's drum fills and Alex's guitar layered over it in my head. Very well done, RUSH brother!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Yup! That's what RUSH is all about friend! Cheers!

[@SilentKnight43]

Anyone familiar with the song would find it impossible not to hear Peart's drum track along with this. It auto-filled in my head the whole time. An iconic piece of 80s soundtrack.

[@glentreb]

Thank you for providing resolution to 30+ years of synthetic mental speculations over arguably the most inspiring keyboard riff of all progressive rock!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Hey! With great pleasure friend. I can't tell I'm 100% sure of all of this but I'm close enough let's say! :)

[@TJKoch91]

You nailed these, wow. There are so many demos and pre-made patches on polysynths that are supposed to be the Subdivisions sound but they never really sound that close. This is the real deal here.

[@sconnyjoe5262]

I saw Rush 3 times in the 80's. I've never forget the standing in front of the gigantic pile of speakers on the side of the stage experiencing the intro to Subdivisions. As close to being in a Maxwell Tape commercial as I ever got. Just Awesome...

[@jsullivan2112]

1:32 Holy shit! There it is. Man, when that choir voice first comes in on the intro it always gives me chills. Favourite song of all time by any band. You absolutely nailed the sounds. Unbelievable.

[@seaningram3285]

Hello from Virginia, in the USA. I am 53 and this takes me back to High School in the mid 1980s. I enjoyed this video and how each sound was used in "Subdivisions".

[@johndymond6588]

That was so cool! Just imagine Geddy figuring all that out in the '80s, and so amazing you can replicate it. It sounded spot on to me. Well done!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Yes indeed, that was advanced stuff in the 80's! :)

[@curmudgeonextraordinaire1884]

That’s because he was a real musician, like many from his era.

[@jah9253]

New World Men are incredible at recreating Rush music and all of the details. You are so in tune to Rush music. And a drummer who sings, unreal. Love it!

[@dougtravins9624]

So lush! Back in '81, our keyboard player had a Oberheim 2-voice for bass lines and a 4-voice for everything else. So FAT & LUSH!! Thanks for the memories!!!

[@Keith_from_LBC]

This is remarkable. Goosebumps the entire video. Excellent reproduction of those beautiful synths in Subdivisions. My first big arena-style concert was Rush & Golden Earring at the Forum in LA in early 1983 on the Signals Tour. Been to hundreds of concerts since, but nothing ever topped it. They played everything off Signals except Losing It. What a night. Thank you for this wonderful video! ✌️

[@DavGreg]

Very nice. Much appreciated. Am old enough and fortunate enough to have seen Rush live a couple of times.

[@rytchbytchrockingclub3867]

VERY cool! It's crazy how these familiar sounds create the "at home" and nostalgia emotions. One always loves the childhood's and youth's sounds best. Nature rocks!

[@EscutCavaller007]

Damn, this is good! Loved my Roland JX-8P since 1986.

[@locutiss100]

So much complexity in a short, but great intro. Absolutely amazing those elements. I could also fill in the Neil drum parts in my mind 😊

[@robertvogel7563]

Hearing these keys being played gives me the chills. I can’t wait to get my first synthesizer! 😊

[@CTTH100]

Awesome!! I'd love to see more breakdown/analysis videos. I've always been interested in the different sound effects in Prime Mover.

[@row8017]

A sheer masterpiece. We are so lucky to have them sooth our ears and senses

[@mournblade1066]

I can't be the only one who started drumming on his desk while watching the demo portion!

[@TheRimeOfTheAncientMariner]

Holy cow those sounds are dead on!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Thanks!

[@metalmadman3457]

Very cool, to see all of that broken down, piece by piece. All of us Rush fans, love and appreciate Alex, Geddy, and Neil for their music, but when you see their music broken down and explained like that, it raises the appreciation and amazement for what they created, to a whole other level. Thank you for doing that.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Thanks for kind words!

[@billcarroll5342]

Just killer. This was the song that hooked me on Rush 42 years ago. Your band kicks ass by the way. 😊

[@paulluongo2756]

Incredible breakdown of all the sounds that went into that ... That's one of my favorite RUSH songs... I was 12 when that came out... Helped me get through some very tough times... Good job...

[@criddyla696]

Superb 👌.. one of my favourites of all time, well done sir

[@drumPhil42]

Love it! I was playing those drums parts in my mind that I spent so much time learning when I was 16. Never heard such a good recreation of the synth sounds.

[@richb4099]

That is one of my absolute favorite songs ever. The album was/is great. I love the electronic sounds of that era. 👍

[@seanmccarthy7954]

Just discovered your videos. You guys are amazing. Would love to see you live. Thanks for this tutorial to the synth sounds. Inspiring me to do more.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@sydneybird116]

Magic! Thanks! I want some of that power under my fingers.

[@worldamusements]

My new guilty pleasure KZbinr. ❤

[@altinkosova4120]

To tell you something, I have listened to this song this entire year (2024), you know. I'm from Albania, and listening to synth music is very, very inspiring and influencing. For all of you to know: This song came 4 years before "The Final Countdown" by Europe, and this song should be considered more iconic than "The Final Countdown", I mean it. As for the synth sounds played in this video, I muchly loved the main pad, because it has a very cool sound you can be obsessed with. That's why I love synthesizers, but don't have one. I have a lot of dreams, you know, and I wanna make them come true, only if you pray in God's name. Thanks for your job, keep going only with synths 🤟🏻 Much love from Albania 🇦🇱

[@FileTransferProtocol]

Nice job, sir. You NAILED the sounds. 👍

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Thanks!

[@gordonwalser7184]

Very nice playing and sound selection

[@RoarOfWolverine]

Hi Marc. I’m a guitar player and was in some Rush tribute bands back in the 80s and 90s, so I’m always looking for Rush tribute bands and I have to say, New World Men have to be the best heard. Yes, that includes any tribute bands I was ever in. Mat’s vocals are the closest to Geddy I’ve heard and the fact that he sings while playing Peart just makes you guys that much more amazing. I really appreciate the time you put into the sound design and your attention to detail is off the charts. The guitar patches are excellent and sound so much like Alex and I know that you do a lot of the patch work for Franc’s guitar sound along with your bass sound that has the same bite as Geddy. Of course, I know that a lot of Geddy’s tone came from how hard he attacked those strings. You have a similar dynamic to Lee. You match Geddy synths so close that Geddy himself would be jealous. Lotus Land is a close second to you guys. Have you ever seen the guy that reproduced the entire Permanent Waves album, playing every instrument, singing and doing all of the sound design? He match the production of each song so close to the original that it’s spooky. His name is Tyler Warren and you’ve probably heard of him because that video is epic and legendary. I think that your sound mixes on your studio produced videos are also excellent. Force Ten is probably one of my favorite covers by New World Men. Keep up the good work. If I ever get near Montreal, I would definitely come to one of your shows. If more people knew about New World Men and just how close your sound is to the original, you could probably sell out large venues, especially now that the Professor is gone and Alex and Geddy retired. There has to be many people wanting another Rush on tour. The first tour I saw them was Permanent Waves in 1980 and I never missed them on any tour afterwards. I think I saw them 32 times and it was always just magic.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Hi there, thanks for the kind words! We are passionate about what we do and we're happy that you noticed it!

[@RoarOfWolverine]

@ yes, the work you guys put in is very noticeable, especially to other musicians. I understand the amount of hours you guys put into getting the Rush sound right. The individual musicianship is insane, but then putting it all together cohesively as a band is next level. Your attention to detail doesn’t go unnoticed by any Rush fans. Best of all is that you always look like you’re having fun.

[@mdu2112]

@@RoarOfWolverine These Men are well worth the detour. The pre-show buzz amongst Rush fans is great. Everybody exchanging a coy smile... We know why we gathered. I attend as many of their shows as I can. I'm at 6 or 7 in 3 years. And their fairly-priced merch is nicer than what Geddy pushed on us on his book tour. Guess what I'm wearing now! 😂 Matt is a very good singer but his natural tone is not Geddy's. Check out the voice EQ process in a video New World Men put out.

[@ronj8000]

Great explanation! Very technical!

[@WhaleBluePRS]

"Signals" was the first brand-new album of Rush when I got into them after "Moving Pictures/Exit...Stage Left" were already out. The whole album remains one of my favorites of any band. I still get such an emotional rush (honest, that was not meant to be a pun or anything. I just couldn't think of a better word!) every time I hear "Subdivisions". I got that exact feeling listening to you running though the sounds. Very nicely done! Someone will be listening to "Signals" again very soon. And on vinyl methinks...

[@phill.2924]

Yes, I became a fan during Moving Pictures and I bought Exit...Stage Left on cassette, but when I held the new Signals LP in my hand, I could have been holding the holy grail!! Any time I listen to any track from that album it brings me back to when my heroes released this ground-breaking gem.

[@0TransAtlantic0]

This video is awesome! The creative brilliance of all three of them is too often overlooked and underrated. Thank you so much for sharing this.

[@akdm82]

This is awesome! I love it! I have been working on learning this song and haven’t been happy with the sounds. You just saved me so much time! Thank you!

[@rgx420s]

Thanks for the explanation. I don't play keyboard but ""Subdivisions" is my favorite Rush song!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Glad I could help, that synth sound is certainly iconic. It's one of my favorites from that era too!

[@Barflew1]

Saw Rush 1st time in 1974.Love all the music they produced.Nice Breakdown of sounds..2112 is great to test studio monitors.

[@RichardT2112]

I caught myself doing the drum part and didn’t realize it! 😂 Now it would be great if you could do the whole thing so we can play along at home. Great job and thanks!

[@MPHHarzy]

Mark explained well nice production

[@paulgarcia1566]

this was a great break down and demo. Spot on!

[@ruvela]

Wow, that was very entertaining and challenging. I loved it... You do what is best and take your time on them. lots to choose from their catalog, and each song has its own unique synthwave sound. Can't wait for them.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Hey thanks! Yes, so many songs to do, more to come for sure!

[@MartyDeAngeloSEstudios]

This is great that you are doing this!! I learned so much, thank you buddy!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Glad you liked it! Cheers to you!

[@SergZak2023]

Well done Marc! More content like this please. Very interesting stuff...well delivered and highly entertaining! 👍

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Thanks!!! We'll do more in the future!

[@david-galindo-936]

OMG I loved this! Excellent dissection and breakdown of the sounds on this iconic Rush song! Keep 'em coming!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Thanks!!

[@deantalbotdrums]

Fascinating! One of my favourite songs of all time. Thanks for posting! 👍😁🤘🤘🤘 PS: just realised you’re part of New World Men. I’ve seen loads of your videos. Now subbed! 👍

[@nightrangerrules938]

Gosh I miss Rush! Thanks!

[@koojc7456]

Wow!

[@gulimar27]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Cheers from Toronto.

[@brentcollins9727]

Oh my gosh!! I was grinning from ear to ear! That sounds amazing

[@MikeSparksMusic]

Those sound beautiful!

[@Knife_guy]

Much appreciate the breakdown. I’m an absolute fan of the 80s synth sound and Rush was the best at it.

[@patrickmckibben1932]

This made me happier than you can believe!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Ah, that's nice of you to say, I'm doing this for this exact reason, thanks!!

[@yac1977]

Merci beaucoup pour ces infos et merci de l'avoir jouée la semaine dernière à repentigny !

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Merci d'être venu nous voir à Repentigny!

[@jayburd1875]

Hi. My name is j. Im synthaddicted. The v collection was my gateway drug. Then behringer showed up via my dealer, Sweetwater. Now I found your channel. Thanks for the enablement.

[@tedjohnson64]

This was fascinating, thanks for sharing! I’m always in awe of people who can look at a moog synthesizer keyboard… with all those dials and controls… and know what to turn in order to get the sound they want. I’ve played with them a bit in the past, but always give up in frustration.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Well, it is the same as operating a mixing console. You don't use EVERY button available, you must have a basic understanding of signal flow. :)

[@ZTAudio]

It was a lot of fun seeing Geddy pull this off live with only a Roland FantomX6 and MiniMoog Explorer.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Yes, he's using samples mainly for this pad sound now, but it works fine!

[@theboofin]

Explorer?

[@ZTAudio]

@@theboofin durrr … Voyager actually. Thanks for the tap on the side of the head, lol.

[@brentd.4093]

Sounds really good. Bring on the Moog Taurus pedals!!!!!!! :)

[@cliffsunlight4751]

And put it on 11 !😊

[@NewWorldMenBand]

YESSSSSSSS! MOOG TAURUS FOR LIFE MAN! ;)

[@regortex3364]

Man, you nailed it, well done.

[@janschrder]

Splendid - spot on! Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Thanks!

[@gbdguy445]

Nowhere is the dreamer or the misfit so alone. - Yes of course bring all the tutorials anything rush is always welcome - New World Men is one of the best Rush bands I've heard! Please come to the States!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

We're working on that! Ohio's on the radar for summer 2025!

[@LetThereBeSound1]

Brilliant work!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Glad you liked it!

[@jrg770]

Awesome. I don't know how you play those sounds without feeling a little sad knowing the song and the meaning. The synth tones fit so well you don't need to hear the words to feel it. 🍻

[@robertmouton88]

Thanks for sharing. Can you describe the orchestral hits during the drum solo on A Show of Hands tour?

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Yes, the story tells that Neil Peart once sampled a famous jazz record with brass hits. He then took these to Andy Richards (Tears for Fears, etc) and re-created them samples using a CMI Fairlight sampler.

[@Joe-mz6dc]

Excellent sounds man! Merci bien! 😃

[@midirok]

In between the bright lights and the far unlit unknown.

[@HughYoung-d4j]

😦😦😦🕶️🕶️

[@musicmamma]

Outstanding!! You nailed it!!❤❤

[@SonOfSyrinxia1993]

I've never heard it broken down like that! The song that started my Rush journey!!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Hey thanks! That was the intent!

[@crustafari]

Nice breakdown!

[@deepblue1963]

Really enjoyed that.

[@markkens9]

I think the Minimoog lead has a lot of portamento/glide contributing to the 'distortion' on the note/chord changes but the layering was a shock! Mad respect!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Yes indeed! I also meant how the oscillators drives the filter stage which just enough overdrive to make it sound gritty. I've been waiting for the level of realism for a while!

[@ShaunPanzer]

Loved your video ! Thankyou

[@davidbaron8892]

Very cool. Thanks! That OBX OB8 sound was everywhere in those days. It's all over Van Halen's 1984, too.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Oh yeah! Styx, Eurythmics, Prince, Queen and many, many others!

[@mattdelany6799]

Wrong. 1984 was recorded with an Oberheim Obx. I know the video shows an obxa, but they were easier to find than an obx. Ob8 was the worst sounding of the 3.

[@wearetomorrowspast.5617]

1:30- Perfect.

[@antonychliaropoulos5581]

This is great Marc. Thanks!

[@socal-synth-sei]

This is GREAT!! My band plays Subdivisions - I'm rather proud of my current programming, but I can't wait to follow your reveal here - will probably use G-Force OB-X. See if I can take mine to your level! Thanks so much! Please make more videos, especially other Rush stuff!!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Hey! Happy that this can help! To goal is to have fun here and share the love for RUSH. Happy programming!

[@millslogan3750]

Excellent!! Remember Bob Moog always said...."Moog rhymes with Rogue"

[@wrzkace1]

Too cool do some more

[@MrJrsanfilippo]

Love this!

[@ad1642]

Awesome breakdown!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Thanks!!

[@jeffreydery]

Excellent job on the sounds Marc. You got all the elements spot on. I used to use Arturia as well for the OB sounds and then I discovered GForce Software OB-X and OB-E and I never went back to Arturia for the OB sounds. That being said, with layering of sounds you achieved the perfect thunderous bass intro. I'll have to go see you guys live. I saw your cover of Subdivisions live and it's really good !

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Hey Jeff, thanks man! GForce's is great! The one from Synapse (Obsession) is also nice! They all have their strengths. See you around!

[@paulcarlsen4088]

Such Killer Sound!

[@davidrawlings6116]

4:40 wow, dead on! My Roland VR-09 does a good job of replicating a typical saw wave synth that I use for Rush, Night Ranger, and Van Halen - but that is so spot on that I'm transported immediately to the first time I ever heard the song.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

It's so awesome that the camera started shaking! :P Hahaha (Gotta get myself a sturdier stand for it) :)

[@davidrawlings6116]

@@NewWorldMenBand OK I did notice this - but I took it as a sign of awesomeness 😂

[@wooliegeek]

I for one, would watch anything you put out explaining how to get the Sounds of Rush. How to play each bit and how you do it live, what your rig is. All of it. Not just you, but every part of the band. Endlessly fascinating. Merci d’avance, d’un Québecois loins de chez lui.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Hey! Thanks! On va en faire d'autre! Ceci était le premier test! :D Merci d'avoir écrit!

[@ngronlund]

Brilliant!

[@timhintz]

Love it! Please come to Wisconsin.

[@deanh6995]

You nailed it! Enjoyed this.

[@jamesdean3548]

That inspires me to try on my Arturia collection! Merci!

[@jamwayofaiken-augustarockb7643]

That was freakin great. Subscribed

[@SamLibman]

Love this! Please more synth videos!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Hey thanks! We'll do more for sure... This was a try out!

[@chris_bouchard]

Man... Par-fait!! Kudos form Las Vegas.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Merci!

[@jefflane2012]

Thank you. I would appreciate info on the synths on Please Please Please by Dream Academy. Subdivisions was my first album that I ever got. Still takes me back every time I hear it.

[@SmithTM14]

You are fantastic! Much love from North of Edmonton AB

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Oh stop it! :P Thanks a lot!!

[@adrianomarinelli6150]

Very Nice!

[@MikeFinch-v6o]

LOVE THIS! Request Axel F! Please!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Same synth! Lead sound is the Oberheim, the marimbas were done with a DX7

[@StuffBudDuz]

Thank you! Great stuff.

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Glad you liked it!

[@paclow44]

Super intéressant!!!!! Oui faites-en d'autres vidéos du genre!

[@NewWorldMenBand]

Merci! J'y compte bien!

[@manuelgonzales6483]

😮🙀 Awesome 👍