Bundled X3 softsynths , needing this sound...

So I'm going through the bundled softsynths with X3 , looking for the right sound ...it's the lead synth sound heard on 'Just What I Needed' by the Cars...those couple of short lead synth lines...sounds kinda mooglike I guess..I'm not a keyboard player, but I managed to input the notes using piano roll and the timing is good, just need a better soundsource, hopefully something that came with X3 so I don't have to spend more money ....
 
Currently I'm using the Roland Groovesynth 'PRS Saw' preset, tweaked just a little...It sounds AWFUL! lol...teeny, tiny, wimpy ...it's sounds like a toy! The core tone is not nearly as complex, thick and rich as the original, but, I can't seem to find anything else that will do that sound, that came with X3...does anyone have a patch made for the stuff that came with X3 that might get me closer to that sound? Thanks.

To my ears, it's a fairly basic sawtooth-based lead sound, but it has a touch of portamento, which is what's missing from the groovesynth preset by default. Add a bit of portamento and add a dash of chorus to thicken the sound a little. Your mileage may vary, but Roland put a chorus on the Juno 6/60/106 for a reason 

GaryWalker
To my ears, it's a fairly basic sawtooth-based lead sound, but it has a touch of portamento, which is what's missing from the groovesynth preset by default. Add a bit of portamento and add a dash of chorus to thicken the sound a little. Your mileage may vary, but Roland put a chorus on the Juno 6/60/106 for a reason 

 
I agree it's a basic sound, but no way no how does the Roland sawtooth preset come close to the real thing...as thin as tissue paper!...it's sounds toylike and adding chorus is not the answer..the original is a nice thick fundamental tone...to put chorus on this ultra cheesy preset would be taking it even farther away from the originals  organically thick sound... the portamento I  think I have that fairly close now though..

guitz

abacab
Check out z3ta+ preset bank B "Prophet 5 Sync Lead". It's probably a starting point, anyway.
 
The Cars keyboardist used a Prophet 5 "sync" sound on a couple of their tracks.

I had read on the interwebs he might've used a Korg mini  , whatever that was....I'll check  out the z3ta, thanks..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Hawkes
 
His signature sounds include the Prophet-5 "sync" sound heard on "Let's Go" and "Hello Again"
 
I think Gary called it right as far as the saw. The z3ta+ patch uses a saw and a square.

sjd
Hi
Think you're looking at a classic square wave here.
Try 'Classic Square' from the '03-Leads' section of Rapture, or something similar.
 
Cheers

You are right about the square wave.  I was curious and took a closer look at the z3ta+ patch "Prophet 5 Sync Lead" and noticed that with oscillator #1, "Vintage Saw 1", it made no difference to the sound where the level was set. Oscillator #2 is "Octaved Square 1", and produces the sound.
 
This is an interesting sounding patch, I believe it is because of the "Sync" between the two oscillators. Change the oscillator #1 group to anything besides "Sync" and the sound of oscillator#2 goes crazy.
 
I tried the "Classic Square" in Rapture, as well as something similar in Pentagon, "Sq Simple Lead" (this is a vastly underrated synth, IMHO). They are both great square wave programs, much warmer and more realistic than that provided by Groovesynth. 
 
I have decided to dig further into the z3ta+ "Prophet 5 Sync Lead", because something interesting is going on here, and I still have a lot to learn, LOL.  Besides, I was a Cars freak back in the early 80's and owned nearly all of their albums on vinyl. I love this sound!
 
Oh yeah. I also stumbled upon an article at Harmony Central by Obi-wan-Craig Anderton-kenobi, "Article: All About Synthesizer “Hard Sync” :-)
http://www.harmonycentral.com/articles/all-about-synthesizer-hard-sync
 
Time to go to school!

guitz

abacab

sjd
Hi
Think you're looking at a classic square wave here.
Try 'Classic Square' from the '03-Leads' section of Rapture, or something similar.
 
Cheers

You are right about the square wave.  I was curious and took a closer look at the z3ta+ patch "Prophet 5 Sync Lead" and noticed that with oscillator #1, "Vintage Saw 1", it made no difference to the sound where the level was set. Oscillator #2 is "Octaved Square 1", and produces the sound.
 
This is an interesting sounding patch, I believe it is because of the "Sync" between the two oscillators. Change the oscillator #1 group to anything besides "Sync" and the sound of oscillator#2 goes crazy.
 
I tried the "Classic Square" in Rapture, as well as something similar in Pentagon, "Sq Simple Lead" (this is a vastly underrated synth, IMHO). They are both great square wave programs, much warmer and more realistic than that provided by Groovesynth. 
 
I have decided to dig further into the z3ta+ "Prophet 5 Sync Lead", because something interesting is going on here, and I still have a lot to learn, LOL.  Besides, I was a Cars freak back in the early 80's and owned nearly all of their albums on vinyl. I love this sound!
 
Oh yeah. I also stumbled upon an article at Harmony Central by Obi-wan-Craig Anderton-kenobi, "Article: All About Synthesizer “Hard Sync” :-)
http://www.harmonycentral.com/articles/all-about-synthesizer-hard-sync
 
Time to go to school!

 
that 'prophet 5 sync lead' patch did not remind me of the saw/square/whatever wave sound heard on Just what I needed, ...but it sounded very close to the sounds on 'Lets Go' and others...

True.  I believe it's because of the modulation matrix in the z3ta+ program using velocity to control the osc2 pitch and the filter1 cutoff.  It's a little bit punchy, depending on how hard you strike a key.
 
I said it's probably a starting point.
 
You can adjust to taste.  I watched two different live videos of the band playing that song, one in 1978, the other in 1985, using two different keyboards.  The square wave is dominant, but it is fat and strong.
 
As sjd suggested, try Rapture "Classic Square", or try the Pentagon "Sq Simple Lead" and tweak and add effects to either until you hear what you want. 
 
IMHO the best Sonar included synths to attempt virtual analog with are Pentagon and z3ta+ ... Rapture can do a lot more, but is more complex.