How to Recreate Kids by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein (Song Breakdown)

“Kids” is one of those tracks that instantly pulls you into a world of nostalgia, tension, and wonder, composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein for the Stranger Things soundtrack. 

First appearing on the soundtrack for Season 1, the track quickly became a defining theme of the show’s identity, blending vintage analog synthesis with a sense of childhood wonder, mystery, and underlying danger. Built around pulsing arpeggios, warm detuned synth lines, and a hypnotic bassline, “Kids” perfectly captures the emotional core of the series, where innocence and suspense constantly coexist.

With the final season of Stranger Things releasing just a few months ago, interest in the show’s music has surged again, bringing renewed attention to the soundtrack and its unmistakable synth-driven sound. “Kids” remains a fan favorite because of how effectively it uses minimal musical elements to create maximum emotional impact, relying on repetition, filter movement, and analog-style imperfections rather than complex harmony or dense arrangements.

In this Synth Ctrl remake, we focus on rebuilding that iconic sound step by step. This recreation highlights how thoughtful sound design choices, rather than complexity, are what make “Kids” such a timeless and cinematic piece of synth music.

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This bass sound is the first of three bass layers used in the track, and it plays a key role in setting the foundation of the low end. The patch is built around pulse-width modulation, which gives it that classic, animated synth bass character you hear in many analog and cinematic productions. Oscillator A is set to PWM Mini, while Oscillator B uses PWM MDC, and together they create a rich, slightly hollow tone that feels alive rather than static. LFO 1 set at a 1 bar rate is routed to the wavetable position and the warp controls of both oscillators, so the pulse width shifts over time, adding subtle movement and preventing the bass from sounding flat or repetitive.

The tone is further shaped by the filter, where the cutoff is modulated by Envelope 3. This envelope has a long decay, allowing the filter to close slowly after each note, giving the bass a smooth, evolving contour rather than a sharp pluck. To add extra weight and presence, the filter drive is set to 15 percent, introducing gentle saturation that thickens the sound and reinforces the low end. 

After the first bass has established the foundation, a resonant bass line comes in to add movement and character. This sound is built from the exact same patch as the previous bass, using the same wavetables and modulation routing, but it’s pushed in a more expressive direction. Here, the filter resonance is turned up significantly, which introduces a focused, whistling peak that cuts through the mix and gives the bass a more pronounced identity. On top of that, an LFO is assigned to modulate the resonance, causing it to slowly sweep over time. This movement transforms the bass from a static low-end layer into something much more animated and emotional, creating that unmistakable Synthwave-style bass feel where the tone evolves and pulses as the track progresses.

The third bass in the track is a running bass line, designed to bring momentum and drive to the groove. This one is more rhythmic and animated, helping the song move forward rather than just sitting underneath it. To build this sound, Oscillator A uses an MB Saw, which provides a bright, harmonically rich core, while Oscillator B is set to Basic Shapes in its fourth position, adding a cleaner tone that tightens the low end and keeps the bass focused.

The plucky character of this bass comes from Envelope 1, which is routed to the filter cutoff and set with a fast decay. Each note opens the filter briefly and then closes it again, creating a defined attack followed by a smooth drop in tone. To get the groove feeling right, an LFO is assigned to modulate the amp level, giving the bass that pulsing, sidechain-style movement. This combination makes the bass feel energetic and dynamic, locking it into the rhythm while keeping the low end controlled and expressive.

Next, we introduce a lingering bass note that holds a G throughout the song, acting as a constant tonal anchor under the arrangement. This sustained layer adds tension and atmosphere, giving the track that subtle, hypnotic pull you feel even when nothing else is changing. To create it, Oscillator A is set to PWM Mini and Oscillator B to PWM MDC, combining two pulse-width based tones that naturally evolve and feel alive. LFO 1 is routed to both the wavetable position and the warp controls of each oscillator, so the pulse width is always shifting slightly, adding gentle motion over time. The sound then runs through a CMB HL6 filter, which introduces resonant, comb-like character that makes the note feel more textured and synthetic. Both the cutoff and resonance of this filter are modulated by LFO 1, causing slow tonal sweeps that keep the sustained note from ever feeling static. In the FX section, a heavy amount of reverb is added, pushing the sound far back into the mix and turning it into a wide, atmospheric layer. The result is a pad tone that’s less about rhythm and more about mood, evolving presence that quietly shapes the emotional space of the entire track.

To create the main arpeggio that runs throughout the entire song, we start with a combination that balances character and clarity while still feeling vintage and alive. Oscillator A is set to the ICanHasKick wavetable, which brings a rich, slightly gritty harmonic core, while Oscillator B uses a Juno-style wavetable, adding that smooth, classic synth flavor associated with analog polysynths. Both oscillators are set to four voices, giving the arp enough width and density without washing out the rhythm. The movement of the sound comes from an envelope that is simultaneously modulating the wavetable positions of both oscillators as well as the cutoff and resonance of the filter, allowing each note to open up and then gently settle back. To finish shaping the character, an LFO is routed to the fine tuning of both oscillators, introducing subtle pitch drift over time. This small detail is crucial, as it recreates the natural instability of analog synths and gives the arp that floating, slightly imperfect feel that makes it sound warm, nostalgic, and unmistakably alive.

This element comes in halfway through the song and takes on the role of a lead, carrying the main melodic idea and immediately pulling focus. The core of the sound lives in Oscillator A, which uses the Basic MDC wavetable to deliver a clean but harmonically rich tone that cuts through without sounding harsh. Oscillator B is set to ICanHasKick, adding extra body and subtle grit underneath, which helps the melody feel fuller and more expressive. An envelope is assigned to modulate both the oscillator levels and the filter cutoff, so each note has a clear shape that opens slightly at the start and then settles back, giving the melody a sense of movement and phrasing. What really defines this sound, though, is the filter resonance, which is pushed up to around 30 percent. That resonance creates a focused, almost vocal-like peak that emphasizes certain frequencies in the melody, making the lead feel more emotional and forward in the mix. It’s this combination of controlled envelope movement and pronounced resonance that gives the sound its identity and allows it to stand out as the main melodic voice when it enters.

Finally, we introduce this arpeggiated layer whose main job is to add constant motion and texture to the song. It’s not meant to lead the track, but to keep the arrangement feeling alive and evolving. Oscillator A is set to Basic Mini, giving the arp a clean and focused core, while Oscillator B uses Basic CJW, which adds extra harmonic color and a slightly brighter edge. To keep the sound from feeling static, an LFO is assigned to the fine tuning of both oscillators, creating a gentle pitch drift that gives the arp a subtle analog instability and a more human feel. The rhythmic shape of the sound comes from an envelope modulating the filter cutoff, allowing each note to open up briefly and then soften, which helps the arp sit nicely in the mix without sounding too sharp. On top of that, a second LFO is used to modulate the filter resonance, adding slow tonal movement so the arp constantly shifts and breathes over time. In the FX section, a quarter-note ping pong delay is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. With the feedback set to around 70 percent and the mix at about 65 percent, the repeats blur into each other, turning the arp into a wide, washed-out texture rather than a dry, rhythmic pattern. The result is an atmospheric arp that floats through the track, adding depth and motion while helping glue the whole arrangement together.