How to recreate the synth lead inTime to Pretend by MGMT

This is a deceptively simple patch — a single oscillator, no filter envelope, and almost no movement except the vibrato. MGMT reportedly built the first record with barely any gear, mostly stock Reason presets, so don't overthink it.

The whole sound comes down to two things:

1. Fast, wide pitch vibrato. This is the signature part. Route an LFO to oscillator pitch, set it to a triangle, and make it fast. Depth should be around 60–70 cents, which is wider than a typical vibrato. If it doesn't sound kind of wonky, you haven't gone far enough.
2. Resonance up around the halfway mark, then sweep the cutoff until the resonant peak lands on a nasal, mid-focused honk. It's a static setting — there is no filter envelope on this patch. Every note has the same tone.

The rest:

3. Organ-style amp envelope. Instant attack, full sustain, and a very short release. Notes turn on and off. No swell, no fade.
4. Mono with legato and a touch of glide.
5. Effects: tiny bit of distortion for grit, light chorus, and a small amount of reverb.