Well considering the same laptop will act as recording studio, graphics editor, promotional terminal and point-of-sale cash register, it's a bargain at a few grand.Originally Posted by BobM
Well considering the same laptop will act as recording studio, graphics editor, promotional terminal and point-of-sale cash register, it's a bargain at a few grand.
And if you really want that Fairlight sound (and I've used it on several recent songs) here ya go!
http://www.hollowsun.com/vintage/fairlight/
Bear in most of the synthesizer sounds associated with Stevie Wonder were provided by TONTO.
On his early 70's albums, yes, but at some point, he acquired not one, but two (!!!) Yamaha GX-1's. I believe that's the instrument you're hearing on a lot of Songs In The Key Of Life, for instance.
And while the synth may have been TONTO, and patched by Cecil and Margouleff, it was still Stevie playing in it on the records.
I know he used the Melodian system, which was like a fore-runner of the Fairlight...is that what you guys are thinking?
EDIT: This is the ONLY picture I could find of a Melodian system with a Google search...I knew that the system was obscure but I didnt know it was that obscure lol
Last edited by klothos; 07-26-2014 at 01:07 AM.
I believe his work with the Melodian came a bit later. I seem to recall reading that Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants is said to be the first record to feature digital sampling on it. But that was 1979.
But in the early 70's, Stevie did make extensive use of TONTO. That's The Original New Timbral Orchestra, a giant modular synthesizer constructed by Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff. The two of them started with Moog III modular synthesizer, then added components from other instruments, including several Oberheim SEM's, and least one more Moog III, a couple ARP 2600's, and I think several other synths, sequencers, etc.
Anyway, Mal and Bob coproduced several of Stevie's early 70's records, namely Music Of My Mind, Talking Book, Inner Visions, and Fullfillingness' First Finale, and of course they put TONTO to use on those records. If I'm not mistaken, it's mainly TONTO that you're hearing on Living For The City, for instance.
TONTO was also featured on two albums by TONTO's Expanding Head Band, which was basically Mal and Bob recording on their own. I think I have one of those albums on LP, but I don't remember much about what it's like.
And after Bob Margouleff sold his share of the "company" or whatever you want to call it to Malcolm Cecil, Mal produced Steve Hillage's Motivation Radio album (presumably due to the Stevie Wonder connection, given that they used Stevie's rhythm section on the record) and that also made extensive use of TONTO, apparently.
But by 1976, Stevie had a GX-1 (actually, he eventually had two, there's a funny story about that I once read from one of Stevie's studio techs), which he put to use on Songs In The Key Of Life. I believe it's been said he's specifically playing it on Pastime Paradise, but I imagine he probably used it on some of the other songs too. Stevie's also been known to have used an ARP 2600 (there's a great clip of him on Sesame Street back in the 70's, where he's trying to teach Grover how to sing, by playing notes on the 2600, which Grover then fails to hit on key) and on at least a few of the songs, he's credited with "Moog bass", which presumably means Mini-Moog, though I suppose it could be almost any Moog instrument that was available at the time.
Been following this thread but didn't want to jump in until I had something to share. I'm working on an adaptation of Pictures at an Exhibition performed entirely on a Korg Radias synth. The Radias was introduced in 2006 and is completely digital offering subtractive synthesis as it's primary approach (also PCM sample playback and limited additive synthesis). For this project I'm only using the subtractive synthesis model and have created all the sounds from scratch myself...no presets. Anyway, here's the 1st Promenade which should give an idea of what this digital synth sounds like and for me anyway, answers the question of the OP "Have digital synths ever sounded good?" as a resounding Yes
Last edited by WytchCrypt; 07-26-2014 at 01:05 PM.
Check out my solo project prog band, Mutiny in Jonestown at https://mutinyinjonestown.bandcamp.com/
Check out my solo project progressive doom metal band, WytchCrypt at https://wytchcrypt.bandcamp.com/
I always thought a lot of Rush's digital synth programming (done by people-not Geddy Lee) was pretty tasteful now in retrospect. Stuff from GRACE UNDER PRESSURE, POWER WINDOWS and HOLD YOUR FIRE was mostly digital synthesis whereas SIGNALS was like the epitome of big, fat analog synthesis I'd have to say, which made a lot of the songs stick together and gave the entire album that "might have used too many synths guys!" sound
Last edited by 3RDegree_Robert; 07-27-2014 at 05:22 AM. Reason: typo
Nice job --- the patches you programmed were very retro/circa 1981 authentic...Been following this thread but didn't want to jump in until I had something to share. I'm working on an adaptation of Pictures at an Exhibition performed entirely on a Korg Radias synth. The Radias was introduced in 2006 and is completely digital offering subtractive synthesis as it's primary approach (also PCM sample playback and limited additive synthesis). For this project I'm only using the subtractive synthesis model and have created all the sounds from scratch myself...no presets. Anyway, here's the 1st Promenade which should give an idea of what this digital synth sounds like and for me anyway, answers the question of the OP "Have digital synths ever sounded good?" as a resounding Yes
Thanks. Funny you mention 1981 sounds...that was the year I took electronic music at my local JC and learned how subtractive synthesis worked on our music lab Roland SH-5
Last edited by WytchCrypt; 07-28-2014 at 12:42 PM.
Check out my solo project prog band, Mutiny in Jonestown at https://mutinyinjonestown.bandcamp.com/
Check out my solo project progressive doom metal band, WytchCrypt at https://wytchcrypt.bandcamp.com/
Pat Metheny has been using that Synclaviar trumpet patch since the early 80s.
no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone
I believe the "trumpet" sound you refer to is actually from the Roland GR-300. It's the same sound that Hackett likes to use from it, also I believe used by Fripp on some of the 80's King Crimson things (and I think also from his Frippertronic performances from the time same time frame). I remember at one point on the PMG website, there was a Q&A section where you could send in questions (maybe still is, I haven't been on the site in a few years), and someone asked about that sound as it was used on one of his relatively recent (at the time) records. Pat said something like he thought it was funny when people ask about the "Synclavier guitar" sound, because he hasn't used the guitar interface on the Synclavier in over a decade (this was circa 2000, so tack on another 14 years), and that the sound everyone mistakes from the Synclavier is actually the GR-300.
One sound that's really cool from the Synclavier, though, is the harmonica sound that Lyle Mays used on the PMG track Are You Going With Me. I think he uses another instrument to get that sound now, though. The last time I saw the PMG, they were touring with an actual harmonica player in the band, because there was some harmonica parts on The Way Up (which was the new album, and which was played in it's entirety that night), so the "harmonica" solo turned into a duet, with Lyle and the harmonica player trading lines back and forth.
My dreammachine. I still can remember a musicstore having this one on display in the window.Thanks. Funny you mention 1981 sounds...that was the year I took electronic music at my local JC and learned how subtractive synthesis worked on our music lab Roland SH-5
I still have my own Roland 101.
Stewart Copeland is interviewed in the new Keyboard. Stew used Fairlights a lot when he was new to film scoring, so they asked about them.
Do you still use the Fairlight?
No, but I’ve got three of them in storage! I can’t bear to see them go, but obviously now they’re irrelevant. My compositional career wouldn’t have happened without them, though. The Fairlight made me as a symphonic composer possible. I used to joke, “One day they’ll have this in my watch!” I totally got that wrong. It’s not in my watch—it’s in my iPhone! I carried on using Kurzweils for awhile until I started using the M-Audio ProKeys 88 to control software instruments. I had been looking for the longest keyboard with the fewest buttons, because I don’t need its internal sounds. The ProKeys is an excellent machine. I also have an Akai LPK25 that I use for traveling and to send patch changes.
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