mocando wrote:
I couldn't agree more, Santi. Live versions are a million years better than studio versions. For example, again with FYFM, the studio version just fades to silence, now in Live Over Europe, the ending is so great!!!
Indeed, I think that the carpet crawlers is also another song that sounds wonderful on the latest tour (but I'm generally dissapointed with tony's sound. It's too sterile and I can hear that they used a digidesign console to mix everything. It sounds hyped and blunt. A real shame I think).
The interview you are referring to can be found on the korg UK website. He also stated that he rented the oasys for Live Earth because his own one was setup in manchester (where they had to play that night). Loading up the sounds worked indeed, but he only used it's internal sounds for duke/turn it on again. Land of confusion was still emu proteus and the tx7, invisilble touch used the JD990 and proteus too, though I think he uses the oasys for the middle 8 bit (which he has to redo every tour. hell of a job…)
mocando wrote:
That means, that they might not be an exact copy, but I could be able to do (almost) the same with the M50. The M50 doesn't have sampling, so that is out of the question for me. So I'm sticking with what I can get form it.
You can use any kind of sound you like of course. Portamento and filter settings are important, but one thing to keep in mind; some sounds might be difficult to do as the filters in the oasys might not give you the sound and control you are looking for. I have the same problem with the fantom filters. The first part of domino uses a synthstring with filter sweep from the P10. I can't get that nice sweep out of my fantom. It's filters are horrible.
mocando wrote:
As for the songs I wan to play, I'll try to give you a preliminary list:
- Abacab
- Illegal Alien
- Suppers Ready
- Cinema Show
- Mad Man Moon
- The 3 sides live medley or the Seconds Out medley
- Follow You Follow Me
- Turn it On Again
- Domino
- Los Endos (might be inside a medley)
For abacab:
Try a good synth brass (like many of the 80ies synth brasses), split the sound so that you can process one with a bit of distortion and the other clean. Mix that. Then some small delay/reverb on it and tweak portamento where needed. The chorusing is pretty important as it gives its fatty sound.
You can make some kind of clone for the arp quadra's fat sound by taking two oscilators, set them so sawtooth and detune them really slightly. Use a polyphony of 1 for both oscilators. Set one to high note priority, the other to low note priority (which is how the arp quadra and the oddysee handle duo playing)
Then use a third oscilator with sawtooth and some filtering for the poly section. Mix that, some portamento (very short!!!!!!) and there you are.
Illegal alien:
See if there are any good clones of the CP70 on the oasys for the piano
You can sample the intro from the record (even tony did that on the mama tour…)
Try the abacab sound, without distortion for the middle part
Try a steeldrum sound for the middle section (original one is from the synclavier) - a bit of delay and reverb is important on that one.
Haven;t heard the track in a long time but I think the parts under the steeldrum sound are just a general prophet 10 string with very slow phaser (like on the intro of in the cage). But could be a filtersweep too.
Suppers Ready:
RMI Electra piano (I think samples can be found for free on the internet) for lovers leap
Use some organ patches (I lost my drawbar setting notes sadly). The only thing I remember is that apocalypse had the V setting (which is middle drawbar to 8, the two next to them 7, then 6 and so on. It should resemble the character V). I don't think tony used percussion on it.
Apocalypse uses mellotron strings -> spring reverb/tape delay is the key for a nice sound
As sure as eggs are eggs and the willow farm part use the mellotron brass (not trough a leslie!!!)
How dare I be so beautiful uses rmi organ mode (again, samples are on the net I think) with phaser
Part 3 uses a simple lead from the arp pro soloist (not sure which preset, long time ago since I used the pro soloist sounds, in fact long time ago since I played any 70ies material from that era). After the solo, the arpeggiating thing is continued on the organ, not the pro soloist! You might try some reverb or delay on the organ for that part.
Part two is organ and some percussion on it.
Cinema show:
I always stick to the medley part. Though I heard the 1976 version after a log period this morning (as I also heard fly on a windshield and white mountain. Very good songs from that tour).
Its organ, mellotron and a lot of pro soloist sounds. Although I could do the version from the 70ies, I would stick to the arp quadra sound.
The quadra sound used is the same as on follow you follow me. The important (and difficult) aspect of that sound is the amp envelope which is not the standard ADSR one but more one that resembles a brass envelope (sFz). So it should start with the sound sustaining at a level, then fade out, fade in, hold to a louder sustain level and very short release.
Of course the phasing is important in the sound (see abacab for a good recipe)
Mad man moon,
I know not many tributes doing that one. I haven;t tried myself either but I remember some pro soloist sounds (more orchestral stuff like on one for the vine), mellotron strings (mixed with the roland RS202 stringsynth) and a lot of acoustic piano!
Again, mellotron strings only benefit from one thing: GOOD TAPE DELAY/SPRING REVERB. It makes them sound marvellous (listen to salmacis on three sides live for example!)
Three sides live medley:
The quadra recipe for cinema show is already given above. Edit the envelope (switch to a traditional lead sound envelope) and you have the sound for in the cage and slipperman.
Slipperman has a special portamento setting and I think tony switched on the bass section of the quadra for that one (as I dont hear that much portamento on those notes).
Use a synthstring (made up of 2 detuned saws) with good phaser for the intro.
There is an article in Sound on sound magazine that shows how you can recreate the organ from that period. It shows all settings for the P10. Only thing you need is a self oscilating filter and enough oscilators.
You can use that same synthstring for the small parts in in the cage where it is needed.
Use phaser on the organ for the middle section (where they slow down, the "outside the cage" part). During the verses, it's only chorus.
Follow you follow me:
See cinema show for the lead sound. Use any organ you like, as long as you keep the phaser to a minimum. The trick is to blend the mix of dry and phased signal (and chorused signal). Tony didn't use heavy settings much.
Turn it on again:
I only use piano with a very soft synth string. I have the Emulator brass section setup but I sparely use it (I don;t like it that much).
Use an old piano, no hi fidelity steinway samples. The one I use is from the roland RD1000/MKS20. It's very 80ies, synthesized and it works wonderful. The soft synth string is only there for the longer sustains in the middle sections.
Some small delay/chorus and reverb on the piano and of you go.
If you check out
www.wecantdance.nl - turn it on again is featured in the audio box on the left (on the home page).
Domino:
A very heavy song soundwise. I'll comment on that one later (its midnight here). Our version can be found on youtube (see our website again. Its posted there)
Los Endos:
Now we did a medley with in that quiet earth, though that didn;t work out well.
Use an organ patch thats not too heavy. Tony used percussion on it the last tour (and that sounded like CRAP imho). I suggest using the arp quadra sound again as its versatile and fat.
Use a nice mellotron choir or a big synthetic choir for the end (delay, reverb for the latter one, maybe add some chorus too. tapedelay/spring reverb if you use mellotron choir).
I personally use the sounds from the invisible touch tour (which are two synclavier synth leads; one is like a pulse lead, the other one is the same one that is used for second home by the sea but with more chorus, delay and reverb on it- prophet 10 organ like on abacab with some reverb and chorus/phaser, emulator choir drenched in chorus and delay)
An older version of our rendition is on youtube (see our website). I'm using the latter synclavier lead only (as I didnt had the pulse lead setup at that time) with two effect settings (heavier effects on the second part, more dry on the first part).