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> Imo, Vangelis brought the synthesizer from an experimental novelty to an instrument for composition. The two sounds I associate with him are the long brassy t
by jancsika 4y ago
> Imo, Vangelis brought the synthesizer from an experimental novelty to an instrument for composition. The two sounds I associate with him are the long brassy triangle with a steep envelope that we know from both Blade Runner and the accompaniment to the piano in the Chariots of Fire theme, and his effective use of chimes.
One of the most memorable parts of the Blade Runner soundtrack is the brass synth that casually tools around the blues scale. It sounds like an homage to old detective films and grounds the entire movie.
I wonder-- did that influence the intro to Dire Straits' Money for Nothing? It begins with a nice little synth bass and some arpeggiator bleeps and blorps, but there's a similar synth that similarly cruises around a blues scale for a bit.
Digression-- after listening to it again, I noticed that pentatonic synth business in Money for Nothing ends on a C two octaves above middle C which then does a quick upward glissando about an octave and a fourth. Did the keyboardist map the midi wheel to a perfect 11th to do that glissando? If so it sounds incredibly smooth: great job DX7, and/or early MIDI, and/or Alan Clark!
Edit: clarification
- MrGando 4y agoThe brass you hear in Vangelis is probably an Oberheim OB-Xa, incredible brass sounds. The band toto made those sounds extremely popular here in the states too. Google who the Porcaro brothers were (well one is still alive and kicking :) )
- alfiedotwtf 4y agoon that ICYMI, there's one month to go before Oberheim starts shipping the OB-X8 (which contains the OB-X, OB-Xa, and OB-8 switchable filter and envelope responses)! ... but AFAIK the Blade Runner theme was famously done on a CS-80
- multi_tude 4y agoI believe Vangelis' brass sounds were played on a Yamaha CS80, although the OB-Xa is capable of similar sounds.
- pjbk 4y agoCS80 indeed. There is an almost identical patch for the Arturia CS-80v if interested: https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2017/10/19/free-arturia-cs-80v-preset-nails-iconic-blade-runner-blues-sound https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2017/10/19/free-arturia-c...
- Intermernet 4y agoMuch cheaper than getting an original CS80 ;-) The CS80 was decades ahead of it's time. I love playing with CS-80v, but I need a keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch to do it justice, and the Ensoniq models are now way too pricey. Wish I'd bought one 10 years ago when they were unpopular, available, weird and cheap.
- 112233 4y agolaunchpad pro? it’s small and quitet, too!
- MrGando 4y agoYou're right! I remember actually trying the Arturia a while ago just to get that sound. Regarding the Oberheim brass... it's incredible :) , I probably wanted it to be the OB.
- spopejoy 4y agothere's also deckard's dream: https://black-corporation.com/product/deckards-dream-mk2/ https://black-corporation.com/product/deckards-dream-mk2/
- coldtea 4y agoThat would be a Yamaha CS80 - at least for Bladerunner, it's one of its most famous uses. Btw, the Oberheim had a new release just last week or so.