Badass synth parts in songs (starting with this one)

aXL · Post by **aXL** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 6:47 pm

Let's see... Top 5 favourite sounds:

1. Anything made from the combination of ARP Odyssey and Billy Currie. Preferably the solos, but the weird noises used in tracks like "New Europeans" and "All Stood Still" are cool as well.
2. The tri-wave Moogish leads from Kate Bush's "Mother Stands For Comfort", which also bears some resemblance to that used in "Egypt" five years prior. Wasn't that Larry Fast's work?
3. The sequence/monopad-combo from Japan's "Quiet Life". Simple, yet absolutely awesome. Richard Barbieri at his finest.
4. The infamously unidentified pad sound from The Cure's "All Cats Are Grey".
5. "Equality" by Howard Jones. The ENTIRE track is synthesized awesome - especially live when he omits the garishly misplaced choir bits from the main riff. There is a fairly recent clip of him playing it on his 'retro rig' completely solo, which rocks fairly hard.

redchapterjubilee · Post by **redchapterjubilee** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:03 pm

aXL wrote: 2. The tri-wave Moogish leads from Kate Bush's "Mother Stands For Comfort", which also bears some resemblance to that used in "Egypt" five years prior. Wasn't that Larry Fast's work?

Micke will come to our rescue here assuredly but...I assumed that the predominance of synthy bits on Hounds of Love were done with the Fairlight. There is a great Keyboard magazine interview from 1985 (with Echoes host John Diliberto) talking about how she recorded the album. You can read it in the press archives at http://www.gaffa.org/reaching/i85_key.html That is one wacked-out tone though. The solo on "Egypt" is also a dandy (she says that one is CS-80).

For me, mine are completely conventional.
1. Beastie Boys "Shake Your Rump" - That bassline should be the multimedia sample in the dictionary next to the term "phat".
2. Gary Numan "Down In the Park" and "Cars". I'd buy a Polymoog just so I could get lost for hours playing the Vox Humana preset.
3. Rush "Tom Sawyer". The MiniMoog / Oberheim combo on that evil bass envelope... I'll also take the OB-X brass on "YYZ".
4. Kraftwerk. Pretty much every tone from the synths on down to the drums, Radio-Activity through Computer World. Probably the greatest influence on me to play synths. Even my young children dig Kraftwerk, especially "Numbers" and "The Robots".
5. Dr. Dre "Lyrical Gangbang". Loves me some worm leads. Cake's "The Distance" fits in there too as the best worm Dre never recorded.
6. Not synths but...gimme Mellotron strings from any number of awesome records over the years. And also a slightly overdriven Fender Rhodes.

Micke · Post by **Micke** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:24 pm

aXL wrote:
2. The tri-wave Moogish leads from Kate Bush's "Mother Stands For Comfort", which also bears some resemblance to that used in "Egypt" five years prior. Wasn't that Larry Fast's work?

Nope, On 'Egypt' it's Max Middleton on Minimoog (solo part) and Mark Moran on Prophet 5.
Larry Fast played P5 on 'Breathing'

3. The sequence/monopad-combo from Japan's "Quiet Life". Simple, yet absolutely awesome. Richard Barbieri at his finest.

The sequenced synth line on "Quiet Life" is a mixture of Roland 700 'Laboratory' system + Polymoog. Richard reproduced the sound on the OBX for the live shows.

4. The infamously unidentified pad sound from The Cure's "All Cats Are Grey".

Robert Smith used to multitrack the Korg 800-DV before they started to use polyphonic synths so I'm suspecting that's what we hear on this song.

Micke

JUGEL · Post by **JUGEL** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:28 pm

Doobie Brothers - the lead to "What a Fool Believes"

Damon Wild - Rotary ... what the f**k is doing that crazy organ? People say it's a sample of "Strings of Life" .. I call bullshit!!

Post by **impaler42** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:24 am

cool to see such a variety of different music that have great synth parts. Another great synth part IMO is the lead in Depeche Mode- In your Room (Portishead Jeeprock Mix). Awesomeness.

Post by **shaft9000** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:33 pm

might as well mention basco - the beat is over . one silly note over and over. but i was at the monthly come-unity party in 'frisco back in dec of '95 when this dropped outta nowhere in the middle of one of the finest electro-acid sets ever by dj simon pearson - and have never heard a sound so big and so balls-rattling ever since.
ottomh:
new order - perfect kiss 12", subculture (arp omni?)
e.l.o. (no s**t) - time
vangelis - soil festivities
fsol - lifeforms
many more

Post by **space6oy** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:39 pm

neandrewthal wrote:My favorite synth sound ever:

The Locust - Safety second, body last.

those guys are amazing, but man, f**k the rest of their instrumentation, their drummer shows them all what for.

my latest favorite synth part would probably be the interlude on soulwax's miserable girl. best build up to an explosion i've heard in a long time. plus it's awesome that they pull it off as a live band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SioGdfQJptw

Syn303 · Post by **Syn303** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:54 pm

Jethro Tull - A Passion Play, lots of nifty keyboard work by John Evans and good use of Hammond Organ and MiniMoog, especially on "Forest Dance" no sequencer was used to play the sequence, all done by hand on the MiniMoog.

The album has lots of synth in it, especially APP part-two. Okay it's Prog-Rock but it's a concept album aint it.

But not as overblown as YES's Tales From Topographic Oceans

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:28 am

I always loved the basic simplicity of Depeche Mode's "Puppets" off the album Speak and Spell

Moog Source, a Yamaha CS of some sort - 5, 10, or 15 - not sure which, and a electric piano/organ probably a Roland.

Check this out -

Analogue Crazy · Post by **Analogue Crazy** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:49 pm

How dare you mistake the gorgeous Jupiter-4 for an elec piano/organ.

Does it look that bad?

Here is that elec piano/organ in action:

Wow, its got synth section!

caligari · Post by **caligari** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:49 am

Ha Ha --- You're right - I must be getting senile !!!!!

crateaholic · Post by **crateaholic** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:26 am

Some badass synth parts in these tracks. Apologies if a Bass or Organ sneaks in as a synth part. Lots of Minimoog and others in these.

Loose Joints:

gay cat park:

Pluton & humanoids:

Jago:

Gary's Gang:

tamiko jones:

Chemise:

Patrick Cowley:

David Joseph:

Tom Browne:

Raw Silk:

Central Line:

Geraldine Hunt:

Fantasy:

The Quick:

Firefly:

Hugh Bullen:

Klein & MBO:

Jimmy Ross:

JM Silk:

I.M.S.:

Brand Image:

Decadance:

Experimental Products:

Alexander Robotnick:

Donald Byrd:

Slick:

Doctor's cat:

Pineapples:

Funky Family:

Night Moves:

Mr Fingers:

Tonto's Expanding Head Band:

Kebekelektrik:

Gino Soccio:

alpha5000dk · Post by **alpha5000dk** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:01 pm

Depeche Mode - I Feel Loved: The solo - makes me almost pee in my pants each time I hear it

discointellect · Post by **discointellect** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:22 am

If I had any sort of musical credibility whatsoever I'd like to lose it right now by stating that I love the synth parts in "Garden Party" by Marillion. Yes, Marillion.

Joey · Post by **Joey** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:12 am

alpha5000dk wrote:Depeche Mode - I Feel Loved: The solo - makes me almost pee in my pants each time I hear it

Thats a great solo... wasn't it done on a JP8080?

As for my choices:

Depeche Mode - Stripped - The pads that come after the second chorus, just f**k intense.

Depeche Mode - World in my Eyes - The bassline that starts off the song, the first time hearing it I remember thinking "this is already the [bgreatest song I've ever heard and I've only heard maybe 5 seconds".

Duran Duran - Night Boat - The brass part at the start of the song, so great sounding, a perfect example of Nick Rhodes's Prophet 5 mastery.

The Faint - Violent - The entire bridge/breakdown/chaotic ending of the song, just crazy intense and totally conveys the emotion put into the song.

Gary Numan - Berserker - The ridiculously huge bass pads that play through the entire song. I believe they were done on an OBXA?

Goldfrapp - Lovely Head - The part where Allison sings through the MS20's ESP, its just chilling, the first time I heard it I was completely blown away.

Japan - Ghosts - The Oberheim pads that come in on the second chorus, so dark and ghostly sounding.

The Knife - Silent Shout - The arpeggiator that comes in right at the start, its so simple, yet so effective, sets the mood for the entire song.

Kraftwerk - Sex Object - Though they dont really count as synths, the string riff that runs through the entire song, pure genius in making a catchy riff

Ladytron - Turn it on - The synth lead melody that runs through the entire song, the definition of a hot electro riff.

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean - The pads that play the chord changes throughout the song, I believe they were done on the Jupiter 8?

Ministry - What He Say? - The post chorus break that comes in once or twice through the song, the synth bass progression that comes in is one of the best progressions I've ever heard.

New Order - State of the Nation - The DX bassline is just pure dance genius.

Nine Inch Nails - Ruiner - The sequenced synth that plays through the verses, and the massive rising pads that come in on the chorus, so intense and hard.

Orchestral Maneouvres in the Dark - Enola Gay - The sort of squareish melody that plays through the verses is just genius, corny as h**l, but it sounds so good even so.

Orgy - 107 - The synth pads that come in on the chorus are so evil sounding, and the synth guitar lead that comes in after the first chorus. Totally chilling song.

Pet Shop Boys - Two Divided By Zero - The possibly FM bassline that runs through the whole song, great patch, great bass solo.

Prince - Black Sweat - The sine wave lead that plays through the whole song, once again, Prince is a f**k genius with matching catchy riffs.

The Prodigy - Smack my b***h up - The resonant lead that comes in during the choruses, I believe it was done on a Korg Prophecy.

Radiohead - Everything in its Right Place - The possibly prophet 5 pulse wave melody that plays through the entire song, such a gentle sound, yet its sounds so powerful.

Smashing Pumpkins - Eye - The pad that comes in after the chorus, such a simple pad, yet its so thick and warm, amazing sounding.

Tears for Fears - Shout - The paddy synth lead that comes in on the chorus, sounds like an D50 or M1.

The The - Sweet Bird of Truth - Though I'm not totally sure if its even a synth, the bassline of the entire song, it sounds like FM, but also really sounds like a real bass, though no real bass sustains like that. Great f**k song though.

Vangelis - End Titles (From Bladerunner) - The bassline in that song is so great, one of the best synth bass patches I've ever heard. The whole song is a masterpiece actually.

The White Stripes - Icky Thump - The synth riff throughout the entire song, I believe it was done on a univox? Nobody has been able to get a synth to sound punkier or edgier.