Led Zeppelin In the Light Synth Tone

[Rawrasaur]

Im trying to replicate both the lead and deep pad sounds in in the light. Im trying a minimoog and an arp2600 on for size and I can get *kind of* close with a couple of slightly detuned sawtooths and heavy delay. Im finding that the higher registers are not scaling properly for the sound I want, but Im also unable to get as close to the sound as I would like. Any advice? Has anyone tried it before?

Here's a link to the song for reference:

[hfinn]

that's one of my favorite Zeppelin songs. Good example of the Yamaha GX-1.

[ronP]

oo

The ascending scale that repeats several times during the song is a clavinet played through a phaser, I believe, which gives it that shimmering quality. My microKORG clav preset (B57) played with added release mimics that line perfectly.

The lead sound can be approximated on an analog modelling synth (or analog monosynth) using:

square waves
lowpass filter with cutoff set around 8 and resonance tweaked between 4 and 6
mono + legato mode (if you're using an analog modelling polysynth)
portamento set between 10 and 15
pitch bend set to a full step
onboard (or outboard) delay effect settings of 40 and 40 (for both depth and time)

This is just a scratch patch, really ROUGH, but once you have the above set, the rest should come to your ear quickly if you have any tweaking capability in your synth (and in you).

oo

[redchapterjubilee]

http://www.geocities.com/jpjkeys/emsvcs3.html

Twas the VCS3.

[Gothboy]

Good example of the Yamaha GX-1.

Was the EMS VCS3 putney with tons of delay....NOT the GX-1 as the album came out in '75 and Jones didn't own the GX-1 until '78 or so.

[Clavier]

I've actually been able to do a very good copy of that lead with my Micromoog, a tube overdrive, delay, and a spring reverb. If ever there was a song that makes me want a VCS3, it's that one.

The GX-1 first appeared on In Through The Out Door. It's my favorite album by Zep. Would've been interesting to see where they would have went if the band continued recording with John Paul Jones in creative control. I feel that JPJ is one of the most underrated musicians in the history of rock.

[iProg]

I've actually been able to do a very good copy of that lead with my Micromoog, a tube overdrive, delay, and a spring reverb. If ever there was a song that makes me want a VCS3, it's that one.

The GX-1 first appeared on In Through The Out Door. It's my favorite album by Zep. Would've been interesting to see where they would have went if the band continued recording with John Paul Jones in creative control. I feel that JPJ is one of the most underrated musicians in the history of rock.

The GX-1 plays the brass osund on "Carouselambra" on that album for example...Great album!

[Tardis]

According to this write-up, John Paul Jones used a Synthacon,...
http://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/synthacon.shtml

[Clavier]

I don't know whether he used a Synthacon or not. It would be the first I've heard of this. It would make sense though, because he could have used the VCS3 for the drone and the Synthacon for the ascending scale. If you listen closely to the track, you'll notice the two tones are fairly different in timbre. Also, I've never hear any report of JPJ owning or using the rare keyboard for the VSC3. He still has one in his studio and the keyboard controller doesn't seem to be present in the pictures of it. Supposedly, they never played the song live either, so that would make sense also.

[Tardis]

You could always ask him, he has a message board on his website... http://www.johnpauljones.com/forum/
He seems like a nice enough guy, I'll bet he (or someone) would answer this question.