Nik Kershaw synths

[madtheory]

Seeing as you haven't replied, it's hard to accept you have any patches at all.

[Musicmanlv]

Seeing as you haven't replied, it's hard to accept you have any patches at all.

I have replied and said I’m happy to email you. I told you I don’t do cloud services period.

[madtheory]

OK thanks.

[email protected]

I did a demo with CMI IIx ELBASS layered with DX-7 preset 29 ELEC.BASS. Nails it. A touch of Eventide micropitch on the CMI and some heavy eq to sweeten it, added low shelving bass on the DX:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uscued7sezji2 ... o.mp3?dl=0

[desmond]

Pretty good!

[madtheory]

THanks desmond

Seeing as you haven't replied, it's hard to accept you have any patches at all.

I have replied and said I’m happy to email you. I told you I don’t do cloud services period.

I haven't received any email from you?

[melodyking]

The synth lead in "I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" is a Prophet-5 though.

Personally knowing Nik and his band members during that period, I would like to correct a few errors on this post.

On the first album the synths used on the album were a Juno 60, Obreheim OB-Xa, Yamaha DX7, Roland TR808, the Obreheim was in fact the lead synth on "I won't let the sun go down on me"

live the keyboards used were a DX7, Jupiter 4 and Roland Juno 60.

So the lead synth in "I won't let the sun go down on me" was Ob-Xa and not Prophet-5?
Although he plays it on Juno-60 in this video:


What preset or how do you make a similar sound?

[madtheory]

Although he plays it on Juno-60 in this video live:

It's not live, that's lip sync.

[melodyking]

Although he plays it on Juno-60 in this video live:

It's not live, that's lip sync.

Ok whats your point? It might be playback just thought it looked like a live preformance.
Sorry for my misstake then.

[desmond]

The point is you can’t make any inference of the instrument used on the record from a mimed TV appearance, where they will often use any old synth the hire company has on hand to “play” on the stage.

[madtheory]

The point is you can’t make any inference of the instrument used on the record from a mimed TV appearance, where they will often use any old synth the hire company has on hand to “play” on the stage.

Exactly. Sorry it wasn't meant as a random criticism, or to pedantic. I thought that would've been obvious compared to the difficulty in telling the difference between live and playback, especially with musicians of this calibre. For example look at how well he mimes the pitch bending- he's not messing around there! I find it easy to tell because I know this record so well, it's part of my childhood so I listened to it several times a day back then

That said, Nik has often mentioned his fondness for the Juno, much more so than the other classic polys used on the record. So I think there is a slight possibility it was the synth used for the lead, as it's quite a simple patch. However it sounds very very OB to my ears.

[melodyking]

The point is you can’t make any inference of the instrument used on the record from a mimed TV appearance, where they will often use any old synth the hire company has on hand to “play” on the stage.

Exactly. Sorry it wasn't meant as a random criticism, or to pedantic. I thought that would've been obvious compared to the difficulty in telling the difference between live and playback, especially with musicians of this calibre. For example look at how well he mimes the pitch bending- he's not messing around there! I find it easy to tell because I know this record so well, it's part of my childhood so I listened to it several times a day back then

That said, Nik has often mentioned his fondness for the Juno, much more so than the other classic polys used on the record. So I think there is a slight possibility it was the synth used for the lead, as it's quite a simple patch. However it sounds very very OB to my ears.

Yeah also thought the pitch-bending he did looked real.
Was trying to make something similar sounding.
Portamento and the pitch bending seems like its important to get the right sound.
Any suggestions how to make a similar sound with ob-xa, juno or prophet vsts?

Heres another video where it looks like he is using diffrent synths:

The lead sounds good with electric guitar aswell

[madtheory]

Any suggestions how to make a similar sound with ob-xa, juno or prophet vsts?

I'm pretty sure it's a preset on the OBX-a, so sonicprojects OPX will have it. I'm not sure it's possible to get it precisely on a Juno or a Prophet. I never tried. I suspect it's two pulses an octave apart and slightly detuned. The OB has quite a distinct pulse sound, not really sure why as it's a CEM like everyone else.

It's probably in unison mode for this patch as well I guess. Again, the OB CEM oscillators have different "slop" (as Dave Smith aptly named it) than other polysynths because of how the CV and tuning was implemented. Plus it's 8 voice, whereas the Prophet is "only" five.

So, maybe try two pulses as I said, figure out some way to methodically get the pulse widths right, and use unison mode. With the envelopes I'd start with a gate and go from there. That's my guess anyway.

[melodyking]

Any suggestions how to make a similar sound with ob-xa, juno or prophet vsts?

I'm pretty sure it's a preset on the OBX-a, so sonicprojects OPX will have it. I'm not sure it's possible to get it precisely on a Juno or a Prophet. I never tried. I suspect it's two pulses an octave apart and slightly detuned. The OB has quite a distinct pulse sound, not really sure why as it's a CEM like everyone else.

It's probably in unison mode for this patch as well I guess. Again, the OB CEM oscillators have different "slop" (as Dave Smith aptly named it) than other polysynths because of how the CV and tuning was implemented. Plus it's 8 voice, whereas the Prophet is "only" five.

So, maybe try two pulses as I said, figure out some way to methodically get the pulse widths right, and use unison mode. With the envelopes I'd start with a gate and go from there. That's my guess anyway.

Thanks I'll try that.
Will it work with the free ob-xd plugin or ob-xtreme?
The sonic projects op-x pro is not based on ob-xa but i'll guess there similar?

[madtheory]

I would be trying anything that has dual variable pulse waves (which is a lot of stuff). OPXa is an excellent model, so I'm sure it will work there, and it probably already has that preset anyway! For this kind of sound, an OBX is not hugely different from an OBXa. U-He Diva would be another one to try. If I have time I'll give it a go with one of Arturia synths.

The other OB models would be fine to try too, although IIRC the Aly James one doesn't have pulse? It's made for brass only I think?

Bear in mind that my theory about the basis of the sound could be wrong!

[desmond]

Seeing as you haven't replied, it's hard to accept you have any patches at all.

I have replied and said I’m happy to email you.

Did this ever materialise, or was it a no-show?