It's all DX-7...

[Micke]

According to the CD liner notes for the Bloodsport soundtrack , Paul Hertzog's music was recorded with a Roland MC-500 sequencer,
an Oberheim DMX drum machine, a Yamaha DX-7 and TX-7, Oberheim OB-8 and an Ensonic Mirage sampler.

[Virgule]

I definately hear PPG

[Micke]

Do you mean that you hear PPG in Revenge of the Ninja, or are you referring to Bloodsport?

[Z]

Try to see if you can figure out what synth and drum machine were used in the score

The drum machine is a bit buried in the mix, but it sounds like Emu Drumulator to me.

[Micke]

Nope, it's not an E-mu drumulator....

[Micke]

The drum machine is heard more clearly in this track, mixed with real timpani played by Rob himself.

[Zamise]

Hey Micke, have you got any info on the score to Brain Dead 1990?

[Micke]

No I don't, sorry.

[Zamise]

Awe thanks for checking, watched it the other day and thought it had an interesting synth score.

[LoboLives]

The drum machine is heard more clearly in this track, mixed with real timpani played by Rob himself.

I know this is old...but I'm dying to know what synth was used for Revenge Of The Ninja. It says on the vinyl it was computer controlled...Synclavier perhaps?

[Micke]

Rob Walsh told me a few years ago that he used an Oberheim OB-Xa and DX (or DMX) drum machine on that score. He also used that setup on Robert Ragland's
electronic/orchestral score to the Charles Bronson flick "10 To Midnight" (also from '83).

In case you didn't know; the Revenge of the Ninja soundtrack will be released on CD (in expanded/remastered form) sometime in 2017

[mis psiquicios y yo]

I don't know of any other soundtrack than Exterminator II that was entirely done with a DX-7 though I can't imagine it's the only score done that way.

Anyways, below I've compiled a list of movie soundtracks where the DX-7, DX-1 and GS-1 have been used (though not exclusively). The DX-7 may be the dominant synth in a few of these scores, as in Massari's "The Killer clowns from outer space", but in most of them, the DX-7 is just one out of many different synths used.

I could, of course, have added scores done with the Synclavier to the list since it's a FM synth but decided not to do so. Maybe we could compile a separate list of Synclavier heavy scores.


in chronological order

1982
Missing - Vangelis (GS-1)
Bladerunner - Vangelis (GS-1)

1983:
Twilight Zone: the movie - Jerry Goldsmith (GS-1)

1984:
A Nightmare on elm street - Charles Bernstein
Gremlins - Jerry Goldsmith
Supergirl - Jerry Goldsmith
Runaway - Jerry Goldsmith (plus TX816 and GS1)
Miami vice (TV-series; 1984 onwards) - Jan Hammer
Firestarter - Tangerine dream (unsure) **
Flashpoint - Tangerine dream (unsure)
2010: Odyssey II - David Shire (DX-1)
Dune - Brian Eno/Toto (plus GS-1)
Tales from the darkside (TV-series 1984-87) - John Harrison
Buckaroo Banzai - Michael Boddicker (unsure)
Axel F - Harald Faltermeyer
The Bounty - Vangelis

1985
Phenomena - Claudio Simonetti/Goblin
Demoni - Claudio Simonetti
Cut and run - Claudio Simonetti
Day of the dead - John Harrison
Fright Night - Brad Fiedel
Legend (European version) - Jerry Goldsmith (plus TX816)
Rocky IV - Vince DiCola & various artists
The Magic Egg (short movie) - Michael Boddicker
Explorers - Jerry Goldsmith (plus TX816)

1986
Link - Jerry Goldsmith (plus TX816)
Legend (US version) - Tangerine dream (unsure)
The park is mine - Tangerine dream (unsure)

1987
The serpent and the rainbow - Brad Fiedel
Innerspace - Jerry Goldsmith
Lionheart - Jerry Goldsmith

1988
Killer Clowns from outer space - John Massari (the only synths used on this score were a DX-7 and Kurzweil K250 digital synthesizer/sampler)
Halloween IV & They Live - John Carpenter/Alan Howarth

I'm sure there are other scores from that era where the DX-7 features
but can't think of any at the moment.


** while it's certain that TD did use the DX-7 I'm not sure to what extent and on which scores they used it.

Slightly OT, I was listening to the only two officially realesed tracks from The Bounty soundtrack by Vangelis and it's outstanding the widely pallet of sounds he used in them. I'm sure there is a lot of DX7 (or some FM synth, GS-1 or something) in those tracks, but he also used analog strings, piano, analog choir, etc. The main "melody", which I believe was done on a DX7, is a perfect example of a melody attached to a particular sound, you just can't reproduce that melody with other sound, it's just irreplaceable. The other sound I like from the Opening track (maybe from a DX7) is the rapid-droplike sound in the beginning.

[Micke]

Harold Faltermeyer's classic soundtracks to Beverly Hills Cop 1 & 2, Top gun and The Running man feature some really nice FM sounds courtesy of the DX-7 and TX-816.

Just received the newly released CD's of Beverly Hills cop 1 & 2 and Wow...I can't stop playing them! really great stuff.

Here's the hard-driving opening music from BHC 2:



This was Faltermeyer's first score with the Synclavier but afaik he mostly used it for sequencing and sampling eg some drum sounds and FX.
He preferred the TX-816 for big powerful FM sounds.

[forcedopinion]

Man, that opening cue is GREAT.

[johnmassari]

The Ray Bradbury Theater 1985 John Massari