A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

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80snostalgia
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A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by 80snostalgia » Thu May 05, 2022 12:25 pm

I'm interested in how alot of sounds in music are made, sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it's not.
So just getting an opinion on what anyone, drummers, Synth players or anyone what I call 'thunder drum'
sound.

When they perform on old TV show vids, the drummer looks like he's doing it on the Tom's, but it's not always strictly true with TV shows.
On recent live shows the drummer doesn't look like its on drums but maybe sampled on a Synth.

The link has the sound in question at 0.32 and 0.38



Are there any electric drum sets or drum machines that can make this sound as there is a change in octave later on in the song?

My second link has bits edited to try enhance the particular sound.


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Re: A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by Jazzyman17 » Thu May 05, 2022 4:32 pm

What I can tell you... To me it's sounding like a timpani from another sampler. You know, it's 1988 already, so possibilities what that particular timpani sound is originally from are countless. Moreover even on analog synths you can create such a percussive sound.

Could you provide the timestamps where that sound is played in another octave?

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Re: A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by 80snostalgia » Thu May 05, 2022 6:27 pm

Jazzyman17 wrote: ↑
Thu May 05, 2022 4:32 pm
What I can tell you... To me it's sounding like a timpani from another sampler. You know, it's 1988 already, so possibilities what that particular timpani sound is originally from are countless. Moreover even on analog synths you can create such a percussive sound.

Could you provide the timestamps where that sound is played in another octave?

0.47 and 0.48, 1.35 1.54 and 1.58.
Timpani, never thought of that. Thanks.
On first video.
It's on second vid too

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Re: A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by 80snostalgia » Thu May 05, 2022 6:58 pm

Jazzyman17 wrote: ↑
Thu May 05, 2022 4:32 pm
What I can tell you... To me it's sounding like a timpani from another sampler. You know, it's 1988 already, so possibilities what that particular timpani sound is originally from are countless. Moreover even on analog synths you can create such a percussive sound.

Could you provide the timestamps where that sound is played in another octave?
Funnily enough, just went to Synmania and there's a timpani sound on the Juno 106, Mags used to play that alot aswell as the DX7, he's even playing on it in recent years.
If is timpani, I have the Roland Ju06 with 106 presets on it recently, just need less delay and a way to make trigger quick for the drum sound.

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Re: A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by Jazzyman17 » Fri May 06, 2022 7:53 pm

80snostalgia wrote: ↑
Thu May 05, 2022 6:27 pm

0.47 and 0.48, 1.35 1.54 and 1.58.
Timpani, never thought of that. Thanks.
On first video.
It's on second vid too
Now I'm hearing it much better. Like that second pattern, which you call it "other octave", is just that timpani, but like 4 semitones up.
I mixed quite around it, just separated the left channel so make it more hearable.
The one at the end is the track screwed 4 semitones down.
https://voca.ro/170ofXrQvkCf

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Re: A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by Jazzyman17 » Fri May 06, 2022 7:54 pm

80snostalgia wrote: ↑
Thu May 05, 2022 6:58 pm

Funnily enough, just went to Synmania and there's a timpani sound on the Juno 106, Mags used to play that alot aswell as the DX7, he's even playing on it in recent years.
If is timpani, I have the Roland Ju06 with 106 presets on it recently, just need less delay and a way to make trigger quick for the drum sound.
Indeed dude, althought my statement is that's the sampler.

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Re: A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by 80snostalgia » Sun May 08, 2022 12:56 am

Jazzyman17 wrote: ↑
Fri May 06, 2022 7:53 pm
80snostalgia wrote: ↑
Thu May 05, 2022 6:27 pm

0.47 and 0.48, 1.35 1.54 and 1.58.
Timpani, never thought of that. Thanks.
On first video.
It's on second vid too
Now I'm hearing it much better. Like that second pattern, which you call it "other octave", is just that timpani, but like 4 semitones up.
I mixed quite around it, just separated the left channel so make it more hearable.
The one at the end is the track screwed 4 semitones down.
https://voca.ro/170ofXrQvkCf
I like that, very good thanks I can hear it better aswell from your recording.
I never thought of Timpani, before I assumed it was a Tom or bass drum sound.
It's actually inspired me to try something different.
I love Synths to chill me, but aswell I think I'm gonna get a drum sampler and an electric drum machine like the Yamaha DD75.

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Re: A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by 80snostalgia » Sun May 08, 2022 10:09 am

Jazzyman17 wrote: ↑
Fri May 06, 2022 7:54 pm
80snostalgia wrote: ↑
Thu May 05, 2022 6:58 pm

Funnily enough, just went to Synmania and there's a timpani sound on the Juno 106, Mags used to play that alot aswell as the DX7, he's even playing on it in recent years.
If is timpani, I have the Roland Ju06 with 106 presets on it recently, just need less delay and a way to make trigger quick for the drum sound.
Indeed dude, althought my statement is that's the sampler.
Back in the day they used the Yamaha Rx5,
a friend sent me the Rx 5 samples and there is a Timpani, I'd like to know if there's drum machines now that do have that sound, I listened to a demo of the Alesis SR16 but unsure.

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Re: A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by desmond » Sun May 08, 2022 12:32 pm

Timpani's weren't a typical drum sample that was in drum machines up to that time - it's an orchestral sound (hence, unfashionable for contemporary music), and is also a fairly long sample (memory limitations were problematic).

The RX5 as a top end drum machine was unusually flexible in what it could do with samples, and there were a variety of sound carts available from Yamaha. I had one for a while, it was a fun box, though typically Yamaha-like to drive (over-complicated and multi-job-menu operation etc).

It's only as you head toward the 90s that sample numbers and lengths started going up, and the variety of sounds you could access became wider.

Before that, you'd need a sampler for any less typical sounds...

If you want to survey drum machines of that era, the reviews usually list out the included sounds - here's drum machine reviews from the 80s, for example:-

mu:zines - Drum Machines - 80s

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Re: A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by Z » Sun May 08, 2022 2:02 pm

The main drum sounds are definitely LinnDrum. The gated toms at 0:32 sound like Simmons SDX, SDS-2000, or Trixter (the SDS-2000 & Trixter get their sounds from the SDX library).

I don't hear anything at 0:38 other than the LinnDrum pattern.

EDIT: I just looked at Wikipedia and it says a Yamaha RX5 was the drum machine used on that album. It also says a NED Synclavier was used, but doesn't say which model and it it had sampling capability or not.
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Re: A-ha - Stay on these Roads drum sound

Post by 80snostalgia » Sun May 08, 2022 7:12 pm

Z wrote: ↑
Sun May 08, 2022 2:02 pm
The main drum sounds are definitely LinnDrum. The gated toms at 0:32 sound like Simmons SDX, SDS-2000, or Trixter (the SDS-2000 & Trixter get their sounds from the SDX library).

I don't hear anything at 0:38 other than the LinnDrum pattern.

EDIT: I just looked at Wikipedia and it says a Yamaha RX5 was the drum machine used on that album. It also says a NED Synclavier was used, but doesn't say which model and it it had sampling capability or not.
So we sorted 0.32 is 'Simmons' type drums.
Is there a sound wave site of Lindrumm sounds at all?
I guess we're between the RX5 and Linndrum.
So many layers on that song including the sequenced analogue sound that sounds like a pizzicato sound.
Anyway back to the drums, wouldn't mind some present day drum machine being able to do the main 'thunder' drum sound any suggestions?

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