String synth sound used in 70's reggae cuts ?

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yvo2000
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String synth sound used in 70's reggae cuts ?

Post by yvo2000 » Wed Oct 15, 2003 12:15 pm

Does anyone know about what keyboards were used in the 70's to produce that string pad sound you can hear on many Sly&Robbie 70's cuts ? The same kind of string pad that is on the takin'famous by Massive Attack remix of old Horace Handy "Spyin' Glasses"... <BR> <BR>I think this string pad is really warm and pleasant. If now you see which pad i'm talkin about, does anyone know how to programm this sound from a vintage based synthetizer ? Do you know about a plug-in, a sample CD that can reproduce this warm sound ? <BR> <BR>For me this string pad sound is the only one able to fit reggae production... all the others that i've tried sounds cold and kind of "new age"... <BR> <BR>peace...

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interruptor
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String synth sound used in 70's reggae cuts ?

Post by interruptor » Wed Oct 15, 2003 6:46 pm

is it the same sound as on bob marley's "three little birds" &#40;exodus album&#41;? that sound is very similar to the one on the bullwackie barnes version of spying glass from 1981. the massive attack version from 1994 has no prominent string sound rather some e-pianos.

yvo2000
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String synth sound used in 70's reggae cuts ?

Post by yvo2000 » Wed Oct 15, 2003 7:49 pm

yes exactly, it is similar to the bob marley's "three little birds" do you know something about ?

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interruptor
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String synth sound used in 70's reggae cuts ?

Post by interruptor » Wed Oct 15, 2003 11:51 pm

also "who the cap fits" &#40;album: rastaman vibration&#41; has that sound.. <BR> <BR>i don't know how they made it. there's not much info about this on the web either.. as a starting point one could check bob marley live videos and try to see what synthesizers tyrone downie was playing. <BR> <BR>if you find out let us know, ok?

yvo2000
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String synth sound used in 70's reggae cuts ?

Post by yvo2000 » Sat Nov 15, 2003 9:33 am

As i don't have any Bob Marley's video I just did not find any answer about what kind of synths Tyrone was usin'. <BR> <BR>But i kept on searchin' for obtainin' that sound and i've found something interesting in Propelerhead's Reason with the Malstroem preset called "String Machine". It fits my reggae cuts very well. If you want 2 listen 2 the result just reach that link : <BR> <BR><A HREF="http://www.versionist.com/music.php?id=886" TARGET="_top">http://www.versionist.com/music.php?id=886</A> <BR> <BR>If i find somethin' more interesting about real 70's synth string sound used in reggae i will let you know.

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interruptor
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String synth sound used in 70's reggae cuts ?

Post by interruptor » Wed Mar 16, 2005 9:12 pm

I tried around some more recently and found out that multisamples of an analog string synth called "crumar" sound quite close. <BR>For the specific sound in "spying glass" it's important that you don't play whole chords but rather a melodic line and double it with thirds &#40;two notes at a time, three or four half notes apart&#41;. <BR> <BR>i think that's the whole secret.. it took me one and a half year to find out <IMG SRC="http://www.interruptor.ch/cgi-bin/discu ... t/king.gif">

disrupt
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String synth sound used in 70's reggae cuts ?

Post by disrupt » Wed Jun 22, 2005 9:03 am

The available equipment of these days in Jamaica was quite limited. So I would make a bet they simply used a Hammond Organ, a standard in most studios then, run through several effects. The Native Instruments B4 does a great job on that. Also good for the off-offbeats &#40;rhythm between the offbeats&#41;. Check out <A HREF="http://www.hollowsun.com/vintage/nostalgia.html" TARGET="_top">http://www.hollowsun.com/vintage/nostalgia.html</A> <BR>for samples of other old machines of that time. The Farsifa Transistor Organ sounds rather familiar too. In the late 70ies MOOG synths played a role then. Heard on many Wackies-records or, for example, that amazing 'Star Trek' piece by 'The Vulcans'. On Trojan. Simply flashes!

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