Trying to re-create synth sound from this gwen guthrie classic!

[Mikki Funk]

So I'm working on a funky/ soulful house rework of this early 80s classic, one of my favourite tracks from that early 80s funk era!



Its the synth that drops in with the bass at around 34 seconds in, the one doing the wicked pitch bends!

I thought it might sound a bit like a juno sawtooth wave but was messing about on the TAL plugin and its not quite that sound!

Anyone have any ideas? Im guessing it would probably one of the synths that was popular during that era...

EDIT* dont think the youtube link embedded properly, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDcIPLq_Hss

Im not usually too bad with synths but this ones got me haha, annoying its pretty simple too buy the sound of it!

Thanks

[Mikki Funk]

So 24 views and no one has anything to say or think?!

[modz1]

Anyone able to help Mikki on this?
YT video link repaired so should be easier to see/hear what's been requested

[Dave Boulden]

Maybe it's just my ears, but it sounds more like a sampled clean electric guitar sound played with pitch bend on a keyboard... to me it seems to have tonal characteristics in common with the "standard issue" funk guitar sound.

Maybe try checking out the electric guitar patches from the likes of the Roland D50 and Korg M1.

[inderface]

Sounds like an old pad sound that used to be on a... god cant think for the life of me......Wern`t a roland d50 or d70 something like that was it????
Maybe a dx7????
when it first comes in its sounds like single notes and sounds like the same sound/patch as when it goes an octave or 2 lower and chords are played........

Anyone else???????

[Dave Boulden]

You could always ask the man himself, Wally Badarou, what synth and sound he used:

http://www.myspace.com/wallybadarou

[Khazul]

In 1981/2 when this would have been made most synths that come to mind didnt exist, so choices for this are limited. Sampler is unlikely - I think EMU where on thier emulator I at this time. Casio had yet to produce anything with a pitch bend on it (though this sounds very casiotone/cheepy yamaha to me), in fact very few cheaper boards had pitch bend at this time apart from yamah's first foray into cheap little keyboards which was an analog mono synth, so immediate thought is its a CS series (01 perhaps, but sound too tinny for that).

Otherwise, its the usual ancient suspects - prosequential, moog etc and the korg poly-6/61. Roland had the jupiter 8 out as well. TBH none of them sound like they were responsible for this, but quite a few CS01s were in use in pop bands, so thats possible.

[Dave Boulden]

Wally was known as "Mr Prophet" as a namesake for the instrument he seemed most adept with, but it doesn't sound like a Prophet to me. He was also known for his use of the Synclavier meaning a sampled sound *might* be possible. As a top session player on a CPAS* production like this, he'd have had access to whatever synth he wanted hired for the session.

* - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_Point_All_Stars

[Khazul]

Originally Posted by Dave Boulden

Wally was known as "Mr Prophet" as a namesake for the instrument he seemed most adept with, but it doesn't sound like a Prophet to me. He was also known for his use of the Synclavier meaning a sampled sound *might* be possible. As a top session player on a CPAS* production like this, he'd have had access to whatever synth he wanted hired for the session.

* - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_Point_All_Stars

Agree - sounds sample-ish at the start, but theres nothing available I know of at this time that can do samples+pitch bend. In fact not that many boards actually have pitch bend on them at all other than the more recent analog synths. Assuming its the same synth later on that is being played lower and more prominent, then not really thinking sampler anyway. Of course some creatuive use of EQ might explain the tinniness of the sound, but how much creative EQ was use back then?

[Dave Boulden]

Khazul... I didn't listen further on in the track... thanks for pointing that out. I've now changed my mind... I'm 95% sure it's a Prophet 5.

Mikki, check out Arturia's demo page (http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/...dia.html#audio) for the Prophet-V softsynth and listen to the 2nd demo "Pfunk05" and there you should hear very similar sounds. So try out the Arturia Prophet-V or Native Instruments Pro53

or for a couple of cheaper options:

http://memorymoon.com/messiah.htm

http://www.ele4music.com/?page_id=55 (scroll down)

[Khazul]

Originally Posted by Dave Boulden

Khazul... I didn't listen further on in the track... thanks for pointing that out. I've now changed my mind... I'm 95% sure it's a Prophet 5.

Yes - possible - character would be similar with some creative EQ. Might have suggested the pro-one myself which just fits the timeline and they are the kind of bunch who might have had one of the early ones

Anyway - this is about recreating so same softie

[Dave Boulden]

Originally Posted by Khazul

Might have suggested the pro-one myself which just fits the timeline...

Except the Pro One was a monosynth

[Khazul]

Originally Posted by Dave Boulden

Except the Pro One was a monosynth

Didnt hear many chords in the above

[Dave Boulden]

Originally Posted by Khazul

Didnt hear many chords in the above

http://www.boots.com/en/Otex-Ear-Drops-8ml_11315/