That 70's sound!

kkissinger · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:36 pm Post subject:

Indeed, with limited equipment one is forced to be resourceful. You might be interested to hear what I did back in 1976 with the equipment at hand.

During the summer of 1976 I had for the first time, acquired a multi-track recorder (a Teac A3340S) and the only electronic sound source I had was a Hammond E-100 organ (I recorded directly from the line-out). I used a 60's transistorized JC Penny's tape recorder as a distortion unit for the "lead" track.

I recorded at 1/2 speed so I could could get a more "mechanical" effect and have more time to manipulate drawbars and other Hammond controls. Lacking adapter plugs, I seem to recall using alligator clips to get the Hammond sound in and out of the Penny's recorder.

I had to play as mechanically as possible to create a "sequencer" kind of effect.

In the remix I took a little artistic license and used some gentle phasing to make the lead part "spread" out. I also noise-gated and notched out the 60hz hum. Other than that, you are hearing what I did with the equipment at hand.

Now, I know this is probably NOT the 70s sound you had in mind -- however, synths were at the time very pricey and for all intents and purposes only professionals and universities had them. At the time I recorded this, I had made my first order with Aries Music -- the modular synth was on the way! While waiting for it, I had some fun with the A3340S.

In some ways electronic music-making is tougher these days. There are so many options that one can go into option-shock. The decisions with an organ, a recorder-turned-distortion unit, and a tape-recorder were pretty easy!

ian-s · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:40 pm Post subject:

mosc · Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 10:51 am Post subject:

Kerr_Avon

My problem with soft synths from the very start is that they all seem to be aimed at mindless 14 year olds with a penchant for chavved-up Vauxhall Novas. (read: cheap under-powered car with added stripes, accessories and loud exhaust) Usable user-interface? No, but "Wow mate, dunnit just look like a well wikked synth" The person who first thought that rotary knob style controls work well with a computer screen and a mouse needs a firm and hard slap followed by a punch right up his bracket.

Future note for all programming monkeys: Provide a skin with standard windows interface or don't expect me to even look at it. And that applies to your brigade of Monkeys too, Mr. Steinberg. Make it work first, give me my standard readable interface, then and only then assign a spare monkey to designing unusable UI skins for idiots who will never really use it.

mosc

kkissinger

Kerr_Avon

All emoticons should be crucified

But now I really am off topic:}