The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

----- Original Message ----- 
Fra: Bruce Wahler <bruce@...>
Til: <AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com>
Sendt: 12. mars 2001 04:41
Emne: Re: [AN1x-list] Enlightening exercise: Strawberry fields synth sound?


> Jim,

Bruce,

    It is very apparent to me that you know your stuff! Thanks for (again) taking the time to help out. I read on before replying and see that other list members were equally delighted to read how one programs, and plans on a sound. 

    It IS enlighetening!
> 
> Boy, you could have found an easier first attempt!  :^)  This is a 
> deceptive sound, appearing easy to duplicate, but actually possessing a lot 
> of subtleties.
> 
> The sound on the intro to "Strawberry Fields" is a Mellotron Mark II, using 
> the flute recording that was part of the standard tape set.  What makes 
> this simulation difficult is the fact that the Mellotron is a sort of 
> sampling synthesizer, so you are trying to simulate a synth with another 
> synth.  Also, the Mellotron had its own dominant timbre which permeated 
> every sound, from violins to choirs to flutes.  And finally, the Mellotron 
> was not a chromatically-tuned instrument; the recordings were 
> just-intonated, mostly in the key of A major.  In any other key, they tend 
> to sound a little off key on one or more of the notes.  The following is 
> the way I would approach the sound on ANY synth, AN1x or otherwise --
> 
> I would start off by trying to simulate a flute sound, which is mostly a 
> sine wave, except for the initial attack, which has a lot of high harmonic 
> content, both tonal and atonal in nature.  

This is excellent, because I love the mellotron sound, and my second favorite type
sound for a keyboard is flute. I was going ot ask how to make a flute sound, but here I got the best of both worlds! 

>Start with a 50% duty pulse with 
> the Edge at about 115, and set the FEG to a fast attack, fast decay, and a 
> relatively low sustain level -- low enough to filter out most of the 
> harmonics, but not so low as to mute the sound.  Set the AEG to a similar 
> shape, but set the sustain very high, maybe 118 or so.  After some tweaking 
> by ear, you should have a flute timbre that sounds good for mellow solos -- 
> think soft jazz, not Jethro Tull.  You may find that adding a little noise 
> to the mix improves the illusion, but use it sparingly.  One VCO may be 
> enough to create the sound; if you want to use the second one, set it to 
> the same waveform, make it an octave above the first, about 25% of the 
> original volume, with only a very slight fine pitch detune.
> 
> Now, you need to "Mellotron-ize" the sound.  First, as you already noted, 
> the attack on the Mellotron was never very quick, owing to the nature of 
> the tape system used in the instrument.  Back the attack of both the FEG 
> and AEG until you have a more calliope-like sound.  If you want a good 
> example -- Strawberry Fields is not the best one I can think of -- use the 
> Dance of the Puppets section of King Crimson's "The Court of the Crimson 
> King," which is actually the same sound on the same instrument.  After 
> that, you need to EQ the result to give it that hollow sound that the 
> Mellotron was famous for -- add a little boost at 125Hz and 3.8kHz, and 
> drop the 1kHz a little.  The effect you're looking for is that of an old 
> movie soundtrack.  Then add a little slow flange to the mix, and a little 
> PMOD using the same LFO speed, to simulate the wow and flutter that the 
> tape drive caused.  Use the pitch modulation sparingly, as the detuning was 
> not all that noticeable.
> 
> Finally, a little (mis-)tuning simulation is probably in order.  Use one of 
> the matrix controls to add a little fine pitch decrease based on key 
> tracking, and if the end result causes the whole patch to go flat, 
> compensate with the fine pitch controls on the VCOs.

This is great! I'll try it out (I already printed this out for my notebook).

If one also wanted to make a flute sound, more of the Jethro Tull sound you mentioned, could you use the noise module..would it ever give a hint of that sound of the person blowing into the flute that Ian Anderson did ?

> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> -BW

Thanks once again Bruce.  This really is helping.

Jim

> 
> --
> Bruce Wahler
> Design Consultant
> Ashby Solutions"
> www.ashbysolutions.com
> CloneWheel Support Group moderator
> 978.386.7389  voice
> 978.776.0096  fax
> bruce@...
> 
> 
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