How to make a sword unsheathing sound (unlikely example found in Robert Palmer's Simply Irresistible)

[OscSync]

I've been wanting to learn this sound for a long time now and having heard Simply Irresistible tonight I was reminded.

I've timestamped the part in the song should it (understandably) not be your bag.
https://youtu.be/SoHpSY3IoAI?si=8ko7mICEWgmnipn0&t=107
It's immediately after the laughable iconic 80s drums at 1:47 should the timestamp not work for you.

Note there are two sounds. I'm not after the initial swing, merely the metallic unsheathing bit that follows.
In terms of preferred synths, I have quite a few options at my disposal so no concerns there.

I came close with additive synthesis and comb filtering but still nothing I was super happy with.

Also, before anybody says just sample one of the gazillion examples online it's more about the sound design process than it is about having the sound identically. Plus the flexibility is much greater having it as a preset.

[zerocrossing]

I don’t know, but the sound of the Klingon dagger toy was made by my friend while he dragged a chef’s knife against the edge of his wok.

[OscSync]

I don’t know, but the sound of the Klingon dagger toy was made by my friend while he dragged a chef’s knife against the edge of his wok.

That's a pretty cool anecdote.

[gaggle of hermits]

Also, before anybody says just sample one of the gazillion examples online it's more about the sound design process than it is about having the sound identically. Plus the flexibility is much greater having it as a preset.

the trouble you might have here is that I'd lay money on this being a sample and I'd place a smaller bet on it and the whoosh sound coming from a pulp martial-arts movie. this was made when sampling was still fairly novel and before copyright on samples became a thing and it was pretty common to go digging for sound effects in all sorts of obscure movies as well as crates of music.

however, for replicating using synthesis, FM is going to be your friend here - it's tricky to get the harmonics to sound right with additive as metallic sounds are quite inharmonic. it's basically the same approach as for synthesising a bell but the trick is to get the right sidebands for the harmonics. this page (https://ccrma.stanford.edu/software/clm ... s/fm2.html) shows the basics for getting harmonics out of fm using sidebands. what you'd need to do is work out the main frequencies you need to recreate using a spectrum analyser on the source sound.

for a decent fm synth that's free, dexed is a good choice.

EDIT: put the link in after forgetting the first time round.

[imrae]

Hermits beat me to it!

A couple of extra details: ring mod is also good for non-harmonic noisy sounds, and classic cymbal synthesisers use a set of cheap square-wave oscillators ring-modded (or just XORed?) together.

On the FM front aliasing can actually be helpful as it creates frequencies that are not harmonically related. Try pushing the feedback really hard on one oscillator and using it to modulate others.

[OscSync]

this page shows the basics for getting harmonics out of fm using sidebands.

Many thanks. Very informative and helpful.
Was there a site you forgot to link though?

[OscSync]

Hermits beat me to it!

A couple of extra details: ring mod is also good for non-harmonic noisy sounds, and classic cymbal synthesisers use a set of cheap square-wave oscillators ring-modded (or just XORed?) together.

On the FM front aliasing can actually be helpful as it creates frequencies that are not harmonically related. Try pushing the feedback really hard on one oscillator and using it to modulate others.

Good tips, thanks.

I'll try ring mod as well as sine/square and square/square FM.

[gaggle of hermits]

this page shows the basics for getting harmonics out of fm using sidebands.

Many thanks. Very informative and helpful.
Was there a site you forgot to link though?

d'oh! yes: https://ccrma.stanford.edu/software/clm ... s/fm2.html

[OscSync]

this page shows the basics for getting harmonics out of fm using sidebands.

Many thanks. Very informative and helpful.
Was there a site you forgot to link though?

d'oh! yes: https://ccrma.stanford.edu/software/clm ... s/fm2.html

Thankyou Sir (correct me if not )

Will get a coffee and then try and process all this.

[OscSync]

Dup post

[Frantz]

Note there are two sounds. I'm not after the initial swing, merely the metallic unsheathing bit that follows.

I am pretty certain those are samples. Probably a whip sound followed by an anvil strike. Do swords make a "ping" sound when unsheathed?

Can't you find a similar sample?

[OscSync]

Note there are two sounds. I'm not after the initial swing, merely the metallic unsheathing bit that follows.

I am pretty certain those are samples. Probably a whip sound followed by an anvil strike. Do swords make a "ping" sound when unsheathed?

Can't you find a similar sample?

Oh yes I'm 100% certain they are samples in the track.

However it's worth clarifying I don't need the sound to be identical because if I did, then indeed a sample would be the solution. I'm mainly interested in the synthesis technique to create an approximation.

[Frantz]

I'm mainly interested in the synthesis technique to create an approximation.

I see. Fair enough.

[zerocrossing]

Note there are two sounds. I'm not after the initial swing, merely the metallic unsheathing bit that follows.

I am pretty certain those are samples. Probably a whip sound followed by an anvil strike. Do swords make a "ping" sound when unsheathed?

Can't you find a similar sample?

Cool ones do, just like kung-fu masters can make the swoosh sound when striking an enemy.

[zerocrossing]

Note there are two sounds. I'm not after the initial swing, merely the metallic unsheathing bit that follows.

I am pretty certain those are samples. Probably a whip sound followed by an anvil strike. Do swords make a "ping" sound when unsheathed?

Can't you find a similar sample?

Oh yes I'm 100% certain they are samples in the track.

However it's worth clarifying I don't need the sound to be identical because if I did, then indeed a sample would be the solution. I'm mainly interested in the synthesis technique to create an approximation.

Then your best bet is FM and/or physical modeling.

I’ve personally never gotten exactly what I want from those methods. I almost always end up layering a sample.