Need some suggestions for good 80s sounds. (Also good discussion on 80s music too)

[Peraqsha]

You might find these helpful:

https://youtu.be/ylKvL2tvk2Q
https://youtu.be/6B7zfBazEAM

In them, Espen "I am the '80s" Kraft goes into an '80s songwriting lesson, from the composition (choosing the right "'80s-sounding chords and progressions") to the instruments and production methods.

He's done quite a bit of '80s-sounding stuff, and he doesn't mind sharing some helpful tips for those looking to reproduce the sound of a decade which, frankly, fluctuated wildly from 1980 to 1989. (I was there, and I like a lot of it.) I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for, though. I tried to listen to the track you posted on SoundCloud, but I guess you removed it.

For my own '80s-inspired or '80s-sounding stuff, I use the free PG-8X and Dexed quite a bit. I didn't see the PG-8X on your list of synths, and while I know you're looking for more of a "jack-of-all-trades" synth, this one will get you very close to covering a lot of '80s sounds with just its factory presets. (I have Pigments as well, and while it can do "analog", that's not really its strong suit. Plus, it's a bit of a CPU hog.)

Steve

Hey these are great videos! I'm definitely going to go over this on my keyboard. That first chord progression and his vocals kind of reminded me of Depeche mode which is very cool.

I've seen Dexed and I'm thinking of picking it up just to go through the tons of presets that are available as I'm not 100% sold on using Bitwigs built in FM synth. Normally I don't like using 1:1 stuff but I can make an exception here because from what I've heard it's really good and best of all free!

I know the DX7 was kind of a revelation to the analog guys back in the day. In fact I even heard some of them sold or got rid of their beautiful old polys because they thought that the DX7 and other newer sample based instruments were the future.

I'll check out the PG-8X as well thanks!

[BONES]

Well FWIW I went ahead and bought 2 80s hits albums and have been listening to them.

Here's an interesting tidbit to illustrate my point about diversity of music in the 80s. As you may or may not know, I've spent about 6 months working up more than 50 80s covers. All but 4 or 5 are songs that charted in Australia and other countries and most were at least Top 20. Yet, for all that, there is only one song on your two albums that I've covered - A Flock of Seagulls' I Ran. Of the rest, there is one artist I've covered a different song from - the B-52s (Planet Claire, not Love Shack). Most of those songs are things I would hope never to hear again.

But everyone can agree on Tubeway Army with Gary Numan.

Technically, Tubeway Army is the 70s, by the 80s he was working under his own (stage) name. TBH, there is not much in his 80s output I would rate. It was all downhill after Replicas for me.

[jamcat]

Something else to note about all the early New Wave bands, whether it was Tubeway Army, A Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran, or whomever, is that they all played real instruments in addition to synths. Synths were co-equals with guitars and other instruments, and they were played by hand. Drum sounds were often electronic, but there was a drummer playing them.

When electronic music lost that element is when it became disposable.

[BBFG#]

Thompson Twins.
Thomas Dolby.
Howard Jones.
(And that's equally a reply to some other comments.)

[jamcat]

Don't forget early Peter Schilling.

It should be pointed out, though, as I initially did, that "synthwave" is a modern retro style derivative primarily of '80s B movie horror and sci-fi soundtracks, not so much New Wave bands. The Stranger Things theme is the quintessential synthwave track. It sort of nostalgically misremembers the '80s.

[Peraqsha]

I've been listening to Kyrie by Mr. Mister and I'm actually really liking the sound of the mixing in this.

Found this article on how it was recorded.
https://www.mixonline.com/recording/cla ... rie-429233

listen to the 1080 version for the best sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcfiSa5rSrw

[Peraqsha]

Another popular 80s song .


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Dre ... e_of_This)

"The home studio was equipped with a Tascam 80-8, 8-track half-inch tape recorder, a Soundcraft mixer, a Roland Space Echo, a Klark Teknik DN50 spring reverb, a B.E.L. Electronics noise reduction unit, and a single Beyerdynamic M 201 TG microphone. The gear was purchased second-hand after Lennox and Stewart obtained a bank loan for £5000.[6]

Also purchased with the bank loan was a £2000 Movement Systems Drum Computer, one of only about 30 built, with the Eurythmics having to sleep for a few days at the Bridgwater apartment of the manufacturer while their early prototype unit was being assembled. The MCS Drum Computer provided drum sounds, and also triggered sequences on a Roland SH-101 synthesizer, used for the synth bass line. To fill out the complement of instruments, Lennox played a borrowed Oberheim OB-X for sustained string sounds. Their only microphone, a utilitarian model typically used for hi-hat, performed all the acoustic duties, including tracking Lennox's voca"

Drum Machine was this monster.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_ ... m_Computer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeMFqkcPYcg

[kritikon]

I thought OP was going for stereotypical '80s

The thing is, there really wasn't anything "stereotypical". That was kind of the point of the 80s. The OP says "80s" and some people go straight to John Carpenter, while I go to Yello and John Foxx, bypassing Talk Talk, Tears For Fears, Spizz, The Stranglers and Devo.

But everyone can agree on Tubeway Army with Gary Numan.

Nor sure about that.
Tubeway Army first album released 1978.
Are Friends Electric - probably their best known track - released 1979.
Cars - Probably Numan's only other remembered solo single - released 1979.
Yeah, he released stuff in the 80s but nobody remembers it...


Thought we were talking 80s?

[kritikon]

And Bones is right - stereotyping the 80s is pretty tricky. There was the post punk stuff around, glitzy new wave stuff, shitloads of cheesey American soft rock, rolling right through to acid house. People forgetting that the rave stuff really kicked off at the end of the 80s?

Here's just a few 80s tracks:
Holiday in Cambodia -Dead Kennedys
Rock the Casbah - The Clash
Peaches - The Stranglers
Enola Gay - OMD
Don't You - Simple Minds
The Race - Yello
Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns n' Roses
Jump - Van Halen
When Doves Cry - Prince
Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie
Sexual Healing - Marvin Gaye
Any and every old corny shite 4-note repetitive cliche anthem ever made - Bruce Springsteen
Humanoid - Stakker
Pacific State - 808 State
I Gotta Big Dick - Maurice Joshua
Fools Gold - Stone Roses


I mean - how do you group that lot together?

[kritikon]

Oh yeah - and f****n Whitney Houston too....nuff said.

[jamcat]

What, you left off Crowded House?
You may have to move.

[melomood]

Gardening at Night is an 80's tune
Along with a fair share of Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil,Sugarcubes, Felt, The Replacements, Camper Van Beethoven etc

[BONES]

Synths were co-equals with guitars and other instruments, and they were played by hand.

Not always. e.g. The sequenced synth line that runs through Simple Minds' Love Song. Arps and sequencers got plenty of use.

Drum sounds were often electronic, but there was a drummer playing them.

Again, sometimes but not always. e.g. Soft Cell, Human League and Depeche Mode. Even Shreikback started off with a LinnDrum doing all the drums on their first couple of albums, until Martyn Barker joined in 1983. And, of course, after The Sisters of Mercy started using their drum machine it became quite common in the Goth scene, even. The only bands I can think of who made a point of playing everything by hand were Our Daughters Wedding, who always had their drums pre-recorded on tape, and Eyeless in Gaza. I'm sure there were others but even The Stranglers used sequencers live (Nuclear Device and Toiler on the Sea).

[canadian_moose]

Another popular 80s song .


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Dre ... e_of_This)

"The home studio was equipped with a Tascam 80-8, 8-track half-inch tape recorder, a Soundcraft mixer, a Roland Space Echo, a Klark Teknik DN50 spring reverb, a B.E.L. Electronics noise reduction unit, and a single Beyerdynamic M 201 TG microphone. The gear was purchased second-hand after Lennox and Stewart obtained a bank loan for £5000.[6]

Also purchased with the bank loan was a £2000 Movement Systems Drum Computer, one of only about 30 built, with the Eurythmics having to sleep for a few days at the Bridgwater apartment of the manufacturer while their early prototype unit was being assembled. The MCS Drum Computer provided drum sounds, and also triggered sequences on a Roland SH-101 synthesizer, used for the synth bass line. To fill out the complement of instruments, Lennox played a borrowed Oberheim OB-X for sustained string sounds. Their only microphone, a utilitarian model typically used for hi-hat, performed all the acoustic duties, including tracking Lennox's voca"

Drum Machine was this monster.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_ ... m_Computer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeMFqkcPYcg

In addition:

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... eet-dreams

Always liked this story.

[BBFG#]

What, you left off Crowded House?

Split Enz.