Sonic Reality

chisel · Post by **chisel** » Fri May 06, 2005 4:21 pm

I noticed that there are presets in Sonik Synth 2 that sound similar to synths from popular songs (i.e. In The Air Tonight, Blinded Me With Science, etc..) I thought it would be cool to start a thread where we can build a list of all the Popular Presets. Each entry should contain the preset name, song and artist. I'm at work right now so I don't have my list handy, but I'll post it when I get home unless someone else beats me to it. Maybe Squids can use this list to put together the Favorites stand-out patches. I know if I was shopping for a product like this and heard someone playing riffs from popular songs that sounded like the original, I'd be interested.

Peace Out \/
Chisel

pheeleep · Post by **pheeleep** » Fri May 06, 2005 5:39 pm

Hi Chisel,

Do you know which patch is the "in the air tonight" synth?

harmony gardens · Post by **harmony gardens** » Fri May 06, 2005 5:59 pm

This really dates me, but the Dirty Phase Organ in SS 2 is perfect for that dirty Hammond sound that John Lord of Deep Purple used for songs like Space Truckin, and Smoke on the Water.

The Rock Dist Organ is cool for stuff like that, too.

Us & Them is pretty self explanitory.

chisel · Post by **chisel** » Fri May 06, 2005 6:03 pm

That would be P5 Tony Pad. Most likely named after Tony Banks, original keyboard player for Genesis

I'll post the others I found when I get home tonight.

Peace Out \/
Chisel

pheeleep · Post by **pheeleep** » Fri May 06, 2005 6:30 pm

Thanks Chisel.

I located it. Now I am trying to make it sound like in this demo: http://www.esoundz.com/media/mp3/242/InTheAirPad.mp3

I am not sure how to make it sound the same. ( what chord is being played? I suck at music theory

)

chisel · Post by **chisel** » Fri May 06, 2005 7:29 pm

pheeleep wrote:Thanks Chisel.

I located it. Now I am trying to make it sound like in this demo: http://www.esoundz.com/media/mp3/242/InTheAirPad.mp3

I am not sure how to make it sound the same. ( what chord is being played? I suck at music theory )

No worries. I believe that's Dm C Bb C. These patches have clever names and with a little sleuthing I bet we can uncover lots of goodies. For example, I know that Eddie Van Halen used an Oberheim OB-Xa for 'Jump'. I don't have SS2 in front of me now, but I went to the Sonic Reality website that has a preset list and searched for 'OB' and I found a patch named 'Vanoberlin'. Anyone care to try this patch and let me know if it's what I think it is? TGIF!

pheeleep · Post by **pheeleep** » Fri May 06, 2005 9:39 pm

He,

Sure seems like it. The second child preset even more.

"027 Berlined me a Hand" under 027 Vanoberlin.

Reducing the Sustain, and messing with the effects would get you that Jump sound

Squids · Post by **Squids** » Sat May 07, 2005 2:48 am

I am not sure but I think the VanOberlin patch is more like that song with VH and Sammy Hagar "Why Can't This Be Love" - the typical Oberheim Sync sound. Or maybe that's not the same one. Jump is a fat sawtooth pad. I am sure there is something in there that nails it.

Yeah, there are a lot of single patches that are the real deal samples of sounds used on famous albums. There's some samples of a Prophet 10 that I had that was used on Pink Floyd's The Wall. So, you can get the Run Like Hell lead and the Nobody's Home pad. The raw materials are there but I need to sit down and make some child patches and combis to take it one step further in some cases.

The combis also have sounds that are like signature flavors from popular songs/albums/bands as well. There's certainly plenty of Genesis/Tony Banks sounds as well as Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel. I actually toured opening for PG on his Womad tour and sampled a variety of world music artists too. Some of that material is in SS2 but a lot of it is yet to be released.

Some of that we'll be releasing exclusively as downloadable esoundz on www.esoundz.com

As for patches that sound like popular riffs you should check out the May 2004 issue of Keyboard magazine US. It has an article on the making of SS2 and there is a whole section about riffs using sounds from SS2 to nail the parts from The Lamb, Abacab, The Nightfly, Blinded Me With Science, Tom Sawyer, In the Air and all kinds of stuff.

If you REALLY want to get the In The Air sound just right then you can run the Prophet pad sound through the upcoming AT2's CE-1 effect. The original sound was also run through a Dimension D which I think the UAD card has. I have a real one. The most expensive effect that has only 5 buttons for controls!

DaveElson · Post by **DaveElson** » Sat May 07, 2005 2:55 am

Please don't do this. I don't want to buy SS 2 just yet. If you talk about bands like Deep Purple (I bought .. In Rock when it was released in ...'70 ?) and remember the first time I heard Genesis on a Decca LP "The World of Progressive Music" around the same time.
If you continue with talk like this you will make me buy it and the wife will be p***ed 'cause we've just had our taxes back and I bought an electric guitar despite the fact that I can't really play it.
yours...Dave (listening and watching Mountain Live on dvd)
Take care all....

Squids · Post by **Squids** » Sat May 07, 2005 3:03 am

I'm sorry but even though SS2 is great for styles from electronic to hip hop to TV/Film scoring and it's popularly used for that but if you are into classic rock of the previous century then you simply HAVE to get it. It has conveniently in one place most of the tools you'd need to do the sounds of ELP, Yes, Deep Purple (sure, the gritty organs included), Genesis, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin (In the light? No Quarter), Beatles (Strawberry Fields? Sgt Peppers...), Supertrampo, The Who, Doors, Steely Dan, Police...

If ever there was a product in hardware or software that could nail the keyboard parts (and even a lot of the other instruments) from classic rock, heavy rock or progrock albums then this is it! Don't deprive yourself.

DaveElson · Post by **DaveElson** » Sat May 07, 2005 3:07 am

Damn You !!!!

chisel · Post by **chisel** » Sat May 07, 2005 3:11 am

Squids wrote:As for patches that sound like popular riffs you should check out the May 2004 issue of Keyboard magazine US. It has an article on the making of SS2 and there is a whole section about riffs using sounds from SS2 to nail the parts from The Lamb, Abacab, The Nightfly, Blinded Me With Science, Tom Sawyer, In the Air and all kinds of stuff.

I have that article. That's where I first realized these patches exist in SS2. The only problem is the names were changed since that article was published. In fact, the second thing I did (after loading the New World Symphony preset which we all know about) was search for those presets. I believe they are all there, just with different names.

Anyway, here's what I found so far:
P5 Tony Pad - In The Air Tonight
P5 Brass Pad - Blinded Me With Science
PolyMgStr - Cars (Numan)
Abcab Dabra Ld - Abacab

Yeah, that was a bad call with Vanoberlin. But heh, I guessed by the name only. I'll try to audition some more this weekend and see what other goodies I can find. Lookin' forward to other contributions.

Peace Out \/
Chisel

pheeleep · Post by **pheeleep** » Sat May 07, 2005 3:57 am

I thought that berlin patch sounded like the jump synth, but then again, I haven't heard jump in over 15 years

It seemed pretty close to me. I thought maybe just the effects were missing..

Squids · Post by **Squids** » Sat May 07, 2005 9:32 pm

Those sounds were made from SS2 sounds specifically for that article. But, when I do a new child and combi patch update I will put a lot of famous signature synth sounds with obviousl patch names in there for everyone that loves that kind of thing (like me). What I'll do is sit down with a record like Dark Side or Shine On You Crazy Diamond etc. and just program every patch to match using the raw materials that Richard Wright would have had (which are in SS2). Then, I'll go to another album etc. In fact, if anyone wants to join my in the task and pick a classic album or even just a song and contribute then we'll put together maybe a massive free patch update together for everyone. Anyone interested just respond here and we split up the tasks. But, only offer if you know your stuff on this... like what synth material in SS2 that would be appropriate to start from and how to program the sound to match the one on the record.

chisel · Post by **chisel** » Sat May 07, 2005 11:44 pm

Do you see the drool dripping from my mouth? I can't wait to hear some of those presets. I'd volunteer, but with a 9mo old daughter (speaking of drool) and full-time job, I barely have enough free time to play with SS2

I flipped through the guitar presets last night and found some real gems - Verry Seinfeld, Red Hot Guitar Peppers, Bounce off the wall, etc... I loaded Amp Guitar Dist and played the intro to Master of Puppets. But my favorite has to be Mellow Electrix. I could play that for days. And to think, I haven't even gotten to the synths yet!

Peace Out \/
Chisel