Zebra Oldskool Project

[mkastrup]

This is VERY noisy and by no means perfect but its a great oppertunity to take a demo like this back to the garage and have your band mates hear how your idea is.

http://www.michaelkastrup.com/synthdemos/Z2_Rockon.mp3

/Michael

Now that was funny. But actually better than some of those virtual guitarist thingies. Respect.

Shogger

Thanks Shogger The tone that drives an amp sim is just as important as the amp sim itself.

/Michael

[shogger]

Thanks Shogger The tone that drives an amp sim is just as important as the amp sim itself.

/Michael

Back then it was actually called guitar playing and some even said that the tone is in the fingers but hey, for non-guitarists it's a cool thing for doing some guitar alike stuff. And for -that- I heard seldom stuff that good. It's the same for me with brass, violines, etc. which I don't play myself and therefor I'm only able to emulate it to a certain extent.
What amp sim did you use?

Shogger

[mkastrup]

Thanks Shogger The tone that drives an amp sim is just as important as the amp sim itself.

/Michael

Back then it was actually called guitar playing and some even said that the tone is in the fingers but hey, for non-guitarists it's a cool thing for doing some guitar alike stuff. And for -that- I heard seldom stuff that good. It's the same for me with brass, violines, etc. which I don't play myself and therefor I'm only able to emulate it to a certain extent.
What amp sim did you use?

Shogger

I think of tone as the raw sound of guitar pickups and when speaking of a guitarplayer with a great tone its a matter of how the player and guitar melt into one entity.

About emulating, just how close do you need to emulate an amped guitar for an average housewife in the kitchen ? What i mean is that i seldom focus on a single instrument, i just need to get the overall feel and let the arrangement come into focus. Often when i hear old music i'm surprised by the sound because its not as i remember it in my head. Many times i thought whoops i didnt remember that drum/bass/guitar sounding THAT bad, but what i remember is the arrangement. In the (oldskool) days when you had mix situations that needed to finish ASAP you simply had to come up with a "good enough" solution. I always go for the "good enough" because getting something to perfect takes wayyy to long and does not make a song any better.

For amp sim i used Am-Phibia but i think it could have been just about any other average amp sim.

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/2687.html

/Michael

[shogger]

I think of tone as the raw sound of guitar pickups and when speaking of a guitarplayer with a great tone its a matter of how the player and guitar melt into one entity.

Couldn't have said it better in few words.

About emulating, just how close do you need to emulate an amped guitar for an average housewife in the kitchen ? What i mean is that i seldom focus on a single instrument, i just need to get the overall feel and let the arrangement come into focus. Often when i hear old music i'm surprised by the sound because its not as i remember it in my head. Many times i thought whoops i didnt remember that drum/bass/guitar sounding THAT bad, but what i remember is the arrangement. In the (oldskool) days when you had mix situations that needed to finish ASAP you simply had to come up with a "good enough" solution. I always go for the "good enough" because getting something to perfect takes wayyy to long and does not make a song any better.

Yes, I understand that. I'm very pragmatic, too. Prob for me with this is simple: I'm a guitar player. But in general I think when it sounds good enough for the given time frame it's cool. I remember one woman who thought electric guitars in songs were actually synths.

For amp sim i used Am-Phibia but i think it could have been just about any other average amp sim.

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/2687.html

/Michael

Yes, will check it out nevertheless.

Shogger

[funkychickendance]

Often when i hear old music i'm surprised by the sound because its not as i remember it in my head. Many times i thought whoops i didnt remember that drum/bass/guitar sounding THAT bad, but what i remember is the arrangement.

Right, it may be the remastering, the conversion to CD, your ears changing, whatever. But nevertheless it's pretty much true that nothing sounds quite the same years later.

It's good to hear someone as musically talented as you say this, because we are constantly assailed with this poop about it can't possibly be any good without a 1959 Les Paul, or, you just have to have the Hendrix or Fab Four collections.

No you don't! I'm an old geezer and I was there. New was what was hot. These talented folks just used the best of what was available in the best way they knew how. There was no snobbery about playing Eddie Cochrane's old Gibson or Muddy Waters kissing Jimi's amp. And we should be doing the same. Your Old School collection for Zebra is a brilliant realization of this idea: trying for an emulation of the ambience of a sound rather than a 100% clone, using redhot new gear. We need to be inspired, to transcend rather than imitate...[/rant]

/fnx

[Howard]

Lots still happening here! More MK stuff to listen to (tomorrow)

Often when i hear old music i'm surprised by the sound because its not as i remember it in my head.

About classic synth sounds in particular: I recently (re)bought Herbie Hancock's "Headhunters" on CD especially for the bass sound in "Chameleon". It was much rougher and somehow cheaper-sounding than I remember it from my old vinyl days. I think careless mastering to CD could have made things worse, though.
[edit: I see funkychicken beat me to it]

On the other hand, the TONTO and G1 stuff on Stevie Wonder albums still sounds amazing , as do Zawinul's early Oberheim sounds. I could mention many others which haven't lost their magic for me...

[mkastrup]

Well, i've reached the pit stop and i think i managed to get around a fairly broad range. The last thing to close the lid on the package is a world thing i came up with today. If Howard have been here sooner i probably would have asked for permission to use one of his flutes but i turned to a pan flute like thing in oldskool vol 2 which can do something similar if played right. So here we go, last of the Zebra mixes...

http://www.michaelkastrup.com/synthdemos/Z2_World.mp3

I DO hope it sounds the way its supposed to when i wake up in the morning

Its been nearly 6 months since the first step into the fold happend. Why carry on for so long ? Well the answer is that i am a persistant bastard who wont leave until i discovered whats to be found. If i cant share what i find it makes no meaning to me and it will be completely pointless. Some say that a painting tells you more than 1.000 words, i feel the same about music. So people, dont sit on it, let it out no matter what it is as long as it means something to you. Dont be scared of what people might say, fact is, theres ALWAYS one around who will appreciate what your doing. No person in the world is able to please everyone, remember that and stay focused

To all of you who have been following this project, i salute you Thank you for keeping me alert and focused

/Michael

[codef0x]

<3

[wonshu]

Hey Michael,

which reverb do you use on these tracks? The Zebra built in ones only...? Or some outboard thing-a-ma-jigg?

Best
Hans

[Timfonie]

Michael, that was a superb demonstration of Zebra's capabilities in the hands of an excellent sound designer (and composer)! I was looking forward everytime for the project's next mp3 uploads.
Now waiting for the soundset to become available ...

[mkastrup]

Hey Michael,

which reverb do you use on these tracks? The Zebra built in ones only...? Or some outboard thing-a-ma-jigg?

Best
Hans

Hi Hans

In the last 6 demos I have used Variverb for close and mid space and used Artsacoustic for long. All the other demos are Zebra only with Kjaerhus MPL-1 Pro SE as a limiter.

Also, i have added that information to the initial starting thread.

Michael, that was a superb demonstration of Zebra's capabilities in the hands of an excellent sound designer (and composer)! I was looking forward everytime for the project's next mp3 uploads.
Now waiting for the soundset to become available ...

Thank you Timfonie Its not everyday you stumple over a synth with this kinda power, Zebra has become a regular workstation to me.

/Michael

[funkychickendance]

Things have been a bit quiet lately, so I'm prompted to ask: "is there product soon?"

/fnx

[bmrzycki]

Things have been a bit quiet lately, so I'm prompted to ask: "is there product soon?"

/fnx

You're not the only one wondering where the new tasty oldskool patches are.

[Urs]

Things have been a bit quiet lately, so I'm prompted to ask: "is there product soon?"

/fnx

You're not the only one wondering where the new tasty oldskool patches are.

Hey! I'm just back home from a really stressy vacation

Everything's gonna roll out in a few days, once after the backlog of emails is dealt with

[mkastrup]

In short, i think we all can agree on that Urs really deserved that vacation, so i've been sitting on them and keeping them safe The little extra waiting will be worth it, promise

/Michael