Looking for 90's eurodance sounds / techniques

[jupiter8]

They used what was around at the time. Samplers, synths, romplers. And the usual console, FX, outboard. The Microwave I was popular, too. The Roland early 80s synths. A variety of FM synths.

This.

[FràH909]

Hey guys is this post still alive??
I've found it on google searching something on eurodance tecniques..
I think that it can be a good idea to collect all the secret of the time, to make come back this type of music..the real music, that i really love!
I don't know why but in all the music of this time (i say 2006-2011 music), there's something of untrue..i think that now producers make music only for money.
All the elctro tracks, from Britney Spears to Usher, are made only for sell. Sell sell sell.....
I say, if u want to make dance music, why u dont produce a real good track instead of this shit? The mixs are a ugly, if u listen mixs of the '90s u are amazed by listening all the instrument that are coinvolded in the track. And i dont mean only eurodance songs, also pop and other tipe of song..
Listen to Love Is Paradise - First Base. Do u know any other song of 2011 that makes jump and go crazy like this?
I think that we can make come back the real, the good music. The revolution can start from here..are you with me guys?

PS : Sorry for some mistake in english...i'm Italian...Yes Yes Italia...where dance is born ..

[living sounds]

Well, I'm not happy with most of the current music, let alone the sonics, but a lot of it is taste, accustomization, nostalgia. To my ears most of these 90s eurodance sound quite silly, simple and generic. And I grew up listening to this stuff (at least when I was 12 or so).

[penguinfromdeep]

Come on, eurodance was made purely for money, at least majority of it! It was hugely commercial at the time! I like the sonics better than the stuff nowadays too though but it's purely down to the techniques used back then

[ferretleg]

1990's eurp pop blanket choones sound awfull get real

[edancer.crew]

Guys, THANKS A LOOOOOOOT for all that information we can find here!! its so usefull for me, thanks thanks thanks!!!

greetings from Sao Paulo/Brazil

by the way, anybody know what synths was used in ''Carol Bailey - I can't make u love me'' -

and

Xpone Feat Queen Regina - Stranger in Paradise


and

Rachel Wallace - Tell me Why




thanks again!!!

[italofr]

Hello everybody.
It's my first message here and I want to thank you for this very interesting thread which answered lots of questions.
As an average music amateur, I'd like to make eurodance tunes and I'd be happy if anyones could give me their opinions concerning the tools I'd like to use. Actually I'm not very plugin-vsti oriented (for example I recently got a licence for the M1 legacy, very awesome but...... too many patches and options seem to break my creativity compared to my old M1 with its 100 presets only); I recently started learning DAWS and continue to learn mixing skills.
My idea would consist in making great demo songs with a basic condenser microphone and a standalone workstation machine I own, the quasimidi raven max and a DAW like Cubase or Ableton Live. Vocals (with a native english speaker of course ) recorded in stacks for harmonies, tracks from the raven max recorded individually by midi sync. And then... mixing with the daw, using wisely automations, EQ, reverbs etc... And then further looking for a talented producer whose tasks would essentially consist in making up the sound colour.
Actually the question is : in your experience do you think using a standalone machine is risky (for example a unique audio print which could be too recognizable)? Quasimidi's Raven is actually a rompler worksation with a very special coulour. It sounds as if all the best synths from the early 80's to the early nineties were recorded into it, but sounds quiet digital lofi. As I'm more a song writer than a sound designer and producer, I tend to waste time in areas where I'm not very talented. Sure, I could use my DX21, M1, jx3p (and so on) synths and sequence them by the DAW, but the Raven's step sequencer makes you more creative than if you were in front of a screen with a mouse and a midi controller (though I agree current controllers are very powerful).
All opinions welcome !
thank you very much, nice week.

(excuse my approximative english)

[10cypher]

Hi italofr,

I like that the topic is alive again:-)
why not to try? I think for demo purposes, using only a single dance oriented machine with all types of patches (drums, basses, leads)(like the Raven you mentioned), can be usefull.
I dont know the Raven, but I think that every machine has a typical sound. For most of eurodance songs more instruments were used.
When you create a song in onboard Raven sequencer (when you find it inspirating) it is still possible to transfer the song then to another sequencer to drive another (external) midi instruments. Or maybe it is even possible to set up the Raven sequencer to drive the external midi modules on some of the midi chanels.
I am not sure, check the manual.

[BuddhaMaster]

Hi, I like to add my question I was looking around the internet to this thread.


What sort of piano chords were used all torough Eurodance music?
I specify the word "Eurodance", because to me eurodance is that kind of music always using a piano and the same chords for every track.

Dr. Alban - It's my life


EDIT I figured that one out.
It's my life is a i-VI-VII-v progression in the key of Am.
were the VI is a 1st inversion. Is there a way to note chord inversion for a chord progression, or do you simply "slash"-chord that like VI/A?

Thanks anyway it's a real nice progression

[nickamandote]

you can find samples to use at http://eurodancetutorial.blogspot.com

[aharu]

- Open up the vst Korg M1
- Select Combi
- Browse
- Pick category "Synth/Poly"
- Choose the preset "4Voices/03"
- Lower the reverb

VOILA...
you have the main lead sound of Ice MC - Take Away The Colour

[surreal]

I have been producing Eurodance and German Rave in the 90's. It was not the area were analog synths got used heavily for sure - digital stuff appeared more than ever before and has been used mainly. This includes Korg Wavestation, Korg M1, Korg Prophecy, Quasimidi, Oberheim OB-8, Quasar, Technox modules and Raven. JX8P (organs!!), D-50/D-55, SY-77, SY-33,DX 7. Many more Romplers have been used as well (Romplers have been huge at this time).

The kickdrums at this time I've created with a sampler. Load a 909 Bassdrum, then simply give it a different pitch-ADSR-curve. Attack is pitched 5 notes up, decay is normal, Sustain is 5 notes below and flowing down as it runs out on release. This way you get the typical high kick, solid body, and deep end. The typical 90's eurodance bassdrum.

I am still producing 90's Rave in my spare-time, just for fun btw. It's difficult to find good VST's "emulating" the old hardware indeed. Using many multi-layer samples nowadays.

Just for fun and if it helps anyone to create good old 90's Eurodance / Rave, I share my personal and 80% self-created bassdrum collection with you: http://www.xarcmastering.com/glossary/t ... kicks.html

Hope that helps a bit to get started:)

[chk071]

Reveal Sound recently released a sound bank with 90ies sounds. Maybe worth checking out too:



The link to the bank is in the video's description.

[surreal]

I am definetly looking at getting this sound set for Spire!!

Is there any other 90's type sounds sets for other Synths?

[nickamandote]

I am definetly looking at getting this sound set for Spire!!

Is there any other 90's type sounds sets for other Synths?

Try Korg M1/Wavestation VST