CS-80 sound emulation

[brok landers]

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2633218/bigton ... %20001.mp3

Gorgeous stuff...this clip and that Blade Runner scene...forever etched in my mind.

thanks, overlooked that... what really f***s me up all the time is actually the melody itself... it's still after all that time very unusual, yet it just "works" as if it is a very commercial approached melody, which it definateley isn't, strictly musical-wise...

on the contrary, i was sometimes thinking what would have happened, if someone took 4 things away from vangelis: the cs80/60, the vp330, the suitcase and the reverb... i really wonder if his music would have had such an impact to the public, at least it was those 4 technical things that he used over and over... even more than the cs80 and the suitcase i actually love how he used the vp330... those choirs and strings are still the most creamy analog pads ever used, maybe besides his old analog organs he used on la mort de loup and the likes...

[Examigan]

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2633218/bigton ... %20001.mp3

Gorgeous stuff...this clip and that Blade Runner scene...forever etched in my mind.

thanks, overlooked that... what really f***s me up all the time is actually the melody itself... it's still after all that time very unusual, yet it just "works" as if it is a very commercial approached melody, which it definateley isn't, strictly musical-wise...

Sometimes it's too hard to explain in words..

he is just a genius =)

("just"...hehe)

[himalaya]

Hi Kire,
Nice to see you around again.

That excerpt from 'Heaven and Hell' you have highlighted is my favourite too. The whole album is a 'tour de force', and that part is so beautiful. In fact 'So long Ago So Clear' with Jon Anderson is another classic for me. Such an evocative song. I suppose the cynical age we leave in would smirk at this piece but to me it's something special (as is I'll Find My Way Home. It's cosmic maan! ).

The imperfection of the different voices, slightly different from each other, makes the synth really come alive. Some softsynths are able to come close.

You can add Synth Sqaud to that list, Cypher especially. It really allows for very intricate and easy modulation per note/key.

I liked your audio examples. The high notes in the dry example vwre especially nice. Then the second clip in the file was even better (reverb always helps ).

on the contrary, i was sometimes thinking what would have happened, if someone took 4 things away from vangelis: the cs80/60, the vp330, the suitcase and the reverb... i really wonder if his music would have had such an impact to the public, at least it was those 4 technical things that he used over and over... even more than the cs80 and the suitcase i actually love how he used the vp330...

Interesting question. I suppose the gods of time and space made sure that he be born at the right time to benefit from those technological marvels of the 1970s. They thought: "If we let him be born thirty years later he will have to use those software synthesisers and god forbid, he will most likely end up in long disputes on KVR about what constitutes analog sound.. he won't make much music then..."

those choirs and strings are still the most creamy analog pads ever used, maybe besides his old analog organs he used on la mort de loup and the likes...

Aren't they. Absolutely irreplaceable.

[Kire]

Hi Kire,
Nice to see you around again.

That excerpt from 'Heaven and Hell' you have highlighted is my favourite too. The whole album is a 'tour de force', and that part is so beautiful. In fact 'So long Ago So Clear' with Jon Anderson is another classic for me. Such an evocative song. I suppose the cynical age we leave in would smirk at this piece but to me it's something special (as is I'll Find My Way Home. It's cosmic maan! ).

The imperfection of the different voices, slightly different from each other, makes the synth really come alive. Some softsynths are able to come close.

You can add Synth Sqaud to that list, Cypher especially. It really allows for very intricate and easy modulation per note/key.

I liked your audio examples. The high notes in the dry example vwre especially nice. Then the second clip in the file was even better (reverb always helps ).

Thank's! Always nice to be here!

[brok landers]

just found thisone... he's a real maniac, especially considering the music is written in his head as he actually performs it... unbelievable...

edit:
seems to be not really improvised, as the gals sing the melody as he plays it... nevertheless...

[Teksonik]

I owned one of those Korg 700's he's playing in the first minute or so.....how horrible it sounds by today's standards........

[himalaya]

I still own the 700 and it sounds just great! (although, mine is in need of a good service as it starting to spit some noise here and there).

That filter! (not really used in the video. The filter has to be used live as it allows for some very cool sounds - even today!).

[Teksonik]

I still own the 700 and it sounds just great!

That filter!

Yuck.....but to each his own. The only reason I regret selling it is because I could probably get 10 times more for it now......

[billcarroll]

here's a demonstration how easy it actually is to replicate this sawbased cs80 fanfare sound of vangelis.... the whole pice i did on a thread where one challanged us to imitate the intro of bladerunner, with focus on the typical cs80 fanfare... took me half an hour and - is done _entirely_ with hypersonic. and i mean entirely. just for those who moan that hypersonic doesn't sound good (which indeed it doesn't), but if you know what you do, it actually can... :

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2633218/bigton ... %20001.mp3

That was lovely.

[mizpulyn]

dont know if it was said here or not but Vangelis used factory sounds on CS-80 for most of his iconic sounds... yes, presets but masterfully played and performed on the aftertouch keyboard of CS-80... (Vangelis was playing piano since 8 or something, acting in 50s,60s,70s in 3 very popular bands (greek and french) as keyboardist before launching his solo career in 70s and 80s)

check this video where you can clearly see that most iconic sounds can be obtained just by selecting and combining factory patches on the 2-row selector... unless the last white button on that selector is pressed saying "PANEL" the CS-80 is not using the sliders in the synth section panel and just plays from factory patches / presets stored in memory... than of course you still have manual control over Filter, Chorus, Tremolo, Ring Mod, and also the aftertouch settings for keyboard... so it takes a real performer to make it sound like Vangelis but the core sound is the 2 factory patches combined in most of Vangelis signature sounds... check his old videos from VHS tapes and quite often you can see the factory patches buttons pressed and light-up in those videos - almost never uses the last 3 buttons (manual and memory 1,2 buttons)

here is a detail of CS-80 factory patch selector:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32992083@N00/377636118

and a video demonstration of the famous patches follows...notice on this video you can clearly see the guy only selects factory patches in 2 row selector (he doesnt press the last 3 buttons in any of the rows which are memory 1, 2 and panel aka manual programming) he also doesnt touch any of the aftertouch settings or ring modulator, he sometimes tweaks Filter Cutoff, Resonance and Tremolo and Sustain - all of these are not crucial for the signature sound, they are just performance tweaks...)



and for the original poster !

here is a original CS-80 manual with the manual settings equivalent for all factory patches in both selector rows... starting on page 32... so you can recreate the factory sounds should you need it... and have CS-80 (software of hardware)

http://www.synthdiy.com/files/2013/Yama ... Manual.pdf

you have to fix the space "man ual" in the link above KVR destroys the link

the problem i had so far emulating Vangelis sounds for CS-80 in both Arturia CS-80V and ME-80 soft synths is that you can dial in the factory patches (actually Arturia did that for you and you have faithfull factory settings pre-pogrammed under each selector button by default) BUT even with these factory settings spot on from the CS-80 manual you will only get like 70% of the sound, the remaining 30% is what makes all the difference... the emulation vs the real thing... and iam not talking about details... the Arturia and ME-80 soft synths are missing substantial frequencies from the real factory patches as if muffled or seriously dulled... it reseambles the sounds at best but its not there...

i think that ORIGINAL POSTER'S approach is much more difficult but ultimatelly can get you closer... you recreate the sounds "by ear" using some top soft synths (like DIVA, Sylenth, Zebra soft synths) because the "licensed" emualtions from Arturia and others just dont cut it...

i may post some examples of the famous factory combinations used by Vangelis from Arturia CS-80V and ME-80 soft synths and you will hear that they are close but not there - original poster's "Unknown man" patch exampled here is MUCH CLOSER THAN Arturia or CS-80 can do when copying the exact patch settings from CS-80 user manual...

[MaxSynths]

dont know if it was said here or not but Vangelis used factory sounds on CS-80 for most of his iconic sounds... yes, presets

Yep, right (and not only CS-80 presets, he used a lot of preset sounds from a lot of synths).


BTW if someone is interested in the real thing there is still one available on ebay right now.


http://www.ebay.it/itm/YAMAHA-CS-80-VIN ... 460ea4c181

[mizpulyn]

here's a demonstration how easy it actually is to replicate this sawbased cs80 fanfare sound of vangelis.... the whole pice i did on a thread where one challanged us to imitate the intro of bladerunner, with focus on the typical cs80 fanfare... took me half an hour and - is done _entirely_ with hypersonic. and i mean entirely. just for those who moan that hypersonic doesn't sound good (which indeed it doesn't), but if you know what you do, it actually can... :

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2633218/bigton ... %20001.mp3

WOOOOOOW - TOP PROGRAMING !!! Its spot on... if you add the chimney fire explosions from the sfx track of the opening scene and the hoover fly-by you are 95%-98% there !!! I wish i could take a mediocre soft-synth and turn it into CS-80 clone... really wonderfull programing skills... man !!! and playing of course too... btw this is all in Hypersonic ? the strings, the drones, the brass-lead ? would you send the patches ? just for learning purposes... its worth a million to see how these patches were created to sound so close to something that costs 18.000 USD nowdays... what reverb you use ? the strings are very VP-330 like...

[mizpulyn]

by the way the ZynAddSubFX synth mentioned earlier here is really something... its very complex and capable of some very unique ambient stuff... be sure to check it out... i already donated to the author because i must say i havent seen such complex synth in years... and its ABSOLUTELY FREE...

[Ridlazz921]

Hello,
Does anyone know ho to recreate the vangelis flute from 1492 ?



I have tried for a long time now, with no luck.

[Mutant]

Hello,
Does anyone know ho to recreate the vangelis flute from 1492 ?



I have tried for a long time now, with no luck.

http://www.memorymoon.com/me80.htm

Preset #9 + some EQ after it