KVR Audio

mholloway · Post by **mholloway** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 6:33 pm

(I also posted about this in the Valhalla sub > preset request, but am posting here as well since answers could go beyond the domain of Valhalla plugins...)

I'm wondering what plugin / settings would be recommended for the simple & clean room sound of Kraftwerk's "Man Machine" album.

I've chosen 'Spacelab' for an example, but really the production on any of the songs from the album would do.

Of all Kraftwerk albums, this one has my favorite production values, and a big part of that is the effective use of reverb on the synths. They sit very nicely in a space that never feels too obvious or washed out. Some of their other albums, the synths have a much 'drier' sound, but on this one, there's a sense of room-type space that for me is very effective.

Take 'spacelab' -- each lead synth has that comfortable sense of space to it -- not dry and 'up front', but not awash in obvious, sheeny, long-tail reverb, either. Just sitting in a clean space, almost a case of "felt not heard" where the natural synthesizer tone is the main thing heard, but yet it's not dry, either.

Thoughts? VVV settings? Any idea what Kraftewerk actually used? (I google'd it but only found tons of info on synths, not effects....)
Thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZXYnVBK0fY

Etienne1973 · Post by **Etienne1973** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:44 pm

Sounds to me like a real echo chamber.

mholloway · Post by **mholloway** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:49 pm

Etienne1973 wrote:Sounds to me like a real echo chamber.

Interesting, do you mean to suggest that no reverb device was used, but rather the synths (amps) were mic'd and the spacial imaging is simply part of the literal,physical room?

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:54 pm

Etienne1973 wrote:Sounds to me like a real echo chamber.

That's what I thought too ...

@OP https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_chamber

BMoore · Post by **BMoore** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 8:23 pm

Probably Roland Space Echo.

AnX · Post by **AnX** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 8:47 pm

Recorded in situ in their bunker. No fx.

ghettosynth · Post by **ghettosynth** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 8:57 pm

Waves Chamber is still on sale, it's an IR based reverb, so take that for what it's worth, but it's nicely done and the S.T.E.E.D aspect is killer.

https://www.waves.com/plugins/abbey-road-chambers

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 9:12 pm

Some info here about their gear ...
http://equipboard.com/pros/kraftwerk

mholloway · Post by **mholloway** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 9:19 pm

BMoore wrote:Probably Roland Space Echo.

Uh, not a chance. The reverb sound I'm describing sounds absolutely nothing like what you'd get from the spring reverb in the RE-201.

BMoore · Post by **BMoore** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 9:34 pm

mholloway wrote:
BMoore wrote:Probably Roland Space Echo.
Uh, not a chance. The reverb sound I'm describing sounds absolutely nothing like what you'd get from the spring reverb in the RE-201.

Uh, no. But the echo.

Etienne1973 · Post by **Etienne1973** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 9:46 pm

mholloway wrote:space that never feels too obvious or washed out

If it's true and they used natural reverb. I bet they did the Abbey Road EQ Send before Reverb trick. EQ is included in the Waves AR Chamber plugin. Cut bass at 600Hz and top at least at 10kHz or lower.

mholloway · Post by **mholloway** » Thu Aug 16, 2018 10:02 pm

ghettosynth wrote:Waves Chamber is still on sale, it's an IR based reverb, so take that for what it's worth, but it's nicely done and the S.T.E.E.D aspect is killer.

https://www.waves.com/plugins/abbey-road-chambers

Thanks for the heads up, I just picked it up for 29 bucks.

BMoore · Post by **BMoore** » Sat Aug 18, 2018 1:00 am

I still stand by the Roland Space Echo.

Reverb on Kraftwerk's "Man Machine" album.