Songs That Use Roland CR-78

[Mr Arkadin]

I love the CR78, and I mostly think of Ultravox’s Hiroshima Mon Amor when I try to replicate it.

Pretty sure that was an earlier machine like TR-77 or something or Acetone.

[Mr Arkadin]

Mike Oldfield- Indian lake

I'd put Taurus 1 before that - not sure that's real or sampled on the track you gave.

[Forgotten]

I love the CR78, and I mostly think of Ultravox’s Hiroshima Mon Amor when I try to replicate it.

Pretty sure that was an earlier machine like TR-77 or something or Acetone.

I think you're right - Warren Cann started with a TR-77 then moved on to a CR-78 later.

[aciddose]

Isn't OMD - Enola Gay the most famous single track? edit: Gah! I see now you typed it out in the first post. A lot of the listed tracks do use the cr-78 a bit, but most of them aren't very raw.

The most distinct thing about the cr-78 has got to be the method used to apply the amplitude envelopes leading to the saturated exponential response... so it's a very steep edge where it goes out of saturation (clipping to 100%) and suddenly drops off fast. If I'm not mistaken they use an NPN transistor base as a gate and apply the filters afterward. So the envelope while above about 650mv is "on", and below that an exponent is applied. The signal passing through the gate is distorted by the exponential function during the decay.

That style of circuit is the same as the diode gates used in divider organs and their associated drum circuits during the 70s and of course sounds the same or very similar.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPzPeZyt4Mo

[sinkmusic]

I love the CR78, and I mostly think of Ultravox’s Hiroshima Mon Amor when I try to replicate it.

Pretty sure that was an earlier machine like TR-77 or something or Acetone.

[Bodhisan]

I love the CR78, and I mostly think of Ultravox’s Hiroshima Mon Amor when I try to replicate it.

Pretty sure that was an earlier machine like TR-77 or something or Acetone.

I think you're right - Warren Cann started with a TR-77 then moved on to a CR-78 later.

You are right - and I knew that, as I had researched it (and found TR-77 samples for myself), but over the past couple of years got my wire crossed!

[chris979899]

Thank you!

[chris979899]

The most distinct thing about the cr-78 has got to be the method used to apply the amplitude envelopes leading to the saturated exponential response... so it's a very steep edge where it goes out of saturation (clipping to 100%) and suddenly drops off fast. If I'm not mistaken they use an NPN transistor base as a gate and apply the filters afterward. So the envelope while above about 650mv is "on", and below that an exponent is applied. The signal passing through the gate is distorted by the exponential function during the decay.

That style of circuit is the same as the diode gates used in divider organs and their associated drum circuits during the 70s and of course sounds the same or very similar.

Thank you. This information is also really helpful. I have to write a 2000 word essay on a piece of equipments impact on a music period through different genres.

[chris979899]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPzPeZyt4Mo

Excellent. Post 80s song are really helpful to show how it's still used in modern music. I found a modest mouse song so far but that's it, so this is great.

[mcanicos]

Enigma - Album "The cross of changes",song "Silent Warrior"

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPzPeZyt4Mo

Excellent. Post 80s song are really helpful to show how it's still used in modern music. I found a modest mouse song so far but that's it, so this is great.

Great track, from a really beautiful album. Well worth a lie-down-with-headphones session

I've always loved the sound of that drum machine, and often play with the sampled kit that's included in Logic' Ultrabeat'. Might have to incorporate it into an actual track, someday

[Mr Arkadin]

Of course you can still just jam with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti6qhk3tX2s

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Of course you can still just jam with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti6qhk3tX2s

Pure class

[chris979899]

Not a fan of Thom Yorke musically, like Jonny though. Still gonna reference it.