remaking Orbital - Halcyon

How to make that sound...
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You know, this might be an opportunity for a series of contests in which a classic electronic track is announced each month. Entrants might compete in various categories, such as most faithful recreation or best remix.
It's the music that makes the science worthwhile.

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Simple Pleasures wrote:I'd be willing to give it a go too...
Well, I've got a midi file of Halcyon if that would be of any help.

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The pads were / are a Korg Wavestation.

Arise thread!

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Gridlocked wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:23 pm The pads were / are a Korg Wavestation.

Arise thread!
Yes! I stumbled on this thread whilst trying to find those first vocal samples on the album version so will seek out the Fine Day a capellas.

But the intro pad is definitely a Wavestation - if you have the iPad iWavestation, try this:
* Load RAM1 performance 'DebussyOnWheels' (#49)
* In the Wave Sequence editor change 'Unison' for 'DreamSq' (RAM1, #12)
* Hold down B and F#
* Lose yourself in a wave of 90s nostalgia.

Registered just for this. Hope I'm not too late (only 11 years...)

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Amazing stuff - I also believe the piano was a Wavestation too! If I remember correctly they got Kirsty Hawkshaw from Opus III in to record some extra vocals on top of the sampled ones from the acapella.

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Gridlocked wrote: Thu May 05, 2022 4:37 pm Amazing stuff - I also believe the piano was a Wavestation too! If I remember correctly they got Kirsty Hawkshaw from Opus III in to record some extra vocals on top of the sampled ones from the acapella.
That would make sense, and explains why I can't find matching vocals anywhere in the Opus III catalogue! Might just play with Bon Jovi / Belinda Carlisle instead...

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jimness wrote: Fri May 06, 2022 10:17 am
Gridlocked wrote: Thu May 05, 2022 4:37 pm Amazing stuff - I also believe the piano was a Wavestation too! If I remember correctly they got Kirsty Hawkshaw from Opus III in to record some extra vocals on top of the sampled ones from the acapella.
That would make sense, and explains why I can't find matching vocals anywhere in the Opus III catalogue! Might just play with Bon Jovi / Belinda Carlisle instead...
You can definitely get close with the It's A Fine Day vocals, I have the single on CD which has the accapella version. Once they are reversed you are most of the way there!

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jimness wrote: Thu May 05, 2022 10:08 am
Gridlocked wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:23 pm The pads were / are a Korg Wavestation.

Arise thread!
Yes! I stumbled on this thread whilst trying to find those first vocal samples on the album version so will seek out the Fine Day a capellas.

But the intro pad is definitely a Wavestation - if you have the iPad iWavestation, try this:
* Load RAM1 performance 'DebussyOnWheels' (#49)
* In the Wave Sequence editor change 'Unison' for 'DreamSq' (RAM1, #12)
* Hold down B and F#
* Lose yourself in a wave of 90s nostalgia.

Registered just for this. Hope I'm not too late (only 11 years...)
OH MY GOD THIS IS GOLD!!!!! i'll play with this for HOURS now haha thanks!

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1wob2many wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2017 9:02 pm
Simple Pleasures wrote:I'd be willing to give it a go too...
Well, I've got a midi file of Halcyon if that would be of any help.
1wob2many - been trying to make contact -

thread revival - trying to get some orbital Midi files !

:love: :love:

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The thread's back!

I used what I figured out in the Wavestation app, chucked some samples together and came up with this using Nanostudio 2 on an iPad. Enormous fun.


Now, onto Impact...

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wow Jim thats amazing =)

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jimness wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2023 3:25 pm The thread's back!

I used what I figured out in the Wavestation app, chucked some samples together and came up with this using Nanostudio 2 on an iPad. Enormous fun.


Now, onto Impact...
Totally awesome !!

Did you create the file from scratch ?

Impact is one of my favourite Orbital songs

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Love it, it´s the definition of a mindset :)

I can differ a lower pad that sounds pretty smooth. Maybe FM, maybe ROMpler, maybe a sample. And there are two! upper pads - one panned left and one right that also have different volume curves. Both of them are definitely ROMpler sounds - a VOX pad and a string pad. No regular synth can generate such complex hamonics with such a pleasing balance - that is exactly what I miss in todays EM.

I can imagine very well that they have worked with samples here, just fading / bleding the sounds to get that athmosphere. Working with samples also makes things easier, but doen´t mean that the source was not a synth. Picture different samples mapped over the keyboard range faded into each others with just a the volume envelope and maybe some automation. I can´t say for sure, but the lower pad also sounds a little bit slowed/pitched down to my ears.

Many people worked that way back then, collecting their materials in the sampler for the production / mastering stage (e. g. William Orbit who sampled the sounds and sequences for Madonnas Ray of Light with his AKAI S2000s).

Orbital on Equipboard: https://equipboard.com/pros/orbital

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