again: axel f.

[positionhigh]

hi coktor,
tnx for your efford and time putting your samples online. i like your 1. version better but still there is a lot missing - in the original there is some kind of triangle or sine wave going on and also a fm like harshness in the upper mids.

Yes, my example is definitely not there yet. I've only found a very bad recording of the tune, in low mp3 quality, can't really evaluate the sound.
So it's difficult to hear what is synth and what post-processing. Faltermeyer could have also simply doubled the synth, it doesn't need to be just a single synth voice in the track. I don't think the Jupiter8 had the option to pan single oscillators left or right, did it?
The "FM harshness" you mentioned could easily be stacked voices interacting, you know, like a subtle "supersaw" effect. Or what other synths call unison.

rehi,

it's unbeleavable how distorted are all versions available on youtube.
this one at least has some high end frequencies but still heavy distortions in the bass (overdrive). well at least you can hear most of the lead sound.



no, the jp8 can't pan but i has unisono and im sure it was used. in a few minutes/hours i'll post my current state for the lead, im far away but maybe someone has some insightful tipps.
cu mark

[positionhigh]

this is my current state, feel free to make suggestions what is wrong.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wabv72n04ry4cos/ax2.mp3

if someone is interested how i got there:

its one pure triangle, one pure saw and one square with slightly pwm offset.
the quare with pwm has an unisono effect with 8 oscs. spread, like an jp8 can do, about 12 cent up/downwards.

[Wildfunk]

no, the jp8 can't pan but i has unisono and im sure it was used.

Or he recorded the melody twice (left and right) with different settings or he used two Jupiters.

Got the original sound track on cd, here's the first note on a wave editor:

[positionhigh]

no, the jp8 can't pan but i has unisono and im sure it was used.
Or he recorded the melody twice (left and right) with different settings or he used two Jupiters.

so what do you think is going on ? 8-12 ms. delay on one channel?

[dalor]

Tried my luck yesterday (terrible result) but IMO:
-no doubt there's 2 recordings, the right channel has slight more harmonics (filter is more open?)
-also the right track is delayed by a couple of MS
-and I believe the entire melody has mod wheel / filter cut off automation, I'm talking tiny settings, just kissing the mod wheel
-the unison seems very small (in my experiment It sounded over to top even on small settings)
-there's a reverb (and chorus!??) that makes things harder to perceive and judge based on single cycle waveforms ripped off the original
-regarding the waveform, I'd say pwm is involved..

Just my 2c

[positionhigh]

hi there,
since i got an question via email from an forummember about my progress, ill post an example of my last state - i'm happy to answer everything i can about it but i still feel its very different from the original song.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ohpuup7bf7c44bs/demo1.mp3

maybe in the meantime someone else got it closer and has something to tell how he got there?

cu mark

[bargyu]

Some years have passed on, but probably some are still interested in this topic.

I could not hear the aforementioned files, they have become unaccessible.

I tried Arturia's plugin. I could poduce some nice analogue synth sound, but I could not come close to the real Axel F sound (not boosted youtube ones). The true sound is clear and bold, almost like a true string ensemble. The tricky part is VCF cut freq and env1 sustain %, to find a point where the sound is bold and steel, but not noisy. Adding chorus and unison voice made the sound fater, but not lost clearness. I guess Faltermeyer stacked multiple ones to achieve the clear and fat sound.

For me, the following setting gave the best result:
LFO rate 5hz, 0.3st free
Osc1 & Osc2 saw waves, 8', -0.3 tune, source mix 60/40, env1 a/d/s/r 8ms/50/50/8ms, env2 16ms/max/max/8ms

[HAL76]

Emulations will always sound like emulations - and the sound you hear in the song is not just the sound of the Synthesizers. I´d better generalize the question: has anybody ever really convingly nailed the 80s sound with softsynths? intersubjectively?

[bargyu]

Of course, yes. For me, the question is what difference is acceptable. I tried TAL-J-8 today, slightly different sound, but overall the same experience. Axel F sound seems to be a major challenge for emulation. These plugins can emulate some 80s synth sound perfectly, but Axel F is a different beast.

[HAL76]

Of course, yes. For me, the question is what difference is acceptable. I tried TAL-J-8 today, slightly different sound, but overall the same experience. Axel F sound seems to be a major challenge for emulation. These plugins can emulate some 80s synth sound perfectly, but Axel F is a different beast.

It's about the goals, of course, and what's acceptable. I've also had a lot of fun with J8, but definitely without the goal of realistically recreating the 80s sound or Axel F.

However, I have to say that after experiences with J8, among others, and especially since I own an MKS-80 (and various other analog synths), my perspective has changed completely—and not just because the synths sound and react completely differently (I'm just saying, Unison or Crossmod, they have nothing in common there)—but also because the sound generators themselves only come close to the sound we're used to from 80s songs.

But everyone has their own preferences and opinions—it's a question of goals—and I've also done a lot of experimenting and learned a lot along the way....

[CHOOS]

002.zip

Attached is a synth1 preset.
It's pretty close to the start of the song.
A 2nd layer that comes in after that that I dont have or havent made but this is pretty good.

Needs delay and reverb after

[bargyu]

Thank you! Unfortunately, Snyth1 does not seem to be working on Macos. I get grey screen only, like others. GUI is not able to get initialized due to technology update with BugSur.

[CHOOS]

Beverly Hills Cop - Axel.zip

Vital preset

dont like it as much as the synth1 preset but it's not too far off